The entire life cycle of any progressive nation is based on its past, dedicated to teachers who shape it, the present that both entrepreneurs and philanthropists together propel, and the future which the students in the society provide through the hope they promise of a better and prosperous tomorrow. This write-up that I pen down today at 10 AM on Friday, 14th December 2023, from within the premises of my beloved alma mater, Public School Sangota Swat (Presentation Convent Swat) covers the entire spectrum of the life cycle.
Two calls are difficult to resist: one when the motherland calls, and the second when the call is from one’s beloved alma mater. Credit is due to the Honourable Principal Sister Teresa, who was kind enough to reach out to me. Although there were two other important events the same day—one, a lecture by Honourable Dr. Sayed Amjad Hussain, exploring his past and mentors, especially teachers, with a venue at the Victoria Hall inside the Peshawar Museum, and the other, a dinner hosted in Islamabad by Honourable Dr. Asif Mehmood Jah, an internationally acclaimed philanthropist and the incumbent Federal Tax Ombudsman, at his residence. Both these events, though at two different venues in two different cities, relate to personalities who are notable sons of the soil; each one has tremendous contributions towards serving their motherland selflessly, and both are immensely respected for their strong attachment to their roots.
While being seated amongst the proud parents at Public School Sangota Swat, witnessing the tableaus by their children, recently admitted to nursery at the School, this reminded me of my carefree childhood and my friends who have come of age, lost in their own life challenges. The sound of the past, coming from the beat of the drum, still echoes in my ears when formation after formation of classes from Kindergarten to Matric would march in absolute coordination, making steps with each other, while the proud parents keenly watched to spot their own children amongst similarly uniformed school children.
My memory took me back to the wonderful teachers who shaped so many successful lives with their selfless services. It would be unfair to give them all a befitting tribute remarkably and particularly our beloved founding Principal late Sister Pius Madden, followed by Sr. Patricia Kelly, Sr. Vincent Pilkington, Sr. Cabirini Fortune, Sr. Eilish Heaney, Sr. Jacinta Lynch, Sr. Anne O’Mahony, Sr. Marie Ward, Sr. Riffat Saddiq, Sr. Margarte Cahill, Sr. Anne Lyons, Sr. Emer, Sr. Seema Mariam, Sr. Gretta Gill, Sr. Akhtar Bhutta, Sr. Teresa, Begum Naseem Ayub Aurangzeb, Begum Jamila Ayub Amir Zeb, Miss Hazel Pirdad, Miss Eshrat, Miss Khurshid, Sir Hussain Khan, Sir Pir Muhammad, Sir Hazrat Ahmed, Sir Manzarai, Sir Munawar Hussain Shah, and the so many others neither in my memory nor known to me personally, for which I profusely apologize for the omission.
As I smiled, lost in my childhood memories, the nightmare of gunfire shattered my dream, reminding me of a nasty incident in the recent past when these very little children and their dreams were shattered by a psychopathic police guard from Swat District Police, who is ever since detained but nothing known of the subsequent investigation and trial of the killer, who terrorized these little innocent children. I avail this opportunity to request an extremely fine and upright Regional Police Officer (RPO) Malakand Honourable Muhammad Ali Khan Gandapur, who is incidentally known to me, to take cognizance of this serious security lapse that brought international embarrassment to the country and tarnished the police image as a whole, considered as the civilian force responsible for the protection of the lives and property of the ordinary citizens. Stern departmental action will set a deterrent and promote discipline in the police force that remains the true essence of any law enforcement agency.
No words are enough to bestow rich tributes upon these courageous teachers of my alma mater who qualify for the highest civil award, who never gave in and ensured the school continued its academic journey with a smile, as if nothing happened, of which this incident is a testament to both the resilience displayed by the teachers and the parents, in the face of all odds, to ensure these little angels are enlightened with knowledge.
It is this resilience of my alma mater, my school fellows, and countrymen that makes my head rise with pride, claiming myself to be a proud Pakistani and Sangotian belonging to a proud institution and nation with a motto of “education for all.” Long Live Pakistan, my respectable teachers, and my resilient fellow Pakistanis especially people from my hometown of Swat, who vehemently denounced when their children were targeted especially the girls education especially Honourable Late Prince Adnan Aurangzeb, Prince Dr Mahmoud Aurangzeb as the Patron – in – Chief of the Alumni, Begum Zainab Adnan Aurangzeb, Honourable Abdul Jabbar Shah and Honourable Zahoor Iqbal Khan both my school fellows, Malak Fazal Qadir Khan of village Sangota and Ikhram Bacha from Banjot , who all stood steadfast in support of the school . Long Live Pakistan And The Few Selfless In The Society, Who Serve Her Interests.