Speech of the Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf

Aga Khan University Convocation
Karachi, Pakistan, October 21, 2000

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Your Highness, Prince Karim Aga Khan, Chancellor of Aga Khan University,
Mr. Mohammad Mian Soomro, Governor Sindh,
Chairman and Members of the Board of Trustees,
Faculty Members,
Distinguished Guests,
Respected Parents,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
And finally, last but not the least, the students, especially those who are graduating,

Assalamo Alaikum

It is indeed my pleasure to be here today and am also honoured that His Highness, Prince Karim Aga Khan, is with us on this occasion. I would like to thank the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees for inviting me on the 13^th Convocation of Aga Khan University. I congratulate all the graduates who have successfully completed their rigorous and demanding programmes, and now face an even more challenging task of applying their knowledge for the progress of the country. I also commend the invaluable contribution of their families, especially their parents, who made it possible for them to succeed in their academic endeavours. My heartiest congratulations to all the students and their proud parents.

Aga Khan University has successfully imparted quality education to its students in various disciplines. The syllabi and methodology of teaching can easily be compared to leading institutions of the developed countries. This institution sets the example of quality education for all others to emulate.

I am delighted to know that the University is gaining international stature. Two decades of experience in Pakistan has equipped the institute to share its educational expertise abroad. The accreditation that has been given to this University in East Africa is indeed unique. It reaffirms the confidence of the governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda reposed in Aga Khan University’s ability to successfully introduce and maintain educational programmes of the highest quality.

Establishment of an Institute of Islamic Civilization in London under the auspices of this University is laudable indeed. The study of Muslim societies and civilizations gains increasing relevance in view of the widening gap between the reality of Islam and its perception in Western thought. As we move forward into the twenty first century and encounter the emerging challenges of globalization and liberal modernism, the correct projection of our unique heritage and its relevance in the modern world, assumes even greater importance.

One of the greatest assets of this University is a well-rounded student body. Its diversity and international character will be hard to match in any other educational institution of Pakistan. Without any bar on origin or socio-economic status, the versatile mix of students, brings a fuller sense of community to the classroom. The approach to accessibility is evident in your Educational Support Programme, which ensures that deserving students are not excluded simply because of their financial handicap. Serving and reaching out to the deserving needy, who normally get ignored is proof of the social service commitment embodied in the University’s Charter and its mission.

The quality and effectiveness of your programmes, make Aga Khan University internationally more competitive. I compliment and thank your Highness for your foresight in making such a major contribution to the social sector uplift in Pakistan.

I have heard with interest the philosophy behind your University’s increased focus on research. Research indeed is critical to the emancipation and uplift of the under privileged Muslim world. Your ability to attract and maintain an outstanding faculty, capable of guiding scientific research, is highly commendable. It is also our Government’s endeavour to promote organized and focussed research in the Universities through creation of research endowment funds, and Dr. Ata-ur Rehman, the Minister for Science and Technology is engaged in promotion of real research in Pakistan.

I would now like to turn to the students, in general, and the students who are graduating especially. I would like to address you all. Looking back at our history of Pakistan, our performance over the last 53 years, one can conclude realistically that we have not performed well. We have existed, we have progressed, we come from scratch, from 0 level to where ever we are, which is certainly not bad, but we are living in a world where there is total competition. So if there are people and countries which are getting ‘A’ in progress, ‘B’ will not do. And that is what we have lacked, we have lacked the quality which has put us behind other countries. Especially if we compare ourselves with the South Asian tigers, many of them started after us, one comes to the conclusion that we have been left behind. I wonder what do they have which Pakistan lacks. What has God not given to this land of ours? When one looks around, we have this beautiful country, we have all varieties of terrain, all varieties of temperatures, all varieties of resources. We have the highest mountains in the world, in the North, we have fertile irrigated plains, we have great deserts, we have a virgin coastline. We have temperatures varying from +50C to -50C. Of course -50C is in the North, in the Siachin area. This extreme cold is compensated by the heat generated from the angry stares of the opposing forces across the border. But this terrain and this weather gives us all the resources: we have abundant water, through innumerable rivers, five major rivers flowing through Pakistan, we have fertile land which gives us all the crops. We have the best rice, we have the best cotton, we have wheat in abundance, we have the best fruit in the world. Why we are not an exporting country in agriculture? One needs to ask oneself. We have a coastline which gives us the best fish in the world. A tuna on our coastline, I believe, is served at $250 a plate in Japan. Why we are not the best exporter of fish in the world? One needs to ask oneself. Why we don’t have abundance of hydroelectricity which is the cheapest, I believe 0.3 or 0.4 cents as compared to four or five cents that we are paying for thermal electricity. One needs to ask oneself because we have the rivers and water. We have abundant gas, we have oil. If we explored more, I am sure we can be self sufficient in oil also. Why are we not self sufficient in gas and oil? Why are we running thermal plants for electricity and not gas plants? One needs to ask oneself. God has given everything to this land. So, where lies the problem? One needs to ask oneself. You need to ask yourself. The problem is in the lack of organization. The problem is in the lack of administration. The problem is in the lack of personal qualities, personal character. That is what we need to gear up, everything else is available.

Our generation I admit, my generation, it would be too harsh if I said we have failed, but I will say we haven’t performed well. We pin our hopes in you, in all of you, in the future. You must not fail this nation, all of you.

Take the future in your grip. Take your own destiny in your grip, and with your destiny, take Pakistan’s destiny in your own grasp. When one talks of character, the advice I would like to leave all of you, the qualities that one needs to harness or nourish: number one is honesty. Let money not be everything to anyone. The other is truthfulness, one of the biggest problems one faces here, in my experience, is to get to the facts; to get to the truth. Let truthfulness prevail. Let all of us be truthful, in whatever we do, in whatever we say. Then, it is dedication. Dedication to the job you are doing. Dedication to whatever you have undertaken. This unnecessary ambition, ambition is not bad but over ambition, of trying to acquire what you do not deserve, is harmful. So, therefore, be dedicated to apply your mind to whatever job on whatever status or whatever position God has given you. Be content, be satisfied and don’t urge for something which maybe you don’t deserve. And lastly, I would say patriotic motivation. It’s patriotic motivation, which will drive you, which will energize you to performance, because without that patriotic motivation one wanders, the mind wanders, and the focus reduces. Create focus through patriotic motivation.

Now turning to you, as your profession in the field of medicine, you are indeed entering the most noble profession, the noblest of professions. The personal qualities that you require is an urge for service to humanity. Secondly, selflessness, you have to think of others more than yourselves. And you have to have a very caring heart. The Pakistani environment is stricken with poverty and illiteracy. The people you are going to deal with are going to be poor and illiterate. You have to be tolerant. You have to have a caring heart for them. There is poor health care around in the country. There is a poor health care infrastructure in Pakistan, especially in the rural areas. I would certainly urge you to be kind and caring to the poor and illiterate, and also volunteer for service to the rural and backward slum areas in cities. Another piece of advice, and food for thought that I would like to leave with you, now that you are entering your professional careers and an independent life, is that, my experience says that 50 per cent of success lies in human interaction. And human interaction is at three tiers: your interaction with your subordinates, your interaction with your peers or your colleagues, and your interaction with your superiors. Learn to strike a balance between these. Don’t be one when you are dealing with superiors and something else when you are dealing with your subordinates. You have to strike the balance, a balance of interaction, at these three tiers. 50 per cent of success in life will certainly come to you.

Lastly I would like to say, that any of you, whoever goes abroad in search of your professional improvement, you are most welcome, as far as Pakistan is concerned. But remember your roots, never forget your roots. Your roots are here in Pakistan. I keep saying everywhere, when China can be developed by overseas Chinese, then Pakistan can be developed by overseas Pakistanis. So, therefore, remember your roots - remember your contribution for Pakistan wherever you are. We will pray for you wherever you are.

To conclude, I appreciate the efforts of your Highness, the University’s well-wishers and the donors, for investing over 600 million rupees in capital projects over the past six years, which have greatly benefited the people of this country. Your contribution will build confidence in Pakistan, and show other members of our society, how support of philanthropic organizations can lead to sustainable development in the social sector and supplement the work of the government.

Finally, I would again like to congratulate the graduates, wishing all of you a very bright future and a successful career ahead of you. You must value the unique educational advantage that has been given to you, and you in your turn must not hesitate to take on the challenge to serve and make your contribution for the country and to the vision of the founder of your University.

Before I close, I would like to declare the dispute of this 400 acres of land, which is supposed to be allotted to the College of Arts and Sciences. When His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan in Islamabad told me about this dispute, I asked the Governor immediately to be extremely flexible in solving this dispute. And simultaneously, His Highness asked Mr. Shamsh Lakha to be most generous. I am told, we have solved the problem, the 400 acres of land is given. I still have to find whether the Governor was flexible or Shamsh Lakha Sahab was generous. I don’t know that. However, this shows the joint collaboration or the combined joint ownership of educational institutes or any activity in the education field which I would like to own myself and I would like to assure His Highness that the Government of Pakistan will not be found wanting, in whatever schemes or whatever projects he wants to introduce for the benefit of Pakistan. I thank you all and I congratulate all the students again, all those who are graduating today.

Pakistan Paindabad.