Family First

Can you beat this? Or more specifically, can we beat him? Like, physically?

According to an exclusive story today by The News' Usman Manzoor, Pakistan's ambassador to Syria has replaced the entire staff and faculty of the Pakistan International School in Damascus - apparently a prestigious and respected school - with his immediate family members. Collectively, they now earn a monthly salary of US$38,000.

"The Pakistan International School in Damascus is run by the embassy of Pakistan but within five months after the arrival of new ambassador, Aminullah Raisani, in September 2009, the management and faculty of the school was changed altogether without giving any reason and the school was stuffed with the relatives of the ambassador.

 

According to the list of newly inducted teachers Saeeda Yasmeen Raeesani has been appointed as Principal. She is sister of the ambassador and is drawing $6,500 per month as salary while the previous principal Syed Tauseef Bokhari was getting $2,500. Another sister, Ms Abbas, has been appointed as Urdu teacher for $3,500 per month.

 

Two daughters, Amna Aminullah Raeesani and Quratulein Aminullah Raeesani, have been appointed as teachers. These two are getting $3,000 per month as salary while the school was paying only $1,700 for the same job to previous teachers.

 

Mohammad Ishaque, brother-in-law of the ambassador, has been appointed as accountant for $3,500 per month while the same job was previously with one Imran for just $900 a month.

 

Attique-ur-Rehman and Syed Muhammad Ali, ambassador’s nephews, have been appointed as business teachers for $3,000 a month while the same job was done for $1,500 only before September 2009.

 

Nayla Atiq, granddaughter of ambassador’s sister, is working as Maths teacher for $3,000 a month while her predecessor was drawing $1,700 a month as salary. Ali Abdullah, the son-in-law of ambassador’s sister, and Muhammad Ahsan Shafique, ambassador’s cousin, have been appointed as teachers for $3,000 a month while their predecessors were drawing $1,500 a month.Another cousin of the ambassador, Rasheed Chattha, has been appointed as biology teacher for $3,500 a month while previously Ms Manal Sileman was doing the same job for $1,500 a month."

Sisters, brothers-in-law, daughters, cousins, nephews, grand-nieces, even sisters' son-in-laws. I mean, I've heard of being supportive of family, but this is ridiculous! But these specific allegations against him are not all:

"Ms Manal Sileman, one of the Syrian teachers of the Pakistani school who has been sent home without giving any notice and without any reason, while talking to The News from Damascus on phone said that it was strange that an ambassador instead of running the affairs of the embassy was keen in the business of the school. She lamented that the ambassador has imported Chinese shoes and made it mandatory for every student to purchase those shoes at much higher rates."

Truly, they are right when they say, Pakistanis take a bit of Pakistan with them wherever they go. I would like to take some of those Chinese shoes to Mr Raisani's backside. And hang some around his neck too.