Woman of vision: A life spent preventing blindness in Pakistan

Dr. Pramila Lal during an exclusive interview with Arab News at the Christian Hospital in Taxila on Dec. 12, 2019. (AN photo)
Short Url
Updated 15 December 2019
Follow

Woman of vision: A life spent preventing blindness in Pakistan

  • Dr. Pramila Lall is Pakistan’s first female eye specialist who has saved thousands from visual impairment
  • The female ophthalmologist has conducted the highest number of eye surgeries in Asia

TAXILA: In the archaeological city of Taxila, some 32 kilometers northwest of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, lives an eye doctor of Indian origin, the country’s first female ophthalmologist, who has saved hundreds of thousands of people from visual impairment and continues her crusade against blindness despite crossing her retirement age.
Dr. Pramila Lall, 87, was born in Kerala, India, in 1932. She immigrated to Pakistan in 1957 after receiving MBBS from the Christian Medical College and marrying her Pakistani classmate, Dr. Ernest Lall, who advised her to become an eye specialist. Since then, she has dedicated her life to the cause and is said to have conducted over 500,000 surgeries, the highest number of such operations performed by any single doctor in Asia.
In 1987, Lall became member of the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, and the London Royal College of Ophthalmologists awarded her a fellowship in 1990.
Hailing from a family of academics, she recently narrated her journey from India to Pakistan while talking exclusively to Arab News at the Christian Hospital, Taxila, which was built in 1922 by missionaries.
“When I was young, I had a speech defect. I couldn’t speak out. If the teacher asked me anything, I would know the answer, but I closed my mouth, put my head down like I didn’t know it. It used to make me very ashamed of myself. My only hope was to be a veterinarian and take care of animals since I didn’t need to talk to them,” Lall said while she sat on her favorite black chair next to an old eye examination equipment.
“It was my mother,” she continued, “who told me: ‘You don’t take care of animals; you take care of human beings. You’ll become a doctor.’ My father said, ‘No, we don’t have money to send her to a medical college.’ But my mother said, ‘This daughter of mine is going to do medicine.’”
Lall enrolled in the medical school where she met her future husband, a Pakistani “Punjabi boy” who told her that there was “a lot of eye work required across the border” and advised her to do her residency in ophthalmology.
“I came to Pakistan on the 27th of September, 1957, at 4 o’clock in the evening. I was wearing a sari I didn’t have any socks on my feet and no shoes. I had only chappals, because in India that’s what we used all the time. We wore chappals and we wore saris.”
She had Pakistani visa stamped on her Indian passport and was accompanied by her husband. At the Amritsar border, she said, an “Indian immigration officer said, ‘Two doctors going off to Pakistan. We need doctors in India. You people better not go, you better stay in India.’”
Crossing over, the Pakistani immigration official said: “Welcome to Pakistan. We need doctors in this country.” It was a big welcome, she added, though she had to change her nationality within the first six months to permanently stay in the country.
Since then, Lall has returned to India once to receive the Paul Harrison Award in 1985 after previously being denied entry in 1965 when the two South Asian rivals suspended diplomatic relations while fighting a full-scale war.
“We needed to get an Indian visa to collect an award. The [Indian] embassy officer said, ‘You are a Pakistani. How come you are getting an award from India?’ I had to explain to him, that we came from India. We studied in Vellore, our work was there, training was there, and that was the reason why the Indians were giving me the award because I had done so much for the prevention of blindness in Pakistan. Only then he understood why I wanted to go to India,” Lall said, adding she did not have the urge to return to her country of origin. “Whatever I have are my staff and my friends in this country,” she said.
In 2002, President General (r) Pervez Musharraf gave her Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, an award of excellence conferred by the state, and she capitalized on the opportunity by requesting him to allow Christians to vote.
“When I got the award, I thanked the president and said I had one request: ‘I want you to do something for the rights of the minorities. We are not allowed to vote.’ He said, ‘I’ll do something about it,’” Lall said, smiling.
Discussing her career, she said there came a time when she was not able to take the pressure and influx of patients. She also faced hardships during the 1965 and 1971 wars since she was treated as a suspect due to her Indian origin.
“I just wrote a small message to my father and said, ‘Enough of Taxila. We are going to Canada. We are going to work over there. We’ll get good money over there and we won’t have all this business of being in Pakistan.’ My father wrote back and said, ‘Have you forgotten? Once you put your hand to the plow, you don’t turn back. Stick to your job and have faith in God. That’s the most important thing.’ The Lord had saved me. I am in my 80s now, and I keep praying, ‘Lord! Use me as long as you can, but I am ready to go to you whenever you call me,’” she told Arab News.
Lall continues her mission, though she now feels lonely since her husband passed away in March this year, her children live in the United States, and there is no one left in her family in India.
“I have stopped doing surgery now for four years. But I keep training others who come here so they can develop their skills and be good surgeons. I don’t want to be a burden. I have only one woman [maid] at home and one dog. I keep telling her, ‘If any day you find I am not breathing properly, this is the phone number. You call this ward and tell them, Please come and see Mrs. Lall.’”


Pakistan PM reviews security situation amid rising militancy, sectarian clashes

Updated 22 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan PM reviews security situation amid rising militancy, sectarian clashes

  • PM Sharif was briefed by Mohsin Naqvi who recently attended a security meeting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Security remained a concern for Pakistan this year, which witnessed renewed attacks on Chinese nationals

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif evaluated the security situation during a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, focusing on measures taken by the authorities to ensure peace across the country.

The talks come days after Naqvi attended a high-level security meeting in the volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan and has seen a surge in cross-border militant attacks.

The region’s Kurram district has been gripped by sectarian clashes since last month, leaving well over 100 people dead, according to local reports.

During the meeting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Naqvi and other stakeholders decided to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies with the federal government’s full cooperation to combat mounting security challenges.

Pakistan has also faced unrest in its southwestern province of Balochistan, where separatist attacks intensified throughout the year.

“Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi provided a detailed briefing to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on the overall security situation in the country,” the statement from the PM Office said. “The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the measures taken to ensure law and order in the country.”

The meeting also included discussions on the country’s political situation, the statement added.

Security remained a major concern for the government this year, which witnessed renewed attacks on Chinese workers, including five fatalities when their convoy was targeted by an explosive-laden vehicle near Besham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Later in October, two Chinese engineers lost their lives in a blast near Karachi airport.

On Sunday, Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, vowed to hunt down militants and their facilitators, following a deadly attack on a military outpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that left 16 soldiers dead.


Pakistan to host India’s Champions Trophy matches in UAE under hybrid model

Updated 52 min 44 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan to host India’s Champions Trophy matches in UAE under hybrid model

  • The decision comes after India showed reluctance to play in Pakistan, citing security concerns
  • A PCB official says Pakistan has formally informed the ICC about its choice of the neutral venue

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will serve as the neutral venue for matches between India and Pakistan during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy scheduled in February.

The decision was finalized after discussions between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, currently visiting Pakistan.

The move resolves a contentious issue stemming from India’s reluctance to play in Pakistan, citing security concerns. Pakistan, the official host of the tournament, initially refused to opt for a hybrid model, allowing the tournament to proceed with matches involving India being played at a neutral venue. However, its cricket board later accepted the arrangement.

PCB spokesperson Amir Mir confirmed the ICC has been formally informed about the decision.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board has chosen the United Arab Emirates as the neutral venue,” he was quoted in a statement. “Now, India and Pakistan’s Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE.”

The statement said Pakistan had the authority to determine the neutral venue as tournament host, and chose the UAE after careful deliberation.

The hybrid model was also employed during the Asia Cup last year, with Pakistan co-hosting the tournament with Sri Lanka.

Unlike the Asia Cup, however, the Pakistan national team traveled to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup later in the same year. Meanwhile, the Champions Trophy preparations in Pakistan are in full swing, with venues being readied for the event.

The hybrid model for the Champions Trophy will ensure the tournament remains on track while maintaining Pakistan’s position as the host.


Run machine Saim Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa

Updated 23 December 2024
Follow

Run machine Saim Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa

  • Left-handed opening batsman made a sparkling 101 off 94 balls in a Pakistan total of 308 for nine
  • Hosts were beaten by 36 runs as match was reduced to 47 overs due to rain with adjusted target

Johannesburg: Rising star Saim Ayub hit his second century of the series — and his third in five innings — as Pakistan completed a series cleansweep over South Africa in the third one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

Left-handed opening batsman Ayub made a sparkling 101 off 94 balls in a Pakistan total of 308 for nine.

Heinrich Klaasen thrashed 81 off 43 balls for South Africa — but the hosts were beaten by 36 runs chasing an adjusted target of 308. The match was reduced to 47 overs a side because of rain.

Ayub, 22, hit 113 not out in the second one-day game against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last month and 109 in the series opener against South Africa in Paarl last week.

In between his one-day appearances he made an unbeaten 98 in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa in Centurion.

Ayub was named player of the match and player of the series.

“It’s important because we won but it is for all the team, not just me,” he said. “The senior players helped me a lot.”

In contrast to Ayub’s form, his opening partner Abdullah Shafique was out for his third successive duck after Pakistan were sent in to bat.

Pakistan's Mohammad Hasnain attempts a catch off his own bowling during the third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 22, 2024. (AP)

But Ayub was seldom troubled as he played shots all around the wicket in partnerships of 114 with Babar Azam (52) and 93 with captain Mohammad Rizwan (53).

Ayub fell to debutant Corbin Bosch, caught behind attempting an audacious flick to leg, after hitting 13 fours and two sixes.

Bosch, the son of the late Test and one-day international player Tertius Bosch, received a call-up after injuries hit South Africa’s fast bowling resources.

For the third successive match, Klaasen was the only South African to make a half-century. He kept South Africa ahead of the required run rate until he was sixth man out, caught on the square leg boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi with the total on 194 in the 29th over.

Pakistan's captain Mohammad Rizwan, right, plays a shot as South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen watches on during the third International cricket match between South Africa and Pakistan, at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 22, 2024. (AP)

Ayub followed up his century by taking one for 34 in 10 overs with his mixture of off-spin and carrom balls, claiming the key wicket of David Miller and producing the most economical figures by any bowler in the match.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 308-9 in 47 overs (Saim Ayub 101, Mohammad Rizwan 53, Babar Azam 52, Salman Agha 48; K. Rabada 3-56) v South Africa 271 in 42 overs (H. Klaasen 81, C. Bosch 40 not out)

Result: Pakistan won by 36 runs (DLS method)

Series: Pakistan won the three-match series 3-0

Toss: South Africa


EU expresses concern over sentencing of civilians by Pakistani military court

Updated 23 December 2024
Follow

EU expresses concern over sentencing of civilians by Pakistani military court

  • Pakistani military announced on Saturday the sentencing of 25 people over violent protests in May 2023 over ex-PM Khan’s arrest
  • EU says Pakistan signed International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which entitles every person to ‘fair, public trial’

ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) on Sunday expressed concern over the sentencing of 25 Pakistani civilians by a military court in the South Asian country, saying it was “inconsistent” with Pakistan’s international obligations.
The Pakistani military announced on Saturday the sentencing of 25 people for participating in violent protests on May 9, 2023, when hundreds carrying flags of former prime minister Imran Khan’s party had attacked government and military installations.
The protests, which erupted in several Pakistani cities, followed Khan’s brief detention on corruption charges from an Islamabad court, resulting in damage to major military facilities and martyrs’ monuments in the country.
The military said it had gathered “irrefutable evidence” against those prosecuted. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has demanded a judicial investigation into the May 9, 2023 events and said Saturday’s verdicts were “against the principles of justice.”
“These verdicts are seen as inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),” Anouar El Anouni a spokesperson for EU foreign affairs and security policy, said in a statement.
“In line with article 14 of ICCPR every person is entitled to a fair and public trial in a court that is independent, impartial and competent, and has the right to adequate and effective legal representation. It also stipulates that any judgment rendered in a criminal case shall be made public.”
The statement noted that under the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries, including Pakistan, had voluntarily agreed to effectively implement 27 international core conventions, including the ICCPR, in order to continue benefitting from the special trade arrangement. The preferential trade status under the GSP+ scheme grants Pakistani exports duty-free access to the European market.
The EU has previously raised concerns over extremist violence perpetrated in the name of religion in Pakistan, specifically mentioning its blasphemy laws and forced conversions, which it says have marginalized religious minorities.
The sentencing of civilians in May 2023 riots cases has also raised concerns among supporters of ex-PM Khan, who faces charges of inciting attacks against the armed forces and may potentially be tried in a military court.
Pakistan has remained gripped by political unrest and uncertainty since Khan’s ouster from power through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, which has also exacerbated Pakistan’s economic hardships.
On Sunday, the Pakistani government formed a committee to hold talks with the opposition PTI party on a range of issues causing political polarization, Pakistani state media reported. Senior government representatives have also recently acknowledged that negotiations could offer a pathway out of the current political impasse.


Pakistani naval ships visit Kuwait and Iraq, conduct joint exercises in Arabian Gulf

Updated 22 December 2024
Follow

Pakistani naval ships visit Kuwait and Iraq, conduct joint exercises in Arabian Gulf

  • Pakistan regularly holds joint exercises with allies to increase synergy and deter piracy, drug trafficking and other illicit activities
  • The visit of Pakistan Navy flotilla to Kuwait and Iraq will further enhance the existing diplomatic and naval relations, the military says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani naval ships have visited Kuwaiti and Iraqi ports to conduct joint exercises with both navies in the Arabian Gulf, the Pakistani military said on Sunday, adding the visits would enhance existing relations.

Pakistan Navy Ships (PNS) Rasadgar and Azmat visited the Kuwaiti port of Al-Shuwaikh, while Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) ship Dasht visited the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.

On arrival at both ports, Pakistani diplomatic and host naval officials warmly welcomed the Pakistan Navy ships and the mission commander, along with commanding officers of the ships, held meetings with the naval leadership of both countries.

“Later, naval exercises were also conducted together with Kuwaiti and Iraqi navy ships,” the ISPR said in a statement. “The exercises were aimed at improving mutual cooperation between the navies and developing the capacity for joint operations.”

During the meetings, naval officials discussed matters of mutual interest, cooperation in maritime security and communication, according to the statement.

“The visit of Pakistan Navy flotilla to Kuwait and Iraq will further enhance the existing diplomatic and naval relations with friendly countries,” it read.

Pakistan Navy regularly collaborates and holds joint military exercises with allies to increase synergy, promote regional peace and stability and deter piracy, drug trafficking and other illicit maritime activities.

This month, Pakistan Navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb.’ The bilateral naval exercise, “Samar Al-Tayeb,” is conducted regularly between the navies of the two nations.

In July, Pakistan Navy also assumed command of a multinational task force responsible for ensuring maritime security in the southeastern waters of the Middle East, operating in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden.