LAHORE: (Thursday, May 19, 2016): Punjab Minister for Higher Education Begum Zakia Shahnawaz has said that we are proud of talented students from Balochistan and they must become achievers, do their best and come forward for development of the country. She was addressing participants of a dinner hosted by Punjab University in honor of a high-profile delegation of vice chancellors and position holder students from Balochistan. Punjab Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors’ President Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami, Balochistan University’s Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Javed Iqbal, vice chancellors from various public and private sector universities, a large number of senior journalists, defense experts, faculty members and important figures from various walks of life participated in the event. Addressing the ceremony, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said that the people of Punjab had always stood with Balochistan in tough times. PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said that there was abundance of human and natural resources in Balochistan but as education was not priority of our rulers after inception of Pakistan, we could not benefit from these resources. However, now the situation is improving, he added. He said that we all would have to play our role in Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Balochistan University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Javed Iqbal thanked PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran on providing free education, boarding and scholarships to students from Balochistan. In his address, he said that Balochistan had faced serious crises during the last decades. He said that it was impossible to play national anthem and hoist national flag at Balochistan University. However, he said, now the situation had improved manifold and Balohcistan had now changed due to the measures taken by Pakistan Army and the provincial government. He said that now every ceremony at Balochistan University began with national anthem and there was portrait of Quaid-e-Azam at all offices. He said that we were really very thankful to the Commander Southern Command and Chief Minister Balochistan for bringing change in the province. He said that we had received a lot of love from Punjab. Senior journalist Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami said that Balochistan had surely changed and there was no concept of Pakistan without Balochistan. He also appreciated the initiative of PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran. He said that we could not bear any political turmoil in the country.