Karachi: The grand finale of the annual inter-school declamation contest for Karachi schools was held earlier today at the historic Quaid-e-Azam House Museum. The event was jointly organised by the Board of Management, Jinnah Society, and the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR).
A total of 34 schools participated in the competition. After a rigorous two-day elimination process, ten schools qualified for the final round. The preliminary rounds were judged by Akber Merchant and Sara Daniyal. The finalist schools included The City Intermediate College, DHACSS Phase-VIII, The Mama Parsi School, Habib Girls School, Aga Khan School Morning, Graceful Grammar Higher Secondary School Campus 1, New-Day School, Ida Rieu Blind & Deaf School, BVS Parsi School, and Al-Murtaza School.
The final jury comprised senior journalist Ghazi Salahuddin, Founder of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture Noorjehan Bilgrami, and Founder of the Jinnah Foundation Naseem Merchant. Following a closely contested finale, Syeda Fatima Zehra of The Mama Parsi School secured first position, Raween Abid of Aga Khan School Morning won second prize, while Tousif Ahmed of Ida Rieu Blind & Deaf School claimed third position. The winners were awarded trophies and grand prizes.
The declamation contest was originally conceived by the Jinnah Society and has been successfully held for over two decades. After the Quaid-e-Azam House Museum came under the Sindh Government’s control, a Board of Management was formed four years ago under the leadership of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and then Corps Commander Humayun Aziz. Subsequently, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Sindh Government, Jinnah Society, and KCFR.
The 18-member Board of Management includes representatives from the Jinnah Society, KCFR, philanthropists, prominent citizens, and the Sindh Government. Its principal office-bearers include Liaquat H. Merchant as Senior Vice Chairman, Ikram Sehgal as Vice Chairman, and Commodore (Retd) Sadeed Malik as Secretary General. The positions of Chairman and Co-Chairman are held ex-officio by the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary Sindh.
The core objective of the Jinnah Society, KCFR, and the Board of Management of the Quaid-e-Azam House Museum is to promote the vision, principles, and ideals of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as part of a broader nation-building initiative. The museum has been designated as an institute of nation-building, with events such as the declamation contest aimed at engaging Pakistan’s youth and educating them about the country’s struggle for independence, its founding ideals, and aspirations for peace, prosperity, and progress, in line with the vision of Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.