BALOCHISTAN has lived in my heart since long, though I never fully understood why.

This year, finally, I got the opportunity to spend four unforgettable days in Quetta, the heart of Balochistan and each moment engraved itself onto my memory. People often speak of Balochistan’s rugged mountains, but once I set foot on its soil, I realized that harshness belongs only to its terrain. The hearts of its people are astonishingly tender, full of warmth, sincerity and emotional depth. I was invited to attend an International Iqbal Conference jointly organized by Dr. Abdul Rauf Rafiqui, Director General of the Iqbal Academy and the National Rehmat-ul-Lil-Alameen Authority’s Tameer-e-Nau Trust Youth Club. As a group of thirty delegates landed on Quetta International Airport, a welcoming party led by the gracious former Secretary Education, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, greeted us with flowers, warmth and heartfelt respect. The enthusiasm of the organizers reflected how meaningful this event was for them.

The central sessions were held in the Smart Auditorium of Tameer-e-Nau Public College. This institution is a subsidiary of the Tameer-e- Nau Trust founded in 1955 with a vision to offer quality education rooted in Islamic values. From humble beginnings, it has grown into a network shaping thousands of young minds. I was struck not just by the institution’s modernized, quality education but also by........

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