The grand finale of Karachi’s annual inter-school declamation contest was held on Wednesday at the historic Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, drawing participation from leading schools across the city. The event was organised jointly by the Jinnah Society, the Board of Management of Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, and the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR).
A total of 34 schools took part in the competition. Following a rigorous two-day elimination round, ten schools qualified for the final stage, as shortlisted by judges 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-I, New-Day School, Ida Rieu Blind & Deaf School, BVS Parsi School, and Al-Murtaza School.
The final round was judged by a distinguished jury comprising senior journalist Ghazi Salahuddin, renowned artist and founder of IVS Noorjehan Bilgrami, and Founder of the Jinnah Foundation Naseem Merchant. After a closely contested competition, Syeda Fatima Zehra of The Mama Parsi School secured first position, Raween Abid of Aga Khan School (Morning) claimed second, while Tousif Ahmed of Ida Rieu Blind & Deaf School earned third place. The winners were awarded trophies and grand prizes in recognition of their outstanding performances.
The declamation contest was originally conceived by the Jinnah Society and has been held successfully for over two decades. After the Quaid-e-Azam House Museum came under the ownership of the Government of Sindh, a Board of Management was constituted four years ago through the joint initiative of Syed Murad Ali Shah and the then Corps Commander Karachi Humayun Aziz. Subsequently, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Sindh Government, Jinnah Society, and KCFR.
The Board of Management consists of 18 members, including representatives of the Sindh Government, Jinnah Society, KCFR, philanthropists, and prominent citizens. The board’s key office-bearers include Liaquat H. Merchant as Senior Vice Chairman, Ikram Sehgal as Vice Chairman, and Commodore (R) Sadeed Malik as Secretary General. The positions of Chairman and Co-Chairman are held ex-officio by the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary Sindh, respectively.
The core objective of the Jinnah Society, KCFR, and the Board of Management is to promote the vision, principles, and ideals of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as part of a broader nation-building effort. Quaid-e-Azam House Museum has therefore been designated as an institution of nation-building, with all its events aimed at engaging Pakistan’s youth — more than 50 percent of the country’s population is under 30 years of age.
Through initiatives such as the declamation contest, students are encouraged to connect with Pakistan’s history, the struggle for independence, and the aspirations envisioned by Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam, fostering a deeper understanding of the values of peace, progress, and prosperity.
