LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh chapter president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro inaugurated a week-long mega event orga­nised to celebrate centenary of Govt Pilot Higher Secondary School here on Monday.

Along with Larkana Mayor Aslam Shaikh, Deputy Commissio­ner Nauman Siddiq, Principal Prof Allah Bakhsh Soomro and others, he cut the ribbon to declare the festival open.

He also inaugurated a newly-constructed building of the school library and later, along with the DC, played some shots of cricket to launch a sports event at the school’s playground.

To mark the occasion, the British-era school building was illuminated with lights while scores of portraits of its old students, headmasters and principals were put on display. The participants took keen interest in the pictures of their old colleagues.

The other features of the festival are bookstalls, display of cultural heritage items, school scouts’ performances, paintings by students etc.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Khuhro said the school was his alma mater which he had joined from class-VII after passing the previous class from a school in his ancestral village, Akil, situated very close to the right bank of River Indus.

Peeping into the past, he said that in those days it was quite difficult to get admission in this institution.

“However, I was lucky enough to get the admission and I am really proud of it. Owing to the studies here, I have achieved the place where I am standing today,” he said.

He said that while studying in the school, he not only planted saplings, but also from time to time cleaned the institution. He said he felt honoured to be here and was pleased to see the school’s enrolment being huge [6,300].

Mr Khuhro said the high number of admissions reflected in two ways — the quality of education and standard of faculty — which were at a par with the required criteria.

He said every parent wished to get his/her child admitted to this great institution. He paid tribute to the teachers who had tremendously contributed to the enhanced standard of education and maintained it.

Later talking to reporters, Mr Khuhro said he had learnt discipline from his learned teachers. He commended the services of the early days’ headmaster, Wahid Bakhsh Shaikh. Prof Allah Bakhsh Soomro, principal of the school, told the gathering that the school established in pre-partition days had produced many personalities who had excelled in their respective professions. They served the country with their innate abilities and rose to fame, he said.

Nisar Khuhro later gave away shields to Principal Prof Allah Bakhsh Soomro and other teachers as well as SSP Larkana Masood Bangash.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2019