Pakistani-Bengalis, despite being citizens, are still being barred from their basic right to an education.
Article 25-A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan mandates the state to provide free and compulsory quality education to children between the ages of 5 to 16 years. The government often fails to ensure this law is implemented. Many who can afford it, send their children to private schools. Those who can’t, hope the public schools will somehow suffice. However, Pakistani-Bengalis are deprived of even the public school option.
Very few Bengalis today in Pakistani have attended primary schools. Hardly any have received higher education. The problem lies in their origins. After 1971, when Bangladesh was created, a lot of Bengalis left Pakistan for the new country but came back again in the 1980s in search of better opportunities. Very few of these people managed to get Pakistani NICs upon their return.
A resident living in Korangi tells me that despite being a Pakistani, he is treated as a second-class citizen in the country. His life is affected due to improper documentation which has led him to struggle every day. The non-issuance of CNICs is the biggest problem the Pakistani-Bengali community currently faces.
“The authorities keep on telling us the same thing: you will be issued CNICs. But when? No one tells us that.”
CNIC is a Computerized National Identity Card. It is issued to every citizen of Pakistan as proof of identity. However, Bengalis, unfortunately, are not issued CNICs despite being citizens of the country for decades. This creates difficulties for Pakistani-Bengalis as with no CNIC they are turned away from public utility services like hospitals and schools. They can not buy any property or open bank accounts. Having no CNIC also leads to no education.
Bengalis are barred from basic education. They are born in Pakistan yet they struggle to prove their identity; they can’t fight for their learning right. Even if they study in schools, they are terminated from 9th grade due to their improper documentation.
“The biggest hurdle our community faces is that our children cannot study further. At the time of their matriculation examinations, they are ousted from the school as they don’t have the bay-forms. The reason for no certificates is that their parents did not have one either” says one parent.
Pakistani-Bengali children can’t even do short learning courses, as every institution asks for basic documentation that they don’t have. Due to a lack of education, they are forced to do lowkey jobs. Most Bengalis in Pakistan are fishermen. On average, their earning is limited to Rs.10,000 a month in the good fishing season. On the other hand, Bengalis who seek better opportunities are asked for bribes, which they can not afford either.
“We are left with no education and no job. The only other job opportunity is to be a clerk or sweeper. And even for this job, we must pay a bribe that costs about 2 to 4 lakhs. It is impossible for us to collect such large sums of money.”
Parents are constantly afraid that not being able to attend school may make their children vulnerable to other dangers such as drug addiction or involvement in crimes like kidnappings.
Almost 30 years have passed since partition but still, there has been no progress in addressing issues faced by Pakistan’s Bengalis. The community is living in a state of constant insecurity. Every new government arrives with new promises but these promises always remain broken dreams.
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