Brigadier Younus Javed, VC MUST, Mirpur AJ&K Awards Recognition Certificates to BS Students of Govt. Postgraduate College Mirpur for their stellar role as Migration Ambassadors under British High Commission Pakistan’s Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), Youth Awareness & Community Engagement Initiative; aiming to combat human trafficking, illegal Migration & the life-threatening risks of the Journey – marked by deception, exploitation & unbearable loss. SSDO accentuates Youth advocacy, cultivates responsible Citizenship & navigates towards productive pathways for Safer future

Government Postgraduate College Mirpur AJ&K organised a ceremony on behalf of Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), funded by British High Commission Pakistan which was graced by Brig (R) Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus Javed, SI (M), Vice Chancellor Mirpur University of Science and Technology MUST, Mirpur AJ&J as Chief Guest. He was accompanied by Major Jahangir Ahmed, Chief Security Officer & Mr. Hafeez Bin Mustafa, Public Relations Officer. Upon his arrival at PGC Mirpur he was warmly received by Prof. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed, Principal Government Postgraduate College Mirpur along with Prof. Habib-ul-Haq, Coordinator BS Programs & Faculty Members. The event was held to present Certificates of Recognition to BS Students for their exceptional services as Migration Ambassadors under the SSDO initiative. This effort is part of the project titled “Advocacy, Action & Innovation – Empowering Youth to Curb Irregular Migration in Punjab, Pakistan” Youth Awareness Initiative designed to combat human smuggling while preventing similar tragedies in future. The campaign was implemented by SSDO across various districts including Mirpur AJ&K, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot & Mandi Bahauddin in response to the devastating Italy & Greece boat tragedies which occurred in international waters during the first half of 2023 involving capsizing of migrant boats resulting in loss of dozens of Pakistani lives along with individuals from Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan & Iran who also lost in the tragedy.

In past two years Sustainable Social Development Organization organised Capacity Building Training Workshops with the active support of Prof. Habib-ul-Haq, Coordinator BS Programs at Government Postgraduate College Mirpur in which 25 BS Students were selected & trained on how to effectively raise public awareness about the dangers & risks of illegally migration. After completing their training these students returned to their respective hometowns where they engaged local communities & held informative sessions in remote areas to spread awareness. It is important to note that students from Government Postgraduate College Mirpur also participated in SSDO’s International Youth Conferences, one held in Gujrat & the other at Women University Lahore. At both events they took part in the Students-Stakeholders Dialogue & fetched top position in the Audio & Video Clip Competitions which were focused on raising migration awareness in their respective districts. In recognition of their achievements SSDO awarded certificates to the winning students, shield to Prof. Habib-ul-Haq, Coordinator, BS Programs / SSDO Project & a separate shield to Government Postgraduate College, Mirpur. These awards were presented during today’s ceremony which also included the distribution of certificates to the winners of Essay Writing Competition on “Impact of Social Media.” The contest conducted under supervision of Prof. Qudisia Ghori, Chairperson Department of English PGC, Mirpur.

Expressing his views during the ceremony Prof. Habib-ul-Haq, Coordinator BS Programs provided a comprehensive overview of the project & a brief introduction of Government Postgraduate College Mirpur. He highlighted that among the postgraduate colleges in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, PGC Mirpur is the largest & the oldest currently offering 12 BS programs with a student strength exceeding 1000. Brigadier Younus Javed also participated in the Student-Stakeholders Dialogue during which Muhammad Hasham BS Student raised several questions regarding the measures taken to educate students about the dangers of illegal migration. The discussion also focused on the necessary steps to inform youth about safe & legal avenues for traveling abroad. Later VC MUST presented certificates & trophies to the winners of both competitions & handed over shields to Prof. Habib-ul-Haq, Coordinator BS Programs & Prof. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed, Principal Government Postgraduate College Mirpur.

Speaking on the occasion Brigadier Younus Javed congratulated the students for their remarkable achievements in the nationwide SSDO competition & Essay Writing Contest. He also commended Prof. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed, Chairpersons & Faculty Members for their valuable contributions to the success of these events. Addressing the students he emphasised that hard work is the only reliable path to success. He advised students to thoroughly deliberate and rethink their choices before selecting a professional careers but once a path is chosen it should be pursued with passion & commitment. He assured them that with full dedication & focus nothing could stand in the way of securing the most desirable career opportunities. In his closing remarks Prof. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed, Principal of Government Postgraduate College Mirpur thanked Brigadier Younus Javed for his valuable presence at the ceremony. He also praised Prof. Habib-ul-Haq, Coordinator BS, Prof. Qudisia Ghori, Dr. Mehmood Akhtar, Prof. Rabnawaz, Prof. Zafar Ahmed, Prof. Khurram Jameel, Prof. Shahid Jameel for their participation. Dr. Ishfaq also appreciated Hajra Khalid, BS student for her exceptional efforts in hosting the event.