Govt increases Science, Tech development budget by 600 %: Fawad.

KARACHI -- Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhry said on Monday that Science and Technology Ministry had made a 600 percent increase in its development budget.

Pakistan is heading towards the manufacturing of solar and lithium batteries, as Chinese companies ready to set up solar energy plants in Pakistan, this he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a four-day 7th International Symposium-Cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, organized here by Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi (UoK).

Over 700 scientists, including 100 scientists from 35 countries, including Turkey, Iran, Iraq, China, Egypt, Syria, Italy, Nigeria, Greece, USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, New Zealand, Hungry, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand, Oman, Cameron, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are attending the 4-day international event.

Vice-Chancellor University of Karachi Prof. Dr. Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, Chairman, Prime Minister's National Task Force on Science and Technology, Chairperson Dr. Panjwani Memorial Trust Ms. Nadira Panjwani, Chairman Husein Ebrahim Jamal Foundation Mr. Aziz Latif Jamal, Director ICCBS Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, French scholar Prof. Dr. Georges Massiot, Greek scientist Prof. Dr. Ioannis P. Gerothanassis, German scientist Prof. Dr. Bertram Flehmig, and the Symposium Coordinator Dr. Asmat Salim also expressed their views in the inaugural ceremony.

Fawad Chaudhry pointed out that science and education come first in the priorities of the government, as the Ministry of Science and Technology was going to create strong coordination among the country's best 15 research institutions for the promotion of science and research culture. Around 600 percent increase in the budget of science and technology showed the sincerity of the government towards science and research. He informed the participants that the government also is prioritizing the education at school and college level.

He also welcomed the large number of foreign delegates, and said that he was pleased to see a large number of foreign scientists participating in the prestigious symposium.

This major science event is indeed an important step forward towards a better understanding of diseases at the molecular level and towards developing safe and effective drugs against prevailing...