Talking career planning with youth

Islamabad universities have a considerable number of students from far edges of the country. Given an enabling environment, these students take on the center stage in class activities. But if we fail to pay attention to them, they can be mired in violence and crimes.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat believes that these students are leaders of the future, if nurtured properly. Rare are officers like him who can think beyond piles of files and carry forward their message in a teacher’s manner.

During discussion on some incidents of violence in the federal capital involving students from the south of Punjab, he agreed to the idea that they should be educated on how to live in Islamabad and how to locate future goals and chase them. As a first step, a lecture on “career planning and leadership” was arranged for young girls and boys who gathered at Alipur College, a tehsil since creation of Pakistan on the banks of Punjnad Headworks.

Having got over some technical hitches, Mr Shafqaat in his straightforward style started from laying out a list of options for a successful career and how young students can adopt them. Superior services is a better way to serve the country but to join it they have to work harder than usual, he said.

“Understand your class books. But you should have a craving for more. You have access to digital treasure trove of knowledge. The world’s top most university MIT has set up a portal where you can read the latest books on all topics. Make it your habit to visit that site,” the saner DC advised the youngsters for whom he is like an icon.

He focused on self-discipline, which he explained is the key to success. “Ways to achieve success are simple. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” he said. “I sometimes get up late but we should be up at 5am. Say your prayers in the morning and then meditate,” he said.

Only material success does not make one successful. “You need to establish a spiritual link with your creator at every cost,” he said.

He told the young students that they should lose their worries coming to Islamabad. They city is wonderful, he said, and it houses most of educated people. He advised them to understand the diverse culture of the federal capital and be mindful of other people’s way of life. Students can acquire cheap living here too, he said.

Islamabad is the safest city in the country so parents should not worried while sending their children here, he said.

Well-versed in technology and a public planning graduate, Mr. Shafqaat has a rich background serving in different parts of the country at different positions.

Chaudhry Muhammad Sultan, a student activist at his time and now chairman of Alipur College, thanked Mr. Shafqaat saying that he has a streak of success and a legacy of leadership. He believes that through such activities, they can develop confident and productive youth who will take on leadership role in the future. Documentary maker Ramzan Ali moderated the session. I would say that there is a teacher locked inside Mr. Shafqaat as I repeated some of his points in my lectures and they generated interest among university students.

True, it was hard for Mr. Shafqaat to arrange this activity as his office was flooded with people from different background whom he deals with even on Saturday when the session was ended. But if other officers too be proactive like him, most of the problems will be resolved before landing at their tables and the society will do away with the image of bureaucrats as part of problem at best and troublemakers at worst.