The Old Ravians have celebrated their annual reunion at the historical Government College University Oval Ground with a pledge to support the poor and deserving students of their alma mater who cannot afford their academic expenses.
GCU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ikramul Haq (S.I) was the chief guest at the reunion, which attended by hundreds of bureaucrats, journalists, industrialists and politicians from all over the country including former Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawja Muhammad Sharif, senior bureaucrat Kamran Lashari, Lahore Board Chairman Dr Ikram Kashmiri and Gymkhana Club Chairman Mian Misbahur Rehman. The historical Gothic Style building of GCU was also illuminated for the reunion celebrations.
While speaking on the occasion, ORU Secretary Dr Khalid Manzoor Butt revealed that eminent Old Ravians including Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif have donated as many as Rs 130 million to the GCU Endowment Fund Trust in just four years, which is really something admirable and exemplary, as no other public sector university in Pakistan has such mechanism to involve the old students in development of their alma mater.
In his message at the reunion gala, noted nuclear scientist and Old Ravians Union President Dr Samar Mubarikmand said Old Ravians played a crucial role in making Pakistan a nuclear state. "Out of total 140 experts who carried nuclear explosions in 1998, as many as 60 were Old Ravians and their team leader who pressed the button for explosion was also the former student of the Government College Lahore," he added.
He hoped that in the present era, the GC University Lahore would provide the leadership to steer Pakistan out of its present economic and political turmoil.
Former Chief Justice Khawja Muhammad Sharif said it is the duty of every Old Ravian to pay back the debt of his alma mater and helping the deserving students is the best way of doing it.
Former ORU President Kamran Lashari said that Old Ravians remembered their Alma Mater not because of their degrees but due to the values, morals and confidence that the Government College taught them.
GCU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ikramul Haq said whosoever walked out of the portals of GCU, kept coming back to their alma mater as if an unknown magnetic force would not relinquish its hold on them. He said that in this age of cut-throat, GCU is in a dire need of financial resources to keep up pace with its rivals in the private sector. He called on the Old Ravains that GCU needed their support to expand its functions in different domains, besides strengthening the existing facilities.
Later, noted classical singer Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, comedian Hassan Abbass and singer Sanam Marvi performed at the musical evening organised by the Old Ravians Union.