The National Telecommunication Corporation celebrated Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day at its headquarters in Islamabad on August 14, combining the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony with results from a nationwide poster designing competition that drew entries from university students across all four provinces and beyond.
Managing Director NTC Major General (Retd.) Ali Farhan, who holds the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Military, attended as Chief Guest and addressed the gathering of senior management, distinguished guests, and employees. Ikram-ul-Haq, representing the Ministry of IT and Telecom, joined as Guest of Honor and delivered separate remarks praising NTC’s contribution to Pakistan’s digital infrastructure development.
The poster competition produced three winners from three different universities across three different cities, reflecting the geographic reach of the initiative. Hamza Shaukat from COMSATS University Islamabad secured first place. Muhammad Ali from Forman Christian College University in Lahore took second. While Rahul Kumar from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology in Jamshoro claimed third position. The competition asked students to express patriotic sentiment through visual design and creative interpretation, and NTC described the response as “overwhelming” without disclosing the total number of entries received.
The Managing Director used his Independence Day address to connect NTC’s institutional mission to broader national priorities around youth development and digital transformation. He stated that NTC will continue providing secure, reliable, and modern ICT infrastructure to government institutions and citizens while promoting digital connectivity across the country. He emphasized that the fundamental purpose of technology is the welfare and well-being of individuals and society, and called Pakistan’s youth the country’s most valuable asset.
Ikram-ul-Haq reinforced that message by drawing on his own observations of Pakistanis working abroad with dedication and describing Pakistan as a nation of hardworking, talented, and capable people. He stressed that young people should receive meaningful opportunities to participate in mainstream decision-making processes, arguing that their ideas, talent, and creativity can contribute directly to the country’s progress when given proper institutional channels.
NTC operates as the government’s primary telecommunications provider, maintaining ICT infrastructure for federal and provincial institutions across the country. The corporation’s Independence Day ceremony closed with the Managing Director reaffirming NTC’s commitment to strengthening modern ICT infrastructure and contributing to Pakistan’s national development agenda through digital transformation initiatives.
