Laptop distribution ceremony: ‘Country’s defence weakened by reliance on foreign aid’

Shahbaz urges students to use laptops as their personal libraries.


Kashif Zafar February 19, 2012

BAHAWALPUR:


Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that reliance on foreign aid had weakened the country’s ability to defend itself against foreign incursions.


He said drone strikes were killing innocent citizens in violation of the country’s sovereignty yet no action was taken to stop them.

He was speaking at a laptop distribution ceremony in Bahawalpur’s Dring Stadium. The chief minister said the students could help improve the state-of-affairs by adopting self reliance and focusing on their education.

Earlier, Sharif distributed 7,400 laptops among students of Islamia University Bahawalpur; Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur; Dera Ghazi Khan Medical College; Government Sadiq Egerton College, Bahawalpur; Government Sadiq Girls Degree College, Bahawalpur; and top 106 position holders in Bahawalpur Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education examinations.

Sharif urged students to use the laptops to build their knowledge, saying: “these laptops can revolutionise your studies.

This is your personal library. Use it to read on topics relevant to your studies.”

Sharif hoped the youth would also learn from their elders’ mistakes and work for building the country along the lines of its founding fathers’ vision.

He said his government had abandoned foreign aid and was carrying out development works in the province from its own resources.

He said the government planned to distribute laptops among 125,000 students in the province. He said there would be no quota in distribution of laptops. The only consideration in selection of students was merit, he added.

Speaking about Danish Schools, the chief minister said the project was meant to provide quality education to children belonging to under-developed areas.

The students presented naats, national anthem, patriotic songs and tableaus on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.

COMMENTS (1)

Cautious | 12 years ago | Reply

No doubt the laptops were purchased with the same foreign aid he was complaining about - totally inappropriate speech for that occasion.

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