LAHORE: The government has decided to hold sports events in all the public sector colleges twice a year and issued instructions to the divisional directors.

This was stated by Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gilani while addressing the annual sports day at the Government Postgraduate College for Women, Raiwind, on Monday.

He said a detailed departmental roadmap had been chalked out in consultation with the 721 colleges’ administrations to provide missing facilities and their suggestions would be included in the upcoming development budget of the higher education for 2017-18.

Mr Gilani made it clear that Pakistanis are the bravest nation in the world and no incident of terrorism can deter their passion of sacrifice for the motherland.

Later, while talking to the media, he said the public sector colleges had already been directed to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) of security and they were being inspected to check their security arrangements.

The minister said the SOPs had been issued for all the colleges in the province and no compromise would be made on security.

LCWU celebrates Faiz

Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) organised an event on Monday to remember poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Speakers on the occasion said Faiz stressed peace and harmony and believed that writers from the subcontinent must promote this cause.

“Faiz, whose work is considered to be the backbone of development of Pakistan’s literature, arts and poetry, is one of the most beloved poets in the country. Along with Allama Iqbal, Faiz is often known as the ‘Poet of the East’,” LCWU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar said. The event was organised by LCWU Urdu Literary Society. Students read Faiz’s poetry as well. The VC said Faiz was an icon of peace. People like Faiz and Picasso lit the world with their beliefs in peace and harmony.

LCWU Urdu department chairperson Humera Irshad said: “We couldn’t truly understand the suffering of Faiz as personified in his poetry. His era marked the era of sensibility. He always said his pain was chartered for the causes of humanity.” Urdu Literary Society in-charge Dr Azra said prior to the creation of Pakistan and later, too, Faiz called for Indo-Pak harmony.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017