PM Imran launches Al-Qadir University to ‘teach Sufism, create future leaders’

SOHAWA: Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday broke ground for Al-Qadir University here what he said would create future leaders to counter Islamophobia and protect ideology of Pakistan.

Addressing the ceremony here, the prime minister said the university would teach the students the principles of State of Madina and Pakistan’s ideology as envisioned by Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He was accompanied by Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Nurul Haq Qadri, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood and SAPM Zulfiqar Bukhari.

The concept of establishment of a university at Sohawa is to provide equal quality education to the youth across the country.

To be built at an area of 200 kanals, the institution would consist of a Sufi Academic Block with capacity of 800 students, Science Block for 700 students, hostel for 200 boys and girls, an auditorium and a library.

Since no university exists between Gujrat and Rawalpindi therefore the location of Sohawa has been selected to offer the youth of the area a quality seat of learning.

The prime minister said it was a private university that would be run on donations by philanthropists contributing in national cause to broaden educational base.

He said 35 percent of students would be given scholarships and get free education while rest 65 percent would fund their studies by themselves.

The prime minister said besides teaching contemporary sciences like artificial intelligence and technology, the main focus of the university would be research on Sufism and its connection with Islam.

“We have to groom our youth as leaders…We will create scholars who will respond to the anti-Islam tirade started after 9/11,” the prime minister remarked.

He said Chinese assistance would also be sought for teaching and research on technology-related subjects.

He said the university had been named after Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani who happened to be a top Sufi and had also established link between Islam and spirituality.

He said Sufism was a great science but contrary to western world, no university in Pakistan was holding research on the subject.

He said the previous leaders had buried the ideology of Pakistan which was meant to make the country an Islamic welfare state.

The prime minister said the nations ignoring their ideology could not exist.

He said the nations faced ups and downs but they should not give up their ideology.

He said Naya Pakistan would feature meritocracy, justice and education, minorities’ rights to its people on the pattern of Madina state.

He said what had been happening in Pakistan was never in accordance of Islamic welfare state.

He recalled that besides Indian role, the injustice to the people had also reasoned the disintegration of the country.

Citing the backwardness in Sindh and Balochistan, he said it was never had been the Islamic welfare state as had been envisioned by its forefathers.

He said after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the political leaders had delivered nothing but establishing their properties abroad.

The prime minister said the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had highly stresses the importance of education as no society could progress without education.

He said unfortunately, the western culture had been influencing the young generation who needed to be taught basic Islamic principles, Islamic history and Pakistan’s ideology.