SWABI: On Tuesday, President Dr Arif Alvi said that quality education and character-building of students were imperative for the progress and prosperity of the country. Addressing the 26th convocation of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Science and Technology, Topi Swabi, the president said besides Islam, our rich culture, history and society had laid great emphasis on education and character building of students and educational institutions should focus in this direction to make the country economically strong. Eulogizing the educational services of GIK Institute of Science and Technology Top, he said the parents should also deserve appreciation for enabling their children to read in the country’s top educational institutes. He said those parents, who visited abroad for employment had a great desire to concentrate on character building and personality development of their children, adding additional responsibilities laid on the guardians and teachers to focus on the character development of all students whose parents were working overseas. The president said he was a chancellor of about 40 to 42 universities had close contact with the senate and executive board of GIK Institute and found that this premier educational institution was going in the right direction. He urged students to recite the famous Dua (prayer) of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Mosa (AS) on which He (Hazrat Mosa AS) had prayed Allah Almighty to open his chest by granting self-confidence, contentment and boldness and ease his task, and make a loose knot (the defect) from his tongue so that they understand his speech. He said everything could be achieved in life by strictly adhering to this famous Dua of Hazrat Musa (AS). The president said cases of Islamophobia had increased in the neigbouring eastern country. He said that Pakistan was created on the basis of the two-nation theory and today’s vision of forefathers, who created an independent state for the Muslims of the Subcontinent in the shape of Pakistan was proved correct after witnessing rising cases of Islamophobia and human rights violations against minorities especially Muslims in the neigbouring eastern country. The president said great freedom fighters Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail had embraced Shahadat (martyrdom) while fighting for the independence of Muslims against colonial rulers and Sikhs at Balakot. He said the renaissance movement started by the great Sir Syed Ahmad Khan for education, and social and political empowerment of Muslims was carried forward by the poet of the east Dr Muhammad Iqbal and successfully concluded by the father of the nation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinah in the shape of Pakistan on August 14, 1947. He said Pakistan was created after a lot of sacrifices and it was the responsibility of all of us including students to work tirelessly for its strengthening and prosperity.