| It’s a matter of utmost pleasure
to address the young graduates and their parents on this
august occasion. These are the precious moments when parents’
dreams come true. And this is as it should be, for a graduation,
far from being an end, is the beginning of your all tomorrows.
Over the past several years you have worked and studied,
practiced and played, and grown – grown mentally
as well as physically – and now you are here, ready
to begin your lives as members of the adult community.
Congratulations. Just as we feel great anticipation and
expectancy at the beginning of a new year, I can feel
the same about the beginning of your life after this day.
I wish to each and every one of you the happiness of a
productive life, the respect of your fellow human beings,
and the love of your family. May the future be yours.
Ladies and gentlemen! It happens to be a glaring but an
unfortunate truth that the lack of coherence and creativity
in our society and education has resulted in a void and
in fact, a paralysis, in our personal, social, and national
life. Throughout our lives we are “directed”
now in the name of “belief” sometimes the
dictates of socio-culture norms, but never for the development
of the personality: the development of a self-conscious
personality – a personality capable of carving out
its own path and providing the necessary guidance. In
the words of T. S Eliot: “We are the hollow men;
we are the stuffed men; leaning together; headpiece filled
with straw; shape without form, shade without colour;
paralyzed force, gesture without motions.”
However, there is one fact that inspires me and I thank
God that you don’t fall-in with those who Eliot
pointed. In fact, you remained chosen, and God conferred
upon you the touch of the master’s hand, which transformed
your worth from plugged nickel into one million dollar.
Thank your lucky stars, for God has gifted you with EDUCATION,
and who doesn’t know that the same was the gift
that God bestowed upon His beloved Prophet (PBUH) when
he first spoke unto him. This unique similarity is enough
to help you comprehend the price of this gift.
Education is such a unique jewel that no misfortune can
depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate,
no despotism can enslave. At home, a friend, abroad, an
introduction, in solitude, a solace, and in society, an
ornament. It chastens vice, it guides virtue, it gives
at once grace and government to genius. Without it, what
is man? A splendid slave, a reasoning savage. Therefore,
my dear parents, do rejoice and thank your Lord for such
an expensive gift. Do pay a rich tribute to The Institute
of Management Sciences and its faculty who acquainted
your sons and daughters with the world of knowledge, opened
vistas of inspiration and realized them with the potentialities
and achievements of the human mind. This day is a day
of recognition – your faculty’ genius, your
parents’ dreams and your hard work.
But dear friends, there are some harsh truths, some bitter
realities as well, which have resulted due to a sudden
shift in the international politics. This shift has crumpled
the orderly fashion of the world politics and has transformed
it into a confused twine. Now, it seems as if gliding
days are over and we are tossed sideways and back and
lifted against our will. The dicotyledonous seed of right
and wrong has been cracked and confused, and admittedly,
you are left with great challenges. These challenges demand
the best from us and from you in particular. To yolk the
responsibility of leading this nation to its secured future
is not easy but an acid test. We must struggle for the
right direction. No doubt, you have a long history on
your back reeled with visionary sages like Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and Quaid-I-Azam, but the
need of the hour is to recognize yourself and establish
a firm connection with them. I am asking unconditional
commitments. Commitment with your self, commitment with
your family, commitment with your profession, commitment
with your society, commitment with your nation, and commitment
with your ideology. If done so, then, no force of the
wind or slash of the rain can scare or stop you, and you
will remain victor with all the challenges faced and fought.
In this turbulent hour, I strongly feel that the educational
institutions should also recognize their duties and plan
to stem the tide of these opposing challenges. I am happy
in this regard that IMS as an educational institute understood
national and international demands, and seems prepared
to handle them. What Prof. Dr. A. Z. Memon Dean, IMS has
reported, reflects a tremendous amount of sincerity and
sagacity of the Chairman Dr. Kahlid Ranjha, members Board
of Governors, management, and the faculty towards seeking
an excellence in the provision of quality teaching, training
and skilled human resource. The Institutes’ contribution
towards serving the nation is huge and this fact has also
been widely recognized. When the Government of Punjab
confers upon Pak-AIMS Charter or you may say the Degree
Awarding Status, this just does not mean a simple change
in its status but a vote of recognition and appreciation
from the Government side for its many years’ endless
service. IMS is certainly doing a great service to the
country in human resource development. Its academic activities
give a chance to faculty to elevate their professional
competence. Without seminars, an educational institution
remains devoid of its academic vigor, and I can see that
IMS lays a great emphasis on this important source of
knowledge. I wish IMS a great success in future.
I wish to thank the Chairman Dr. Khalid Ranjha, the members
of the Board of Governors, the Dean, Prof. Dr. A Z Memon,
Faculty members, and students, for inviting me to preside
over this conferment ceremony. And, I congratulate you
on the great achievement of seeking Charter from the Government
of Punjab, and I wish you all a great success and prosperity
in the days to come.
Finally, to all who are graduating today: in the name
of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world, this
country to those who are at its worst. In the name of
values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of
man be destroyed by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless
in those who have never achieved his title.
Thank you.
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