Major Langlands Major Geoffrey Langlands retires as head of Langlands School and College, Chitral, Pakistan. Paul Grover/REX/ Shutterstock
Major Langlands Major Geoffrey Langlands retires as head of Langlands School and College, Chitral, Pakistan. Paul Grover/REX/ Shutterstock

Pakistan says goodbye to Major Geoffrey Langlands, commando, headmaster and national treasure



Major Geoffrey Langlands arrived in India as part of the British effort to ensure its orderly partition in 1947. He never left.

His subsequent career as teacher followed the twists and turns of the new country of Pakistan where he was once kidnapped by militiamen and where he educated generations of political leaders, as well as taking tea with the country’s various military dictators.

When his death was announced on Wednesday at the age of 101, politicians, diplomats and business giants were among those who paid tribute.

“Born on October 21, 1917 and affectionately known to all as ‘The Major’, we acknowledge the life of a soldier, teacher, gentleman, story-teller, mountaineer and humanitarian whose life was devoted in service to others and especially his adopted country Pakistan,” said a statement released by Lahore’s Aitchison College, where Langlands once worked and later lived out his belated retirement.

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister, is among Langlands’ former pupils. And the teacher was on speaking terms with all the country’s recent leaders, including Pervez Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif - each tapped for donations to the schools he ran.

Haroun Rashid, a retired businessman who was a pupil at Aitchison from 1958 to 1969, remembered being taken on a 250-mile trek at the age of 13 that included crossing a mountain pass at an altitude of 16,500-ft.

“Those experiences live with you for ever,” he said. “His entire life was dedicated to educating children in the widest possible sense, not just in the classroom.”

He is leading calls for a state funeral to honour a beloved figure who became something of a national treasure.

Langlands arrived after serving with 4 Commando during the Second World War. He volunteered to join the British Indian army and stayed on after the upheaval of partition to act as an adviser to the new Pakistani Army.

General Ayub Khan, the then military chief (and later the country’s first military dictator), helped win him a job teaching mathematics at the prestigious Aitchison College, where the British had taught the sons of Indian royalty.

He won many admirers for his Mr Chips-style approach to instilling what Pakistanis believed to be British values of duty and punctuality in his young charges. He became known as much for always-shined shoes and pressed blazer as his personal motto of “do good and be good”.

So in the late 1970s when the education authorities needed someone to take over a new school in North Waziristan, deep in the restive tribal belt, they turned to Langlands.

“There were not any Pakistani teachers of note willing to take on that job,” said Mr Rashid.

The job came with unique challenges. On one occasion he was kidnapped by militiamen who wanted to overturn a disputed election result. They believed that General Zia ul-Haq, the president, would intervene if he knew the famous “Britisher” had been taken.

In the end he was released after six days and the result stood, an experience Langlands later shrugged off as informative rather than traumatic.

“It was all part of the experience,” he once said.

In 1988 he moved to Chitral, in the mountainous, northern areas of Pakistan, taking over what eventually became known as Langlands School and College.

He stayed for more than 20 years, taking the modest salary of £40 a week, and rising before dawn each day to breakfast on a bowl of Quaker Oats porridge followed by poached eggs – the secret to his long and active life, he said.

He was 94 when he finally stepped down, a process that was delayed by the stop-start search for a successor. Friends said Langlands could not bear to give up his life at a school that had become renowned for impressive grades, but he insisted prospective principals were worried about insecurity in an area hemmed in by Afghanistan on one side and by the Swat Valley, which was overrun by the Taliban in 2009, on the other.

“One of them actually wrote in his final letter that he thought Pakistan was supposed to be getting better and better but found out it was getting worse and worse,” he said in a 2012 interview.

“But that is what has kept me here, the idea of getting my little bit better and better.”

That loyalty to Pakistan made him a popular figure in a country that has struggled with terrorism, international sanctions and the rise of its regional rival India.

Langlands death was met by an outpouring of affection on social media.

“Major Langlands left us today after completion of his mission to enlighten Chitral with the light of knowledge,” wrote Ajmal Chitrali on Twitter. “His life gives us the lessons of patience, sacrifice and dedication.”

Thomas Drew, the British high commissioner to Islamabad, said: “Pakistan has lost a great friend and teacher of generations of its students.”

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Bio

Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind. 
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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LA LIGA FIXTURES

Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)

Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

War

Director: Siddharth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor

Rating: Two out of five stars 

Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 2

Rashford 28', Martial 72'

Watford 1

Doucoure 90'

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')

Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')

Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 720hp

Torque: 770Nm

Price: Dh1,100,000

On sale: now

MATCH INFO

Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)

Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm

Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh317,671

On sale: now

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE

2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.

2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus

2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.

2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.

2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final

Esperance de Tunis 0
Al Ain 3
(Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

Duminy's Test career in numbers

Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

Fatherland

Kele Okereke

(BMG)

Sri Lanka Test squad:

Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.

LAST 16 DRAW

Borussia Dortmund v PSG

Real Madrid v Manchester City

Atalanta v Valencia

Atletico Madrid v Liverpool

Chelsea v Bayern Munich

Lyon v Juventus

Tottenham v Leipzig

Napoli v Barcelona

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5