A meeting of Hamdard Naunehal Assembly Karachi chapter, containing speeches, recitation of holy verses, na’at, national songs and dua-i-Said, was held yesterday on the theme: “We were one we achieved Pakistan, we ought to remain one to save Pakistan” at a local hotel. Speaking on the occasion, chief guest, historian and intellectual Prof. Dr. Syed Jaffer Ahmed said that the actual Pakistani nation was developing in Karachi as he saw today here in this gathering of children that a pushtoon girl, Maria Ameer was delivering her speech in fine Urdu with beautiful pushtoon accent. ‘I congratulate the parents and teachers of the pushtoon girl on her good training’, he added. Commending the work and standard of Hamdard Naunehal Assembly, he said that he had seen the assemblies of Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries at work, but Naunehal Assembly had its own attractive way of proceedings and training of children. One should have to appreciate the vision of Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said, who had established this wonderful forum of children as nations are formed and developed in such forums and schools, he added. Lamenting the prevailing bad condition of schools and education in the country, he said it was happened because of wrong policies and priorities that were adopted by the successive governments and no government gave first priority to the education. ‘In Britain more salaries are given to the teachers of schools than universities, as solid foundation of education is laid in schools’, he informed. He suggested that the sphere of activities of Hamdard Naunehal Assembly should be extended as this forum is destined to play an important role in reconstruction of the nation. Dr. Sara Salman, head, Sindh Office of World Health Organization said that history had witnessed whenever any enemy cast bad eye on Pakistan we proved ourselves indispensable. “We are one and we shall remain one. No doubt we have made some mistakes and as a result those nations whom we taught to walk, are now far ahead than us. However, it is never too late, we still have great capacity to stand again, walk ahead and develop our country, we only need to increase the level of our commitment,” she maintained. Commending the speeches, delivered by the young speakers, she said that they boosted our hope and assured us that the future of Pakistan would be in safe hands of a more wiser and vigilant new generation, consisting of near about 70 per cent of youths, she said, adding: ‘Hamdard has done many good things for the betterment of Pakistan particularly in the field of health, so the cooperation of World Health Organization with Hamdard would continue in future’, she asserted. Hakim Mohammed Usman, Dy. Director, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan said that the unity among Pakistanis was needed now more than ever before, for the seeds of hatred were sown in nation in an organized way.’We should follow the principle of Quaid:”Unity, Faith, Discipline” in order to overcome our weaknesses and to collect the fruits of progress and prosperity’, he maintained. Young Speakers Hamna Shakil, Sajid Ali, Marya Ameer, Tahrim Zaheer, Omer Alam Zeb, Shaukat Ali and Aleezah Orooj also spoke. Three students of Hamdard Public School were awarded cash prizes on securing IV and V position on international level, one student, who secured IV position got $250 and rest two who secured V position got $200 each in a WHO international ‘poster Competition 2016. Three other students were also awarded ‘appreciation certificates’. Dr. Sara Salman and Prof. Dr. Syed Jaffer Ahmed gave away the prizes and certificates to students on the occasion. Besides teachers, parents and students attended the meeting in a large number. Published in Daily Times, August 29th 2017.