School girls to wear Ajrak as part of uniform in Sindh

The newly-elected Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government in Sindh has announced to make Ajrak as part of the uniform for girls in all secondary and higher secondary government schools.

According to a recently issued notification, the use of Ajrak will be made part of the school uniform for the girl students from class IX to XII.

To ensure the directives and implement the policy, the government has nominated Sadaf Akbar Memon as its focal person. She will be responsible to “visit schools under the administrative control of this directorate randomly.”

The focal person will be responsible to look after the progress of implementation of the uniform policy and submit report on monthly basis.

Ajrak is a unique form of blockprinted shawls and tiles found in Sindh, Pakistan. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing by stamps.

In 2012, it was reported that instead of the conventional dupattas or scarves, the girl students in the schools and colleges of the province may soon be wearing ajraks – a trademark of the Indus Valley Civilisation – as districts governments have decided to make the traditional chaddar a part of uniform.