Pakistan passing through crucial phase: Khaqan

Islamabad
The country is passing through a crucial phase and due to current challenges faced by the country there is scarcity of jobs, said Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Addressing the 16th Convocation of Pir Mehr Ali Shah-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) held at Jinnah Convention Centre here on Monday, in which a total of 2,109 students were awarded degrees, he advised students to work as entrepreneurs and contribute their due share in the national economy.
As many as 42 students received PhD degrees, 365 were awarded with MPhil and MS degrees, 1,056 secured master’s degrees while 646 students got undergraduate degrees in their respective disciplines. Gold medals were awarded to 32 students on their outstanding performance, while seven bagged silver and six secured bronze medals in the convocation. Four students got sponsored gold medals and certificates on their distinctions and quality work.
Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Taxila Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmad and Director General Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Sung Choon-ki were the guests of honour.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said entrepreneurship is a vast sector and there are a number of opportunities in it but youth have to explore them with their hard work as it is the only key to success.
The federal minister appreciated the role of PMAS-AAUR for the uplift of higher education and assured full support from the government.
Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, sharing his remarks, said that it is great privilege for them that Islamic Bank has announced Pakistan as the third country for transfer of technology. He said only two countries were ranked above in this category, including Turkey and Malaysia.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed announced that within three to four years, university or its sub-campus would be established in every district of the country to promote higher education in the country. The chairman further said those universities which are not meeting the criteria of higher education would be closed as there is no compromise on quality. They want to grab a prominent position in this field so that culture of research could flourish in the country, he added.
PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad, in his welcome address, informed that the Planning Commission has approved an amount of Rs751 million for strengthening newly-established Faculty of Agriculture Engineering and Technology this year. He further said pursuing guidelines of HEC for promotion of university-industry linkages, they are endeavouring to nurture the culture of entrepreneurship.
For that a number of new activities were focused including ostrich farming, student entrepreneurship projects, fancy birds breeding centre and farm modernisation and mechanisation initiatives.
On the occasion, Federal Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Taxila Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmad, Director General Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Sung Choon-ki, Senator Najma Hameed, MPA Raja Muhammad Hanif and PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad distributed degrees and decorated students with medals.
PhD Degree Recipients: Sairah Syed (Agronomy), Aqeel Ahmad (Agronomy), Yasir Mehmood (Agronomy), Arif Shah (Entomology), Imran Hayat (Food Technology), Mehmood Akhter Khan (Horticulture), Shahid Riaz Malik (Plant Breeding and Genetics), Hayat Ullah (Plant Pathology), Syed Zia-ul-Hussnain Shah (Plant Pathology), Ayaz Mehmood (Soil Science) , Tanveer Iqbal (Soil Science), Khuram Nawaz Sadozai (Agricultural Economics), Abid Hussain (Economics), Ahmad Fatima (Economics), Pervez Anwar (Biochemistry), Sadia Rehman (Biochemistry), Fariha Khan (Biochemisty), Abdul Rehman (Biochemistry), Nasib Zaman (Biochemistry), Asma Jabeen (Biochemistry), Shehla Anjum (Biochemistry), Mubashrah Munir (Botany), Sammer Fatima (Botany), Gul Rahim (Botany), Mehmoona Ilyas (Botany), Khalid Mehmood (Botany), Kiran Afshan (Zoology), Haroon Ahmed (Zoology), Shamaila Irum (Zoology), Shahzad Ali (Zoology), Majid Mahmood (Zoology), Nisar Ahmad (Zoology), Sajida Noureen (Zoology), Ali Muhammad (Zoology), Um E Robab (Environmental Science), Nazneen Bangash (Environmental Science), Shahid Mahmood (Environmental Science), Fida Hussain (Forestry and Range Management), Rukhsana Kausar (Forestry and Range Management), Zakir Hussain (Forestry and Range Management), Saeed Gulzar (Forestry and Range Management)
Gold Medal Recipients: Anum Noreen B.Sc Honours Agri Food Technology 91.28%, Muhammad Abbas Anees M.Sc Honours Agriculture Agronomy 83.00%, Muhammad Amjad M.Sc. Honours Agriculture Entomology 88.71%, Maryam Shafique Awan M.Sc. Honours Agriculture Food Technology 89.57%, Komal Zafar M.Sc. Honours Agriculture Plant Pathology 87.57%, Noreen Fatima M.Sc. Honours Agriculture Plant Breeding & Genetics 85.57%, Qurat-ul-Ain M.Sc. Honours Agri Horticulture 89.42%, M Rameez Akram Khan M.Sc. Honours Agri. Agricultural Extension& Communication 84.21%, Zainab Akhtar M.Sc. Biochemistry 86.14%, Anum Nosheen M.Sc. Botany 84.68%, Sadia Asghar M.Sc. Statistics 88.57%, Maimona Saeed M. Phil Botany 85.50%, Samina Asghar Abbasi M. Phil Zoology 90.15%, Jazib Azeem Nelson M. Phil Economics 83.03%, Ruby Ayub M.Sc Environmental Science 83.26%, Fasiha Gull M.Phil Environmental Science 84.33%, Siddiqa Qasim M.Phil Wildlife Management 81.83%, Sabeeqa Usman Malik M.Phil Forestry & Range Management 86.00%, Sadaqat Ali Doctor of Veterinary Medicine 79.57%, Kanwal Nawaz Bachelor of Business Administration 88.78%, Abida Ayub MS Mgt. Science 84.58%, Saiqa Rasheed B.Ed 91.00%, Tahseen Bano M.Ed 89-45%, Saima Noor M.Sc Education 87.50%, Saima Kayani M.Phil Education 85.00%, Farah Haneef Bachelor of Science Computer Science 85.33%, Mariyam Zehra Bachelor of Science information Technology 78.04%, Masroor Elahi Bachelor of Science Information Technology/BIIT 90.60%, Waqas Sabir Master of Information Technology/ BIIT 79.02%, Khalil Munir Master of Computer Science/BIIT 90.06%, Silver Medal recipients are Zanab Masoom B.Sc Hons Agri. Forestry & Range Management 86.89%, Ayesha Amjad Doctor of Veterinary Medicine 77.89%, Areej Qadir Bachelor of Business Administration Honors 86.58%, Raja Muhammad Saad Bashir Bachelor of Science Computer Science 80.48, Hira Kanwal Bachelor of Science Information Technology 77.93%, Hussain Israr Bachelor of Science Computer Science /BIIT 85.41%, Naima Nadeem Bachelor of Science Information Technology /BIIT 88.19%, Bronze Medal Recipients are Rafia Javed Butt, B.Sc Hons Agri. Horticulture 86.28%, Abdullah Iqbal Doctor of Veterinary Medicine 77.30%, Sidra Malik, Bachelor of Business Administration (Honors) 85.33%, Suleman Khurram Bachelor of Science Computer Science 79.02%.