Sports promote tolerance: CM

Sports are a marvelous activity that promote tolerance and bring people together, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said at the concluding ceremony of Syed Nauman Ahsan, DG Sindh Higher Education Commission Cricket match organised at NED University ground.

NED University Vice Chancellor Prof Sarosh Lodhi, Higher Education Commission Chairman Tariq Rafi, and others were present on occasion.

Shah said youth have given up studying books, sports, and healthy activities, including debate competitions and participating in study circles. CM added that he was happy to watch the youngsters participating in the sports activities in the cricket match organised by higher education.

The CM urged the country's youth to use social media for education, capacity building, employment, and connectivity with the rest of the world. "Sorry to say, our youth are not taking benefit of social media," he lamented.

Shah urged all educational institutions to hire sports and physical training (PT) coaches to train the students, and these activities must be carried out along with academic activities. "I would also urge the parents to encourage and help their children to actively participate in sports, debates, and such other activities," he said.

The CM said that our religion had taught us tolerance, mutual respect and interfaith harmony. "The extremism being infused in the society is bound to isolate us in the entire world and even in ourselves," he concluded.

HEC Chairman Prof Tariq Rafi thanked the chief minister for presiding over the event. He added that he would be promoting sports in all the universities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2023.