Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur. (2004-2)

Sadiq Public School Bahawal Pur has completed fifty glorious years of its existence. During this period it has passed through various phases of evolution to reach a stage where it has become one of the foremost Public School of the country.

The Foundation Stone of Sadiq Public School Bahawaipur was laid by the late Ala Hazrat Nawab Sadiq Mohammad Khan Abbasi -V, on March 04, 1953. The School was intended to produce young men with high moral principles, who should be self-reliant and self- confident, with qualities of initiative, sense of responsibility, selfless devotion to duty, religious outlook and burning desire to serve the cause of Islam and the country.

This great project was taken up under the advice and guidance of Makhdumzada Syed Hasan Mahmud, the Chief Minister of Bahawaipur State and was executed with the blessings of the Ala Hazrat. The Government of Bahawalpur allocated a sum of rupees nineteen lacs for the construction of the buildings. In addition, 450 acres of land was given by the Ala Hazrat at a token price. The project was completed in a record period of nine months. The site was transformed into a spacious campus of lawns and playing fields, in the midst of which rose nine complete buildings ready for use. The School started functioning on January 18, 1954 when the Ala Hazrat performed its opening ceremony.

To begin with the School had only 37 children and 7 teachers. Mr. Khan Anwar Sikandar Khan, the first Principal, developed this institution from scratch and converted a veritable wilderness into a campus of panoramic spectacle. Khan Sahib was the Principal for over 18 years. For his meritorious services rendered in the field of education he was decorated with Sitara-i-Khidmat. On his retirement, Mr. Abu Zafar Haneef who was the Vice Principal took over as the Principal in March 1972. The next two principals were Col (Retd) Zahoor ul Haq from 1974 to 1990 and Mr. Agha Khalil Ahmad from 1990 to 2001. The present principal, Prof. Mohammad Asif Malik took over in September 2002. He is a recipient of the Presideht's Award of Pride of Performance for services rendered in the field of education.

On January 18, 2004 the School will complete its 50 years of existence. The School is widely recognized as a premier residential institution, imparting quality education to boys and girls from KG to 'O' and 'A' levels (Cambridge University). The present strength is over 1000 boys and 60 girls supported by a staff of about 80. The curriculum of the School has a special correlation with its time tested traditions and the routine activity of each day. To a young mind here, SADIQ provides rich examples of devotion and honour in the form of those Old-Sadiqians of this School whose patriotism and fortitude has become a part of national history. Today some 30 old-students of the School are sitting in the Senate, National and Provincial Assemblies. This hefty congregation of legislators far exceeds the number furnished by any single institution in Pakistan today. In addition, SADIQ can boast of moulding for the main stream sitting Chairman of the Senate, Chief Minister of Sindh, Federal and Provincial ministers, two serving Lieutenant Generals, four serving ambassadors, well-placed bureaucrats, leading industrialists, prominent scientists and also three former national cricket team captains namely lmran Khan, Rameez Raja and Waqar Younis. Last year one of its students won the first prize in the English Essay Writing Competition organized by the Royal Commonwealth Society, London. A number of old students have joined the Armed Forces of Pakistan. Old-Sadiqians made significant contribution during the lndo-Pakistan wars. Three former students embraced shahadat. 2/Lt. Khalid Karak was decorated posthumously with Sitara-i-Jurrat, and 2/Lt. Farooq Afzal with Tamgha-i-Jurrat.

As from May 2003 a Girls Section was established. The School has about 60 girl students at present. Construcbon work on a separate Girls Section will start in January 2004. This project will cost over Rs. 20 million. Again, the Government of Punjab has released a special one-time grant of Rs. 5 million for the construction of an Information Technology Centre. Civil work on this project will also start in January 2004.

Administratively, the School is governed by a Board of Governors with the Governor of the Punjab as its President. Six Old-Sadiqians also sit as members of the Board for a period of three years. The day-to-day administration is entrusted to the Executive Committee with the General Officer Commanding 35 Division as its Chairman. Date of Issue (January 28, 2004)