GCU pays tribute to Prof Khalid Butt

LAHORE: A ceremonial event was held at GC University Lahore, where academics and alumni came together to pay tribute to Prof Khalid Manzoor Butt, a visionary educator who played an instrumental role in establishing an endowment fund of Rs500million for the university’s financially challenged students with the support of alumni and philanthropists.

According to a press release, Prof Butt served as Secretary Executive Committee of the fund which now stands as a testament to hope and opportunity, offering scholarships to approximately 1,500 students every year. The tribute event, organised by the Old Ravians Union (ORU), saw the gathering of notable figures, including the Chinese Consul General in Lahore, Zhao Shiren, distinguished journalist and Old Ravian Hamid Mir, former caretaker Chief Minister Professor Hasan Askari Rizvi, eminent businessmen Iqbal Z. Ahmed and Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman, former IG Punjab Inam Ghani, Walled City Authority Director General Kamran Lashari, and former GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah.

ORU President Tayyab Rizvi said Prof Butt also served as the Honorary Secretary for the Old Ravians Union for more than two decades, transforming it into a vibrant alumni network that plays a pivotal role in fostering a sense of belonging and community among GCU graduates. In his speech, Zhao Shiren acknowledged Prof Butt's efforts in strengthening Pakistan-China ties. Hamid Mir, who travelled specifically from Islamabad for the event, reflected on his experiences with Prof Butt, first as a fellow student and later as a teacher at Government College Lahore. He lauded Prof Butt's extraordinary dedication to the institution and detailed how Prof Butt took a firm stand against the government to preserve the iconic Oval Ground and the Love Garden of the college.