LAHORE, May 28: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says Pakistan is facing problems like corruption, energy, terrorism, bad governance, poverty and price hike, and for steering the country out of the situation there is a need for hard work and continuous struggle.

He was speaking at the 12th convocation of Allama Iqbal Medical College here on Monday.

`Like AIDS which weakens the body, foreign aid also ruins a nation. We will have to denounce foreign aid and rely on our own resources to change the situation through collective wisdom, hard worl< and untiring efforts,` he said.

Adviser on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, Punjab Agriculture Minister Ahmed Ali Aulakh, Indonesean Ambassador in Pakistan Mr. Ishaq, Iranian Consul General Bani Asadi, MNAs, MPAs, Pakistan Medical Dental Council President Prof Sibtainul Hassan, University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Prof IA Naveed attended the convocation.Mr Sharif while congratulating the graduates said that their parents and teachers deserved appreciation for the achievement. He said the graduates had got fruit of their hard work today and now they should serve the ailing humanity with commitment and zeal.

`The institution is named af ter Allama Iqbal who was not only a poet, philosopher, thinker but a visionary leader. We have nuclear bomb in our one hand and begging bowl in the other and both of these cannot go together.

He said the Punjab government had one year ago denounced foreign aid and launched welfare programmes like Daanish schools, projects of infrastructure, educational fund, public transport and distribution of laptops. He said the culture of austerity had been promoted in the province and resources generated through curtailing non-developmental expenditure were being utilised for welfare-oriented projects.

Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Dr. Javed Akram presented ad-dress of welcome and highlighted the academic and research activities of the institution. He said doctors after completing their education from Allama Iqbal Medical College were rendering services throughout the world including Pakistan.

He said that was the first institution where screening of new born babies had been started.

Earlier, Shahbaz Sharif gave away medals to the graduates who showed excellent performance in the examinations. The chief minister was given Shaheen Award on the occasion.

Later, he visited Jinnah Hospital, inaugurated the newly constructed Umar Critical Care Unit and inspected its various sections.

He also listened to the complaints of attendants of certain patients in the hospital and issued on-the-spot orders to the hospital administration.

The CM announced Rs50,000 from his pocket for two poor women patients during his visit to the outdoor department.