Daily Times

A student from Government College University, Lahore (GCU) Haris Ali Virk, emerged as the winner at the final round of the Fourth Annual GREAT Debate Competition organised by British High Commission, in Islamabad.

The highly intense competition featured ten debaters from universities across Pakistan and was attended by members of the media and civil society, Chevening alumni, the British Acting High Commissioner as well as other senior officials from the British High Commission and British Council. The audience witnessed participants passionately presenting motions for and against several topics on trade, prosperity, innovation and technology.

The competition was judged by British Council Country Director, Rosemary Hilhorst; Chevening Alumni, Advocate High Court and Head of Litigation at ABS & Co., Amna Abbas; Chevening Alumni and Parliamentary Consultant, Minail Khan; and Mentor and Consultant, Haider Mairaj. The Chief Guest at the event was the Acting British High Commissioner, Richard Crowder.

The panel declared Lajpal Haider Malik from FAST University Islamabad runner-up of the GREAT Debate 2019 competition at the conclusion of a competitive round of fixtures.

Richard Crowder spoke on the occasion and announced, “This year the UK is celebrating the strong trade links between our two countries.”

“The UK is Pakistan’s largest export market in Europe and second largest globally and we would like to see more UK-based companies doing business in, and with, Pakistan,” he maintained

Crowder expressed delight at giving youth a platform, in the form of the annual GREAT Debate competition, to debate on themes pertinent to Pakistan’s future.

He further continued, “This is the fourth edition of the GREAT Debate and I am pleased that we have been able to include debaters from each of the provincial capitals of Pakistan.”

The Acting High Commissioner congratulated all the finalists and hoped that they would all play a vital part in the future success of Pakistan.

The GREAT Debate competition 2018-19 was the fourth annual edition of the event, which gives students across Pakistan a platform to participate in debates, interact with other students from different universities as well as building upon their skills to research, analyse and speak publicly. Both winner and runner-up would receive a scholarship reward as a contribution towards their tuition fees.

Published in Daily Times, March 19^th 2019.