ISLAMABAD: The President of Pakistan and Chancellor, International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI), Mamnoon Hussain has urged Muslim scholars and researchers to portray the true image of Islam before the world. He was addressing the 10th convocation of the International Islamic University in Islamabad on Saturday here at the Jinnah Convention centre. The convocation was organised for the male students of the university. 5620 graduating students including 484 overseas students were conferred degrees, while the President of Pakistan also awarded 115 gold medals and 81 PhD degrees to the male students. President Mamnoon said in his speech that Islam preaches the message of peace, harmony and brotherhood, but certain misguided and bigoted elements had tainted the very image of the great religion with their flawed narratives. These elements are a scar on the face of humanity. He said extremist tendencies and terrorism have inflicted huge sufferings and pain to humanity and the time has come to collectively foil their sordid designs. While congratulating the students, the university Chancellor said that the country was proud of them and hoped that graduating students would contribute to the country’s progress in future with the positive deeds by applying teachings which were imbued in their mind by the varsity. President Mamnoon hailed the IIUI for providing quality education to students according to contemporary needs while adding that the university had been nurturing young minds with the latest knowledge integrated with Islamic values. Speaking at the ceremony, IIUI Rector, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said that the IIUI, from its very inception, aimed at becoming a leading international centre of educational excellence and the university’s objective had been to integrate revealed and acquired knowledge. It and aspired, to restore the leading role of Muslims in education and knowledge. He added that the Islamic character of the university integrating it with modern day sciences and technology was its special feature. The IIUI Rector said that as an International Islamic University, the IIUI’s approach focused on moderation and harmony, adding that the mandate of the university, by no standards, encourages terrorism or supports it by any means. The only message our community would like to extend is to foster international peace and tranquillity. He further said that a Mega PC-1 for the new academic blocks and laboratories had been tabled and it was waiting for the decision of the Planning Commission. The university was also mobilising its International Finance Committee for the establishment of a 10-Mega Watts Solar Power Plant on the IIUI Campus. Dr Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh also spoke at the ceremony and said that the university strived to build bridges between traditional knowledge and the latest technologies, paying equal attention to the Islamic heritage and engineering and technology. “After conferring degrees to the 11,644 students in 10th mega event of varsity, a total number of graduated students in all convocations will reach to 38,002,” Dr Al-Draiweesh said. “A total number of graduated students in all convocations will reach to 38002,” Dr Al-Draiweesh informed. He added that 5620 male students and 6024 female students would get their degrees in the IIUI’s 10th convocation. He said that a total number of 110 PhDs would be conferred at the event. The number of foreign graduated students at the IIUI would be 629.