Daily Times

The Debating Society of Government College University Lahore (GCUDS) has set an unprecedented national record by clinching a total of 315 trophies at various national and international competitions during the academic session 2017-18.

The record includes 33 team trophies, 16 runners-up trophies, 133 best speaker awards, 79 second positions, 49 third positions and five consolation prizes at various declamation, parliamentary style debates, model united nations style, recitation and poetry competitions in English, Urdu, Pashto and Punjabi languages.

According to the annual report presented to GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah, Chairman Societies Board Prof Mirza Ather Baig and Registrar Saboor Ahmad Khan on Tuesday, the society last academic year stood victorious at almost all the major parliamentary tournaments, including LUMS, GIKI, Punjab University, Shahjiwana (UCL), Forman Christian College and King Edward Medical College. The high achievers in Parliamentary Style of Debates included Mohiba Ahmed, Raza Aftab Gillani, Abdullah Cheema, Hamza Abbas, Haris Ali Virk, Sarmad Wali Khan, Fahad Sokhta, Gohar Shaukat and Moavviz Siddiq Nizami. In the Under-19 category, GCU young orators, Talha Seemab, Muneebur Rehman, Shah Jahan Tahir, Baryab Raja, Abdullah Hamid and Bahawal Baig lifted the trophies at KEMU, FAST and AMC.

In declamations, GCU orators won team trophies at Chenab College Jhang, University College Lahore, University of Azad and Jammu Kashmir, FMH Medical College and many others. The speakers who excelled in declamation included Mohiba Ahmed, Saad Khan, Ali Nawaz, Shahrukh Baig, Syed Irfan Mehdi, Kafeel Rana, Zain Ul Hassan, Haris Ali Virk, Romaisha Tauseef, Hanan Mir, Harram Malik, Abdullah Mohsin, Zohaib Alam, Kinza Tariq, Umer Duabia, Muhammad Shahbaz, Sheherbano, Abrar Ali, Ghulam Mustafa, Amna Ghafoor, Umair Ali, Ahmad Sultan and Ali Sherdil.

GCUDS President Mohiba Ahmed won the British High Commission’s (BHC) Great Debate Competition and was awarded British scholarship of 2,000 pounds.

GCU intermediate student Abdullah Hamid represented Pakistan at the Second Session of ‘World International University Tashkent Model United Nations’ and brought home an international MUN debating award.

Ravian poets Kafeel Rana, Zohaib Alam, Tauseef Mehmood, Ibtihaj Ahmed and Muhammad Hasnain won various poetry contests. Hafiz Amir and Zahid Hussain stood victorious in Qiraat and Naat contests across the country. In Model United Nations, Mukarram Ghafoor, Rabia Javed, Nashmia Ibrahim and Huzaifa Ali stood victorious.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah congratulated the Ravian orators on their excellent performance in the national debating competitions.

Published in Daily Times, August 2^nd 2018.