recorder report

LAHORE: Speakers at the Youth Peace Conference 2017 Friday said that wherever there is student politics on campuses in Pakistan, it must be de-linked from political parties and violence.

Concluding a technical session on a new foundation of student politics, all the speakers and participants unanimously demanded that the mainstream political parties should sign a charter for keeping themselves away from campuses so that a new student politics is revived that is pro-peace, student-centered, women friendly and is only focused to creating an environment to enhance competencies and skills of students and nurture their personalities through debates, drama, music, quiz and other positive co-curricular and social activities.

The two-day mega youth conference was organized by Bargad at the Government College University Lahore in collaboration with the Punjab Higher Education Commission, Population Association of Pakistan, Oxform and Right Here Right Now.

Punjab Minister for Youth Affairs Jahangir Khanzada chaired the first technical session of the conference attended by 400 students from different districts of the country including Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, DI khan and Peshawar. Youth from district Layyah launched a “Clean and Green Pakistan Campaign” at the conference for mitigating climate change in Pakistan.

The session on student politics was addressed by PHEC Chairman Prof Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin, Bargad Chairman Dr Kaiser Bangali, eminent journalist and radio host Aamir Riaz, former Punjab University Head of Philosophy Department Prof Dr Sajid Ali, GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah, youth development consultant Iqbal Haider Butt, IBA Karachi Director Public Affairs and Communication Dr Huma Baqai and student representatives from different universities including LUMS, GCU and PU.

The majority of panelists also recommended there must be well-defined eligibilities for candidates wishing to be part of student unions. They appreciated student representation system of GCU through its societies.

Vice Chancellor Prof Hassan Shah said that given the extremism and violence around us, the question of student unions/politics should be approached very cautiously, as this may expose students to armed extremist groups.

A separate session on climate change was addressed by, Western Sydney University, Australia Director Academic Programs Prof Dr Awais Piracha, Individual Land Program Manager Farhan Khalid, Agriculture University Peshawar student Kashif Islam and Syed Ali Hussain, a student from Layyah. The speakers said that Pakistan was world’s 12th most vulnerable country in the world. They told that glaciers in the Himalaya are receding faster than in any other part of the world. If the present rate continues, the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high if the Earth keeps warming at the current rate. Per capita water availability in Pakistan is very low at 1756 m 3 /year/person as compared to the global average of more than 7000 m 3 /year/person.

It was recommended that Climate change awareness raising campaigns especially among youth are needed at a local level in Pakistan. For that local government setup in Pakistan should be strengthened to implement National Climate Change Policy. Water resources are very sensitive to the impacts of climate change. So water resources adaptation measures should be incorporated in planning and development policies of government.

Earlier addressing the inaugural ceremony, Punjab Minister Jahangir Khanzada termed the cell-phones ‘digital cocaine’ for youth, saying that it was sweeping their youth away from healthy sports and co-curricular activities.

Talking about terrorism in the country, the minister requested the youth “let’s get together and help this nation to achieve peace, before it gets too late.” He also highlighted the Punjab’s initiatives to empower youth including Plan X, laptops, Scholarships through endowment fund, interest free loans, foreign exposure visits, and e-rozgar scheme.