Jesus and Mary Convent principal to be honoured with Sitara Quaid-e-Azam

Father Robert McCollouch also honoured with Sitara Quaid-e-Azam for his societal and cultural work.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday approved conferment of Sitara Quaid-e-Azam on Sister John Berchmans Conway, the Principal Convent of Jesus & Mary Karachi, and Father Robert McCulloch, Religious Priest Procurator General.     

The conferment of civil awards upon them was recommended by Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan and endorsed by the Prime Minister.

Sister John Berchmans Conway, Principal Convent of Jesus and Mary Karachi, has been conferred Sitara Quaid-e-Azam for her services towards education and promoting interfaith harmony in Pakistan. She has spent 59 years teaching young girls of all faiths from different parts of Pakistan. Under her able leadership, the institution has been providing quality education to Pakistani girls.

Sister Conway has touched the lives of countless Pakistani schoolgirls as a mentor, counsellor, friend and teacher. Her constant adherence to the call of duty has made her a living example to emulate, reads a citation forwarded to the President for conferment of Sitara Quaid-e-Azam.

Father Robert McCulloch is a member of the Society of Saint Columbian. Apart from being a priest, Father Robert is also the Chairman of the Saint Elizabeth Hospital's Administrative Council-the hospital that is providing quality medical services to the people of Hyderabad and rural parts of Sindh and also runs a medical outreach programme in the rural Sindh. This hospital is home to one of the few post natal intensive care units in Pakistan.

Father McCulloch has also set up the Catholic Centre for Academic Excellence in Hyderabad that provides free education to children from underprivileged families. He has also set up a health development centre.

His other major contributions include taking steps to preserve language of Tharparker known as Pakrikohli. He engaged experts around the world and worked on a script to turn this language into a written language. He has also worked hard during the floods of 2010 in Sindh to save precious lives of flood affected people. He arranged to provide food and medical treatment to 1000 families in Southern Pakistan. He is now building accommodation for the flood affected people.