The Hub School, now the Hub Cadet College, celebrated its Founder’s Day with speeches by chief guest Javed Jabbar, and founder, His Excellency, former high commissioner Abdul Kader Jaffer.

The chief guest, founder and other leading citizens from Karachi were received by principal Khalil Akram Abbasi. Two uniformed cadets riding at a trot on horseback led the cars to the building where the Founder’s Day celebrations took place on December 23, 2023.

Here the guests were received with a formal salute and parade-by the cadets, before being led indoors to the auditorium where, before the formal speeches and prize giving, several cadets, dressed in civilian clothes, presented a diverse programme on stage, beginning with recitations of the Quran and Naats. This was followed by a Mushaira, where each participant recited his own Urdu poem—and one sang his own ghazals.

There was a performance each of a traditional Baloch and a Sindhi dance, a satire of a TV quiz show, preceded by a clever mime re-enacting a cricket match.

Chief guest Jabbar presented awards to prize winners in different categories. This was followed by his speech, delivered with the precision and skill for which he is well known.

He thanked the founder and his friend, Jaffer, for inviting him. He praised the infrastructure of Hub Cadet College and complimented Jaffer for building such a fine institution, aided by supportive friends.

The Hub Cadet College, which takes boarders from the ages of 10 to 18, is spread across spacious grounds with buildings designed by architect I.A. Khan, landscaped lawns and adjoined by farmlands and orchards.

Jabbar’s advice that the Hub Cadet College should now establish a girls’ college in the space available was greatly appreciated and it transpired that it resonated with the vision of Jaffer as well.