President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Masood Khan Wednesday said that we must invest all our resources in establishing a knowledge based economy for the prosperity of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan.
Masood Khan expressed these views while addressing students and faculty members at the 15th Convocation of Kashmir University.
President congratulated the students, faculty and proud parents of the successful graduates on the completion of their studies.
President said that the common denominator that differentiates between a developed and a non-developed nation is education and the present Government is focused on providing quality education to all its citizens. We have made considerable efforts in this regard and soon tertiary education facilities will be available in every district of Azad Kashmir.
Masood Khan said that to excel in this competitive world we need to uphold the highest standards of merit. He said that merit based appointments and admission will not only be insured in Universities but also for employment in the public sector. “Upholding merit will insure placement of efficient and capable candidates who will effectively contribute to the prosperity of Azad Kashmir”, he added.
President told the participants that an economic revolution is unfolding in Azad Kashmir, especially with the formal inclusion of this region in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Under CPEC, said the President, four major projects have been earmarked for AJK; which include Kohala, Korat Hydro Power Projects, Mansehra to Mirpur Expressway and a Special Economic Zone in Mirpur.
He further said that we need to sharpen our skills and update our higher education curricula in order to fully exploit the potential job opportunities CPEC will provide in the coming years.
Masood Khan urged the students to aspire academic excellence, pursue research and innovation.
We will focus on establishing collaborations with international universities and help provide global exposure to our student and faculty members, he said.
He said AJK University is the mother institution of higher education in Azad Kashmir and has facilitated the establishment of various other public sector universities in the region. He also congratulated the management and students of the University on the successful approval of all ongoing M.Phil. and PhD programs by the Quality Assurance Agency.
The President assured that work on the AJK University Chattar Klass campus shall begin soon and will be completed in accordance to international standards. This campus, he said, will be a state of the art campus and will provide affordable modern educational facilities for the masses.
The President advised the students that with the advent of social media and modern communication techniques we have become global citizens and we must connect with our peers around the world.
He urged the students that in their respective capacities, they must passionately advocate the sufferings faced by their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Kashmiris, he said, are brutally murdered, maimed, tortured and incarcerated on a daily basis. Azad Kashmir is the base camp for the freedom struggle and we must dedicate ourselves for this just and noble cause, he said.
“We Kashmiris are not begging for our freedom but are demanding our just right to self-determination as promised under the resolutions of the United Nations”, he emphasized while adding
that the word human right violations is only a euphemism as India is committing war crimes and
genocide in IOK.
On the occasion President AJK also awarded gold medals and shields to position holders from various departments.
The ceremony was attended by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, university management, senior members of the AJK bureaucracy, faculty members and a large number of students and their parents.

Source: APP