Punjab University Vice Chancellor Professor (Dr) Mujahid Kamran has said around 1.5 billion Muslims in the world have hardly made any contribution in creating new knowledge in the past few centuries which is a clear violation of instructions by the Holy Quran. His comment came in a speech he made in the second Convocation of University College of Pharmacy on Wednesday which also drew in Dean Faculty of Pharmacy and Principal Professor Dr Mubashar Ahmed Butt, Controller of Examinations Professor Dr Shahid Munir, Convenor Dr Syed Nawazish-e-Hussain, faculty members, students and parents.
Up to 138 degrees of Pharm D and three medals were distributed among students. Nepal's student Ajay Ram Jayswal Kalkar got first position in Pharm D and was awarded with the Gold Medal. Dr Mujahid Kamran said the Muslims were facing problems because of deviation from this particular direction of the Holy Book and that knowledge was the only way to weed out terrorism, illiteracy and all other problems. He said people who were attacking Pakistan Army and people were committing sin and they were in darkness and that knowledge was the source of power and respect and no nation could survive without promotion of education.
He also said the United States' total GDP was 17 trillion and it was spending between 2 to 3 percent - $340 to $510 billion - on research and development per year while Pakistan had a GDP of around $225 billion only and was spending around 0.2 percent on research and development per year. He said Pakistan was spending only 2 percent of its GDP on education while the average spending of the world on education was 5 percent. Congratulating the passed out students, Dr Kamran advised them to master their subjects, increase reading habits and cooperate with each other in practical life.