Remembering a Pioneer Teacher
I pay tribute to one the fore runners of female education in Chitral
who left this mortal world for good on 20th April 2012 with the
unostentatious baggage of her valuable services in the field of
female education in the district of Chitral . Late Amira Bibi
daughter of late Ataliq Jafar Ali Shah and wife of Israruddin
Advocate of Jughoor, recently passed away to her eternal
abode.
Late Amira Bibi and her few female class fellows were admitted in
the newly established male school of Chitral where they studied up
to primary classes and after passing class 5 the were appointed
teachers in 1961 in the first primary school of Chitral to teach the
female students of the area. It was a difficult time for the newly
appointed teachers as they had to face the criticism of
traditionalist mindset of Chitrali society. They rendered their
services with devotion upholding the religious and cultural values
of their society. Having scarce resources and in the face of all
odds, these great female teachers kept up kindling the torch of
female education and fulfilled their domestic responsibilities to
the contentment of their family members.
The students of these teachers bear testimony to the fact that the
were role models for their students. Its will be unfair to mention
the names of those hitherto unknown benefactors of Chitral who
started female education from scratch. The fellow torch bearers of
Late Amira Bibi are Miss Usmania D/O Mer Hisam uddin Goldor chitral,
Miss. Jamsheda Bibi D/O Main Noor Akbar Jangbazar Chitral, Asmat ul
Nisa D/O Hakim Jan Sheaqotek Chitral , Sharafat ul Nisa D/O Molve
Abd ullah Sheaqotek Chitral , Sardar Bibi D/O Muhammad Fazal
Moghlandeh Chitral and Sartaj Bibi D/O Sikatar Jaffar Ali Shah
Goldor Chitral.
Being the son of one these retired teachers, Miss Sardar Bibi, I was
deeply grieved to hear about the sad demise of Miss Amira Bibi who
was like a real sister to my mother and whose qualities of ideal
character are always in the lips of my mother. She is remembered to
be saintly, God fearing, Charitable, honest, sincere and amicable.
Even belonging to an aristocratic family she was always down to
earth, unostentatious and was always full of sympathy for the poor
and the needy. Though she has set off to the world of the immortals,
her good deeds will blossom forth till eternity because she was one
of the pioneers of female education in Chitral. May Allah rest her
soul in peace and grant fortitude to the bereaved family to bear
this great loss.-- Ameen.
-- Saeed Ul Abrar, Chitral 28 April 2012
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