PESHAWAR:15 November: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Barrister Masood Kausar has said, “this region of the world has produced the men of intellect, wisdom, and leadership quality and therefore, the wrong impression, about the respective people needs to be dispelled and the perceptions corrected in true perspective. ”The media should play the significant role in making this possible”, he added. He was addressing as the chief guest at the 2- Day Annual Conference on “Dynamics of Change in Conflict Societies; Pakhtun Region in Perspective” which was jointly arranged by the Department of Political Science of the University of Peshawar and the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany here at the premises of the university on Monday. The Governor who is also the Chancellor of the university further said, “the despondency created by the current unrest is evanescent and there is the light at the end of the tunnel. People at large, particularly the youth, he remarked, are well aware of the crisis faced by Pakistan in general, and this belt, in particular. ”I can see many bright and energetic youth who are equipped with all the needed potentials to bring the region out of the current turmoil”, he added. The inaugural session of the conference, which is also attended by British, German and Italian scholars besides the renowned educationists and researchers of universities and research organizations from all over the country was also addressed by Prof. Dr. Azmat Hayat, Vice Chancellor of the University of Peshawar and Mr. Martan, Country Director of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
The Governor said, the people of this region have a rich and distinct history, culture and language which goes thousands of years back and their bravery, steadfastness and hospitality is legendary. They have been audacious in most troublesome times and shaped history through their zeal and perseverance, he added. The universities, he said, are the kind of institutions which provide wisdom to the society and the leadership and it will be his sincere efforts to enable them to hold conferences, workshops and symposia on the issues of important nature; deliberate and guide the nation to tackle them amicably. As far as the prevailing ground realities are concerned, the Governor said, Pakistan, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and FATA are in the frontline in the war against terrorism and as a consequence, the economy of the area has been badly suffered; its image tarnished; routine life disturbed; almost a quarter of the entire population was dislocated and re-settled. However, he pointed out, today, the life is almost normal; institutions are functional; markets are bustling; play grounds are alive; hospitals remain functional round the clock and educational institutions are operational. The extension of the Political Parties Act and reforms in Frontier Crimes Regulation are land mark achievements of the present government which will have far reaching effects not only on the political and administrative landscape of the area but also its socio-economic environment. In volatile situations, the Governor said, when thousands of personnel of security forces were engaged in a war like situation; maintenance of normal life was not possible without the active role; involvement; sacrifices and contribution of the people and the successes speak volumes about the political orientation; maturity and wisdom of the people of this region.Appreciating the holding of the conference, the Governor said, the University of Peshawar has rightly engaged the scholars of international and regional background in the discourses that can help promote trust and confidence amongst the people.
He also appreciated the Department of Political Science which has the credit of supplying talented manpower to the prestigious civil service of Pakistan and many other public and private sectors organizations. The Governor also appreciated the Hanns Seidel Foundation for its support in arranging the moot. Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Dr. Azmat Hayat welcomed the Governor for gracing the occasion and while highlighting the importance of the event also mentioned various events which led to create unrest in the region and its impact on the socio-economic fabric of the society. The war on terrorism, he remarked, has led to enormous socio-economic impact on life in the province and FATA. The Country Director of Hanns Seidel Foundation, Mr. Mrtan while mentioning the aims and objective of the organization said that it has been promoting the process of dialogues in the Pakistani society through holding seminars, conferences and symposia. He also hinted to continue the cooperation of the foundation for holding similar events in future too.F.P.Report.