A gesture of gratitude

The twelfth Graduation Ceremony of Pakistan College of Law, a Recognised Teaching Centre of the University of London, took place on 30 March. It was a great honour to have the current Chief Justice of Pakistan, the Honourable Mr Justice Asif Saeed Khosa as the Chief Guest at the Ceremony along with Honourable Mr Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Dr Amjad Saqib (CEO of Akhuwat, the largest microfinancing organization in Pakistan). 

The Ceremony was extremely well attended by graduates and Certificate of Higher Education in Common Law awardees, alongside their teaching faculty and family. It was also a pleasure to have Mr Saad Wasim, Regional Adviser to the University of London, attend the event. 

The Ceremony began with showcasing the achievements and projects currently being run by the College, followed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan giving out the Academic Certificates and Extra-Curricular Achievement Awards, including those being awarded for moots, debates, dramatics and cultural events. The Chief Justice of Pakistan also awarded Appreciation Shields to faculty members for the hard work they put in towards their students’ achievements. 

The students were delighted to have the Honourable Judges of the Supreme Court among them to celebrate their Graduation Ceremony.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan praised the students for their achievements and advised the graduating class to continue acquiring diverse knowledge in such areas as literature, history and mathematics. Mr Justice Umar Ata Bandial also addressed the gathering and applauded the increasing number of students who had acquired high grades in such a rigorous degree programme. He went on to advise them about the kind of attitude required to become legal professionals. 

The students were delighted to have the Honourable Judges of the Supreme Court among them to celebrate their Graduation Ceremony. Their happiness was shared by their families, as students brought their parents onto the stage before the honourable guests to receive their qualifications as a gesture of gratitude towards those who supported them throughout this journey. The whole student body rose from their seats to applaud their teachers for the efforts they had made in support of their learning. 

Overall, it was a fantastic occasion which ended with the traditional hat throwing ceremony in which the joy of the occasion was evident. We look forward to continuing our support to our students and to seeing them graduate at PCL’s thirteenth Graduation Ceremony in 2020.

• Asif Saghir is the Administrator of Pakistan College of Law.