Youth masters of Pakistan’s destiny: Masood

ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP):Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan Wednesday said youth were masters of Pakistan’s destiny as they could include the country among the developed countries.
He was addressing the Roots Flagship Millennium Campus’ Annual High Achiever Ceremony 2018 here at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, in which the students, who had achieved distinctions and scholarships to international universities, were honoured, a press release said.
Underscoring the importance of quality education, President Masood said it was pertinent to impart an education that focused on the social, emotional, mental, physical and cognitive development of students, preparing them for the challenges of life.
He complimented the management, faculty, students and their parents on their outstanding achievements. Students of the institution had been provided holistic education with the emphasis on personality grooming, character development, confidence, adequate exposure to leadership and societal contributions, he added.
He said the students owed their success to their parents and teachers. He urged them to fulfil their responsibility by contributing to the society and pursuing academic and professional excellence. They should focus on making Pakistan socially, politically, diplomatically and economically stronger; enabling it to stand among the developed nations of the world, he added.
The AJk president while strongly condemning the recent gang rape and murder of eight-year-old Asifa Banu, informed the audience about the abysmal situation in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK). The people in IOK were facing gross injustice at the hands of 700,000 Indian occupation forces, who are killing, maiming, torturing, incarcerating and dishonouring them with impunity.
As global citizens “we need to raise our voice for the Kashmiris by creating awareness on the atrocities taking place in IOK,” he added.
President Masood said,”We will continue to support the Kashmiris’ peaceful and unarmed struggle for their right to self-determination. We strive for a just, peaceful and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and call for the immediate end to the human right violations and war crimes perpetrated in IOK.”
He asked the students to express solidarity with the Kashmiris and raise awareness over the issue by telling the stories of Kashmiri brothers and sisters by using the #KashmirMatters on social media networks.
He said AJK was on the verge of an economic and commercial revolution driven by multiple development projects focusing infrastructure, construction of roads, universal access to health, education, industry, tourism, energy production and enhancing agriculture capacity. “Azad Kashmir will contribute to the developing economic landscape of Pakistan, becoming an asset for the country,” he added.
The event was attended by Adil Al Arabi, Tunisian Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Junaid Zaidi, Rector COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Julie Newlan, Pro-Vice Chancellor University of Hertfordshire; Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq, Chief Executive TMUC, faculty, students and their parents.