CM lays foundation stone of main Campus of IT University

LAHORE, Dec 20 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif laid foundation stone of main campus of Information Technology University at Barki Road, here on Wednesday.
Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister said, “It is a great occasion that foundation stone of the main campus of an IT University is laid. Some years ago, IT University was set up in Arfa Karim Tower and the foundation stone of this great institution is being laid at a precious piece of land worth billion of rupees at Barki road today.”
He extended congratulations to the VC Dr. Umar Saif, faculty members as well as the students. While congratulating the parents, teachers and the students who got degrees in the convocation held a few days ago, the Chief Minister said that this university had been established to provide quality education and stipends were also offered to the brilliant and hardworking students. He added that students belonging to the low-income families studied here with dignity.
This university was promoting the vision of Quaid-e-Azam because Pakistan was created by the founding father to give equal rights to all and sundry, without any discrimination of caste, color or creed, and the poor and the rich should have equal opportunities of development, education and health but unluckily, the rich continued to prosper while the poor became
poorer, he said and added that as a result, the ultra-rich enjoyed all the boons of life and they had easy access to education, healthcare and other facilities but on the contrary, such facilities of healthcare and education were unavailable to the disfranchised segments of the society. He said that due to the gap between the poor and the rich strata, Pakistan could not achieve the goals of development and prosperity which had been attained by the other countries.
The Chief Minister said, “Birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is nearer and we all should ponder over the fact that what Quaid-e-Azam wanted from us and what we have done? Had we followed the sayings and philosophy of Quaid and Iqbal, the reply will be in negative”. But the IT University, where rich and the poor enjoyed equal opportunity of
education, was promoting the mission of Quaid and certainly the spirit of Quaid would have been happy over the establishment of such educational institutions.
The Chief Minister said, “Pakistan is an established nuclear power and the enemy can not put an evil eye on us but despite being an atomic power, Pakistan is far behind many countries, though these countries were lagging behind in the past. It should be a matter of concern that where countries
like Turkey, China, South Korea and Bangladesh are standing as compared to Pakistan today?”
He said that IT University was a prestigious institution of higher education amicably developed by the Vice Chancellor Dr. Umar Saif. The Punjab government was setting up the main campus of this university at an area of 183 acres of land. A few years ago, this precious piece of land was encroached upon by the squatters, he said and added the Punjab government
had won this case from the Supreme Court and the precious land, worth billion of rupees, had been gifted so that you could get best of the best education.
He lamented that there were tenures in the past when such kind of precious land was usurped upon with each other, instead of utilizing it for the benefit of the youth, but the PML-N government had provided resources worth billions of rupees for youth-development and national prosperity. He said that this costly piece of land worth Rs.15 billion had been given for
providing higher education to the youth and termed it the beneficial investment for future.
He said, “There is no dearth of anything in the country and if the passions of commitment, hard work and dedication are employed then everything is possible. I am confident that IT University will earn a niche as like Cambridge and Oxford and the students will bring laurels home.”
The Chief Minister said, “Nations prosper through hard work as there is no royal road to success through any shortcut. The students sitting in this function are the future of the country and more they will work hard, the more country will progress.”
He impressed upon the students to help change the destiny of the nation and beat the neighboring countries, adding, “We will have to get rid of the menace of beggary.”
He assured that all the required resources would be provided and added that a state-of-the-art Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute was being established in the provincial metropolis with a cost of Rs.20
billion. These funds were provided by the Punjab government from its own resources and first phase of this project would be inaugurated on December 25, he added.
He said that the habit of begging bowl would have to be done away with once and for all and now there was no room for any begging bowl because fire and water could not coexist.
He urged the students to work hard and help make Pakistan a great country in the world.
The Chief Minister gave away shields and complimentary certificates among the students.
Provincial Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani and Dr. Umar Saif also spoke on the occasion.