Syed Mussarat Khalil
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Engineers Welfare Forum (EWF) and Institution of Engineers Pakistan ( IEP ) organized a seminar, titled "Scientific Development in Pakistan," at Al-Hamra Pullman hotel Saturday.
President EWF Dr. Abdul Aleem Khan presided over the event while Pakistan Consul General Aftab Ahmad Khokher was the chief guest.
The key note speaker was world renowned scholar and scientist, Dr. Samar Mubarakmund, who was here on an Umrah visit.
Other guests included Dr. Mohammed Umer Chapra and Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi, writer and former Saudi diplomat.
Mubarakmund first condemned the brutal attack of Taliban on December 16 in which over 145 students, teachers and staff including women were killed in cold blood.
Providing an update on the scientific development in Pakistan, he said that first electricity power plant will start functioning in three months from Thar coal gasification technology and the per unit of electricity will cost only Rs.7 ( 07 cents).
Intensive drilling work is in progress in Thar and the nation will soon benefit from this resource.
"We are using an advance technology which not only limits pollution but also achieves 70 percent efficiency, which is considered very high in this exploration," he said.
Mubarakmund also said that there are issue of funds and logistic in Baluchistan’s Recodec and Sandak projects "which we expect to be resolve soon."
He said that about 1100 square km land has about $1.2 trillion worth of treasure in the form of copper, silver and other minerals.
In Punjab, a group of scientist headed by Mubarakmund has also discovered big quantity of iron ore of high quality for which provincial government is going to release necessary funds to tap the wealth, resulting in the help of industrial development.
He said that last month’s Defense show, IDEA 2014, held in Karachi displayed advanced model of F17 (Thunder) fighter, Shaheen, Hataf, Cruise Missiles and computerized operated tanks and other arsenals, which attracted interest of many countries.
Al-Ghamdi paid rich tribute to Mubarakmund and his team.
Khokher also condemned the barbaric act of Taliban in Peshawar army school.
He praised King Abdullah, Crown Prince Salman and Grand Mufti for supporting Pakistan in this crucial time.
"Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have a common goal and target. We work together even our heartbeats are synchronized," he said, adding that the Pakistani Consulate is always ready to serve the nationals and will try its best to solve the issues on merit basis.
President of EWF Dr. Abdul Aleem Khan also condemned the attack on innocent students and staff of Army School in Peshawar.
He praised Mubarakmand and thanked Chapra and Ghamdi for participating in the event on a very short notice.
Khan also provided an updated on the development of EWF and JCCI's joint vocational training institute for which building has been acquired and the syllabus has been prepared. The board members will soon be finalized after which, the program will commence by early 2015.
The function started with the recitation and translation of a few versed from the Qur'an by Mohammed Asif.
Secretary General of EWF Engineer Masroor Elahi conducted the symposium.
Engineer Syed Mahmood Akhter, editor of EWF magazine, The Engineer, thanked all the sponsors in promoting the forum.
