THIS is apropos of Cdr (Rtd) Khalid Durrani’s letter ‘Never-ending pleasure’ (Jan 19). I would like to say that the teaching profession is the most looked-down-upon in the armed forces.

I was a teacher in Cadet College, Petaro, in 1968 and joined the PAF in the education branch in search of honour and prestige. I spent 30 years in the PAF and always had a feeling that I was being discriminated against just because I was a teacher.

All education officers were considered children of a lesser god and were given derogatory names like a ‘schooli’ or a ‘master’. I heaved a sigh of relief when I retired from the PAF and joined a reputable institution as a teacher. I felt as if my lost honour and prestige had been restored and I was not being treated as an unequal among equals.

I urge the armed forces to inculcate love and respect for knowledge, books and teachers in their institutions. I assure them there is no dichotomy between soldiering and knowledge.

AIR CDRE (Rtd) KHAYYAM DURRANI    Karachi

Opinion

Editorial

ICJ rebuke
Updated 26 May, 2024

ICJ rebuke

The reason for Israel’s criminal behaviour is that it is protected by its powerful Western friends.
Hot spells
26 May, 2024

Hot spells

WITH Pakistan already dealing with a heatwave that has affected 26 districts since May 21, word from the climate...
Defiant stance
26 May, 2024

Defiant stance

AT a time when the country is in talks with the IMF for a medium-term loan crucial to bolstering the fragile ...
More pledges
Updated 25 May, 2024

More pledges

There needs to be continuity in economic policies, while development must be focused on bringing prosperity to the masses.
Pemra overreach
25 May, 2024

Pemra overreach

IT seems, at best, a misguided measure and, at worst, an attempt to abuse regulatory power to silence the media. A...
Enduring threat
25 May, 2024

Enduring threat

THE death this week of journalist Nasrullah Gadani, who succumbed to injuries after being attacked by gunmen, is yet...