PESHAWAR: Known American heart surgeon Prof Amjad Hussain has said that buildings are built only with bricks and mortar, but this is the faculty of Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) which has maintained this seat of learning among the best educational institutions of the country and region.

He was delivering as chief guest a talk to the students, teachers and alumni of the ICP in connection with concluding ceremony of the centenary celebrations at the historic Khyber Union Hall of the Islamia College on Saturday.

He dedicated his talk to the British principal and eminent teacher of ICP, Prof. HM Close. Others present on the occasion were vice-chancellor Ajmal Khan, registrar Prof Sareer Badshah, Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, MNA Shahabuddin Khan, members of the senior Alumni Association and students.

Centenary celebrations conclude

Dr Hussain, who was a student of ICP in 1953, recalled the memories of his time paying tribute to the eminent teachers of that period like Chaudhary Sarwar, Prof Nawazish Ali Qazalbash, dean Qazi Noorul Haq Nadvi, Qazi Inayatullah, Abdul Majeed Mian and Dr Mazhar Ali Khan. 

He said that these were the towering personalities in teaching and training of Islamians because of whose efforts and dedication ICP stood among the excellent educational institutions of the country.

He emphasised upon interdisciplinary teaching and learning process besides calling for maintaining a database of alumni of the Islamia College University serving across the globe.  

Ajmal Khan appreciated the love and affection of Prof Amjad Hussain for ICP and his native city of Peshawar. Senator Bangash and MNA Shahabuddin, both former students of ICP, recalled their students’ life. They recalled with love the attitude and way of teaching of their teachers and the way the academic discipline was maintained in their time in ICP. Two cultural events took place on Saturday at the Islamia Collegiate School and ICP winding up the ceremonies of the centenary celebrations. An Urdu-Pashto mushaira was also held besides launch of a book on the ‘Life and Achievements of Shaheed Bashir Ahmad Bilour’. The book launch was held under the auspices of Department of Political Science, ICP. 

Meanwhile, the third convocation of ICP graduates for 2013-14 will be held today (Sunday) at the Roos Keppel Hall of the University.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2015