•  INTRO  PAGE  HERE  

The 125th Founders Day 11th – 13th November 2011

The  125th  Anniversary  of  Aitchison  College  Lahore  was  always  something  anBcipated.  We  are  an  old  insBtuBon,  and  perseverance  is  in  our  nature.  But  there  will  always  be  the  awe  of  the  moment,  which  begins  a  truly  tremendous  occasion.        The  events  are  chronologically  divided  as  such:    Friday    11th  November,  2011    ACOBA  Matches    •  Hockey  •  Football  

 Musical  Night    Saturday  12th  November,  2011    Aitchisonia  Debates  •  PoliBcs  •  Sciences  •  Sports  •  Governance  

Founders  Day  Prize  DistribuBon  Ceremony    Official  Invite  Dinner    Musical  FuncBon      Sunday  13th  November,  2011    ACOBA  Matches  •  Cricket  •  Riding/Tent  Pegging      and  the  ExhibiBons  which  were  showcased  across  the  span  of  these  three  days:      

 Assalam-­‐o-­‐alaikum.    It  is  a  maVer  of  great  pleasure  for  me  to  address  the  ceremony  of  the  125th  Founder’s  Day  of  the  world-­‐renowned  Aitchison  College,  today.   I  would   like  to  congratulate  the  management,  faculty,  and  the  students  of  Aitchison  College  on  this   fesBve  occasion.  The  day  marks  a   long  journey  of   the   college   starBng   from   the  3rd  of  November,  1886  when   the   then  Governor  of  Punjab   Lieutenant   General   Sir   Charles   Umpherston   Aitchison   founded   this   great   seat   of  learning.  Being  the  linear  descendant  of  the  Ward’s  School  at  Tambala  and  the  Chief’s  College,  Aitchison  College  has  lived  up  to  its  reputaBon  and  has  a  wonderful  job.  Over  a  period  of  125  years,  the  College  has  undoubtedly  produced  leaders  who  set  up  high  benchmarks  of  success  and  display  outstanding  performance.  Thanks  to  their  dedicaBon  and  their  commitment  they  have   not   only   made   their   mark   in   their   chosen   profession,   but   also   play   a   leading   role   in  contribuBng  to  the  community  development  and  fostering  naBonal  integraBon.  LiVle  wonder  that   today  Aitchison  College  has   come   to  be   recognized  as   a  model  of   excellence,   integrity,  and  compassion.  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  world  we  are  living  in  today  is  faced  with  various  challenges.  These  challenges  cannot  only  reset  our  direcBon  but  also  impact  our  future.  It  is  a  complex   world   defined   by   the   forces   of   change   and   evoluBon.   Only   those   individuals   and  naBons  can  compete  in  today’s  high-­‐tech  environment  that  have  done  their  homework  well  in  advance  and  have  made  knowledge  the  pivot  of   their  progress  and  development.   In   today’s  globalized   world,   knowledge   has   been   acknowledged   as   an   engine   of   growth   and  development.   The   challenges   of   the   21st   Century   can   be   addressed   adequately   if   our  insBtuBons   encourage   a   sense   of   criBcal   inquiry   and   a   thirst   for   knowledge   among   the  students.   Our   teaching   insBtuBons   and   universiBes   must   become   the   hub   of   research   and  creaBvity   capable   of   providing   fresh   insights   into   the   contemporary   problems.   Staggering  developments  in  the  fields  of  science  and  technology  have  stunned  humankind.  The  countries  have  been   le_  with   liVle  opBon  but  to   invest   in  the  fields  of  educaBon  and  human  resource  development  to  stay  afloat   in   today’s  world.  Doing  so   is   the  only  way  to  ensure  and  sustain  socio-­‐economic   development.   A_er   the   Chinese   example,   populaBon   should   not   be  considered  to  be  a  burden  anymore.    

Bismillah-­‐hir-­‐Rahman-­‐nir-­‐Rahim.      Sardar  LaBf  Khan  Khosa,  Governor  Punjab  and  President  of  the  Board  of  Governors,   Federal  Minister   for   Science   and   Technology,  Members   of  Parliament,  Headmasters  of  Aitchison  College,  members  of  the  Board  of  Governors,   members   of   the   Aitchison   Alumni   AssociaBon,   Raja  Malvindar  Singh,  outgoing  batch  of  2012,  disBnguished  guests,  my  dear  students,  proud  parents,  diplomats,  

 

Pakistan’s  demographic  potenBal  is  huge  with  63%  of  its  populaBon  being  under  25  years  of  age.    What  needs   to  be  done   is   to  harness   the  energies  of  our   youth  and  put   them   into  producBve   use   through   Bmely   policy   intervenBon   and   sustained   poliBcal   support.  Establishment  of  linkages  between  our  educaBonal  insBtuBons  and  job  markets  is  one  way  of  making  this  happen.  The  promoBon  of  industry  academia  collaboraBon,  I  am  sure  would  go  a  long  way  in  preparing  future  leaders  endowed  with  the  necessary  vision  to  respond  to  present   day   challenges.   Seeking   educaBon   is   not   merely   an   abstract   acBvity   aimed   at  gedng  employment.  Rather  educaBon  seeks  to  build  character  of  individuals  and  produce  responsible  ciBzenry  that  is  aware  of  its  rights  and  duBes.  It  is  an  ornament  which  beauBfies  the  naBon  and  equips  it  with  necessary  capabiliBes  to  cope  with  the  challenges  of  Bme.  It  helps   in   building   up   cultural   ethos   and   preserving   the   naBonal   values   and   idenBty   by  transferring   their   knowledge   to   the   next   generaBons.   I   am  happy   to   learn   that   Aitchison  College  has  been  playing  this  role  commendably  well.  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  passage  of  the  18th  ConsBtuBonal  Amendment  has  made  educaBon  precisely  a  provincial  subject.  A_er  consultaBon  with  the  provincial  governments  and  other  relevant  stake-­‐holders,  the  federal  government  prepared  a  comprehensive  NaBonal  EducaBon  Policy  2009.  Under  this  policy,  it  was   agreed   that   each   province   shall   develop   its   own   acBon   plan   which   shall   commit   to  appropriately   raising   allocaBons   for   educaBon,   set   prioriBes   according   to   the   provincial  needs,   and   provide   implementaBon   strategies,   processes   with   Bme   frames   and   key  indicators,   ensuring   fulfilment   of   consBtuBonal   needs   with   respect   to   educaBon   and  meeBng   the   internaBonal   commitments   such   as   EducaBon   For   All   (EFA).   The   18th  amendment   includes  an   important   inserBon  of  ArBcle  25-­‐A  making  educaBon  compulsory  for   children.   The   main   thrust   of   the   policy   remains   on   achieving   the   Millennium  Development  Goal  of  universal   primary  educaBon  by  2015.  Gender  equality   and  bridging  urban-­‐rural   divide   are   the  areas  of   special   focus  of   the  policy.   Ladies   and  gentlemen,   for  quite  some  Bme  now,  our  great  naBon  has  been  faced  with  great  perils  of  extremism  and  terrorism.  While  the  extremist  forces  seek  to  snatch  from  us  our  values,  our  tradiBons,  and  our  idenBty,  it  must  be  our  endeavour  to  foil  their  evil  designs.  As  I  keeping  saying,  it  is  not  merely  a  physical  fight,  rather  it  is  a  baVle  of  ideas.  In  order  to  comprehensively  eliminate  extremism  and  terrorism,  we  need  to  defeat  the  idea  which  generates  it  in  the  first  place.  This   is   possible   only   when   our   intellectuals,   educaBonal   insBtuBons,   religious   scholars,  academia,   and   students   come   forward   and   play   their   due   role.   At   this   point,   I   recall   the  quote   of   Shaheed  Muhtarma   Benazir   BhuVo   wherein   she   said,   “An   inferior   idea   can   be  killed  by  a  superior  idea  only.”  It  is  in  this  context  that  it  is  incumbent  upon  the  educaBonal  insBtuBons  such  as  Aitchison  College  to  launch  intellectual  struggles  against  terrorism  and  extremism  by  inculcaBng  the  values  of  respect  and  harmony  among  its  students.  You  would  agree  with  me  that  naBonalism  binds  diverse  sub-­‐naBonal  idenBBes  into  a  collecBve  whole  by  creaBng  in  them  a  feeling  of  oneness  and  unity.  The  naBon  inspired  by  naBonalism  can  surmount  any  set  of   challenges.  Our  educaBonal   insBtuBons  have  not  done   jusBce,  o_en  sensiBzing  our  youth  and  students  to  the  unifying  spirit  of  Pakistan’s  ideology.    

 The   forces  of   terrorism  and  extremism  emerge   in  case  of   the  void  created  by  a  collecBve  failure   to   take   care  of   this   important   aspect.   I   am   reminded  of   a  quote  of  Quaid-­‐e-­‐Azam  Mohammad  Ali  Jinnah  in  a  message  the  great  Quaid  issued  on  March  the  23rd,  1943  and  he  said,  and  I  quote,  “I  parBcularly  appeal  to  our  intelligentsia  and  students  to  come  forward  and  rise  to  the  occasion.  You  have  performed  wonders  in  the  past.  You  are  sBll  capable  of  repeaBng  the  history.  You  are  lacking  in  the  great  qualiBes  and  virtues  in  comparison  with  other  naBons.  Only  you  have  to  be  fully  conscious  of  the  fact  and  to  act  with  courage,  faith,  and  unity.”   Ladies   and  gentlemen,  now   I  want   to   say   a   few  words   to   the   students.   Keep  hope  and  opBmism  as  your  ideals.  You  have  to  keep  pace  with  the  demands  of  Bme.  And  prepare  yourself   for   future   leadership   roles.  You  should   refuse   to  be  cowed  down  by   the  impediments   that   lie   in   your   way.   Treat   difficulBes   as   challenges   and   have   the  determinaBon  to  turn  them  into  opportuniBes.  Prepare  yourself   to  meet  the  challenge  of  tomorrow.  Make   the  best  of   your  Bme  here.   The  present  democraBc   government  places  greater  emphasis  on  human  resource  development,  innovaBon,  and  entrepreneurship.  We  have   tasked   the   Higher   EducaBon   Commission   (HSC)   to   collaborate  with   the   universiBes  and  educaBonal  insBtuBons  to  build  a  strong  base  for  the  producBon  of  talented  youth.  The  government  is  on  its  part  commiVed  to  help  the  educated  youth  of  Pakistan  play  their  full  role  in  the  country’s  development.  Our  great  leader,  Quaid-­‐e-­‐Azam  Mohammad  Ali  Jinnah  had   great   hopes   on   the   youth.   He   once   said   and   I   quote,   “Pakistan   is   proud   of   a   youth  parBcularly   the   students   who   are   naBon-­‐builders   of   tomorrow.   They   must   fully   equip  themselves  by  discipline,  educaBon,  and  training  for  the  arduous  task  lying  ahead  of  them.”  There  are  few  issues  which  have  been  raised  here,  and  that  is  my  vision.  That  I  have  given  this  vision  to  the  enBre  country  for  IT  programmes  in  the  country  so  that  you  can  compete  in  the  rest  of  the  world.  Under  my  direcBon,  the  Ministry  of  IT  will  establish  an  IT  Block  at  the   cost   of   Rs.   20   million   and   will   provide   Rs.   10   million   for   learning   aid   and   IT   tools  development  in  Aitchison  College,  here  in  Lahore.  There  are  a  few  suggesBons  given  by  the  Governor  of  Punjab  and  I  will  request  the  governor  to  prepare  a  non-­‐paper  and  discuss  all  those  issues  with  me  and  then  we  will  examine  it  and  if  they  are  feasible,  we  will  implement  that.   I   thank  Aitchison  College   for   giving  me  an  opportunity   to  address   this  disBnguished  audience  on  the  occasion  of  its  125th  Founder’s  Day.  Thank  you  very  much.      Pakistan  Paindabad.