GCU wins nine positions at All Pakistan Music Conference

LAHORE:Government College University’s Nazir Ahmad Music Society (GCU-NAMS) has clean swept the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) with overall nine distinctions and also lifted the prestigious Syed Wajid Ali Trophy.

“It’s a great achievement for the Ravians as we have set a new record by winning the 48-year-old running team trophy for the tenth time. No other institution has done it better in the history of APMC,” said Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi while congratulating the winning team and Tariq Farani, in-charge of NAMS.

Besides lifting the prestigious trophy, the GCU team also secured nine positions in various music competitions at the conference. GCU student Wajid Mukhtar secured first position and the prestigious Roshan Aara Award in Classical Singing Contest. Zahid Hashmi, Aqib Nouman Ali and Saul Arif won the gold medals in Semi-Classical, Folk and Percussion competitions, while Kazim Rizvi and Arjumand Shahzeb were awarded silver medals.

GCU students Abdullah Faheem, Azka Rafique and Gohar Iqbal secured the bronze medals at the All Pakistan Music Conference. Meanwhile, the 39th All Pakistan Allama Muhammad Iqbal Bilingual Declamation (AIBD) began at the GCU under the auspices of its Debating Society on Monday.

About 40 teams from top educational institutions including Pakistan Air Force Academy Risalpur, UET, Kinnaird College, KEMU, Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur, Punjab University, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and University of Karachi are contesting for the coveted team trophy and best speaker awards at the two-day event spread over three sessions.

The substantive topics that remained closely contested by the teams on the first day were: “No nation is safe from the threat of climate change.”, “The time for petty politics is well and truly past.”, “History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.” and “Democracy has never been allowed to take root in our soil.”

In the humorous category, the participants enthralled the audience with their wit and humour particularly on the topics: “What is done cannot be undone.”, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”, “Those who do not complain are never pitied.”, and “There is a method to my madness.”

In Urdu category, the youth punctuated their speeches with fiery verses of Mirza Ghalib, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi emphasised that higher education institutes must offer environment and space conducive to meaningful discourse on issues of national and international importance.

“The GC University Lahore has traditionally been the hub of intellectually rich debates like these. We have the enviable honour of hosting some of the most refined debaters, who explore the subtle nuances of life in a soulful manner,” he added.

The Vice Chancellor appreciated the efforts of the GCU Debating Society for organizing a mega debating event this year. He further said the Best English Speaker of AIBD would be awarded with the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medal and a cash prize while the Best Urdu Speaker would receive the Dr Majeed Nizami Medal.

GCUDS Adviser Siddique Awan said AIBD was not a political debate, but as far as content was concerned, the level was far above.