People

The Inspiration

Eqbal Ahmad | Visit writings and lectures of Eqbal Ahmad
Eqbal Ahmad (1933/34 – May 11, 1999) was a Pakistani writer, journalist, and anti-war activist. He was strongly critical of the Middle East strategy of the United States as well as what he saw as the “twin curse” of nationalism and religious fanaticism in such countries as Pakistan.

The Founders

Hajra Ahmed
Hajra’s educational experience encompasses a unique blend of teaching and administration in various executive positions. She taught in secondary schools in the United States before joining a well-known private school chain in Pakistan. During the past twenty-two years, she has held the posts of senior teacher, academic coordinator and principal and was actively involved in administration, management and teacher training. She holds a B.A. from Harvard and an M.A from Northeastern University in the US.

Farukh Pracha
Educated both in Pakistan and abroad, with specializations in Islamic History and Education, Farukh has taught in renowned educational institutions in the United Kingdom, Africa and Pakistan. Her teaching experience encompasses a diverse range of subjects at all levels of schooling. In Pakistan, she headed both primary and secondary branches of a leading private school chain for a number of years. In addition to administrative management, she established a variety of teaching methodologies and teaching protocols in both establishments.

The Advisory Committee

Vaqar Zakaria, Chairman of the Board
Deeply interested in alternative forms of education, Mr. Zakaria has helped provide impetus to the Khaldunia School project and continues to be closely linked with its development.

M. A. K. Chaudhry
Mr. Chaudhry is a former Federal Secretary to the Government of Pakistan. He has played an active role in promoting education in the public sector, particularly furthering the cause of the education of child labourers and currently the education of the disabled. He is the Chairman of the National Economics Foundation which runs the Lahore School of Economics, a prestigious university chartered by the Govt of the Punjab. Sadly, Mr. Chaudhry passed away in May 2011. A memorial medal for Academic Excellence has been instituted in his name and was first awarded in November 2011 to Ammar Khan who obtained 10 A’s.

Pervez Hoodbhoy
Dr. Hoodbhoy is Professor of Physics at Quaid-e-Azam University. Recognised as a leading scientist who has worked for the popularization of science in Pakistan, he lectures and writes both within the country and overseas. Dr. Hoodbhoy is also known for his espousal of a variety of causes such as nuclear disarmament and the promotion of peace worldwide. He is a regular guest lecturer at Khaldunia High.

Mr. I A. Rahman
I. A. Rehman is Director (since 1990) of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the leading Pakistan NGO committed to the entire range of human rights. Before that he served (1989-90) as Editor-in-Chief of The Pakistan Times, Lahore-Islamabad where he had earlier on spent 24 years (1950-74) in various capacities – cinema-art critic, sub-editor, edit-page editor, and senior leader writer. During the East-Pakistan /Bangladesh crisis he worked as the managing editor of an Urdu daily, Azad, which opposed the war in Bengal. He spent the Zia period (1978-88) as the executive editor of weekly Viewpoint, the leading independent publication which suffered censorship longer than any other journal. He was dismissed from service for trade union activities and detained for his views and work for civil liberties. Besides hundreds of articles and papers contributed to national and foreign publications he has three books to his credit: Jinnah as a Parliamentarian (co-editor), 1977; Arts and Crafts of Pakistan (1983), and Pakistan under Siege, a collection of columns (1990). He has briefly served as a member of the National Commission on History and Culture and the National Advisory Council on Environment. At present he is one of the advisers to Forum-Asia (Bangkok), holds the chair of South Asia Forum for Human Rights (Kathmandu) headed the Pakistan chapter of Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy from 1995 to 2003, and is also a member of the Bureau of South Asians for Human Rights. Recently he won the Nuremberg City’s International Human Rights Award for 2003.