Anum Aftab

From Cradle to Grave

Pakistan emerged on the world map on 14th August, 1947. Since then she has faced a number of troubles on her way to progress. These key issues are major are roughly affecting our society. Perhaps the greatest loss comes in the area of education.

The key to success for any nation lies in their concern and development of education sector. As the education is promoted in the nation this reduces the illiteracy rate which ultimately reduces the unemployment which is one the biggest curse on any nation. The education sector in Pakistan is over looked by the government ministry of education and the provincial government whereas, the development of curriculum and financing is done with the aid of the federal government. In the past little decade Pakistan education is continuously developing which is ultimately helping the expansion of the entire nation.

One of the downside which Pakistan education is facing is low investment of the public in this sector, which is only 2 to 2.2 % of the total GDP. Although the provincial government has stated to increase this to almost 7 % which would be a live wonder if achieved. The education system in Pakistan is comprised of 5 levels which include; Primary, Middle, High, intermediate and university (undergraduate and graduate degrees). The past data indicate that the literacy rate in Pakistan is increasing to almost 10% every passing year.

Education is the systematic process of instruction for the development of character or mental powers. The primary stage of education is of prime importance for the edifice of career. Reliability and compactness of this stage enables a child to raise a standard of his personality. Unfortunately the importance of this stage is ignored to a large extent in our country. The drawbacks are multifarious in nature and require considerations on the part of the responsible. They have just followed the same principle of making policies in closed rooms and draft curriculum which was followed in the colonial era. Even now a days in our country, both the public sector and private sector have the capacity to publish books yet not according to the psychological level of the subject. They have borrowed ideas from elsewhere in the world and feel proud to present it in seminars and workshops.  As modern education system are adopted in Pakistan which are taken from the British education system which is playing a fundamental role in spreading English level all over the state. The census shows that almost 18 million which is 11 % of the total population has total command on English language which makes Pakistan the 9th largest English speaking nation in the world and the 3rd largest in Asia. The education in Pakistan is carried in two major languages comprising of English and Urdu. As most of the curriculum are taken from the British education system which consists of Oxford press, another drawback is that this makes the normal education very expensive which goes beyond the purchase and buying power of the majority of the local people. Whether or not this is a direct result of Pakistan's economic problems, it is undoubtedly connected with so many resources directed towards the aforementioned debt payment, educational improvements are given and inordinately low priority. In addition, Musharraf's military dictatorship had understandably not placed great emphasis on education in Pakistan.

In term of population, low literacy rates are often observed with high population growth. A poorly educated population is unlikely to participate in family planning or any other form of population control. Poorly educated masses make Pakistan a poor choice for the foreign investors that it so desperately needs. Furthermore, the extremely low literacy rate among Pakistani women (24.4%) lends itself to a society where most women never enter the labor force, creating fewer incentives for them to limit the size of their families.

The parents of today are also responsible to a greater extinct as they are not questioning the effects of these curriculum. They just pushing their young ones and finally opt for tuitions, which is not the right solution. The amount they spend on borrowing ideas and then its practical implantation will be in my opinion far less than the amount required for the research to know the psychology of the subject (Pakistani Children). Then another drawback of our primary education system is that of different school system for varied classes of the society, again following the agenda of the colonial rulers, empowering a particular section of the society, typically known as the feudal lords, to run the affairs of the state and to be easily affected by the name of modernism, enlighten moderation etc.

Due to costly education many people are kept away from the reach due to unavailability of resources. The old expired curriculum has also decreased the quality of education as there is shortage of teachers and poorly equipped laboratories are the result of less concentration shown by the government by lesser resources allocation. After all these controversies Pakistan is struggling in the field of education and steps taken on national level are showing the willpower and  fortitude of the government and local people. Despite of this Pakistan produces 445,000 university graduates and 10,000 computer science graduates, which shows that still Pakistan has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world. Another drawback the teachers are also following the typical attribute of punishing the students harshly. Schools' authorities in the private sector are also highly responsible for the poor status of primary education system in our country. They have interests in building of the students but to earn more and more money even they are also not highly qualified. The government should channelize and monitor the schools in private sector.

Being a Pakistani I request all the readers to pause and think for a moment as to where we are heading!

By: Anum Aftab

Anum Aftab

Terror isn’t fading away

The expressions that the word ‘Pakistan’ solely generates on the faces of outsiders are a proof enough to get the idea of what they think about it.

Pakistan, the land of pure which was conceived as a pure thought by Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal is now enveloped in the vicious cycle of terrorism.

Pakistan is a developing country and it is politically unstable. We live in the world where everything is possible. Democratic governments have always failed to complete their tenure which eventually results in a long lasting dictatorship reign. The political system has been stagnant since 70′s and no dire change has taken place. In Pakistani politics, there is a clear domination by few families only and these families have failed to produce long lasting productive results. The chair of head of state has been a war between the head of the army staff and a few noticeable political leaders. Who has suffered? Well, you guessed it right, the nation! If we observe the political situation of Pakistan, much of the politics is based on different racial groups. It’s fair to say that the contemporary political situation of Pakistan is in dire need of significant changes if we it weigh against it to the political systems of leading nations in the world.

Pakistani politics has started to take an unpleasant route as the layman pursues to struggle in the furrow. The existing situation in Karachi and Baluchistan is worse than ever. The blame of these riots clearly is on politicians who are just manipulating different groups to reap benefits for themselves. If the current political situation in Pakistan does not change, the country would keep on suffering at the hands of monarchs and waderas! The role of youth in politics seems to be missing in this scenario and needs to be looked upon if the country is to strive for betterment. One possible solution for the fundamental problem is to improve the problems of education system that erodes as every day falls behind.

Almost every political party represents a particular ethnic group; therefore no party has got the support in every region because the role of political parties in Pakistan is very much based upon different cultural groups they represent. This is one of the major reasons of slow development in some specific areas as compared to others. There are a number key problems in political system of Pakistan, & the list grows on and on with every passing minute.

Ever in the record of Pakistan has a democratically elected civilian government served out its full term and then been replaced by another one, also through democratic elections. It is that context that makes the latest political crisis in Pakistan so important. If the government falls and elections are held ahead of schedule in 2013, the opportunity for Pakistan to have a government which serves its full term will be lost.

Given the peculiar nature of Pakistani politics, where the military exerts a powerful role behind the scenes, no one is predicting anything with any certainty. In recent times the main opposition leader, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has shown little enthusiasm for forcing an early election which could boost his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) into power at a time when the country is facing huge economic and security problems. Having been ousted in a coup in 1999, Sharif remained deeply suspicious of the army, and he has ruled out supporting any moves against the government that might be orchestrated by the military. Giving democracy time to bed down, by allowing the government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to serve its full term, could set a useful precedent for a future PML-N administration.

The army itself has shown no inclination to run the country directly, and it already controls the issues that matter most to it – foreign and security policy.  It has barely disguised its frustration with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari — who also leads the PPP — particularly after he travelled to France and Britain last summer while the country suffered from devastating floods.  But that does not translate into wanting to see Sharif back in power.

We don’t actually know for sure whether there is a groundswell of popular support in favor of ditching the current government, though there is, as Nadeem Paracha argued in Dawn,  a great deal of populist sloganeering on television channels about the state of the country.

 “Akin to a black comedy is the fact that most TV anchors and hosts that go on spouting all these concerns – unemployment, inflation, drone attacks, ‘good governance’, Aafia ki wapsi (jailed Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui)  – are sitting pretty with hefty salaries and perks, and, what some would suggest, an agenda to safeguard the interests of some of the most anti-democracy classes in this country i.e., the military, the mullah and large sections of the upper and middle-classes.”

We also don’t know for sure whether having a resident government complete its term would necessarily be good for democracy. And to be fair there are many in Pakistan who question whether democracy is even the right system for the country; others who complain that the PPP is not particularly democratic given its dominance by the Bhutto family dynasty and the feudal elite. 

But we can say for sure that there is rather more at stake in this political crisis than merely the survival of a government or even the implementation of policies.   It could have implications for how the country is run which will endure for many years.

“Words, without power, is mere philosophy”

Let’s join hands, let’s walk together, and let’s make Pakistan a better nation!

By: Anum Aftab

Arfa Karim - The Pride of Pakistan. By: Hiba Mazhar.

             (Corporate and Technology)

Arfa Karim came, performed and conquered. Her credits and achievements are too many to count. She brought together her capabilities and showed that miracles were possible anywhere, any place at any time. Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, passed on positive remarks about Pakistan altogether after meeting with Arfa. She got lucky enough to ace the honor of receiving the World’s Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional when she was only 9 years old (2004). Bill Gates personally invited her to visit the Microsoft Headquarters in the USA. He was so much impressed by this girl that he immediately ordered his HR team to hire people from Pakistan. He never regretted that decision for we have so much young talent in our country. It is just that we are only hesitant to organize and identify our strengths.

                                  

Afra Karim is a shining example for the youth as well as all the elders currently living in Pakistan. She was given the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal  which she received from our former Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz. She was also honored with the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005. Besides, Arfa won the Presidential Award for the Pride of Performance. As I mentioned earlier, the awards and appreciations are just too many to count.

Being the normal yet extra-ordinary little girl, she was a certified pilot as well as equally adept in Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle products. She could present complex technical concepts easily. She was the teacher of hundreds of people, and was particularly interested in finishing up digital divide within her own country. She loved Pakistan and wanted recognition for her country. She would go out and bring in more respect for the citizens to brag about.

People! The question is whether we can fulfill her dream or not? Does this nation owe some respect to all the efforts carried out by Arfa or not? Unfortunately, she remained at (ICU) CMH after suffering from an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest. After consistent fighting for her life for the next 26 days, she left us thinking, tearful, and with the gift of believing in ourselves. It is time that we take a stand and make the world realize. Our worth. Our capabilities. We are capable to make a difference in this world. All alone by our own selves. With just a little effort and realization at our end. STAND UP, PAKISTAN! :)

-Author: Hiba Mazhar.

Hamzah Sohail

Me, in my opinion:

“Life spent making mistakes is better than life spent doing nothing”- George Bernard Shaw

From my childhood till this day, I have been regarded as the rebellious one in my family, friends and associates. The reason is I have been labeled is that I ask questions, facts and reasoning. I made my own beliefs about everything, either religious perspective or political views. I never inherited any beliefs, but concluded them myself. I'd rather sink trying to be different, than stay afloat like everyone else. I try not to follow anyone; I try to make my own way.

 I have a very strong belief in God. Without the belief of Existence of God, I feel the world is incomplete. Belief in Existence of One Devine Power brings balance to everything that exists. My religion is my identity. I do not believe in any specific School of thought. I follow Islam as a simple Muslim.

 I am very independent, I am fully able to put my intelligence to use and get things done for myself. It is possible however that my narrow mindedness causes my creativity to suffer. I dwell too much on the past and over complicate things and this limits my ability to move forward and confuse myself.

I have an excellent memory and a highly analytical mind. This makes me a good investigator and researcher. I also have the ability to probe into a person's emotions and I can often see into people and detect what their motives are. I am regarded very well at problem solving; this is what I can do the best. When I am confronted with a problem, I pick apart the pieces and put it together in the proper order. I am a rational thinker and am good at settling other people's disputes and putting them on the right track for reconciliation.

On the political side, I believe in equality and justice. I used to believe in capitalism but now I am more of a communist. I believe that Islam-ization mixed with communism is the political solution for the crisis our country is going through these days.

To the world, I present a calm and collected exterior but on the inside, nervous uncontrolled intensity in the mind, trying to figure things out, how to improve everything, analyzing and thinking. I can tire myself out without even moving. I have a constant drive to improve and perfect, this can lead to extreme fuss and criticism. I am pure, my motives are honest, never malicious and I want to accomplish something.

Change in culture through Language

Change in culture through Language
Category : Culture and Changing Trends

How the language used by people in Pakistan has changed can be said to be both humorous and tragic. Whether it is Urdu or English, it seems we cannot use a language without ruining it and tearing it to shreds.
Urdu, our national language, is considered one of the most beautiful and expressive languages in the world and yet most of the time, when you hear someone speaking in Urdu these days they chew up half the letters and at times even entire syllables of words. A pleasant salam used to be the generally accepted greeting. Somehow, nowadays, greetings aren’t ‘in’. I’m not going to say much about Urdu. This is because phrases such as ‘kya scene hai?’ or ‘kaisa hai boy?’ have led me to believe that our beloved language is now in danger of extinction. For me to start pointing out where we lost Urdu does not require a blog, it needs an entire book!

Now please allow me to hit out at the English speakers. Right, I’m referring to all those people out there that are ashamed of speaking Urdu because speaking in English just makes them sound so much ‘cooler’. In fact, I believe the official terminology used to describe such people is ‘mummy-daddy’ (I won’t even start with everything that’s wrong with that term). How English lost its way is a much simpler task to assess when compared to Urdu. Firstly, we can blame our own efforts to be cool or to try and fit in. If other people start using slang, then we probably should too. People may have forgotten that the word slang actually is an abbreviation for STREET language.

And then there’s instant messaging. ‘Lol’, ‘brb’ and ‘tc’ are just a few of the commonly seen abbreviations found in a typical instant messaging conversation. Now there probably is no need for me to tell you what any of those stand for as it is understood that EVERYBODY knows what they mean. That fact, in itself, serves as a pretty good indication of how far this decay has spread through our society. One may argue that, fine, there is nothing wrong with using such abbreviations or acronyms since it is just instant messaging. What bothers me, though, is that a lot of people actually use the abbreviations in verbal conversations as well. Is this what we’ve come down to? Have we actually become too lazy to say  complete words? At this rate, soon enough a normal conversation between two people could end up with them just spitting out random letters at each other only for it to make complete and absolute sense. Try and save your national language  , as it is our duty to secure our language and speak in it with a pride .

Lets hope we can find a way to solve this growing problem.

Pakistan Zindabad

Writer

Misha Razzaq 

Bisman Shaukat

My name is Bisman Shaukat and I am studying in Lahore school of economics. I chose marketing as my major because I have interest in this field and as well as in media studies. I like to do practical and creative work. I worked at Askari Bank ltd. (Model Town branch) and at Synergy Advertising Agency. I am also running my business of clothing named as “Black”.

                I also have interest in football and I am playing football since 2004, I was selected in my school, college and university team and been to India twice and UK thrice as a football player and as well as an athlete. I also participated in inter-country tournaments and visited different cities.

                I think we can bring change in Pakistan by first improving our own self and bring patience in our self. We can also bring change by voting and selecting the educated heads for our country and by bringing the awareness and importance of education in rural areas so that our country’s literacy rate increases.