PESHAWAR: Staying true to his campaign and electoral promises, Prime Minister Imran Khan ensured that the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) was eventually merged with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. When the bill finally became a law in May this year, it gave residents ample reasons to celebrate.
However, today, nearly six months after the merger, several complained that children were being denied their basic right to education, which continues to remain a distant dream. Tribesmen from the volatile region who urged the government to prioritize the education sector said that hundreds of children had dropped out of school as they were forced to study in the open due to a lack of properly-constructed facilities in the South Waziristan, Bajaur and other tribal districts.
Sikandar Mehsud, a tribesman from South Waziristan, said that at least 204 children study under a tree in Shereen Khel -- a small village on the outskirts of Makeen -- once regarded as the epicenter of insurgency and the hometown of former Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leader, Baitullah Mehsud.
Surrounded by gigantic mountains, the Shereen Khel village boasts a population of roughly 2,000 but has no buildings for its schools. Mir Kalam, a tribesman from the area said that because of this reason he has been teaching children for the past one year without getting any incentives for his services. “I teach children voluntarily to create awareness among them and to make them responsible citizens of the country,” Kalam said.
Back in 2009, when the Pakistani military launched its operations to stamp out militants from the South Waziristan region, it triggered a mass exodus of local families. However, they have since been repatriated to their respective villages in the district, according to Sayed Umar, a coordinator at the South Waziristan FATA Disaster Management Authority.
The children, however, continue to lack access to basic education. “Roughly, around 400,000 children are out of school in the tribal areas but plans are being implemented to enroll them,” Shoaib Khan, a senior official at the FATA Education Directorate, said.
He said that around 1,000 to 1,100 educational institutions are either damaged or non-functional across the region bordering Afghanistan, adding that the government, in collaboration with foreign donors such as the UNDP, had plans to rebuild all the schools and colleges in the area and ensure they were fully functional.
Maulana Jamaluddin, a lawmaker from the region told Arab News that he has been apprised of the issue and has taken it up with the relevant authorities to build a proper facility for children in Shereen Khel. “I have already told the FATA Education Directorate to expedite the process to rebuild the damaged institutions,” he added.
Another example is of the 200 children who have been attending classes in the open fields of Khayati, another dusty hamlet in the Bajaur tribal district. Said Munir, a teacher at the Maktab Primary School in Tehsil Utmankhel, told Arab News that the school has no drinking water, furniture, boundary walls or washroom facilities.
He added that the educational institution -- operational since 1985 – boasted a strength of 400 students which has now been reduced to 160 because the parents did not want their children to study under the open sky. “This school can be turned into one of the best educational institutions if the government provides us with the much-needed facilities such as buildings and infrastructure,” Munir said.
Misbahuddin Khan, a social activist from the Bajaur region said that the school has been functional for the past 20 years despite a lack of infrastructure. However, during harsh weather conditions, children often choose to skip school. “Most of the times in summer and winter, children fall ill because of the hostile weather conditions,” Khan added.
He reasoned that since most of the families have been repatriated, the government should take accelerated measures to work towards the construction of school buildings or to rebuild institutes that were damaged during military operations. Khan said that the FATA Secretariat and FATA Education Directorate have been informed about the problem, but concrete measures have yet to be taken to address the issue.
Another issue at hand, as highlighted by Mehsud, was that despite some educational institutions being housed in a proper facility, the schools or colleges remain non-functional due to a lack of teaching staff. Case in point being the Girls Degree College -- built in 2016 in the Ladha area of the South Waziristan region -- which has a sprawling building but has yet to hire teachers.
Samreen Mehsud, a college student, demanded that the government expedites the hiring process so that girls and women in the area can make full use of the facility at hand. She added that several children are either deprived of an education or forced to go to other cities of the country for higher studies.
Another school in Mamakhel, a small village located in the Orakzai tribal district, is in shambles, too. With two rooms for more than 300 students, a majority of the students were forced to attend classes conducted in tents as the rooms' roof, doors, and windows were damaged.
Not a minor problem: 400,000 children deprived of education in tribal districts
Not a minor problem: 400,000 children deprived of education in tribal districts
- Lack of schools and facilities major reason for students in KP province to opt out
- Residents urge government to prioritize measures for increased levels of literacy in the region
Pakistani journalists protest Israel’s bombing of Iranian state TV
- Israel bombed state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting’s building on Monday as its conflict with Iran escalates
- Charged Pakistani journalists in Karachi accuse Israel of targeting journalists deliberately to silence their voices
KARACHI: Dozens of Pakistani journalists protested in Karachi on Tuesday against Israel’s move to bomb Iran’s state-run television channel this week, accusing Tel Aviv of deliberately targeting journalists to silence their voices.
Footage of anchor Sahar Emami went viral on Monday in which she can be seen denouncing Israel at the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) building before the live broadcast was interrupted by a huge blast. Shortly after, smoke and debris filled the screen.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) confirmed that Israel’s strike on the IRIB building killed Nima Rajabpour, editor-in-chief of Khabar TV, and Masoumeh Azimi, a secretary at the state-run television channel. Israel and Iran have been targeting each other with missiles since Friday, when the Jewish state attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership.
Dozens of Pakistani journalists protested the move outside the Karachi Press Club. The protest was organized by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ). Journalists carried placards inscribed with messages condemning Israel, shouting slogans expressing support for the people of Gaza and Iran.
“It [Israel] has assassinated anyone across the world who tried to unmask its true face, anyone who tried to speak the truth,” PFUJ Secretary-General A.H. Khanzada told Arab News, accusing the Jewish state of killing journalists from Gaza to Iran.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has counted 178 journalists killed in Gaza by Israel since October 2023, making it the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded.
Khanzada urged the IFJ to redefine its global parameters of press freedom.
“If these are not corrected, many problems will arise — and these problems will affect the entire world,” he said, calling the response from global media organizations to the attack as “insufficient.”
Aamir Latif, a former Karachi Press Club secretary, agreed that Israel was systematically silencing journalists.
“Israel is not in a business to tell the truth,” Latif said. “In fact, it is in a business to block the truth. That is why it is targeting journalists whether it is Gaza or whether it is Iran,” he added.
Latif lamented Israel’s moves to target hospitals, media workers and other protected entities in the Middle East, saying they were directly violating international laws.
Veteran journalist and former PFUJ secretary-general Mazhar Abbas called the Iranian TV bombardment a “direct assault on freedom of expression.”
“The figure [of journalists being killed in Palestine] is nearly around 150, which is even far bigger than the journalists killed in the Second World War,” Abbas told Arab News.
KUJ President Nasrullah Chaudhry said Pakistani journalists stood in solidarity with their Iranian counterparts.
“Since October, we have documented Israeli war crimes against media in Gaza,” Chaudhry said. “This is part of the same pattern.
“The media of Pakistan in general and Karachi in particular firmly stands against Israel aggression and assaults on journalists,” he told protesters.
The protest ended with Pakistani journalists pledging to continue highlighting what participants called the “systematic targeting of truth tellers” by Israel across multiple conflict zones.
Islamabad says will not let militants exploit Iran-Israel conflict to attack Pakistan
- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says Islamabad recently had “very good, close coordination” with Iran, Afghanistan against “terrorist” groups
- Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, sharing borders with Afghanistan and Iran, has seen a surge in militant attacks in recent months
ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday that Islamabad would not allow militants based in Iran and Afghanistan to take advantage of Tehran’s ongoing conflict with Israel to increase its “terrorist” attacks in neighboring Pakistan.
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province shares porous borders with Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west. It has experienced a surge in militant attacks by Baloch separatists and other armed groups in recent years, who demand a greater share of Balochistan’s mineral resources for locals.
Pakistan has remained at odds with both Afghanistan and Iran over instability at its shared, porous borders with the two countries. Islamabad blames Kabul for not taking action against Pakistani Taliban militants who it says regularly launch attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, allegations that Afghanistan denies.
Ties between Islamabad and Tehran have also been strained in the past, with both nations blaming each other for not rooting out militancy in their countries.
“Pakistan leadership has recently had very good, close coordination with both the leadership in Iran and with leadership in Afghanistan ensuring that their soil is not used by the terrorist groups to carry out terrorist attacks in the country,” Iqbal told foreign media reporters during a briefing in Islamabad.
He added that Pakistani security forces were carrying out operations against militant groups in Balochistan and were confident they could “control” them.
“They are Indian-sponsored terrorist groups and they have already taken a hit with the defeat of India in the limited war we had and won’t get any space now [in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict],” the minister said.
Iqbal was referring to Pakistan’s days-long military confrontation with India last month in which both countries targeted each other with artillery fire, missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
Regional tensions have flared once again after Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership last Friday. The two countries have traded missiles since then, with world leaders calling for dialogue and restraint.
The minister hoped Irani forces would not allow militants based in their country to carry out attacks against Pakistan.
“We hope and are confident that the leadership in Iran will also exercise its full jurisdiction to make sure that no groups use the territory of Iran to carry out any terrorist action in Pakistan,” he said.
He called on the international community, especially the G7 countries, to intervene and stop Iran’s conflict with Israel from escalating further.
“This can have very serious consequences because this region supplies energy to the global economy and if there is any disruption in the supply of energy through escalation in this conflict, it will not just affect Iran, it will not just affect Israel, it will affect the entire world,” Iqbal warned.
CPEC WORK TO CONTINUE
Iqbal said the Israel-Iran conflict will not affect the pace of development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion infrastructure network between Pakistan and China, as the military confrontation was not taking place in Pakistan.
China has invested $65 billion in CPEC, its flagship project which is part of its Belt and Road Initiative, to build roads, railways, pipelines, and ports connecting China to the Arabian Sea. A key project is the deep-sea port at Gwadar in Balochistan, a province that faces a long-running separatist insurgency.
“So, our work in Pakistan will continue and CPEC will move forward as we are hoping and anticipating by the end of July, the 14th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting will take place for CPEC,” Iqbal said, adding that by then the roadmap for the project’s phase 2 will be approved.
Ethnic Baloch separatist groups, most prominent among them the Baloch Liberation Army, have targeted Chinese interests in Balochistan in recent years. This has led to China expressing concerns over the safety of its nationals in Pakistan.
Iqbal said Beijing has expressed satisfaction over the improving security situation in Pakistan.
“Chinese are very convinced that Pakistan is fully committed to improving the security situation in the country and in the coming months and years, we will have greater cooperation because Pakistan has worked very hard to counter these elements who have been involved in actions against Chinese,” the minister said.
Italian Navy ship arrives in Pakistan’s Karachi to strengthen maritime cooperation
- Antonio Marceglia to discuss maritime security, hold joint training sessions during three-day visit
- Pakistan, Italian navy ships to partake in warfare-related exercises designed to enhance coordination
ISLAMABAD: The Italian Navy ship Antonio Marceglia arrived in the southern port city of Karachi on Tuesday to strengthen maritime cooperation with Pakistan and partake in warfare-related exercises, Pakistan Navy’s military media wing said.
The Italian ship arrived at the Karachi Port for a three-day goodwill visit during which the commanding officer and crew of the Antonio Marceglia were accorded a warm welcome by Pakistan Navy officials, the Italian ambassador to Pakistan and other officials of the Italian consulate in Karachi.
The Director-General of Public Relations (DGPR) of the Pakistan Navy said in a statement that the Italian ship’s crew will participate in a range of professional engagements during its port call. These include cross-ship visits, discussions on maritime security and joint training sessions.
“These engagements are designed to foster deeper mutual understanding, enhance bilateral naval cooperation and advance operational interoperability between the two navies,” the Pakistan Navy said.
It said the visit would culminate in the Sea Phase, which would feature various warfare-related exercises designed to enhance tactical coordination and maritime security operations of both navies.
“The visit of Italian Navy Ship ITS ANTONIO MARCEGLIA reinforces growing maritime partnership between both countries,” the statement said. “It also reflects shared resolve of both navies to work together for regional stability.”
Pakistan regularly collaborates with its counterparts from various parts of the world to ensure illicit activities such as smuggling, drug trafficking and piracy are kept in check.
Pakistan stresses increasing trade, tourism cooperation with Bangladesh amid improving ties
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar meets Bangladesh high commissioner to discuss ties, says Pakistan’s FO
- Islamabad, Dhaka have sought closer ties since ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday stressed the need to enhance cooperation in trade and tourism with Bangladesh, the Pakistani foreign office said, as Dhaka and Islamabad attempt to forge closer ties amid improving bilateral relations.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved their strained ties since August last year after former premier Sheikh Hasina fled to India, forced by a violent student-led protest. Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation but split in a brutal 1971 war, with Bangladesh drawing closer to India.
Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan met Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, in Islamabad to discuss bilateral ties, the Pakistani foreign office said.
“Appreciating the positive trajectory of bilateral ties, he [Dar] emphasized the need to further expand cooperation- especially in trade, tourism, & people-to-people exchanges,” the foreign office said.
In February this month, Bangladesh and Pakistan started direct government-to-government trade with Dhaka importing 50,000 tons of rice from Islamabad, a sign of improving relations between the two.
Direct private trade between the countries restarted in November 2024, when a container ship sailed from Pakistan’s Karachi to Bangladesh’s Chittagong. It was the first cargo ship in decades to sail directly between the two nations.
In recent months, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus have met on the sidelines of international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly in New York and the D-8 Summit in Cairo.
These interactions have been described as cordial, with both leaders expressing a desire to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Met office forecasts 25% above-normal monsoon rain for Pakistan this year
- Punjab’s disaster management agency says it has made arrangements to deal with the risk of flooding
- Pakistan has witnessed extreme weather like heatwaves, droughts and devastating floods in recent years
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is likely to experience 25 percent more rainfall than average during the upcoming monsoon season, officials said on Tuesday, with the country’s most populous province, Punjab, rolling out preparedness measures to address urban flooding and other climate-related emergencies.
The warning comes as Pakistan continues to suffer the effects of increasingly frequent and intense weather events, including heatwaves, droughts and devastating floods. Although the country contributes less than one percent to global carbon emissions, it remains among the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world.
Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia visited the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) headquarters in Lahore to assess forecasts and coordination efforts ahead of the seasonal rains.
“This year’s monsoon rainfall is expected to be 25 percent above normal levels,” officials said during a briefing. “The heaviest rains are forecast for the month of August.”
During the visit, Chief Meteorologist Zahir Babar provided a detailed overview of the seasonal outlook and flood forecasting mechanisms, while emphasizing the importance of early warnings in major cities like Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala to minimize urban flood impacts.
Kathia said all necessary arrangements have been completed to manage the risk of flooding during the monsoon.
He stressed that a joint response plan must be implemented by all concerned departments to deal with cloudburst events and urban flooding.
Pakistan experienced catastrophic monsoon rains in 2022 that submerged large parts of the country, killing nearly 1,700 people and causing damage to homes, farmland and infrastructure exceeding $35 billion, according to government and UN estimates.
Officials also reviewed the flood early warning system for hill torrents and the control room operations for real-time monitoring of river flows under the Flood Forecasting Division.
Kathia praised the Meteorological Department’s coordination and technical preparedness, calling the working relationship between the PMD and PDMA Punjab “excellent.”
