Celebrating progress: SMIU confers degrees on 271 students

The varsity is one of the oldest institutions in the country

KARACHI: The second convocation of the Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) was held at the Convention Centre at the Golf Club in Defence Housing Authority. A total of 271 students, in five disciplines, were conferred bachelors and masters degrees.

SMIU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said SMIU was the second school founded by Hassanally Effendi in 1885 to impart Muslims with modern education a decade after Aligarh School. The institute was upgraded to the status of college by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who also bequeathed SMIU a third of his will.

Shaikh shared that the university had retrieved an encroached plot in its premises where two six-storey blocks were now being constructed, which would accommodate 3,000 students. He added that the Sindh government had allotted a plot to the university in the Karachi Education City in Malir that will accommodate 18,000 students. A 10-acre plot, allotted by the Sindh government, in Hawkesbay area was being used to establish Pakistan's very own Silicon Valley which would accommodate 5,000 students.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and provincial minister for women development, Syeda Shehla Raza, awarded gold and silver medals to 15 meritorious students.

Ismail said, "Pakistan deserves to offer success stories to the world, which we have not been able to do over the years for one reason or another. But, you should come forward and become an inspiration for the generations to follow".

Raza said what made her happier was that a significant number of female students were among the passing graduates.

Justice (retd) Agha Rafique Ahmed Khan also attended the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2018.