At Mastung school, pine tree and handwritten note keep memory of Pakistani founding father alive 

Students seen studying at the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, on August 03, 2022 (AN Photo)
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Updated 14 August 2022
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At Mastung school, pine tree and handwritten note keep memory of Pakistani founding father alive 

  • Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung in 1945
  • During visit, Jinnah wrote handwritten note, planted sapling that has grown into a huge tree

QUETTA: Students, clad in crisp white shalwar kameez, ambled into classrooms as the school bell rang, passing by a huge pine tree, its sprawling branches casting a shade over the children. Just a few feet away, prominently displayed on a wall in the principal’s office is a framed handwritten note. 
Both the tree and the note owe their existence to Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. And both are housed in the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, famous for a visit by Jinnah 76 years ago. 
The school was the first in the princely state of Kalat in British colonial India, constructed in 1903 on the orders of Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, the last Khan of Kalat, who also funded it. It was initially a primary school and in 1963 among 20 schools across Pakistan promoted to the status of high school after it started courses in technical skills, welding, car painting and electrical engineering. 
In October 1945, Jinnah, who was then leading a political campaign for a separate homeland for the Indian subcontinent’s Muslims, accepted the Khan’s invitation to visit the school. Inspired by the school’s curriculum and the stellar results of its students, Jinnah wrote his praise for the institution on a piece of paper and planted a tree inside the premises. 




A pine tree planted by the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in 1945 seen at the Government Pilot Secondary School’s garden in Mastung, Pakistan, on August 3, 2022 (AN Photo)

Today, both the note and the tree help the 1,600 students at the school, as well as its staff, keep alive the memory of the visit by the country’s founding father.




Students stand in lines to attend the morning assembly at the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, on August 3, 2022 (AN Photo)

“Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s visit increased the popularity of this school when Pakistan emerged as an independent state,” Saleem Sarpara, the school’s principal, told Arab News. “The majority of people in Mastung and nearby cities and villages have enrolled their children in this school.”




A note written by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, is on display inside the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, on August 3, 2022 (AN Photo)  

Sarpara, who has been supervising the school for the past two years, said Jinnah planted a sapling during his visit to the city, which over the course of seven decades, had blossomed into a full-grown pine tree that gave the school’s current student and alumni a reason to keep remembering the founding father. 
Among notable alumni of the school are former Balochistan chief ministers Mir Ghous Buksh Bizenjo and Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch as well as chief secretary Ahmed Buksh Lehri and the University of Gwadar Vice Chancellor, Abdul Razzaq Sabir. 




A viewof the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, on August 3, 2022 (AN Photo)

“I remember our principal and other teachers used to share the story of Quaid e Azam’s visit and his speech to a local jirga in Mastung city during our regular classes in order to boost our morale and confidence,” Sabir told Arab News, saying Jinnah’s visit had for decades inspires people to travel from remote villages to study at the Government Pilot Secondary School. 




Hafiz Muhammad Munir (L), a teacher, poses with a student at the Government Pilot Secondary School Mastung, Pakistan, on August 03, 2022 (AN Photo)

Hafiz Munir Ahmed, 58, an English and General Science teacher at the school for the past 23 years, said students begin their day under the shade of the tree planted by Jinnah, reciting verses of the holy Qur’an. Senior students often visited the principal’s office to read Jinnah’s note, Munir said, and education department officials also frequently visited the school to review the note. 
But though Jinnah’s name is often whispered in the storied halls of the school, it has not been enough to get the school’s maintenance the attention it deserves. 
Today, the building is in bad shape. The doors paint a weary and battered look and the walls are covered in chalkings. 




Teachers pose with trophies at the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, on August 3, 2022 (AN Photo)

“The school is plagued by several issues, including the shortage of teachers and limited classrooms for students,” Rauf Baloch, the secretary of education in Balochistan, said. “I am aware of the issues pestering the school and staff and students. Their problems will be addressed on a priority.” 
The official added that it was a shame that a school that was a heritage site and which had played an important role in the country’s education for over a century now was in a dilapidated state.




Aftab Ahmed, a science teacher at the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, teaches students of class 9 on August 03, 2022 (AN Photo)

And yet, many students still wish to enroll at the school simply because of its connection to Jinnah.

One such student was Fazal ur Rehman, 19, who graduated from the school in 2018 and is now a student at Lasbela Agriculture University, the only boy in his family who completed his matriculation and intermediate qualifications and went on to attend university. 




Fazal ur Rehman (L), a graduate of the Government Pilot Secondary School in Mastung, Pakistan, poses with other students on August 03, 2022 (AN Photo)

“After passing grade eight, I enrolled myself in the Government Pilot Secondary School,” Rehman said, “because I came to know through friends that Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah once visited the school and praised its education system.”


Pakistani authorities deny detaining 800 Afghans, say only repatriating illegal immigrants

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Pakistani authorities deny detaining 800 Afghans, say only repatriating illegal immigrants

  • Afghan embassy recently said Islamabad administration was making arrests, targeting registered refugees
  • Pakistani authorities announced in November Afghan nationals would require NOCs to stay in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Tuesday rejected claims by Afghanistan’s diplomatic mission it had detained approximately 800 Afghan citizens, asserting it was only repatriating illegal foreign nationals in accordance with the law.

Pakistan, which hosted over four million Afghan refugees after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, registered these individuals with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). They were issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) to allow legal residence and access to services such as health care and banking.

Another wave of Afghan refugees arrived after the Taliban’s capture of Kabul in 2021 amid the withdrawal of US-led international forces. Confronted with economic challenges and a surge in militant violence perpetrated by groups reportedly operating from Afghan territory, Pakistan initiated a crackdown against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghans, citing security concerns.

Pakistani officials said in 2023 that some Afghan nationals had been involved in attacks, including suicide bombings, targeting civilians and security forces, a claimed denied by the administration in Kabul.

The Afghan embassy in Pakistan said on Monday authorities in Pakistan’s federal capital had detained about 800 Afghan nationals, including individuals registered with the UNHCR.

“It is clarified that only the illegal foreign nationals are being repatriated as per law of the land,” the ICT administration said in a statement.

“With regard to Afghan nationals, it is being clarified that those holding valid documentation— such as Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), visas, or those listed for third-country resettlement— are not being repatriated,” it added. “Islamabad Civil Administration remains committed to safeguarding the rights of all documented individuals.”

The statement further noted that search and combing operations were also conducted in compliance with the law, offering undocumented foreign nationals the chance to validate their status.

It also confirmed that in 2025, Islamabad authorities deported 183 illegal foreign nationals, while two were still in holding areas. Officials stressed that those deported lacked any legal documentation and reiterated that actions are taken strictly against undocumented individuals.

“The civil administration reaffirms its commitment to ensuring fair and humane treatment of all individuals while strictly adhering to legal requirements,” the ICT statement said, urging foreign nationals to carry valid documentation to avoid inconvenience.

Last year in November, Pakistani authorities announced that Afghan nationals would need no-objection certificates (NOCs) to stay in Islamabad. The decision followed the detention of several Afghan nationals who reportedly participated in a political rally by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which turned violent, resulting in casualties.

The Afghan embassy expressed concern over alleged “unwarranted arrests, home searches, and extortion targeting Afghan nationals,” highlighting the reported detentions, including 137 who, it said, were temporarily registered with the UNHCR and had applied for visa extensions.


Women, children among six killed in road crash in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Updated 08 January 2025
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Women, children among six killed in road crash in Pakistan’s Balochistan

  • The crash occurred in the mountainous Zhob district after speeding car lost control
  • Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan where traffic rules are rarely followed

QUETTA: At least six people, including women and children, were killed after a speeding car crashed into a trailer in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday night, officials said.
The vehicle was en route to the provincial capital of Quetta from the Zhob district, according to Zhob Assistant Commissioner Naveed Ahmed.
The speeding car lost control on a mountainous curve on N-50 Quetta-Islamabad Highway and crashed into the trailer coming from the opposite direction in Badinzai area, some 20 kilometers from Zhob city.
“Six people, including two women and two children, were killed in the fatal accident and seven others injured,” AC Naveed Ahmed told Arab News, adding speeding vehicles often results in accidents at dangerous curves along the Quetta-Zhob highway.
Muhammad Shahjahan, in-charge of the Zhob Trauma Center where the bodies and injured were taken, told Arab News that four critically wounded persons had been shifted to Quetta.
“The bodies have been identified and handed over to the heirs, while three other injured are out of danger now,” he added.
Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in rural and mountainous areas, are in poor condition. Such accidents are frequent in Balochistan where single-carriage roads connect various cities, and even some highways lack modern safety features.
On Dec. 30, at least 18 passengers were killed in two separate road accidents in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces, authorities said.
 


Three Pakistani soldiers, 19 militants killed in clashes in restive northwest

Updated 07 January 2025
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Three Pakistani soldiers, 19 militants killed in clashes in restive northwest

  • The clashes took places in Peshawar, Mohmad and Karak districts of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
  • Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militancy on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies allegation

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistani soldiers and 19 militants were killed in separate clashes in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.
Security forces killed eight militants in an intelligence-based operation in Matani area of KP’s Peshawar district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Another eight militants were killed in an operation in the Mohmand district. A third engagement resulted in the killing of three militants and three soldiers in KP’s Karak district.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic uptick in militant attacks in recent months, particularly in KP and the southwestern Balochistan province.
In 2024 alone, the military reported that 383 soldiers and 925 militants were killed in various clashes.
The Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are one of the most prominent militant groups that have regularly targeted security forces in KP along with separatist militants operating in the restive southwest.
Islamabad has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.


Ex-PM Khan’s party demands ‘unfettered’ access to him for talks with Pakistan government to succeed

Updated 07 January 2025
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Ex-PM Khan’s party demands ‘unfettered’ access to him for talks with Pakistan government to succeed

  • The government last week said it had facilitated meetings with Khan, but his party remained ‘indecisive’ about formalizing its demands
  • The two sides have held two rounds of negotiations since last month to end a political deadlock, but have failed to make a headway

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party on Tuesday demanded the government provide it “unfettered” access to the jailed ex-premier, saying it was the only way to demonstrate “seriousness” to end an ongoing political impasse in the country.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since he was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has regularly held protests to demand his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
The two sides kicked off negotiations last month and have held two rounds of talks to end the political deadlock, but have failed to make a headway. The PTI and the government’s last round of talks on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the ex-PM before submitting their demands in writing.
A government spokesperson last week said the government had facilitated Khan’s party by arranging its meetings with the ex-premier in jail, but the PTI remained “indecisive” about formalizing their demands despite written assurances made in joint declarations issued after talks between both sides.
“In the second and last session of our negotiations committee, we had clearly conveyed to the government that our unmonitored, unfettered meeting be arranged with [former] prime minister Imran Khan, in which there is no monitoring in that room,” PTI leader Omar Ayub said at a presser on Tuesday, adding their meetings with Khan were held in a small room, with cameras and other monitoring devices installed.
“In that environment, discussions can’t be held freely.”
Ayub said the government committee had promised to facilitate such a meeting, but they had been no development since.
“We have not received any information [about the meeting] so far from the government,” he said, adding the government’s arrangement of a meeting with Khan in an “unfettered environment, without restrictions,” would demonstrate its seriousness for talks.
Last week, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the government’s negotiation committee, said the talks could encounter “serious hurdles” due to the PTI’s failure to submit its demands in writing at the next meeting.
“If the PTI does not submit its demands in writing as promised, the negotiation process may face serious hurdles,” Siddiqui was quoted as saying by the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster.
“Even after 12 days, no significant progress has been made.”
The two sides held the first round of talks on Dec. 23. Khan’s party has previously stated two demands: the release of all political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved Khan supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
The talks between the two sides opened days after Khan threatened a civil disobedience movement, and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9, 2023 protests.


PM Sharif, Gen. Munir among several Pakistanis make it to list of 500 Most Influential Muslims for 2025

Updated 07 January 2025
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PM Sharif, Gen. Munir among several Pakistanis make it to list of 500 Most Influential Muslims for 2025

  • The list includes honorary mention of former PM Imran Khan as well as several Pakistani religious scholars
  • Malala Yousafzai, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Abida Parveen and Prof. Dr. Adibul Hasan Rizvi have also been named

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Asim Munir, former PM Imran Khan, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani and several other Pakistanis have been listed among 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2025.
‘The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims’ is an annual publication, first published in 2009, that ranks the most influential Muslims in the world. The publication is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Amman, Jordan.
It ascertains the influence some Muslim figures have on the Ummah culturally, ideologically, financially, politically or otherwise to make a change that will have a significant impact on Muslims around the world.
This year, the publication has named several Pakistanis, from civilian and military rulers to philanthropists and people known for their exceptional work in various disciplines of life.
“Shehbaz Sharif became the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan in March 2024, having served as the 23rd Prime Minister (2022-23) after a no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan,” the publication wrote about the Pakistan premier.
“Sharif is the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and has himself had a long political career, being the President of the Pakistan Muslim League and serving as the Chief Minister of Punjab three times (1997, 2007 and 2013).”
The list included the name of Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir.
“A descendant of a religious and scholarly family, Asim is also known as the first army chief in the history of Pakistan to be a Hafiz Qur’an (memorized the entire Qur’an),” the publication wrote.
“He served as chief of both premier military intelligence agencies of Pakistan.”
The Muslim 500 had an honorary mention of former PM Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges.
“Imran Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018 amid huge expectations that he could bring the country forward on issues of governance, accountability and reduction of corruption. He endured a tough time before being ousted in April 2022 through a no-confidence motion,” it said.
“Khan still maintains massive popular support in the country as well as with the large and powerful Pakistani diaspora.”
The publication included names of Pakistani religious figures Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Maulana Tariq Jameel, Maulana Nazur ur-Rahman and Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri among the most influential Muslims around the world.
Other Pakistanis mentioned on the list were Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an internationally acclaimed journalist, filmmaker and activist, ‘Queen of Sufi mystic singing’ Abida Parveen, Na’atkhuwan Owais Raza Qadri and humanitarian Professor Dr. Adibul Hasan Rizvi.
“Dr. Rizvi is one of Pakistan’s leading humanitarians, having established the largest free health organization in Pakistan. He works as a doctor and an administrator at SIUT (Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation) in Karachi, which was founded in 1971 as an eight-bed unit but is now the largest health organization in Pakistan,” the publication wrote.
“SIUT provides free and comprehensive services in urology, nephrology, transplantation, and liver-related diseases. He is the recipient of many awards for his life’s work.”