ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew has said Pakistan has huge potential to grow and make it to the list of developed countries in a short span of time. Addressing a high-achievers’ placements and student recognition ceremony organised by the Roots Millennium Schools at the Jinnah Convention Centre, the high commissioner said his country is ready to provide all possible help to promote the education sector in Pakistan. “By far, the biggest thing we do here is supporting Pakistan’s education system … and that is right. We are ready to even expand this cooperation,” he told the gathering. Drew said Pakistan is a country blessed with fantastic potential. “I have been in Pakistan only for six weeks, but this is coming back after an eight-year gap. I see how it has developed. I feel hugely optimistic. I left Pakistan in 2008, a difficult time when the outside world looked at Pakistan mostly in the context of risks. Now, risks, of course, remain, but I and the British government see Pakistan also as a country of hope and potential,” he said. Drew said, “We have the governor of Punjab here. How many people know that if Punjab was a country, it would be the 11th largest in the world. Karachi is the world’s sixth biggest city. But, we don’t view it in the same way as we do to Shanghai or Sao Paolo. Pakistan’s main task is to realise its true potential. And, you will always find the British government behind you.” Speakers praised the Roots Millennium Schools for providing an unparalleled opportunity for quality education to the country’s new generation. Earlier, Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq, CEO of the Roots Millennium Schools, in his welcome address appreciated the exceptional hard work done by the students. He also acknowledged the support of parents and teachers in students’ successes. The ceremony, which aimed at acknowledging and appreciating the outstanding performance of the Millennials, started off with the special message read on behalf the president and the prime minister of Pakistan for Roots Millennium Schools. Roots Millennium Schools is the first school in country to have had the maximum number of Ivy League acceptances on 100% scholarships. Millennials got accepted by world’s top universities includeTaimoor Aziz (Harvard) Ivy League, Seerat Zahra (Dartmouth) Ivy League, AreebaTirmizi (Brown) Ivy League, Saad Ali Baloch (Yale NUS) Ivy League, Summiya Najam (Yale NUS) Ivy League, Huzaifa Ejaz (Wellsely), Rafay Ashfaq (NYU) New York University, Ghada Ibrahim (NYU) New York University, Huzaifa Elahi (NYU) New York University, Talha Waheed (NYU) New York University, Hamza Naeem (NYU) New York University, Umar Babar (NYU) New York University and Masna Ahmed (NYU) New York University.