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.
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 to the tally.
Paying glowing tributes to the debaters, 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 recalled that in his student days, he himself was promising orator, thus he had first-hand exposure to the nature of requirements of debaters and pledged that he would extend unflinching support to further promote debates culture at the university.
He congratulated Rana Abdul Aziz, the former general secretary of GCU Debating Society, who has stood first at the CSS Examinations 2011. He 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 at the occasion, Ali Zafar, the GCU highest achiever of the year, lamented that co-curricular activities were relegated to a secondary level in Pakistan whereas public speaking and thespian skills should be made a mandatory part of our national circular.
