Lahore: The Government College University Lahore Debating Society has celebrated their 130 oratory awards which they have won at the 51 debating championships held during the academic session 2010-11 across the country.
GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman was the chief guest at the celebration ceremony which was also attended by the GCU former public speakers including Central Superior Services (CSS) Examinations 2011 topper Rana Abdul Aziz, says a press statement issued here on Sunday.
Presenting the society’s annual report, GCU Debating Society Co-Adviser and former President Prof. Muhammad Siddique Awan apprised the audience that the 130 awards, won by GCUDS this academic year, includes 25 team trophies and 40 best speaker awards.
He revealed that GCUDS General Secretary Ali Zafar contributed 22 oratory awards single-handedly to the tally including the most prestigious team trophies of the debates championships at PAF Academy Risalpur, Aitcheson College Lahore, Home Economics College Lahore and Punjab University Law College. He said that the prestigious PAF Academy Risalpur Trophy was won by the Ravians 10 times in the last 17 years.
Recalling that generations of orators have been groomed at the GCU Debating Society, Prof. Awan cited interesting episodes of Old versus Young Ravians Debates where on two occasions fathers and sons came face to face with each other. In the late 1960s, the then editor Dawn, Mr. Mazhar Ali Khan, and his Tariq Ali, a celebrated writer, contested against each other.
Paying glowing tributes to the laureate debtors, GCU VC Prof. Dr. Khaleeq-ur-Rahman said that education alone was not sufficient for our nation building, rather character refinement was the primary requirement of our youth which the debating society has been offering ever since its inception.
He congratulated Rana Abdul Aziz, the former general secretary of GCU Debating Society, who has stood first at the CSS Examinations 2011.
The VC felicitated the four Ravians, Muhammad Zulqernain, Esha Tariq, Amna Ijaz and Ali Zafar who had recently represented Pakistan in China, India, Bangladesh and South Korea respectively.
The Vice Chancellor expressed profound joy at the disclosure that the GCU debating has won over 2100 oratory awards from Pakistan and abroad in the last 17 years which no other academic institution Pakistan could match.
Speaking on the occasion, CSS topper and Old Ravian Rana Abdul Aziz underscored the significance of human struggle both at the intellectual and physical plains.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Ali Zafar, the GCU highest achiever of the year, lamented that co-curricular activities were relegated to a secondary level in Pakistan whereas according to him, public speaking and thespian skills should be made a mandatory part of our national circular.
GCU Debates President Muhammad Zulqernain fondly recollected his exposure to the Chinese people and said that their perseverance and untiring handwork made him remember the famous saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) whereby he has advised the Muslim Ummah to visit China in order to seek knowledge.
Later, the Vice Chancellor gave away the gifts of books to the outgoing batch of orators of the Government College University Lahore.
