471 graduates awarded degrees at SBBWU convocation

PESHAWAR: A total of 471 graduates were awarded degrees at the second convocation of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) Peshawar here on Tuesday.

Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, who was the chief guest on the occasion, also conferred medals on 59 graduates for their outstanding performance in various disciplines. One PhD and 12 MPhil degrees were also given away to the scholars.

Addressing the ceremony, the governor said that the achievements of the students showed their gratitude and abiding respect for their institution. He lauded the role of SBBWU for promotion of women education in the province.

The governor said that literacy rate among women was far below than men owing to social taboos and lack of awareness in the society. He said the security situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had improved to a great extent but still the situation of women education was not very encouraging.

Sardar Mahtab asked the tribal people to send in female children to school so that they could play a role in the development of the society. He said the government had doubled quota for tribal and Chitrali students in all universities.

SBBWU Vice-Chancellor Razia Sultana said the university was launched in a few rooms of the Frontier College Peshawar. She added that currently, it had a sprawling building of its own at Larama village where some 5,000 students are enrolled.

Razia Sultana said the chief minister during his last visit to the university announced establishment of a library, convocation hall, conference hall, sports grounds and other facilities. She hoped that soon these announcements would be materialised.