LARKANA: Senior Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, speaking at the 11th convocation of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist) on Saturday, congratulated students, their parents and the faculty on their success and expressed his happiness over the holding of the institution’s first convocation in Larkana.

“Previously you all had to go to Karachi, where Szabist used to hold its convocations,” he observed, and said this happened to be the first convocation of its kind.

Mr Khuhro urged the fresh graduates to go and serve the country and its people with commitment and earn a name. “Future is yours’ and the world is for you to achieve whatever you want,” he said.

He asked the fresh graduates to be ready for shouldering future responsibilities as their parents had pinned hope in them. “Whenever we refer to Larkana, our minds first read the name of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who had founded a social democratic party which advocated equality for all. The PPP founder leader was a man who took care of people ... established a host of healthcare facilities, including the Larkana Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy, a women hospital, a children hospital and many other such facilities. It was the vision and endeavours of Z.A. Bhutto who, with commitment, served the downtrodden.”

Mr Khuhro said establishing a chain of textile and sugar industries and healthcare institutions was part of Mr Bhutto’s mission to give the people of Pakistan a better place to live in.

“Whenever we remember Z.A. Bhutto, we definitely remember Benazir Bhutto, who had established Szabist in Larkana to promote education,” he said.

The senior politician asked students to prove their talent as Benazir Bhutto had done. He also eulogised the services of former ambassador to UAE Abdul Razzak Soomro, who was a founder member of the PPP and currently heads the Szabist Larkana campus.

Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, the chancellor of Szabist, told the audience that she was proud of being the head of this institution. She said the institution was established by Benazir Bhutto and the concept and design of its building was her gift to Larkana.

The convocation was largely attended by students, their parents and faculty members as well as members of the institution’s board of governors and board of trustees.

Szabist president Shahnaz Wazir Ali gave away degrees to 95 passing out students. Gold Medals were awarded to Faraz Ali (BBA) and Raza Ali (MBA) while names of 10 students were placed on the Chancellor’s Honour list.

Published in Dawn January 30th, 2017