Field trip: Students from Mohmand Agency take home rich cultural experience

Visit Bala Hissar Fort, Peshawar Museum with their teachers

GHALLANAI: At least 50 students from government schools in Mohmand Agency visited the historical Bala Hissar Fort and Peshawar Museum in the provincial capital along with their teachers on Saturday.

This is the first time the political administration of the agency has arranged a trip to Peshawar for students from the tribal belt.

During their visit, students were briefed by Frontier Corps (FC) officials at Bala Hissar Fort about the history of the fort. Moreover, students also visited the FC museum inside the fort, where they were informed about the sacrifices made by the FC to eliminate militancy in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Assistant Political Agent (APA) of lower Mohmand Agency, Sajid Nawaz Khan, who accompanied the students on the field trip, told The Express Tribune the visit was aimed at making students aware of their culture and history.

“In the past, students from Fata were kept away from such activities,” he said. “However, the government now wants to encourage such trips for students of the tribal areas.”

According to Khan, the trip allowed students to come out of their comfort zone and learn more about Pukhtun culture and the province.

“These students will take back fascinating insights,” the APA said. “This will trigger a positive change in Fata.”

A whole new world

Muhammad Zubair, a student of class nine at Government High School Ekka Ghund who went on the field trip, said he thoroughly enjoyed his first visit to the city.

“Before this trip, I knew very little about the rich culture of the province,” he said. “When we visited Peshawar Museum, I learnt new things about the Gandhara civilisation.”

Iqbal Hussain, head of one of the government schools, urged the political administration to organise more field trips for students from Fata.

“We only took those students who had performed well academically,” he said. “Four of my students were brought on this trip. I believe this will provide an incentive for students to do well in their studies.”

Hussain appreciated the arrangements made to facilitate students and teachers.

“We were treated like guests,” he said. “We were taken to a government rest house. This is a pleasing change as people in Fata feel they are not treated like equal citizens. Through this trip, many students have realised such discrimination does not exist.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2015.