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PESHAWAR, Aug 06 (APP):With the green and white of Pakistan’s flag fluttering across the length and breadth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the historic Islamia College Peshawar (ICP)–a cradle of the Pakistan Movement—witnessed a heartening influx of young students ahead of the nation’s 78th Independence Day.
The iconic college, now a public sector university, resonated once again with the voices of youth echoing patriotic sentiments and admiration for a legacy deeply rooted in Pakistan’s creation.
Students from government and private schools toured the grand domes and verdant lawns of ICP, learning firsthand the pivotal role the institution played in shaping the national consciousness during the struggle for independence.
Amid a sea of fluttering flags and chants of “Pakistan Zindabad,” children like seven graders Malaika Bibi, Laiba Farooq, 5th grader Anaya Bibi, Arshiya, Aleena, second grader Ibrahim Khan and nursery student Ismail Khan voiced their awe for the college that not only symbolized academic excellence but also political awakening of people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The students went around its different sections including Khyber Union–a debating society visited by Father of the Nation Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Their visit timed with the upcoming August 14 festivities was more than ceremonial; it was a walk through history, guided by the very walls that once echoed with debates and discussions that fueled the dream of a sovereign Muslim homeland.
“The history of the Pakistan Movement is incomplete without historic role played by students of Islamia College Peshawar,” said Professor Dr Muhammad Naushad Khan, former Vice Chancellor, ICP while talking to APP.
Explaining its history, he said ICP was established on October 1, 1913 by Nawab Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan and british commissioner Sir George Roos-Keppel.
Their encounter with Pathan students at Aligarh Muslim University in 1909 sparked the idea of creating an institution for Muslim students in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A modest fund of sixty rupees collected by the students was the first seed sown for what would become an intellectual fortress. Philanthropists like Abdul Karim Khan, Sethi Karim Bakhsh, and the Nawab of Dir generously contributed to the Nobel cause, paving the way for the establishment of a college that would nurture not just scholars, but future leaders of the nation.
The inaugural batch comprised only 26 students. Among them was Sahibzada Khurshid, who would later serve as Governor of then NWFP. The institution’s first principal, Tipping, led ICP through its formative years, setting the stage for decades of educational excellence and political activism.
Islamia College was more than a center of learning—it was a beacon for the Pakistan Movement in the northwest. The college’s debating society, Khyber Union (established in 1936), played a key role in raising political awareness and nurturing leadership skills among students.
Just as Aligarh Muslim University produced vanguards of independence in India, Islamia College Peshawar provided the ideological and intellectual leadership for Pakistan’s creation,” said Muhammad Younas Khan, Chairman, Department of Pakistan Studies at ICP.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited ICP thrice—once in 1936, then in 1945, and finally in 1948 as Pakistan’s first Governor General. During his 1945 visit, students and the Muslim Students Federation presented him with Rs 8,000 for the Pakistan Movement—equivalent in spirit to thousands of volunteers pledging their lives to the cause.
The 1946 general elections and 1947 referendum saw overwhelming support from the NWFP (now KP) for the Muslim League and Pakistan.
“The province’s enthusiastic endorsement of Quaid-e-Azam’s vision cemented its place in history as a frontline region in the independence struggle,” Younas added.
Quaid e Azam’s affection for the institution was evident in both words and deeds. In a memorable speech to ICP students on April 12, 1948, he called them “future builders of Pakistan,” urging them to develop discipline, character, and academic excellence.
He left more than just words behind. In his will, penned in 1939, the great Quaid named ICP among three institutions to inherit his property, alongside Aligarh Muslim University and Sindh Madrassatul Islam.
The Quaid Trust eventually contributed over Rs 10 million to ICP, enabling the establishment of the Quaid-e-Azam College of Commerce, women’s colleges, faculty residences, and Takbeer Block.
Today, the grand clock tower of Islamia College stands tall not just as a landmark of Peshawar, but as a proud symbol on the Rs 1000 currency note. From its humble beginnings, ICP has transformed into a public sector university offering education from kindergarten to PhD.
It remains rooted in its founding ideals of education, progress, and patriotism.
Nearby, the University of Peshawar (established in 1949 per Jinnah’s vision), the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), and the Agriculture University further echo the educational revolution sparked by ICP.
As Independence Day of Pakistan nears, the influx of young students to ICP is a heartening reminder that the spirit of freedom and unity still resonates powerfully among the youth.
By revisiting the college’s storied past, these students are not only honoring history but inheriting a legacy that demands they, too, become torchbearers of knowledge, character, and national service.
Islamia College Peshawar, once the dream of visionaries, continues to inspire.just as it did over a century ago.