PESHAWAR:February 04: The spacious Canterbury Hall of the Edwardes College with its simple architecture was beautified with presence of former and serving faculty and students to honour the erudite emeritus professors of one of the oldest educational institutions of the province in a reception-cum-dinner Thursday evening.

Arranged by the Edwardes College Teachers Welfare Association (ECTWA), the function started one hour and 20 minutes behind schedule. But to the great surprise of non-Edwardian journalist participants of the event, the speakers, who were all professors except one, were precise as the event concluded well in time. Fifteen speakers were invited to speak and it took not more than an hour for them to deliver their speeches.

The function was organised in honour of five learned retired professors of the college — Prof Iqbal Awan, Prof Allah Bakhsh Sajid, Prof Mohammad Tariq, Prof Dennis Joseph and Prof M S Zaki.

Bishop Dioceses of Peshawar Humphrey Sarfaraz Peter was chief guest on the occasion. The notable present on the occasion were Edwardes College Old Students Association (ECOSA) President Mazhar Ali Shah, College Acting Principal Prof Kaleemullah and ECTWA President Gulzar Jalal Yousafzai.

All the speakers showed immense generosity in paying tributes to the retired professors. Everyone tried to recall some of the glorious moments they had spent with them in the capacity of their students, colleagues and subordinates.

Prof Kaleemullah, the acting head of the institution, lauded the emeritus professors and said he had never thought that a day would come when he would be the speaker and those honourable professors would be listeners. “It is really difficult for me to say goodbye to you. And I would never say goodbye. Sir, Edwardes College is yours!” he remarked.

Humphrey Peter recalled his early days in the college. He mentioned his experiences as a student with all of the outgoing professors one by one. He was full of praise for Edwardes College, which according to him enjoyed a unique position not only in the country but the entire world.

“I am grateful to the Edwardes College for the academic and non-academic grooming of all of us,” he said. “To the retired professors I want to say that teachers never grow old and never retire,” he remarked.

Having over 100-year-long history, the Edwardes College has the honour of having received the founder of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah thrice. Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru also visited the college, said a professor serving as stage secretary on the occasion.

Mazhar Ali Shah, who was the senior most participant of the event, spoke about his long association with the college. Taking benefit of the opportunity, he forwarded two demands to the college administration — to allot an office to the ECOSA and specify at least a two-seat quota for the wards of the old students of the college. He also announced donation of Rs25,000 for ECTWA.

The retired professors said they were grateful to the organisers of the event and the college administration. Prof Tariq was the lone among the long list of speakers to speak pure Urdu. Through his double entendre expression, he made the house burst into laughter. The rest delivered their speeches in English.

Gulzar Jalal shed light on the objectives and activities of the ECTWA. He also read a message of the college principal. The ceremony concluded with presentation of shields. All the retired professors, the ECOSA president and others were given shields in recognition of their services to the institution.The news.