Seasoned journalist Hamid Mir given lifetime achievement award by alma mater

A grand alumni reunion night was held here at Government College University (GCU), Lahore on Sunday.

The event organised by the Old Ravians Union (ORU) was marked by a rocking musical performance by noted singer Jawad Ahmed and candid reminiscences of their student life by prominent Ravians including former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, with the gothic buildings of the GCU illuminated for the reunion celebrations.

ORU President Kazi Afaq Hossain announced the lifetime achievement award for noted anchor and Ravian Hamid Mir and said that the annual award was being given to Mir for his contributions towards the freedom of the press, democracy, and his alma mater.

In his speech, Hamid Mir reminisced his college days at GC, recalling that he was a member of the GC cricket team and that they had scored 746 runs against Punjab University once. “This record is intact even after the passage of almost three decades,” he said.

“I have received many international awards but this award is the one I am most proud of,” Mir said.

Last year, the award was given to the late renowned writer Bano Qudsia.

Addressing the reunion, former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said, “It was Government College, my alma mater, which gave me the courage to speak and stand for truth. It gave me the courage to face disagreement and opposition,” said Jamali, who was once the captain of the GC hockey team. The former prime minister said that receiving the roll of honor from GC was one of the proudest moments in his life. He shared that his college roll no 364 was often proxied by class mates and that he did the same for them. However, he said that there was great respect for teachers when he was a student. He believed that teachers used to nurture the holistic self of the Ravians more than they do nowadays.

Jawad Ahmed said that the GC music society had lit the spark of his interest in music into a fire, leading him to adopt music as a profession. He shared memories of his first performance for the GC Nazir Ahmed Music Society as an intermediate student.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said that a university requires billion of rupees for new buildings, laboratories, classrooms, equipment, etc., and hoped that the government and Old Ravians Union would both continue their support for the establishment of the state-of-the-art facilities at the university’s new campus at Kala Shah Kaku. The vice chancellor said that Old Ravians were GC’s real strength and had always helped the college in advancing its vision and mission.

ORU Honorary Secretary Prof Khalid Manzoor Butt proudly said that GCU had the strongest alumni in the country which had always played an active role in the protection and development of their alma mater. He said five GCU alumni had been elected as prime ministers of Pakistan, including Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gillani.

Federal Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique, Punjab Minister Nadeem Kamran, Gymkhana Club Chairman Kamran Lashari, former chief secretary Pervez Masood, former IG Punjab Saadat Ullah Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Khawaja Shumail, and a large number judges and police officers also attended the reunion.