OXFORD: World’s renowned economist, Professor Jeffrey Sachs on Monday highlighted Allama Iqbal’s intellectual thought, his vision for a world free of exploitation — based on justice and solidarity — saying “Iqbal was a man of peace who advocated cooperation and dialogue between civilisations”.
The economist was speaking at the annual Allama Iqbal Lecture organised by the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) with a packed audience in Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford.
Professor Sachs is a world-renowned economist, author, and advisor to governments around the world. He is also the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and a leading advocate of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Professor Sachs quoted a message given by Iqbal to the Lahore radio station a few months before his death in 1938 in which he had argued that the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity cannot be realised unless we consider the whole world as one “family of God”.
He highlighted the relevance of this message for both its own time, having been delivered a few years before the World War, but also for contemporary global affairs that require new geopolitics of peace and cooperation.
He advised that poor developing countries like Pakistan which have historically enjoyed close relations with both China and the United States should not be coerced into choosing sides.
The lecture attracted a large audience of Oxford students, senior academics, and several heads of departments and faculties.
The High Commissioner for Pakistan to the United Kingdom, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, his wife, and guests from London were also in attendance.
On this occasion, Abdul Ghani Dadabhoy, the Executive Director of the Dadabhoy Foundation which supports education and social development initiatives in Pakistan and sponsors the Allama Iqbal lecture series at the University of Oxford, stressed the need for dialogue and collaboration.
He reiterated the support of the Dadabhoy Foundation in facilitating such conversations and providing a platform for global experts, such as Professor Sachs, to share their knowledge and expertise.
The OPP is a multi-pronged initiative that seeks to promote academic collaboration between the University of Oxford and Pakistan. The programme offers scholarships and research grants to Pakistan-origin students.
The Iqbal lecture was live streamed from Oxford to around 50 participating universities across Pakistan, a list that not only included well-known universities such as LUMS and IBA but also higher education institutions in far-flung areas, such as Mardan’s Women’s University, the University of Turbat in Balochistan, and Karakoram University in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Commenting on the significance of this model of engagement, the Programme’s co-founders Professor Adeel Malik, Dr Talha Jamal Pirzada, and Mr Haroon Zaman emphasised the need to make scholarly voices shaping the global discourse accessible to Pakistani students who would otherwise not be able to engage with such speakers.
The Iqbal lecture series, they highlighted, also plays an important role in generating a holistic debate on the campus and in creating an important cultural bridge between Oxford and Pakistan.
The Iqbal lecture is held annually and aims to draw prominent scholars, intellectuals, and policymakers from around the world.
Reaffirming on Thursday that China will provide Pakistan with unwavering support in its fight against terrorism is Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong.
In an interview that was broadcast on television, the ambassador promised to cooperate with Pakistan and said that China will protect the interests and safety of the citizens of the two friendly nations.
Zaidong underscored that efforts to undermine the two nations’ bilateral relationship would be thwarted by China’s cooperation with Pakistan.
Also, he emphasized how crucial China-Pakistan relations have become strategically given the changing nature of the world.
In highlighting the transformative impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the ambassador reaffirmed his nation’s commitment to seeing it through.
In addition to creating thousands of employment, he said, “the CPEC has facilitated significant advancements in power generation and transportation infrastructure with over $25 billion in direct investments and substantial infrastructure development.”
Zaidong stressed the value of sharing ideas and knowledge between Pakistan and China, acknowledging their shared security objectives.
Stressing that both countries have a common future, he envisioned their partnership having a greater social impact.
Concerning the terrorist attack on Chinese nationals [working on the Dasu dam], the ambassador expressed gratitude to the Pakistani people for their condolences and sympathy and commended the government for its prompt action.
Early on Friday, light rain in the province capital Lahore and its surrounding areas improved the weather.
But rain also led to power outages in several areas of Lahore, as multiple feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) blew, leaving whole sections of the city without power.
Details show that rain was observed in a number of locations throughout the city, including Model Town, Gulberg, Garden Town, Mall Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Gulshan Ravi, Jail Road, and Sanda.
However, the Met Office has forecasted an additional day of rain for the city during the next 24.
On Friday, Mohsin Naqvi, the interior minister, announced that the government would begin a coordinated operation in the Katcha region to eradicate the miscreants for good.
He stated that collaborative efforts in the Katcha region will make use of contemporary technologies, including drones.
According to Mohsin Naqvi, all security agencies, including the police, should make sure that SOPs are fully implemented in order to protect Chinese nationals living in Pakistan.
He declared that any carelessness in this respect will not be accepted at all while presiding over a meeting to review the National Action Plan’s implementation at NACTA headquarters in Islamabad.
According to Naqvi, failure to follow the SOPs for the safety of foreign nationals will result in severe disciplinary action.
“We have to outfit our departments with cutting-edge technology to eradicate terrorism,” stated the interior minister. He declared that the provinces will receive all the assistance from the federation in this area.
Anti-state forces will be permanently driven out of the Katcha region, according to Naqvi. The interior minister expressed satisfaction with the anti-smuggling operations and stated that all ministries need to make sure that smugglers face stern legal action.