ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
Impassioned and energetic debate was witnessed in the final round of four-day Debate Contest on Pakistan Vision 2025 with both sides putting strong arguments in favour and against the topic “CPEC, the New Game Changer”.
The parliamentary style debate, wherein 45 universities participated in six rounds from across the country, was organized by Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms and International Islamic University, Islamabad. Federal Minister Mr. Ahsan Iqbal was chief guest on the occasion. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC was also present.
Baluchistan University of Engineering, Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) Quetta won the Urdu contest while FAST National University Lahore remained the runner-up. The title for English debate was clinched by University College Lahore while Lahore University of Management Sciences was the runner-up.
The four-day activity revolved around seven pillars of Vision 2025, including Putting People First: Developing Human and Social Capital; Achieving Sustained, Indigenous and Inclusive Growth; Governance, Institutional Reform & Modernization of the Public Sector; Energy, Water & Food Security; Private Sector-Led Growth and Entrepreneurship; Developing a Competitive Knowledge Economy through Value Addition; and Modernization of Transportation Infrastructure & Greater Regional Connectivity.
Pakistan Vision 2025 Debate aimed to provide youth a platform to engage in a constructive debate on how we can harness our efforts as a nation to overcome the socio-economic and political challenges faced by Pakistan.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal said that debate is imperative for society’s intellectual growth and where there is no dialogue, there is no progress. He appreciated the students for exhibiting their power of expression coupled with research on the topic to prove their point of view.
The Minister emphasized that self image of yourself will define your future. He said that role of youth is very significant for a healthy discourse in any society. “Young people of our country, who comprise almost two third of the population, must be aware of the challenges as well as opportunities of CPEC. Strong arguments in favour and against the topic shows that our youth has great potential for leadership and future planning”.
Shedding light on the significance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said that CPEC is a strategic partnership between China and Pakistan. “Pakistan today faces formidable challenges. Many nations have faced similar challenges in history and successfully turned them into opportunities though sound economic planning, good governance, and consistency in policy implementation, and CPEC is a big opportunity for us,” he said.
The Minister said that Pakistan needs fertile minds in future and the questions raised in such debates help sort out solutions to socio-economic problems. He said that the launch of work on universities in Gwadar, Zhob and Federally Administered Tribal Areas reflects how the Government is paying due attention to this vital sector.