LAHORE: Punjab University Academic Staff Association has announced to establish fund to give interest free loans (Qarz e hasna) to those families who do not compromise over their self respect and are not spreading their hands for help in the lockdown due to corona virus. This was announced in a virtual conference organized by Punjab University Academic Staff Association on social role of universities in the prevailing situation here on Saturday.
Chairman Akhuwat Foundation Dr Amjad Saqib was the chief guest on the occasion. PU Dean Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, PUASA President Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry, Secretary Javed Sami, heads of various departments and teachers from all faculties participated in the virtual conference. Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry said that the teachers have agreed to give qarz e hasna to those white color people who find spreading hands before anyone against their respect and they were in a very large number in our society. He said that we must prefer helping those first who were in our surroundings.
He said that universities should play their role as their role was very much important in this crisis because this crisis was creating multiple problems and we should work as team to solve those problems. Dr Amjad Saqib said that there were three million families who belonged to lower middle class and needed cash flow for their expenditures of daily life. He said that along with Ehsas program, many such families could be given interest free loans who did not find it appropriate to take financial assistance due to their self respect.
He said that such crises brought some opportunities as well and such crises could help establish a great society and prepare a great nation. Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood said that this time of test was basically the test of every person and they should play their positive role to bring the world out of this crisis. Institute of Social and Cultural Studies Director Prof Dr Rubina Zakar said that the government should provide access to the data of corona patients to cope with corona virus on all fronts keeping in view all aspects. She said that the comprehensive database of corona virus patients would help develop policies and strategies to implement those policies for preventing spread of COVID-19.
Department of Philosophy Incharge Shahid Gul said that there were a large number of people who were doing two jobs to earn their livings and those people were in sever crisis and most of them prefer starving instead of asking someone for bread. Institute of Agricultural Sciences Director Prof Dr Saleem Haider said that Pakistan was 90 percent self sufficient in food and people should not be panic in this regard and should not store food items at large scale. Department of Social Work Chairperson Dr Mahnaz Hasan said that professional beggars were a big hurdle in provision of financial and any other assistance to the really deserving people. Dr Bushra Khan from Department of Zoology advised the people to keep themselves away from their pets as well as corona virus had also affected various animals in zoo of western countries.
