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MULTAN, Jan 24 (APP):Senate Chairman Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that the future of Pakistan depends on how effectively the country educates its youth, stressing that with a young population and immense potential, national success will be determined by the quality of its universities.
Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the Executive Body of the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Academic Staff Association (ASA) at the Jinnah Auditorium, Gilani said universities must function as centres of learning, innovation and social responsibility, particularly within their respective regions.
“As Chairman Senate, I use parliamentary platform to underscore the central importance of education in national policy-making,” he said, adding that he had consistently advocated curriculum reforms, alignment of education with modern job market requirements, and stronger collaboration between Pakistani universities and reputed international institutions.
Gilani described teachers and academic staff as the backbone of the education system, observing that nations rise or fall on the strength of their teachers. He said Academic Staff Associations played a crucial role in safeguarding professional rights while upholding academic standards, institutional harmony and intellectual freedom.
Appreciating BZU’s contribution to quality education in South Punjab and across the country, the chairman Senate urged the Punjab government to establish a BZU campus in Shujabad. He said the proposed campus would greatly benefit students from Shujabad, Jalalpur Pirwala, Lodhran and surrounding areas.
“I demand that the Punjab government set up a BZU campus in Shujabad, and I am hopeful that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will approve it without any hesitation ,” he said.
Recalling the establishment of BZU in 1975 through an Act of Parliament by former prime minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Gilani said the university, along with Islamia University Bahawalpur and Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, was part of a conscious national decision to strengthen higher education in southern regions. He termed it a farsighted initiative aimed at ensuring educational equity as a prerequisite for sustainable national development.
Reflecting on his tenure as the prime minister from 2008 to 2012, Gilani said that despite economic and security challenges, focused efforts were made to strengthen public universities and expand access to higher education in underdeveloped regions. He noted that 100 PhD scholarships were awarded to the BZU under the Faculty Development Programme during that period.
“Today, the BZU stands as the largest university of South Punjab, serving thousands of students and contributing significantly to teaching, research and regional development,” he said.
Gilani reiterated that throughout his public life he had maintained education as the foundation of national development, social justice and democratic stability. “Investment in education is not an expenditure; it is a long-term national obligation and a core state priority,” he emphasized.
Earlier, Vice Chancellor BZU Dr Zubair Iqbal highlighted improvements in the university’s rankings and initiatives undertaken during the past one-and-a-half years. He said a comprehensive five-year strategy had been devised for the university’s overall uplift.
ASA President Dr Binyameen highlighted issues faced by the faculty and pledged to work for the betterment of the university. He thanked the chairman Senate and termed him a benefactor of South Punjab and the BZU.