Staff Reporter
Multan
People hailing from different walks of life hailed Punjab Govt decision to elevate South Punjab oldest and largest educational institute Govt Emerson College as university.
Seasoned academician and Coordinator Masters programme of college Dr Abdul Qadir said Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has won the hearts of South Punjab by declaring the elevation of the college.
He said the CM addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Civil Secretariat South Punjab informed that he was an old Emersonian and it was his Alma metre, adding that it had been serving people of the region for last 100 years. Centenarian Celebrations of the college were marked in December last, the educationist said and added that students will be offered education at cheaper rates than private institute even after elevation of the college.
Buzdar said that faculty and students need not to worry about anything as elevation will bring lots of improvements in future.
Govt College University Lahore and GCU Faisalabad are having college classes even after elevation as universities, Buzdar said and added that GEC Multan will also follow same model after elevation. Faculty will be having complete security of jobs in days to come, he clarified.
Former principal Govt Post Graduate Civil Lines College and poet Prof Anwar Jamal termed it a welcome decision saying that it was dire need of the hour to evevate it.
Govt Emerson College is history itself, he remarked. Ex principal Govt Emerson College Dr Saleem shed light on history of the Emerson College and its contribution in national development.
He informed the college produced judges, scientists, doctors, engineers, politicians, including Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, former CJP Tasadaq Hussain Jillani, Dr Samar Mubarak Mund, Dr Abdul Salam, Nawabzada Nusrullah Khan, Nawabzada Farooq Ali Khan and thousands of other personalities. Tauqir Subhani, an old student of the college said that his elder brother Farogh Subhani has been teaching English at the college in the past.
He congratulated the Emersonians on the great achievement. Senior Artist Mazhar Ahsan felicitated the people of South Punjab on the elevation, saying that it was a gift of the govt for the masses of the region.
It is worth mentioning here that the college is offering 14 masters programme and 13 BS. When BZU was established in 1974, it had signed an MoU with then Govt College to use its laboratories of Physics, Chemistry and Biology for practicals as university did not have this facility.
