LAHORE (04-05-26): Provincial Minister Education Punjab Mr Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan along with Member National Assembly Mr Muhammad Hayat Ahmad Khan, Vice-Chancellor Punjab University Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah and Ex-President Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) Dr Muhammad Arshad paid a visit to the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore called on Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Rabbani.
Meanwhile a detailed meeting was held in UVAS Prof Dr Masood Rabbani presided over the meeting while Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Younus, Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science/Principal Officer students Affairs Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf, Emeritus Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad and number of senior professors and administrative officers of UVAS were present in the meeting.
While addressing the meeting, Minister Education Punjab Rana Sikandar Hayat said that agriculture and livestock sectors are the backbone of Pakistani economy and the Punjab government is taking revolutionary steps for the development of both sectors and in this regard, the Chief Minister of Punjab has appointed Vice Chancellors on the basis of merit so that the livestock sector in the country is made active and all possible facilities are provided to small livestock farmers. He said that we have to support the Vice Chancellors of educational institutions and hold their hand so that education and research can be promoted. He said that the Punjab government has provided financial assistance of more than one billion rupees to various educational institutions, which has not only promoted education and research but also agro-livestock tourism, and promised to provide funding to the UVAS. He further said that we have to provide our new generation with knowledge related to agriculture, animal husbandry and food safety and in this regard we have increased the number of students and employability at the UVAS Ravi Campus Pattoki and have also started new degree programs there. He also congratulated Prof Dr Masood Rabbani on becoming the new Vice Chancellor of the UVAS.
Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan said that researchers and scientists in the livestock and agriculture sectors need to work hard so that not only the problems faced by these sectors are resolved but also livestock farmers can get better results.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Masood Rabbani welcomed them in 144 years old historic education institution of Pakistan. He said that in the near future, we are going to make the university’s Ravi Campus Pattoki a tourist hub where students from various educational institutions like schools and colleges will come for a visit, there they will also get the opportunity to learn about the poultry, fishery, dairy, wildlife and veterinary fields as well as food safety and security and food processing related to farm-to-fork. The university will attract students from those schools to choose the UVAS for their higher education in the future. Dr Masood requested the Minister of Education to provide financial funding to UVAS for the promotion of education, research and agro-livestock tourism in Ravi Campus Pattoki.
Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah expressed his desire for the researchers of UVAS to work with the researchers of the Punjab University on different research projects related to vaccine production and products development. He also said that the doors of the PU are always open for the researchers and scientists of the UVAS. Dr Muhammad Arshad said that Rana Sikandar Hayat is a dynamic Minister of Punjab who is playing an exemplary role in the development of the education sector.
