The Government College University Lahore, the oldest seat of learning in Pakistan, turned 148-year-old on Sunday.
The institution opened as Government College Lahore in the Haveli of Dhian Singh in the Walled City on January 1, 1864. The present gothic-style building of the GC University was completed in 1877 on a 3,700 square feet area, in the north of the Soldiers Garden (Gol Bagh), with a cost of Rs 320,000.
The college was initially affiliated with the Calcutta University, as there was no university in this part of the sub-continent then. The Government College was raised to the status of University in 2002 and renamed as the GC University Lahore. From first principle Dr GW Lietner to second Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman, as many as 27 heads have served the great institution.
The college has produced Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, NM Rashid, Patras Bukhari, Ashfaq Ahmad, Qudsia Bano, only Pakistani Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Abdus Salam, chief justice MR Kayani, chief justice Naseem Hassan Shah, justice Javed Iqbal, justice Khalil-ur-Rahman Ramday, justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Lahore High Court Chief Justice Shiekh Azmat Saeed. Several renowned sportsmen are Old Ravians as well, including tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq and cricketers Amir Sohail, Ramiz Raja, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik.
The university has also produced five prime ministers of the country, namely Feroz Khan Noon, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Nawaz Sharif, Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali and Moeen Qureshi, besides hundreds of political leaders including Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hanif Ramay and former governor Salman Taseer.
The prestigious institution has been the alma mater of several notable personalities from the performing arts as well, including celebrated Indian actor Dev Anand, Rafi Peer, Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Ali Zafar, Hadiqa Kyani and Jawad Ahmad.
