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Fate of PakTurk schools across country uncertain
[DAWN] The future of private schools set up by the PakTurk International Schools and Colleges network plunged into uncertainty a day after ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... ’s ambassador called on the Pakistain government to close down all the institutions backed by the Fethullah Gulen-inspired Hizmet movement. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... ’s closeness with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistain’s brotherly relations with Turkey put pressure on the federal government to make a decision that does not upset its strong ally. The Foreign Office is taking the ambassador’s request very seriously, and the foreign secretary has chaired a meeting to explore ideas on how to proceed. The network of 28 schools and colleges in Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , Hyderabad, Khairpur and Jamshoro has a staff strength of 1,500 who teach around 10,000 students from pre-school to A level. "Since 1995, our schools have been giving quality education to Pak students with no political motivation or illegal activity," says Ali Yilmaz, the Sindh education director for the association, adding that Turkish staff works in Pakistain legally through an NGO visa. Although the PakTurk network officially denies being linked to "any political or religious movement", it is widely believed by the Turkish government that the schools are being run by the supporters of Gulen in several countries, including Pakistain, for decades. Posted by: Fred 2016-07-25 |
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