Speakers at a two-day conference here pledged to work for making Pakistan a democratic and progressive entity taking inspiration from the lofty principles of Islam and the vision of Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam.
The two-day National Youth Conference titled “Quaid’s Vision of Islamic Republic of Pakistan” was organized by the Islamic Research Institute in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, Allama Iqbal Open University, Quaid-e-Azam University, Skills University, Air University and Arid Agriculture University. Islamic International University President Ahmed Yousif Ahmed Al Draiweesh, IRI Director General Dr Ziaul Haq, Dr Ahmed Munir, Dr Abdul Qudoos Suhaib, and Murtaza Noor were prominent among those who spoke on the occasion. A large number of academicians, intellectuals, faculty members and students participated in the event.
In their addresses, the speakers maintained that it is absolutely imperative not only to transmit the spirit of independence to the youth but also to apprise them about the vision of the Quaid about Pakistan. They threw light on Naujawanan-e-Pakistan which aims at promoting participation of youth in the peace building efforts. They said the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative launched by the government is a step in the right direction which will help portray a soft and positive image of Pakistan and highlight Islam as a religion of peace, brotherhood, tolerance and forbearance. He highlighted the need for collective action within a collaborative framework to help encourage peace and stability in the country.
In their speeches, the speakers threw light on the social and traditional implications of changing and emerging roles of faculty members and ulema for peace-building and countering violent extremism in the society. They called for meaningful participation of the young people in peacebuilding and stressed on the need to launch a concerted effort to promote the youth as active leaders and partners in the peace processes by motivating them to become the ‘agents of change’ through national peacebuilding efforts.
