Afghan children toil in Pakistan

[Bost Bastan News]

ISLAMABAD: For more than three decades, Pakistan has been the home to one of the world's largest refugee communities: hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have fled the repeated wars, fighting in their country

Since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, some 3.8 million have returned home, according to the United Nations' refugee agency.

But nearly 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan, with roughly another million living here illegally.

Whole generations of Afghan children have been born and raised in Pakistan, often living in poverty and uncertainty.

Awal Gul, 12, lives in a slum on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad.

He's never gone to school and instead works as a day laborer at a nearby vegetable market.

He dreams of becoming a famous cricket player and representing his homeland.

"My land is in Afghanistan, and we have nothing in Pakistan," he said.

The Afghan population in Pakistan is the legacy of Afghanistan's repeated conflicts.

Millions streamed across the border after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the start of a decade-long war against the occupation.

After the Soviets pulled out, the country was torn apart by fighting between warlords, and more Afghans fled. When the Taliban rose to power in 1996, their strict form of Sunni Islam further terrorised the population.

Most of the refugees can't fathom returning to Afghanistan.

They may feel like outsiders in Pakistan, but they say their homeland is still too violent and desperately poor.

But many Pakistanis are growing frustrated with the toll they say the refugee population is taking on their country, and pressure is mounting on the government to send them back.

The Afghans are perceived as bringing crime and terrorism to Pakistan and have a hard time finding jobs or sending their children to school.

Please read the responses

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

The situation is indeed very sad,

Most of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan are poor and can't afford education because of many reason even when the primary education in govt school's is free with books provided free.

I have seen children as young as 7 working as labour.Girls as young as 7 working in People home for cleansing and related works.sometime even younger than this.

But again poverty is the reason for all the problems.

But there are many who recieves education even though like the other they are poor.

[Pakwatan]

The situation is indeed very sad,

Most of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan are poor and can't afford education because of many reason even when the primary education in govt school's is free with books provided free.

I have seen children as young as 7 working as labour.Girls as young as 7 working in People home for cleansing and related works.sometime even younger than this.

But again poverty is the reason for all the problems.

But there are many who recieves education even though like the other they are poor.

We should try to help these kids wror. They are masoom and they have faced many difficulties. Next time I go to Pakistan, I will make sure to save money and give enough to help at least one family in a Afghan refugee camp.

I hope you try to do the same.

We have big hearts, so let's try to have big pockets too.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

We should try to help these kids wror. They are masoom and they have faced many difficulties. Next time I go to Pakistan, I will make sure to save money and give enough to help at least one family in a Afghan refugee camp.

I hope you try to do the same.

We have big hearts, so let's try to have big pockets too.

Problem is not the education.They are provided free education anywhere they want to.

But the biggest problem for education be it the Afghan refugees or the Pakistani poor is their parents.they want them to start earning ever since 7-8years of age.

The parents need to be forced to allow the childrens for education.especially the afghan refugees.

I see alot of change in the pakistani poors,even the poorest wants its childrens to be educated and this is the reason the youth literacy by 2018 will be more than 80%.But there are also some afghan refugees despite being very poor.they send their childrens for education.

[Bost Bastan News]

Despite the suffering of Afghan kids in Pakistan I would advise the Pakistani country to take attention first on their own kids since it´s their country. At the same time Afghan kids can join them. But it´s important the Pak gov give free and good education for its own citizen.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Despite the suffering of Afghan kids in Pakistan I would advise the Pakistani country to take attention first on their own kids since it´s their country. At the same time Afghan kids can join them. But it´s important the Pak gov give free and good education for its own citizen.

Things are changing quite fast

The youth literacy rate is more than 70% with boys at 80% and female at 72%.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/601956/literacy-day-70-of-youth-is-literate-says-unesco/

But the youth literacy rate should be no less than 95% for us to achieve the target of 85% literacy rate by 2020.

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_pakistan_statistics.html

Everyone in Pakistan is provided with free education upto matric with books.Intermediate education is also free but the books are not free.

onwards this year in KPK everything will be in english including in govt schools except urdu subject in urdu

But still becasue of poverty many ends up in child labour than attending schools.Similar is the case with the afghan refugees.because of poverty they end up in child labour than getting into school.

Ofcourse the standard of govt institution is not better than private.But something is better than nothing.

[Bost Bastan News]

Things are changing quite fast

The youth literacy rate is more than 70% with boys at 80% and female at 72%.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/601956/l...e-says-unesco/

But the youth literacy rate should be no less than 95% for us to achieve the target of 85% literacy rate by 2020.

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/...tatistics.html

Everyone in Pakistan is provided with free education upto matric with books.Intermediate education is also free but the books are not free.

onwards this year in KPK everything will be in english including in govt schools except urdu subject in urdu

But still becasue of poverty many ends up in child labour than attending schools.Similar is the case with the afghan refugees.because of poverty they end up in child labour than getting into school.

Ofcourse the standard of govt institution is not better than private.But something is better than nothing.

Why not in the native tongue? Should those youth forget their own language?

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Why not in the native tongue? Should those youth forget their own language?

Many reason and i also support english over any other language because

*It was a incredibly difficult task for students to directly go for all english books after reading everything in urdu upto matric(Science subjects)

*English is the standard.And take my example.None of my medical books are available in Urdu or pashto but only english.There are no urdu/pashto versions of anatomy,physiology,pathology,pharmacology but only in english

*Everything in English since Nursery will help them develop better grip on English.

*We cannot deny the fact that English is the most important language not only in foriegn countries but even within the countries we are currently living in.

*Better grip on english since earlier age also mean better understanding of the language which in turn mean better understanding of their respective subjects.

*When you have Social study,Islamiat and every single subject in english.YOu will also be able to have a better gri on spoken english


I can mention many more reasons.

[DSM0305]

Many reason and i also support english over any other language because

*It was a incredibly difficult task for students to directly go for all english books after reading everything in urdu upto matric(Science subjects)

*English is the standard.And take my example.None of my medical books are available in Urdu or pashto but only english.There are no urdu/pashto versions of anatomy,physiology,pathology,pharmacology but only in english

*Everything in English since Nursery will help them develop better grip on English.

*We cannot deny the fact that English is the most important language not only in foriegn countries but even within the countries we are currently living in.

*Better grip on english since earlier age also mean better understanding of the language which in turn mean better understanding of their respective subjects.

*When you have Social study,Islamiat and every single subject in english.YOu will also be able to have a better gri on spoken english


I can mention many more reasons.

You guys need to understand something regarding language. A language is as good as you make it.

In Europe beside Britain everyone else have their own language. German, Swedish, Danish etc. And each and every country in Europe, people have their own language as first priority. English is spoken but only as second language. For the most part English sole purpose is to communicate with other nations, not for more nor less.

Novels, science books, literature in general is translated to their own language. People gets clever and more inventive and resourceful, because what they learn is through their mother language. Not only does it benefit themselves, but their mother language gets more sophisticated and widespread.

The problem with third world countries is that they see things through short terms and not long terms. You're so taken by the short term benefit of English, but disregard long term benefits of improving your own language.

What you gonna do in 50 years when Chinese dominate science and literature? Are you going to learn Chinese language? The whole point of improving your own language is that you wont be dependent on others.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

You guys need to understand something regarding language. A language is as good as you make it.

In Europe beside Britain everyone else have their own language. German, Swedish, Danish etc. And each and every country in Europe, people have their own language as first priority. English is spoken but only as second language. For the most part English sole purpose is to communicate with other nations, not for more nor less.

Novels, science books, literature in general is translated to their own language. People gets clever and more inventive and resourceful, because what they learn is through their mother language. Not only does it benefit themselves, but their mother language gets more sophisticated and widespread.

The problem with third world countries is that they see things through short terms and not long terms. You're so taken by the short term benefit of English, but disregard long term benefits of improving your own language.

What you gonna do in 50 years when Chinese dominate science and literature? Are you going to learn Chinese language? The whole point of improving your own language is that you wont be dependent on others.

Even though i agree with you But neither urdu nor Pashto has books related to engineering or Medical.you would need english for this purpose

Be it urdu/dari or Pashto should only be limited to their respective language subjects.

I support English only for science subjects since Ist grade...

[Bost Bastan News]

Imposing English over Pashtu will erase Pashtu language and Pashtu identity. Do you actually realize this? I accept your point that there aren´t many books in Pashtu written about physicum but why are you focusing only medicine? There are more subjects. Even if Pashtu lacks to create equivalent materials it doesn´t mean we should allow anyone and anything to oust us from our own houses (schools). If there is no books about medicine in Pashtu why you don´t start to translate them into Pashtu? It doesn´t even matter if you use alot of English words as long we can strenghten Pashtu language. I am sure this policy is directed by Panjabi elements in the Pak government. If everything turns to English in schools and high schools or universities Pashtuns will loser their identity. This will be the huge consequence of it and don´t think that if Pashtuns once started to learn English and become doctors they will be able to turn their country into paradies. A state also needs workmen, architectures, officials, bus drivers, taxi drivers, cookers, bakers and so on. And do you think in a country like Pakistan where Pashtuns make at most 17% of the whole population will be without compotiters? Do you know why in Afghanistan non-Pashtuns and specially Tajiks dominate physicum, aviation, economy science and even those smaller shops? Because they have tought all these in their own language. Iran is even providing our universities in Nangarhar with Iranian materials written either in Dari or Persian. In the past there were some ambitions to teach such subjects in German, English and French as well but it failed because those people wanted to learn all these in their own language. For a Pashtun it would have been easier to learn phyisicum in English than in Dari but we failed to serve our own interest as well. Today, all those privat hospitals in Kabul are owned by Hazaras and Tajiks having their their admission from Iran or other elsewhere, learned in their own languages. For Kabul´s national hospital it can be said the same. My question to you as a Pakistani Pashtun... why are you guys sometimes so ignorant and lazy believing and accepting everything coming from Islamabad without question it??????????????????????????????????? At least noone force us in Afghanistan to learn physicum in other languages if we don´t want and we won´t lose our language. We will inshallah push ourself on the top of our country.

[vinyard80]

Even though i agree with you But neither urdu nor Pashto has books related to engineering or Medical.you would need english for this purpose

Be it urdu/dari or Pashto should only be limited to their respective language subjects.

I support English only for science subjects since Ist grade...

Obvious. Pakistan is a brit-made state so you love the language of your daddy, the great UK!

[Pakwatan]

Obvious. Pakistan is a brit-made state so you love the language of your daddy, the great UK!

This is funny. We are brit made state, while you Tajiks are what?

You Tajiks are not accepted by your daddy state Tajikistan, nor are you tolerated by Pashtuns of Afghanistan. Identity crisis, much?

We Pakistanis are 100 times stronger in terms of statehood than you gypsies.


Take care.

[Loy Afghanistan]

This is funny. We are brit made state, while you Tajiks are what?

You Tajiks are not accepted by your daddy state Tajikistan, nor are you tolerated by Pashtuns of Afghanistan. Identity crisis, much?

We Pakistanis are 100 times stronger in terms of statehood than you gypsies.


Take care.

Gypsies origin calls other gypsies, funny world.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Imposing English over Pashtu will erase Pashtu language and Pashtu identity. Do you actually realize this? I accept your point that there aren´t many books in Pashtu written about physicum but why are you focusing only medicine? There are more subjects. Even if Pashtu lacks to create equivalent materials it doesn´t mean we should allow anyone and anything to oust us from our own houses (schools). If there is no books about medicine in Pashtu why you don´t start to translate them into Pashtu? It doesn´t even matter if you use alot of English words as long we can strenghten Pashtu language. I am sure this policy is directed by Panjabi elements in the Pak government. If everything turns to English in schools and high schools or universities Pashtuns will loser their identity. This will be the huge consequence of it and don´t think that if Pashtuns once started to learn English and become doctors they will be able to turn their country into paradies. A state also needs workmen, architectures, officials, bus drivers, taxi drivers, cookers, bakers and so on. And do you think in a country like Pakistan where Pashtuns make at most 17% of the whole population will be without compotiters? Do you know why in Afghanistan non-Pashtuns and specially Tajiks dominate physicum, aviation, economy science and even those smaller shops? Because they have tought all these in their own language. Iran is even providing our universities in Nangarhar with Iranian materials written either in Dari or Persian. In the past there were some ambitions to teach such subjects in German, English and French as well but it failed because those people wanted to learn all these in their own language. For a Pashtun it would have been easier to learn phyisicum in English than in Dari but we failed to serve our own interest as well. Today, all those privat hospitals in Kabul are owned by Hazaras and Tajiks having their their admission from Iran or other elsewhere, learned in their own languages. For Kabul´s national hospital it can be said the same. My question to you as a Pakistani Pashtun... why are you guys sometimes so ignorant and lazy believing and accepting everything coming from Islamabad without question it??????????????????????????????????? At least noone force us in Afghanistan to learn physicum in other languages if we don´t want and we won´t lose our language. We will inshallah push ourself on the top of our country.

You indeed are right.

Studying science subject in English doesnt mean we will forget Pashto.

Pashto should be a language subject.

take my case.
None of the subjects i study are available in Pashto or urdu or any other regional language except English.

About Pashto language.I am not sure whether you have been to Pakistan ever or not.But here in Pakistan No matter a pashtun living in lahore,Karachi or pashtun dominated region.They always speak Pashto at home.Urdu is spoken just by 8% of pakistanis.and many of them are in either ISlamabad or karachi.Most of them infact.

Urdu is not a language of Punjabis,Sindhi,Baloch or pashtun but a Language created by the muslims of Hindustan under Mughal empires.

Hence a pashtun speaking Urdu doesnt mean he's speaking a Punjabi language.
Beside this Here in UAE Whether you believe it or not.But Urdu is even spoken by arabs.