Swiss university confers honorary doctorate on Khawaja Asif

PhD awarded 'for his dedication and commitment to the true betterment of Pakistan both at home and abroad'

Switzerland’s Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations (GSD) has conferred an honorary PhD to Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for his services as a parliamentarian for over two decades.

“Geneva School of Diplomacy decided to honour H E Minister Asif with the Doctorate degree, honoris causa, for his dedication and commitment, as a veteran politician and lawmaker, to the true betterment of Pakistan both at home and abroad," the GSD said in a statement on it’s website.

"...as Minister for Water and Power, for his reduction of energy poverty and chronic blackouts – and thus for his real contribution to the welfare of the ordinary people of Pakistan; for his enhancement of regional security as Minister of Defence and thus, for his genuine, valued and vital contribution to domestic and regional peace and stability."

Asif was in Geneva on a two-day visit to present Pakistan’s report of the 3rd Cycle of Universal Periodic Review (UPR), at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Besides the students and the faculty of the GSD, ambassadors of Bhutan, Malaysia, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Syria Vietnam, as well as senior diplomats from a number of other countries also attended the event.

In his address at the GSD on Pakistan’s foreign policy, Asif, according to the Foreign Office, said the government has successfully steered the country on path of economic development by controlling terrorism and extremism, thereby creating climate for investment and business, and by enhancing regional connectivity through trans-boundary energy and infrastructure projects.



He outlined the challenges and the opportunities in Pakistan’s endeavour to create a peaceful neighbourhood, and in this context, highlighted the imperative of settling the long standing Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

Earlier in the day, the foreign minister visited Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and witnessed the signing of an agreement between GCSP and Pakistan’s National Defence University (NDU).