Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received an honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy during his visit to Malaysia in recognition of his “outstanding leadership and contributions to nation-building”.
The premier arrived in Malaysia on October 5 for a three-day official visit, during which he snapped up six accords and several trade and bilateral agreements.
According to Malaysian state news agency Bernama, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Governance during a special ceremony held yesterday at its Kuala Lumpur campus.
Dressed in a blue gown on the occasion, PM Shehbaz termed it a “great privilege and honour” to be part of the event and receive the degree from this “great institute of learning”.
He appreciated Queen of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who is also the IIUM Constitutional Head, for gracing the event.
The premier said: “For over four decades, I devoted my humble services to serve the cause of [and] the people of Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan, as their public servant. And now, as the prime minister of Pakistan, and in the line of duty, despite my human failings, I tried my best to serve the people with sincerity of purpose and unwavering commitment.
“I am truly delighted to be associated through this degree of philosophy with one of the most revered seats of learning in the Muslim world and an institution that has championed the integration of knowledge, faith and ethics, and pursuit of excellence,” he added.
The premier expressed the hope that his visit to the varsity would further strengthen the bonds of academic partnership and collaboration between the IIUM and Pakistan’s leading institutions of higher learning.
The prime minister emphasised that leadership was not a privilege but a “sacred trust, amanah, which must be exercised with honesty of purpose, sincerity, justice and transparent accountability before Allah”.
“History bears testimony that whenever Muslims held firmly to these glorious principles, they not only flourished themselves but also became a source of guidance for humanity around the globe,” PM Shehbaz said.
Highlighting that the Muslim ummah today confronts “formidable challenges [of] conflict, poverty and disunity, he stressed that it was “in these testing times that we need to hold on together to our values and ethics guided by our religion to be able to reclaim our lost place in the comity of nations”.
Addressing the Pahang queen, the premier said Malaysia was blessed with a very young population and noted that “our responsibility as servants and as leaders is to provide them the right platforms to serve the cause of suffering humanity with compassion and with great commitment”.
