In Karachi, a free school under a bridge for the megacity’s poorest kids

Short Url
Updated 06 May 2023
Follow

In Karachi, a free school under a bridge for the megacity’s poorest kids

  • The Clifton bridge school was founded by the wife of Pakistan’s first prime minister in 1948 to educate underprivileged children
  • Despite the lack of a proper building, teachers and students say they remain committed to the cause of quality education

KARACHI: Academic activities came to a temporary halt as a train loudly rumbled past a school built under a bridge in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi. After a few moments, when the noise dissipated, teachers resumed their lectures amid the sound of fast-moving traffic overhead.

Despite the unusual location of the school, its faculty members have remained committed to carrying forward the legacy of Begum Raana Liaqat Ali Khan, the wife of the country’s first prime minister, who established the facility for underprivileged children to provide them with quality education in 1948.

Back in the day, there were not many educational institutes in the newly created South Asian state that was dealing with the mass exodus of Muslim immigrants from neighboring India while struggling with a fragile economy.

The education facility under the Clifton bridge connecting downtown Karachi with upscale neighborhoods, such as the Defense Housing Authority, serves children in two shifts: The Girls’ Government Elementary School operates in the morning while the DMC Boys’ Government Primary School becomes functional in the evening.

Despite the lack of a proper building, teachers and students say they remain committed to the cause of education.

“Education is great here, regardless of whether the building is present or not,” Noor-e-Fatima, an eighth-grade student, told Arab News. “Education is more important than the building itself, so it doesn’t matter how the building looks.”




The photo taken on May 5, 2023, shows the Clifton bridge school's gate next to the bridge in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

Monica Gill, the principal supervising the evening shift for boys, said she had been teaching at the school since 1987, though she remained so focused on providing education that she rarely thought about the facility itself.

“Our only goal is to educate children... from poor settlements in the surrounding areas,” she said.

Gill said people sometimes asked her what type of school she was teaching in. Many of them even believed it was situated at a dangerous location.

“I reply that I am committed to serving the children of our nation... even if it means teaching them on the side of the road,” she continued.

“This school was founded by Mrs. Raana Liaqat Ali Khan in 1948... To this day, all the teachers [here] are women who are dedicated to continuing the process [of educating children].”

Razia Sultana, the principal during the morning shift, maintained that the school had undergone several improvements over a period of time, though a recent construction project had led to a decline in enrollment.

“The only problem that has emerged is the construction of a wall [along the railway track] which led to a significant decrease in the number of enrolled students,” she said.

Sultana said the number dropped from over 200 to about 150 among the girls since the railways authorities built the wall last year, which considerably reduced the space available to her students.

She said she had been teaching at the facility for the last 34 years, adding that both teachers and students had become accustomed to the noise.

“The children don’t seem to notice [it] anymore,” she continued. “When we first started teaching here, it took us a year or two to get used to the noise, but now children don’t complain about the noise, either. When a train passes by, there is enormous noise. But for how long? Only about a minute.”

While the students said they were more concerned about education than the building, they pointed out it was still the government’s responsibility to improve the facility.

“I definitely want the government to pay attention so [the school] looks good, and more people enroll their children here,” young Fatima told Arab News. “I want the government to take notice... because nobody knows this is also a school.”


Father among nine people arrested in Pakistan over suspected ‘honor killing’

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

Father among nine people arrested in Pakistan over suspected ‘honor killing’

  • Sidra Bibi, 18, was killed on the orders of a local council of elders in Rawalpindi after she married a man of her choice, police say
  • At least 405 women were killed in 2024 in such cases, compared with 226 in 2023, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

LAHORE: The father and the ex-husband of an alleged “honor killing” victim are among nine people arrested in eastern Pakistan in connection with the young woman’s death, police said.

Police said Sidra Bibi, 18, was killed on the orders of a local council of elders in the garrison city of Rawalpindi after she married a man of her choice.

Some of her relatives are alleged to have buried her body and flattened the land to erase evidence of a grave, police official Aftab Hussain said Monday. The victim was suffocated using a pillow placed over her face, he added.

The arrests came after authorities exhumed the body and carried out an autopsy, which confirmed she had been tortured before being killed.

The case has drawn widespread condemnation in a country where honor killings are still common.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 405 women were killed in 2024 in such cases, compared with 226 in 2023.

“The actual number is believed to be higher due to underreporting,” said Sadia Bukhari, a member of the commission’s council.

Honor killings, in which family members kill women for actions perceived as bringing shame to the family such as choosing their spouse, have increased in recent years.

Earlier this month, police in southwestern Balochistan province arrested 11 suspects after a video shared online appeared to show a young couple being fatally shot for marrying without their families’ approval.

Police confirmed the authenticity of the footage, saying the killings happened in the Deghari district in the province of Balochistan.

In January, police arrested a Pakistani man suspected of killing his US-born 15-year-old daughter for refusing to stop posting videos on TikTok, a platform with more than 54 million users in the country.

“These so-called honor killings reveal a deep-rooted mindset that views women as the property of men,” Bukhari said. “Most women in Pakistan face discrimination from childhood through adulthood.”


Punjab flood alert issued as monsoon toll in Pakistan climbs to 288

Updated 35 min 40 sec ago
Follow

Punjab flood alert issued as monsoon toll in Pakistan climbs to 288

  • Rising water levels expected in Chenab, Jhelum and Sutlej rivers, with risk of urban flooding in Lahore and Rawalpindi
  • Seven killed in the past 24 hours, including six in Punjab due to house collapses, landslides, and one in Sindh by drowning

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province issued a flood alert on Tuesday, warning of rising water levels in the Chenab, Jhelum and Sutlej rivers, as well as potential urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore over the next 48 hours.

The alert follows weeks of heavy monsoon rains that have killed 288 people, including 136 children, and injured 690 since June 26, according to the latest data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

In the last 24 hours alone, seven deaths have been reported, six in Punjab due to separate house collapses and landslides, and one in Sindh, where a person drowned.

Provincial officials said low to moderate flooding is expected in the Chenab and Jhelum rivers between July 30 and 31, with a likely increase in water flow in the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh within the next 24 hours. Tributaries of the Ravi River may also experience flash floods, amid continued rainfall and upstream inflows.

“District commissioners have been directed to stay on high alert and ensure emergency staff, food and medical supplies are in place ahead of any evacuations,” said Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

“Rescue 1122 response teams must remain fully mobilized,” he added.

Kathia said emergency control rooms had been activated across the province, and that commissioners, deputy commissioners, WASA officials and line departments, including health, irrigation, agriculture, livestock and transport, had been instructed to finalize preparations under the provincial administration’s directives.

Alerts have been issued for multiple divisions including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Sahiwal.

District administrations in cities such as Lahore, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Muzaffargarh, Kasur and Rajanpur have also been asked to remain vigilant.

Authorities have urged residents in low-lying or riverbank settlements to follow precautionary guidelines and cooperate with local officials during any evacuation.

The PDMA has also stressed the importance of moving livestock to safer ground and ensuring food and clean water availability at flood relief camps.
 


Deputy PM Dar reaffirms Pakistan’s push for ‘composite dialogue’ with India as ceasefire holds

Updated 29 July 2025
Follow

Deputy PM Dar reaffirms Pakistan’s push for ‘composite dialogue’ with India as ceasefire holds

  • Military-to-military communication continues, but there is no contact at the political level, Dar tells reporters
  • He says meeting with US Secretary Rubio was cordial and he invited him to visit Pakistan for further dialogue

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is open to a composite dialogue with India to address all outstanding disputes, including Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, according to state media on Tuesday, as a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbors continues to hold.

Dar’s comments came after an intense four-day military standoff between the two countries, triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists in April. India blamed Pakistan for the assault, a charge Islamabad denied while calling for an impartial international probe.

The escalation ended on May 10 with a ceasefire brokered by the United States, which said at the time that both countries had agreed to engage at a neutral venue to resolve their differences.

While Pakistan welcomed the prospect of such talks, offering to enter wide-ranging negotiations to defuse tensions and normalize ties, India publicly declined any political engagement. Dar was asked during a news conference in New York whether there had been any follow-up on that offer during his recent meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, which he said had taken place in a cordial environment.

“Military-to-military communications are taking place [between Pakistan and India],” he told the media, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan, “but there is no contact on the political side.”

“Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India,” he continued. “We seek a composite dialogue that includes Kashmir as well as other issues, including the Indus Waters Treaty.”

Dar reiterated Pakistan’s concerns over India’s unilateral suspension of the IWT, which governs water sharing between the two countries and has been considered a vital pillar of regional stability since its signing in 1960.

India suspended the treaty on April 23, one day after the militant attack in Kashmir. Pakistan warned that disrupting access to rivers would be viewed as “an act of war.”

Dar told the media his country’s defense preparedness was “strong and vigilant.”

He also spoke about Pakistan’s bilateral ties with the US, saying he had invited Secretary Rubio to visit Islamabad.

The deputy PM noted that his country’s diplomatic efforts also extended to neighboring Afghanistan and Iran, with a focus on enhancing regional connectivity through trade and transport corridors.


Pakistan PM grants Rs5 million cheque for MMA fighter Shahzaib Rind after payment controversy

Updated 29 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan PM grants Rs5 million cheque for MMA fighter Shahzaib Rind after payment controversy

  • Rind had criticized government for not living up to its promise of providing him $17,655 monetary reward
  • Shehbaz Sharif meets Rind’s father at PM House, expresses best wishes for fighter in upcoming competitions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted a cheque for Rs5 million [$17,655] for Pakistani mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Shahzaib Rind on Tuesday, the premier’s office said days after the athlete criticized the government for not fulfilling its commitment of providing him monetary reward and support. 

Rind took to social media platform X on July 23 to say that Sharif had promised him a sum of Rs5 million [$17,630] and Rs80 million [$282,080] to support the athlete’s training camp and upcoming fights last year. In a video message, the MMA fighter had said Sharif promised him the rewards after he beat Indian fighter Rana Singh at the Karate Combat 45 competition in Dubai last year. 

However, the Pakistani fighter said the government did not fulfill its promise to him. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar apologized to Rind on Twitter last week, promising him that the prime minister would resolve the issue soon. 

Sharif met Rind’s father Khair Muhammad at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday during which he presented the cheque to him, Sharif’s office said. 

“During the meeting, the prime minister expressed his best wishes for Shahzaib Rind in his upcoming competitions,” the statement said. 

Rind, who hails from the impoverished southwestern Balochistan province, won his first martial arts title in 2011 after claiming victory in a provincial-level competition. His first national title came in 2019 when he triumphed at the National Games in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

During the two-and-a-half years of an undefeated Karate Combat career, Rind has fought fighters from North America, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, France and India.


Government says Pakistan to expand shipping capacity by 600% under maritime overhaul

Updated 29 July 2025
Follow

Government says Pakistan to expand shipping capacity by 600% under maritime overhaul

  • Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim Authority sign funding deals to modernize national fleet with energy-efficient vessels
  • New initiative aims to cut freight costs, conserve foreign exchange and promote clean, climate-friendly maritime practices

KARACHI: Pakistan plans to expand its national shipping fleet by 600% over the next three years under a sweeping new initiative to modernize its maritime sector, cut sea freight costs, and reduce dependence on foreign vessels, the country’s maritime minister said on Tuesday.

The announcement came after a signing ceremony where officials from the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Port Qasim Authority (PQA) inked separate agreements with the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) to finance the fleet expansion and upgrade program.

“This initiative reflects our broader vision to modernize the maritime sector, boost operational efficiency and introduce advanced technologies across all institutions,” Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said according to an official statement.

Chaudhry said the expansion would focus on integrating energy-efficient and climate-smart vessels into the state-run fleet to align with Pakistan’s national climate goals.

He said the plan is aimed at conserving foreign exchange and enabling compliance with global environmental standards.

Officials from KPT and PQA said the upgraded fleet would enhance Pakistan’s trade connectivity and reduce the environmental impact of sea transport by lowering fuel consumption and emissions.

Pakistan is stepping up efforts to strengthen port infrastructure to support international trade. The Maritime Affairs Ministry recently announced plans to expand Gwadar Port’s capacity, including the introduction of new shipping lines and a direct ferry service between Gwadar and the Gulf countries, set to improve freight and passenger connectivity with the Gulf region.

Pakistan has also offered access to its southern ports to Central Asian countries, positioning itself as a gateway for regional transit commerce under broader corridor agreements and transit trade frameworks.