Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif visited CERN this week and said nation was proud of its scientists and engineers who were building the country’s image and bringing the latest technology.
GENEVA – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lauded efforts of Pakistani Scientists on Saturday for their outstanding contributions and bringing the latest technology to Pakistan. He was talking to a group of Pakistani students and researchers here at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). This was the first visit of a Pakistani head of government to the research organization, located along the Franco-Swiss border.
The Premier said Pakistan considers it a matter of immense pride to have become an associate member of CERN last year especially as it was the first non-European country to have achieved this milestone.
The CERN is known for one of the foremost international centers of scientific research.
While addressing scientists, including Pakistani scientists and technicians, the PM said that Pakistan considered it a matter of immense pride to have become an associate member of the scientific research body last year especially as it was the first non-European country to have achieved this milestone.
He paid a rich tribute to outstanding contribution of Pakistani scientists, saying “Our associate membership of CERN is recognition of the achievements of our scientists, engineers and technicians.”
Director General of CERN Fabiola Gianotti said Pakistan had a long history of research in elementary particle physics and had produced renowned scientists in this field, including the Nobel laureate Dr. Abdus Salam.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, ‘The nation was proud of Dr. Abdus Salam, he was a great Pakistani, the pride of country who brought good name to Pakistan and we are proud of him.’
The prime minister inspected Compact Muon S – the largest particle collider in the world. The equipment is part of the 27-kilometre-long Large Hadron Collider, where Nawaz Sharif saw the 14,000-ton outer and inner shields built by Heavy Mechanical Complex, Taxila.
Pakistan has supplied equipment since 2003 to support CERN programs. Pakistan’ Heavy Mechanical Complex-3 (HMC-3) won a CERN award for best industrial partner in 2006.
‘Membership for Pakistan was a great honor. He said apart from capacity building, it would open up Pakistan’s private and public sectors to bid for provision of precision equipment for CERN. It would raise Pakistan’s stature at international scientific scene as provider of precision equipment,’ Waqar Ahmad Minister Technical at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to IAEA said.
Pakistan and CERN signed a cooperation agreement in1994. The signature of several protocols followed this agreement, and Pakistan contributed to building the CMS and ATLAS experiments. Pakistan contributes today to the ALICE and CMS experiments.
Before his departure for Geneva from Davos, the prime minister said the world leaders acknowledged the economic strides made by Pakistan and have a very positive image about its economy. “Our government is providing equal opportunities to the womenfolk in all fields of life, whereas fifty per cent quota is allocated for them in the youth loan scheme,” he added.