Provincial Inter-School Speech Competition on Supporting the Oppressed and Resisting Injustice Held in Peshawar

AhlulBayt News Agency: The event drew enthusiastic participation from students representing schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alongside prominent figures from political, cultural, academic and religious circles.

The competition aimed to identify and nurture young talent, promote public speaking skills and raise students’ awareness of humanitarian, Islamic and international issues.

Among those attending were Hassan Moazami, Deputy Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr Hossein Chaqami, Director General of the Iranian Cultural Centre in Peshawar; Barrister Masood Kausar, former governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and senior lawyer; former provincial assembly member Syed Ayub Shah; Syed Tahir Abbas Shah, president of the Pakistan Peoples Party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and Khawaja Yawar Naseer, president of the Pakistan Education Society and a prominent educationist.

Other attendees included Comrade Anwar Zaib, vice president of the Pakistan Peoples Party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Allama Abid Hussain Shakiri, a teacher at Jamia Shaheed Arif Hussaini in Peshawar; Maulana Maqsood Ahmad Salfi; educationist Dr Abid Khan; Dr Zeeshan Haider, president of Tehreek-e-Bedari Ummat-e-Mustafa in Peshawar; and Jamil Mansoori, head of Jamia Ayesha in Peshawar, along with other academic and religious figures.

The judging panel comprised educationist and former director of Pakistan’s Benazir Income Support Programme, Syed Waqar Haider Shirazi, and educationist Syed Riaz Hussain Shirazi, who has participated in international speech competitions. The judges assessed the participants’ speeches and evaluated their performances impartially.

In the preliminary round, 48 students from approximately 29 schools took part. Following the initial evaluation, 32 students representing 18 schools qualified for the second round, from which 10 finalists advanced to the final stage.

At the conclusion of the competition, cash prizes were awarded to the three students who secured first, second and third positions. The remaining seven finalists also received cash awards in recognition of their efforts and to encourage their continued development.

The event highlighted the importance of public speaking, critical awareness and youth engagement with humanitarian concerns, while providing students with a platform to express their views on solidarity, justice and resistance to oppression.