Globalization: learning to live together

Introduction
Globalization has led to the economic, political and socio-cultural integration making the world a
global village. The prospects of learning to live together are, however, still evolving amid the hurdles
persisting to check its course.

2. Aspects of Global Village

- Globalization of economy
- Global integration of politics
- Global village of socio-cultural integration

3. Contemporary Manifestations of 'Learning to Live Together in Global Village'

- Internet and its global use
- International Political Community
- Global Economic Organizations

4. World Learning To Live Together

- The case study of Iran and P5+1 Nuclear Deal
- The Melting of Ice between Cuba and the US
- The traditional rivals of South Asia and the efforts to live together

5. Hurdles in the Learning of Global Village to Live Together

- Criticism on globalization as a threat to national interests
- Gap between the Global North and the Global South
- Economic, literary, cultural and technological backwardness
- Clash of Interests
- Clash of Civilizations
- Weak international institutions

6. Ways to Learn to Live Together

- Strengthening the global institutions
- Minimizing the ideological difference between civilizations
- Pursuing mutual interests and fighting common threats
- Liberalism of trade
- Dialogue to be the first choice of conflict resolution

7. Conclusion

World is called a global village by the virtue of globalization which is a multi-faceted process.
Globalization is integration of everything. It can be integration of political, cultural and technological
prospects. The most apparent manifestation of globalization is economic and political integration.
Similarly, the globalization which plays major role in making the world a global village comes in shape
of technological integration.

Global village is attributed with sharing information, products, investments and profits. In political
terms global village is featured by presence of an evolved international community at the platform of
the UN. The growth of an integrated village brings several benefits to the masses as well as states
along with causing trouble for the national interests.

Considering the dimensions of global village, the economic integration has brought the world closer
and dependable on each other. Multinational companies, global economic forums and cross-border
investments; all play vital role in making the world a global village.

Political integration of the world states which helps to unite global village becomes obvious at the
platform of the United Nations. This institution has 193 member states which discuss and decide upon
all the important political events of international prospects. International political security, regional
and global alliances against terrorism, international treaties on nuclear non-proliferation; all reveal
the political integration of the global village.

Another important aspect of global village is socio-cultural integration. It is the mixing of cultural
values and customs to evolve the new ones. Apparent manifestation of socio-cultural integration in
the global village comes in the shape of fashion, traditions and practices one adopts after getting
inspired by another culture through books and movies most of the times.

These all aspects of globalization render the global village to learn to live together. This becomes
possible when the world states interact and find mutual interests. Those interests might be political,
economic or social.

Multinational organizations and global institutions represent another manifestation of how the world
is learning to live together. European Union, for example, represents togetherness of the European
nations. Similarly, ASEAN is the association of South East Asian nations for attaining definite economic
goals. In South Asia SAARC emerges to be an organization for regional cooperation. IMF and the World
Bank bring the world closer in monetary aspects. Muslim states of the world form OIC as their distinct
body. NATO is a military alliance of European and American nations. Thus, in all ways, world states
practice the art of living together for the obvious reasons.

Recently two important developments in the global political context occurred that reflect how the
nations are learning to live together. First came the nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1. Iran and the
US had been at daggers drawn since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The country also went to develop
nuclear weapons secretly unless came to the knowledge of international community. This led to the
beginning of talks between Iran and the Permanent Five members of the UN Security Council along
with Germany.
The deals bore positive results after years of negotiations. This proves how the global states are
learning to live together in the global village. Today, Iran is back in the mainstream international
transactions. The danger to the global village has been averted.

Second case comes from the continents of America. The United States and the Latin American state
of Cuba remained in rift since 1959 when Cuba was revolutionized by the forces of Fidel Castro. The
Castro government was unfavorable to the US throughout the years of the Cold War. The US has for
long imposed embargo on the island state of Cuba. The ice however melted previous year when the
Pope visited both the countries helping them to normalize relations. This visit was followed by
initiating diplomatic relations between both the countries after more than 70 years. This case also
reveals the willingness and practice of the world to live together in the global village.

Third case study can be made on the South Asian states of India and Pakistan. Both the countries have
several territorial disputes along with ideological and historical differences. They have fought two full-
scale wars and a number of other skirmishes. But both find no solution in offensive methods.
Comprehensive dialogue between both the states has been revived recently which reflects that they
are learning to live together as peaceful neighbors though it's tough.

Living together in the global village brings fruits of harmony, peace, trade and unity. But at the same
time smaller states becomes victim of the evils of globalization. For example, World Trade
Organization aims at lowering the trade tariffs across the globe. This brings free trade for the global
village but not the fair trade. Developing states find it difficult to lower the tariffs on the limited
products they export to earn revenue.

Along with this major hurdle there are several other obstacles in the learning of global village to live
together. One major hurdle is clash of interests and priorities. Not all the world states prioritize the
same things on their respective national agendas. Some times in the wake of global village’s
mantra the national interests of the states are at stake. This declines confidence of those states on
the virtues of global village.

Clash of civilizations is another theory which undermines the art of learning to live together. The
theory given by Huntington speaks for the grounds of clash between the world states in the future
would be cultural. This puts stones in the way of global integration.

Further the structural flaws in the international institutions which help in strengthening the hegemony
of a few powerful states also impede the process of learning to live together. In order to ensure better
working of global village international institutions are to be strengthened ending all the undue
influence upon them.

People need to find the common goals and mutual interests in order to learn the art of living together
in the global village. States need to collectively fight the common threats at the same time. Preference
of liberalism over realism can be more beneficial in achieving this goal.

In compact, nations depend on each other. This level of dependence when reaches its peak, the world
begins to become a global village. Hurdles in the way of globalization persists amid the efforts of
international community to unite on the points of mutual interests.
Water Crises and National Unity
Earth, revered as a blue planet, is believed to be the only planet in the entire solar system that
constitutes life. This intriguing feature of life that our earth is capable of and what makes it
unique and distinct from rest of its counter-parts- i.e other planets- is ascribed to its endowment
of water reserves. Hence it is water that makes life possible here and act as its building block.
Pakistan virtually being a small mini planet as it has been inhabiting and supporting lives of
approximately 180 million cohorts of people having varying lifestyles, ambitions, demographics,
languages and races now appears to be on the verge of losing its life fostering status as it is being
stranded and terribly mired in a tortuous tangle of water crisis. While myriad of reasons ranging
from internal to external and then environmental have been cited which are deemed to bring
Pakistan’s water reserves from a state of once efficient to the dire state of alarmingly deficient
levels, however an in-depth introspection of all these internal, external and environmental factors
denude that they seem to have a common root or a symbiotic connection with multiple facets of
National Unity.

Referring to a press released report crafted by World Bank contended “The availability of water
in Pakistan since its independence has been reduced by 400% and it is expected to retrench
further if immediate action is not taken for preserving existing water reservoirs”. The shrinkage
of water at such pace has impaired almost every sector of the country as they have been heavily
reliant upon it. This plight of water scarcity soon escalated in to crisis when it plunged down
below the threshold limit of countries net water requirement.

As Pakistan’s political system has endured intermittent Military intervention, it is not able to
reap the fruits of democracy that guarantees National Unity by strengthening and integrating its
all federating units rather such occupation shattered its very foundation through excessive
centralization and alienation of one or more federating units. The destabilization of democratic
system and the imposition of dictatorial rules impeded any reform at policy, planning and
implementation level that could have prevented water resources from the dead-end brink of
crisis. The end result is the crisis of water that has now begun to threaten country’s national
integrity as well as its energy, food and national security.

Pakistan being the fifth most populous country is now on its way to become the fourth most
populated country of the world as its population has been rising at an annual rate of 2%. Whereas
no other significant proactive and preventive arrangement has been undertaken by ruling elites to
manage and oversee such massive influx of new comers in its social fabric, this population surge
has aggravated the already neglected water sector by drawing more water from the depleting
reservoirs besides crippling its natural recharge system. Due to the limited carrying capacity of
the water reserves the country ended up in infringing its per capita availability of water to
compensate the new comers. Moreover as no other water pricing mechanism and its effective
regulatory and management system has been put in place to conserve and recycle the available
water, this valuable reserve becomes wasted bringing pollution, diseases and disasters hence
adding more problems to already swarming country’s problem cart. However this picture of
gloom could have been the glimpse of opportunities if a holistic approach was adopted through
building consensus, coordination and political will that would subsequently target the palpable
and subtle factors will be presumed to be the primary causes of water crisis. Unfortunately no
progress was able to make it possible owing to the lack of unanimity of national and provincial
political elite at legislative and executive tiers that could have open the eyes of the bureaucratic
and governance machinery from its deep slumbers and draw their immediate intervention to
introduce, develop and enforce strategies that would have stymied water from teetering in to
crisis through managing its abruptly grown population and advanced policy initiatives to curb
water pollution and recycle water for its main water national grid alongside increasing its grid
capacity to ensure its maximum storage for preventing any natural or foreign incurred disasters
such as flood.

The International monetary fund has ranked Pakistan’s economy as one of the most water
stressed economy of the world owing to its high water consumption per capita of GDP output.
While Pakistan’s land constitutes vast proportion of arable land, its geographical location at the
temperate zone makes that arable land arid or semi-arid land leaving it substantially dependent
upon either monsoon rain system or irrigation channels that supplies water from natural river
streams to the agricultural areas. Another bane of water crisis emanates from the deterioration or
personified manipulation of the afore mentioned arrangement that not only will provide water to
our system but is also meant to store, maintain and supply that water to their required destination
producing the necessary agri-output to ensure our food security and support our economy. As
Pakistan agricultural research council in its research gazette highlighted Pakistan’s agriculture
sector potential which not only contributes 22% of its net GDP and but also accommodates 41%
of its human resource (labour force) besides leveraging a lion’s share in its total exports, yet it
further lamented the global environmental changes as evident in our changing monsoon pattern
and increasing frequency and intensification of climatic events reflected in the form of drought,
flood and hurricanes in conjunction with our resultant failure to reinforce policies of adaptation
and mitigation strategies have severely affected the entire agriculture sector as our outdated
water infrastructure and management system is not capable enough to adjust itself with the
encompassing changes. This dismal situation has added future dimensions to water crisis when
state adopted indifferent attitude and did not launch any substantial corrective measures that
could have attenuated the twilight situation and strengthened its system capacity to increase its
water security against the backdrop of these vagaries.

The element of national unity is an undeniable factor that led to such state apathy towards water
crisis as it was not able to muster sufficient political support and will from all the stakeholders
involved ranging from political parties to civil society and landlords having stakes and interest in
the given arrangement. The perpetual state of denial and political impasse strangulated much
needed following substantive reforms such as overhauling the whole water regulatory
managemental and institutional framework; Documenting and taxing agriculture sector;
Incorporating internationally recognized adaptation and mitigation techniques to conserve water;
Revamping the existing irrigation network by strengthening its enclosing embankments, dykes
and increasing its channel capacity by removing accrued silt deposits; Introduction of spate
irrigation techniques that store flood water as a backup to be used in dry season; and promoting
crop per drop techniques that lowers water consumption, increase crop productivity and provide
crop varieties which are not only resistant to heat shocks but also less prone to pest and weeds.

The renowned Diplomat Muneer Akram in his editorial once remarked that Asia is home to 60%
percent of the world population and it generates 2/3 of the world output, it would be a centre of
geopolitics and focal of power as Europe was 200 years ago. Moreover he predicted that as
Asian development bank has regarded South Asia as the most water stressed region of the world,
the world is more likely to witness conflicts among South Asian states in their quest for
capturing maximum share of water from the floundering water reservoirs.

The long-stalled dispute and three intermittent wars between Pakistan and India over Kashmir
owing to its geostrategic location as it contains water main hydrants besides being the main
conduit from where the water goes to elsewhere including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and to
some parts of Afghanistan, also manifest the potential of water to trigger any future conflict
between regional states. Moreover if any war or conflict occurred, it would be more deadly and
costly from the previous ones as South Asian states have now equipped themselves with nuclear
weapons and missiles. Adding insult to the injury, this tumultuous situation has been more
compounded by the devastating effects of climate change which is affecting the entire region’s
topography, reliefs and eco system as the region is home to two major states India and China
which are the world dominant emitters of carbon today. The routine violation of Indus water
treaty on part of India either by choking or flooding western water streams that is the primary
water source of Pakistan either- through construction of Kishanganga Dam and Tulbul
Navigation project or by releasing more water in to it during monsoon seasons without any prior
warming and notification- also lends credence to the lingering spectre of any future conventional
war over water in the years to come.

India’s Machiavellian designs to secure Indus river basin by using water as a non-conventional
weapon-tool against Pakistan have been facilitated by our own imprudent, irrational and
politically expedient policies. Given western river stream cardinal role in sustaining our food,
maintaining food and agri output , ensuring production of cheap electricity and by providing the
necessary amount of water to keep the every small and large industrial engine mobile and flip
our failure to install adequate arrangement and develop national responses at domestic and
foreign level to fortify our national security that could thwart such Indian subversive activities
providing another leverage to India in its vicious plot to overwhelm Pakistan by dint of such non-
military or non-kinetic means.

While identifying domestic and foreign reciprocated measures which could serve as a pragmatic
recourse. At Domestic level: Revamping and expanding our existing water physical
infrastructure by increasing our reservoirs’ capacity and building more small and medium size
reservoirs to cope with the problem of water overflows allegedly released by India during
monsoon season; Resolve Inter-provincial disputes pertaining to sharing of water and dams such
as Kalabagh; Revive, Autonomies and de-politicize regulatory body, IRSA, besides according
each federating unit due representation in its entire policy, planning and decision making
processes; Maintain Transparency and fairness in all ongoing water related projects i.e Neelum-
jhelum project and Diamer-Bhahsa dam project besides ensuring its scheduled completion;
Promote water conservation culture through public, private and civil society participation and by
incentivizing modern methods and technologies which conserve water or in any way lowers
water consumption in the given process either of domestic, agricultural or industrial nature. At
foreign level: To secure international support against India for resolving the Kashmir dispute
through robust and offensive diplomatic campaign; Build National consensus over water related
issues to showcase a clear, coherent and congruent unanimous posture to India against its water
aggression doctrines and grave violations of internationally recognized Indus water treaty;
Expose India’s hegemonic policies of deteriorating the entire Indus river basin’s natural flow
system by developing artificial diversion canals and other navigation channels which is a breach
of international law besides maintaining that such belligerent attitude towards its immediate
neighbours is threatening regional peace and security and would lead to war if arbitrary
intervention is not made by the International community and its immediate offices i.e United
nations, World Bank and International court of Justice These domestic and external reciprocal
approaches however failed to contextualize and instead perversely aggravated the very crisis as
state as a whole ignored the seminal role of national integrity in the pursuance of all
aforementioned strategies coupled with its unwillingness to forge national integrity which could
have brought all the federating units together to unify on such national agenda adopted for said
purposes. Moreover if national unity was first inculcated in all such matters of interest it would
have facilitated the state not only in its attempt to develop policies but also assisted the state in
the implementation of that policy requiring particular course of action and appropriate
contribution from every state stakeholders entailing provinces, civil-society and corporate sector
for fruition. Nevertheless the fact, 18th constitutional amendment has resituated the federal and
parliamentary status of Pakistan through power devolution and Provincial autonomy
consolidation however ill treatment and non-utilization of Council of common interest forum by
all federating units for the resolution of sub-national disputes specifically with respect to water
and its associated sectors indicates the interdependent nexus of water crisis with the national
unity.

The Pakistani nation has been enduring through tough times. It has been mired in a dire dilemma
of water crisis. As popular idioms says “every crowd has a silver lining” implies that with every
difficult situation there must always exist a way-out too. In national unity lies our way-out plan;
because annals of Nations History revealed that whenever any nation had been confronted with
existential crisis its ultimate strength had always been a demonstration of national integrity and
integration in the face of such crisis. It has been widely suggested that future wars would be
fought over waters even though our dysfunctional and timorous attitude towards the containment
of water crisis is very dismal but it should spur us to take action besides motivating our state-ship
to adjust its sails with the prevailing storm.
Crisis of Good Governance in Pakistan: Need
for Reform and Institution Building
1. Introduction
Pakistan is not a failed state but a badly governed one. Good governance is the inevitable element
of a state the absence of which deteriorates the public welfare. With measured reforms and
institutionalization, governance can be made better in the country.

2. Attributes of Good Governance

- General Public Welfare and State's Health
- Health, Education, Standard of Living
- Provision of fundamental rights
- Provision of Basic Necessities

3. Crisis of Good Governance in Pakistan

- Sectors badly governed in Pakistan
- Institutions badly governed in Pakistan

4. Causes of Good-Governance Crisis

- Personalization rather than institutionalization
- Corruption and nepotism
- Ineffective short-term policies
- Wrongly set priorities
- Weak accountability
- Weak state governing institutions
- Political instability

5. Reforms and Institution Building

- Strengthening the state institutions
- Making the state institutions independent of undue influence
- Effective implementation of laws
- Empowering accountability and law-enforcing agencies
- Ensuring political stability and nurturing the healthy growth of democratic system

6. Contemporary Governance in Pakistan

7. Conclusion

Pakistan is a state rich in resources and talent but badly governed. A brief history of country since
1947 reveals how different modes of governance have been brought into experiment under various
civil and military regimes in Pakistan.

Good governance, in general, refers to the measures of a government which bring welfare to the
public lives and state as a whole. Contrary to that, crisis of good governance is the continuous failure
of a government to govern the state and its subjects effectively. Scales to measure good governance
varies just as vary its levels in different government sectors.

If Pakistan is considered under the said definition, it gets obvious that the governments of the
country failed most of the time in governing it well. The reasons behind this failure are mostly found
in the factors of corruption, immoral politics, authoritarianism and dearth of leadership.

Crisis of good governance in Pakistan is not a new concept. It has been contested for a long time. Even
today, when the neighboring country like China has evolved from its roots into a well governed state,
Pakistan still lags behind in devising a clear mechanism of governance reforms and institution building.

Crisis of good governance can be understood only when one gets to know about the attributes and
features of good governance. Among these attributes 'General Public Welfare and State's Health'
come the first. Good governance is attributed with the welfare of the masses. If the people of a state
are living a good life with all the fundamental rights and the basic necessitates secured, it can be said
that the state is well governed. Another part of this is health of state. It can be measured in economic,
defense and political strength of a country. A state when healthy in its defense and politico-economic
outlooks is usually well governed. Further, good governance brings an overall better standard of life.
It can be said in a way that the attributes of good governance vary in the eyes of a common man, a
ruler and a state as a political entity.

Crisis of good governance is the name of a situation when all the attributes mentioned above are
missing or replaced by the social and political abnormalities. These abnormalities can be in the form
of agents which deteriorates the levels of good governance. Pakistan is in state of governance crisis.
Its apparent manifestations can be seen in the declined public health, illiteracy and poverty. Another
important way to judge the crisis of governance in Pakistan comes in shape of the weak state
institutions and mismanaged state-controlled enterprises. For instance, the decline of Pakistan Steel
Mills and Pakistan International Airlines speak how crisis of good governance swallowed these mighty
revenue-producing sectors. Similarly, take example of judiciary as state institution. It has been
suppressed by the executive throughout the history of the country. There has always been a rift at
some level in civil and military leadership of country. This accounts for a major factor behind the crisis
of good governance in Pakistan which comes in shape of clash between the state institutions thus
adversely affecting their performance.

Among the primary causes of the crisis of good governance in Pakistan comes first the personalization
of things rather that institutionalization. Institutions are important to every state. When these
institutions become hostage to persons they begin to deviate from the principles of good governance.
In Pakistan, during the military rules, the institutions of executive, legislature and even judiciary have
brought into personalization of the ruling dictator. This helped in rendering the will of the dictator
superior over the law of an institute.

Secondly, the factors of corruption and nepotism in a state like Pakistan puts it into governance crisis.
These two things annihilate the state's governance structure as merit gets to be replaced by favor.

Thirdly, the lack of long term and well-read state policies becomes another important cause in
bringing crisis of good governance. States are governed well through integrated long term planning
and policies which are implemented in several episodes. In Pakistan, governments have plans to
govern the country well but they collapse because of their short-term nature and politically motivated
objectives.

Fourthly, the priorities of a governmFifthly, lack of accountability further volatiles the crisis of good
governance. Even if the state officials are corrupt, the bad governance can be averted by holding them
accountable. But when the institutions of accountability become subject to the will of the officials
then the crisis becomes inevitable. In Pakistan, the institution of accountability i.e. NAB is often
subject of political controversies. Even the incumbent Prime Minister of Pakistan has discouraged NAB
for its independent investigations.

Lastly, political instability in a state puts it into crisis of good governance. When a system of
governance is not let to evolve and grow normally and political instability is created in the form of
overthrowing a legitimate government, it becomes impossible for a state to ensure good governance.

In order to bring Pakistan out of the governance-crisis, reforms are essential. Among them comes first
the institution building. This refers to de-personalization of state institutions. All the state institutions
shall be let to work independently without any undue influence and blackmailing. Bringing judiciary
and accountability institutions out of the influence of executive can help the country out of the crisis.
Secondly, ensuring the smooth relations between the civil and military leadership can also help if not
in ensuring good governance then at least in averting many causes of bad governance.

The Parliament of Pakistan has enacted laws nearly on all the major issues that a state and its masses
may face. The problem lies in implementation of these laws. This is because of the weak law enforcing
agencies. Empowering police as primary measure can help in improving the law and order situation
of Pakistan which will ultimately help it in good governance.

Lastly, if the reforms and institution building are to be successfully brought in Pakistan, it is essential
to ensure political stability and democratic evolution in here. Governance becomes good in
democratic system for most of the times. Though it is not a general rule as many dictators have
brought welfare to their people but that is an exception. In Pakistan strengthening the democratic
system its forefathers chose will help in bringing it out of the crisis.

In the contemporary run, country might be facing the governance crisis but the evolving custom of
political stability is a ray of hope. Unlike in the past, political government is being let to complete its
constitutional tenure and then go for elections. That is a healthy development which is bringing
Pakistan on the track of good governance. This along with strengthening the democratic practices will
also help in minimizing the causes of the crisis. In compact, Pakistan has for long been facing the crisis
of good governance but the contemporary political phase can ensure a positive change. ent also
determine the level of state governance. If a state brings the development of infrastructure as a
priority over health, education and welfare of the masses when these all are required then the system
collapses. In Pakistan, more is being spent on building infrastructure and little on provision of basic
facilities like health, education and employment.
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in the international development literature to
describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage their resources. However,
governance is “the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are
implemented (or not implemented)”. One of the definitions of good governance is “establishing
of policies [and rules], and continuous monitoring of their proper implementation by the
members of the governing body [government] of an organization [country]”.

Good governance is a prerequisite for the smooth running of administrative machinery, and to
address public affairs. It reinforces the institutions of the state to work for the — amity of the
people. Hence, it is therefore, ultimately feasible to achieve good governance in Pakistan, when
all its parameters would fully and honestly endorse in the administrative structure. In Pakistan,
the system of good governance has generally not been satisfactory. “The country started with
weak political and administrative infrastructure,” as a result, which was unable to create a
healthy environment.

The culture of good governance in Pakistan is, grim and gloomy. Which has not been achieved
since its birth, because of weak institutional set-up; political instability, rampant corruption,
repetition of military dictatorship, lack of accountability and transparency and no rule of law.
However, all these issues have seriously pushed off the country to an abysmal state of poor
governance. Today Pakistan is passing through a state of uncertainty, worst law and order and
corruption is a case in point.

The latest crisis of good governance is looming an immense danger to the institutions of the
state.

Undoubtedly, in Pakistan corruption is the biggest drawback in the way of development. It is

therefore, argued that rampant corruption, can leads misallocation of public resources, which
could ultimately, deprive them of their basic rights.

However, corruption would not only misallocate the resources but also the talent of the people.
The upheavals of corrupt practices in Pakistan could have spoiled the future of capable person. It
is a matter, of serious concerns to accentuate and talk about the politics of red-tapes, nepotism
and money making.Which have invariably traumatized the fabrics of government institutions in
Pakistan.

It is rightly said that, democracy means, “the government of the people, by the people, and for
the people.” Nonetheless, it is totally the opposite in the case of Pakistan. In Pakistan political
instability, has caused a great damage to democracy. The state and society have been derailed
utterly. This had given an expeditious move to military, which intervened unnecessarily to
protect the so-called national security interests.

The story began in 1958, and went through the humiliating defeat in 1971, and through the
disastrous programme of Islamization. This redundant repetition of military intrusions in political
arena ultimately resulted in the Crisis of good governance in Pakistan. Because the institutions
came rapidly under their tight control. No one could dared to question their undemocratic
damaging activities. Nevertheless, they were completely exempted for being accountable to the
people.

Accountability is a crucial point in good governance – the rulers and the institutions of the state
are accountable to people. But, it is very hard to find it in Pakistan’s weak institutional set-up. It
is because of harsh civ-mil relations and politicizing of key institutions. Politicizing of state’s
institutions meant to annihilate its structure. The institutions have been definitely precluded to —
establish the system of check and balance and bring the felons to accountability and justice.

The civil servants, police and NAB are not fully autonomous in their decree to work. All are
under severe political pressure. None of them is granted full independence, to bring the criminals
to justice and inquire the cases of big guns. An honest, brave and principled man does not
survive in this system, he should be either the part of this dirty system or would die if he
challenge the status quo.

Everyone in the power is busy at pillaging public resources and money-making. Their sit-in the
offices is jeopardize to the survival of poor marginalized folks of Pakistan. Government servants,
political elites, and military royals are generally not less than dacoits. The difference between
them the road thieves and them is clearly understandable. They loot for their endurance, while
these white and blue collar criminals and plunderers loot us for their unlimited desires and
luxuries.

What Senator Cato said about Rome then is true of Pakistan today: “simple thieves lie in prison
and in stock; public thieves walk abroad in gold and silk.”

Transparency, legitimacy, participation and rule of law are the important pillars of good
governance. They are the foremost among all the parameters to bring the right man at the right
place. Let’s see how these all are almost neglected in various institutions in Pakistan. Ranging
from election commission to educational institutes and so on the number is swelling the Courts,
PBSC, police etc.

Politicians and other state officials in the power corridor make illegal appointments in various
public offices. They could appoint inept people without merit on political grounds, and for the
sake of money, red-tapes, favoritism and nepotism. It has therefore, loomed the crisis of good
governance in Pakistan. Which has a far-reaching and lethal ramifications for the society and the
people.

Government needs to focus seriously on the issue of good governance to accomplish satisfactory
result. The absentia of good governance in the country can further escalate the situation, which
would completely destroy the state’s institutions.
NAB is a powerful institution, which needs a considerable attentions to de-politicize its structure.
It should be given absolute autonomy to bring the corrupt politicians and other state officials
before the law.

Police and bureaucracy should be allow to work independently without fear and political
hindrance. These are the institutions which would maintain law and order. But it is only possible
when they are free of political interferences.

The government must realize to ensure transparency by putting vigorous efforts to envisage the
involvement of whole society in governance. Participation of the people in multifarious fields are
very much needed to overcome the crisis of good governance in Pakistan
 ENERGY CRISIS IN PAKISTAN
OUTLINE:

1. Introduction

2. Pakistan’s Energy Sector

2.1 Energy Supply
2.2 Energy Consumption

3. Sources of Energy in Pakistan

3.1 Non-renewable resources (Fossil fuels)
a). Petroleum products
b). Natural Gas
c). Coal
3.2 Renewable Resources
a). Hydro power
❖ Current Hydropower stations
❖ Potential Hydropower stations
3.3 Alternative Energy Sources
a). Wind
b). Solar
c). Agricultural biomass /biodiesel
d). Tidal
3.4 Nuclear
4. Causes of Energy Crisis
4.1 Growing Energy Demand
4.2 Lack of proactive and integrated planning for production of energy
4.3 Imbalanced energy mix
4.4 Non-utilization of enormous indigenous energy resources
a). Thar Coal
b). Hydal power generation

5. Consequences of Energy Crisis

5.1 Economic Factors
5.2 Agriculture Sector
5.3 Industrial Sector
5.4 Unemployment
5.5 Social Issues
5.6 Poverty

6. Conclusion
7. Recommendation/Solutions of Energy Crisis
7.1 Judicious energy use/saving unnecessary energy usage
❖ electricity saving devices
❖ Awareness campaign for energy saving
❖ Reduction in unnecessary transportations
❖ Installation of effective equipment/energy efficient in industries
❖ Decreasing line/transmission losses

7.2 Developing new energy resources

❖ Tapping indigenous resources
❖ Using renewable resources (water) by constructing new dams and hydro power plants
❖ Import of natural gas
❖ Utilizing alternative energy resources
 Wind power
 Biodiesel /Biomass
 Solar
 Tidal

1. Introduction:
Energy is considered to be life line of any economy and most vital instrument of socioeconomic
development of a country. Energy is pivotal in running machinery in factories and industrial
units, for lighting our cities and powering our vehicles etc.
There has been an enormous increase in the demand of energy as a result of industrial
development and population growth, in comparison to enhancement in energy production.
Supply of energy is, therefore, far less than the actual demand, resultantly crisis has emerged. An
energy crisis can be defined as any great bottleneck (or price rise) in the supply of energy
resources to an economy.
2. Pakistan’s Energy Sector:
Pakistan’s energy infrastructure is not well developed, rather it is considered to be
underdeveloped and poorly managed. Currently the country is facing severe energy crisis.
Despite of strong economic growth and rising energy demand during past decade, no serious
efforts have been made to install new capacity of generation. Moreover, rapid demand growth,
transmission losses due to outdated infrastructure, power theft, and seasonal reductions in the
availability of hydropower have worsened the situation. Consequently, the demand exceeds
supply and hence load-shedding is a common phenomenon through power shutdown.
2.1 Energy Supply:
During 2009-10, Energy supply and per capita availability of energy witnessed a decline of 0.64
% and 3.09 % respectively in comparison to previous year.
Pakistan needs around 15,000 to 20000 MW electricity per day, however, currently it is able to
produce about 11,500 MW per day hen ce there is a shortfall of about 4000 to
9000 MW per day. This shortage is badly hampering the economic growth of the country.
2.2 Energy Consumption:
Pakistan’s energy consumption is met by mix of gas, oil, electricity, coal and LPG sources with
different level of shares. Share of gas consumption stood at 43.7 %, followed by oil 29.0 percent,
electricity 15.3 percent, coal 10.4 percent and LPG 1.5 percent.
3. Sources of Energy in Pakistan:
3.1 Non-renewable resources (Fossil fuels): [Limited – Expensive]
Non renewable resources are primarily fossil fuels emanating from remains/decomposition of
animals and plants deposited deep into the earth crust and converted into oil and gas. These
resources cannot be replenished. There are three main types of fossil fuels: coal, petroleum,
natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

a). Petroleum products:

In 2009-10, consumption of petroleum products was 29% of total share of energy. Majority of
crude oil is imported from gulf countries to meet the demand. Power, industry and transport
sectors consume higher quantity of petroleum followed by agriculture and house holds.
Petroleum is also used in generation of electricity, which counts 64 percent of total electricity
generation (34 coming from hydro generation). Balance recoverable reserves of crude oil in
country have been estimated at 303.63 million barrels and we are extracting approximately 24
million crude oil annually, meaning if we do not explore new wells, we will exhaust our current
crude oil reserves in 12-13 years.

b). Natural Gas:

Importance of natural gas is increasing rapidly. Average production of natural gas is 4,048.76
million cubic feet per day as against 3,986.53 million during corresponding last year, showing an
increase of 1.56 percent. Natural gas is used in general industry to prepare consumer items, to
produce cement, for manufacturing fertilizers and to generate electricity. In form of CNG, it is
used in transport sector. Share of natural gas in energy consumption is 43.7 percent. Due to price
differential between CNG and Petrol, vehicles are using converted to CNG and approximately
2.0 million vehicles are using CNG and currently Pakistan is the largest CNG user country in the
world. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) contributes around 0.7 percent to total energy supply in
country and is being imported to stop deforestation in hilly areas.

c). Coal:
Pakistan has coal reserves estimated at over 185 billion metric tones, including 175 billion metric
tones identified at Thar coalfields. Coal is primarily being used in brick kiln and cement
industries and approximately 67 percent coal is imported because indigenous coal is not
considered of good quality.
Guddu plant is largest plant thermal operated plant with a capacity of 1,650 MW, while two
largest Independent Power Plants (IPPs) in Pakistan are Kot Addu (1,600 MW) and Hubb River
(1,300 MW).

3.2 Renewable Resources: (Unlimited – sustainable – clean)

Renewable energy resources are those, which are naturally replenished and come from resources
such as water, sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat.

a). Hydro power:

Hydro power is generated by using electricity generators to extract energy from moving water.
Pakistan is having rich resource of energy in hydal power, however, only 34 % of total electricity
generation is coming from hydro power. Currently we are having 6555 MW against the potential
of 41000 to 45000 MW.

Current Hydropower stations:

Tarbella Dam : 3,478 MW
Ghazi Brotha: 1450 MW
Mangla 1,000 MW
Warsak 240 MW
Chashma 184 MW

Potential Hydropower stations:

Diamer-Bhasha Dam 4500 MW
Munda Dam – Swat river in Mohamand Agency 740 MW
Kalabagh Dam 2400-3600 MW
Bunji Dam 5400 MW
Dasu Dam 3800 MW
3.3 Alternative Sources of Energy :

a). Wind:
Wind power harnesses the power of the wind to propel the blades of wind turbines. These
turbines cause the rotation of magnets, which creates electricity. Though Pakistan has potentials
of wind energy ranging from 10000 MW to 50000 MW, yet power generation through wind is in
initial stages in Pakistan and currently 06 MW has been installed in first phase in Jhampir
through a Turkish company and 50 MW will be installed shortly. More wind power plants will
be built in Jhampir, Gharo, Keti Bandar and Bin Qasim Karachi.

b). Solar:
Solar power involves using solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity, using sunlight hitting
solar thermal panels to convert sunlight to heat water or air. Pakistan has potential of more than
100,000 MW from solar energy. Building of solar power plants is underway in Kashmir, Punjab,
Sindh and Balochistan. However, private vendors are importing panels / solar water heaters for
consumption in the market. Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) is working for
20,000 solar water heaters in Gilgit Baltistan. Mobile companies have been asked by the
government to shift supply of energy to their transmission towers from petroleum to solar energy
panels.

c). Agricultural biomass /biodiesel:

Biomass production involves using garbage or other renewable resources such as sugarcane, corn
or other vegetation to generate electricity. When garbage decomposes, methane is produced and
captured in pipes and later burned to produce electricity. Vegetation and wood can be burned
directly to generate energy, like fossil fuels, or processed to form alcohols. Brazil has one of the
largest renewable energy programs from biomass/biodiesel in the world, followed by USA.
Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) of Pakistan has planned to generate 10 MW of
electricity from municipal waste in Karachi followed by similar projects in twenty cities of
country.
 d). Tidal:
Tidal power can be extracted from Moon-gravity-powered tides by locating a water turbine in a
tidal current. The turbine can turn an electrical generator, or a gas compressor, that can then store
energy until needed. Coastal tides are a source of clean, free, renewable, and sustainable energy.
Plans are underway in Pakistan to harness tidal energy; however, no implementation has been
made so far.

3.4 Nuclear:
Nuclear power stations use nuclear fission reaction to generate energy by the reaction of uranium
inside a nuclear reactor. Pakistan has a small nuclear power program, with 425 MW capacity, but
there are plans to increase this capacity substantially.
Since Pakistan is outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is excluded from trade in
nuclear plant or materials, which hinders its development of civil nuclear energy. Remaining
issues in development of nuclear energy are enrichment of uranium from U235 to U238,
controlling chain reaction and dumping of solid waste.

Pakistan Nuclear Power Reactors

Reactor Type MW Construction started Commercial operation
Karachi PHWR* 125 1966 1972
Chashma 1 PWR** 300 1993 2000
Chashma 2 PWR** 300 2005 expected 2011
Total 425 MW
* Pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) - Canadian based reactors
** Pressurized water reactor (PWR) – Chinese based reactors

4. Causes of Energy Crisis : Pakistan’s energy crisis traces its roots to following distinct causes
:
4.1 Growing Energy Demand:
Over the years there is greater need of energy because of;
➢ Increase in population,
➢ Enhancement in lifestyle
➢ Industrial and agricultural growth
➢ Greater transportation needs
4.2 Lack of proactive and integrated planning for production of energy:
Pakistan has had wider potentials to tap energy, however, due to lack of any integrated/proactive
planning, very less number of power producing plant were installed to meet futuristic demands.
Resultantly, over the years, the gap between energy demand and supply drastically grew and now
against demand of 20000 MW, we are having around 11500 MW.
4.3 Imbalance energy mix:
Energy mix in Pakistan is quite imbalance in comparison to other countries, with greater reliance
on non-renewable resources of gas (43.7 %) and oil (29 % - majority of which is imported).
Prices of petroleum products/crude oil fluctuate and in current Afro-Arab political crisis, the oil
prices are likely to increase manifold affecting oil prices in Pakistan.
A rational energy mix planning ought to be developed giving greater dependency to renewable
 (hydel power), indigenous (coal) and alternative energy resources (wind and solar energy).
Nuclear energy can
4.4 Non-utilization of enormous indigenous energy resources:
➢ Thar Coal:
 Pakistan is having one of the largest coal fields in Thar, having reserves of more than 175
billion tones, which exceeds equivalent oil reserves of Saudi Arabia, Iran etc.
 In addition to power generation, this coal can be used for chemical and fertilizer production.
 Moreover, employment provided to workforce can be instrumental in increasing GDP and
economic prosperity to many families.
➢ Hydal power generation :
 Pakistan has potential of hydro resources to generate 41000 to 45000 MW, however, only
6555 MW is currently being generated by this important renewable resource.
 Four large hydro power dams namely Kalabagh 3600 MW, Bhasha 4500 MW, Bunji 5400
MW and Dasu 3800 MW can be constructed to generate hydro electricity.
 Similarly, many small to medium hydro plants can be installed on rivers and canals etc.
5. Consequences of Energy Crisis:
i). Economic Factors: Energy is pivotal for running all other resources and crisis of energy
directly influences all other sectors of the economy. The economic progress is hampered by
decline in agricultural productivity as well as by halting in operations of industries. One
important factor of lower GDP and inflation of commodity prices in recent years is attributed to
shortfalls in energy supply.
ii). Agriculture Sector: Agricultural productivity of Pakistan is decreasing due to provision of
energy for running tube wells, agricultural machinery and production of fertilizers and pesticides.
Thus higher energy means higher agricultural productivity.
iii). Industrial Sector: Nearly all Industrial units are run with the energy and breakage in energy
supply is having dire consequences on industrial growth. As a result of decline in energy supply,
industrial units are not only being opened, but also the existing industrial units are gradually
closing.
iv). Unemployment: By closure of industrial units and less agricultural productivity, new
employment opportunities ceased to exist and already employed manpower is shredded by the
employers to increase their profit ratios. Thus energy crisis contributes towards unemployment.

v). Social Issues: This factor is primarily related to the domestic usage of energy (cooking,
heating and water provision). Load shedding cause unrest and frustration amongst the people and
results in agitation against the government.

vi). Poverty: Declination in economic growth, lower agricultural productivity, unemployment

and shackling industrial growth result in increasing poverty. Currently, around forty percent of
our population is living beyond poverty line and this ratio is increasing day by day. Ample
control of energy crisis will surely yield in curbing the menace of poverty.
6. Conclusion:
Energy Crisis has, more or less, plagued all sectors of Pakistan’s machinery ranging from
economy to industry, agriculture to social life, inflation to poverty and it is hampering national
progress in a drastic manner. Nonetheless, menace of energy crisis can be overwhelmed by
 government through making effective policies and its proactive implementation. Simultaneously,
it is the responsibility of us, the people of Pakistan, to utilize the available energy astutely and
wisely to play our due role for progress of the country.

7. Recommendations/Solutions of Energy Crisis:

Energy crisis can be curtailed by:
i). Reducing unnecessary energy use:
➢ Usage of electricity saving devices
➢ Awareness campaign for energy saving
➢ Reduction in unnecessary transportations by developing good public transport systems and
strengthening Pakistan railways
➢ Reduction in industrial uses with installation of effective equipment/ energy efficient and with
increasing efficiency of workforce (cost effective)
➢ Decreasing reliance on rental power projects, because instead of doing any good, they are
increasing prices of electricity.
➢ Decreasing line losses by using efficient power transmission cables
ii). Developing new energy resources:
➢ Tapping indigenous resources (Thar coal)
➢ Using renewable resources (water) by constructing new dams and hydro power plants
➢ Import of natural gas by IPI (Iran, Pakistan, India) and TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and India) pipelines.
➢ Import of electricity from Tajikistan -through Pak Afghan Tajikistan transmission- and Iran
(approximately 1000 MW from each of them) pipelines
➢ Utilizing alternative energy resources :
 Wind power
 Biodiesel /Biomass
 Solar
 Tidal
➢ Enhancing civilian nuclear capacity.
The Economic Crises in Pakistan
The IMF has approved a loan tranche worth over $ 506 million to cash-strapped Pakistan as part of a three
year bailout programme. n September 2013, the IMF had approved a three-year Extended Fund Facility
amounting to $ 6.6 billion, of which it has made available $ 4.1 billion since September 2013.

With this newest installment, the focus seems to be shifting to critical structural reforms from quantitative
targets. Pakistan has met all its targets for January-March period as per this seventh review, which like
the sixth review enabled the country to not require any waiver from the executive board. The first five
reviews, however, provided ten waivers to keep the bailout programme on track.

The current economic crisis in Pakistan

IMF (2012) figures state that the real GDP growth in Pakistan over the past four years has averaged only
about 3 percent annually and was projected to be about 3.25 percent in 2012/13. This is a sharp decline
in growth given the 6 percent growth rate in 2007 (Peiris 2008). Additionally, Pakistan’s external position
has weakened substantially, as export growth turned negative in 2011/12 while imports grew and the
country’s financial account deteriorated reflecting weak financial inflows and debt repayments. The fiscal
deficit (excluding grants) reached 8.5 percent of GDP in 2011/12, well above the original budget target of
4 percent, reflecting both revenue and expenditure slippages, including higher subsidies (IMF 2012). There
has been a swift depletion of foreign exchange reserves, which have fallen to $6 billion from around $7.2
billion in March 2013 (The Nation, 2013).

In April 2013, an interim government headed by Prime Minister Hazar Khan Khuso put together a
delegation to participate in the annual meetings of the IMF/World Bank so as to negotiate an emergency
loan of between $5 billion and $8 billion (Peiris 2013). The negotiation of such a loan was initially
committed to in official statements by Nawaz Sharif (RTE 2013 – old) given widespread fears of an
imminent current accounts crisis, further rapid depreciation of the Pakistani rupee and soaring interest
rates. Pakistan’s current reserves of around $6 billion are equivalent to only two months of imports.

The crisis is compounded by the fact that Pakistan has to make debt repayments to the IMF on previous
loans. In 2008, the IMF had approved a $7.6 billion loan when Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves fell to
$3.5 billion (Bokhari 2013). Pakistan will require a loan of $6 billion to $9 billion to avoid a balance of
payments crisis, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB 2013).

Energy sector

Pakistan suffers from a chronic energy crisis, resulting possibly because of industrial growth outstripping
the pace of growth in generation, a badly maintained distribution system, ineffectively targeted energy
subsidies, and defaults on bill payments. In summer 2012, the country’s electricity shortfall was 8500 MW
– about 40 percent of the country’s total generation capacity, discounting transmission losses (Hashim
2013).

The energy sector is of relevance to addressing the economic crisis as it directly affects all the sectors that
contribute to the GDP growth rate. According to Pakistan Business Council Chairman, Sikandar Mustafa
Khan, the energy crisis has retarded Pakistan’s GDP growth rate by three to four percent and additionally
deterred substantial local and foreign investments (The Nation 2013).

The IMF wants Pakistan to reduce its fiscal deficit by cutting energy subsidies that consume 2 percent of
GDP per year. Pakistan sells its power for 9 rupees per unit whereas the cost of production is at 12 rupees
(Houreld 2013). However, the removal of energy subsidies could disproportionately affect the poor unless
they are accompanied by energy sector restructuring and reform, which the IMF does not clearly spell
out.

Tax Base

Roughly, only 1 percent of the country’s population pays income tax (Hashim 2013). Pakistan’s tax to GDP
ratio after 64 years is below 10 % of GDP, amongst the lowest in the world (Ahmed 2012). The IMF wants
Pakistan to broaden its tax base; this move has been committed to by the PML-N (PML-N 2013) in its
manifesto where it states that it will collect agricultural taxes that provinces have largely ignored. This
move could bring strong opposition from the powerful landowners, many of whom constitute the PML-N
primary vote base. The fact that the collection of the agricultural taxes will be difficult is further
corroborated by the absent articulation of a practical method to organize and implement this collection.
Further, tax on agriculture should be structured so that a majority falls on the rich landowners and not
the small producers, which the IMF does not clearly spell out.

Foreign Capital

Foreign investment is considered beneficial to the economic progress of developing countries as it can be
used to finance the gap between savings and investment, resulting in technology transfer, job creation,
productivity increase, and competition enhancement (Kobrin 2005, Le and Ataullah 2006, Thomas et al
2008 – in Saqib etc). However, many studies that have examined the impact of FDI on growth point to a
reverse trend. In conjunction with this reversal, dependency theory argues that FDI creates monopolies
in the industrial sector, which consequently results in under-utilization of domestic resources (Adams
2009 – in Saqib etc). A study by Saqib, Masnoon and Rafique (2013) concludes that Pakistan’s economic
performance is negatively affected by FDI whereas its domestic investment has benefited its economy.
The study notes that most of the benefits of FDI get diluted by the repatriation of profits to the investor
nation, explained by the limited capacity of the host country to absorb the transfer of knowledge and
technology for further development.

The conditions of an IMF loan will facilitate FDI in Pakistan’s economy, which may follow the logic of the
dependency theory and could negatively influence Pakistan’s economic development.

Economic Crisis in Pakistan

In 21st century economy is taken as ‘Religion’. It is the blood in the veins of nation state, vitality
in the human muscles, base for brutal wars and a reason for governments to rule. The motherland
has painfully 1 world’s best canal system, profitable geostrategic location, and unexplored
resources. The nation, who earned nuclear position despite miseable poverty and sever foreign
pressure, can do wonders, if provided with dedicated leadership.

Present Scenario:

Pakistan’s economy is in a downward spiral. Inflation is at 25percent (food inflation 50%),

foreign reserves are falling, and the government is in danger of defaulting on its foreign debt. A
spike in global food prices has hit Pakistanis especially hard, and the global financial crisis only
threatens to exacerbate Pakistan’s economic woes. Pakistan is watching foreign investors flee.

Weak governance has contributed to growing militancy in Pakistan, economic troubles, and
regional instability. As in the past, the possibility remains that Pakistan’s military could conduct
a coup if it perceives the government as inept. Or Pakistanis may rise up in protest due to the
government’s inability to deal with economic issues.

Pakistan economy is under its terrible crisis due to following REASONS

Ø One of the immediate causes is Political instability due to Musharaf’s position as president,
delay in restoring judiciary and resultantly withdrawal of PML (N) from the alliance leaving
behind ‘dead’ ministry of finance. In contrast the present government is not showing strong will
to cope with the situation. Though some Positive Measures. To end Load Shedding till 14th
August, 2009, Benazir income Scheme programme, Distribution of Land in Sindh, tight Tariff
System against luxury items

Ø Suicide attacks in the industrial cities-fear among people, disinvestment and maximum
outflow of capital, especially in Dubai stock exchange crash.

Foreign investment in 2007 was $ 700,63.5 million but in 2008 only $329 million.

Ø Soaring oil prices due to increased demand from growing economics of China and India, Iraq
crisis, Iran holding its oil export, devaluation of Dollar after Iraq invasion and limited supply by
OPEC, refusal of Saudi Arabia to enhance its oil supply. More population to use energy from to
$ 134/ barrel in 2008.

Ø Food crisis oil prices, low agriculture yield due to heavy cost of production (seeds,
pesticides, water and fertilizers), unavailability of small loans to small farmers, power shortage,
fast increasing of population, poor governance in managing the food and to stop its smuggling to
Afghanistan. Central Asia and Iran which stored big food stocks due to American war. World
Food Crisis encouraged its smuggling. Less attention by the governments to live stock, dairy
stock, increased circulation of paper currency. Big share of ‘Middle Man’.

Ø World Food Crisis: population explosion, emergence of middle class with more food
consumption in India and China. Low yield in India. Earthquake in China, increase in world oil
prices.

Ø ENERGY CRISIS:
Ø Inflation means price hike, huge gar between demand and supply, too many rupees chasing
too few things. More supply of Money due to; AID after 9/11. Foreign Remittances due to over
seas Pakistanis, growth in banking sector and investment in real estate. Poor supply of goods,
food items due to low yield. Inflation due to rise in oil prices, food, removal of food subsidy,
devaluation of Rupee, higher import price, Government borrowing from State Bank Rs . 544
billion. Resultantly increase in wage-price. Delay in monetary tightening by the State Bank.
Government claims 25% while actual is 32% while food inflation is 45%

Ø Deceleration of growth in manufacturing: energy crisis. Terrorist incidents. High interest

rates by SBP discouraged Private investment. High imports and low exports. 75 industrial units
in Karachi and 85 in Faisalabad were closed due to energy crisis.

Ø Fiscal deficit: 6.5% of GDP, target was 4%. Due to slippage in revenue and expenditure-
Dismal Growth; lower Tax collection. Heavy subsidy on oil effected current expenditure,
increased in development expenditure. Decline external financing flows, so the government
borrowed from SBP which caused monetary expansion, continuous Defense Budget.

Poor tax system:

Only salaried persons pay regular tax, while the major sectors find safe path through corruption.
Agriculture tax cannot be imposed due to feudal in policy making.

Unilateral growth:

Production was not encouraged by the previous government, rather Pakistan was made a
consumer society, services sector was enhanced which created less jobs.

China factor:

Cheaper Chinese products destroyed our industry thus created unemployment, more burdens on
economy.

Illiterate labor: is less productive

Defence budget at the expense of economic development

Regional conflicts has marred the gas pipelines and usage of Gwadar.

Overpopulation at the rate of 1.9% is swallowing the resources

IMF loans hinder development and put burden on the masses.

Positive Indicators:

Services sector expansion at 8.2%. Highest Sugarcane production 63.9% million.

Construction field, per capital income $ 1085.

Statistic:

GDP growth rate 5.8% investment declined to 21.6% of GDP. National savings to 13.9% of
GDP.

Pragamatic Solutions:
· political commitment to formulate short term and long term policies with consistency

· Levy of an excise duty on non-essential consumer goods to save foreign reserves

· Development of the agricultural income tax by the provinces

· Give priority to agriculture, water, power, health and education.

· Limiting the extent of govt borrowing from the State Bank of Pakistan

· Establish an independent Federal Bureau of Statistics headed by a professional that directly

reports to the Parliament and not to the govt.

· Establish independent panel of experts to engage in the consultative process in the design,
implementation and monitoring of donor supported projects critical to the medium-term
economic recovery. This will ensure transparency, rig our and relevance.

· Given the multiple dimensions of uncertainty in the global, national and household economy, it
is essential that the highest priority for protection to the poor where uncertainty can lead to
irreversible damage-in the shape of high morbidity and mortality, decline in the nutritional status
of children and women, and withdrawal from schools.

· An over-arching principle should be maximum leveraging of scarce public resources by

exploring all potential avenues for private partnership in the public development program.

· A core structure weakness of the economy highlighted by the current crisis is the lack of
international competitiveness that retards an export-led growth strategy.

· Govt’s role in providing marketing information and producing to international needs to be

revamped.

· Within country logistics costs should be reduced.

· Worker skills are critical to give our firms a competitive edge in international markets;
programs for skill upgrading need to be modernized.
· The current debilitating power shortages have to be redressed quickly and a well through
medium term energy plan need to be in place that provides reasonably priced and good quality
power to industry.

· Given our natural comparative advantage in agriculture, i.e. the world’s largest contiguous
canal irrigation system, diversity of agro-climatic zones, good soil conditions and cheap labor
with a centuries old farming traditions, poor crop yields and absence of high value added
agricultural exports, is a glaring example of unfulfilled promise.

· Maintenance, modernization and expansion of key rural infrastructure spanning water, roads
and electricity are in urgent need of policy and institutional reforms.

· Accelerating the growth of small and medium farms where there is considerable potential for
increasing yield per acre and employment generation

To reduce regional inequalities by actively targeting less-developed areas of the country. The
Balochistan govt must be provided the resources to implement its strategy. In addition, similar
strategies need to be developed for NWFP.

Greater decentralization of resources and setting of development priorities by the provinces

themselves.

Encourage investment by China in Pakistan through development of infrastructure and

appropriate

incentives to tap South Asian markets.

Increase and modernize land trade routes, including investment in infrastructure and allowing
each others trucks and containers to carry cargo to market destinations.

Pakistan’s institutional and economic structure continues to constrains its ability to achieve long-
term poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth; and sustain an unequal distribution of
income and opportunities for its male and female citizenry. Therefore to provide equitable
market access for the poor and enable them to contribute to GDP growth through sustainable
livelihood.

Poverty reduction;

· Access over productive assets to provided to the poor.

Distribution of state land to landless and tenant households that support production and provide
extension services. Provision of credit to the poor, particularly small farmers, to become equity
holders in mainstream corporate enterprises and fields such as milk, livestock, marine fisheries,
processed food and even industries like telecommunications, apparel and software.

During President Clinton’s visit to Pakistan in March 2000- he said, ‘This era does not reward
people who struggle in vain to redraw borders with blood. It belongs to those in the region who
look beyond borders, for partners and for commerce and trade’.

Conclusion:

Pakistan is surrounded by numerous internal and external threats of gigantic magnitude. Our
mother land is the achievement of millions of sacrifices. Therefore, it is prime duty of every
individual, the society, and the state to uphold the constructive norms in order to get honor in the
community of nations. Pakistan is not a poor country, but a poorly managed country; only a sincere
leadership with real commitments can turn this hell into heaven. Need is for restoring confidence
of people who have potential to achieve all the colors of rainbow. The present ongoing occupation
of neighboring brother countries by the world’s only super power, America, signifies that a
disorganized Pakistan may fell prey to its aggression. Only energetic people, a dedicated leadership
with strong military muscles, improved economy and dynamic society face
Gender Equility is a Myth
It's been more than 100 years since the world began observing International Women's Day, and
yet no country has achieved full gender equality.

“It’s very sobering to realize that it’s 2016 and we don’t have that yet,” said Daniela Ligiero,
Vice President of Girls and Women Strategy at the United Nations Foundation.

Of 145 nations, Iceland has come closest in the realms of economic participation and
opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment, according
to 2015 data from the World Economic Forum.

But in Yemen, the country that ranks lowest according to the same data, women are only
considered half a witness in court cases and are forbidden to leave the house without their
husbands' permission. In Tanzania and Lesotho, women cannot inherit land. All around the
world, 1 in 3 women will experience some kind of sexual violence or intimate partner violence in
her lifetime, Ligiero said.

As several countries around the globe mark International Women’s Day today, here are a few
key indicators depicting the status of women and some of the challenges that remain.

Education

About two-thirds of countries in the developing world have achieved gender equality in primary
education according to U.N. data, but the progress is less substantial at the secondary school
level.

In Africa and South Asia for example, boys remain 1.55 times more likely to complete secondary
education than girls, according to World Bank data. Statistics from the U.N. Children's Fund,
UNICEF, show that in 2012 at least 19 countries had fewer than 90 girls for every 100 boys in
school, with the greatest disparity in the Arab States and sub-Saharan Africa.

Even when girls make it into the classroom they still “continue to face particular risk in chaotic
conflict settings,” said Nisha Varia, advocacy director for the women’s rights division of Human
Rights Watch.

In Pakistan, for example, the Taliban has declared war on girls' education, and frequently attacks
educational institutions. In 2012, Pakistani Taliban gunmen shot education activist Malala
Yousafzai, who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In Nigeria, most of the 300 girls kidnapped by extremist militia Boko Haram in 2014 are still
missing.

Employment
The obstacles to women’s upward mobility do not subside if they manage to attain academic
qualifications.

“They don’t translate into greater equality in the labor market,” said Sarah Gammage, director of
gender, economic empowerment and livelihoods at the International Center for Research on
Women. “Around the world women have disproportionately been part of the informal economy.”

They are typically responsible for providing care services for family members, Gammage said.
Other duties include child rearing, cooking, and other household chores. It is work for which
they are not paid. Women perform three times more unpaid work than men, according to
the U.N.’s 2015 Human Development Report.

“This has a huge impact in terms of the types of mobility women are allowed,” Ligiero said. “If
you are spending up to eight, nine hours collecting water, caring for kids, how are you going to
get an education or engage in some kind of activity that is actually paid?”

The absence of women from the paid labor market is hurting the world economy, development
experts say. For example, if women were to play an identical role in labor markets to that of
men, as much as $28 trillion, or 26%, could be added to global annual GDP by 2025, according
to a September 2015 study by McKinsey Global Institute.

“That’s what we’re missing out on by not fully empowering women,” said Ligiero.

Legal, social and cultural restrictions

Legal restrictions also continue to hinder women’s upward mobility in many countries of the
world.

Being able to make decisions, such as voting, owning land, and deciding whom to marry “is
where we see the most significant difference between the least developed and developed
countries,” said Varia.

In Tanzania, when a woman’s husband dies, the man’s clan appoints an administrator to deal
with his estate, and that is typically not the wife, according to human rights advocates.

In Saudi Arabia, women are not permitted to drive and cannot open bank accounts without
their husbands' permission. In Iran, a prominent politician recently called for donkeys, monkeys
and women to be kept out of parliament. Uganda forbids women to gain permanent custody of
children after a divorce, and Vatican City remains the only country in the world where women
cannot vote. That’s because only cardinals are allowed to vote for a new pope -- and since
women cannot become leaders of the Catholic Church this bars them, and men who are not
cardinals, from the polling booth. It's also illegal for women to get divorced in Vatican City.

Social and cultural norms also continue to stifle women’s progress, and the restrictions can be
both dangerous and debilitating.
Honor killings, the traditional practice that allows the slaying of a family member who is
believed to have brought dishonor on a family, claims thousands of women’s lives every year in
South and Central Asia. Pakistani human rights NGOs estimate that there are about 1,000 honor
killings every year, according to Human Rights Watch.

Some communities in Ghana practice the tradition of trokosi, where young girls are “gifted” to
priests to atone for crimes, typically committed by a male family member, or to show gratitude
for a blessing.

More than 700 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthdays, according to
UNICEF. Of those, about 250 million were wed before age 15. Child brides are still common in
West and Central Africa and South Asia, Ligiero said. This can lead to girls dropping out of
school, experiencing early pregnancy and being at risk of domestic violence, women’s rights
officials said.

In Pakistan and Afghanistan, women can be forced to marry to settle a feud, while in Morocco
they can be forced to marry their rapists. Algeria and Tunisia give a pass to rapists if they wed
their victims. Husbands in Lebanon can “legally” rape their wives because the law does not
recognize the concept of spousal rape.

In Kenya’s Luo community, women can be subject to wife inheritance. The age-old practice
where a brother weds the widow of his brother has been blamed for contributing to the spread of
HIV/AIDS.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

Reproductive rights

A lack of reproductive rights and control over sexual health remains one of the most problematic
areas for women in many countries.

In El Salvador, where abortion is outlawed, a woman can be jailed for having a miscarriage or
stillbirth.

Female genital mutilation continues to plague women and girls. At least 200 million people alive
today have undergone the procedure in 30 countries, according to a recent UNICEF report. Half
of all the girls and women who have been cut live in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia, and girls 14
and younger represent 44 million of those who have undergone the mutilation, according to the
agency's data.

Mortality rates for pregnant women are also startling. For example, an African woman faces a 1
in 31 chance of dying during childbirth whereas in the developed world that statistic is 1 in
4,300, according to Ligiero of the U.N. Foundation.

“There have been significant strides in several areas and huge challenges and pushback in
others,” said Varia. “Women’s rights remain a struggle.”
For more news on global sustainability, go to our Global Development Watch
page:latimes.com/global-development

Most of us have a God given belief that all human beings are born equal, which means that
everyone has equal qualities and equal attributes and gets equal opportunities to excel in life. Yet
today we see people who are a genius in doing some things and not even mediocre in doing other
things. It is argued that every human being has a different set of qualities and his success
depends on identifying and utilizing those qualities. But it is my belief that equality is a man
made term used only to satisfy the pseudo intellectuals. It is said that there are three general
types of equalities; religious and spiritual, mental and physical and economic equality. When
practically analyzed, the term “types of equalities” becomes ironic as equality at any level is
nonexistent.

Religion asserts equality. Most of the religions including Christianity, Judaism and Islam declare
that all humans are created equal regardless of their color, race and status. However the concept
of heaven and hell in these very same religions contradicts their concept of equality. If all
humans were equal then it would be impossible to differentiate them into good and bad and
hence would be impossible to decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. Proponents of the
concept of equality argue that all humans are equal in the sense that they are given equal
opportunities of worship to earn their place in heaven. For example it has been stated in Quran
that people of the earlier ages used to live for six to seven hundred years, so they had much more
opportunities to gain higher rank in heaven however it has also been stated that now as people
have much shorter lives, their good deeds will be rewarded much more so as to give them an
equal opportunity of gaining higher rank in heaven. However, my question to the people who
believe that equality exists is : How come a rich person gets an opportunity to perform Hajj,
which is considered to be the most rewarding act in Islam, several times in his life and a poor
person cannot even dream of performing it because of its expenses? Similarly, a person born in a
far corner of the world may never be enlightened with light of faith let alone get an opportunity
to worship. Is not life like a game of chance rather than something based on the principles of
equality?

There is also the case of mental and physical equality. Every person may not be mentally and
physically equal, some are mentally sharper than others and some live physically better lives
than others. It is argued that people are given equal potential to excel in something and their
success depends on identifying and utilizing that potential. Yet, most of the people with
disabilities cannot be equal to others because they cannot equip themselves to fully recognize
their potential and compete with other people. Unfortunately, they do not have a real chance of
educating themselves as they require specially trained teachers and a specific environment which
is either very expensive to provide or not provided at all. Even if disabled people educate
themselves, employers would be unwilling to employ them because in that case they would have
to provide special facilities for the disabled people, which would increase the cost and lower
profits of the organization. One may point out that it is the duty of the government not only to
educate such people but also to ensure that they get employment opportunities, but in reality the
best quality of education and employment opportunities are provided by the private sector.
Similarly a person who is mentally weaker than others will find it difficult to excel in anything
and even hard work would only allow him to lead a mediocre life. Therefore attaining equality
on mental and physical level becomes almost impossible.

Today one of the major emphases of the world community is on promoting racial and gender
equality and ensuring equal opportunity to everyone. The world's most influential and developed
nation, America, boasts of these qualities. Yet, according to a Washington based Justice Policy
Institute, the number of Black men in jail or prison is greater than the number of black men in
college. Furthermore, a report issued by the Justice Department of America states that “Black
men born in the United States in 2001 will have a one in three chance of going to prison during
their lifetime if current trends continue” (Younge). Also a study released on July 18th 2007, by
the criminal justice policy group in America states that “Blacks in the United States are
imprisoned at more than five times the rate of whites, and Hispanics are locked up at nearly
double the white rate” (Http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289835,00.html. Rep. Sentencing
Project, July & Aug. 2007. Web.). Clearly these facts not only provide evidence of racial
discrimination but also imply that Blacks and Hispanics do not get as much opportunities as
Whites in America. Black people are not violent by birth but it is the circumstances that make
them behave in such a way. Racial discrimination, lack of employment opportunities creates
unrest and frustration in their society. As a result such people resort to crime and drugs. Had
there been racial equality and everyone was given equal opportunity, such issues would never
have risen.

Gender equality is also debatable. According to the theological concept of Complementarianism,

found especially in Christianity, men and women are given different set of qualities so as to
equip them to play their unique role in the society. Basically men and women are referred to as
two halves of the same body, each has a specific role to play and each compliments the other.
Therefore it might be deduced that both sexes are equal and have specific roles to play but
historically women have been deprived of equal rights with men. Even the Pope Joan Paul II
denied the priestly ordination on women. In Islam, women are not given equal property rights as
compared with the property rights given to men and a woman's testimony is given half weight
age to that of a man.

The communist economic and social system is based on creating an Egalitarian society. Despite
the fact that two of the most powerful nations of the world namely China and Russia followed it,
Communism failed to make its mark and crumbled under pressure from Capitalism. It is nature's
law that only the fittest will survive. The stronger baby inside the shark's womb kills its own
weaker siblings so that it can get better nutrition, when the koyal bird's baby hatches; the baby
pushes the other eggs over the nest so as to ensure better nourishment for itself. Similar is the
case for humans as well, only the toughest have been able to make their mark. So any system
based on equality will not be sustainable as people under that system can never be equal. On the
other hand the Capitalist system, which is criticized for causing unfair distribution of wealth and
power, is being followed all over the world. And unfortunately this system has created huge
economic disparities. According to the CIA World Fact Book of 2010, Togo with a population of
over six million people has gross domestic product of 2.771 billion dollars and 32 percent of its
population lives below poverty line. In contrast, as stated in Forbes magazine, the net worth of
Bill Gates Empire is 50 billion dollars, meaning that the wealth of a single person is more than
twenty times the income of a whole nation.
On religious and spiritual level, belief in equality is a misconception as God Himself has made
Heaven and Hell to differentiate good people from bad ones. Diversity is a natural phenomenon.
We do not possess the mental capacity to control nature, and hence any attempt by scientists to
alter our genes in order to create a mentally and physically equal human being is deemed to fail.
Equality on an economic level is possible under an ideal system but practically it is almost
impossible to introduce such a system. But in all these cases, two features can be gleaned which
prove equality as a myth. The first feature concerns the fact that we as a society make conscious
attempts to create or impose equality. This is significant because any change to the status quo is
usually to counter some existing aspect of it. In this case, an attempt at equality suggests that the
natural order is one of inequality. This proves that equality is an artificial construct, the
equivalent of a myth. The second feature concerns the current state of affairs, and how, despite
attempts at equality, we are still within a system where inequality is prevalent. This shows that
equality is not a reality, and is by necessity a myth.

We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make
up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the
average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not
change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—
commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and
women are granted equal pay and equal respect.

Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why
are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We
have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality
becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly
possible.

OUTLINE:

INTRODUCTION:

Gender equality
Myths and reality
Pakistan a low ranked country in terms of gender equality
Gender discrimination in Pakistan
Male chauvinist society
Women as target of male dominance
Patriarchal trend in pakistan
low percentage of participation on the bases of their gender

CONCEPTS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES:

gender selective abortions
female infanticide
deprived of education
Domestic abuse
Dowry abuse and bride burning cases
honor killing,karo-kari,marriage with Quran
Malala Yousef Zai case 9 oct 12
Sexual haressment
Rape- worst form of violence against women
Dehli student rape case- Joyti Singh 16 dec 12
Women trafficking
Women treated as second class citizen

WOMEN AS A POWERFUL ASSET OF A COUNTRY:

Women in modern time

Her role in society and family
Women in light of ISLAM

APPRECIABLE STEPS:

Paving the way for gender equality:

Feminist movements
women empowerment

ICONS:

Benazir Bhutto, Hina Rabbani Kher, Sherry Rehman, Asma Jehangir

Protection and prevention bills passed by Government for women
Enhancing female education and awareness
Islam and Post Modern World
(1) What is post-modernism? Does it have a universal definition?

A question asking for any definition that is universal implies the existence of an essential quality
that transcends local context. This would according to the postmodern dogma constitute an
unforgivable sin. The primary moral agenda behind postmodern attempts to destabilize the
foundations of modern knowledge and modern ethics is to challenge essential theorizing
claiming universal applicability. The postmodern thinker seeks to privilege the now and the here
– the local over the global.

Postmodernist discourses come in various forms. They include and are not limited to
postcolonial narratives, literary theory and its criticism, poststructuralist analysis, postmodern
feminism, deconstruction, genealogies, archaeologies of history and often simple cultural
relativist arguments that reject rationality and rationalism. Because of their diversity it is difficult
to describe what postmodern discourses really are. But it is easy to infer what they are not. They
are not grand narratives which claim justification on the basis of some transcendent ethic or
infallible reason and boast of validity across time and space. Postmodern narratives take pride in
their cultural and historically specific character.

Postmodernism, I believe, may not have a universally applicable definition, Lyotard’s famous
claim “postmodernism is an expression of incredulity at grand narratives” not withstanding; but
it is most certainly is a universal phenomenon. I think that postmodernism as a reaction and even
a rejection of the constitutive elements of post-enlightenment modernity, it is a widespread
collection of phenomena. In a postindustrial society, like that of Western Europe, postmodernism
manifests as a rejection of modern institutions such as marriage, traditional family structure,
gender roles and even nationalism. In the Muslim World postmodernism manifests in the form of
religious resurgence which rejects modernist institutions such as secularism and nationalism and
instead advocates a different moral/political ethic and a different political unit (Ummah).

(2) How did post modernism evolve from modernist views?

This is a very complex question and begs a long and historical narrative. Nevertheless in the
interest of brevity let’s assume that there is indeed a human impulse for freedom. It is this
impulse for freedom which discovered that modernity had become a tradition. In a curious way
being a modern society, under the benevolent protection of a nation state, worshipping reason
and science, meant living in a traditional society. Postmodernism in that sense is the exasperated,
and to some extent, an irrational response to the stifling quality of modern institutions.

The culture of centrist liberalism with its politically correct discourse that dominates advanced
societies is in many ways emaciating the human spirit rather than emancipating it.
Postmodernism is a violent reaction to this form of modern political culture.

Let me make a bold claim here. The most spectacular postmodern manifestation is the
contemporary explosion of terrorism. Notice how terrorism is seen as an enemy by the most
powerful of all modern institutions – the nation state. Terrorism defies all the ethics anchored
around the principle of sovereignty. Today terrorists and nation states are locked in a global
struggle. Notice how terrorist see themselves as freedom fighters and states fighting terrorists
claim that they are protecting freedom. This is about freedom. Postmodernism is about
rediscovering freedom.

The postmodern challenge to modernity manifests itself in two separate but equally devastating,
forms. One is cultural and the other is philosophical (epistemological). On the cultural front,
postmodern manifestations in the form of new social movements whether in art forms, politics or
lifestyles, are joyously disrupting the neat order of things that reason had established in the
heyday of modernity. On the epistemological front, postmodern incursions are subverting not
only the foundations of truth, but also the possibility of ever establishing any truth claims.

If the cultural assault of postmodernism is devastating, than its epistemological assault cannot be
described as anything but as “writing the epitaph of modernity”. While modernity decenterred
God and in its place crowned reason as the sovereign authority that alone determined the
legitimacy of truth claims, postmodernity has chosen to dethrone not only reason but the very
notion of authority and the very idea of Truth with a capital T.

How then in the postmodern vision will the project of civilization survive or progress? The
answer is more than startling. All projects are illegitimate because they undermine competing
projects and because it is power, not any intrinsic worth, that determines which project becomes
the civilizational project. Progress is a myth. Without God, without reason, without a worldview,
how do we live? The postmodern answer is let life itself find the way. So just live, “just do it”
and life will lead you to life.

The prophets of postmodernity and their cohort have little to offer. Foucault says power is god.
Derrida says dance to the sound as human civilization is deconstructed — god by god and idea
by idea. Rorty says let life be guided by success, it does not matter if there is no intrinsic good in
life or success.

Because modernity in an attempt to institutionalize freedom (oxymoron?) has created and

proliferated regimes of discipline, the human spirit is rebelling in the form of postmodern
moments of insanity.

(3) Is the phenomenon of globalization a product of post modern thinking?

There is no such phenomenon as globalization. We however are experiencing a phenomenon that

can be described more accurately as glocalization (hence my website http://www.glocaleye.org).
Structural processes and discourses of identity and difference are tearing the modern era apart.
We live in a strange world. We are at the peak of scientific achievements; the gnome project has
been completed, we are on the verge of cloning human beings, simulations and artificial
intelligence are paying dividends and yet the Talibans and Hindutvavadis in the East and Jerry
Springers and Jerry Falwells in the West enjoy supporters in millions.

Glocalization therefore is a crucial site where the forces of modernity and Postmodernity are
waging an unlimited war. If the modernists win the nation state, and along with it reason and
science will reassert sovereignty over the human subject. If the terrorists, the cultural crazies, the
environmental junkies, the religious fanatics win, then contingency and not reason, locality and
not globality, anarchy and not sovereignty will prevail.

(4) Do you see any possibility for the co-existence of religious/ fundamentalist thinking and
post modernist philosophy?

Yes I do. In fact I believe that the contemporary resurgence of religion is a postmodern
phenomenon. Both postmodern philosophy and Religious theology reject the modernist claim in
the infallibility of reason.

For over three hundred years, Islam has faced the challenge of European enlightenment and
modernity. While compared to other religions, Islam has performed formidably and by far. While
the significance of nearly all religions has receded to the private domain or even into vestigial
customs and occasional rituals, Islam has experienced a major resurgence in the twentieth
century. The scars of modernity, however, are easy to see on the face on the Muslim World.
Secularism and Nationalism, two of modernity’s worst diseases, are now well entrenched in
many parts of the Muslim World. Ideologies emerging from the conditions of modernity such as
Marxism and liberalism continue to compete with Islam in trying to shape Muslim societies.
Even Muslim intellectuals who are seeking authenticity are compelled to succumb to modernist
discourses, thereby furthering the agenda of modernity at the expense of Islam.

Islam and modernity, one must remember are not necessarily antithetical. Indeed one could argue
that the genesis of enlightenment and modernity can be found in thriving medieval Islamic
civilization. However modernity has taken many wrong turns in the last century by corrupting its
own foundational principles. The value of freedom, understood by Kant as freedom to do good is
now understood as freedom to do anything. Reason has been displaced by instrumental reason.
Knowledge has become the servant of power. Wisdom has been replaced by public opinion.
Even as Muslims enjoy the fruits of modernity, Islam continues to struggle against the dark side
of modernity.

As a contemporary Islamic philosopher, living in the dusk of modernity and in the heart of the
West, deeply nostalgic for a divinely ordained order of things which is consistent with reason
and justice, full of compassion and mercy, I am fascinated by the systematic deconstruction of
modernity by the very forces it engendered and unleashed upon itself. The normative structure of
boundless freedom and a culture of irreverence that modernity has deliberately fostered to
subvert God has now turned upon its creator.

Skepticism based on the assumed infallibility and universal sovereignty of reason was the
constitutive character of modernity. It was designed to eliminate faith and re-channel Man’s
inherent compulsion to submit and worship. New Gods and new traditions were invented, new
prophets were proclaimed and new heavens were imagined. But religion has not only survived
the five hundred year assault on God and his messages, but has returned with an increased fervor
that baffles the postmodern being.

The postmodern being, whose heart without faith is empty and mind without reason is immature,
can destroy the fragile foundations of modernity, ridicule the memories of tradition but can
neither comprehend and nor deal with the postmodern resurgence of faith.
Those waging a losing battle for Modernity against Postmodernity reject the resurgence of faith
as a return to backward premodernity. Their shortsightedness precludes them from imagining the
resurgence of faith not as a return but as a leap forward.

For those who were always with God and comfortable with reason, in the tradition of Al Ghazali,
Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Rushd, the resurgence of religion is merely the continuation of the divine
way. Islam never succumbed either to modernity nor is losing out to postmodernity. Islam’s
decline was geopolitical and economic, never epistemological. The entire musical chairs of
authority, God, Reason, Conventions, Text, and Nothing, is Western and limited to those
societies who have succumbed to the forces of modernism completely.

Islam was from the beginning comfortable with reason. Recognizing its immense potential and
necessity but also remaining acutely cognizant of its limitation. The Al Ghazali-Ibn Rushd
debate on the nature of causality is an excellent chronicle of Islam’s position on reason. Islam
simultaneously recognized the absoluteness of Truth as well as the relativity of truth claims. For
nearly 1300 years Muslims have believed in one Shariah but recognized more than four different,
competing and even contradictory articulations of this Shariah (madhahib).

Islam has survived the experiment called modernity and will survive the bonfire (postmodernity)
that is threatening to burn down the lab along with the experiment. There is sufficient play within
Islam in terms of epistemological pluralism, whether it is recognition of the validity of different
legal opinions based on different contexts or time or based on different discursive epistemes such
as burhan– illumination, jadal–dialectics, and khatabah–rhetoric, that will allow Islam to
negotiate postmodernity’s epistemological rampage.

Challenge of Post Modernism: The Islamic Perspective

Introduction
Postmodernism refers to a cultural, intellectual, and artistic state lacking a clear central hierarchy
or organizing principle. It embodies extreme complexity, contradiction, ambiguity and diversity.
It is a reaction to modernism, but it is not a different ideology from modernism in every sense. It
is critical of few ideas of modernism and it proposes emancipation from oppression manifested
in culture, language, laws, customs, religion etc. Eclecticism and freedom of expression, in
reaction to the rigidity and aesthetic limitations of modernism, are the hallmarks of the
postmodern thought.

Deconstruction is a term which is used to denote the application of postmodern ideas of

criticism, or theory, to a "text" or "artifact". A deconstruction is meant to undermine the frame of
reference and assumptions that underpin the text. Postmodernism philosophy is also critical of
Enlightenment universals.
Postmodernism philosophy asserts truth doesn't exist in any objective sense but is created rather
than discovered.” The postmodernists have given a new secular trinity of tolerance–diversity–
choice.

Post Modernism ideas appear to have been conducive to, and strongly associated with, the
feminist movement, racial equality movements, gay rights movements and even the peace
movement, as well as various hybrids of these in the current anti-globalization movement.

--

History does not give us a regular pattern of human struggle towards a just and fair political,
social and economic setup as described by Marx. Kant also did not tell when we will be able to
say that we are living in an enlightened age. These views of Marx and Kant were more relevant
to Europe only. (On the other hand,) the Muslim world provided a socially, economically and
politically just system to the world for at least 50 years in the rule of Caliphates. In the period
after caliphates too, Muslim world provided (to the Dark ages) most things Kant asked for in an
enlightened age.

However, one clear difference has to be appreciated between Muslims and Islam. Most of the
laws in Christianity were mainly developed by humans themselves like St. Paul. Therefore, when
thinkers of 15th century and afterwards criticized the church and the clergy, their criticism was
also on religion and it was justified as the Christianity and the Clergy were the one and the same
thing.

This is not the case with Islam and Muslims. Islam was not invented or created by Muhammad
(P.B.U.H). It was the message of God as was Christianity with the difference that the divinity of
Christianity was obscured and later modified by Christians. Islam as a message of God remained
pure. However, Muslims as all other human beings have not been and are not perfect in their acts
and systems. But, the acts of Muslims can not said to be representative of what Islam is as Islam
was not invented by Muslims.

Therefore, a distinction is to be made between the Muslims and Islam. Muslims may or maybe
acting truly on Islam and hence their actions do not determine what Islam is. When we study the
‘Pure Islam’, we will find that there is not a single thing in Islam that is irrational or unjust. In
the following lines, I will just give the brief highlights of Islamic teachings which may or may
not be truly present or found in Muslim world as Islam is the word of God and not how Muslims
act and lead their lives.

The Building Blocks of Islamic Philosophy and Teachings which are viewed as most
controversial and misunderstood dare briefly summarized hereunder:

1. Islam gives the following right to women:

a. Muslim women must educate themselves.

b. Choose an occupation and earn their livelihood
c. Own a property.
d. Choose their husbands and right to separate from their husbands.
e. Entitlement to ‘Mehr’ (wealth at the start of marriage), ‘wirasat’ (wealth at the death of
husband, children or father).
f. Islam does not make it obligatory on women to earn for their family. However, they can earn
for the family and yet they are not obliged to spend their earnings on the family. However, men
are obliged to spend their earnings on the family and they are made responsible for earning the
livelihood for their children and wives.
g. Mother must be respected three times more than the father.
h. No man is allowed to have extra-marital relationships with other women.
i. Adultery is a severe crime in Islam.

2. Islam gives following rights to non-Muslims:

a. Non-Muslims can worship at their worship places.

b. No non-Muslim can be forcibly converted to Islam.
c. Muslims believe in all Prophets sent by God including Moses and Christ.

3. Islam’s concept of Jihad

a. Holy Quran says that Jihad can only be for the sake of eliminating injustice.
b. It is not q fight against non-Muslims. It is fight against injustice.
c. It can only be undertaken as a last resort to eliminating injustice.
d. It can only be undertaken by the government and not by the community on its own.
e. In all great battles of Badr, Uhud, Ihzab etc., Muslims in the leadership of Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H) fought a defensive war as the war was imposed on Muslims.
f. Jihad can not be for the expansion of the state, against innocents, against noncombatants,
against the contract of peace if it has been signed and it can not be sudden and unannounced. So,
suicide bombing against civilians is unislamic.

4. Islam concept of equality:

a. All men are equal. No white has superiority over a black.

b. Only Piety and Righteousness are the attributes that will distinguish us before God.
c. No rich has superiority over a poor.
d. All men should have equal chance to earn their livelihood.
e. Interest which results in concentration of wealth is prohibited.

Responding to Post Modernism: The Islamic Perspective

1. Knowledge was the main reason why Muslims fared so well in history for almost a
millennium. Knowledge is the basis of progress. Greek philosophers regarded Knowledge as
virtue. Similarly, the west also took lead from east with progress in knowledge. By knowledge, I
mean not only the knowledge of religion and its related fields, but also the knowledge in sciences
including social and technical sciences.
2. Ijtihad was an important element in Islamic world in heydays. It kept Muslims updated and
pace with the world. The decline in Muslim civilization resulted from refraining from Ijtihad
later on.
3. Freedom of expression is necessary in Muslim societies to pave the way of Ijtihad. In
revitalizing the process of Ijtihad, not only the Muslims scholars begiven the chance to
contribute, but the philosophers and experts of material sciences be given a chance to contribute
in Ijtihad.
4. The institution of Family system is the basis of the social order in Muslim society. Muslims
should not lose it at any cost.
5. Muslims should relate their philosophies with philosophies like Humanism, Liberalism,
Democracy and show that they are in line with Islamic teachings and hence Islam is not opposed
to liberty, human rights, women rights, minority rights, etc.
6. The economic teachings of Islam in a period when late capitalism is weakening can provide an
alternative system to the world economy.
7. Extremism as a matter of principle be avoided and non-violence should be the strategy in
domestic and international politics.
8. West has made trade blocs to unite and gain from synergy. Muslims should also need to be on
one platform so that if future gives them the opportunity to give a new system, they can offer the
Revitalized and Restructured Islamic thought from one platform.

WHAT is the relation between Islam and post-modernism? Earlier, we used to talk of Islam and
modernism and now we talk of Islam and post-modernism.

First let us understand the difference between modernism and post-modernism. Modernism
which ruled the roost until the early 1950s was characterised by a hegemony of reason.
Modernism rejected anything which was not in conformity with reason.

Modernism was, in a way, quite intolerant of forces of tradition or even anything supra-rational,
let alone irrational. It was for this reason that Freud's theory of the subconscious or unconscious
was also ridiculed by modernists. It was not deemed to be in conformity with reason. Even
Marxists also rejected Freud and his explanation of deeper sources of human behaviour.
Naturally they also rejected religion as something irrational. Thus, modernism was as intolerant
of anything non-modern as one religion is said to be of another.

Europe throughout the 19th century was characterised by modernism and Asia and Africa were
looked down upon by the Europeans as anti-modern and irrational. Thus, the 19th century was
the century of modernism and of European hegemony. It was in the early 1950s and '60s that
new trends began to emerge and post-modernism began to be theorised by academics and social
scientists.

In post-modernism, reason lost its hegemony and supra-rational forces came to be accepted.
Post-modernism is mainly characterised by pluralism, be it cultural, religious or literary sphere.
Europe and North America became multi-cultural and multi-religious societies due to the
migration of people from the western powers' former African and Asian colonies.

Also, it was during this phase that religion also found a respectable place again in western
society. In other words, religion came to be re-appropriated. Thus, post-modernism, unlike
modernism, is not hegemonic and is tolerant of other cultures; its main characteristic is
pluralism. Now let us explore the relation between Islam and post-modernism.

Islam believes in religious and cultural pluralism, and while accepting importance of reason it
also accepts supra-rational forces. According to the Quran, Allah has created several religions
and cultures though he could have created only one, if He so desired. (548). Thus, pluralism is
the very basic to the Quran.

According to the Quran the world has been created in its plurality, not only in matters of religion
but also by way of ethnicity, nations and tribes. These have been described as signs of Allah
(3022). About national and tribal plurality, one only need see Surah 49, verse 13.

The Quran stresses pluralism to such an extent that even when one is convinced that others' gods
are false, it stops believers from abusing them. The Quran says, “And abuse not those whom they
call upon besides Allah, lest, exceeding the limits they abuse Allah through ignorance.” Further,
it says “Thus to every people have. We made their deeds fair-seeming...” (6109)
Here, it is a Quranic injunction not to say bad words about others' religion(s) because to every
people their religion looks true and valid. The Quran even says that in every place of worship
Allah is remembered and hence it should be respected. Thus, the Quran says, “And if Allah did
not repel some people by others, cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which
Allah's name is much remembered, would have been pulled down.” (2240).

Thus, there is no place for inter-religious conflict in Islam. The Quran also subscribes to the
doctrine of what Shah Waliullah and Maulana Azad called the wahdat-i-Deen i.e., unity of
religion, which means all religions are same in essence and in their core teachings. Both the
eminent theologians have thrown detailed light on this question in their respective writings.

As far as multi-culturalism is concerned, the West accepted it only in the latter part of the 20th
century. The West had otherwise long been a mono-religious and mono-cultural society, because
the Christian church had rejected validity of all other religions except Christianity. The church
now of course believes in inter-religious dialogue and has issued instructions to Christian
organisations to that effect. The Quran had accepted all Biblical prophets during the revelation
itself.

Islam accepted multi-culturalism too by saying that all believers are one Ummah regardless of
their ethnicity, language, tribe or nationality. It also admonished believers not to discriminate
between Arabs and non-Arabs, as Arabs were very proud of their ethnic origin. Islam spread far
and wide among peoples of different cultures and even the Shariah respected the 'adat (customs)
of different people. Local customs and traditions were integrated with Shariah formulations from
the earliest time.

Thus, it will be seen that Islamic teachings anticipated what came to be called post-modernism
today. The most essential thing is tolerance for diversity and for those who are different from us.
Being different should not mean being inferior, superior or hostile to the other. We must project
Islam in the right spirit, emphasising the practice of tolerance it so ardently advocates to the
faithful.

The writer is an Islamic scholar and heads the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism,
Mumbai.
Women in Islam

Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha

The following article first appeared in the journal Sufism: An Inquiry.

In the west, the common picture of a Muslim woman is the stereotype of a woman hidden behind
a veil, a voiceless, silent figure, bereft of rights. It is a picture familiar to all of us, in large part
because this is invariably how the western media portrays women in Islam.

Islam covers many lands with many diverse cultures. From the borders of Arabia to the coasts of
Africa, from Bosnia to Indonesia, large groups of people practice Islam. Islam is growing in
European and American countries. Each one of these Islamic nations has its own distinct culture;
there is a great diversity of cultures within Islam. One cannot bring all these cultures, political
systems, national heritage, belief systems, geographical locations, historical backgrounds, and
the peoples who embody them under one uniform category or think of them as one system. Islam
is practiced in each nation according to those nations characteristics. And nations are, by existing
as nations, distinct and different from one another. No two cultures are alike.

Conceptual Issues

Nations in the Middle East, among many other Muslim countries, have long been notorious for
their unequal treatment of women especially among the Western nations. Catching a glimpse of a
special on Middle Eastern women while channel surfing or reading from the Middle Eastern
chapter in history books is the furthest most people have gone to research the role of women in
Islam. Images of submissive, timid women covered in black veils are there to be found — and,
with such a unanimity of popular information, what point could there be in understanding the
subject more thoroughly? What I will provide here is just an outline, a brief summary, as Islam
is, in fact, more than just a name, a religion, a social movement. It is recognizing the essence of
Divine permeating all there is; it is timeless, priceless, beyond cultures, traditions, and all human
limitations. There are few scholars who have described women in Islam without prejudice or
some inclination towards either side of the extreme. In order to understand the role of women in
Islam and to learn how the rules of Islam apply to them, we need to become familiar with Islam,
apart from politics practiced in Muslim nations, and to examine the place of women in the pre-
Islamic era, the rules and regulations of Islam, and the cultural backgrounds of the countries that
are the base of our research, and finally to compare the position of women in the Muslim world
with the position of women in western cultures.

Position of Women Before the Advent of Islam

Islam was born in the Arabia Peninsula, now Saudi Arabia, in the seventh century AD. The pre-
Islamic era dates back to more than 1400 years ago. Many cultures, nations and countries, other
than Arabia, existed during that time. Let’s begin with a review on the Arabian culture. In that
era, in the tribal culture of Arabs, women were not equal to men with respect to many social and
personal conditions and systems, such as marriage, inheritance or education, among other areas.
Women did not have businesses, own property, or have independent legal rights. Even though
we read about Khadijeh (who later became a wife of the Prophet (swa), and the first Muslim
woman) who owned her own business, which is an indication that there are always exceptions in
any recorded history. In Arabia, female infants were often abandoned or buried alive; and the
practice of polygamy was common. The position of women, in countries other than Arabia, in
the 7th century, was not much different. In Europe, it was not until the turn of the century (13
centuries later) that French women became legally able to sell property without the permission of
their husbands. In many nations, sons would inherit the name, wealth and position of the family
and daughters were hoped to marry rich. In many western or eastern countries, women could not
chose their husbands, and, widows were expected to mourn for their husbands until the end of
their lives (still practiced in some countries).

Standards Set by Islam

One cannot emphasize enough the influence of the teachings of the Prophet (swa) and the verses
of the Qur’an upon the advancement of civilization. In the history of humankind, none worked so
much to protect human rights, especially women’s, with such integrity, strength, strategic genius,
beauty and divinity, or to honor humanity, by freeing it from the chains of prejudice,
manipulations, personal and social injustice. His teachings regarding education, social and
political rights, property rights, and ultimately human rights, are among the most valuable
chapter in the book of civilization. Education: “The pursuit of knowledge is a duty of every
Muslim, man and woman”, said the Prophet (swa). With this instruction it became a religious
duty of Muslims to educate themselves, their families, and their societies. Education and learning
became a religious duty, no Muslim could prevent another human being from the pursuit of
knowledge. Gender or race, culture or tradition could not become the cause for prohibiting a
person from educating one’s self. Pursuit of knowledge became a religious law, therefore
necessary to attain. With such instruction, the Prophet (swa) not only created an equal right to
education, but also opened the door to a better understanding.

Social and Political Rights

“Paradise lies under the feet of mothers”, announced the Prophet (swa). With this instruction, a
Divine law, it became a religious responsibility, a praiseworthy act, to respect and honor women.
“Men are support for women,” “Among the praiseworthy acts to Allah is to treat your mother
with honor and respect,” “Be just among your children, daughters and sons, provide them good
education and proper upbringing.” Narrated from the Prophet (swa). With these Divine laws, it
became religious duty for every Muslim, male or female, to honor women, treat sons and
daughters justly, and for male to provide support, not obstacles, for women and their
achievements.

There are many recorded historical references that at the beginning of Islam, at the time of the
Prophet (swa), Muslim men or women chose to join the Prophet’s army to fight against his
enemies, leading wars after his passing. There are also recorded in the history of Islam that men
and women, equally, would take bayat (agreement) with the Prophet, voting and choosing him as
a political leader. Such positions, rights and equality among all were the result of the support and
the teachings of the Prophet (swa). Women could take part in social, political, and military
affairs. The result of his teachings was not only promoted human rights but also encouraging
individuals to stand for their own rights.

Fatima, daughter of the Prophet (swa), was well educated and highly respected. It is said that
whenever Fatima entered the room, the Prophet would stand and give his seat to her. Her
sacrifices to protect and support human rights were among the most praiseworthy acts.

Property Rights

Under the laws of Islam, women have obtained the right to sell and buy properties, own business,
take legal actions, vote, and participate in political affairs. Inheritance law was/is also among the
most important rights. According to Islam, a woman inherits, half the share of her brother. At the
same time a daughter, can chose but has no the obligation to support her parents or children,
while her brother does. A man, a brother, has the obligation, by the rules of Islam, to support his
mother, wife, children, sisters, and the children of his sisters if necessary. If a woman, a mother,
a sister did not have the wealth or the desire to support her children, it would become the duty of
her brother to support them. The Prophet (swa) has introduced the rules and the laws for
humanity, some honor the rules and some chose not to. Under Islamic law, women also have
control not only over their property but also dowry claims. Once she is married, she may demand
her dowry from her husband at any time, and in the case of divorce, she would receive her share
of the property.

Marriage and the Right to Divorce

According to the laws of Islam a man and a woman have the right to choose their partner and
they should not be forced into marriage. Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter was educated, beautiful
and respectful. It is narrated that when Amir al momenin Ali asked for Fatima’s hand in marriage
Prophet (swa) did not respond to Ali until he asked Fatima for her decision. Divorce is permitted
in Islam under specific terms and conditions. According to the laws of Islam one may end a
marriage by divorce if there is a definite cause for such an action.

Polygamy is a tradition practiced in many cultures, yet Islam restricted it by setting regulations.
These regulations are very severe, and a very few can practice it. Quran (IV:3) reads: “If you feel
that you will be able to deal justly with orphans, marry the women of your choice one, two,
three, or four. But if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then marry only
one.” The verse emphasize being just not only to the women but also to their children, who
would, otherwise, remain fatherless after their mothers became widowed — a frequent
occurrence during the early centuries of Islam, when men were often killed in wars. “Deal justly”
refers to equal treatment, not only emotionally but also financially. The particular historical
context of polygamy in Islam followed one of the harshest wars, where many men were killed,
leaving a multitude of women widowed, fatherless, and without support. Also a Muslim man
cannot marry a second wife without the permission of the first wife. With all these restricted
regulations, according to the Islamic law, polygamy is possible but rare in practice.

Post Islamic Expectations Set by Political Entities

A few centuries after the Prophet (swa) many of these rules changed into cultural, national, or
political regulations.

Islam entered different cultures and each culture embraced it according to its own traditions.
Even in its homeland, rules and regulations changed according to the political rulers and the
traditional culture of the land within one or two centuries after the passing of the Prophet (swa).
Let us examine a few of these changes: Prophet had said (Quran, XXIV:30, 31): “Tell believing
men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that will make for greater purity
for them and say to the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty and they
should not display their beauty and ornaments….” In the course of time, this law changed into
the rule that women should wear veils, covering themselves from head to toe. Being modest
changed into a dress code. Yet this dress code was not applied to the “believing men”, and did
not become a cause for their social or economical oppressions. Women, who at the beginning of
Islam, were leading armies and making political decisions, were now, a few centuries later,
expected to sit separately from men in mosques and in prayer ceremonies. A similar situation
also obtain in non-Islamic countries. For example a century ago, when the World Anti-Slavery
Association met in England, the women delegates were refused seats. They had to sit silently
behind the curtain in the balcony. That, of course, led to Seneca Falls Convention that eventually
gained a few rights for women such as becoming able to sell properties, the right to education,
and the like. The Prophet instructed that women have the right to own property, to choose their
own partners, and have equal rights to education. In accordance with prevailing culture, these
rights became transformed into the duties of women to take care of children and remain in the
house. This is not all that different than a century ago in America where women were expected
the duties of “Republican Motherhood,” which did not take them beyond the household sphere.

To justify the prejudice held against women, we can blame a religion, we can blame a culture,
we can blame a system, and we can even blame women themselves. Yet these superficial
“making you feel better” justifications will not remove the responsibility from generations of
humanity. While it is true that the media misleads people, political leaders mislead people, and
superficial ideology misleads people — yet people remain in a state of being misled. The guilt of
the oppressor is not lesser that the guilt of the oppressed, said the Prophet.
Islam is a religion where the standard for superiority is the level of ones knowledge, where
human being was created in the best figure, and thus where advancing knowledge is a duty.
According to Islam, the human being has the potentiality to ascend to the level of the Divine,
knowledge of the law of the existence is the right of every human being.

Islam is a religion where your temple is not a building but your heart; your preacher is not a
priest but your intellect; and if your religion is founded upon mere imitation, you are a
blasphemer. In Islam, ignorance is an unforgivable sin, so is your evasion of responsibility for
yourself as well as towards all the members of the living world, past and present. It is incorrect to
blame such Islam for the shortcomings of its followers, which are the failings of most of
mankind. A religion that is centered on the rights of human being, and sets both men and women
free from the chains of bondage should not be used in propaganda for the sake of condemnation.

It is not Muslim women as such, but women everywhere who have been imprisoned by prejudice
and cruelty. This form of prejudice that goes beyond simple racial or national boundaries, is
sexual in nature. Whether women are constantly being held to an impossible standard, or subject
to discrimination solely based on the fact that they are not equal to men, they are, by far, the
group most affected by this form of prejudice. Depending on the society women may be seen as
having the wrong weight, the wrong height, the wrong level of intelligence, or the wrong
religion. We can conclude that women have yet to be welcomed with open arms into countries
that they have been a part of from the beginning. True equality becomes a characteristic of
Utopia and seems almost impossible to achieve in the society in which we live in. The question
that remains is one of personal morals. Do we, as small pieces of society, have the capacity to
interlock and form a beautiful mosaic? I have to say it takes more than just a few to fulfill a
dream that is centuries old.
Pleasure of Reading
A book is always a source of pleasures. It is constant companion to man in weal or
woe. It is a source of knowledge as well as entertainment. Books contain the best
of the thoughts of their authors. Robert Southey, a well- known lover of books,
wrote

“My never-failing friends are they,

With whom I converse day by day.

With them I take delight in weal,

And seek relief in woe.”

Everybody wants recreation after hard work. It is a biological

necessity. Books are a ‘great source of entertainment and recreation.’ They share
the readers’ joys and sorrows. A lover of books comes back home a very relaxed
man after a visit to the library. For him, the library is a temple of learning and a
source of pleasures. With its excellent academic, peaceful and educative
atmosphere, a library is a place of peace, quiet and serenity. J.B. Macaulay once
said,” I would rather be a poor man in a place garret with plenty of books than a
king who did not love reading.” Henry David Thoreau rightly remarked, “Books
are the treasured wealth of the world, the fit inheritance of generations and nations.

Reading books can introduce a new charm in life. A book is the precious
life blood of a master mind. Books bring us in contact with the greatest scholars of
the past and the present. As we get into the spirit of a book our entire attitude is
changed. Books share our joys and sorrows. When we are in a happy mood, we
share our pleasures in the company of books. In our sadder moments, books act as
our nurses or guardians and provide us with words of encouragement and
consolation. Books are, therefore, the best of friends. Our human friends may
desert us, but books do not desert us in any circumstances. They stand by us
through thick and thin.

Books entertain and delight their readers. Reading is a thrilling and an

enchanting experience. Books are the pearls of wisdom. The best of human
knowledge and thought is condensed in them. They act as beacon lights to
illumine our path on the dark and vast ocean of life. Just as they relieve the
boredom of journey in trains or buses, they also act as a stay and a support in the
long journey of our life in his world.

Bacon felt: “Reading maketh a full man.” In fact, reading is to the mind
what exercise is to the body. Realising the immense value of reading. Gibbon
once asserted,” My early and invincible love of reading I would not exchange with
the treasures of India.”

As far as possible, our endeavour should be read the well-known and

famed literature only. But falling into the habit of reading cheap and inferior
books, reading can become a curse as well. It will poison the stream of our
thought and make our mind a haunt of devilish ideas. Choice of books is of first
and foremost importance. It is again, more useful to read wisely than to read
carelessly and hurriedly.

The great masterpieces, famous novels, biographies, books of philosophy

and history have their own importance in human life. A proper and health pleasure
comes from understanding properly what we read. No doubt, it requires a hard
training and disciplining of our mind. But once this art is learnt, there is no end to
the satisfaction and deep contentment which we can derive from this art. Milton
has rightly said: “A good books is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit,
embalmed and treasured up on purpose for a life beyond.”

Reading may be a compulsion for a school going child, pastime for a retired person, but a
pleasure for many. You can discover simile on the face of novel- reader, a gleam in the eyes of
the reader of a poem and furrow of seriousness on the forehead of a person reading a newspaper
report. Reading disturbs mind and heart. Waves of thinking and emotion are generated by
reading. So the pleasure is immediate and it continues to linger in the mind.

Reading lifts us up from the harsh realities of life into the world of imagination. The magic touch
of fancy transmutes grief into joy, failure into success, pain into pleasure and fear into hope.
Even an unhappy man sheds his unhappiness and realities no longer press hard.

Reading gives intellectual satisfaction. A detective novel satisfies the sense of curiosity, serious
literature encourages intellectual activity, light literature amuses us and poetry stirs our
imaginations. One can relive the past and create the future by reading. By reading books, we
enrich our experience and sharpens our judgments. Experience, in its turn, makes us wiser and
self-confident.

Books can give company when human beings cannot. We can happily spend our lonely hours in
the company of the author-tailored characters. A train journey may be tiresome if we do not have
a magazine or a newspaper by our side sleepless nights may not be spent without a mystery
thriller.

Reading gives us varied pleasure. A sensuous poet may provide a rich feast for our senses,
another may satisfy our aesthetic sense and another may give intellectual edificiaotn. Reading
gives spiritual, intellectual and even sensuous pleasure.
Globalization: a new form of colonialism.
This paper analyzes the historical phenomenon of colonialism and globalization and the
similarities in their ideologies. In addition, using examples of nations and multinational
corporations, this paper tries to find economic and social connections between colonialism and
globalization in the behavior of suppressor and oppressor. Furthermore, the term neo-colonialism
is going to be researched and some recent examples of expansion and discrimination in different
countries are shown.

Globalization is a form of colonialism that prevents the development of third world countries.
Both historical phenomenons share some similarities that I will further investigate in this paper.
During the 17th century, powerful countries invented the basic framework of colonialism, which
is free trade as I will further investigate. Oppressed countries were forced to consume goods that
were brought by their colonialists; in return they gave up their own productivity, this lead to high
revenues for the colonialists and exploitation for their colonies.

Today, globalization is criticized for preventing local development in poor countries. This topic
relates to the neo-mercantilist strategy, that we considered in chapter 4, to make some statements
about the relation between my topic and Global Political Economy. The second part of research
in this paper consists of two examples.

Firstly Monsanto has been a good example in explaining how globalization prevents local
farmers´ productivity through genetically modified seeds. The Monsanto Company is a
controversial multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world's leading
producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as "Roundup". Monsanto is also the leading
producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed; it provides the technology in 90% of the world's
genetically engineered seeds.[1] Secondly, Wal-Mart is one of the unethical global businesses that
violate human rights during their manufacturing process. The strategy, to give jobs to employees,
warranty low prices to consumers and increase shareholders revenues has high costs and needs
aggressive practices by the CEO, such as violating a vast array of human rights and exploiting
labor.

Colonialism refers to a historical phenomenon in which people conquer people from another
territory in order to expand. In this process of sovereignty over the colony, the colonialists
changed the social structure, government and the economy. As a result, colonialism generated an
unequal relationship between the homeland and the colony. The sovereignty is mostly referred to
as an expansion of political influence and control over colonies which are located in Asia, the
Middle East, Africa and Latin America. This expansion took place between the 16th and middle
of the 20th century. The beginning was marked by Crusaders, such as Christopher Columbus and
Amerigo Vespucci who first discovered new territories. At the second stage, the conquistadores
Pizarro and Cortes had forced the local community to slavery. This military relation evolved into
economic and military control of these regions by the colonialists.
The similar phenomenon nowadays is called neo-colonialism; it represents imperialism in its
final stage. Today it isn’t possible to turn a country into a colony by imposing colonialist rules.
Most of the colonialist countries attained their independence after WWII. Only a few regions,
such as Puerto Rico, Gibraltar or The Falkland Islands are still considered colonial. The essence
of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the
outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its
political policy is directed from outside.[2]

On the other hand, we have another historical phenomenon called Globalization. Globalization
describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become
integrated through a global network of political ideas through communication, transportation,
and trade.[3] This integration of regional economies into the international economy is reached by
trade, foreign capital investment, and technology. Globalization is also related to economy,
technology, socio-cultural factors and politics. The term can also be integrated as the
transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through cultural diffusion. An
aspect of the world which has gone through the process can be said to be globalized.
Globalization has various aspects that affect the world in several different ways. The most
important dimensions that have been influenced are: industry, finance and the global economy.
We can define globalization as an advance towards the “end state” of a fully integrated world
market, the creation of a borderless world.

Although there are benefits, a lot of negative consequences occur as a result of globalization.
Countries have to reduce their company’s taxes to entice multinational companies to do business
in their country. A reduction of tax revenues is followed by a reduction of welfare and public
services. Furthermore, most of the developed countries don’t take the environmental costs into
consideration. The boom of the oil industry and the demand of cheap energy make countries like
Canada dependent on oil revenues to provide a high standard of living for their population.
Issues of global warming are getting more and more important in today’s society and the
agreements between countries, such as the Kyoto Protocol, are not taken seriously and are
proving to be ineffective. Another cost of globalization is ever rising wage inequalities. The gap
between skilled and unskilled workers is increasing and the fear of an extinction of the middle
class is growing. The strategy of Western governments is to push for more trade, more
connectivity, more markets and more openness, because they benefit from globalization more
than other countries. Essentially they don’t consider the dark sides of globalization and the
negative aspects that don’t impact them directly.

As seen in the definitions, we notice that colonialism and globalization have some very similar
ideologies, specifically how the rich countries are trying to expand their power and to exploit
other countries in order to get major benefits. But isn’t globalization using structuralism to reach
colonialism? For mercantilists, the international economy is an arena of conflict involving
opposing national interests, rather than an area of cooperation and mutual gain. The economic
competition between states is thus regarded as a ‘zero sum game’; one state’s gain is another’s
loss. Additionally, states are wary of other state’s relative economic gain as the material wealth
accumulated could be used for establishing military-political power to defend other states. Even
if we consider the large amount of advantages which the globalization has brought to all of us,
the negative aspects of this phenomenon have resembled aspects of colonialism, which we
observed during the 16th-19th century.
Countries such as Great Britain wanted to give wealth to their inhabitants; free trade was one of
the means they used to reach that goal. “The end justifies the means”, this Machiavellian quote
reflects the imperialist policy of most European countries during the 19th century. Colonialists
tried to globalize the world on a unipolar way, taking all the gain of this zero-sum game,
exploiting and suppressing their colonies with their military and political power. Nowadays, we
can observe a similar incident in African and Asian countries. These countries, mostly governed
by dictatorships and indirectly by big western multinationals, exploit recourses and cheap labor
of the poorer countries to gain wealth through low production costs.

Globalization is usually defined as the unrestricted flow of information and capital around the
world without the limitations of border, religion, politics and geographic cultures.

Most of the times this term is used specifically for economic globalization, when successful
companies expand their business in other countries and become multinationals. These days we
regularly come across with a term that the world has become a “global
village”. To some extent, this is true and it is because of the great success of different mass
media including internet, international television channels and print media.

When we say that the world has become a global village, we do not mean that the physical
distance has shortened but the matter of fact is that we can communicate around the world very
easily through different mediums.

In the current era, countries are interdependent on each other and it is not possible for any
country to survive alone. As we see, after the second world-war, the world was separated in two
different camps. The first camp was led by United States of America
and included the western countries and the whole of Europe, while the second camp was led by
Russia and included eastern bloc of countries.

The Americans supported the idea of capitalism, whereas the Soviets were for socialism or
communism. Once the Soviet Union was dissolved in the late 1980’s, only one super power
emerged in the world and that was none other than “America” and since then,
the US is ruling the world, not physically but through media and communication.

There are a number of western multi-national food-chains like McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut,
mobile phone companies like Nokia and Siemens and clothing manufacturers like Nike, Addidas
and Puma, who have become a symbol of globalization in the modern world.

These multinationals around the world are not just influencing the choices of the people but they
are negatively hurting the cultures of the third-world countries. It is quite amazing that how these
big multinationals have a stake in the media and how they
are controlling the media because after all, the media generates a big chunk of its revenue
through these multinationals.
It is a leading edge of economic globalization in the sense that increasing foreign ownership of
products may give those companies direct influence over livelihoods and production of the local
inhabitants. The implications of foreign ownership of production
may include both positive and negative elements, depending on the perspective of the observer.
Foreign investment has often been an important avenue for the transfer of skills and technology.
At the same time, foreign investment puts workers under foreign
control, and leads to foreign appropriation of profits.

In my opinion, the biggest negative of globalization is that it is badly hurting the different
cultures around the world. Like in our own culture, the youth of Pakistan is looking towards the
west in every aspect of life no matter if it’s about clothing,
food mannerisms or music. In short we can say that the whole world is moving towards having a
same sort of a culture which is actually western based. Now the question arises that how
America or the west is able to impose their culture so strongly on the rest
of the world? Without doubt they are able to control the world because of their strong media
which is influencing the rest of the world. Hence, we can say that we are living in an era of
cultural imperialism.

Unfortunately most of us also see the current world picture from the eyes of the American
government. They are able to portray whatever they want to just because of the un-even flow of
information, which can also be called ‘vertical flow of information’.
We all know what is going on in America or what is the point of view of an ordinary American
citizen regarding a major issue; however they just get to know what the media wants them to
know. Unfortunately, the masses in the US do not understand the ground
realities of the countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran or Pakistan for that matter. This is the reason
why the establishment of the US is able to manipulate the policies as per its interest.

I have some American friends and I strongly feel that the American people are very good by
nature but they are not aware of the actual facts, which are actually not communicated to them
for some reason. Before they met me, some of my American friends thought
that Pakistan is a country where people live in caves and they just produce terrorists, which is
quite ironic. I think it would not have been possible for America to impose the war on terror to
the rest of the world if there was an even flow of communication
and information.

The matter of fact is that all the news and information is coming from the US to the third world
countries but the information from the smaller countries does not properly travel to the US.

Since 9/11 America has imposed war on terror on the rest of the world and they have adopted the
strategy of convincing their own people through the media and then they are able to portray their
self-made picture to the rest of the
world and that is how they made ground to attack different countries like Afghanistan and Iraq
and now Pakistan and Iran are in their hit-list. Since 9/11 they have successfully conveyed a
message to the rest of the world that Islam is a barbaric religion
and most of the Muslims are terrorists.
I believe the argument presented above proves that one cannot rule this world through weapons
or ammunition anymore but the real power is the power of media and communication and the
one who is able to communicate better and conveys his/her point of view
in an effective manner is successful and that is how the west (specially America) is controlling
the world.

America is the strongest country of the world at the moment because it is the one which is
controlling the media and that is how the US and its allies are influencing the rest of the world.
All the big mass media organizations are
based in America and that is why they just present the perspective of America or the west. The
information from them is coming towards countries like us but are we able to communicate our
point of view to the western countries? The answer is a straight “No”.

America influences the economy, culture, education and even the military power of so many
nations. Which proves that all these countries including our mother land ‘Pakistan’ are colonies
of America and the US and the west are using
us for their own advantage and they can impose anything on us whatever they want to. We are
completely dependent on the west right now and it would be hard for us to survive without their
aid. So we can easily say that yes, globalization is the new form of
colonization.

It is very easy to criticize or to have a debate about an issue but the real question is that can we
do something to make ourselves independent?

Yes, we surely can but right now we are so much dependent on west that it might need a big
struggle to come back to the right track. First of all we need to change our own mind-set because
unless we realize that we have to go back
to our roots, we cannot come out of this hole.

I strongly believe that any nation which forgets its roots cannot prosper because a tree can be as
strong as its roots are. We have to identify that what is our identity, what is our culture and what
are our moral values. On top
of that, it is extremely important for the third world countries to realize their friends and foes.

It is about time that Pakistan declares educational emergency in the country work hard to
promote literacy in the urban as well as the rural areas.

We have to make ourselves stronger through having a very strong structure of media so that we
are also able to communicate our point of view to the west and we can have a horizontal flow of
communication.

At the present moment, no Muslim country has a major news agency. All the bigger news
agencies like Reuters, AP and AFP belong to the west; as a result, one should not be surprised to
see the vertical flow of information in the world.

Globalization has a number of positives as well but the stronger countries must realize that there
is nothing wrong in an open economy but it does mean that they can play with the cultures of the
weaker nations, who are struggling
because of one reason or the other.

I strongly believe that most of the problems in the world can be dealt with if we have an even
flow of information because in that case the general public of the more stronger nations like
America can hold their rulers and the government
accountable. Apart from this, different nations would be able to promote their cultures rather
than only the western culture. After all the real beauty of this world is in having different sort of
cultures in different parts of the world.
Judicial System in Pakistan
What is Law?
Law is a system of rules that are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior.
Laws can be made by legislatures through legislation (resulting in statutes), the executive
through decrees and regulations, or judges through binding precedent (normally in common
law jurisdictions).

Purpose of Law
There may be numerous purposes of law, some important are as follows:

• Satisfaction for victims (i.e. revenge).

• Deterrent to discourage others from acting in a way considered detrimental to society.
• To prevent vigilantism and mob justice, often targeting innocent third parties.

The Law of Pakistan

The Law of Pakistan is the law and legal system existing in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Pakistani law is based upon the legal system of British India; thus ultimately on the
common law of England and Wales. Pakistan as an Islamic republic also has been influenced
by Islamic Sharia law.

The Judicial System of Pakistan

The roots of the current judicial system of Pakistan stretch back to the medieval period and
even before. The judicial system that we practice today has evolved over a long period of
time, spanning roughly over a whole millennium.

The system has passed through several epochs covering the Hindu era, Muslim period
including the Mughal dynasty, British colonial period and post-independence period.
Notwithstanding the successive changes i.e. one rule/dynasty substituted by the other,
which naturally resulted in the socio-economic and political transformation of the Indian
society, the judicial system generally maintained a steady growth and gradual advance
towards consolidation and improvement/refinement, without indeed, having to undergo any
major disruption or substantial change.

All in all, the system experienced and passed through 3 distinct stages of historical
development, namely, Hindu Kingdom, Muslim Rule and British Colonial administration. The
4th and current era, commenced with the partition of India and the establishment of
Pakistan as a sovereign and independent State.

The system, thus, has evolved through a process of reform and development. This
conclusion enjoys near unanimity among historians and commentators of Indian legal
history. During this process of evolution and growth, the judicial system did receive
influences and inspirations from foreign doctrines/notions and indigenous norms/practices,
both in terms of organizing courts’ structure and hierarchy, and adopting
procedures/practices in reaching decisions.

Therefore, the present judicial system is not an entirely foreign transplant, as is commonly
alleged, but has acquired an indigenous flavor and national color. And whereas the system
may not fully suit the genius of our people or meet the local conditions, its continued
application and practice has made it intelligible to the common man. The very fact that
increasing number of people are making.

The Judicial System of Pakistan resort to the courts for the resolution of their
conflicts/disputes indicates that the system enjoys a degree of legitimacy and acceptance.

Islam and the Legal System

The legal system in Pakistan is based on English common law and Islamic law. Between
1947 and 1978, Islamic law was largely restricted to the sphere of personal status issues,
such as marriage, inheritance and divorce. The Islamization of the legal system began in
earnest under General Zia ul Haq (1977-1988). Through a series of presidential decrees, Zia
introduced far reaching changes in Pakistan’s criminal justice system, regulated by the
Pakistan Penal Code of 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure (1898). He also created a
parallel court system, consisting of Shariat courts, and amended the country’s anti-
blasphemy laws. While most of the “Islamic” laws he instituted are still on the statute, and
some were reinforced by conservative governments, Pakistan’s parliament has recently
introduced legal changes aimed at improving the status of women in the private and public
spheres.

Division of Courts
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the apex Court of the land, exercising original, appellate and advisory
jurisdiction. It is the Court of ultimate appeal and therefore the final arbiter of law and the
Constitution. Its decisions are binding on all other courts. The Court consists of a Chief
Justice and other judges, appointed by the President as per procedure laid down in the
Constitution. An Act of Parliament has determined the number of judges. The number fixed
at the moment is Chief Justice and 16 judges. There is also provision for appointment of
acting judges as well as ad hoc judges in the court. A person with 5 years experience as a
Judge of a High Court or 15 years standing as an advocate of a High Court is eligible to be
appointed as judge of the Supreme Court.

High Courts
There is a High Court in each province and a High Court for the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Each High Court consists of a Chief Justice and other judges. The strength of Lahore high
Court is fixed at 60, High Court of Sindh at 40, Peshawar High Court at 20, High Court of
Baluchistan at 11 and Islamabad High Court at 7. Qualifications mentioned for the post of a
Judge are, 10 years experience as an advocate of a High Court or 10 years service as a civil
servant including 3 years experience as a District Judge or 10 years experience in a judicial
office.

For the appointment of Judges of High Courts, the practice used to be that initially the Chief
Justice of the concerned High Court prepared list of candidates which was submitted to the
President through the Governor of the province and Chief Justice of Pakistan. The President
finally used to select judges from the said list. The recommendation of the Chief Justice of
Pakistan and Chief Justice of the High Court were binding on the President, except for sound
reasons to the contrary. The most senior judge would have legitimate expectancy of being
appointed as the Chief Justice except for concrete and valid reasons, to be recorded by the
President.
District & Sessions Courts
District courts exist in every district of each province, and have civil and criminal
jurisdiction. In each District Headquarters, there are numerous Additional District & Session
Judges who usually preside the courts.

District & Sessions Judge has executive and judicial power all over the district under his
jurisdiction. The Sessions court is also a trial court for heinous offences such as Murder,
Rape, Haraba offences (armed robbery where specific amount of gold and cash is involved),
and is also appellate court for summary conviction offences and civil suits of lesser value.

Each Town and city now has a court of Additional District & Sessions judge, which possess
the equal authority over, under its jurisdiction. When hearing criminal cases, it is called the
Sessions Court, and when it hears civil cases, the District Court. Executive matters are
brought before the relevant District & Sessions Judge.

• The High Court of each province has appellate jurisdiction over the lower courts.
• The Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes between and among provincial
governments, and appellate jurisdiction over High Court decisions.

Federal Shariat Court

The Court consists of 8 Muslim Judges including the Chief Justice .Procedure for
appointment of judges of Federal Shariat Court has been changed after 18th and 19th
amendments as previously such judges were appointed by the President from amongst the
serving or retired judges of the Supreme Court or a High Court or from amongst persons
possessing the qualifications of a judge of the High Court.
At present, judges of Federal Shariat Court are also appointed through Judicial Commission
which comprises Chief Justice of Pakistan as Chairperson, four senior most Judges of the
Supreme Court, One former Chief Justice or a retired judge of the Supreme Court appointed
by the Chairperson in consultation with the four member judges for a period of two years,
the Attorney General for Pakistan, the Federal Law Minister, Chief Justice of Federal Shariat
Court and most senior judge of the Federal Shariat Court.

For appointment of Chief Justice, however, the most senior judge of the Federal Shariat
Court is excluded from the composition of the Commission. Once the Judicial Commission
approves a new name for appointment as the judge of the Federal Shariat Court, it goes to
an Eight member Parliamentary Committee that has equal representation of the
government and the opposition as well as of two houses. This Committee has two weeks to
review the recommendation after which if the recommendation is approved, it goes to the
Prime Minister who forwards the same to the President for appointment. The Parliamentary
Committee, for reasons to be recorded, may not confirm the recommendation by three-
fourth majority, in which instance the decision is forwarded to the Commission through the
Prime Minister and the Commission sends another nomination.

Special Tribunals and Boards

There are numerous special tribunals such as;
• Banking Courts
• Custom Courts
• Drug Courts
• Federal Services Tribunal
• Provincial Services Tribunals (one for each province)
• Income Tax Tribunals
• Anti Corruption Courts
• Anti Terrorism Courts
• Labor Courts
• Labor Appellate Tribunal
• Environmental Courts
• Board of Revenue
• Special Magistrate courts
• Control of Narcotic Substances (Special Courts)
• Consumer Courts

Almost all judges of above mentioned courts and tribunals except last one are of District &
sessions Judges or of having same qualifications. Besides, there exist revenue courts,
operating under the West Pakistan Land Revenue Act 1967.

The revenue courts may be classified as the Board of Revenue, the Commissioner, the
Collector, the Assistant Collector of the First Grade and Second Grade. The provincial
government that exercises administrative control over them appoints such officers. Law
prescribes their powers and functions.

Family Courts
The West Pakistan Family Courts Act 1964 governs the jurisdiction of Family Courts. These
courts have exclusive jurisdiction over matters relating to personal status. Appeals from the
Family Courts lie with the High Court, where the Family Court is presided by a District
Judge, an Additional District Judge, or a person notified by the Government to be the rank
and status of a District Judge or an Additional District Judge and to the District Court, in any
other case.

Every town and city or Tehsil has court of family judge.In some areas, where it is only
Family Court but in most areas Civil Judge Courts have been granted the powers of Family
Court Judges. According to section 17 of the Family Court Act, 1964, the provisions of
C.P.C. (Civil Procedure Code) and Qanun-e-Shahdat Order (Evidence Law) are not
applicable over to Family Court and the same are allowed forming or regulating its own
procedure to decide case expeditiously, properly and in the best interest and convenience of
lady litigants.

Juvenile Courts
Section 4 of the JJSO authorizes the Provincial Government to establish one or more
juvenile courts for any local area within its jurisdiction, in consultation with the Chief Justice
of the high court. Ten years have passed, and not a single such court has been established;
and instead the High Courts have been conferring status of the juvenile courts on the
existing courts.

The High Court cannot be doing this on their own, and must be instructed by the provincial
governments to do so. In this era of independent judiciary, the High Courts should stand up
against the governments on this issue and refuse to confer powers on the already over-
burdened courts and instead should insist upon establishing exclusive juvenile courts.
Section 6 of the JJSO prescribes special procedure for the juvenile courts which involves
issues like not ordinarily taking up any other case on a day when the case of a child accused
is fixed for evidence on such day; attendance of only specified persons in the court; and
dispensing with the attendance of the child in the trial.

Appointments of Judges
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Prior to 18th Constitutional Amendments, appointments to the Supreme Court of Pakistan
were made by the President of Pakistan, on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court. This system bred many allegations of favoritism. Many judges who were
appointed were relatives of other Judges or Government officials.

However, following the Supreme Court's judgment in the Al-Jehad Trust case, the
government's role in judicial appointments was curtailed. Under the terms of this judgment,
the Government and the President's office were bound to act on the recommendations of
the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

After passage of the 19th Constitutional Amendment in 2010, a new Judicial Commission
and Parliamentary Committee were established for appointments. The Judicial Commission
consists of a total of nine members: the Chief Justice of Pakistan, four senior judges of the
Supreme Court, a former Chief Justice or judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the
serving Chief Justice in consultation with the four serving judges of the Supreme Court
aforementioned, the Attorney General of Pakistan, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice
and, one senior advocate nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council. The Parliamentary
Committee confirms or may not confirm the nominee of the Judicial Commission.

High Courts
In Appointments to the High Courts, the same procedure as in Supreme Courts
appointments is adopted Prior to 18th Constitutional Amendment, High Court appointments
suffered much the same criticisms as those to the Supreme Court. Future appointments will
be made in the same manner as those to the Supreme Court.

District & Sessions Judges

Additional District & Sessions Judges are appointed by the Provincial High Courts, from a
pool of Lawyers and subordinate judges. To be eligible for appointment, Lawyers must have
ten years' experience as an advocate with good standing in the respective jurisdiction. They
must also pass an examination conducted by the High Courts. Subordinate judges are
promoted from senior civil judges on a seniority basis.

Pakistan's judicial system stems directly from the system that was used in British India. The
Supreme Court has original, appellate, and advisory jurisdictions. The president of Pakistan
appoints the justices. Each province has a high court, the judges of which are also named by the
president. Below the high courts are district and session courts, and below these are subordinate
courts and village courts on the civil side and magistrates on the criminal side. There are no jury
trials in Pakistan.

The British tradition of an independent judiciary has been undermined in Pakistan by

developments over the last 50 years. In May 1991, for example, the National Assembly adopted
legislation which incorporated the Islamic legal code, the Shari'ah into Pakistan's legal system. A
Federal Shari'ah Court has the power to nullify any law it finds repugnant to Islam.

Courts in Pakistan are also subject to pressure from the executive branch, in part because of
presidential power over transfer and tenure of high court justices and lower court judges. Judges
in the special courts are retired jurists hired on renewable contracts so that their decisions may be
influenced by a desire for contract renewal. Nonetheless, the provincial high courts and the
supreme court have exercised some degree of independence in handing down a number of cases
against the government. In 1996 the supreme court issued orders curtailing the powers of the
executive to appoint and transfer high courts' judges.

Again, in late 1997, the issue of the appointment of judges to the supreme court led to
deteriorating relations between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the chief justice of the supreme
court, Sajjad Ali Shah. In November, the supreme court brought charges of contempt against
Nawaz Sharif, but the chief justice was forced out of office before a verdict could be handed
down (a guilty verdict would have disqualified Sharif from office).

The position of the judiciary in Pakistan has also been affected by periods of military rule in the
country. When General Zia al-Huq imposed martial law in 1977, military courts were given
jurisdiction over trial and punishment of civilians found guilty of violating martial law
regulations. The verdicts could not be appealed to a higher civilian court. Moreover, a provision
of the 1973 constitution that judges could be removed only by the supreme judicial council,
consisting of the chief justice and two ranking judges from the supreme court and the high
courts, was revoked by the military government in June 1979. Under the 1981 interim
constitution, a new oath was imposed on all supreme court, high court, and Shari'ah court
judges, and all laws promulgated by the martial law regime were exempted from judicial review.
The supreme court chief justice and several other judges were replaced after refusing to take the
oath. Although the military courts were abolished in December 1985, their decisions still cannot
be appealed to civilian courts.

Similarly, in January 2000, Musharraf required all judges to take an oath of loyalty to his regime.
The supreme court chief justice, Saiduzzaman Siddiqui, and five colleagues refused and were
dismissed. This was just a week before the court was due to hear the first of several cases
challenging the legality of the new government. Legal experts argue this action did irreparable
harm to Pakistan's judiciary; with all sitting judges having accepted the military regime, there is
no independent judiciary to protect the constitution.
Education System in Pakistan
Introduction

It is mandated in the Constitution of Pakistan to provide free and compulsory education to all
children between the ages of 5-16 years and enhance adult literacy. With the 18th constitutional
amendment the concurrent list which comprised of 47 subjects was abolished and these subjects,
including education, were transferred to federating units as a move towards provincial autonomy.

The year 2015 is important in the context that it marks the deadline for the participants of Dakar
declaration (Education For All [EFA] commitment) including Pakistan. Education related
statistics coupled with Pakistan’s progress regarding education targets set in Vision 2030 and
Pakistan’s lagging behind in achieving EFA targets and its Millennium Development
Goals(MDGs) for education call for an analysis of the education system of Pakistan and to look
into the issues and problems it is facing so that workable solutions could be recommended.

What is Education System?

The system of education includes all institutions that are involved in delivering formal education
(public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, onsite or virtual instruction) and their faculties,
students, physical infrastructure, resources and rules. In a broader definition the system also
includes the institutions that are directly involved in financing, managing, operating or regulating
such institutions (like government ministries and regulatory bodies, central testing organizations,
textbook boards and accreditation boards). The rules and regulations that guide the individual
and institutional interactions within the set up are also part of the education system.

Education system of Pakistan:

The education system of Pakistan is comprised of 260,903 institutions and is facilitating

41,018,384 students with the help of 1,535,461 teachers. The system includes 180,846 public
institutions and 80,057 private institutions. Hence 31% educational institutes are run by private
sector while 69% are public institutes.

Analysis of education system in Pakistan

Pakistan has expressed its commitment to promote education and literacy in the country by
education policies at domestic level and getting involved into international commitments on
education. In this regard national education policies are the visions which suggest strategies to
increase literacy rate, capacity building, and enhance facilities in the schools and educational
institutes. MDGs and EFA programmes are global commitments of Pakistan for the promotion of
literacy.

A review of the education system of Pakistan suggests that there has been little change in
Pakistan’s schools since 2010, when the 18th Amendment enshrined education as a fundamental
human right in the constitution. Problems of access, quality, infrastructure and inequality of
opportunity, remain endemic.

Issues

A) MDGs and Pakistan

Due to the problems in education system of Pakistan, the country is lagging behind in achieving
its MDGs of education. The MDGs have laid down two goals for education sector:

Goal 2: The goal 2 of MDGs is to achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) and by 2015,
children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary
schooling. By the year 2014 the enrolment statistics show an increase in the enrolment of
students of the age of 3-16 year while dropout rate decreased. But the need for increasing
enrolment of students remains high to achieve MDGs target. Punjab is leading province wise in
net primary enrolment rate with 62% enrolment. The enrolment rate in Sindh province is 52%, in
Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) 54% and primary enrolment rate in Balochistan is 45%.

Goal 3: The goal 3 of MDGs is Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. It is
aimed at eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and in all
levels of education not later than 2015. There is a stark disparity between male and female
literacy rates. The national literacy rate of male was 71% while that of female was 48% in 2012-
13. Provinces reported the same gender disparity. Punjab literacy rate in male was 71% and for
females it was 54%. In Sindh literacy rate in male was 72% and female 47%, in KPK male 70%
and females 35%, while in Balochistan male 62% and female 23%.

B) Education for All (EFA) Commitment

The EFA goals focus on early childhood care and education including pre-schooling, universal
primary education and secondary education to youth, adult literacy with gender parity and
quality of education as crosscutting thematic and programme priorities.
EFA Review Report October 2014 outlines that despite repeated policy commitments, primary
education in Pakistan is lagging behind in achieving its target of universal primary education.
Currently the primary gross enrolment rate stands at 85.9% while Pakistan requires increasing it
up to 100% by 2015-16 to fulfil EFA goals. Of the estimated total primary school going 21.4
million children of ages 5-9 years, 68.5% are enrolled in schools, of which 8.2 million or 56%
are boys and 6.5 million or 44% are girls. Economic Survey of Pakistan confirms that during the
year 2013-14 literacy remained much higher in urban areas than in rural areas and higher among
males.

C) Vision 2030

Vision 2030 of Planning Commission of Pakistan looks for an academic environment which
promotes the thinking mind. The goal under Vision 2030 is one curriculum and one national
examination system under state responsibility. The strategies charted out to achieve the goal
included:

(i) Increasing public expenditure on education and skills generation from 2.7% of
GDP to 5% by 2010 and 7% by 2015.

(ii) Re-introduce the technical and vocational stream in the last two years of secondary
schools.

(iii) Gradually increase vocational and technical education numbers to 25-30% of all
secondary enrolment by 2015 and 50 per cent by 2030.

(iv) Enhance the scale and quality of education in general and the scale and quality of
scientific/technical education in Pakistan in particular.

Problems: The issues lead to the comprehension of the problems which are faced in the
development of education system and promotion of literacy. The study outlines seven major
problems such as:

1) Lack of Proper Planning: Pakistan is a signatory to MDGs and EFA goals. However it
seems that it will not be able to achieve these international commitments because of financial
management issues and constraints to achieve the MDGs and EFA goals.

2) Social constraints: It is important to realize that the problems which hinder the provision
of education are not just due to issues of management by government but some of them are
deeply rooted in the social and cultural orientation of the people. Overcoming the latter is
difficult and would require a change in attitude of the people, until then universal primary
education is difficult to achieve.

3) Gender gap: Major factors that hinder enrolment rates of girls include poverty, cultural
constraints, illiteracy of parents and parental concerns about safety and mobility of their
daughters. Society’s emphasis on girl’s modesty, protection and early marriages may limit
family’s willingness to send them to school. Enrolment of rural girls is 45% lower than that of
urban girls; while for boys the difference is 10% only, showing that gender gap is an important
factor.

4) Cost of education: The economic cost is higher in private schools, but these are located in
richer settlements only. The paradox is that private schools are better but not everywhere and
government schools ensure equitable access but do not provide quality education.

5) War on Terror: Pakistan’s engagement in war against terrorism also affected the
promotion of literacy campaign. The militants targeted schools and students; several educational
institutions were blown up, teachers and students were killed in Balochistan, KPK and FATA.
This may have to contribute not as much as other factors, but this remains an important factor.

6) Funds for Education: Pakistan spends 2.4% GDP on education. At national level, 89%
education expenditure comprises of current expenses such as teachers’ salaries, while only 11%
comprises of development expenditure which is not sufficient to raise quality of education.

7) Technical Education: Sufficient attention has not been paid to the technical and
vocational education in Pakistan. The number of technical and vocational training institutes is
not sufficient and many are deprived of infrastructure, teachers and tools for training. The
population of a state is one of the main elements of its national power. It can become an asset
once it is skilled. Unskilled population means more jobless people in the country, which affects
the national development negatively. Therefore, technical education needs priority handling by
the government.

Poverty, law and order situation, natural disasters, budgetary constraints, lack of access, poor
quality, equity, and governance have also contributed in less enrolments.

An analysis of the issues and problems suggest that:

The official data shows the allocation of funds for educational projects but there is no
mechanism which ensures the proper expenditure of those funds on education.

• The existing infrastructure is not being properly utilized in several parts of the country.
• There are various challenges that include expertise, institutional and capacity issues,
forging national cohesion, uniform standards for textbook development, and quality
assurance.
• The faculty hiring process is historically known to be politicized. It is because of this that
the quality of teaching suffers and even more so when low investments are made in
teachers’ training. As a result teachers are not regular and their time at school is not as
productive as it would be with a well-trained teacher.
• Inside schools there are challenges which include shortage of teachers, teacher
absenteeism, missing basic facilities and lack of friendly environment.
• Out of school challenges include shortage of schools, distance – especially for females,
insecurity, poverty, cultural norms, parents are reluctant or parents lack awareness.

Solutions

There is a need for implementation of national education policy and vision 2030 education goals.
An analysis of education policy suggests that at the policy level there are several admirable
ideas, but practically there are some shortcomings also.

It may not be possible for the government at the moment to implement uniform education system
in the country, but a uniform curriculum can be introduced in educational institutes of the
country. This will provide equal opportunity to the students of rural areas to compete with
students of urban areas in the job market.

Since majority of Pakistani population resides in rural areas and the access to education is a
major problem for them, it seems feasible that a balanced approach for formal and informal
education be adopted. Government as well as non-government sector should work together to
promote education in rural areas.

The government should take measures to get school buildings vacated which are occupied by
feudal lords of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. Efforts should be made to ensure that proper
education is provided in those schools.

The federal government is paying attention to the vocational and technical training, but it is
important to make the already existing vocational and technical training centres more efficient so
that skilled youth could be produced.

Since education is a provincial subject, the provincial education secretariats need to be

strengthened. Special policy planning units should be established in provinces’ education
departments for implementation of educational policies and formulation of new policies
whenever needed. The provincial education departments need to work out financial resources
required for realising the compliance of Article 25-A.
Federal Government should play a supportive role vis-à-vis the provinces for the early
compliance of the constitutional obligation laid down in Article 25-A. Special grants can be
provided to the provinces where the literacy rate is low.

Pakistan is not the only country which is facing challenges regarding promotion of literacy and
meeting EFA and MDGs commitments. Education remains a subject which is paid least attention
in the whole South Asian region. UNDP report 2014 suggests that there has been an
improvement in other elements of human development such as life expectancy, per capita
income and human development index value (in past 3 years); but there has been no progress in
the number of schooling years. The expected average for years of schooling in 2010 was 10.6
years but the actual average of schooling remained 4.7 for all South Asian countries. In the year
2013 the expected average of number of years increased to 11.2 but the actual average of years
of schooling of South Asian countries remained 4.7. Regional cooperation mechanism can also
be developed to promote literacy in South Asian region. Sharing success stories, making
country-specific modifications and their implementation can generate positive results.

Recommendations

• Technical education should be made a part of secondary education. Classes for carpentry,
electrical, and other technical education must be included in the curriculum.
• Providing economic incentives to the students may encourage the parents to send their
children to school and may help in reducing the dropout ratio.
• Local government system is helpful in promoting education and literacy in the country. In
local government system the funds for education would be spent on a need basis by the
locality.
• Corruption in education departments is one of the factors for the poor literacy in the
country. An effective monitoring system is needed in education departments.
• For any system to work it is imperative that relevant structures are developed. Legislation
and structure should be framed to plan for the promotion of education in the country.
After the 18th amendment the education has become a provincial subject, therefore, the
provinces should form legislations and design educational policies which ensure quality
education.
• Unemployment of educated men and women is a major concern for Pakistan. There
should be career counselling of the pupils in schools so that they have an understanding
of job market and they can develop their skills accordingly.
• Counselling of parents is required, so that they can choose a career for their child which
is market friendly.
• There are two approaches to acquiring education: First, which is being followed by many
in Pakistan is to get education to earn bread and butter. The second approach is to get
education for the sake of personal development and learning. This approach is followed
by affluent and economically stable people who send their children to private schools and
abroad for education. The problem arises when non-affluent families send their children
to private schools, and universities. This aspiration for sending children for higher
 education is wrong, because the country does not need managers and officers only. There
are several other jobs where people are needed. Hence the mind-set of sending one’s
children to university only for becoming officers and managers needs to be changed.

Conclusion:

The reforms required in the education system of Pakistan cannot be done by the government
alone, public-private participation and a mix of formal as well as non-formal education can pull
out majority of country’s population from illiteracy. Similarly, to make the youth of the country
an asset, attention should also be paid to vocational and technical training.
The higher you go up, the harder you fall
the higher you go, the harder you fall

the story below came up today in both yahoo news and time.com. when one reads it, it is clear that the
particular problem plagues both pentecostalism as well as all of christianity. it is just that those from
pentecostalism are more well-known high flyers and hence attract more attention when they fall.

yet, everyone falls, make no mistake about it. no one is spared. in fact, the higher one climbs up the
ladder of success, the harder is the fall! the stories reminds one of samson, a judge in the OT times, full
of raw 'charismatic' power but when unbridled and unchecked, it led him to his downfall.

the stories lead us to ask the question of whether we will genuinely learn from our mistakes or go about
claiming a sort of fuzzy repentance because there is 'grace after grace after grace'!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are Mega-Preachers Scandal-Prone?

Friday, Sep. 28, 2007 By DAVID VAN BIEMA

Juanita Bynum's story may read like soap opera, but her travails are a reminder of the longtime
magnetism between celebrity Pentecostal preachers and scandal. The 48-year-old regular on the Trinity
Broadcasting Network (TBN) made her reputation with a sermon renouncing pre-marital sex to search
for a holy partner. She appeared to find one in a minister named Thomas Weeks III, wed him in a $1
million on-air ceremony, and together they went out to preach and teach the perfect Christian marriage.
Then, in August she accused him of badly beating her in a parking lot (he has been charged, but claims
he "walked away" from the confrontation), and said she planned to seek a divorce — and to become the
"new face of domestic violence." A dramatic reversal of fortunes, certainly, but hardly the first in her
particular corner of Christianity.

Bynum's misfortune coincided with the divorce by an even more popular Pentecostal figure, Paula
White, and her co-pastor husband Randy, of the Without Walls International megachurch in Tampa, Fla.
Divorce, once a taboo in evangelical culture, is now a fact of life. But the Whites' apparently no-fault
parting appeared so matter-of-fact — few details were offered, and neither partner seemed to take a
time out from preaching — that some grumbled about the unchristian notion of marriage as a
convenience. Then there was the drugs-and-call-boy-abetted exit of marquee-name Pentecostal pastor
Ted Haggard from his leadership of the National Association of Evangelicals. Clearly, Pentecostalism is
facing testing times.

Some suggest that the risk of high-profile meltdowns may be in the very nature of Pentecostal
leadership roles. "There's a lot of soul searching in our movement right now," says J. Lee Grady, editor of
Charisma magazine, because of the spectacle of highly successful preachers losing their way. "There's a
saying, 'Your anointing can take you to a place where your character cannot sustain you.' I'm hearing
that a lot more often these days."
"Anointing" refers to the Pentecostal belief not only in the conversion experience, but in a "second
anointing in the Holy Spirit" that bestows such gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing and
prophesying. From its emergence in Los Angeles exactly a century ago, it has tended to be exuberant,
physical and generally more theologically adventurous than its evangelical cousins. And despite
thousands of pastors and churches that pursue their joyous vision without taint, scandal has dogged
some of its most prominent figures. Among the best-known were the late 1980s downfalls of
televangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart: Bakker, who was undone by charges of fraud, and
Swaggart who was caught with a prostitute, had preached a "theology of prosperity" suggesting that
there would be divine rewards in this world for those who donated to the ministry.

Some critics, such as Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Southern
Theological Seminary, see the movement as hardwired for scandal. "The Charismatic movement is so
driven by emotion and by passion that it sometimes lacks both theological and moral accountability," he
says. Others, such as Tim Morgan, an editor at Christianity Today, see it as a more organizational
problem — the absence of the kind of internal oversight common in mainline Protestantism and more
recently in non-Pentecostal Evangelicalism. "Quite a few of these independent churches feel they are
beholden to God alone," says Morgan.

But Anthea Butler, a professor of religion at the University of Rochester in New York believes
Pentecostals are no more trouble-prone than other Protestants. "The same sort of thing is happening to
Baptists and Presbyterians," she says. "Except for one big thing. They are not media figures." Notes
Charisma's Grady: "There's something about someone who is excited about the things of the Holy Spirit
that makes them want to get up and proclaim it" — often on TV. "But you'd better have character, or
there's going to be a national scandal."

Many supporters and critics of the Pentecostal movement agree that a troubling factor is the recent
resurgence of the prosperity theology (known, among other terms, as Word of Faith or neo-
Pentecostalism), which introduces a material aspect to worship that could be an inducement to sin.

Practitioners of prosperity philosophies of varying intensity include some of the biggest names in
Pentecostalism, including the Whites, Joyce Meyer and Creflo Dollar. None of these has had trouble with
the law, although in 2006, after years of fencing, Joyce Meyer Ministries came to agreement with local
authorities to pay 52% taxes on parts of its headquarters, which the county had maintained were a
business. Nonetheless, Hank Hanegraaff, a non-Pentecostal evangelical broadcaster who calls himself
the Bible Answer Man, expresses concern "about people out there emptying out their bank accounts so
their daughter with leukemia can be healed." He recently read on the air a editorial by Grady
denouncing "Celebrity Christianity," which described the case of an unnamed female evangelist whose
appearance contract included a five-figure honorarium, a $10,000 fuel deposit for a private plane, a five-
star hotel, room-temperature Perrier and two bodyguards. The column ended, "May God help us root
out the false apostles ... who are making the American church sick with their.... money-focused
heresies."

But Pentecostals tend to be forgiving of their preachers' lapses — both Bakker and Swaggart are back in
the ministry, for example — because of a theological distinction between Pentecostalism and more
austere forms of conservative Christianity. Says the University of Rochester's Butler: "Calvinism is
[God's] grace, one time. This is grace after grace after grace. You can mess up a thousand times."

So, will this forgiving trait help Bynum keep her flock? Yes, say Butler and others. "Where else can you
say that you were the church Jezebel," marvels Butler, "and then recast yourself as a pure, holy single
woman living a godly life, then all of a sudden you get married in a big elaborate wedding to a bishop,
with 40 bridesmaids and then go off and have a ministry with that husband and tell other church
couples, 'This is how to love your husband because we got it right'? — and then your husband beats you
up in the parking lot, and now you're an advocate for domestic violence?"

Yet Harvard African-American studies and religion scholar Marla Frederick says many of the women with
whom Bynum's preaching resonates have seen just as many reversals as in their own lives, and they
yearn for a God who will ride the roller coaster with them. "Pentecostal faith is really about the power
of the Holy Spirit to instantaneously transform life," she says. But she admits she personally is troubled
that "taking a personal story and turning it into a narrative of triumph also becomes something that can
be marketed for profit."

Indeed, beyond the scandal of the moment, Pentecostalism has produced a culture of superstar
preachers whose lives are always at risk of being turned into something close to secular entertainment.
Impact of Foreign Aid in Economic System of
Pakistan
Foreign aid is an important source of income in developing countries and carries potential to play a key role in
promoting economic growth. The traditional literature on economic growth emphasises the positive role of foreign
aid in the process of economic development [1].Foreign aid inflow influences the process of growth by reducing the
saving-investment gap, increasing productivity and transferring the modern technology. However, in the
neoclassical growth framework the benefits of foreign capital inflows are of temporary nature. Like many other
developing countries such as Pakistan has heavily relied on foreign funding to finance its development projects. This
strategy increased its dependency on external aid. Pakistan has received around US $73.14 billion in the form of
foreign aid from 1960 to 2002 [2], but the benefits of this foreign aid have not reached the whole society, which
means that foreign aid is failed to improve the economic conditions in Pakistan. Foreign aid has not been utilised for
development of the economy; rather aid has served the vested interests of influential people. During 1990s, the
foreign loans at commercial rate of interest have exacerbated the foreign debt problem of the country. The overall
situation cast doubts about the effectiveness of foreign aid as a tool for economic growth. [3]. The impact of foreign
aid on economic development has always been a controversial issue. In 1950s, 1960s and 1970s rich countries used
foreign aid to fill the gaps in resources, encouraging domestic investment and industrial growth under the belief that
foreign aid could help developing countries to accelerate the ―take-off‖ into self-sustained growth by generating
new domestic investment [4]. Foreign aid helps to close the foreign exchange gap, provide excess to modern
technology and managerial skills and allow easier excess to world markets [5, 6, 7, 8]. A positive relationship
between foreign aid and economic growth for UK aided countries and negative for French and Scandinavian aided
countries. Aid, however, could not improve the economic conditions in Bangladesh, India and countries like Korea,
Malawi and
Kenya [9] Developing countries like Pakistan should reduce its dependence on foreign aid and mobilize financial
resources from internal sources [10]. Foreign aid increases debt level and consequently weaken financial base of the
country. Pakistan should learn lesson from Greek which borrowed beyond its paying capacity and ultimately was
defaulted on IMF loans [11].
1.1. Research question

Our main research question is that ―Does foreign aid affect Pakistan’s economic growth and uplift the living
standard of its people?‖
1.2 Objective of the study
The main objectives of the study are given as under:
1. To study and explore the effect of foreign aid on economic growth in Pakistan.
2. To explore and investigate the factors of foreign aid that has less effect on economic growth in Pakistan.
3. To explore the effect of capital stock on economic growth.
4. To see the effect inflation on economic growth.
2. Literature review

Many studies confirmed the negative correlation between foreign aid and economic growth. Negative correlation
between aid and growth is the outcome of factors such as economic policies, government intervention, business
cycle and instability of foreign aid flows in the recipient countries [12]. State intervention in the economy generate
negative impact on economic growth and makes the aid-growth relationship statistically insignificant [13].Aid
uncertainty also brings negative effect on economic growth. Particularly underdeveloped countries facing shortage
of resources urgently needs foreign aid. If the source of aid is not reliable they cannot complete their planned
projects well-in-time. Moreover, the impact of foreign aid on economic growth depends on the aid levels and the
stability of aid flows [14]. The role of foreign aid is a debatable issue in promoting economic growth and it remains
unsettled at both theoretical and empirical levels. The evidence shows negative and insignificant effects from the
foreign aid on the growth at the aggregate as well as the disaggregate level. One can suggests that, export growth,
inflows of foreign direct investment and domestic investment are important contributors in enhancing economic
growth in Pakistan [15] Foreign aid does have some positive impact on growth, conditional on a stable
macroeconomic policy environment. It can be provided through direct or indirect investment. Foreign assistant can
also provide through physical or financial form [16]. However, aid should be taken only for productive purpose
otherwise dependence on external aid may be counter-productive. Foreign direct investment in fixed assets and
mobilization of resources are necessary for the countries like Pakistan. There is need to devise policies to promote
domestic saving, tax payment culture and use of resources for vital projects like energy and infrastructure [17].
When we studied the relationship between public debt and economic growth in Pakistan we would find that under
certain circumstances external financing is significantly more expensive than domestic financing. Both external and
internal debt have negative effect on real per capita income. The policy maker should avoid both types of debt or
should reduce their volume in future. Debt should be taken only for productive purposes and should keep away from
corrupt people while debt for international monetary fund (IMF) should be avoided because their terms and
conditions worsen the economy of debtor nation [18]. There is a strong positive and significant relationship between
total government expenditure and foreign aid and when foreign aid rise total government expenditure in Pakistan
also rise. The empirical evidence shows that the relationship between government development expenditure and
foreign project aid has also been found positive and significant. [19]. There is a negative correlation between foreign
aid and GDP growth rate. Foreign aid has negative affect on the economic growth of Pakistan and there is no
improvement in GDP (gross domestic product) growth and abnormal increase in inflation rate despite of foreign aid
inflows. The impact of foreign capital inflow has different impact on the economy in the short and long-term. The
empirical results confirmed that there is negative impact of these inflows on economic growth of the economy in
long run. In short run analysis unidirectional causality running from debt services [20].
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Time series data from 1980 to 2012 is used to investigate the relationship between foreign aid and economic growth
of Pakistan. The data is taken from different sources like World Bank, world development indicator database and
various economic survey of Pakistan. Following variables are selected for this research study.
3.1 Explanation of selected Variables
3.1.1 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Gross domestic product (GDP) is taken as dependent variable because we want to see the effect of foreign aid on
gross domestic product. GDP is the final value of goods and services produced in a country within a year. GDP
measures the national income and output for a given country’s economy. GDP is equal is to the total expenditure for
all final goods and services produced within the country in a stipulated period of time. Generally it is calculated on
annual basis. GDP can be calculated by using two approaches: income approach and expenditure approach. By
income approach GDP is calculated by adding up total compensation to employees, gross profit of business firms
and tax less any subsidies. The expenditure method is more common approach and it is calculated by adding total
consumption, investment, government spending and net export (export-import). GDP is one of the primary
indicators that is used to gauge the health of country’s economy. It shows the total value of all goods and services
produced over a specific period.
3.1.2. Foreign Aid (FAID)
As we know that foreign aid is a grant and loan that is taken from abroad. In this research, Foreign aid is
independent variable that will use in this model. After applying statistical techniques (OLS), we can know if there is
one percent change in foreign aid, how much change will occurred in gross domestic product. Pakistan receives
foreign aid from several countries and international financial institutions. Since the start of war in Afghanistan the
majority of aid comes from the United states in the form of coalition support fund which is reimbursement to
Pakistan for expenses already incurred and compensation for facilities used by coalition forces $17.9 million
received by Pakistan in 2010, $75 million of US aid fund was transferred to bolster the Benazir income support
program, a social development program run by the government of Pakistan. Another $45 million given to higher
education commission (HEC) to support centres of excellences at Pakistani universities. $19.5 million went to
support Fulbright scholarship programme and $23.3 million for relief.
3.1. 3 Growth rate of capital stock

In classical economics, capital is one of the three factors of production others are the land and capital. According to
Adam smith that part of men’s stock which he expects to afford him revenue is called his capital. The data of
investment is not available for Pakistan so we have taken (INV/GDP) which shows the grossed fixed capital
formation. In this research since investment/GDP ratio is used as a proxy for growth rate of capital stock. So the
gross fixed capital formation is a share of GDP (gross domestic product) to represent investment/GDP ratio.
3.1.4 Inflation (INF) Rate
Inflation is increase in level of prices. We used inflation as independent variable. Inflation has also effect on GDP of
a country because when inflation occurs the prices of goods and services also rises that causes increase in GDP.
Inflation is a sustained increase in general price level of goods and services in the economy over the period of time.
When the price level raises each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently we can say that
inflation reflects a reduction in purchasing power per unit of money. Inflation affects the economy in various ways
both positive and negative. Negative effect of inflation include an increase in opportunity cost of holding money and
positive effect include ensuring that central bank can adjust real investment rate and encouraging investment in non-
monetary capital project. In this study we will examine whether the inflation has positive or negative effect on GDP
during the period of 1990-2012.
3.1.5 Growth rate of real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita is the measurement of total output of a country divided by total population. Real GDP per
capita has three important concepts. First is the GDP that is the measurement of everything that a country produces
in a year. Second concept is real GDP that removes the effect of price change. Real GDP is more accurate
measurement of the actual output of a country because it measures the impact of inflation. Third concept is the per
capita that means per person. Per capita allows us to compare economic indicators for countries with very different
population size. As GDP cannot be interpreted normally so we converted GDP per capita, taking its log and then
taking differences we turn it as growth rate of GDP per capita.
3.1.6 Econometric Model
We developed an econometric model and use Ordinary Least Square OLS method. After applying OLS If the
strength of model is not good then we will use other estimation techniques like auto-regressive and moving average
test to get good strength in the model. In our study we use following regression equation:-
𝑮𝑮𝑫𝑷𝒄=𝜷𝟎+( 𝑰𝑵𝑽/𝑮𝑫𝑷) 𝒊𝒕+𝜷𝟐( 𝑨𝑰𝑫/𝑮𝑫𝑷) 𝒊𝒕+𝜷𝟑( 𝑨𝑰𝑫/𝑮𝑫𝑷)2𝒊𝒕+𝜷𝟒𝒍𝒏(𝑮𝑫𝑷 )𝒊𝒕+𝜷𝟓 (INF) +U
Where
GGDP = growth rate of real GDP (gross domestic product) per capita
INV = investment of country
AID = official development assistance received by country
GDP = initial level of DGP (gross domestic product) of country
INV/GDP = growth rate of capital stock
INF = Inflation rate of country in year
U = Error term
3.1.7 Transformation of data
We collected data of different variables like GDP (gross domestic product), aid, investment (gross fixed capital
formation) and inflation rate. We transformed our data because some data of variables cannot be interpreted
normally. As we know that normally GDP in totality cannot be interpreted so we divided it into GDP per capita then
we took its log and taking the difference we got GDP growth rate. The data of investment was not available so we
took INV/GDP that represents gross fixed capital formation.
4. Empirical Analysis

4.1 Correlation
The measure of degree to which any two variables vary together is called correlation and these two variables are said
to be correlated if they tend to simultaneously vary in the same direction. Two variables are said to be direct or positive
if these variables tend to increase or decrease together and two variables are said to be negative or inverse when one
variable tend to increase while other variable decreases. Through correlation we measure the strength of relationship
between two or more than two variables.Correlation among different variables is shown in
Table 1. (AID/GDP)2 GGDPc IN INV/
Table. 1: F GDP
Correlation
AID/GDP
Table 1 shows that investment over GDP (capital stock) is positively correlated with GGDPc (growth rate of real
GDP per capita). If there is 1 unit change in growth rate of capital stock (INV/GDP) it will cause increase in 0.2146
units in GDP. This Table also shows that inflation is negatively correlated with GGDPc, if there is 1 unit change in
inflation rate there will cause 0.0211 units decrease in GDP. It is cleared from data that aid and square of aid have
negative relationship with GDP. If there is 1 unit change in aid then there will be 0.0629 units decrease in GGDPc
(growth rate of real GDP per capita). Negative correlation between square of aid over GDP and growth rate of real
GDP per capita shows that 1 unit change in square of aid results 0.1964 units’ decrease in growth in GDP per capita.
From above discussion we can conclude that instead of capital stock all other variables are negatively correlated
with GGDPc (growth rate of real GDP per capita).
4.2 Descriptive statistics
Normally we can apply descriptive statistics on a single variable at a time. Descriptive statistics tells the researcher
about the data and central tendency of the variable. It helps the researcher of the meaning of average score of
participation on given study measure. From descriptive statistics we cannot draw conclusion about the given data but
it helps the researcher the frequency with which certain responses or scores arises on a given measure of study. So we
can say that descriptive statistics tells us the nature of data but we cannot draw the conclusion about the given data.
Descriptive statistics with results are given in Table 2.

As we have discussed earlier that descriptive statistics do not give us solution but it also tells the nature of the data.
Kurtosis also helps us to understand the nature of the data. From the table 2 the value of probability shows that
independent variables such as inflation rate, investment and aid will give us significant results.
4.3 Regression Analysis
In regression analysis we draw null and alternative hypothesis and apply F-statistics to accept or reject null
hypothesis. So
Ho = foreign aid has positive impact on economy of Pakistan.
H1 = foreign aid has not positive impact on the economy of Pakistan.
By applying Ordinary least square (OLS) method we will calculate the value of f-statistics. If the value of f-statistics
increases 0.1 then we accept our null hypotheses and our results will be insignificant and we will conclude that foreign
aid has positive impact on the economy of Pakistan. But if F-statistics value is less than 0.1 then we will reject our
null hypotheses and accept alternative hypotheses (H1) and we will conclude that foreign aid has not positive impact
on the economy of Pakistan. If F-statistics is less than 0.1then our results will be significant. The time series
(secondary) annual data is taken from the time period 1980-2012 from different sources such as World Bank, world
development indicator data base etc. After collecting the data ordinary least square (OLS) method is used for
estimating model.The major results that obtained through OLS method are given in the Table 3.
R-square=0.328
Durbin-Watson =2.1725
F-statistics =0.0457
Coefficient of determination (R-square) shows the strength of model means coefficient of determination tells the
goodness of model. The value of coefficient of determination (R-Square =0.3281) is too less and strength of model
can be improved by applying auto regressive and moving average test. We can say that the model is not good. It is
cleared from above results that the value of Durbin-Watson is greater than 2 that show there is no autocorrelation in
our Model. The value of F-statistics (F-State =0.0457) shows our results are significant. From these results we can
improve our model by removing the problem of non-stationary if any variable contains and after that we will regress
it again. After adjusting endpoints and applying auto-regressive (AR) and moving average (MA) test strength of model
can be improved. The adjusted data has been shown in Table 4
R-square =0.7619
F-statistics =0.000004
Durbin-Watson =2.1023
The above results shows that the strength of our model has improved to 0.7619 when we adjusted endpoints and
applied auto-regressive and moving average test. By doing so we also overcome the problem stationary in time series
data. The value of F-statistics is 0.000004 that shows that our results are highly significant because the value of F-
statistics is less than 0.1 so we will reject our null hypothesis and accept alternative hypothesis that states that foreign
aid has no positive impact on Pakistan’s economic growth. After adjusting endpoints and applying auto-regressive
and moving average test we got the value of the Durbin-Watson 2.1023 that shows there is no autocorrelation among
variables. The significance (goodness of fit) of our model have improved by applying auto-regressive AR (1) and
moving average MA (1).

5. CONCLUSION
From above discussion we can conclude that foreign aid effectiveness is most critical and unsettled issue at both
empirical and theoretical levels. Most of the components of foreign aid are diverted from development expenditure
to non-development expenditure and that are produced hardly any significant impact on economic growth. We
collected the data over the time period 1980-2012 and estimated the model by using ordinary least square (OLS)
method. The results shows that foreign aid is not influenced the economic growth in Pakistan both at aggregate and
disaggregate level. Instead of foreign aid domestic investment is positively related with economic growth in
Pakistan. As we know that foreign aid is not properly used for development purpose. Therefore we can say that
Pakistan should work for increasing its domestic savings and investment rates. Our findings shows that foreign aid is
not a blessing for Pakistan. Moreover, harsh conditional ties are attached with foreign aid that usrupt sovereignty of
the borrowing nation. Corruption and lack of governance turn foreign aid into a curse. Our other variables like
investment has positive and significant impact on Pakistan’s economic growth both at aggregate and disaggregate
levels. Our empirical Results confirm that domestic investment has made an important contribution in the economic
growth of Pakistan. If we talk about the negative side of aid it seems a substituted for domestic savings that
increased debt burden. As we know many debt indicators shows that the debt burden of Pakistan has increased over
a period of time and the country may face debt servicing problem in future. In short, we domestic investment has
positive and significant impact on the economic growth. So instead of foreign aid Pakistan should increase its
domestic saving and investment.
7. Policy Implications
Foreign aid effectiveness policies are very important because aid can be positive impact on the growth if effective
monetary, fiscal and trade policies are used. But aid has not positive impact due to presence of poor policy framework
in Pakistan. So we should make good and implement those policies which prevent corruption, mis-utilization and
mismanagement of foreign aid. It is necessary to check the proper monitoring of aid utilizing projects. Thus, it is
imperative that proper policy initiative should be taken to use foreign aid for economic development so that the people
of Pakistan should reap its benefits. We should also take appropriate steps to keep the inflation low and reduce budget
and trade deficit so that the need for foreign aid can be reduced. Policy makers should keep in mind that stable and
sustainable sources of external financing such as export, foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment
stimulate economic growth. So these three sources of financing should be focused.
THE CREATION OF NEW PROVINCES IN PAKISTAN AND ITS
IMPLICATIONS FOR AN INTEGRATED COUNTRY
The issue of the creation of new provinces has become a hotly debated one. It has started with the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Hazara) and Punjab (Saraiki and Bahawalpur) but may not begin or end there. While
supporting the creation of new provinces may appear an easy way out for the politicians, it is going to be a
difficult task to actually carve them out. Once the genie is out it will not be possible to force it back into
the bottle. Like creation of new districts, addition of provinces would become a political appeasement tool
in a run up to each election. At the end of the day, country is likely to end up having a provincial map very
close to an existing administrative entity called ‘Division’.1 In this paper, an effort has been made to discuss
the issue of the creation of new provinces in Pakistan. This paper starts with explanation of federation and
its units. It will move on to discuss what will be its negative implications on the future of this land as well
its creation of sub units on ethnic and administrative lines. A constitutional debate will follow to assess
what the 1973 constitution says about having more provinces.
A “federation also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a
union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (federal) government.”2. A
federation is also defined as a group of states with a central government but independence in
internal affairs. It means any kind of a general association between autonomous units of a state. In
this process, Units are associated for common goals to have dividends of the federation. Some of the
authors have defined federalism in terms of division of powers. K. C. Wheare states, “the method of
dividing powers so that the general and regional governments are, each, within a sphere, coordinate and
independent”.3 Another remarkable writer on federalism, James Q Wilson defines federalism in terms of
sharing of sovereignty. He says, “federation is created when communities, hitherto independent of each
other, unite to form a single body politic, yet in such a way as to preserve for something of its
independence”.4
For a successful federation, there must be a co-existence of two sets of governments within their
limits, territories, and powers and functions. Each of them enjoys its own powers and functions within its
own spheres. To have such an autonomy and harmonious relations between the federation and the federating
units, there are political institutions to keep a balance. These are the pre-requisites of federalism. These are:
• An Independent Judiciary
• A formal division of powers which are defined by a constitution
• And the supremacy of the constitution

Constituent units or partially self governing regions are an important part of a federal state system or form
of government. Federation in fact owes its formation to its units- the states or provinces. This is so because
the object of the federation is to ensure unity in diversity. The case of Pakistan however is unique in many
respects. Bearing the 62, in all the constitutions, the country has been declared a federal state comprising
of the federating units of the areas which were separate identities even before Pakistan came into existence.
But despite being a federal state the country has always a strong central government i.e. the center keeping
sway in most of the affairs than the provinces, which is apparently a contradiction to its federal constitution.
The advocates of provincial autonomy exploited this visible weakness to grind their political interests.
But we need to assess the situation of Pakistan by going beyond the conventions of typical
federation. The reason is that Pakistan is a peculiar federal republic. The country is the first in the world to
be formed on ideological basis. Still that bond of commonality failed within a short span of 25 years to
ensure survival of her. The fall of Dacca is yet to be forgotten5. Similarly the pukhtoonistan issue, the
sindho-desh slogan6, and the greater Balochistan are few harsh realities of our history which could not be
ignored. Keeping in view the checkered history of the country thinking of creating new provinces thus
seems playing with fire.
The issues of feeling of deprivation on the part of the underprivileged if rationally analyzed are not
because of fewer provinces but lack of provision of the rights ensured in the constitution. We need to
differentiate between provincial autonomy and creating more provinces.
The state or the responsible ones, for variety of reasons never let the provinces enjoy their rightful
freedom. Self serving politicians and officials did not leave any stone unturned to exploit the poor masses.
They played with the sentiments of ignorant electorates at the expense of the foundations of the country.
Ethnic, religious, regional, and lingual divides thus on many instances shaken this land of the pure. Pakistan
is currently passing through the most volatile phase of her life. If the issue of creating newer provinces is
given more air, it may blow out of proportion, and would endanger the very fabric of the country. And thus
needs maturity and patriotism on the part of both the rulers and the ruled not to give rise to issues rather
non-issues to create further havoc.
The unfortunate and sorry state of Pakistan’s politics is reflecting a shift from the debate
of the provincial autonomy to the creation of new provinces more on ethnic rather on
administrative lines. The self-seeking and short-sighted politicians are proving that their
knowledge base is hollow and their politics is limited to the service of their own interests. Pakistan
is a country that is facing the curse of provincialism, ethnic divide, sectarianism and even religious
divide. To add to the misery it’s two neighbors have always fished in the troubled water to incite the divisive
tendencies. Afghanistan was (and still) pressing hard for the establishment of an independent state of
Pakhtunistan in 19487. The East Pakistan crises and Indian interference in the problem is an important
chapter of Pakistan’s history that reflects the curse of Provincialist feelings.8 Similarly the Balochi uprising
in mid 1970s and the crushing that uprising with the help of the Iranian government9 is another example of
the sorry state of provincial autonomy and the mis-calculated response of the government of Pakistan. The
insurgence in Baluchistan in the Musharraf era and the brutal attitude of the democratic government ruled
by a dictator has added fuel to the fire.
All these problems have two things in common; a sense of deprivation and political exploitation.
With all these things underway along with the burden of the war on terror, the massive corruption of the
government, bad governance, rising unemployment, economic instability and countless other problems that
this nation is facing a new chapter of troubles is opened for an already vulnerable Pakistan that is the
creation of new provinces.
th
The passage of 18 amendment and the change in the name of NWFP to KPK has arose a
sense of deprivation in the people of Hazara which resulted in the sudden increase in the pace of
the movement for the demand of Hazara province for which more than a dozen people lost their
lives in April 201010. In the same vain the Nawab of Bahawalpur paced up his demand for a
separate province11 the saraiky province seekers want to make two districts of KPK and 19 districts
of Southern Punjab to make their province12 will it be possible in the light of current party position
in Punjab assembly to acquire two third votes for the division of the province? Moreover The
government that already have the blood of dozen innocent people of Hazara on its hands can be
perceived to allow it’s two districts to be taken by someone else? All this shows that are mother
land is going towards a series of crises (constitutional, political ethnic and financial) that what I
anticipate as the adverse effects of the creation of new provinces in Pakistan. Meanwhile the master stroke
of the chief minister of Punjab (his statement of bifurcating Sindh) has farther heated this political debate
and has exposed many faces believing more in regionalism than in nationalism.13
There will be a new debate of the division of revenues, new provincial consolidated funds should
be created irrespective of the fact whether the newly created provinces are able to make their way or they
will prove to be another liability on the federation.14
Let us say that the government accessed to the demands of the new provinces what will be the
result? More ethnic movements will arise and different ethnicities will ask for separate province on the
bases of their ethnicity, some pressure groups will press hard for the creation of new provinces that will
severely undermine the already divided sense of nation hood, the creation of new provinces on the bases of
ethnicity will be another blow to the already in questioned ideology of Pakistan. Moreover many nawabs
of the states (that exceeded to Pakistan after its independence) will follow the footsteps of Nawab of
Bahawalpur with Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani that will create another dilemma.
If the creation of new provinces will not result in the automatic improvement of the management, if the
creation of more administrative units on ethnic lines is going to endanger the sense of nation hood, if more
provinces cannot help in bridging the gulf between the ruler and the ruled and if the multiplication of the
number of federating units is anticipated to create more constitutional problems that would require another
64 years to solve them then why this frenzy of the creation of new provinces in Pakistan has been created
at the time when the land of pure is already in crises.
WHY PEOPLE DEMAND PROVINCES?
Five important features that compose such a demand:
1- People feel isolated in their present provinces on ethnic or geographical lines. They also get
encouraged from the neighboring countries with greater number of provinces. They are successful
federations with a show of respect to their sub-national governments.
2- They feel a major minority and hence consider themselves distinct from the majority: Saraiki belt
amongst Punjabis and DIKhan, Hazara in KPK.
3- The power center of every province is its capital. The territories which demand a provincial status
are situated at the periphery of existing provinces. Administratively they feel they are situated far
flung from the provincial capital which always remain hub of administrative, economic,
educational, political and social opportunities. Rahim Yar Khan, Bhawalpur, DIKhan, Hazara etc
in their respective provinces. Thye feel that with provincial status, the power center- the provincial
capital will be right in their neighborhood where they would enjoy all such opportunities.
4- Pakistan has an additional excuse of demographic division that becomes a structural justification for
increasing the number of its provinces. Punjab in terms of population size is larger than the sum of
all the three provinces combined. Its 58% of the total population of the country.
5- Very important feature of new provinces demand is that this will improve state governance and
ensure that state mandated services—law and order, justice, health, education will be easily
available with more investment and great opportunities.

Ethnicity and Administrative Divisions

All the five bases upon which a province may be demanded are well justified. However, in
Pakistan’s case, a province has been demanded on ethnic and regional lines. We cant forget the
example of the new name of an existing province- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This is an ethnic name which
has sparked the debae and hence demand for the new provinces. The region in which we are surviving is
based on ethnic lines. Afghanistan is an ethnic based society-Pakhtoon, Hazaras, Tajiks and Ujbaks. It is
divided into 32 provinces. The provincial status is purely based on ethnic lines. Afghan Eastern part
contiguous to Pakistan’s border is purely pakhtoon which comprises of 42% of the Afghan population. 29%
are Tajiks. Similarly, India is divided into North and South India. Thus any effort to create more provinces
in Pakistan will mean more federating units based on ethnic identity. We must also see and analyse the
demand of provinces from Hazara and Saraiki Belt and tribal areas. These all are based on ethnic identities.
Though some of the people talk about administrative divisions, it still is based on geographical lines based
on ethnicity.
The division of provinces will not be limited to the KPK and Punjab only. This trend will further
be adopted on Sindh and Baluchistan as well. Retired Air Commodore, Khalid Iqbal gives a very alarming
situation to the sub-division of different areas of Pakistan besides Punjab. He says, “The ongoing ping-pong
in Sindh between ‘commissionerate’ and ‘local government’ systems has amply highlighted the de facto
division of Sindh on the urban-rural lines; alongside equally strong sentiment to prevent it. FATA has also
been voicing for provincial status. The Pashtun population of Balochistan, which is around 50 percent, has
traditionally been uncomfortable with the current demarcation of the largest province, and there has been
talk about a separate entity”.15
The most alarming side for the demand for new province is that it is based on ethnicity or language
and tribal loyalties. If this happens, it will fritter our problem to ethnic levels thereby driving in
the schism between different ethnic races ever deeper than already existing. If any single new
province is created it will lead to a demand by other pressure groups for a province of their own
on ethnic basis, thus shattering the one nation ideology on the basis of which this country was
created. Inter-Provincial Harmony
Pakistan is a country that is facing the provincialism since its creation. First it was East and West
Pakistan. After 1971, it has been the Punjab that is facing criticism from the rest of three small sister
provinces. Punjab being the biggest province is accused of draining resources and usurping share of other
provinces. I wonder will creation of new provinces increase or reduce inter-provincial (inter ethnic) hatred.
If Hazara is formed a province, they will treat KPK as the present day Punjab. Saraikai Province
will treat the rest-over Punjab in the same way. Hence, whatever the excuse for the creation of new
provinces, it will be on ethnic lines.
Pakistan was divided into two units- East and the West. Eastern unit was based on ethnicity.
Western Unit was disharmonious about its union. All the four were not happy with such phenomenon.
Though administratively, the divide between the East and the West grew sharply. And today we lament that
a complete Pakistan is no longer left. This was ethnic division in the name of administrative distribution
that resulted in Pakistan’s dismemberment.
Demands for creation of new provinces, which have been made for many decades, have been
spurred by the renaming of one of the federating units. Renaming of NWFP was an utter injustice to the
non-Pushtoon community without seeking the consent and confidence of the masses. In fact, the province
could have been given a name like such. However, it would have been in the fitness of things had it been
done in a proper manner like a referendum etc. It would have been more convenient had it been Khyber,
Abasin, Gandhara etc. This would not have reflected any ethnic affiliation. But Pakhtunkhwa is an ethnic
name.
There have been numerous theories related with ethnic origins of the names of others
provinces of Pakistan like Punjab and Sindh. Here we have to be cautious about their origin as
well. These names are monumental in their origin. Ethnicity was associated or drew from the
monuments. The land of Punj AabsThe (land of five rivers) gave it the name of Punjab and then Punjabi
was induced as an ethnicity. Similarly, Sindhis drew their origin from the Sindh river. But in case of KPK,
first Pakhtoon ethnic people live here and then the name is given to it. Thus its un-like other provinces.
I recently conducted a survey in which besides numerous other questions for my research I also asked
‘What is most important to you- new name KPK, Law and order, Abolition of Corruption, Low price of
daily consumables, OR Eradication of Terrorism’? The results of the survey were very shocking but
interesting with respect to the name KPK.
􀂄35%- Low price of daily use products
􀂄23%- Eradication of Terrorism
􀂄15%- Renaming of NWFP as KPK
􀂄15%- Law and order
􀂄12%- Abolition of Corruption

(Population): 100 DIKhan; 100 Abbottabad; 200 Peshawar; 100 Swat; 100 Bannu; 100 Mardan; 150 Kohat
and 150 Charsadda.
This survey result speaks louder than anything vis-à-vis problems of the province and the renaming
issue.
According to another survey, the creation of new provinces in Pakistan would result in further price
hike and expanses on the national kitty. An NGO, MEMRB, conducted a survey in all the provinces of the
country. 20 percent people were of the view that the existing number of provinces is enough; while 17%
were of the opinion that the existing provinces should be run properly. 83 percent Pakistanis have voted
against the creation of new provinces in the country; meanwhile only 17% voted in favor of the creation of
new provinces. 3500 interviews were conducted in February and March 2500 interviews were conducted
in cities 10,000 interviews were conducted in 60 villages.16
Creation of more provinces will not ultimately lead to welfare for people. I have seen in
different TV channel talk shows that certain experts quote the example of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a
country with 34 provinces. However, the decades of civil war on ethnic lines amongst them can’t be ignored.
It has multiplied their grievances against each other. Today everyone knows that the problem of
Afghanistan is engrained in its ethnic division rather than collective tendency to terrorism. One ethnic group
favours the US presence while the other opposes foreign troops. Thus a civil and a hot war is simultaneously
taking place in Afghanistan.
Unlike, Afghanistan we have an excellent example of the UK. England, (Northern) Ireland, Wales
and Scotland- are the union of good governance. The required institutions for service to the people of these
respective units are available at their doorstep. Hence no one is talking about further sub-division.
From these two examples of Afghanistan and the UK, we need to learn that we have to focus on
the development of our institutions and civil services. The fundamental and core issues of lack of welfare
imparted to public by the state is the continuation of the lack of administrative structure and institutional
maturity in the civil services of Pakistan. The institutions remain ineffective with an absolute inefficient
and incapable workforce in the first place, which has neglected the values of merit to induct the right people
to do the job, instead always selected the undesirable and the otherwise, which results merely not in the
failure of the institutions rather in the state as Pakistan.
There is a dire and urgent need of reevaluating our current policy for civil institutions. A drastic
implementation of a modified plan is required which is more efficient, effective, scientific, humanistic and
welfare oriented not only to the provincial capitals but to the far-flung areas of the provinces as well. This
will reduce the tendency to demand for new sub-units.
Two very important factors which need the focus of time are Strengthening of Local Government and Good
Governance in Pakistan. This will be explained in following lines:

(A) Strengthening of Local Government Pakistan embarked on devolution and governance

reforms in 1999. The main achievement has been the introduction of a new local government system
introduced in August 2001 when all four provincial Governments promulgated their respective Local
Government Ordinance, 2001.17
The structure of local governance in Pakistan remained the same till 2001. From the above state of
affairs it was evident that to empower the people so that they may exercise their rights required a new
concept of local governance and fundamental changes in the political, administrative and financial
structures. If local democracy was to flourish then the position on the ground had to change in favor of the
people. Under the old system of politics, local governance democracy could not be sustained. The people
had to be empowered to have control over the resources. Elected representatives answerable to the people
needed to be made in charge. Democracy requires that people through their elected representatives be made
responsible and accountable for their decisions. In a centralized and administratively controlled system the
checks and balance become less effective.
To change a 150 years old system and to empower people requires through analysis and
fundamental changes in the governance and administrative structures. This step was taken in Pakistan in
2001. The devolution reforms were introduced to ensure that the people were fully empowered and
controlled the decision making process. Local democracy and local governments now have a major say in
the political arena.
Since August 2001 it has been a period of transition as well consolidation. In the past more than 80 percent
of the friction between the provincial and local governments was due to administrative reasons like
postings, transfers and recruitment. This matter has been resolved in the latest amendments in 2005 in the
LGOs with the provinces agreeing to the creation of a District Service. Now Efficiency & Discipline action
has been devolved to the local level in the amendments.

Other Answr:
Should new provinces in Pakistan be created or not and what formula should be applied for their creation?
Since creation of Pakistan we have always taken decisions before bringing consequences of our steps into
account and later on regretted that this or that policy should not have been brought. Presently, Pakistan
is not at the stage of any experiment. Before initiating any step pertaining to creation of new provinces
ground realities should be given a focused view. They must be debated at all forums and a constructive
outcome should be considered as final decision.
Reason of creation of new provinces should mainly be administrative in nature and political in practice.
Otherwise, all the tribal based communities will put forward their demands for separate provinces that
would not be financially problematic for state but also create chaos across the country.
Hence, there should be a referendum in the Hazara and Siraki belt of the Punjab for separate provinces.
Though without bringing amendment in the constitution (Article 239) separation of provinces is not
possible yet role of all stake holders is also important in this regard.
All stake holders should be summoned in a meeting being called upon by Prime Minister and demand of
separate provinces be accepted on the basis of ground realities which are economy and administration
division.
Making provinces on lingual basis will create state of callousness and anarchy for the state however this
factor should not be followed otherwise Brohi, jatoi,mahar,kakars and many other communities will ask
for their separate provinces later on.
What should be nature of demand?
Demand for creation of new provinces should not be political in nature. For the sake of augmenting seats
in Majis e shura provinces should not be created and good governance factor should be given paramount
importance.
At the time of beginning, Nigeria had only 4 provinces and there had been tribal clashes and bad
governance issues. Later on president of Nigeria brought reforms and made 7 new provinces just to
harmonize administration. Today, it has more than 17 provinces and most of them were created just to
make governance efficient and effective.
Same has been followed in Egypt and India.
Hence, before creating new provinces we must take a look on our neighbor and Muslim countries stance
on this issue and if we find it quite effective then it should be implemented in Pakistan.
The following challenges Pakistan will face after creation of new provinces;
1. Expenses of new administration
2. Conflict on resource distribution
3. Formation of new groups which will later on demand for their separate province on lingual basis
4. There would also be administration personnel and Para military forces issue
5. Political forces will also create problems for maintaining their hegemony over each other in newly made
provinces.
6. Development projects can also be affected to an extent.
7. There can be emergence of turf war.
What is the role of Political Parties?
Political forces of Pakistan are not apparently serious with the new provinces issue. Each party wants to
gain sympathy of the people just for its political interests. Same has been observed in MQM recent
resolutions. Though MQM is largely considered as Provincial based political force yet it speaks of bringing
reforms in KP where it does not have representation.
“If FATA demands for new provinces, MQM will support it” .(Altaf Hussain)
Presently role of PPPP and MQM on the demand of Siraki province is to break strength of PML N and
PMLQ. Although, there are many issues concerned to administration yet Siraki province issue has been
completely politicized.

What is the role of media?

Media is taking this issue for the purpose of commercialization not for the betterment of governance in
the country.
So far talk shows are observed as biased and immature. It can have played its better role by suggesting or
pointing International norms to the government on new provinces issue but it has further politicized it.

Perception of individuals
Most of the Pakistanis consider this issue as politically motivated however they do not favor creation of
new provinces. But there are also many other people who hold the view that if provinces are created for
harmonizing administration of the country and execution of service at lower level then this issue should
be resolved and new provinces should be created.

Conclusion
Hence, it can be concluded as Pakistan is economically fragile and politically weak. If it is further
experimented then situation in country can be worsen. Therefore, all stake holders should be summoned
in a meeting being called upon by Prime Minister and creation of new provinces issue should be resolved
on the view that they will be created solely for administrative purpose.

How serious is the PPP government in its commitment to set up a Seraiki province? Is it just a political
slogan to divert attention from its dismal governance record and, additionally, to needle PML-N in the soft
underbelly of Punjab? Or does it really mean to go ahead with carving out a new province from the Seraiki
speaking districts of the Punjab ahead of the next elections? Has it thought through the underlying
implications of the sensitive issue and worked out its details, especially the repercussion such a move will
have on other provinces?

These and related questions are being asked in the wake of the new, stepped up drive that the PPP has
launched in support of its proposed Seraiki province. Speaking in Rahim Yar Khan Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gillani said last week that the problems of the country cannot be solved until the creation of a Seraiki
province. He said: "The speculations are prevalent that PPP was instigating people for a Seraiki province
but our party is just manifesting people's need." He declared that without the creation of a Seraiki
province, people of the area would remain deprived of their rights. In this context he also held detailed
discussions with a delegation of dignitaries from Bahawalpur on various issues pertaining to the new
province.

President Zardari has also become active in support of a Seraiki province. Visiting Multan last week, he
announced that the Seraiki province would be created before the next general elections. In a meeting
with party workers from Multan and other areas, he said the time was ripe for the formation of a new
province for the people of south Punjab. He promised that he would visit every nook and corner of south
Punjab in a bid to carve out a Seraiki province. In this connection, he claimed that the creation of a new
province was the voice of the downtrodden people who had been facing tremendous problems for a long
time. He also assured the people that "the Seraiki province will be made by the present government this
year." To this end he asked Prime Minister Gillani to immediately start consultations with all political
parties with a view to paving the ground for a separate Seraiki province at the earliest possible.

Whatever the PPP's plans, it is not going to be easy to divide Punjab and carve out a new province. The
PML-N, the largest political force in the province, has its own viewpoint on the subject. It says that the
issue of a separate province has been raised to weaken its position in south Punjab. Reacting to the latest
PPP drive, a PML-N spokesman said: "Had the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government been sincere in
the creation of a Seraiki province, it would have evolved a consensus like it had done on the constitutional
amendments." He also accused the government of spreading a sense of deprivation in the country and
challenged that if President Zardari is sincere to the cause, he should raise the Seraiki province issue in
the proper constitutional forum.

Among others, former senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, who heads the Bahawalpur Division movement,
has strongly criticized the PPP move and said that President Asif Ali Zardari's announcement regarding the
establishment of a Seraiki province was an open violation of the constitution as the law does not empower
him to announce, or form, a new province in the country.
Durrani also said that the president, as a symbol of the federation, should not propagate ethnic and
linguistic hatred. He regretted that the president was accompanied by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani
in his "voyage of hatred on linguistic basis". He charged that Gillani was trying to create "Karachi-like
circumstances in the peaceful region" through his statements. According to him, "Zardari and Gillani both
are hatching conspiracies against south Punjab as they have failed to control the law and order situation
in Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and in the northern areas."

The political rhetoric of the PPP leaders apart, the road to a new province in the Punjab is paved with a
minefield of constitutional, socio-economic, administrative and ethnic complications not amenable to an
easy solution. Within the Seraiki belt itself, opinion is divided over its administrative composition as well
as its geographical boundaries. In the Bahawalpur region there is a strong movement for the restoration
of the defunct Bahawalpur province with its distinct identity. A large segment of Seraiki opinion demands
that the proposed Seraiki province should be carved out of all Seraiki-speaking districts of the Punjab and
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, through a presidential ordinance.

There is also a difference of opinion among the constitutional experts about the methodology for the
creation of a new province. Some people say that such a move should primarily be endorsed by the elected
assembly of the province concerned. According to the other experts, a referendum can be held to
ascertain the opinion of the people concerned.

Given the heterogeneous and overlapping ethno-lingual groups inhabiting various parts of Pakistan, the
carving out of a new province is not going to be an easy proposition. For, once a precedent is set by the
creation of a new Seraiki province, no one can stop other disgruntled groups from demanding their own
pound of flesh. We know that the demand for a Muhajir province is a long- standing one and continues to
be raised by its proponents at critical moments.

Then there is the issue of a separate Hazara province which has received a new impetus following the
PPP's espousal of the demand for a separate Seraiki province. The Pakhtun population living in Balochistan
have their own set of demands for safeguarding their separate identity.

Lessons from other countries teach us that the creation of new provinces is a hornets’ nest which is better
left alone. In some countries, new provinces have been created on the basis of linguistic identities, while
in others administrative convenience has formed the basis of such decisions. There are examples of both
in India.

But every country takes decisions in such matters in its own best interests keeping in view its special
circumstances. Ethnic feelings in our society are very strong which is the reason why people remain
Punjabi, Pathan, Sindhi, Baloch and Muhajir, even after some 65 years of independence.

Look at the ongoing ethnic conflict in Karachi and the killings in Balochistan.
We need to be very careful about whipping up provincial, linguistic and ethnic passions. For, once the ball
gets rolling, there will be no stopping it. We need to handle the issue with greater maturity than has been
shown so far. A beginning should be made with a thorough discussion on the subject in
Parliament to develop a consensus on the need, justification and methodology for carving out new
provinces. This is the only way to put an end to the exploitation of the issue for partisan political ends.

Since the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, we have seen that voices in support of more
provinces have become louder. Furthermore, we have also seen that an increasing number of groups and
parties seem to be demanding that the existing provinces — if not all, then at least Punjab — should be
broken up into small units. Let us first try and understand the reasons behind these demands and then
explain how the future of the Pakistani federation is likely to be affected.

There are three reasons that should matter in our consideration of this issue. The first is the devolution
of power to the federating units of Pakistan — a dream of the provincialists and a long-standing demand
of sub-national political forces struggling for their rights. There are regions within each province, which
have a different ethnic concentration than the rest of the province, and those who live in them do not
want to see yet another province carved from the larger one. One fault of the present government has
been to hold back on the local government system during its time in office and this has only reinforced
the apprehensions of those who seek greater autonomy.

The second reason relates to the issue of ethnic majorities and minorities in each province. One may argue
that since they have coexisted for centuries what is the problem now. The problem is that Pakistan has
changed, and the ethnic configuration of its provinces has changed as well. Populations have increased
manifold and the struggle over resources and physical spaces has consequently intensified.

The historical glue of keeping multiple ethnic groups together in one provincial fold began to loosen with
the renaming of NWFP to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The political desire and some discernible political trends
to create more provinces were already there, but at a much lower scale and without critical mass. What
changed things was the consideration of the majority Pashtuns to insist on an ethnic name for their
province. Perhaps, a pragmatic approach might not have generated feelings of alienation among other
ethnic groups once the new name was adopted. This was not done and the people of Hazara division
understandably protested when the name was changed.

The third reason is a spillover effect of democracy in Pakistan and is a product of the ‘law’ of unintended
consequences. One may always dispute the quality, style and substance of democracy, but it has been
there in Pakistan for a very long time. Even in its damaged and subverted form, it has created a new
politics of entitlements, rights and groups consciousness. Furthermore, it has helped people shape and
reshape their ethnic identity in a quest to access or retain power. Democracy is about rights, and
democratic politics has always created greater space for social groups to demand their rights, and this
includes those related to creation of their own provinces.

What has already happened in India is now bound to happen in Pakistan — ethnic mobilisation of minority
ethnic groups for their own provinces. Democratic politics by necessity forces political parties to adopt
popular issues, or popularise new issues where space for them exists. This is exactly what the PPP has
done by raising the issue of the Seraiki province. Before this, the MQM also voiced its support for the
Seraiki issue, again for the reason that it wants to expand its influence. Had there been no popular feeling
for the Seraiki and Bahawalpur provinces, the PML-N wouldn’t have jumped on the bandwagon.

It is too early to say when the federation will be restructured, since new provinces will require a much
broader national consensus. Also, when it happens, the change will not be confined to Punjab alone. That
said, it will be safe to say that the politics of new provinces will be the defining feature of politics in the
coming years and decades.

The long-drawn out debate and demands in the country for having more provinces ultimately took
concrete shape when the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government tabled a resolution and also
managed to pass it through the National Assembly for carving out a Seraiki province.
In a quick quid pro quo, the Pakistan Muslim League of Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) also tabled a resolution in
the National Assembly Secretariat for the formation of four provinces.

These included Hazara, Bahawalpur and FATA provinces. Passing or tabling of resolutions for more
provinces is, indeed, a welcome one. Because the demand for all the above-mentioned proposed
provinces has been quite strong not only among the political forces but also among the residents of these
respective areas.

The Seraiki area and Bahawalpur divisions are part of the Punjab province while Hazara division is part of
the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and FATA is a federal territory with a specific legal and territorial
status. Insofar as the Seraiki province is concerned, the present PPP government, particularly its Prime
Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who happens to be from the Seraiki-speaking belt of the Punjab also, have
made it a life and death issue. PM Gillani, on one occasion, even went to the extent of posing a question
to the opponents of a proposed Seraiki province: if the Seraiki province would not be created in the
presence of a Seraiki-speaking prime minister then when would it be created? The demand for making
Bahawalpur division a separate province has also been quite old. Likewise the Hindko-speaking population
of Hazara division of the predominantly Pakhtun-dominated KP province, since long has been calling for
making it a new province. The proposal for a province in FATA is relatively new, but is the least
troublesome compared to the rest of the other proposed provinces.

The PPP seems to be in a hurry to carve out a Seraiki province so that it may be included as part of the
party's election manifesto for the next elections.
Apart from the Seraiki and four above-mentioned proposed provinces, the demand for making Karachi-
Hyderabad out of Sindh and a Pashtoon province in Balochistan has also been gathering steam. The
movements for these different provinces is going to immensely impact the outcome of the next general
elections and the fortune of the political parties; in short, the political dynamics of Pakistan. The tabling
of the resolution by the PML-N for making four new provinces is a significant development because,
before that, all political parties save the PML-N, had reached a tentative consensus on the need for more
provinces. Even the PML-N had not unequivocally opposed the creation of more provinces but had only
expressed its reservations.

It is important to note that when last time the debate for the creation of a Seraiki province reached a
climax, the chief minister of the Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, had stated that there should be a national
consensus on the creation of new federating units and that Karachi should also be made a new province.
Interestingly, when few months back President Asif Ali Zardari restored the old local government system
of Commissionerate in Sindh, after the large-scale ethnic riots, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)
came out in the open to demand making Karachi and Hyderabad a new province. This is the reality of
Pakistani politics that the PML-N and the MQM, the two bitter rivals, made the same demand and their
respective demands were ethnically motivated. It may however, be mentioned that after the revocation
of the old local government system of the Commissonerate by President Zardari from Karachi and
Hyderabad, the MQM has stopped demanding the creation of a new province in Sindh.

Nevertheless, the die was cast regarding the formation of a new province in Sindh. Irrespective of the
MQM or the PML-N demand, the formation of a new province on rather provinces, in Sindh on an
administrative basis is an exigency. Therefore, it is expected that new provinces may soon become a
reality. However, if one new province is created it could lead to vociferous demands by minority ethnicities
and communities in different provinces for their own provinces. In such a situation, the government would
have no option but to accede to their demand.

Otherwise, serious problems may surface for the federation. Significantly, the
main ruling party of KP and the long-time Pakhtun nationalist, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar
Wali has already declared that his party would not oppose the formation of a Hazara province by
separating the districts forming Hazara Division from the KP. The ANP has also made another important
demand, that the Pakhtoon inhabited districts of Balochistan be made a separate province.

Significantly, the ANP has stopped short of demanding making these districts part of the KP, which is the
political fort of the party. Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), the political party with the largest
Pakhtun following in Balochistan, had also welcomed the ANP demand; however, it has gone to the extent
of making these districts part of the KP. Making Pakhtun districts of Balochistan another province could
be a good administrative measure, but it would exacerbate the Baloch separatist movement. Because the
Pakhtun community of Balochistan has been a bulwark against the break away of the province from
Pakistan. Even then, Pakhtun areas of Balochistan are the most backward parts of the country.
The question of Bahawalpur province is a point of petty politics between the PPP and the PML-N. While
the PPP is hell-bent to make the erstwhile Bahawalpur princely state part of the proposed Seraiki province;
the PML-N wants to make it a new province.

The PPP intends to make the proposed Seraiki province so strong that it can rival in resources and
population and, above all, in number of National Assembly seats the rest of the Punjab province and, thus,
weaken the base of the PML-N. The PML-N is cognizant of the intentions of the PPP and therefore is fully
backing a separate Bahawalpur province.

Without going into the implications of vested political interest, making Bahawalpur a new province would
be of great administrative advantage. Making FATA a province is even more important in order to end its
special status and to plug the political vacuum there, which has partly been the cause of religious
extremism and terrorism originating from Pakistan. It may be mentioned that already certain civil society
groups from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas like the FATA Grand Alliance have expressed serious
reservations over completely ignoring reforms in FATA in the 18th Constitutional Amendment package,
and have demanded making FATA a separate province. This means that a sort of forced consensus is being
arrived at by the main political parties of the country regarding the formation of new provinces.

This is, indeed, a healthy political development as need for the formation of new provinces has been felt
since long. The need has been mainly to improve administration as well as to equitably distribute national
resources among the various ethnic groups, communities and regions. With the present huge federation
units, the administration can never be expected to deliver the much-needed social services. Moreover,
with the provinces becoming the monopolies or duopolies of majority ethnic communities, the rest of the
ethnic and regional groups constituting that province always felt disempowered and economically and
politically marginalized.

The emergence of new provinces holds out the most exciting promise of uniform development in our
history. It also presents a constitutional solution to the lopsided federation that has existed so far. The
number one issue in Pakistan that threatens the fabric of this nation state that exists today in the region
is that of the inability of the central state structure to harmonise contending notions of identity working
at cross-purposes. Therefore, the creation of new provinces is a welcome step in the right direction — the
de-centralisation and rebuilding the state on the idea of unity in diversity.

The first outcome of this development is the re-configuration of the Senate. Inevitably, this means a
reduction of seats allocated to each province in the Senate. This obviously means that Punjab as it stands
today will triple its representation in the Senate but given that there is no guarantee that the three
provinces replacing the main big province will act in unison, the situation should be acceptable to the
smaller provinces. This may however serve as an example for other provinces, which may be tempted to
maximise control and representation by choosing voluntary division.

The creation of new provincial capitals necessitates an eventual assumption of all functions including
judicial functions by a particular province. However, in the interim period, the Lahore High Court can act
as the high court for all three new provinces. This is not without precedent. In the pre-1947 period, the
Lahore High Court was vested with jurisdiction over not just Punjab but the province of Delhi as well
through the Letters Patent by which it was formed in 1919. The eventual formation of new high courts at
Multan and Baghdad-ul-jadid (which was originally a high court of the Bahawalpur State) will no doubt
make access to the courts for redress of common grievances much easier. It would also relieve Lahore of
the additional burden it undertakes on this count.

Devolution comes with numerous advantages. Multan and Bahawalpur would be elevated to major cities
as provincial capitals enjoying the same status as Karachi, Lahore, Quetta or Peshawar. It would help the
middle classes in these areas to come up and seek the advantages of newfound sovereignty. As provinces
in the post-18th amendment scenario — which with the exception of five common subjects (wherein the
items in the Federal list fit in neatly), i.e. foreign affairs, defence, currency, communications and national
ideology — embodies the principles of conferral, proportionality and subsidiarity that make federalism in
Pakistan on paper at least a model for all of South Asia. A new dynamic shift in power structures is likely,
which will strike down the ‘GT Road dominance’ over national policy-making. The GT Road geographical
mindset promotes unthinking militarist ultra-nationalism; with it would go Pakistan’s more severe
ideological problems. Once the middle classes from these new cities come up, there will be a serious
ideological shift in the country.

The exercise should not stop here but also address the genuine grievances of various groups in the
country. Making new provinces within the federation is a constitutional solution to many of our
contentious issues. Already many marginalised groups, like the Christians, are demanding a province of
their own. This might be too much for people to digest but to preserve the element of choice, it might not
be a bad idea to also form a province as a large free zone area exempt from Pakistan’s Islamic laws and
based on a strict separation of church and state. Minorities then could be enabled to live freely and
develop their cultures as per the diktat of Article 2-A of the constitution. Even a theocratic Islamic state
like Iran has a free zone with relaxed Islamic laws in Kish.

Pakistan is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society held captive in a straitjacket by a

totalitarian centre that exploits the misguided idea of national ideology. By dividing and reconstituting,
Pakistan can give expression to its diversity fully. As a state, Pakistan can go forward only by the consensus
and participation of all stakeholders. Gone are the days of central rule and one unit. A new Pakistan is a
Pakistan where people are active participants in determining their own destiny at every level. Having been
lost forever between militarist statism and pseudo-democratic centrism, it is about time that Pakistan is
re-imagined, re-cast, re-drawn and reorganised as a state along these lines. It is however not enough to
merely state this and not give a solution. First, it would require us as Pakistanis to accept that it is a multi-
cultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and even a multi-national state. And that a Pakistani
citizen has multiple identities, encompassing multiple situations and multiple classes, that there is no hard
and fast distinction between the majority and the minority but rather an accommodation between various
identities and classes that contribute to making the state one whole.

How many provinces should there be in Pakistan? It started with the proposed Seraiki province and now
there is no end to proposals to create two, three and more new provinces out of the existing ones. The
ball was set rolling by the PPP and now it is up in the air with everyone trying to catch it.

The National Assembly resolution on a new south Punjab province has been followed by a resolution in
the Punjab Assembly in favour of giving provincial status to Bahawalpur in addition to creating a south
Punjab province. If it is a game of one-upmanship, the PML-N has effectively countered the PPP's move
to win over voters in the Seraiki belt. PML-N has also proposed that a national commission be established
to discuss the issue of creating new provinces on historical, political, economic and administrative grounds
and look into the complex issues of demarcation of new provincial boundaries and distribution of water
and other resources.

If the PPP's intention was to merely use the issue of a Seraiki province as a political slogan to win over
voters in the region, it now finds itself in a situation where it has to address the question seriously from a
national perspective. A virtual Pandora's box has been opened with a babbel of voices from various
provinces clamouring for their own pound of flesh. All kinds of formulas - reasonable, unreasonable,
outlandish and weird - for creating new provinces are being propounded.

The PPP started with one province, while the PML-N has proposed two more provinces for the Punjab.
From some quarters the demand for a Potohar province has also been voiced.

On the other hand, the demand for Hazara province is a long standing one and has a strong backing from
the people in the region. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA is another candidate for provincial status.

In Balochistan, there is a latent demand for a Pashtoon province, while some people have proposed a
separate province in Balochistan comprising its coastal belt. The movement for Karachi as a separate
province is dormant at the moment but can spring to life any time, depending upon the rise and dip in the
country's political temperature. And not to be ignored is the proposal by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to convert
all the divisions in the country into provinces.

So, it is virtually a hornets' nest that the PPP has stirred. The genie has come out of the bottle and will not
go back into it any time soon. If the PPP opts for a Seraiki province, how can it resist the demand for a
Bahawalpur province or, for that matter, a Hazara province? Or the demand for any other province if the
people of the area want it? If we go beyond sloganmongering and consider the issue on the basis of
principle and merit, then the only way forward is to set up a national commission to go into the whole
gamut of issues relating to the creation of new provinces as suggested in the recent Punjab assembly
resolution. In this connection, it is pertinent to ask: if the backwardness of Seraiki Wasaib is the reason
for demanding a new province, then will the political elite of south Punjab do something to solve the basic
problems of the people? Because, many of its members have previously held high positions of power and
authority but did little to develop the region.

The proposition that smaller units make for better governance and management of local problems is
tenable. But, in our case, the situation is complicated and convoluted. There is an explosive combination
of factors which militate against any benefits accruing from the creation of smaller provincial units: a
political and bureaucratic elite which is extremely greedy, corrupt and callous; lack of an efficient local
governance structure; and a largely illiterate population under the control of the local feudal and unaware
of their rights.

The proposal for new provinces in the Punjab is easier made than implemented. There is a host of
administrative, organizational, economic, legal and associated issues that need to be sorted out before
such a step can be taken. The proposed national commission, among other things, will have to develop a
consensus on the basic criteria for creating new provinces. Other crucial issues to be addressed are prior
agreements on the boundaries of new provinces, working out a new national finance award, a new
formula for distribution of river water and construction of new link canals and barrages. Other
requirements include construction new courts, provincial secretariats and other infrastructure facilities.

Where will all the money come from to meet the new administrative expenditures involved in creating
new provinces? But much more important than this is the issue of an agreement among all political parties
in the country on the basic criteria and requirements for forming new provinces. A constitutional
amendment requires a two-thirds majority which will not be available, if the major parties remain at
loggerheads on the issue as is the case now.

THE case for a separate province comprising south Punjab was always a slow burning fuse that has now
exploded.

The creation of a south Punjab province has now been adopted as official policy by the ruling party and
its allies in the centre. The ruling party in Punjab, the PML-N, has now also endorsed the demand, albeit
with a proviso for a separate Bahawalpur province as well.

The issue is clouded in numerous misconceptions, which must be cleared. The demand for a south Punjab
province cannot be predicated on an ethnic or linguistic basis. This is because, while the demand for a
south Punjab province has been historically raised by the Seraiki-speaking population, there are large
pockets of Punjabi- and Balochi-speaking population in south Punjab and Bahawalnagar is a Punjabi
majority district.

The current tug of war over south Punjab is motivated by considerations of electoral expediency. The
PML-N’s power base is upper Punjab, which accounts for two-thirds of the population of the province. As
such, PML-N is expected to continue to emerge as the ruling party under the current configuration.

The PPP and its ally, the PML-Q, are electorally stronger in south Punjab and hope to form a government
in the new province. The PML-N has tried to counter the PPP by adding the demand for a Bahawalpur
province. This move threatens to act as a spoiler in the emerging situation, with potentially dangerous
consequences.

The only rationale for a Bahawalpur province is that it was a princely state. But then there were other
such states as well — Swat, Khairpur, Kalat, etc.

If all former princely states are to be granted the status of provinces, there will be tiny, fiscally unviable
provinces located within the boundaries of other provinces. The result will be political and administrative
mayhem.

The creation of a south Punjab province offers gains for Punjab as well. Currently, each of the provinces
command about 25 per cent of seats in the Senate. With the new province, the provinces’ share will be
reduced to 20 per cent of seats each.

What is Punjab today will command 40 per cent of seats. And it cannot and should not be assumed that,
having split from Punjab, the south Punjab province will always take a stand in opposition to Punjab. In
fact, with the large and influential Punjabi population in south Punjab, it is likely that south Punjab’s stand
on many issues will be in sync with that of Punjab, especially on water issues.

The demand for a south Punjab province has a political basis, rooted in a sense of cultural identity and a
sense of economic grievance. While the former emanates from the Seraiki language — a fully developed
language in its own right — the latter is what provides the steam for the movement. Various sections of
the population in south Punjab have always complained of neglect by what is referred to as Takht-i-
Lahore.

It appears that there is a marked north-south developmental divide in Punjab, with south Punjab standing
out clearly in terms of its relatively low development level.

A ranking of the 34 districts of Punjab by development level shows that the least developed districts in
Punjab are in the southern part of the province, while — with the sole exception of Multan — none of the
southern Punjab districts appear among the most developed districts.

And Multan district, home to the largest city of southern Punjab, ranks as the 12th most developed. In
other words, 11 other districts in Punjab — all in upper Punjab — are relatively more developed than
Multan.

Of the 34 districts, Lahore in upper Punjab ranks as the most developed. Being the capital of the province,
this is understandable. However, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sheikhupura
and Toba Tek Singh — all in upper Punjab — follow as relatively high on development scores.

By contrast, Rajanpur in south Punjab ranks as the least developed, followed by Muzaffargarh, D.G. Khan,
Layyah, Lodhran, Bhakkar, Pakpattan, Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalpur — all in southern Punjab.

Lahore ranks first in rural as well as urban development, followed by Gujranwala as the second most
developed district in terms of rural development and Faisalabad as the most developed in terms of urban
development.

Rajanpur ranks 34th as the least developed district in terms of rural as well as urban development,
followed by Dera Ghazi Khan as the second least developed in terms of rural development and Lodhran
as the least developed in terms of urban development.

Needless to point out, Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad are in upper Punjab and Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi
Khan and Lodhran are in southern Punjab.

South Punjab districts not only rank low in terms of development indicators, but also with respect to
certain key indicators, particularly employment. The ranking of districts by rural employment
opportunities shows that Pakpattan, Rajanpur and D.G. Khan — all in southern Punjab — suffer from the
highest unemployment, while Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala — all in upper Punjab — experience
the least unemployment.
With respect to urban employment opportunities, Mianwali, Rajanpur and Layyah — all in southern
Punjab — suffer from the highest unemployment, while Kasur, Faisalabad and Lahore — all in upper
Punjab — experience the least unemployment.

Grievances related to deprivation apart, there are strategic gains nationally from the creation of the south
Punjab province. Currently, the federation is unbalanced, with Punjab alone comprising the majority and
all the rest of the provinces combined constituting a minority.

The bifurcation of Punjab will create a degree of balance interprovincially. Of course, upper Punjab will
continue to be the largest province, with about 40 per cent of the national population; but the fact that it
will command less than 50 per cent of the seats in parliament will serve to allay much of the apprehensions
that the currently smaller provinces suffer from.

In fact, divisive terminologies — big brother and smaller provinces — will tend to disappear from the
political discourse and the federation will emerge as a more stable entity.
Evolution of Tax Culture in Pakistan

It was more than 70 years ago that Schumpeter used the term “Tax Culture” in his
celebrated article “Economic and Sociology of the Income Tax”.

Schumpeterian view point is that “Tax Culture is an expression of human spirituality and
creativity”. Some work on “Tax Culture” can also be found as undertaken by Armin Spitaler
(1954) and he does have his own perspective while defining this term. Similarly Tax Culture can
be found with the writings of other economists like Pausch (1992), Hartmann and Harbner
(1997).

According to Spitalar’s insight “Taxation is influenced by economic, social, cultural, historical,

geographical, psychological and further differences prevailing in the individual countries and
their societies”. Alfons Pausch understands the Tax Culture of the country as being connected
with the personalities, determining the evolution of tax system.

However, the most authoritative work on this term and topic in recent times has come to
limelight of a German Scholar, Birger Nerre of University of Hamburg. According to him, the
topic of Tax Culture appears precisely at the intersection of the disciplines, economics, sociology
and history. In this article as surfaced in the year 2001 naming “The Concept of Tax Culture”, he
defines and elaborates the term of Tax Culture by saying: “A country-specific tax culture is the
entirety of all relevant formal and informal institutions connected with the national tax system
and its practical execution, which are historically embedded within the country’s culture,
including the dependencies and ties caused by their ongoing interaction”.

The phenomenon of Tax doesn’t exist in vacuum or otherwise it isn’t something that is abstract.
This is rather very much concrete which is rooted in the very fiber of the society or what Birger
Nerre calls it that there is an embeddedness of Tax Culture. Moreover, the Tax Culture of a
country or community isn’t the outcome of any single factor and the definitions which outlined
such restrictive and narrow approaches have worn out over time. Now this has commonly shared
understanding among the browsers of this topic that Tax Culture is the sum total emerging out
of: 1. Tradition of Taxation, 2. Interaction of Actors including Politicians, Academics, Tax
Officials, Taxpayers, Tax Experts and 3. The Cultural Values like “Honesty, “Justice”, and
“Sense of Duty” etc.

This three pronged agglomeration tends to make out the tax culture of a particular country and
this interplay has been vividly explained by Mr. Birger Nerre in the instant figure representation.
The arrows indicate interaction between different groups of players as well as between the
members of one and the same group. The author of this representation has shown the direct
interaction among all the groups / actors except between the “taxpayers” and “academics” on the
analogy that he was not sure about the existence of any (Direct) relationship between these two
groups. However, with particular social milieu of Pakistan, you would concur with my
observation that the role of “tax experts” is relatively more crucial and pivotal demanding more
solicitation as without their active participation, concurrence and authentication, any formulation
of opinion or code and any execution of programme of action would doom its failure.

While talking about “tax”, we are of course divulging on something which is intensely
“disliked”. This is not only the case with Pakistan and Pakistani Taxpayers but this syndrome is
very much there in rest of the parts of the world including country like U.S. While reading the
paper on the “New Hope for the Future Delivering on Pakistan’s Economic Reform” this
“disliking” of the tax by the Americans was even acknowledged and conceded by Mr. Thomas
W. Simons, Jr. Former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan.

Georgi Boss (1999) Minister for Taxes & Duties of the Russian Federation remarked that “There
is not any country where people are happy to pay taxes but they do pay taxes because of their tax
culture”. However Economic strategy Minister German Graf (2000) is very apt when he states
that he fully understands that “a tax culture can’t be inculcated in one year”.

Going into the inner causation of this phenomenon, Dr. Ignacio Ruiz Jarabo, in his paper
presented at the 33rd General Assembly of Inter – American Centre of Tax Administration
(CIAT), explicitly stated that there are factors that render difficult the social acceptance of the
tax system, beginning with the fact that the relationships between the tax administration and the
citizen are marked with a certain level of tension and conflict.

According to him, this marked tension and conflict are due to the fact that taxes are economic
burdens of an obligatory nature from which the taxpayer does not drive a direct, personal and
immediate benefit.

At this juncture, I would like to borrow the words of Mr. Alain Zenner, Government
Commissioner of Belgium who’s very frank and direct in saying “… the tax administrations too
often give me the impression as if they would only have one important task and that is: taxation !
… taxation is often seen as a divine mission, an ideal that would justify all means. (However) …
this can last no longer! The mission of the tax administration is not to tax at all costs, but to
recover the fair tax. From there the need to redefine the values that should be complied with by
the tax administration in the exercise of its duties.”

Before proceeding further, this would be advantageous to have a cursory analysis of historical
developments in to the formal efforts for the codification of the taxation laws. First of all, I
would like to put the case of Income Tax and 1860 is the crucial year when the colonial forces
promulgated the first Income Tax Act. This was very much patterned after the scheme of
taxation observed in United Kingdom; however, talking in the perspective of sub-continent, this
was a deliberate effort to end the budgetary deficit which followed the war of independence of
1857.
This very Act lasted five years when this had to be completely withdrawn followed by a Vacuum
period of two years when there was no Income Tax Law in force. However, this was re-enforced
with a new title of The License Tax Act 1867 and this would be for the interest of the
participants that income earned more than Rs. 200 per annum was made taxable at the rate of 2
per cent. Subsequently developments gave rise to a new Income Tax Act in 1886 which in turn
had to give way to the substituted Income Tax Act of 1918 and during the intervening period
only one major amendment was made in the year 1903.

Certain difficulties emanated out of this latest legislation, where upon Income Tax Act 1922 was
promulgated and the same was adopted by our country after winning independence in the year
1947. This very Act remained very much in the field to be replaced only by the Income Tax
Ordinance 1979. Between 1922 and 1979, as many as 71 amendment acts were passed by the
legislators. Here comes the most controversial code of Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and this is
very unique feature of this piece of legislation that before the date of its enforcement, the
government made as many as 322 changes in it through Finance Ordinance 2002. The
controversies over it run through the areas of typographical errors, drafting blunders, legal
lacunas, inconsistencies, conceptual fallacies / dichotomies so on and so forth.

The excise laws goes back to the year 1934 when a compendium was drafted which
agglomerated more than ten separate excise acts which had grown up piecemeal over many
years. Another useful effort was made in the year 1944 when a consolidated and single
enactment saw the light of the day and which still holds the field in the excise laws to be called
as the Central Excise Act, 1944.

The custom laws, which in common parlance, is also termed as the “Law of Notifications” due to
the rapidity and frequency of repeated notifications. This branch of law has been on the statute
books for more than a century. The Sea Customs Act was enacted in 1878. It covered sea side of
the country. Import and export through land routes were dealt under the Land Customs Act, 1924
whereas the air traffic was governed by the rules framed under the Air Ship Act, 1911. The
current Customs Act 1969 consolidated all such laws on the subject into one statute.

Last but not the least is sales tax which according to its contribution in the total revenue qua the
remaining taxes surpasses the all. According to Govt. of India Act 1935, as adopted for Pakistan
on independence, sales tax was a provincial subject. As the exigency of the situation demanded,
the federal government enacted law called the Pakistan General Sales Tax Act 1948 by virtue of
which the sales tax became a central subject. Again this would be information for the
distinguished participants that according to this act, every dealer with an annual turn over of
more than Rs. 5,000 was amenable for assessment.

This created resentment among the dealers where upon a sales tax committee was appointed by
the government and on its recommendations, the Sales Tax Act 1951 was adopted. As against the
levy of sales tax at multiple stages as was the case with the former Act, instead the latter law
accommodated the demand of the traders to levy the sales tax only at one stage. In order to
fashion the sales tax in accordance with the changed economic and social realities, a need was
strongly felt over time to re-enact this branch of the law where upon the instant Sales Tax Act
1990 came into being. Progression of the sales tax into Pakistan’s key revenue earner is more
than manifest from the recent statistics released by the CBR.

While talking about the state of taxes in our country, I would quote the data collected by the
Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Karachi in the year 1996, it was found that there were 79
taxes in all, in Pakistan – 20 federal, 21 provincial, 14 municiple and 24 others. This is again a
stark reality that the major chunk of the effectees belongs to the poor class. Let us see how Mr.
Shaukat Aziz, the highest economic manager in the country enumerates this malady “a society
where a large segment of the population, particularly the poor, bears the greater burden of cost of
governance while a small group of influential rent seekers reap its benefits is bound to promote
upheavals.” Far from suffering from a culture of tax evasion, as somebody quotes it, Pakistanis,
particularly the poor are the most indirectly taxed people in the world.

Let’s go into some observations regarding the Evolution of Pakistani’s Tax System as made in
the famous report of Mr. Shahid Hussain, Chairman of The Task Force on Tax Administration
(2000).

First, legal and administrative changes are frequent and ad hoc. Taxpayers have insufficient
knowledge of their obligations and tax collectors have substantial discretion.

Second, major tax policy changes are not accompanied by adequate changes in administrative
framework.

Third, the relationship between the taxpayer and tax collector is largely adversal.

Fourth, organization, business processes, systems, facilities and budget have not kept pace with
the growing demands on tax administration.

Fifth, the management of human resources is severely deficient. Most tax officials are not paid a
living wage; nobody is paid a middle class wage. For most, honesty is an impossible proposition.
Most of the 33000 persons employed in the tax administration are in lower ranks with low
productivity and are a drag on the system.

In particular case of Pakistan, we inherited the legal system of the colonial era and the tax code is
no exception in any way. We will have to appreciate that the colonial masters promulgated such
fiscal and tax laws which were better suited to their own vested interests. They extracted
maximum out of the minimum from the local populace for furthering their imperialistic designs.
However, after winning independence, this was an uphill task to refashion and remodel the
taxation laws according to our own peculiar socio – economic and politico, religio – cultural
circumstances. Although various efforts were made and multiple commissions and task forces
were constituted but I’m sorry to say, that all these exercises could not be channelised for the
greater aim of enacting a true and workable tax code sensitive to the genuine objective
conditions of the local population particularly that of the poor class. Despite of recent additions
of withholding, presumptive, capital value and turnover taxes, the situation has not improved.

There are certain salient features of our Tax Culture and without their proper appreciation and
understandings, I’m afraid; we would remain yearning for the quest of maximum revenue
collection but without the actualization of the insurmountable targets.

This is also heart burning that while formulating tax code in our country, the experts and
legislators either have not taken due care of the sensitivities of our cultural norms or otherwise
they have completely ignored this vital aspect of social reality. Due to this very reason, the tax
code could not ingrain in the attitudes and behaviour patterns of the taxpayers or in other words
what the Birger Nerre called it the process of the “embeddedness of the tax culture” could not be
realized. The recent prominent example of not taking care of the sensitivities of local population
of Pakistan can be found in the very enactment of Income Tax Ordinance 2001 which as the
saying goes has been enacted by a foreigner who was oblivion of the socio economic and
political, religio-cultural realities of the land and its populace. Now the question arises, what are
those realities which need to be understood while enacting any code or formulating any policy in
the corridors of tax administration. Now I try to give a brief account of those features and I
would say that the list is not complete however this would give an understanding for giving due
accommodation to the socio economic and politico, religio-cultural sensitivities very much
pervasive in our society.

(1) Tax Illiteracy

This is very much known that according to official statistics, the literacy rate in our country is
not more than 36% and in this figuration there are those people who can merely read or write
their names. When this is the state of literacy in our country, we can very well judge that to what
extent our population or otherwise the taxpayers would be equipped with the proper
understandings and education of our tax code. While talking about the evolution of tax culture of
our country, we’ll have to launch a mass campaign of tax literacy.

(2) Complexity of the Tax Code

Keeping the overall low level of literacy among the population aside, the problem of proper
understanding of the tax code due to its intricacy and complexity becomes enormous and
manifold. A very little effort has yet been made to simplify the tax code for its easy grasp and
smooth application. The prevalent legislation on taxation is so much complex and difficult that
even the tax experts take great pains for its due comprehension what to talk about the commoners
who happened to come across with the same. A concerted effort with a strong will is abundantly
needed to simplify the tax code. For this, we all of us being the stake holders in the existing tax
milieu should share our responsibility for evolving and proliferating a shorter, easier and simpler
tax code. Writing of texts of law is indeed a difficult task. This is to be conceded that whatever
may be the efforts to simplify the statute, its complexity can’t be altogether abated, but serious
efforts should be continued to ease down its tone and texture.

(3) Warding off Foreign Dictation

As we’re mostly dependent on foreign loans for the survival of our economy and even for the
running of our day to day state business, we’ve to take heavy loans. These donor states and
institutions always dole out these loans with a certain package of “prerequisites and
conditionalities”. We being the recipient country have to surrender, sorry to say, a limb of our
sovereignty and have to make compromises against the interest of our already marginalized
population. So much so the donors impose on us greater burdens to be shifted on the already
vulnerable taxpayers who have been destined to become at their tether end. This would be an
appeal to the people at the helm of affairs to ward off the foreign pressures, to the maximum
possible extent, if not altogether, in order to safeguard the paramount interest of the local
population.

(4) Mis-declaration of Income

Honest declaration of income is all the more pivotal when we talk about Income Tax liability. I
must concede and realize it to the respectable participants that we as a nation have not been loyal
enough to expose what we own and what we have. I’m talking about the growing tendency
among the taxpayers regarding concealment of their true income and mis-declaration on their
part while tendering their “returns”. Mr. Vakeel Ahmad Khan, the Member Direct Taxes, Central
Board of Revenue is very right when he says that it is simply not possible for the Government to
reduce the tax rates in the current scenario where the declaration of actual income isn’t the norm
of the day. Two pronged measures occur to my mind for grappling with the deviant culture of
mis-declaration of income, one which I rate very high and above the other is the nurturing of
moral obligation among us for being true in our affairs qua the country and of course qua the tax
department, the other which I would talk in some detail under a separate head note is the true
enforcement of laws to disdain the tax evaders. Our tax culture should be based on trust, fairness
and mutual respect.

(5) Broadening the Base of Taxpaying population

Again I would talk about Income Tax and moot the point which you’re very well cognizant of is
it that the total number of income taxpayers in our country approximately makes up one million.
This figure speaks itself that how there is only a meager segment of population presently in the
tax net while there is a more significant strata among population which is beyond and out of the
tax net. According to the statistics of CBR, 36% people in the opulent areas do not contribute to
the national exchequer. So many tax surveys have been conducted and many amnesty schemes
have been introduced to “grab” and “lure” the non taxpaying community but Mr. Chairman, your
Honour being the head of the CBR would concur that the required targets have yet to see the
light of the day. To remain out of the tax net is the ignominious feature of our tax culture. There
may be many causes behind this phenomenon, some might have been noticed and many may not,
but this is crying need of the day to address the same to tackle with and arrest the tax evading
culture. Improvement in the collection of taxes is so crucial that government can’t and should not
wait, nor will half measures do. Widening tax net will allow reduction in tax rates, without
reducing revenue.

(6) Rampant Corruption in the Tax Administration

The melody of corruption is a much talked of subject in these days. This isn’t restricted within
any circumscribed boundaries or any specific class of people. Since the tax institutions is part of
and linked with the other institutions, it isn’t immune from the negative effects permeating in
those others. I would not let myself to raise eyebrows against any specific person or any
particular segment; however, I would be failing in my duty if I do not concede that many of us
have not been able to clean their Augean stables to transform a cleaner and transparent tax
culture. Encouragement and flourishment of tax culture can only take place through the removal
of gray areas and discretionary powers presently used with impunity by taxation officers.
Removal of corruption will ensure wise and prudent expenditure of collected revenue, which will
encourage and mobilize new taxpayers who are hesitant to contribute and continue to remain
outside the tax net.

(7) Mistrust and Misgivings about use of Tax Money

On the one hand there is very insignificant population which is in the tax net while on the other,
there is a feeling of mistrust and obscurity among the taxpaying community against the
government as to the fact that the funds generated out of their taxes are not properly used rather
they are mishandled and so to say are bungled. In this background, many taxpayers don’t feel the
moral obligations to fulfill their part of institutional contract between the state and its citizens as
long as the state doesn’t fulfill its part in a proper way. The values of integrity, trust, respect,
commitment to service, teamwork, personal responsibility and continuous improvement should
be upheld.

(8) De jure Taxation and De facto Taxation

By de jure taxation I mean the tax system and the tax code as it stands and exists which is likely
to be observed and implemented in the community while by the de facto taxation I amplify the
tax system and the tax organism as it is practiced and followed. I see a visible gap between these
two systems of taxation as one is aspired and the other is in vogue. We should solicit means and
should carve out ways to bridge the gap existing between two systems of tax administration and
tax code. The sooner this dichotomy is resolved, the better it would be for the introduction of a
transparent and true tax culture in our country. The basic principle of taxation, viz equity,
certainty, convenience, economy and simplicity had been ignored prior to enacting tax laws.

(9) Restoration of the Self esteem of the Taxpayer

The instances are not infrequent when the taxpayers have been harassed or blackmailed by the
personnel of the tax machinery. This leads to the feelings of hatred and avoidance on the part of
taxpayers and this attitude has its resultant repercussions on the state interest of maximum
revenue generation. According to rough estimates 73% of the tax is collected through the
mechanism of withholding tax while 13% is voluntarily paid by the assesses with the returns and
14% of the total tax revenue is collected by the tax machinery working under the aegis of CBR.
Mr. Chairman, frankly I’m not after your coveted slot but can we dare ask that if this is only that
14% for which is a much extended tax bureaucracy is engaged and again this is the area where
most complaints regarding harassment and abuse of power are emanating . Mr. Chairman, I
would very respectfully submit that now the taxpayers have started questioning the raison deter
of this very large establishment, when the income tax contribution towards the total revenue
from all sources is 16% which is inclusive of income tax deducted at source. Furthermore, about
80% of the total income tax is paid by 1, 000 multinational companies.

(10) Apprehension of Tax Evaders

Although I solicit that taxpayers should have an independent environment where they could act
and pay their taxes without any fear or coercion, however, by this I do not mean that the
taxpayers should be let escort free not to be answerable to the tax administration. I would add
that over the period of time, many deviants and tax defrauders and hobnobbing and colluding
with the tax collecting personnel and the “middleman” to completely evade from the tax net or
otherwise to pay minimum tax although they should pay higher taxes according to the quantum
of their income/assets. The existing cultural realities and social attitudes do warrant for taking a
very stringent action against these delinquents and deviants. The machinery of the state should
come into play with full force against them for bringing them to book. The CBR should come out
to liaise with various departments of the federal and provincial governments, contact private and
public institutions, tap banking sources both at home and abroad, and obtain information from
newspapers, advertisements, informants and third parties on taxpayer’s incomes, expenditures,
bank accounts, properties, assets and investments.

(11) Certainty of Tax Code / Legislation

I’ve no hesitation in saying that this has been the common characteristic of our tax culture that
there happen frequent and haphazard changes in the tax code of the country. Mr. Chairman, let
me say who’s here who doesn’t understand the vagaries of the phenomenon of SROs. Even the
substantive and procedural parts of the tax legislation have continually been in the throes of
repealing and amendments. My humble request on this eventful occasion would be to the
legislators and the policy makers that please give some semblance of permanence and perpetuity
to the tax code. It is quite apparent that income tax law has not been enacted with clear
objectives and on long term basis. Moreover, there are abrupt and periodical amendments, which
adversely affect the tax collection and business community.
(12) Automation of Tax Machinery

A culture isn’t straight jacket nor is it a water-tight compartment not to allow fresh intakes.
Similar is the case of Tax Culture. We should always be open ended to give due room to the
fresh ideas and to the modern technology. To be more precise, I’m talking about equipping the
tax administration with the latest automation and reaping full benefits of the recent age of
Information Technology. I appreciate and understand the constraint of our scarce resources but I
would stand for the conviction and you would agree with me that we will have to leave no stone
unturned for harnessing the best available modern automation infrastructure to meet the
challenges of the day.

(13) Advertising

Advertising is a persuasion technique that can greatly support the articulation and development
of tax culture. Tax Administration should have an aggressive communication policy to achieve
the voluntary acceptance of taxes. I believe that the campaign for promoting and developing the
tax culture through advertising can remove the inhibitions and persuade the citizens to promptly
pay their taxes. Careful use of contents and message can obliterate the irritants and can further
promote the tax consciousness among masses. It is obligatory to reinforce in the message, the
norms, values and strengths that govern the tax system, focusing and centering attention on the
concepts of transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, modernization, simplification, honesty,
professionalism, ethics and service. I believe that the information campaign may instill in the
taxpayers the spirit for paying their taxes voluntarily. The best way to promote tax culture in the
people is to convince them that the revenue generated out of their taxes is being used by the
Government honestly and for the greater welfare of the society. The mass media can further
build a strong public opinion for the denouncement of those who happen to evade taxes. Only
thus it will be possible to generate a true interaction between the different social sectors and the
tax administration.

The culture can’t be changed only in a year or in a few years-that is what we’ve to do by
promoting a new tax culture but of course we should tread on the right path not being
disillusioned from achieving the object of a prosperous and bright future. I hope that the theory
of tax culture will be able to lower the gap between pure theoretical economic fiction and
cultural reality, particularly in the sphere of taxation.
Every time you travel in your car or use public transport for commuting, you ride on roads,
bridges and highways, which are made and maintained by the government. You study for a
nominal fee at government (financed) colleges or universities against the high fees of private
universities. Needy women are given monthly stipends by the government through income
support programmes. These projects are financed by the government through our taxes. Taxes
are paid by the rich and middle classes to develop the infrastructure of this country.

Pakistan, however, has been in the grip of a taxation crisis since its inception. The country lacks
a tax culture. That is why only 0.3 percent of the total population pays direct taxes in Pakistan,
which makes Pakistan’s tax to GDP ratio only 9.45 percent, one of the lowest in the region. The
government earns 55 percent of its tax revenue through indirect taxes. Forty-five percent taxes
are collected through direct taxes, 70 percent of which is in the form of withholding tax. This
ratio is uneven. While indirect taxes affect the expenditure capacity of everyone, including the
poor, direct taxes is taken only from the rich and middle class, and is used for general welfare
and human development projects.

As a result of low tax collection, the state funds development and infrastructure projects through
debt financing. Consequently, the major chunk of state revenue is spent on paying these debts
with costly interests levied by donors. The tax net in Pakistan is very small but the present
government has taken some positive steps to broaden it. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)
has started a campaign to promote the tax culture in Pakistan. It has announced various
incentives for taxpayers; one of them is concession for filers of income tax in paying registration,
transfers and token fees of motor vehicles. Also, the FBR is considering a proposal that for those
traders and industrialists who disclose their hidden income, a low tax rate will be applied on
them. The major step in broadening of the tax net is the announcement of withholding tax on
bank transactions above Rs 50,000 for non-filers of income tax. The trade unions have been
protesting this move for the past few weeks, as a majority of them are non-filers. By enforcement
of the withholding tax they either have to pay tax on bank transactions or become filers of
income tax. After becoming filers they have to pay regular taxes, which they are not paying
presently. So, the strikes of trade unions are only for the purpose of tax avoidance. Sadly, some
opposition parties are supporting the strikes of trade unions for petty political gains. Instead,
opposition political parties should support the stance of the government, as the traders have no
legs to stand on.

However, more efforts on behalf of the government are needed to promote a tax culture in
Pakistan. The FBR should be made an autonomous organisation, free from political clutches. The
mal-administration of the FBR should be corrected in order to make it taxpayer friendly. The
FBR was called one of the most corrupt departments in Pakistan by Transparency International.
A strict accountability mechanism should be enacted for the FBR to check the corrupt practices
of its officials. Optimum tax rates should be levied and everyone should be taxed according to
his/her capacity and ability to pay tax. The FBR should pay the due refunds to taxpayers, which
are dilly-dallied by its officials. One other important demand is the establishment of tax courts in
Pakistan. There are no tax courts here. The first and second appellant forum for the aggrieved
taxpayer is commissioner/collector appeals run by officials of the FBR. The second appeals lies
before the tribunal whose members are also appointed by the FBR. So, actually the aggrieved
taxpayer has to seek relief against the FBR through FBR officials. That is why tax courts should
be established free from the control of executive.

More importantly, public trust in taxation system of Pakistan should be established.

Transparency should be ensured, which can only happen if everyone is taxed fairly and justly.
The public should be guaranteed that taxes are public money that will be used for their welfare:
for better educational systems, standard health facilities, building roads and dams etc.
Development requires money and money comes from taxes. There is also a public responsibility.
People should understand that the reason behind heavy, indirect taxes is the non-payment of
legitimate direct taxes. This forces the government to levy indirect taxes, the burden of which is
shared by everyone, e.g. increasing taxes on fuel and electricity.

If everyone starts paying due taxes regularly, it will increase the revenues of the state. With an
increase in revenue, the government will be able to invest more in education, health and
development schemes. More dams can be built to prevent floods and to end the power crisis. The
internal security apparatus of the country can be improved by enhancing the capabilities of law
enforcing organisations.

Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha has said that promotion of tax culture is need
of the hour but it does not mean that the poor should be burdened with more taxes.

She expressed these views while addressing a seminar on the topic “Rights of Taxpayers,
Situation and Demands” held in collaboration with Hamid Nizami Press Institute of Pakistan.

She said that the aim of setting up Punjab Revenue Authority is to increase tax net but not
increase tax rate. She said that out of 100 million population of the province, 70 percent
comprises youth who can be equipped with education and skills through which they can become
self-reliant.

Participation of private sector will supplement government efforts in this regard, she added.
Referring to complaints of business community of chamber of ommerce and problems of the
industrial sector, Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said that aim of visiting the chamber again and again
is resolution of problems of traders and assurance of government cooperation. She said that
promotion of local industries is an integral part of government policy. She assured that after
increase in tax net and improvement in recovery rate, tax rate will be reduced at provincial level
and implementation of conditions recommended with regard to payments will be ensured. She
said that PRA will neither harass taxpayers nor increase their difficulties.

She said that government is introducing a best system of internal audit of provincial departments.
Vice Chairman Liaison Committee Lahore Tax Bar Umer Zaheer Mir, Prof. of Economics
University of Central Punjab Dr. Qais Aslam, Columnist Mujahid Mansoori and Director Hamid
Nizami Absar Abdul Ali also addressed the seminar. Senior Vice President Chamber of
Commerce Almaas Haider, President Nasir Saeed and other members were also present on the
occasion.
The place of Urdu in Pakistan and supreme
court's ruling on making Urdu the official
language of the country
SLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed federal and provincial governments to
adopt Urdu as official language in the country.

Announcing the verdict on petition filed by Advocate Kokab Iqbal, pertaining to promotion and
implementation of Urdu language, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Jawwad S
Khawaja directed the government to fulfill its constitutional obligation.

"In the governance of the federation and the provinces there is hardly any necessity for the use of
the colonial language which cannot be understood by the public at large."

Even for many civil servants and public officials, who may have received education in English,
this language would in most cases, not be the language most used by them, read the SC's verdict

It went on to read that "many officials are therefore forced to spend time on attempting to initiate
and take decisions in a language which they are not entirely comfortable with".

"The time thus spent is quite wasteful because a lot of energy is dedicated to deciphering the
language of the noting (which could have been easily drafted in the Urdu language) itself rather
than understanding its content or substance.

"This wasteful exercise at times results in absurd and farcical outcomes which would be wholly
avoided by use of the National language," read the SC judgement.

The bench has directed both the federal and provincial governments to strictly follow the
timeline presented in the court for implementation of Urdu as official language.

The judgment is also binding on the statutory and regulatory bodies of the federal as well as
provincial governments.

The court ordered that copies of this Judgment be sent to all the federal as well as provincial
secretaries, who are to take immediate steps for enforcement of Article 251 in line with Article 5
of the Constitution.

The court further ordered that the the concerned federal and provincial secretaries shall submit
reports showing compliance with the above orders.

The first report of progress should be fixed in Court within three months.
Related: PM. President to deliver speeches in Urdu, SC told

The short term measures

During an earlier hearing on July 11, the federal government informed the Supreme Court that an
executive order had been issued to make it mandatory for the president, prime minister, federal
ministers and other official representatives to deliver their speeches in Urdu while within the
country or abroad.

The secretary, information and broadcasting also also submitted a ‘short-term’ strategy report
before the Supreme Court.

According to short-term measures, federal government departments have been asked to translate
their policies and rules in Urdu in three months. The forms relating to all the government and
semi-government institutions will be in Urdu and at key public places like courts, police stations,
hospitals, parks, educational institutions and banks the information signs will be in Urdu besides
the English language.

Likewise, contents of utility bills, passports, driving licences and various documents of the
Auditor General’s office, Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue and Election Commission of
Pakistan would also be in the national language.

The final verdict today directs that these time-lines which are given by the Government itself
must be considered for implementation in line with Article 251 of constitution.

Article 251 of the Constitution

(1) The National language of Pakistan is Urdu, and arrangements shall be made for its being used
for official and other purposes within fifteen years from the commencing day.

(2) Subject to clause (1), the English language may be used for official purposes until
arrangements are made for its replacement by Urdu.

(3) Without prejudice to the status of the national language, a provincial assembly may by law
prescribe measures for the teaching, promotion and use of a provincial language in addition to
the national language.

The Supreme Court in a recent judgment ordered Urdu to be adopted as an official language of
Pakistan under article 251 of the constitution. This historic judgment by the apex court favours the
sentiments of the whole nation. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan as declared by Quaid-e-
Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and later on specified clearly in the 251st section of the 1973
Constitution of Pakistan.
The verdict was announced by Justice Jawad S. Khawaja, who not only implemented it first by
announcing and writing the judgment in Urdu but he also took oath as Chief Justice of Pakistan in
the national language on August 17, 2015.

A day before his retirement on September 9, 2015, Justice Jawad S. Khawaja showed the
constitution to those at the helm of affairs that Urdu needs to revive and it should be used as the
national and official language of Pakistan. Urdu is widely spoken and understood by the majority
of the country’s population. Hence, the judgment truly represents the voice of the nation, which is
a step in the right direction.

Soon after the judgment, the American Embassy in Pakistan issued an Urdu version of their official
website. The government has been directed to ensure implementation of the judgment and submit
the compliance report in three months.

Also read: The Dilemma of Our National language

Surprisingly, the judgment by the apex court was hardly discussed and hailed in mainstream media
of the country. There should have been special debates and discussions on the topic, but it seems
as the importance of English is greater than of Urdu before certain elements.

Urdu is the national and official language of Pakistan. Official correspondence and data need to
be in Urdu so that a common man can read and understand it. Similarly, all utility bills and courts
judgments, national and international speeches by the heads of the state has been ordered by the
Supreme Court of Pakistan to be in Urdu just for the understanding of all citizens of Pakistan.

Urdu is a Turkish word which means a party or group, the language is a combination of Arabic,
Persian, and other languages.

It is worth mentioning that countries like China, Russia, Japan, Germany, Spain and some other
developed nations use their national languages at national and international level. They do so to
represent the importance of their language and to give their national language an honour before
other nations.

The Supreme Court judgment does not discourage use of English language, it just wants to ensure
the use of Urdu for the benefit of a common Pakistani so that he can understand the document
related to him or understand what his leader is speaking at large. English may continue to be the
language of science, technology and research. Also, T]the government may continue to correspond
with other nations in English but the native language should be head and shoulders above all.

Urdu is our national heritage and we need to safeguard it at all cost. Urdu brings all the provinces
to unity and brotherhood. Every citizen of Pakistan is entitled to have access to the public
documents, therefore, they need to be in Urdu.

It is hoped that Urdu will soon be adopted as the official language in the government offices of
Pakistan and the country as a whole.
When Life throws you lemons, make
lemonade.
This is not an article about various ways to make lemonade. It’s about finding the positive even
when life is not going your way—in other words, when it’s throwing you lemons. The
expression “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is used to encourage us when we’re
facing a problem in our lives. When you face problems in a way you can feel proud of, you’re
making life a little sweeter. Lemons suggest bitterness (a problem or adversity you are facing),
while lemonade is sweet and pleasant. Staying positive and figuring out how to solve problems is
much more advantageous than allowing yourself to go sour.

1. Be grateful

Even if your life is completely falling apart, there are still things you can be grateful for. It may
be tough at the beginning but as you consider the good things going on in your life, you’ll realize
there are plenty of small things to be grateful for. If this practice lifts your mood, that shift may
also help you realize you’re in control of your life.

2. Stay Calm

It’s important not to stress out too much, despite the issues happening in your life. Learning to
take a deep breath when life gets too much can allow you a moment of much-needed relaxation.
Find a spot where you feel safe to reflect on what’s happening and how you are going to deal
with it.

3. Reactive positively

Moving through the problems with a sense of grace is what you can control. There are outside
forces, of course, but it’s up to you how you’re going to cope with them. Don’t get angry or
completely freak out. Instead smile and say to yourself “this too shall pass.” Reacting negatively,
especially towards others, is going to make you feel even more terrible.

4. Learn to accept things

By pushing away the problem, you only make it stronger. Instead, accept things as they are.
When something comes up in your mind about the situation, say “yes” to all the feelings that
arise in you. For example, if you’re heart is aching, feel it. You actually make the feelings you
have less painful or stressful if you admit that they exist. If you suffered a loss, it’s essential you
acknowledge it so the healing can truly begin.
5. Go outside

This may seem like a simplistic solution but looking at the vastness of the sky or listening to the
sound of birds may make you realize there is something greater than what’s happening within
you. Taking a walk in nature isn’t going to solve your problems, per se, but it could make
you feel better afterwards. This in turn helps you face problems with a more positive outlook.

6. Meditate

Even if you don’t have a care in the world, I suggest daily meditation because it keeps you
grounded. When a major problem in your life does occur, you will have honed the strategy of
non-reaction to what’s going on around you. You can stay with the issue and allow the storm to
pass over you without panicking. Meditation is like already having your sugar-water ready, just
in case a bunch of lemons are thrown your way.

7. Be the warrior

Face your problems like that of a warrior, instead of running from them. Having the strength to
deal with whatever is happening in your life brings more confidence. It’s times like these where
you can test your true strength and grow, if you take the opportunity to do so with open arms and
a warrior mind. Know that the problems will eventually cease, probably a lot more quickly if you
manage them. Running away may cause the problem to resurface from time to time.
Everyone is having a life, happy or sad. Maybe lives of someone are better than others. But we all have
troubles in our lives. However, as the saying goes “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade.” You
have to solve the trouble, or you are making yourself into the trouble.

There are such kind of people. They are always depressed when they suffer the setback and unable to
recover from it. They usually cannot constitute great achievements in their carrier. Being able to face
trouble is an important skill to get out of depression and refresh oneself to get ready for the future
challenges. “Making lemonade” is an expression of being optimism. Believing everything can be solved
and finishing it with smile is a good lifestyle.

Sometimes there are troubles you have to face to. Once upon a time, there was an old man with his two
sons. Both of his sons are taken care very well by him. One day, the old man was going to leave the
world. He left his final word to them that he cannot support them for life anymore. They had to work for
themselves afterwards. The old father only left the farm some money to them. The elder child felt
hopeless and became idleness. He spent his money on unhealthy recreations like gambling. But the
younger child did not give up, and began to farm in the farm. Years had gone. The younger child finally
reached his success. And the older one became a beggar because he did not work at all.

It’s not enough to make lemonade, you should also know how to do it well. Most of the time, people
know how to deal with a problem. But most of them cannot do it in the best way. For example, there is a
set of task to do. One can finish it in 10 days, the other can get it done in 6 days. The latter will have
more time to deal with other things and he is more efficiency than the former.
To obtain a good result, you should have some tips and tricks to help you, just like the condiments in
your lemonade to enhance the flavor.

“When life throw you a lemon, make lemonade.” It is a healthy lifestyle, a good way of dealing things, an
optimistic way of thinking. So try it while you meet trouble. I believe it will be helpful.

What are lemons? Lemons are the things that bring about anxiety, fear, and frustration in our
lives. You should consider yourself lucky if you only get a few lemons a day. Unfortunately,
many people carry around a sack of lemons that is clearly visible to everyone. Others hide a lot
of lemons in the closet. You might not see them, but they will certainly fall out once they open
the closet door. Even the so-called lucky people have their fair share of bitter experiences every
now and then. Life tells us that we will have our own lemons to deal with on a daily basis.

The best way to deal with lemons is to make lemonade. What is lemonade? It is the end result of
dealing with the things that lead to anxiety, fear, and frustration. Small challenges can quickly be
overcome, so making lemonade out of them can be a quick and easy task. On the other hand,
major challenges can make it difficult to find a place to store your lemons while you search for a
pitcher large enough to make your lemonade. Simply put, big challenges request much more
effort, but once they are overcome, you have more lemonade for yourself, and others!

When you make your lemonade, be sure to add a little sugar. What is sugar? Sugar is the attitude
we possess when we make our lemonade. The best way to handle life’s problems is to have a
positive attitude and mental outlook. Hopefully, you have the ability to find a positive outlook on
your own. I believe we have all been given this ability from God. You have been given your own
sugar! However, if it is difficult to find or add your sugar, look outside to people or other sources
of inspiration to add a little flavor.

As a final thought, no matter how bitter your lemons may taste, someone else has lemons taste
that taste just as bad, if not worse than yours. In other words, someone is always worse off than
you are in your present situation! This is why it is very important to share your lemonade, and
your ability to make it, with others. You never know when your story, or encouraging thoughts
or deeds, will arrive just in the nick of time for someone who is saddled with a heavy burden.
You might even inspire them to make lemonade out of their lemons and share it with other
people too!

I believe in the power of words. My mother always told me, “When life gives you lemons, make
lemonade.” Of course a five year old has no idea what this means. But now that I am 18 years
old, I have a slight idea of what she is talking about. Nobody ever said life was easy, they just
promised it would be worth it.

In every part of the world, people face challenges every day. Some have it worse than others. I
have nothing to complain about; so far I have been very fortunate in my life. I have a wonderful
family that I love and they love me. I was taught at a very young age that nothing comes free,
and that in order to get places in life, you have to work twice as hard as the person next to you.
However, even my life isn’t perfect nor would I want it to be.

When I was 11 my uncle died from prolonged drug use. This news devastated my family and me.
My uncle was my godfather and one of my best friends. I nearly gave up on life. My grades were
beginning to slip and I had all but cut myself off from the world. Then my mom told me, “Em,
when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” With that one sentence, I remembered what I was
taught when I was little. Life is hard, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But it is up to
you what the outcome will be. So, I picked myself up and brushed off the dirt and decided it was
time to make some “lemonade”. I have been on the honor roll ever since. I have a 3.0 GPA and I
even achieved a 21 on my ACT this past summer. I know that my uncle would be proud, and I
am very proud of myself. It has been six years since he died, and here I am applying for college
with a dream of becoming a psychologist to help people break their addictions to drugs and
alcohol. I haven’t given up on anything I have put my mind to in the past six years. If something
gets difficult for me, well, I hope I have some sugar laying around, because I am going to be
making some lemonade. This I believe.
I disapprove of what you say, but I will
defend to the death your right to say it
Critically analyze the following statement, which is often attributed to Voltaire - "I disapprove of
what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." All humans live in societies. In
these societies rules of behavior are very important in order for people to treat their fellow
human beings equally. These rules of behavior are commonly called human rights. Human
Rights are universal and thus apply to all people on the basis of being human regardless sex,
race, nationality, sexual orientation, political opinion or any other status. As Michael Douglas
said "Human Rights for everyone is the necessary foundation upon which all of us may build a
world where everybody may live in peace and serenity and plenty".Â

In this course of paper we are going to examine the right to freedom of expression which has
seized particular importance. This will be achieved by discussing a famous quotation which is
usually attributed to Voltaire; "I may disapprove of what you say but I will fight to death for
your right to say it". Through this quotation we are going to see and understand the importance
of this valuable right in our societies. During our discussion we should always bear in mind that
none of the fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, is absolute.

Main Body

Origin of the quotation

To start with, although there are more ancient precedents, freedom of expression as it is known
today has its basis from the period of Enlightenment. One of the philosophers and political
thinkers of that period was Voltaire, a French thinker, who believed strongly in freedom of
expression and was a significant contributor to Enlightenment movement. The well known
phrase "I may disapprove of what you say but I will fight to death for your right to say it" is
widely attributed to him but it cannot be found in his writings. This can be easily understood
since the phrase was firstly appeared in 'The friends of Voltaire' written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall.
Hall claimed that this phrase was an epitome of Voltaire's attitude and that she has paraphrased
Voltaire's words; "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too", in his
essay of Tolerance.

International standards

As indicated in the introduction, the importance of the free expression as a basic and valuable
characteristic of democratic society cannot be underestimated. As a result the development of
international human rights system which serves as a framework for freedom of expression is of
particular interest. All major human rights treaties protect this right: article 10 of the European
Convention of Human Rights, article 19 of international covenant on civil and political rights,
article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and article 9 of the African Charter on
Human and People Rights.

Freedom of Expression and its importance

As we have seen I am using freedom of expression instead of freedom of speech since I view the
latter as an umbrella that incorporates the former. Freedom of expression is wider since it
includes any form of communication that is capable of conveying meaning. For example behinds
including words; it is used for pictures, images, sounds, non-verbal communication etc. As
Michael Jackson said "The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life".

In practice, freedom of expression serves many functions which are related to each other.

First of all, a classic defense of the right to freedom of expression is the one that John Stuart Mill
argued On Liberty in 1859. He stated that "nobody has the monopoly of truth….Anyone has the
right to express their views and opinions because truth is not a monopoly term. If people disagree
with minority's opinion should use counter arguments and not suppression." As it was stated in
Bose Corporation v Consumer's Union [1] "freedom to speak one's mind is not only of individual
liberty but also essential to the common quest for truth and the vitality of society as a whole".
Generally in European's court of human rights case law, it has been made clear that freedom of
expression is guaranteed not only with respect to popular and favorably receivable ideas or
information, but also to those that offend shock or disturb.

Furthermore, its vital role in ensuring democracy is undisputable and it has been recognized by
scholars and judgments of international and national courts. For example In Handyside v
UK [2] it was stated that freedom of expression in one of the essential foundations of a
democratic society and one of the basic conditions for its progress and for the development of
every man and woman. As Thomas Carlyle said "Every human being has the right to hear what
other human beings have spoken to him. It is one of the Rights of Men; a very cruel injustice if
you deny it to a man". As it was also stated in Castells v Spain [3] it enables everyone to
participate in political which is at the core of the concept of democratic society. Philosopher
Alexander Meiklejohn argues that the concept of democracy is that of self government by the
people. For such a system to work an informed electorate and free flow of information and ideas
is necessary. If citizens are able to exercise their rights effectively, their wishes would be taken
into account and also tyranny, corruption and ineptitude would be restrained. This can only be
achieved through open discussion, exchange of opinions in which citizens can have the
opportunity to consider and debate alternative ideas. Freedom of expression is important at all
levels in society but most important for government. A government which does not know how
and what people feel and think is in dangerous position. When criticisms of the government are
freely voiced, government has the opportunity to respond to those comments and explain its
actions.

Thirdly, freedom of expression is an important aspect of an individual's self fulfillment which is

a desirable objective. As we all know expression is tied up with humanity since what
distinguishes us from animals is the ability that we have to communicate and express our
feelings. So we can understand that all people must have the opportunity to express their views;
wrong or right, in order to explore and develop their own personal identity. Otherwise we would
not be able to be developed both morally and intellectually as individuals and this look like a
restriction of our humanity.

Summarizing all these, freedom of expression has two dimensions. It has the individual
dimension of not to be prevented from manifesting one's own thinking, and the collective right to
receive any information and to hear expression of another's thought. [4] As we can understand
protection of free expression is meaningless if it does not also extend to ideas and opinions that
are generally not acceptable. When citizens are unable to talk to each other, they will
increasingly talk against each other, and thus will increasingly misunderstand and mistrust each
other. [5] As we have seen in many cases of the European court of Human Rights it was said that
defense of offensive opinions is one of the demands of pluralism, tolerance and broadmindness
without which we can not talk about democratic society. Tolerance is integral and a basic value
in our societies. Protecting unpopular opinions is itself an act of tolerance. Also John Stuart Mill
supported the idea that we must actively work against the "tyranny of majority" opinion. The fact
that majority holds an opinion does not necessarily makes it to be true. For example, regarding
decision-making we have to consider range of ideas, and a decision is likely to be better if it does
not underestimate opinions, interests and needs of minority. Liberals like Voltaire encourage
open verbal and written debate, free flow of arguments, free press, art etc. Generally they support
that only through open discourse we can learn from others and also encourage others to learn
from us. If we not value toleration for unpopular opinions, then we reject our right to live in a
tolerant society. As Nigel Warburton said "commitment to free speech involves protecting the
speech that you don't want to hear as well as the speech that you do". This means that is not
enough to express what you want but also not prevent others from doing so.

Freedom of Expression and its limits (briefly)

However its importance, right of expression may be subjected to some restrictions for respect of
rights of other or other values. As Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes stated "free speech does not
allow one to shout Fire in a crowded theatre". By this he meant that good ideas are those which
survive the criticisms and are allowed for further development, in contrast with bad ideas which
do not survive criticisms at all.

Limitations for freedom of expression may follow the harm or the offence principle. John Stuart
Mill introduced what is known as harm principle, stating that freedom of expression can be
restricted in order to prevent harm to others. In contrast Joel Feinberg introduced offence
principle, arguing that Mill's harm principle does not provide sufficient protection against the
wrongful behaviors of others. He suggested that some factors must be taken into account when
applying his principle.

Nowadays although the wording in article 10 paragraph 2 of the European Convention of Human
Rights and article 19 paragraph 3 of international covenant on civil and political rights differs,
the case law has proved that limitations to freedom of expression are relatively the same in both
articles. Although both articles are important we are going just to see briefly the European test.
Restrictions can only be applied if they meet the three-part test made by ECtHR [6] . Thus they
must be prescribed by law, serve a specific legitimate aim and also be necessary in a democratic
society. When assessing the restrictions we must always bear in mind the test of proportionality
and also each country's margin of appreciation.

Conclusion

To sum up all the above, we come to the conclusion that freedom of expression is important for
the growth of our species. Our world is increasingly integrated, thus we have to be mature
enough to understand that such integration comes with things that we may not want to see and
with ideas, opinions and views that we may not like and may not want to hear. Based on the fact
that freedom of expression is the most important ability of human beings, every person should
have the right to express itself. As the Desmond Tutu maintained "the more we recognize people
as people, the more we are recognized as people ourselves; and vice versa: the more we degrade
other people, the more we debase ourselves further and further away from being fully human."
Generally as what Noam Chomsky has stated in the twentieth century "If you believe in freedom
of speech, you believe in freedom of speech for views you don't like. Stalin and Hitler, for
example, were dictators in favor of speech for views they liked only. If you're in favor of
freedom of speech, that means you're in favor of freedom of speech precisely for views you
despise." [7] However we must know that although freedom of expression is a precious gift for
people it must not exceeds its limits, thus why restrictions related to this right can be easily
understood. After all the above analysis I would like to close, with the main theme of this paper
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

When Rousseau sent his latest article to Voltaire for review; Voltaire after having read, wrote
him, “Your latest work is the most intelligent effort, that I could never anticipate of its kind, to
make us think that we actually are not humans at all, and that we should leave up our present day
civilization and should go to Jungles and Deserts as naturally, really we are just like other
animals and we in fact do wrong when we do such inferior and mean acts like thinking and living
on the basis of our intellect and wisdom.” Voltaire was a profound advocate of using the light of
intellect and wisdom. Rousseau on the other hand was known for his anti-rational philosophy.
Despite being against using the intellect and wisdom, Rousseau however himself was a strong
supporter of a kind of thoughtful dogmatism. Voltaire, being an advocate of using intellect and
wisdom, was of the view that humans must be free in their thinking. That is, there should be, as
he thought, complete liberty of thought because if there is any restriction on freethinking, we
humans then cannot live a life, which would be based on the light of intellect and wisdom. The
very tricky and “wise” attacks on wisdom by Rousseau however put Voltaire under a dilemma
for he was very much against all what Rousseau wanted to preach and at the same time he could
not ask Rousseau to stop his non-sense anti-rational preaches because if he asked him so,
actually he would be putting a restriction on thinking of Rousseau. Obviously, if he tried to put
any such restriction, he would go against his own point of view that was in support of full liberty
in thinking.

How did Voltaire manage to come out of this dilemma? It was in the form of his famous reply to
Rousseau, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Why
Voltaire thought it necessary to disapprove of the Rousseau’s point of view but to still hold his
right to preach whatever he wanted to say? Voltaire’s this position actually was an accurate
reflection of all the intellectual environment of the west of his day. It is very important to
mention however that the Voltaire’s intellectual environment was gradually so developed that
now it was possible for him to take the position where he was disapproving and holding some
that sort of things which really could not be so disapproved or hold out just a few centuries ago.
Such type of open hearts did not characterize the European history, earlier to the time of Voltaire
where people could really hold the right to say of what they disapprove of. Actually there was
the hold of quite an opposite point of view in those times. That point of view was something like
that: “I disapprove of what you say, so I do not accept your right to even live in this world.”

This type of point of view had its roots in the Catholic religious dogmas of that time. There was
no liberty of any kind of theoretical or other disagreement with the point of view of Church. Not
only all the religious ideology of that time but every sort of knowledge including pure sciences
were all in the form of very sacred religious dogmas to which church wanted to keep and
exercise its sole authority and proprietorship.

Copernicus was very much aware of the fact that what new ideas about the structure of universe
and solar system had he found, were going against the established point of view of his
contemporary church. He was aware that church would not approve of his findings and therefore
would not let him un-punished in response to his disagreement with them. Copernicus actually
had found that the established view about the structure of universe, where earth was considered
to be the center of universe and sun and planets were thought to be moving around the world,
was wrong in fact. Copernicus had found the truth that earth was not the center of universe
because actually earth itself was circling around the sun in the solar system, along with other
planets. Copernicus was so much afraid of the anticipated response of church to this kind of
disagreement that he could not dare to publish his great work in his own life.

“I disapprove of what you say, so I punish you for why you dared to say this”. This was the
practical attitude of Catholic Church in the case of Galileo where he claimed to have confirmed
the truth of the point of view of Copernicus by observing the night sky using his self-made
telescope. Galileo happened to be bolder than Copernicus. This was not the first time when he
disagreed the established dogmas. Previously he had successfully shown that all the objects,
irrespective of their weights, fall toward earth at the same rate of pace. And this time again he
made such a courageous stand of making claim of having an observable proof in support of the
point of view of Copernicus. Church, in response, not only disapproved his claim but also
compelled him to refute his own previous stand. Galileo could not bear the forceful anger of
church. He did accept his ‘mistake’ before others but in his mind, he was still convinced of his
own point of view. Society of his time could not give him his right to express his point of view,
which was true.

Time passed by. Use of telescope became common. Wise people confirmed the truth of Galileo’s
point of view at their own. Point of view of the Church was proved to be wrong. Johannes Capler
successfully calculated the paths of earth and other planets in which they orbit about the sun. The
method of observational proofs introduced by Galileo became popular. People started confirming
the established dogmas using experimental method. Newton made his accurate observations of
physical objects and found the laws of gravitation and motion. The observational or experimental
method thus won the war against the religious ‘scientific’ dogmas of the Church. Ethically, point
of view of the Church became weak. Now it was a bright fact that Church was wrong in the case
of Galileo. Copernicus, Galileo and Newton became the heroes of modern time. It was generally
accepted that Copernicus and Galileo were not rightfully treated by the societies of their time.
The modern society was feeling guilty over it. Society, as a whole wanted to rectify its wrong
doings. Modern progressive forces were in favor of accepting the superiority of rationality and
experimental method in the process of knowing the truth. These progressive forces became so
strong that now they openly and very easily could go against the traditional points of view. Now
the patterns of liking and disliking of the society reversed. Society now would hate those who
prefer traditional views to modern views. But still there was a class, which still was not ready to
accept the truth and superiority of the modern scientific views.

The progressive people, who were represented by people like Voltaire, identified that the main
difference between old traditional world and modern scientific world was the acceptance of the
superior role of human intellect and wisdom in the process of getting knowledge, in the modern
world. For those progressive people, their contemporary world was better than the old traditional
world. As already has been mentioned that some regressive forces in the society were also
present. Since the tone of the mainstream society was totally changed, so the position of those
regressive elements had become reversed. Now in the modern times, one who would take the
side of traditional views, would be considered to be insane by the mainstream society because
the experimental method had been proved so successful that it became synonym of truth itself,
even for a layman.

Now the situation was opposite. Previously, it were the progressive people who could not openly
express their views. Now this difficulty was for those who were still traditional in their approach
and views. Previously those traditional minded people could easily abstain progressive people
from openly expressing their views by just using the force. Now they were not in position to
exercise force because by then, they had lost the support of general opinion. So those regressive
elements could not effectively use the language of force to combat the widespread view of the
superiority of human intellect and wisdom over the ancient traditions.

So the tasks before the regressive elements were to fight and reject the modern views and to
again win the support of general opinion. They could not employ force for addressing to these
objectives, so some of them tried to combat the modern views using the power of pen. Rousseau
was prominent among them. He denied accepting the superiority of intellect and wisdom. He
wrote, “those who think, are inferior animals”. He rejected the modern ideas of culture and
civilization. He forwarded his own views about culture and civilization, which were based on
ancient traditions. He tried to prove the authenticity of scientific nature religious dogmas. He was
quite rational and he used strong arguments in support of his anti-rational views. He really made
progressive people to seriously think about the negative aspects of accepting the superiority of
human intellect and wisdom. Voltaire was his contemporary prominent progressive intellectual
philosopher.

Now it was Rousseau, a regressive person, who was going against the general opinion of the
society. Voltaire was the representative of that modern general opinion. He was against the
points of view of Rousseau but at the same time he believed in the complete freedom of thought.
Rousseau was thinking against freedom of thought, but after all he himself was ‘thinking’.
Voltaire could not ask him to stop his negative thinking because he did not want to impose any
restriction on thinking, even if it was negative.

In the modern world of his time, now he was able to approve or disapprove traditional views. He
was in a stronger position, so he said to Rousseau, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will
defend to the death your right to say it.”
This was the result of a complete turn of the course of history. This is a good rational treatment
against the opposing ideas but still we should not accept this solution to all the similar type
problems because there can actually be some very sensitive issues where it may not be possible
to accept the right to say of others, where others cross their legitimate rational and moral limits.
Identity Crisis of Pakistan
Posted by khuram on August 19, 2006

Identity Crisis of Pakistan

Outline:

§ Historical factors which brought about ‘Muslim’ identity to the territory of present day
Pakistan.
§ Emergence of Muslim society and culture in the sub-continent.
§ Downfall of Muslim rule and culture.
§ Muslim mind-set under the British rule.
§ Demand of Pakistan on the basis of ‘two nation theory’.
§ Identity crisis after independence.
§ Issue of national language.
§ Issue of one unit.
§ Separation of East Pakistan mainly because of identity crisis of Pakistan.
§ Importance of National Identity.
§ Contemporary crisis of National Identity.

Essay:

Pakistani territory has been home to one of the most ancient civilizations (i.e. Indus Valley
Civilization) of the World. The Indus Valley civilization flourished in period 2500-1700 BC. It is
generally believed that Indus Valley Civilization was destroyed by Arian invaders. Originally
those Arians were not accustomed to civilized way of city life and they only could establish
many small village oriented states that were run by many Rajas etc. Later on, most of the
Pakistani territory has been a large province of world’s earliest imperial power i.e. Iran.
Afterwards, Alexander put an end to the Iranian rule and he invaded the Pakistani territory also.
Alexander then went back but died in the way. But Iranian imperial rule and the type of
Alexander’s vast scale military achievements drew profound impressions upon the political set
up of the sub-continent. Chandar Gupata Moriah, following the Iranian imperial type political
model, brought about most of the territory of northern India into a single political regime, which
was later on further extended by his grandson Asoka.

But that large political set up could not last for long time period and the sub-continent was again
divided into many small kingdoms of Hindu Rajas. A major political change, which shaped the
identity of present day Pakistani territory was the event of 711AD when an Arab Muslim
military commander, Muhammad bin Qasim, invaded the territory of Sindh, defeated the Hindu
Raja Dahir and thus annexed the area of Sindh to the Muslim imperial rule of Umayyad
Caliphate. Emergence of Muslim rule resulted in fundamental changes in the civil society of this
area in a way that vast local population embraced Islam and thus acquired their identity as
‘Muslims’. After about three centuries, other Muslim invaders of Turkish origin managed to
bring most of the northern Indian Territory including almost whole territory of present day
Pakistan under the Muslim rule. Muslim society flourished under the Muslim rule because
Muslim culture had focused, formal and consistent cohesive and adhesive societal approach than
the culture of Hindus, who were in majority but largely had unfocused, less consistent, informal
and scattered forms of culture preservation approaches. Muslim culture and society got its own
distinct identity, which was quite different to the identity of majority Hindu culture. Muslim
political rule continued over centuries until eighteenth century when signs of the decline of
Muslim rule began to appear and many turn of events resulted in the shift of locus of political
control in the hands of a British origin business oriented establishment which was doing business
in the country in the name of British East India Company.

After the war of 1857, the political control over India formally shifted to the British Crown.
British government introduced democratic type limited self-autonomy in India. Under this type
of government, Muslims would have gone under the Hindu political control in case the country
got freedom from Britain.

The two world wars made Britain so much weak that now it could not hold on its many colonies
including India. It became apparent during the Second World War that sooner or later Britain
will have to announce freedom for India.

Indian Muslims were already concerned about the future of their separate identity as a ‘Muslim
Culture’ and a prominent Muslim leader Sir Allama Iqbal already had proposed the
establishment of a separate Muslim state within India where Muslims could preserve the separate
identity of their culture.

But it was during the second world war when top Muslim leadership first time realized that
Allama Iqbal’s proposal could become the real motto of Indian Muslim’s struggle for
independence from British Rule. So Indian Muslims demanded for a separate homeland i.e.
Pakistan for them. The basis of this demand was the ‘two nation theory’. The themes of this ‘two
nation theory’ was that Indian Muslims were not just a minority community in India but were
having a distinct complete culture of their own and so were a separate nation. The underlying
idea was that future of India should be decided by not considering Indian Muslims as just
minority community but should be decided while considering Indian Muslims as a complete
nation, which should be given a separate homeland where they could preserve their distinct
culture.

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah did lot of effort to persuade British rulers and Hindu
leadership about the truth of this ‘two nation theory’ so that they may accede to the Muslim
demand of a separate homeland for them. Quid-e-Azam succeeded in his efforts and so
‘Pakistan’ came into being as a homeland for Muslims who were having their own independent
culture which was quite different from the majority Hindu culture.

Identity Crisis After Independence:

Muslims as a whole really were quite different from Hindus but within Muslims, the society was
divided into many sub groups. As already has been mentioned that society of sub-continent has
been a product of firstly the struggle between local Dravidians and Indo-Arians, secondly the
struggle between Indo-Arians and Persian as well as Greek invaders, fourthly the political
dominance of Muslims which effectively lasted up till eighteenth century and lastly the British
rule and its downfall. Due to such a nature of historical events, the present day Pakistan’s society
is ethnically diverse. Pakistanis trace their ethnic lineages to many different origins, largely
because the country lies in an area that was invaded repeatedly during its long history.
Migrations of Muslims from India since 1947 and refugees from Afghanistan since the 1980s
have significantly changed the demographics of certain areas of the country. The people of
Pakistan come from ethnic stocks such as Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Greek, Scythian, Hun, Arab,
Mongol, Persian, and Afghan. The people follow many different cultural traditions and speak
many different languages and dialects. At the time of independence, Pakistani territory was
divided into two wings i.e. East and West Pakistan, which were separated by a distance of 1000
miles. West Pakistan corresponds to present day Pakistan whereas East Pakistan became
independent country of Bangladesh in 1971, mainly because of the identity crisis of Pakistan.
Originally, West Pakistan consisted of four provinces i.e. Punjab, Sindh, N.W.F.P and
Balochistan. East Pakistan was a single province, which had its population greater than all the
four provinces of West Pakistan combined. Pakistan faced its first identity crisis when
government adopted Urdu as national language. Although Urdu was not just a regional language
and was widely understood among the people of different provinces and so could better serve the
purpose of inter-provincial communication but this language had not any deep roots in the East
Pakistan, the largest province of the country. People of East Pakistan protested against the
decision of making Urdu as national language and they raised the demand of making Bengali as
a national language as this was the language of majority population of East and West Pakistan
combined. But this demand could not be acceptable to the people of any of the provinces of the
West Pakistan because Bengali language had no roots at all in any of the provinces of West
Pakistan. Urdu language, finally became the official national language but without happy consent
of the largest province of the country. Obviously, country was divided into many sub-cultures
who had their own languages and they did have emotional attachment with their own regional
languages also. Our early leaders however were trying to identify the country as a uni-lingual
one but this was not the on ground reality of course.

Secondly, our early leaders also tried not only to conceive, but also to practically make the whole
country a cultural unity. They abolished the provinces of West Pakistan with the view to make it
one cultural unit. This was an attempt to eliminate the regional cultures of different provinces in
order to promote the idea of a one single culture. The underlying purpose however was political
in nature whose aim was to bring West Pakistan at the level of political parity with the otherwise
more populous East Pakistan. Political benefit was going in the favour of West Pakistan but even
then people of different provinces of West Pakistan protested against this new scheme and
insisted on the separate distinct identities of regional cultures of the provinces. It means that
people of country had strong emotional ties with their regional sub-cultures but our leaders were
not ready to accept this fact. This thing created a grave unrest among the people of East Pakistan
as the new scheme had put them on politically disadvantageous position. Since our leaders failed
to apprehend the plural nature of the culture of country and since they did not identify the true
national identity, so the consequent identity crisis at last resulted in the Separation of East
Pakistan in 1971.

How a country identifies its National Identity is important because it is actually the
comprehension of a country about the composition and structure of its own society and culture.
This National Identity not only determines objectives and goals for the people and leadership of
the country, it also determines the type of relationships with other sovereign countries of the
world. Secondly, National Identity of a country is not any rigid or fixed entity, as its various
aspects always remain in the process of change and developments as a result of the changes that
occur in the political and cultural environment of the whole world. Pakistan’s National Identity
also has gone through many such changes. Before the separation of East Pakistan, the main
outstanding issues were those, which mainly related to the interrelationships of different
provinces. Loss of East Pakistan resulted in somewhat reduced burden of this type of issues and
so rest of the Pakistan successfully resolved the matters relating to interrelationships of the
remaining provinces, in the form of unanimous constitution of 1973. With the passage of time
however, those issues are again getting significance and so there is need to re-identify the current
composition, structure and kind of country’s society. Country has also got the experience of both
civil democratic political set-ups as well as various Martial Law regimes. But we still are in need
to identify which form of government best suits to the taste and needs of our society. On the
international environment, due to many factors, image of Muslim societies is being negatively
projected. Mass international media is projecting that Muslim societies are the supporters of
terrorist activities on the global scale. Muslim societies are being labeled as ‘extremist societies’.
Pakistan is also one of the victims of this wrong media projection. Under these current crisis, we
are in need to evaluate our true identity i.e. whether we, as a nation, are extremist people or are
enlightened, moderate, balanced, peace loving, and at the same time, brave people. Now we are
also a nuclear power nation and so we should identify ourselves as more balanced and more
responsible nation than before.
The Knowledge Explosion in the
Modern times:
Posted by khuram on August 19, 2006

The Knowledge Explosion in the Modern times:

Humans are rational beings. Unlike other animals, they always need to have some kind of
theoretical relationship not only between themselves and the universe as a whole, but they also
need to have some theoretical understanding about the mutual relations among them.
“Knowledge” is all what humans theoretically know, of themselves, of the universe and of their
own mutual relations. “Knowledge” in our known world, is under the sole possession of
mankind. Other animals do have their existence in this world and they do have their own mutual
relations also. They do not possess ‘knowledge’ however because they possess no theoretical
stuff at all. We are not sure whether they can feel their independent existence apart from their
surrounding environment or not. Even if they feel so, we are sure then, that those feelings must
not be of theoretical nature.

Humans are unique in this world in that they act in accordance with their theoretical
understandings. To understand the exact nature of ‘human knowledge’, it is necessary that we
must differentiate between humans’ theory based actions and the instinct based actions of
animals.

Other animals’ all type of action result only from one or the other instinctive motive. Instincts
are bodily pleasures and displeasures, which, in an automatic way, guide the animal behavior and
action in such a way that would be helpful for the performance of various biological processes.
Thus it happens that animals feel some bodily displeasure, let’s say in the form of hunger, they
then feel odor coming from their food source, their legs get the motion and take them towards the
source, where the odor was coming from. They, in a manner which we can call ‘biological
mechanical’, just have to eat that food because exactly it would be the demand of their bodily
instinct, which is perhaps, or can be regarded as, some biological genius, which although is quite
un-aware about its own existence but still then guides and controls the animal action in such a
purposeful way which is directed towards aims that not only the animal’s life be sustained, but
also the species as a whole may be perpetuated. In this way, animals live such a biological life,
which has no theoretical awareness, even about their own existence, at all.

Humans, on the other hand, not only live just a biological life, their life can be termed as
theoretical-life also because of their heavy reliance on their theoretical nature understandings, in
most of their behaviors and actions. Humans actually are inferior to other animals as far as the
performance of their biological instincts is concerned. These biological instincts, no doubt, do
have their role in shaping the pattern of human behavior and action but in the case of humans,
greater than to the role of instincts, is the role of psychological and mental factors in the
formation of this pattern i.e. of human behavior and action. In contrast to the instincts, which
exist in the form of purposeful bodily pleasures and displeasures, humans also feel ‘happiness’
and ‘sadness’ which should not be considered to be ‘bodily’ in nature but more precisely, can be
thought of as ‘psychological’ in nature. To have psychological features, in addition to just having
biological instincts is a great advancement in humans as compared to other animals. Humans
however are not limited just in having the extra psychological features, they, in further advance
form are also given the God gifts of intellect and wisdom. In contrast to psychological factors
which function by giving the feelings of ‘happiness’ and ‘sadness’, the more advanced features
of ‘intellect’ and ‘wisdom’ give humans the thing that is the most advanced and mysterious of
all, which functions by giving the ‘theoretical meanings’ of such diverse things as ‘goodness’
and ‘badness’ throughout to the capabilities of understanding science, philosophies and religion.
All these things such as ethics, science, philosophy and religion, which are there because humans
possess intellect and wisdom, and because the role of humans in this world is that of
representatives of Almighty God, can be collectively termed to be “human knowledge”. This
‘knowledge’ makes humans the superior most form of life.

All the human knowledge can be thought of as a sum total of all the different types of theoretical
understandings of various natural phenomena. This human knowledge can broadly be
categorized in two main classes; first is the knowledge of true religion, which has been given to
humans by God Almighty Himself. Second is in the form of Man’s self-made theoretical
explanations, which are in the form of philosophies, sciences and technical understandings. For
the purpose of this essay, we shall analyze the issue of “knowledge explosion” but only in
second class of knowledge, which is man’s self-made.

The unique faculties of intellect and wisdom always compel humans to search for appropriate
theoretical explanations of whatever phenomenon they observe in the natural environment. The
title of this essay i.e. the knowledge Explosion in the Modern Times, also requires to describe in
the essay, such a theoretical explanation that should properly account for the phenomenon of
knowledge explosion in the modern times. So this essay should account for the theoretical
problem of just how the human knowledge has been evolved over time and just how it has
assumed its present day form.

This is a complex philosophical issue in fact and so all the technicalities relating to this topic
cannot be covered in a short essay. Therefore, the process of knowledge evolution, only in a
generalized way can be discussed here. Earlier we have identified humans to be the rational
beings. Humans, as they are rational in their character and essence, always want to have some
kind of theoretical awareness of whatever they identify in the observable universe. Humans,
using their intellect and wisdom, can explain the identified phenomena but subject to a very
important limitation. The limitation is that they can explain the identified phenomena only on the
basis of whatever (limited or even incorrect) information they already possess. But afterwards,
whenever any new information comes to their mind, humans then become able to re-explain the
same natural phenomena on the basis of this new and increased stock of information. This new
explanation, which is based on increased stock of information shall usually be superior and better
to the previous explanation of the same identified phenomena because that previous explanation
was based on lesser or inferior information.
The process of making explanations of identified phenomenon on the basis of whatever available
information and then the re-explanation of the same identified phenomenon, but on the basis of
increased stock of information, can be described with the help of an example. In the historical
times, the early humans identified a natural phenomenon that sun daily rises in the east and sets
in the west. Since they were rational beings, so they were in need to explain this identified
phenomenon. They had to find the answer to the question: “why and how sun daily rises in the
east and then sets in the west?” Surely, those early humans had to explain this phenomenon on
the basis of whatever limited and inferior information they possessed in those early times. Those
ancient humans did not know that the earth where they lived was spherical in shape. They could
see only the flat surface of earth. They never had seen the ‘edges’ of their ‘flat’ earth. So
according to this available information, the earth was ‘flat’ whose ‘edges’ might be located at
some un-reachable distance. So this was the ‘available’ information on the basis of which our
ancient forefathers had to find the answer to this question that why sun daily rises in the east and
then sets in the west.

Experts of ancient history tell us that one of the early attempts of humans to find the answer to
this question was something like that it was thought that every day a ‘new’ sun came from the
un-reachable eastern corner of flat earth and then went to the western corner. The same thing, as
it was thought so, happened on daily basis. This can be considered to be the example of the
explanation of identified phenomenon on the basis of available information.

Now come to see the example of re-explanation of the identified phenomenon on the basis of
‘increased’ stock of information. The related information was up-dated in this case when humans
came to know that the earth, on which they lived, was a large spherical object in fact. It
happened in a way when some wise people took notice of such rarely observed things as (i) at the
time of lunar eclipse, earth casts its curved shadow upon moon, (ii) during the course of journey
in open sea towards extreme south, some of the constellations in northern sky disappear whereas
some new ones appear in the southern sky and; (iii) the things which fall towards earth, seem to
be falling towards a common center.

On the basis of these delicate rare observations, it was concluded after all, that our earth in fact is
a large spherical object. Now on the basis of this new information in hand, humans became able
to re-explain the above described phenomenon that sun rises in the east and sets in the west on
daily basis. That re-explanation was something like that now it was considered that the ‘same’
sun circles around the earth. This explanation was better than before but still it was not correct.
With the passage of time, there came the time when still better information came to the notice of
humans and they again re-explained this phenomenon accordingly.

We have seen, up till now, that just how the quantity and quality of our knowledge has been
evolved over time. The term ‘knowledge explosion’ refers to the evolvement of such type of
human societies where sufficient quantity of quality knowledge is accessible to the majority of
humans.

After having seen that just how the quality and quantity of human knowledge has been increased
over time, let us now consider a very important characteristic of human knowledge, which is that
the ‘knowledge’ can be accumulated over time. Its meaning is that whenever some new
information comes to the notice of humanity, the new information does not erase up the
corresponding previous information. The previous information actually is just ‘flagged’ as being
‘out-dated’ but still remains intact as a functional part of overall human knowledge. To mention
about still another characteristic of human knowledge is also important at this stage. It is that if
humans possess less amount of information, then they can explain only less number of identified
phenomena. But if humans possess greater quantity of information, then they become able to
explain the large number of identified phenomena

Since the nature of human knowledge is such that the quantity of information that humans
possess, accumulates over time, so with the passage of time, usually humans get relatively large
number of explanations of the natural phenomena. In this way actually human knowledge
‘accelerates’.

The issue of knowledge explosion in the modern times requires discussing about another related
issue. It is that each individual human does not need to explain all what he identifies, at his own.
Ready-made explanations can easily be transferred from one human mind to the minds of other
individuals. This is usually done in the form of formal education and training through which
accumulated knowledge, which was evolved over centuries, is transferred to the minds of new
generations in relatively very short period of time. The state of ‘knowledge explosion’ actually is
the result of this type of very large-scale educational activities. Present day print and electronic
media also has made it possible, for large number of people, to get as huge quantity of
knowledge and information as never had been possible to get by a common person. In this way
more and more people are having more divers sets of information in their minds. The facilities of
interaction with other people who live on distant places also have been immensely increased
which has resulted in such a phenomenon, which can be termed as ‘knowledge sharing’.

Its overall result is that more and more people throughout the world are now having that much
quantity and quality of knowledge, which was not so possible in early historical times. And since
the nature of the functioning of human mind is such that more amount of information produces
more new knowledge, so we can anticipate that our future generations shall see relatively more
intense ‘knowledge explosion’ to that which we see today.
Anticipation is often greater than realization
It was 11th grade English with Mr. Turner at Mamaroneck High School. He was fond of
summarizing great works of literature with a single phrase. And for Macbeth his line was
simple: "Anticipation is greater than realization." He argued strongly that we invest so much in
our goals and dreams that even when we completely achieve them we are inevitably disappointed
because "anticipation is greater than realization." Mr. Turner did not view this as a bad thing, for
if we did not look for the big things ahead we would not be motivated sufficiently to take the
actions to move us forward even to the lesser achievements we eventually do accomplish. But he
also warned us that if we allowed ourselves to be disappointed by what we actually achieved,
then we would find nothing satisfactory enough, that our accomplishments would sour on us,
and eventually we would stop trying, because since we never fully realized the fullness of our
wildest dreams, the perpetual disappointment could sour us on life.

I have recently been very much reminded of that teaching as I observe the political processes,
especially as we explore them here. And I have finally come to the conclusion that Mr. Turner
was at best partly right.

Perhaps it is a function of living into one's seventh decade that tends to temper one's enthusiasm
on one hand, while at the same time keeping one from being too disappointed. I am neither so
sanguine about the fullness of possibilities because I see how many good opportunities people
find a way of squandering, nor am I so disenchanted by the repeated opportunities lost as to
completely give up hope. I was kidding with a friend last night who is even more follicly
challenged than am I. John says he no longer goes to the barbershop for a hair cut, but only for a
hair count. I responded that I tell my students I don't worry about a bad hair day, I am merely
greatful that it is a still has hair day. But I also don't want my experience to be so deadening that
I don't bother to take care of things, whether my hair or my political rights, that I fail to act when
making a difference is still possible.

Twentyfour hours from now I will already be at Reagan National Airport awaiting the first of the
two flights which will take me to Houston for my third national bloggers conference, now
entitled Netroots Nation. Were I easily disappointed, I would already be of a mindset that it will
be a fruitless trip. My major activity is to be a panel on politically active young people, schedule
for 10:30 on Friday. With the announcement yesterday that former Governor Don Siegelman
has been added to the agenda to speak at precisely that time, thereby potentially seriously
diminishing the pool of people from which we will pull from our attendees, I might very well
have cause for disappointment. I do not. Nor do I think that the experience of those who
participate on the panel or attend to hear what they have to say is necessarily going to be the high
point of the conference, even for those of us who present. Oh, for my three teenagers, it will be
the first time they present at a national conference full of adults. And having heard that CNN is
supposed to tape our session, there is a certain amount of excitement (which I hope is not totally
eradicated should the network decide to move the camera crew to Siegleman instead). We come
to that session not expecting to totally change the world, but still to have some small piece of
impact.
Think of it as water. One can clearly recognize the immediate impact of a tsunami, or a flash
flood with a sudden thunderstorm or if a dam or levee should be breached. For most of us, we
are exceedingly unlikely by ourselves or our own actions ever to have such immediate
impact. But what if we see ourselves as among the drops of a small but persistent
stream? Cannot we recognize that eventually the rock over which we flow will be eroded,
perhaps creating a great chasm, a Grand Canyon? Or if that is too great a vision, understanding
that even a few drops persistently dribbled onto the skull of a person can eventually drive that
person insane? The power of water, not in the individual drops, but as the part of something
much larger.

It is hard to dream like that, to gear one's efforts towards goals one might not live to see. And
yet that is often the greatest motivation. I am not a parent, but I do live directly with the
responsibility for young people, because I teach. I may have long since passed from the scene
before the full impact of my attempting to widen and deepen the possibilities for those students
ever comes to pass. While it is exciting to see the look of recognition when a student finally
understands something that has stymied her, that short-term achievement would be too small a
dream, even as it is an important part of motivating the student to persist, to continue to strive
even when things do not easily happen.

The primary purpose of this website has been to elect Democrats. Beyond that, we are hoping to
increase the percentage of Democrats who have a more progressive vision for our party and our
nation. We do not always agree among ourselves about the candidates, office holders, party
officials, and policies that are part of those goals. We will disagree about tactics and strategy,
short term and long-term methods of attempting to achieve final goals upon which at best we
have general agreement, but upon whose details we often vociferously disagree. We might write
diaries in the hope that we will have the one great insight that will strike others and thus help
enable a major victory. I would suggest that if such is one's goal, one will be disappointed. We
may not have any such grandious ideas of the impact of our writing, but still invest blood, sweat
and tears in to creating what we believe is something of value, something wrung from our very
cores, only to see the diary slide into oblivion. And then we are likely to experience some level
of disappointment or even worse. And yet - perhaps a single lurker may have been motivated
into action by our words. Or perhaps someone has had her eyes opened and begun to see things
in a way previously inaccessible for her. We don't always know the impact of the words we
offer, of the actions upon which we embark. Think for a moment of the recent television
advertisement that is a series of persons each of whom sees someone else do "the right thing" to
help others and then themselves acts in a similar fashion, only to be seen by another who
themselves acts in a similar fashion. . . each of these being a single drop eroding the rock of not
caring about others. . .

I acknowledge that I am as prone as anyone here to disappointment and frustration. I have in the
past written about how I have for much of my life lived and wrestled with depression. For better
or worse I have chosen to offer words that explore my fears about the future, my sense of anger
and disillusion at what I see happening in our political sphere, and of the increasing difficulties I
encounter of teaching honestly about a governmental system which seems to be
disappearing. And yet I persist. Why? I am no longer motivated by what I will achieve for
myself: at 62 I know I will never play major league baseball - that has been clear since my one
season of organized baseball, Babe Ruth League, the summer I was 15. For all my fascination
with politics and how it has the possibility lof changing things for better or worse, I will not now
begin a career of seeking and achieving elective office for myself. And because of other
decisions I have made it is unlikely that I will ever be so wealthy as to be able to use that
monetary accumulation as a means of influencing others or of empowering others for whom a
gift or stipend could enable them to do meaningful work they could otherwise not afford to do.

But I have come to realize that I can still make a difference. And the small victories I do
encounter, either in my own life or in the lives of those I assist by teaching or writing or political
participation, are themselves drops contributing to the stream of water that can eventually wear
away even the strongest rock.

I have no idea of the impact of our getting together in Austin, nor do I know as yet the longterm
effect of our having organized and worked on behalf of Democrats progressive and conservative
in changing the direction of our nation and our politics. I can dream big things, and find that we
have moved only partly in that direction. I look at this cycle: Obama was my fifth choice as a
presidential standard bearer for our party. I strongly disagree with him on things that matter
greatly to me, for example, on parts of his approach to schools and education, although had I
been at the NEA convention I would not have been among those who booed. But I see his
putative nomination as an important step moving us forward. Our party is willing to nominate
someone with a funny name, who was raised in part overseas, whose color is different than
anyone ever previously nominated, who is willing to try do some things in a different way, and
yet who is enough of a practical politician to recognize that sometimes one can and should
challenge conventional wisdom forcefully while other times it is important to take what gains
that are possible and not to fight every battle as if it will be the final battle, life or death: while I
may myself be a bit of an adrenaline junkie, I know that our society cannot constantly be under
the stress of radical change, that people need time to adjust.

Martin Luther King told us

have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

We may have strong disagreement with some of what Obama says and does, but certainly
while, like King, we are not YET at the point where our society is colorblind in the manner of
which he dreamed, the mere fact that Obama is our putative nominee and the likely next
president should be an indication that we have advanced on that dream. Mr. Turner might point
out that that the anticipation of such a day has already been tempered: for some African-
Americans it has been the necessity of wrestling with the idea that the first Black president will
not be a product of the struggle from slavery through the civil rights movement, although anyone
of color still experiences some elements of the heritage of racism and discrimination that have -
excused this expression - all to often colored how most of us perceive and live in an increasingly
diverse society.

I phrased my title as as question, not as the statement with which we were presented in English
that junior year of 1961-62. And I said that I had found Mr. Turner to be only partly
right. Anticipation should be greater than realization in this way - we should always anticipate
that even more is possible. That way we are never satisfied. Yes, I know. I once posted a diary
entitled "Es ist Genug." And I do not disavow that, because when we achieve only partially that
about which we dreamed, and for which we strove, rather than it being a source of
disappointment, we should rejoice in having moved along the path towards some "ultimate" goal,
especially insofar as that goal continues to motivate and inspire.

Tomorrow I will travel to Austin. I will again be with people I know and care about. I will meet
and encounter some whom I have known only electronically. I will feel the frustration of the
conflicts of time, of being unable to catch up with all I would want to see, or to attend all the
panels that interest me. I could view that as a source of disappointment. Or I can choose to
rejoice in the range of possibilities presented to me by 4+ days in Austin, among more than a
thousand others who seek to make a difference, to find common ground, who dream of what may
yet be.

Martin also told us that he might not get to the promised land. Yet that never stopped him from
trying. Nor should what we experience as incompleteness or even failure ever serve to
discourage us. It should instead remind us that we still have work that we can and should do.

"Master, what do we do here in the deserts?"

"We fall, we pick ourselves up, we fall, we pick ourselves up, we fall, we pick ourselves up."

Because I can dream, I anticipate possibilities I may not be able to achieve. But, Mr. Turner, that
does not make the anticipation greater than the realization. The anticipation is what enables me
to change, to participate with others in improving the world of which I am a part. The realization
is not disappointing - it is merely a point of reflection, one that could be limited to how far we
still have to go, but could also remind us of the amazing distance we have already traveled.

Another:

All struggles are for some reason. A dream, a goal is behind every struggle. That is the fuel burnt
to reach a destination. However, some dreams when realized never overweigh the struggle. One
is compelled to contemplate that some struggles are worth struggling for the sake of the struggle,
and not for some achievement.

“To anticipate is better than to eat it,” a Pashto proverb fits very well, here. Pathans are never
tired of saying this. It is never a cliché for them. In addition, it is always worth saying, especially
when it is a cooking party of friends. The cookers in such parties are obviously none others than
they themselves. Not being professionals in cooking, there is always abundance of salt, water
and oil when the dish is rice; abundance of sugar, half cooked or over-cooked when it is a sweet
dish. They just enjoy the company and the food is never minded. The saying, therefore, comes
handy. Knowing it beforehand might be the wit or adaptation of Pathans. Whatever it is, it works
for them. However, when the anticipator is not that fully mature the result is embarrassment and
shame.
Kids, Muslim kids, are the super most victims of this immaturity, especially when the occasion at
hand is Eid and more especially, Eid-ul-Fitr. Their anticipation starts from the month of
Ramadan, always praying to Allah that the month should at least contain 29 days at the max, if
not 28. Whoever the elder affirms their version, that is their hero. The count is narrowing down
with each Aftari, and the special occasion comes nearer and nearer. The excitement grows and
grows.

Here comes the Eid. Starting the first day of Eid, they say, “this is the first day and calendared
only for the meeting of relatives, that is why not special.” The second day is not special because
in comparison to the third when the fair will be organized, how can it be more exciting! When at
last the third day comes in, they say, “sad, the Eid has not remained that fun anymore. We are
grown up and it is for the little kids. They enjoy it the most. Look, how much they are happy!”

The Eidi they receive from parents and other relatives is the most disappointing of all. The kids
expect some huge and huger money. The money, they come to know has lost the value it was
carrying years back. Now it is too little for the big occasion like Eid. The main reason is not the
littleness of the sum; the main reason is that nowadays it is not Eid only when the children
receive huge sums. They do have bundles of money during normal days. Moreover, it seems like
Eid has been reduced to the level of unimportance of any other Monday, Tuesday or Friday.

Lovers do share if not top the victims of this social frustration. Cinderella’s have had been
waiting for their princes so long. They will never disappoint themselves with accepting a
Cinderfella until it is too late, and unluckily, this too late is so late that the Cinderfella is
exhausted in his love, and from here onward, he feels ashamed of his loving; hence, the sad
endings of fantasies and the bitter starting of realities.

Philosophers, political leaders and founding fathers of the modern nation-states are not spared,
equally. Plato happened to be the victim of it. His Just City never came into being; his Just Ruler
never ruled; his Just Man never lived.

George Washington and his thoughts during the war of independence of 1775, and then his
resignation from President-ship is enough to tell the truth of the ambition during the struggle and
then the idleness after its realization. The Quaid, Ghandi and Sheikh Mujib, and every any other
founding father of his country, if he does not lose interest in running the system, then the people
of his country lose interest in him and kill him either socially or with pistols.

Sports players are victims of this stress in a very strange way. Of which only a sportsman can
know very well, that how much he suffers! Here is simply a general observation. Like in
America, the High School Players who make it to the Super Bowl are firsthand victims in finding
the realization absurd the anticipation. These players play in TV and millions come to know
them and become their fans. These footballers are in the peak of their fame. They still yearn for
more of that and here their schooling ends—which means a fortiori, the end of their careers. A
gloomier life they have to accept if they choose to live at all.

Cricket World also affords many examples. We can take Shahid Afridi, for example. He was the
record fastest century maker from his day one. That day of 1996, his statement was, “this is the
start. I have a long way to travel.” Unfortunately, and so is the fact, a day like that never came in
his share again in his career. He was expecting something more. This means whatever he had
realised he was not happy with that.

Hollywood has it its business helping its viewers dodging this ‘’realization not worthy the
anticipation” by showing them when it is time to quit living in a better condition and not wait for
rotting in this world, never mind of rotting in the next to come. In “ A Million Dollar Baby,
“when the boxer comes to know that she is rotting in bed, she tells her mentor to cut the pipe of
the life-supporting-machine. In order to save herself from many deaths she will experience when
her fans will no more chant her name but of some others. She shows to die in her glorious days
when the people have not forgotten her yet. She simply depicts her worries about her realization
again passing into nothingness. It seems, observing this movie, that realisation loses to
anticipation because of the fleetingness of the former.

None is content in whichever stage of life one is! Everyone yearns for the next stage and not
happy in the current when the fact is that it was for this current stage one was yearning a time. In
doing so, we have reduced our lives into some maze and ourselves as the maze-runners.
Moreover, never ever will one want to achieve whatever one has achieved, if given chance again,
but to do something different. This shows the unimportance of all achievements in the eyes of
the achievers. The paradox: every older man wants to be a child again, and a child always
hurrying to grow up—eating fast grower-cereals and doctors-recommended proteins like
Horlicks etc.

The society we are living in has not started today. There are Presidents, Prime Ministers,
managers, administrators, social workers, doctors… educated and non-educated people. Parents
and teachers help the children of today become the runners of the society in the above-mentioned
roles, with a big “but” however! Mark Twain is proved right for generation after generation in
his: “familiarity breeds contempt.” It is here the mysteriousness of life comes into action.
Everyone is trying to achieve something very different. Of this difference, no one is sure. None
has yet realised what this difference is! The moment one is familiarised with this difference, the
stage of contempt starts in.

When I was asked by my father: “why are you doing LLB when I myself have done it and am
not happy with it?” “I am doing it differently,” was my casual escaping reply. He was thinking
the unworthiness of LLB degree making a life worth living. Actually, he has realised what an
LLB degree promises. When the fact, actually, is that he was fully content pursuing his dream in
it someday in his youth.

The life we are living has in reality slipped into the pursuit of some goals that once realised
carries no meaning for us. We have stopped living in the present. Inaugurations of new plans,
means future, and celebrating anniversaries, which of course is the past, have become our life.
Nothing looks catchy when realised and everything is when it has not. Moreover, it might seem
absurd but it is not surprising that people are anxious to experience death. They kill themselves
in this pursuit. The extreme-sports-players, they are after something, which is difficult to be
placed in the conventional pursuit and realisation of that pursuit category, therefore, not
reckoned in this observation at all. However, the one million suicides people commit around the
globe shows the disappointment of them in whatever it is they see their failure without caring to
live for whatever they have already realised—after all living a single day on earth is a realisation
itself which goes without notice.

A cleric like Mohammad Assad will call such people as Kuffar. From the general meaning of
Kaafir, the singular of Kuffar, many are aware, but according to the named cleric, it means
“ungrateful.” No one will like to be an ungrateful, and for Muslims there would be nothing worse
than to be termed as the Kuffar of Mecca. This “anticipation is greater than the realization” is
the typical example of ingratitude. Lest we fall in the category of ungrateful, better we should
change our mindsets.
PAK US Relation
Pakistan came into being with the injury of Kashmir. Due to which its enmity with India became
inevitable. The real tragedy, however, was that there was no surgeon in the town of the world to
operate on the wound of Pakistan. In 1947, when Britain was ruled by labour party government
and it trusted Congress India to be the guarantor of their interests in the sub-continent—and in
case Pakistan revert back to Indian union, then of the whole region—it was more than reluctant
to help Pakistan out of the malady it was faced. When Pakistan found itself unable to wrench
Kashmir from Indians militarily—as it was militarily weaker than India—its history of the proxy
wars took its first start, which would later on become the prism for the world through which they
would look upon it the whole history of its existence. Summit Ganguly and Christine Fair impute
Pakistan for its reliance on militant proxies since its very existence as an independent state. “As
early as 1947, when Pakistan was emerging from the collapse of the British Raj, the new
government was backing anti-Indian tribal militias in the disputed territory of Kashmir.’’

America had no hand in the making of Pakistan. As some would never stop preaching that it was
America, giving it a strange map—oblong in shape—as a roadblock to the cold Soviets reaching
the warm water of Arabian Sea. This legend successfully spins into the story of Pak-US
relations just because these mythmakers have had the hindsight—for the record it should be
noted that it was Zia who first weaved this thread. American lackadaisical approach to Pakistan
can be ascertained from the fact that the first US ambassador, Paul Alling who arrived in 1947
but spent only five months and died subsequently of an illness, it was not until 1950 when US
sent replacement of its first ambassador. American estimates of Pakistan were not unlike that of
the Britain’s and Congress India. Pakistan was a failed idea for them. Its security was
sandwiched from the east by a continent size hostile India and from the west by an unruly
revanchist Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was planning to visit
USSR for his first official state visit, but when Americans offered Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru for his official visit there, Pakistan sought a change of plan— it preferred USA
to USSR.

However, the real love story of the two countries did not start there. Liaquat failed committing
Pakistan to the bases of the superpower in his country. Before that, Quaid e Azam while talking
to Life Magazine of America had suggested that America needed Pakistan more than Pakistan
needed America (he meant the strategic role of Pakistan in the containment policy of Truman
against USSR.) And along with that, the founder of the country, asked the US, in a letter sent
with his emissary, for $2 billion in military and financial aid, including $170 million for the
army, $75 million for the air force, $60 million for the navy, and $700 million each for industrial
and agricultural development. That, however, fell for the time being on deaf ears.

In March 1951, Muhammad Mossadeq, Iran’s Prime Minister, nationalised Iranian oil, which
was a clear threat to western interests in the region. Besides this, the successful detonation of
Hydrogen Bomb by Soviet Union in 1953 completely unnerved Americans, resulting in National
Security Council’s document ‘Basic National Security Policy’ that was approved by President
Eisenhower. US interests rose in Pakistan, and they reminded themselves of the list the late
Quaid had sent them. Once US decided about Pakistan’s role in the defence of the region
and containment of Communism, it was the armed forces of Pakistan and not the political
leadership, which was seen as potential partners.

Ayub Khan, the C-in-C of Pakistani forces, obsessed with modernization of the armed forces in
shortest possible time saw the relationship with US the only way to achieve his organizational
and personal objectives. Frustrated with slow pace of negotiations with US during his visit to
Washington, Ayub Khan went to Henry Byroad’s office and told him, ‘I didn’t come here to look
at barracks. Our army can be your army if you want us. But let’s make a decision.’ Hence, the
legend that it was Ayub’s wizardry that brought American wallet and bullet into the country but
US state department’s archives testify to these two reasons: Mossadeq and Soviet Union’s
hydrogen bomb, triggering American interest in Pakistan, and not the other way around.

In 1954-55, USA entered into mutual defence pacts of SEATO and CENTO with Pakistan. The
pacts meant different things to the parties. Not in any sense were they on the same page. Pakistan
took the pacts India-specific with plans in mind—in some future time—to wrench Kashmir by
sheer force. Americans, on the other hand, tried their level best ensuring Indians that the pacts
were in no sense India-centered but Indian propagandist would never listen to American
explanations. Therefore, without any effort from Pakistani leadership, the pacts cut for them both
ways—satisfying Pakistani citizenry that the pacts would serve their interests against India and
antagonising Indians against US. It was diametrically against the interests of America.
Americans meant containing USSR and not yielding a continent-size India to the latter. Continue
did they, nevertheless—despite yawning reservations from both sides.

After the signing of first mutual defence treaty in May 1954, large-scale interaction between US
and Pakistani military started. Pakistan became one of the seven members (other members
included Thailand, South Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Laos and Cambodia) of elite ‘Defence
Support Countries” in South East Asia. A US Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG)
was established in the Army Headquarters of Rawalpindi. Moreover, Military Assistance
Programme (MAP) was started. Pakistan army was divided into MAP and Non-MAP units
depending on their role. MAP units were oriented towards safeguarding US interests and non-
MAP units along Indian border. It was Americans’ betrayal that they wanted a peaceful solution
to the Kashmir issue in order to win both—Pakistan and India—into its side, and not Pakistan
alone. The current US-Indian nuclear and business deals testify to the long-term relations of the
two countries.

US objective in the alliance was its national interests. There was nothing secret about US
policy. In several public statements and documents, US objectives have been clearly stated, but
Pakistani generals were adamant in exploiting the situation of USA. Not in the wildest sense of
interpretation, the agreement could be declared as between two equal partners. The general
principles of these security agreements were that United States would enter a security agreement
when:

– There is a genuine threat to US interests.

– The mutual security pact will significantly contribute to preserve these interests.
– The final judgment of US troop commitment will be made by elected representatives.

– Allies will contribute their fair share in terms of personnel, weapons, resources and
government support.

When the parties were done with the paperwork, the Governor General of Pakistan, Ghulam
Muhammad, during his conversation with Vice President Nixon, pleading for military aid stated
that,“… were the US not grant aid now, especially in view of all publicity, it would like taking a
poor girl for a walk and then walking out on her, leaving her only with bad name.” As if it was
the cue, from 1954 to 1956, the US gave Pakistan about $1400 million in military aid, helping an
ill-equipped Pakistan Army develop infrastructure, mobility and firepower, and improve
command, control, and communication and intelligence capabilities for its newly raised
divisions. Also in 1954, Pakistan began to receive more than 100 Sabre F-86F aircraft that made
the core of its air force. Armed with Sidewinder missiles, these fighter planes gave the Pakistani
air force a decisive edge over the Indian one. It received several hundred M47 and M48 Patton
tanks and artillery equipment that gave it tangible superiority over India.

Pakistan’s major existential concern in its early years was that all its rivers came from India, and
the latter could block them to cause famines in Pakistan. After negotiations between India and
Pakistan failed, America intervened. With input from US public officials, the World Bank spent
six years in talks with India and Pakistan to broker the Indus Water Treaty in 1960. The treaty
has proved the single most successful agreement between the two countries and not only during
peace but also during wars and after, it has stood the test of time. After that, the US and the
World Bank were major donors to Pakistan’s irrigation system. It included two large dams
(Mangla Dam on Jhelum River and Tarbela Dam on Indus River). This added significantly to
Pakistan’s electricity production, and a number of barrages and headworks (Sidhnai Ravi River,
Rasul on Jhelum River, Qadirabad and Marala on Chenab and Chashma on Indus).

In 1955, America paid Suhrawardy government $350,000 to acquire a commercial nuclear

reactor in order to ease the electricity crisis in the country. In 1965, years after scientists Dr
Abdus Salam and Dr Ishrat Hussain Usmani travelled to the US, America paid Canada to
install nuclear plant in Pakistan. The reactor at Nilore near Islamabad was built by American
nuclear engineer Peter Karter and supplied by contractors American Machine and Foundry.

After the failure of its first five-year plan, Pakistan set up a Planning Commission in 1958. The
second five-year plan encouraged private enterprise in areas where profits could be made, and
government expenditure in less developed areas. It surpassed its goals and Pakistan became a
model of industrial and economic development in what is known as the third world (for example
South Korea modelled its capital Seoul after Karachi), mainly due to American input and
financial aid. Thousands of Pakistani students, researchers and professionals were sent on
scholarships to universities in the US.

In the 1970s, American renaissance man Roger Revelle supervised the Salinity Control and
Reclamation Program, American agricultural engineers worked with small-town machine shops
in Pakistan to help them develop cheap local land-levelling equipment, and USAID’s agriculture
chief Richard Newberg developed a fertiliser production and import policy for Pakistan
convincing Washington to supply $100 million worth of fertiliser and invest in the Fauji
Fertiliser plant.

American scientist Norman Borlaug, with his new varieties of high-yield seed, oversaw the
Green Revolution in Pakistan. He received a Nobel Prize in 1970. By 1977, Pakistan’s
production of wheat and other food grains had more than doubled and it became self-sufficient in
food production. Decades later, Pakistan’s economy still depends on agriculture.

In 1965, Pakistan’s position against India was so strong that it thought it opportune to take
Kashmir by force without counselling US and after the dust is settled, it would resume its 9.2%
GDP growth. The money, USD 500m, misappropriated to operation Gibraltar and Grand Slam
came from American economic aid of $1billion that year. Pakistan took this initiative under the
misapprehension of SEATO, CENTO that America would come for its rescue in any untoward
situation. Americans, however, took an affront on it. Declared Pakistani mischief of initiating
war against its neighbour and giving USSR a platform to talk peace between the parties an
unforgivable offence. Hence, the cordial relations between the two countries hit the rocky bottom
for the first time. Pakistan’s tinkering with atomic weapons—exploiting the American Atoms for
Peace Programme—compelled Americans for second thought regarding its aid to the country.

When Pakistani plans about Kashmir failed and it had to sit for Tashkent declaration, the
political milieu changed automatically. Pakistan went out of the American alliance, blaming the
latter of not coming into its rescue during the war. The fact, it was actually Pakistan who had
failed before in serving American interests: in 1958, during Kassem Coup in Iraq Pakistan was
unable to intervene according to the dictates of the alliance.

American military aid stopped after the belligerent pose of Pakistan in the 60s. The one strategic
good happened to Pakistan due to that war—it took India down with itself too (India was also
sanctioned due the war).

Pakistan in the start had two wings: a communist bound east and a capitalist liking west. Since
the pants-wearer was the West Pakistan—or to be more precise, the military in the West
Pakistan— the east had no option but to bandwagon with the Americans too under the dictation
of military. However, losing to India in 1965 challenged the credibility of military. Making space
for the left-wing democratic forces in the west wing as well. The heretofore-capitalist West
Pakistan took a big U-turn. It rallied behind the priest (Bhutto) who promised to marry Islamic
bride with socialist groom. America sensed the loss of one true ally in the region. Time to object
the usage of nuclear power plant for weapon production started. The relations between the two
countries deteriorated, further. With the exceptions of the two stunts: In 1971, due to personal
friendship of Richard Nixon with Bhutto Pakistan brokered the first ever tour of an American
president to China in the wake of Vietnam War. In its return, Nixon twisted American laws in
favour of Pakistan and during the Indo-Pak War of 1971, a carrier task force of America’s
Seventh Fleet that included nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise, several destroyers and
nuclear-powered attack submarine Gurnard arrived in the Bay of Bengal in support of Pakistan.
The result of the war could have been a tie, had Pakistan army delayed its surrender for one more
day.
Bhutto’s Pakistan of 70s—the remaining portion of it—started realising its once-upon-a-dream
of becoming the port of Islam. He invited Islamic world to Lahore for the second meeting of OIC
(organisation of Islamic conference); the West pointed out as the sole enemy of Muslims; oil
embargoes in the shape of sanctions followed; the idea of Islamic market and single Muslim
currency floated, and the force behind all this was none other than Pakistan. Intervention in the
Islamic world ensued. In Afghanistan of 1974, the Pakistani based Islami parties were supported
against the nationalist parties (Summit Ganguly and Christine Fair: ‘’Islamabad was promoting a
Pakistan-based Islamist party known as Jamaat-e-Islami since 1950. Members of that party
would later become prominent Mujahideen who, with the backing of Pakistan’s intelligence
agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), would go on to fight both Afghanistan’s pro-Soviet
leaders and Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the 1970s and 1980s.’’)

(‘’Pakistan’s support for non-state actors has not been limited to Islamist groups. From the late
1970s until the mid-1990s, the Pakistani government funded and trained Sikh separatists in their
bloody campaign of terror in India’s Punjab region. It also sponsored various ethno-nationalist
rebels in north-eastern India until the 1970s, when East Pakistan achieved independence as
Bangladesh and China cut off its support for the insurgents. Pakistan’s support for these groups
attests to its strategic compulsion to work against India, beyond its more commonly appreciated
Islamist ideological objectives.”)

Benazir Bhutto, opposition leader during Junijo government in the 80s has attested to the above
accusations while talking a reporter in the New York Times.

In 1978, USA included its economic aid to Pakistan too in the suspension list along with military
aid when the latter entered into agreement with France to obtain a large spent fuel nuclear
reprocessing plant. In 1979, Carter Administration imposed military and economic sanctions due
to Pakistan’s Nuclear Programme blocking the latter’s attempts to enrich uranium. The actions
were taken under the Symington Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act 1961.

However, with Soviet’s crossing of its border in December 24 to support nationalist parties
against Islamist, Congress waived its sanctions followed by Carter’s $325m aid offer. Which
Pakistan rejected as peanuts. Carter’s pledges of military assistance to Pakistan boosted the
latter’s morale, nonetheless. US stood shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in training Islamist
fundamentalists—guerrilla groups of Hekmatyar and Taliban.

The good times—Reagan administration—for which Pakistan had waited long came along. In
1981, the Republican President, agreed to announce $3.2 billion package of economic assistance
and military sales credit for the next five years making Pakistan the third largest aid receiver
from USA( Israel and Egypt, the first and second in this ranking.) Exact after five years, in
1986, the same administration announced its agreement to Pakistan for USD 4.02 billion military
and economic aid package until the year 1991.

One proviso, however, was there: the American president had to testify on yearly basis that
Pakistan was not pursuing any nuclear weapons ambitions. By 1984, CIA staff working on non-
proliferation issues, along with some members of Congress, had become concerned that Pakistan
was advancing its nuclear weapons program on aid provided by the United States. Others in the
White House and Congress, as well as those running the CIA’s covert operations in Afghanistan,
thought it expedient that Washington should continue to set aside its non-proliferation goals in
favour of countering the Soviet threat in Afghanistan for the time being. The Pressler
Amendment, passed in 1985, attempted to resolve these conflicting sentiments by moving the
nuclear redline that would trigger the cessation of U.S. aid: from the achievement of technical
advances in Pakistan’s nuclear program to the possession of a nuclear weapon. Pakistani
Ministry of Foreign Affairs was actively involved in getting the legislation passed. The
amendment simply required the president to certify that Pakistan did not have a nuclear device
for U.S. aid to continue. And, the many discrepancies among interagency assessments of
Pakistan’s nuclear status allowed him to do so without perjuring himself. But, over the next five
years, as Pakistan continued to advance its nuclear program, it became increasingly difficult for
the president to certify avoiding perjury that Pakistan had not built a nuclear weapon.

Finally, in 1990, President George H. W. Bush declined to do so, and the sanctions that Carter
had enacted in 1979 came back into force. The senate committee prepared the Pressler
amendment in 1985, which if the president failed once to testify that situation, it would
automatically trigger American sanctions against Pakistan. The sanctions under the mentioned
amendment triggered. The one big perfidious saga in Pak-US relations happened—the 28 F 16
fighter jets for which Pakistanis had paid in advance and Americans would not deliver on their
promise due to the sanctions.

Summit Ganguly has tried in vain—the foreign office of Pakistan was taken into confidence
when the Pressler Bill was presented in the Congress—to explain American action. It needed no
explanation. USA has never accepted Pakistani nuclear ambitions. The 1979’s waiver of
sanctions was the expediency and not the American complicity in Pakistan becoming an atomic
power. The state authorities knew only very well that Pakistan had tested an indoor nuclear
experiment in 1983. Its dissonance with Congress had an expiry date, which was the departure of
Soviet Union form Afghanistan.

In the late 80s, the stance of an American class, however, cannot be ignored. It was of the view
that as much as Pakistan fights American wars, it has every right to acquire nuclear weapons.
Richard Nixon—in the forefront of this class—while talking to a high delegation of Pakistan in
the leadership of CMLA Zia in America told them he himself was of the view that Pakistan had
every right to have atomic weapon, which the Americans, French or British had.

In 1998, Pakistan responded openly to the Indian nuclear tests in complete disregard of
American warnings and enlisted itself for further economic sanctions, which the Clinton
administration had relaxed to Bhutto’s second government. Some contacts remained in the name
of democracy for which Musharraf stepped in, making the country a complete pariah in the eyes
of Americans.

With the turn of the millennium, the Frankenstein of Afghanistan brought the two countries
together. It took eleven days—on September 22nd—for Americans to waive the Glenn,
Symington and Pressler sanctions on Pakistan under Brownback II due to US national security
concerns. Coup-related sanctions waived in accordance with Section 508 of the Foreign
Assistance Act, along with the “democracy sanctions,” imposed on Pakistan when Musharraf
took over in a military coup in 1999. Besides this, a grant of USD 187m flew to the country as a
goodwill gesture.
Pakistan’s assistance was asked on pain of reducing it to the ‘’Stone Age.’’ Pakistan, like always,
complied. American bases installed in the country and the cooperation between the superpower
and its satellite started with no bounds. In 2002, the aid was increased by 11-fold: USD 2billion.
One billions dollars loan was waived in 2003 and not even a single administration of Bush but
Hillary Rodham Clinton, the ex-secretary of state of the current Obama administration accepted
their fault of leaving Pakistan—not only once but many times— in lurch, and the reassurances
that this time the alliance is an evergreen one.

The one perfidy of Americans, which had prevented Pakistan from taking possession of 28
American F-16s for which the latter had paid in the early 1980s got the limelight. Pakistani
lobbyists agreed the George W. Bush administration to sell Pakistan as many F-16s as it cared to
purchase. A 2009 State Department cable would later reveal that the F-16 sales were meant, in
part, to exorcise the “bitter legacy” of the Pressler Amendment. The Pressler Amendment was
thus proven American perfidy, and the F-16 sales validated a key Pakistani stance about
American behaviour. Bush administration officials took the initiative to right the wrongs of the
past. The 36 updated F-16s the U.S. government eventually sold to Pakistan would lay the
cornerstone of its future relationship with Islamabad. The planes were only part of a broader
provision of weaponry: in the years since 9/11, the United States has also supplied the country
with 15 reconnaissance drones, 20 Cobra attack helicopters, six C-130 Hercules transport
aircraft, a Perry-class missile frigate, and many other armaments.

The weapons systems were accompanied by direct financial assistance. The Bush administration
used the Coalition Support Fund, initially intended to reimburse Pakistan for the costs of
assisting the U.S. military in Afghanistan, to secure Pakistani cooperation on the maintenance of
transit corridors into Afghanistan and to encourage Pakistan’s army to confront militants in the
country’s tribal areas. Although these policies began during the Bush years, they have continued,
with some modifications, under the Obama administration. Barack Obama administration still
has reservation against the loyalty of Pakistan—demonstrated, for example, in a 2009 white
paper on U.S. policy toward the country—his administration, however, like his predecessor’s,
has not totally given up on Pakistan.

What Americans have wanted Pakistan to do since 2001, and what it paid for it with the mention
of some reservations can roughly be summarised as below:

In 2004, Pakistan’s military dispatched approximately 80,000 troops in the Federally

Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA, South Waziristan) for the first time in 55 years, in search of
Taliban and Al Qaeda—which then unleashed tribal warfare in FATA, reducing Pakistani
authorities to compromise the writ of the state in the shape of Waziristan Accord. In 2006, Peace
agreement held between Pakistan’s government and militants in North Waziristan (tribal agency
in FATA)

In 2008, Congress passed legislation requiring Pentagon and State Department

to certify Pakistan’s commitment in fighting terrorism before releasing aid

In 2009, Initiation of Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act (Kerry-Lugar Bill) to triple
development aid to Pakistan
2010: Economic Aid increased to $1.43 billion.

In 2011, US suspended $800 million in military aid to Pakistan for FY 2012; relations between
two countries become adversarial.

The $800 million represented 40 percent of the nearly $2 billion in U.S. military aid to Pakistan

January 2011: Raymond Davis killed two Pakistani civilians. The US would ask for diplomatic
immunity while Pakistan under the pressure from American-haters in the country would not
comply. The Islamic laws of the country would be used against the religious opposition,
releasing the American citizen by paying blood money in the record amount ever paid in history
of Islamic laws since Madina Munawwra government in the seventh century.

May 2011: Osama bin Laden found and killed by U.S. Special Forces in a compound in
Abbottabad, Pakistan (a garrison town).

May 2011: Taliban attacked Mehran Naval Air Base in retaliation to Osama bin Laden raid

November 2011: NATO attacked Pakistan security personnel and soldiers at a Salala check post
located near Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

In recompense of the brutalities ravaged on Pakistan and the need of the latter to US in giving a
good conclusion to the American misadventure in Afghanistan, military and economic aid
resumed.

In 2013, US released more than $1.6 billion in military and economic aid to Pakistan due to
confluence of signs of greater cooperation and commitment in counterterrorism efforts

June 2014, Pakistan began military operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ in North Waziristan—despite being
previously reluctant to operate in the region due to its own national interests

December 2014: Congress restricted most U.S. military aid to Pakistan in FY 2015 funded
through the State and Defence Department unless the administration certified that Pakistan was
doing several items, including taking steps to end support for the Haqqani Network and other
such groups. The administration may use a national security waiver for most of the aid; expect
$300 million in Pentagon funded Coalition Support Funds.

February 2015: State and Defence Department requested new funding for Pakistan ($265 million
in military aid through Foreign Military Financing to Pakistan for FY2016.) Defence Department
requested Congress for the approval of $1.3 billion in military aid to Pakistan through the
Coalition Support Funds for FY 2016.

Some analysts have declared US-Pakistan deal awkward. According to them, it is the
responsibility of a sovereign state stopping its soil from being used for terrorism. However, they
totally forget the fact that America is not paying Pakistan for the internal terrorists only, it is
paying for the bases, stations and the routes American troops are using. And also for those who
are in the run from Afghanistan. Moreover, America is in some implied way admitting the fact
that the Taliban were the creation of the duo and not that of Pakistan’s creation only.

Americans would not listen to such critics, but what irritates it now is the cherry-picking of
Pakistan of the good Taliban and bad Taliban. And whenever America has found a platform to
talk sense into Pakistan, not lesser than a Hillary has stated that: “You can’t keep snakes in your
back yard and expect them to only bite your neighbours.’’ A clear reference to the Haqqani
network that the US has accused Pakistan of maintaining links with.

What missing here is that—as Christine Fair and partner have alleged—Pakistan has always hold
on to militants since the 50s. It is Pakistan, knowing where the djinni should be applied when it
has no work to do, and not America, which has tinkered with Taliban only indirectly through
Pakistan and that was also for very short term. Taliban, or the other extra-state elements, like, the
self-styled Islamic State of Daesh, or the mélange African militants are a recognised force by
know. America itself has given formal recognition to Taliban by sitting with it in the Qatar office
of the Taliban and now encouraging Kabul to talk terms with Taliban in order to arrange a safe
exit for Americans from its longest war ever. Time and again America has declared Taliban,
fighting against it, as freedom fighters—like it used to call them, when the latter were fighting
against USSR—and has reminded them not to corrupt itself by giving place to Daesh group in its
rows.

If one has to go by the situation that is happening—Pakistani military is fighting in its drove
against the militants in three different operations—it is high time that the accusation against
Pakistani involvement in using militants for its proxies has to stop. The fact that the sun always
rises in the east notwithstanding, our sun has always arisen in the west. We have adopted western
type governments; western human rights; definitions to our terminologies, and the precedents
referred to in our court systems are all imported from the wisdom of the west. Since America
needed to know what would happen if they support Taliban against USSR and it would take the
incident of 9/11 to wake them from their lumber. The same way Pakistan had to wait for the
attack on Army Public School in Peshawar to learn the lesson Americans had learnt already. It
took centuries to import democratic governments and all the remaining trappings from the west
to run our systems with, if it has taken only fourteen years to keep pace with the west regarding
militants then it is a quicker following and needs appreciation.
What is going on with the blasphemy laws in
Pakistan!
Posted on October 23, 2015

In Sahiwal a Roman Catholic bishop, Rev John Joseph shot himself in the head as a protest
against the court’s decision to sentence a fellow Christian, Ayub Masih, to death for committing
blasphemy. His guilt, he had argued with a Muslim co-worker over religious matters. The bishop
had campaigned long and hard to get the blasphemy law repealed without any luck. He wrote
prior to his death: “I shall count myself extremely fortunate if in this mission of breaking the
barriers, our Lord accepts the sacrifice of my blood for the benefit of his people.”

Joseph had been pursuing another case, in which an 11-year-old, Salamat Masih, along with his
father and uncle, was accused of scribbling something blasphemous on the wall of a mosque.
The boy’s uncle, Manzoor Masih, was shot dead during the trial. The Masih case went to the
High Court, where a judge, Arif Bhatti, applied common sense and released him. A year later,
the judge was murdered in his own chambers, and his killers claimed that the judge had
committed blasphemy by freeing those accused in the blasphemy case.

Origin and the current shape of the blasphemy law.

It were India’s British rulers who codified the blasphemy laws in 1860 for the first time and
Pakistan inherited these laws when it came into existence after the partition of India in 1947.

The original law.

Section 295. Of Pakistan Penal Code | Injuring or defiling place of worship, with Intent to insult
the religion of any class:

“Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any
class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or
with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction damage or
defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”

In 1927, the law was expanded when the British-India government faced with religious riots as
under:

Section 295-A. of Pakistan Penal Code | Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage
religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs:

“Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the ‘religious feelings of any
class of the citizens of Pakistan, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations
insults the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to ten years, or with fine, or with both.”
Islamizing the Law.

Between 1980 and 1986, a number of clauses were added to the laws by the military government
of General Zia-ul Haq. He wanted to “Islamize” the law and to give a practical shape to the
theory of separation of the Ahmadi community, declared non-Muslim in 1973, from the main
body of Pakistan’s overwhelmingly Muslim population.

Section 295-B. of Pakistan Penal Code-PPC | Defiling, etc., of Holy Qur’an:

“Whoever wilfully defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Qur’an or of an extract
therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable
with imprisonment for life.”

The amended law stipulates life imprisonment for an offender who wilfully defiles a copy or
portion of the Holy Qur’an. It provides protection to the Holy Scripture of only one class of the
country. The sentence of life under this section is not an expression of administering justice but
rather a tempting tool in the hands of the Muslim extremists to hold the members of the religious
minorities in religious-cum judicial blackmail for personal vendettas.

That did not satisfy the extremists fully; so they had to pressurize General Zia-ul-Haq to add
295-C through Criminal Law (amended) Act III of 1986, the Blasphemy against the Holy
Prophet. Moreover, it was further amended by the judgment of the Federal Shariat Court making
the death penalty mandatory on conviction for the offence of desecrating the name of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH). Not only that, but for the first time religious qualification was added to the
PPC, so that only a Muslim Judge may hear the case under this section of the law (Section 295-
C).

Section 295-C. of Pakistan Penal Code-PPC | Use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the
Holy Prophet: “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by
any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment
for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”

The law stipulated death penalty or life imprisonment for defiling the name of the Prophet of
Islam. The Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan while adjudicating on a case in 1991 struck down
the option of life imprisonment and made the death penalty obligatory, along with a fine usually
very high. The other noteworthy aspect of this section is the absence of the expression wilfully or
intentionally in the text of the law. Disregard of the element of will or intention in the law makes
the whole environment suspicious for the reason that “will” or “intention” is an essential part of
human behaviour in the context of identifying a criminal offence. Thus under section 295-C, a
person committing offence without “will” or “intention” is awarded death sentence at par with
the one committing it “wilfully” or “intentionally”.

A fundamental principle of Criminal Law is that a crime consists of both a mental and a physical
element. Mens rea, a person’s awareness of the fact that his or her conduct is criminal, is the
mental element, and actus reus, the act itself, is the physical element.
Has the law been hijacked?

The High Sparrows of the King’s landing of Pakistan, defunct Sipah-e-Sahaba (now operating
under the name of Ahl-e-Sunnat-wal-Jammat Pakistan) used to distribute more than a dozen
pamphlets and booklets in which so-called ‘objectionable material’ from Shia history books was
reproduced, and readers were urged to get rid of these ‘blasphemers.’ It is disappointing to note
that this hate literature is popular amongst various government offices and as recently as 2005
was openly found on the tables of government officials. In the face of such official apathy, and in
some cases, complicity, it is no wonder that accusations of blasphemy were frequent in the
Punjab, which is home to most sectarian outfits.

The extremist organizations’ incitements to hate and violence have sadly turned into actions and
reality have a direct bearing on the public’s conduct towards minorities, particularly those
accused of blasphemy. A review of major blasphemy cases over the last 26 years and interviews
with the accused revealed that zealots are using the law to suppress liberals and others who think
differently. Over the years, it has become evident that the Blasphemy Law singles out non-
Muslims for persecution.

It has been reported that for the safety of the accused, cases have been transferred from the courts
to other ‘safer’ locations. These measures have caused hardships to the accused and his/her
family. Still, in many cases, the accused in a blasphemy case was killed extra-judicially because
imams incite people and issue fatwas urging the public to kill the alleged blasphemer. In some
cases, it was also observed that the religious affiliation of the law-enforcers eclipsed their
professional mandate, as they became party to attacks against blasphemy accused.

What can turn you into a blasphemer?

1. Transporting ashes in a plastic bag to a rubbish dump, as has happened in Masih’s case.
2. Discussing conjugal rights according to Islam with fellow Muslims if you disagree with them. You
might think you are with a fellow Muslim, around a water pump and relatively safe. That is what
a schoolteacher in Chakwal thought and got into an argument.
3. Not minding your spellings. A teacher checking exam papers called in the police after he found
blasphemous material in an answer sheet. The police would not reveal the exact material
because that, you know, would be blasphemous. Later it transpired that it was a case of bad
spelling.
4. Writing a novel called Blasphemy. There were calls to put an author on trial because she had
been disrespectful to religious scholars and spiritual saints.
5. Writing a children’s poem with a lion as its central character. Pakistan’s most famous social
activist, Akhtar Hameed Khan, who spent his life helping people in Asia’s largest slum, tried his
hand at a poem like that and spent his last years in courts facing blasphemy charges.
6. Refusing someone a drink of water. Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, who among other
blasphemous things refused her co-workers a drink of water. The local imam accused her of
blasphemy. The then governor, Salman Taseer, came out in her support, talked about changing
the law, and was killed by his own police bodyguard. The policeman’s picture adorns many
 shops and businesses in Pakistan. Taseer’s name has become synonymous with “going too far”.
Moreover, nobody wants to mention Bibi’s name in a discussion about blasphemy law.
7. Throwing away a visiting card. A doctor in Hyderabad did that to a pestering pharmaceutical
salesman and found himself in serious trouble. The salesman had Muhammad as part of his
name.

What is wrong with the law?

It is not unique to Pakistan that is has a blasphemy law. And more importantly, it is not its
creation but inheritance from the colonial government. Each country has it except for the United
States of America. Where if such laws are introduced it would be against their constitution as
their first amendment right to free speech will be violated. Nevertheless, in the States when a
person is targeted due to his religious affiliation, the law deals with the transgressor severely.

What the bishop, and we as whole, was missing is the wood of mind-sets for a tree a blasphemy
law. People have totally misunderstood the origin of the law. It is not a manmade law anymore.
Those who speak off to make changes into it, as it has been amended since its introduction in
1860, end up assassinated out of the sky. The accused are hardly left to the courts. The protest of
the bishop aforementioned should have been against the perception of the Pakistanis and not a
particular court or its judge.

Why do the authorities not amend them?

Amending the blasphemy laws has been on the agenda of nearly all the popular secular parties.
However, none of them has made much progress principally because of the sensitivities over the
issue. The main hurdle in its path is that no major party wants to antagonize the religious parties.

A month after Salman Taseer, the Governor of Punjab was assasinated, Religious Minorities
Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who spoke out against the laws, was shot dead in
Islamabad, underlining the threat faced by critics of the law. In 2010, a member of the ruling
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Sherry Rahman, introduced a private bill to amend the blasphemy
law. Her bill sought to change procedures of religious offences so that they would be reported to
a higher police official and the cases heard directly by the Higher Courts. The bill was passed on
to a parliamentary committee for vetting. It was withdrawn in February 2011 under pressure
from religious forces as well as some opposition political groups.

Is the blasphemy law an Islamic law?

In Jawaid Ghamdi’s book, The Penal Shariah of Islam, Ghamdi maintains that capital
punishment can only be given to a person who has killed someone, or to someone who is guilty
of spreading disorder in society. With reasonable certainty, during a seminar organised by
People’s Resistance (PR), Islamic scholar Dr. Khalid Zaheer confirmed the notion that there is
no blasphemy law in Islam.

Despite the fact that the law has no Islamic underpinnings, successive democratically elected
governments in Pakistan have proved reluctant to remove this controversial law from the books
or at least to bring it back to its original shape, which had worked successfully for centuries, but
failing after the Zia’s tinkering. The fact is that the law has little to do with religion, and
everything to do with the changing socio-political climate in Pakistan. It is important to
remember that the new Blasphemy Law emerged – and endures – in a particular social context,
and is thus beholden to the history of Pakistan.

How the Prophet and blasphemy?

A woman in Mecca would be waiting for the Prophet every day with a basket of garbage that she
would empty over him. It happened day after day but he never rebuked the woman, nor changed
his path. Then one day he walked the street and no garbage was thrown at him. He turned back,
went looking for his tormentor, and discovered that the woman was ill and bedridden. He
inquired about her health and told her that since she hadn’t come out to insult him like she did
every day, he was worried about her. The woman, impressed by his generosity, converted to
Islam.

How Hazrat Ali (RA) dealt with blasphemers?

The vigilantes should take a leaf from Hazrat Ali’s discretion when he was beheading an
opponent while the latter spat in his face. That action saved the offender. In explanation, Ali told
the lucky person that before the spitting, he was killing him for God’s cause but the spat muddled
his intention.

Is the law serving its cause?

From 1984 to 2004, 5,000 cases of blasphemy were registered in Pakistan and 964 people were
charged and accused of blasphemy; 479 Muslims, 340 Ahmadis, 119 Christians, 14 Hindus and
10 others. Thirty-two people charged with blasphemy had been killed extra-judicially. Eighty-six
percent of all the cases were reported in Punjab.

Surprisingly, only six cases were reported in the sixty years history of the law before
amendments to it.

Sympathies changing scenario.

When the Cahrlie Hebdo magazine published the cartoons, the civilized world was confused
whether to stand with the free speech-worshippers who know no bounds and have left nothing to
respect and have no values. There came the terrorist attack on their lives and the world saw a
million march in support of the blasphemers. The results such actions bring are totally, opposite
to what Islam preaches. We as a Muslim Umma have to do something to release Islam form the
clutches of these narrow interpreters of Islam who go against Islam to support Islam.

Do the laws need any change?

In other Muslim countries, blasphemy is dealt with under state law instead of Sharia law. For
example, in Indonesia, the maximum penalty for a convict under is five years imprisonment. In
1994, Maulana Kausar Niazi, former Chairman of Islamic Ideology Council, remarked that
Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law needed modification, while noted intellectual Akbar S. Ahmed stated
that the law was mostly invoked to put an end to political vendettas, land disputes and political
rivalry.

At the recent PR seminar, Dr. Zaheer mentioned that even though there are several mentions of
blasphemy committed by the polytheists of Makkah and hypocrites of Madinah against Islam
and its Prophet (PBUH), no worldly punishment has even been hinted at in the Qur’an. Instead,
the Qur’an urges Muslims to ignore what the blasphemers were doing, to not participate when
they blaspheme, and create circumstances that do not allow blasphemy to take place. Dr. Zaheer
pointed out that Muslims must apologise to non-Muslims for the unwarranted crimes in the past
committed against them in the name of religion to ease tensions. He stated that Muslims should
condemn, or at least not hold those individuals as their heroes, who murdered non-Muslims
accused of blasphemy because they become inspirational to the youth of the community.

If a Blasphemy Law must exist, from an Islamic point of view, Dr. Zaheer believes it must
satisfy the following conditions:

1. a) Capital punishment cannot be given to a person who is found guilty of committing blasphemy.
According to the Qur’an, capital punishment can only be given to murderers and those who take
the law into their hands. (Qur’an; 5:32)
2. b) The punishment should be applicable to those found guilty of blasphemy against revered
personalities, deities of all faiths and it should be equally applicable to both Muslims and non-
Muslims. The Qur’an says: “Don’t use abusive language against their false gods lest they should
use the same language against yours in retaliation.” (Qur’an; 6:108)

Ultimately, though, most civil society participants in the debate on the blasphemy law believe
that to ensure the fundamental human rights of all citizens, irrespective of class, caste and creed,
as envisaged by Pakistan’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the current government needs to
repeal the law without further delay. Moreover, it has become the responsibility of those who
have the privilege to know that the laws are man-made and the mere touch of a General cannot
make them Sharia Laws. The perception has to change. Though it will be hope against hope as it
has been reported that Justice Javeed Iqbal, son of Allama Muhammad Iqbal had criticized the
blasphemy law amendments which restrained him to house-confinement by the pellets and stones
people were casting at him. And it was later-on by the request of the General (Zia) that people
excused him. He was lucky; the genius of the law was living by then. Now since he has died, no
one is here to rescue those who dare to speak off against it.
Basic structure of the constitution: Who calls
the shots?
Posted on October 23, 2015

The two clauses of the amending article 239 of the Pakistan constitution, clause (5): No
amendment of the Constitution shall be called in question in any court on any ground
whatsoever. And clause (6): For the removal of doubt, it is hereby declared that there is no
limitation whatever on the power of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) to amend any of the
provisions of the Constitution.

While on the other hand reports like, “The Supreme Court of Pakistan heard petitions
challenging the 18th and 21st amendments to the Constitution…” The News International. It
seems super surprising but it is not so.

It is none other than the hidden hand of the Basic Structure Doctrine of the constitutions
encouraging such petitions.

What does the Basic Structure Law say?

The very opposite of what the two clauses say: Parliament may not, even by a constitutional
amendment, “ alter the basic structure or framework of the constitution”. This doctrine has been
accepted by the Supreme Courts of India and Bangladesh, while the Supreme Court of Pakistan
has now and then rejected the doctrine clearly but the impression it has given is ambivalent.

A short history of the Basic Doctrine precedent.

On Feb 27, 1967 a special bench of 11 judges of the Supreme Court of India ruled, by a narrow
majority in the famous Golak Nath case that: “parliament has no power to amend Part III of the
constitution (Indian) so as to take away or abridge the fundamental rights”. This was perceived to
be a political judgment to check Indira Gandhi. However, it was overruled by the court on April
24, 1973 by a larger bench in the Kesavananda Bharati case. The court went on to propound the
doctrine that Article 368 of the Indian constitution, which empowers parliament to amend the
constitution, “does not enable parliament to alter the basic structure or framework of the
constitution”.

Introduction of this theory in South Asia:

Prof Dietrich Conrad, head of the law department at the South Asia Institute of the University of
Heidelberg and the author of the doctrine that “the basic structure” of a constitution cannot be
changed in February 1965, while on a visit to India, delivered a lecture on ‘Implied limitations of
the amending power’. His lecture showed perception besides deep learning. He observed:
“Perhaps the position of the Supreme Court is influenced by the fact that it has not so far been
confronted with any extreme type of constitutional amendments. It is the duty of the jurist,
though, to anticipate extreme cases of conflict, and sometimes only extreme tests reveal the true
nature of a legal concept.

“So, if for the purpose of legal discussion I may propose some fictive amendment laws to you,
could it still be considered a valid exercise of the amendment power conferred by Article 368 if a
two-thirds majority changed Article I by dividing India into two states of Tamilnad and
Hindustan proper?

“Could a constitutional amendment abolish Article 21, to the effect that forthwith a person could
be deprived of his life or personal liberty without authorisation by law? Could the ruling party, if
it sees its majority shrinking, amend Article 368 to the effect that the amending power rests with
the President acting on the advice of the Prime Minister? Could the amending power be used to
abolish the constitution and reintroduce, let us say the rule of a Mughal emperor or of the Crown
of England? “

What prompted the Prof in his theory?

Prof Conrad being a German, it was not a mere coincidence that he should have propounded the
doctrine. In his country, Hitler came to power by constitutional means but proceeded to destroy
the Weimar Republic by amending its constitution. Hence, the Federal Republic of Germany
while adopting its first constitution on May 8, 1949 after the war had to explicitly bar
amendments to the provisions concerning the federal structure and to “the basic principles laid
down in Articles 1 and 20 [on human rights and the “democratic and social” set-up]. Hence, the
origin of the theory.

What is the basic structure of the Indian constitution?

Here are the essential features of ‘the basic structure’, which the Supreme Court of India has
identified in the last four decades: among them are democracy, the rule of law, equality before
the law, judicial review, federalism and secularism.

Does Pakistan have a basic structure the like of Indian constitution?

Where Pakistan is concerned, Prof Conrad states that in 1963 in Fazlul Quader Chowdry vs.
Mohammad Abdul Haque, the Pakistan Supreme Court introduced the expressions ‘fundamental’
or ‘essential features of the Constitution’, ‘fundamentals of the Constitution’ etc.

The Current scenario in Pakistan.

Very recently, the 21st Constitutional Amendment, as approved by the present parliament, is
generally seen as contrary to the Constitution’s basic features, which, were clearly identified and
even conveyed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2010 by none other than parliament itself
during the PPP government’s tenure. In a constitutional petition challenging the judges’
appointment procedure, as was invoked through the 18th Amendment, the then chairman of the
parliamentary committee on 18th Amendment, Senator Raza Rabbani Committee, had in writing
informed the apex court about the clearly-identified basic features of the Constitution. These
features were: (i) Parliamentary form of government; (ii) Islamic provisions or democracy
blended with Islam; (iii) Provision of fundamental rights; (iv) Independence of Judiciary; and (v)
Federalism.

While hearing the 18th Amendment case, the full bench of the Supreme Court had reminded the
Federation’s counsel that the parliamentary committee, which prepared the amendment had
acknowledged the basic structure theory of the Constitution. It was the then chief justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry, who had reminded the government’s counsel that the report of the
parliamentary committee, headed by Senator Raza Rabbani, was the “most important document”.
“Why run here and there when the committee is accepting the basic feature theory,” the CJ was
quoted by the media as telling the counsel during the hearing of the case that is still pending
before the apex court.

Recognition of this theory by Raza Rabbani in parliament.

Mian Raza Rabbani, who was the Chairman of the Special Committee of Parliament for
Constitutional Reforms, while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, had reiterated the
resolve not to alter the core values of the Constitution when he said: “Madam Speaker! Before I
go into the details of this Article, let me once again reiterate that one of the essential purposes
rather two or three of the essential purposes which made up the basis for these constitutional
reforms was to ensure that the fundamental principles of the Constitution are not altered.”

Despite this, can the parliament amend the constitution in any way as stated in the two
clauses mentioned at the top?

Regarding the parliament’s authority to amend the Constitution, Justice Saeed-Uz-Zaman Siddiqi
is reported to have said, “I am of the view that the political parties take part in the process of
election on the basis of their election manifestos or the programme given out by them during
election campaign. A political party elected to power on the basis of its election manifesto or the
programme given out by it to the electorate during the election campaign, has the mandate of the
political sovereign only to give effect to those programmes and promises which it committed to
the electorates in the election manifesto or in the form of promises given out during the election
campaign. Therefore, a political party voted to power, if during its election campaign, or in its
election manifesto, did not seek mandate from the electorate to bring about changes in the
essential and basic features of the Constitution, it would lack necessary authority to bring about
those changes in the Constitution by moving amendments in the parliament. I may, however,
state that no attempt should be made to define and lay down with precision the basic and salient
features of the Constitution. Any attempt in this regard in my opinion is more likely to confuse
the issue than to define it. Reference in this behalf may be made to Kesavananda’s case where
the Supreme Court of India attempted to define the basic structure of Indian Constitution, but the
learned Judges failed to evolve a consensus definition of basic structure of Indian Constitution
and as such each learned Judge of the Bench forming the majority in the case provided the
definition of basic structure of Indian Constitution, according to his own perception. I am,
therefore, of the view that as and when any amendment in the Constitution is challenged on the
ground that it affected or altered any of the basic features of the Constitution, such feature of the
Constitution may be examined individually to determine its place in the scheme of the
Constitution, its object and purpose and the consequences of its denial on the integrity of the
Constitution as a fundamental instrument of the country’s governance, as observed by
Chandrachud, J. in Kesavananda’s case.”

What was the take of judiciary before the 18th amendment hearing?

There is thirty years of uninterrupted case law in which the superior courts of Pakistan have
repeatedly held that they have no jurisdiction to strike down a constitutional amendment. Let us
begin with the famed case of State v. Zia ur Rehman, PLD 1973 SC 49 in which the Supreme
Court held as follows:

“So far, therefore, as this Court is concerned it has never claimed to be above the Constitution
nor to have the right to strike down any provision of the Constitution. It has accepted the position
that it is a creature of the Constitution; that it derives its powers and jurisdictions from the
Constitution; and that it will confine itself within the limits set by the Constitution”

A year later came the case of Federation of Pakistan v. Saeed Ahmed Khan, PLD 1974 SC 151 in
which Article 269 of the 1973 Constitution was challenged on the grounds that it sought to oust
the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The Court’s response was again clear:

“In any event, it is not possible for us to declare that a provision of the Constitution is not law
because it seeks to oust the jurisdiction of the Courts with regard to certain subjects without
affecting the judicial power itself. We cannot strike it down. We can only interpret it, according
to the accepted rules of interpretation and define its nature and scope.”

In 1976, the Supreme Court reiterated this view in the case of Islamic Republic of Pakistan v.
Abdul Wali Khan, PLD 1976 SC 57, stating that:

“This Court is committed to the view that the “the judiciary cannot declare any provision of the
Constitution to be invalid or repugnant” to the national aspirations of the people and the validity
of a Constitutional amendment can only be challenged if it is adopted in a manner different to
that prescribed by the Constitution.”

In 1977, the Supreme Court again rejected the argument that it could strike down a constitutional
amendment, this time in the case of Federation of Pakistan v. United Sugar Mills Ltd., PLD 1977
SC 397. This case is particularly significant because the challenge here was to the 4th
Amendment which restricted the power of the courts to grant interim relief and thus directly
affected judicial power. Here too, the Supreme Court upheld the amendment and rejected the
basic structure argument.

“In Pakistan, this Court in the case of Zia ur Rahman has, however, firmly laid down the
principle that a constitutional provision cannot be challenged on the ground of being repugnant
to what are sometimes stated as “national inspirations” or an “abstract concept” so long as the
provision is passed by the competent Legislature in accordance with the procedure laid down by
the Constitution.”

The other important point to note in that particular excerpt is the use of the words “in Pakistan.”
In 1973, the Supreme Court of India in Kesavananda Bharati’s case had struck down a
constitutional amendment. This case was cited both before the Wali Khan bench as well as
before the bench, which decided the United Sugar Mills case. And in both instances, the Indian
approach was rejected.

IN a series of subsequent judgments, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has noted that there are
certain “basic features” of the Constitution, which cannot be altered by Parliament. For example,
in the case of Mehmood Khan Achakzai v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 1997 SC 426, the then
Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah identified these basic features as “federalism,
Parliamentary Form of government blended with Islamic provisions.” However, in the same
case, two other judges (Mr. Justice Saleem Akhtar and Mr. Justice Raja Afrasiab) pointed out
that merely because Pakistan’s constitution had certain basic features did not in turn mean that
the Supreme Court was to enforce these basic features. Instead, as noted by Mr. Justice Saleem
Akhtar in his concurring opinion:

“It can thus be said that in Pakistan there is a consistent view from the very beginning that a
provision of the Constitution cannot be struck down holding that it is violative of any prominent
feature, characteristic or structure of the Constitution. The theory of basic structure has thus
completely been rejected.”

In any event, the whole basic structure was then re-examined by a seven member full bench in
the case of Wukala Mahaz Barai Tahaffuz Dastoor v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 1998 SC
1263. In his leading judgment, the Chief Justice, Mr. Chief Justice Ajmal Mian, again concluded
that “it is evident that in Pakistan the basic structure theory consistently had not been accepted.”
But he then seemed to leave the door open for further argument by posing the following
rhetorical question: “If the Parliament by a Constitutional Amendment makes Pakistan as a
secular State, though Pakistan is founded as in Islamic Ideological State, can it be argued that
this Court will have no power to examine the vires of such an amendment.” Finally, in the case
of Zafar Ali Shah v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2000 SC 869, the Supreme Court held that
while General Parvez Musharraf could amend the Constitution in his discretion, he could not
alter the basic features of the Constitution (this time declared as “”independence of Judiciary,
federalism and parliamentary form of government blended with Islamic provision.”)

In the case of Pakistan Lawyers Forum v. Federation of Pakistan, reported as PLD 2005 SC 719,
a five-member full bench of the Supreme Court again examined the whole basic structure
controversy from scratch and conclusively resolved it. In that case, the court first noted that “it
has repeatedly been held in numerous cases that this Court does not have the jurisdiction to strike
down provisions of the Constitution on substantive grounds.” The Court conceded the point that
the 1973 Constitution has certain “basic features” but pointed out that this did not mean that it
was the job of the judiciary to enforce those basic features. Instead, the Court observed in para
56 of that judgment as follows:

“The superior courts of this country have consistently acknowledged that while there may be a
basic structure to the Constitution, and while there may also be limitations on the power of
Parliament to make amendments to such basic structure, such limitations are to be exercised and
enforced not by the judiciary (as in the case of conflict between a statute and Article 8), but by
the body politic, i.e., the people of Pakistan.”
The same point is again made in para 57:

“Prior to Syed Zafar Ali Shah’s case, there was almost three decades of settled law to the effect
that even though there were certain salient features of the Constitution, no constitutional
amendment could be struck down by the superior judiciary as being violative of those features.
The remedy lay in the political and not the judicial process. The appeal in such cases was to be
made to the people not the courts. A constitutional amendment posed a political question, which
could be resolved only through the normal mechanisms of parliamentary democracy and free
elections.”

What is the point here?

Through clauses 5 and 6, the parliament seems quite clear. If the parliamentarians still try to
pacify the apprehensions of the litigants in the courts referring to some basic structure, it is
nothing else but the habit of pols who try to make everyone happy in order not to let anyone lose
interest in them.

Furthermore, Pakistani judiciary might have inadvertently given the impression of guarding the
basic structure of constitution as is obvious from the views of some judges, but following the
cases mentioned above helps to change one’s mind. The judges’ appointment issue in the 18th
amendment is solved in a rightly direction by the parliament through its 19th amendment, which
was totally guided by the suggestions of the Supreme Court.

It is high time the Supreme Court should clarify, following its own thirty years of precedents that
it has no power to unmake whatever law the legislature make. Its work is to interpret the law and
try to find out the intent of the lawmakers and not to challenge the law made by the latter. If
these laws, the 21st and 18th amendments, seem to be a mess, it is not the judges to clear it. It is
a political problem and should be solved politically i-e the electorate should outvote them in the
next election.

Judiciary should stop encouraging the basic structure theorists once and for all. Despite the fact
that we might be living in the common law tradition, but our law should be what our
representatives, the lawmakers, make rather than what the judges say it should be!
The emergence of digital technology was a historical paradigmatic shift.
Digital technologies had, and continue to have, major effects on people,
organizations, industries, and society at large. Bresnahan and Trajtenberg
(1995) classify digital technology as a “general-purpose technology”,
comparing it, for instance, to the steam engine. While the steam engine
enabled the mechanization of commodity production processes in the late
19th century, as a technological innovation it is associated with
industrialization as a wider societal transformation process (Rosenberg and
Trajtenberg 2004). This process involved significant changes in
sociotechnical structures, manifested for example in urbanization, higher
living standards, and the emergence of trade unions (Beninger 1986; Landes
1969). Similarly, while digital technology allows any information to be
represented in a digital format, digitalization as a wider phenomenon is
associated with major changes in sociotechnical structures triggered by
pervasive digital technologies of similar magnitude to those of late 19 th
century industrialization (Yoo 2013). These changes come in many shapes,
not least radical shifts in job-skill demands. In this respect, digital
technologies increasingly complement workers in the completion of complex
problem-solving tasks while replacing humans performing rule-based
manual labor (Autor et al. 2003; Levy and Murnane 2004). However, recent
developments suggest that a wider range of jobs could become obsolete as
pattern recognition capabilities are further developed and incorporated in
robotic innovations (Brynjolfsson and McAfee 2014). To conceptually
investigate the implications of the technological evolution in organizational
settings, the following sections present an overview of relevant key
literatures that hold potential for explaining changes in the media industry.
In so doing, I first introduce established theories of technological innovation
(2.1), and then I specifically discuss the concepts of disruptive innovation
and creative destruction

Rapid technological evolution during the mid 20th century sparked

organizational scholars’ interest in the organizational challenges associated
with technological innovation. While early organizational theorists had
sought to identify universally optimal organizational designs, Lawrence and
Lorsch (1967) argued that context is important, and that in the face of
increasingly rapid technological development organizational structures are
contingent on characteristics of a firm’s external competitive environment.
Other influential contributors to the contingency perspective on
technological innovation include Burns and Stalker (1961), who proposed
that during the environmental turbulence associated with the emergence of a
new technology organic structures (as opposed to mechanistic structures)
facilitate innovative activity as they allow for a higher degree of individual
experimentation and initiation. Subsequent research in technology and
innovation management (TIM) applied a more dynamic view when
investigating organization-environment interactions – such as how the
occurrence of process and product innovations over time were related to the
firm’s strategy and interacted with the industry segment’s development stage
at a given time (Utterback and Abernathy 1975). In terms of innovation
capability, Abernathy and Utterback (1978) argued that as incumbent firms
focus on incremental innovation and specialization over extended periods in
order to achieve economies of scale in mass markets, they are likely to reject
ideas and technologies that present potential for radical innovation. While
such innovations typically offer higher unit profit margins, they may require
major reorientation of the firm’s strategy and production processes.
Therefore, entrepreneurially oriented units or institutions are typically most
likely to champion radical innovation (Abernathy and Utterback 1978).

Drawing on studies by Christensen (1992), based on longitudinal data from

the disk-drive industry, Bower and Christensen (1995) first introduced the
term disruptive technology. Such technologies are characterized by an
architecture that contributes to interrupting an industry’s normal trajectory,
causing disorder in the marketplace (Christensen and Bower 1996). Here, a
key distinction lies between the terms sustaining and disruptive
technologies (Bower and Christensen 1995; Christensen 1997). While
sustaining technologies are used to incrementally improve the performance
of established product categories, disruptive technologies enable the creation
of disruptive product innovations that bring novel values to the market.
However, a key property of these products is that they underperform their
predecessors and competing products (Christensen 1997). The
characteristics of disruptive innovations are typically valued by new groups
of customers, and subsequently attract new competitors into the
marketplace. Incumbent firms typically struggle to innovate with disruptive
technologies: while traditional innovation methods such as listening to
customer needs, keeping track of competition, and constantly designing
products with a higher quality are viable in relation to sustaining
technologies, applying these approaches to disruptive technologies may be
counterproductive (Bower and Christensen 1995; Christensen 1997).
An important perspective in this context is resource dependence (Pfeffer
and Salancik 1978), which holds that environmental actors (e.g. customers
and investors) strongly influence firms’ investments (hence managers have
less control over firms’ resources than they generally believe; Christensen
1997). This is particularly salient, and environmental factors may impose key
barriers, when firms seek to invest in disruptive technology. When a
disruptive technology emerges, the customers are not usually interested yet,
but by the time they are it is too late to invest in it (Christensen 1997). While
disruptive technologies tend to enable the opening up of new markets, there

is a lag phase until such markets are large enough to increase a firm’s
growth. Therefore, Christensen (1997) argues that traditional financial
forecasting techniques do not apply. When a disruptive technology first
emerges its market does not yet exist and (of course) markets that do not
exist are difficult to analyze.

Concl.

This thesis was conceived in proximity to, and grounded in, media practice.
My experiences of participating in the collaborative industry-academia
research program that included Bonnier and VK was that of a mutually
rewarding collaborative venture that facilitated two-way knowledge sharing.
In turn, these conversations, meetings, and workshops informed and
motivated relevance of conducting the empirical investigations reported in
Papers 3-4. As noted earlier, Paper 5 represents fruits of a deliberate effort to
generate prescriptive advice that can be utilized and applied by practitioners
in their day-to-day work as encouraged by (Benbasat and Zmud 1999), but I
hope that, in the long-term, the thesis as a whole may helpfully inform the
thinking and decisions of practitioners (see Lyytinen 1999) involved in
digital innovation.
I have sought to unpack the dynamics of digital innovation by paying
specific attention to how distinct material aspects of digital artifacts are
leveraged for both process and product innovation, and the ways in which
these outcomes were implicated in changes involving deeper sociotechnical
dimensions involving cognition and identity. I discussed how the
malleability of digital artifacts were associated with a shift from a limited set
of relatively stable analog era product categories to fragile digital
counterparts with ambiguous meaning that both called for new ways of
organizing work while new types of relationships with customers and
additional external stakeholders emerged. In turn, the thesis highlighted
how such cognitive changes, under certain circumstances can lead to
changes in both various professional identities within organizations and
overall organizational identity. To this end, I argued that due to ongoing
digitalization, when going forward, incumbent media firms likely to
experience the need to continuously reorient their organizational identities
as they venture into temporary constellations with external digital platform
owners, and content creators.
In applying a longitudinal process perspective on digital innovation and
organizing I argued for the utility of an approach that attends to multilevel
changes in organizations. In so doing, I encouraged further accounts of
digital innovation to pay attention to how patterns of change in digital
technologies trigger sociotechnical changes across multiple levels in
organizing contexts over time. In drawing attention to the increasingly
distributed locus of control in digital artifacts, the thesis advised managers
to not simply seek to utilize digital technology as tools for controlling their
operations, but instead stay sensitive to how digital innovation initiatives
emerge throughout organizations as well as outside of the organization’s
boundaries. In the latter case, firms need to investigate how they can provide

or utilize boundary resources to create novel integrations with external

stakeholder in order to create and appropriate value

Introduction:
What are new digital technologies
a: Internet
b: Social Media
c: Smartphones
d: Laptops
e: Google Smart Watch & Google Glass etc
How the new digital technologies have reshaped the world
Social Media Giants
a: Google
b: Facebook
c: Twitter
Positive Impacts of Social Media
a: on Students
b: on Professional
c: Organizational Level
Negative Impacts of Social Media
a: By Terrorists
b: By Students
c: Keyboard Warriors
d: Fake Profiles
e: e-Jihadists
Impacts of new Digital technologies at Individual level
Impacts of new Digital technologies at Industrial/Business level
Super Powers, the leading countries to use new digital technologies
Pakistan & New Digital Technologies
a: Over 10 Million Facebook Users
b: Over 18 Million Internet Users
c: Over 8 Million smartphone users
d: 3g & 4g launching
Suggestions to stop misuse of social media/internet
a: Cyber Laws
b: parental check and balance
c: Law enforcement agencies role
Suggestions to use new digital technologies for a positive change
a: at personal level
b: business level
c: at society level
Conclusion
Operation Zarb-e-Azb
The Zarb-e-Azb operation was launched by the Armed Forces of Pakistan on June 15th, 2014. It’s a full-
fledged martial attack on North Waziristan, one of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) that
form Pakistan’s northwestern border with Afghanistan. Granting to the Defense Minister this operation
will be against ‘local and foreign terrorists’ and will stay till ‘the last terrorist has been eliminated’. This
operation commenced in the reaction of an attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi with the
complete political, defense and the civilian support of the state.

Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a mutual service of the equipped forces against the different combative groups,
including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundullah, Al-Qaeda, East Turkistan
Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Haqqani Network, in the
area of FATA. About some 30,000 Pakistani soldiers took part in Zarb-e-Azb, illustrated as a
‘comprehensive operation’ to wash out all foreign and local militants trouncing in the North Waziristan
Agency and the neighboring regions.

This Operation was started in Miran Shah Sector that had become the center of the terrorism in
Pakistan. After getting rid of terrorists from Miran Shah, the Army moved towards Datta Khel Sector
where its military units fighting with militants. The 80% area of Ghulam Khan near the Pak- Afgan
border is flushed out from terrorists. Pakistan army has effectively cleared the region by killing more
than 1000 terrorists. Our Army has admirably cleared five main cities measured as a core of terrorist’s
actions i.e Miran Shah, Mir Ali, Datta Khel, Boya, and Degan

Therefore, Operation Zarb-e-Azb was extended, because North Waziristan is a survival place for
militants patiently vulnerable the triumph of other martial operations throughout the 2002-
2014.Certainly, the capability of militants was hastily found protection in North Waziristan to
recover and reclaim their lost force.This is a major cause that Pakistan’s chief operations failed to
attain their set objectives above the final decade.The current activity has gone bad to bring real
peace to Pakistani cities,nevertheless,the TTP and associated group are even competent to
commence main attacks. On November 2, 2014, a huge penalizing suicide bombing was launched
in Pakistan-India border near Wagah, Lahore. In this attack, 55 people were killed and 200
wounded.

Additionally, another TTP group escorted by Mullah Fazlullah, who committed a terrorist attack
at the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014.This heart-wrenching incident
named “Pakistan’s 9/11,” and declared casualties of 142 people,132 of whom were school
children.One more jeopardy happened from the Operation Zarb-e-Azb is the lack of Afghanistan-
Pakistan mutual collaboration, which resulted in the secure refuges for militants in
Afghanistan.This is one of the reasons why no major Islamist activist leader, for instance,
Fazlullah, Adnan Rashid, Omar Khalid Khorasani and Hafiz Gul Bahadur, has no longer been
defeated or arrested during the operation

Thus, concluding my article as, the global world has constantly had their uncertainties about
Muslims that whether they stand for harmony or are they religious extremists in favor of war. The
distorted meaning of “Jihad” that is prominent amongst the international world is damaging due
to the Taliban.To undo this damage we need to show our peaceful side, the side that supports peace
in our country. This war also provides us an opportunity to demonstrate our sense of equivalence
between the other provinces. Let’s demonstrate the cosmos that the masses of Sindh, Baluchistan,
Khyber- Pakhtoon- Kha and Punjab are all equal to us. The geographic milieu of someone does
not an issue to us and that we still remember and hold the saying of Quaid-e-Azam in our heart:

“We are now all Pakistanis–not Baluchis, Pathans, Sindhis, Bengalis, Punjabis and so on–and as
Pakistanis we must feet perform and work, and we should be overblown to be known as Pakistanis
and nothing else.’’

Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Urdu: ‫رضببضع‬

ِ ‫ آرپنشی‬ALA-LC: Āpres̱ẖan Ẓarb-i ʿAẓb pronounced [ɑːpreːʃən zərb-e
əzb]) is a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant
groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East
Turkestan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, al-Qaeda, Jundallah and the Haqqani network.[5] The
operation was launched on 15 June 2014 in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a
renewed effort against militancy in the wake of the 8 June attack on Jinnah International Airport in
Karachi, for which the TTP and the IMU claimed responsibility.[37][38] Part of the war in North-West
Pakistan, up to 30,000 Pakistani soldiers were involved in Zarb-e-Azb, described as a "comprehensive
operation" to flush out all foreign and local militants hiding in North Waziristan.[39] The operation has
received widespread support from the Pakistani political, defence and civilian sectors. As a
consequence, the overall security situation improved and terrorist attacks in Pakistan dropped to a six-
year low since 2008

Zarb-e-Azb (Urdu: ‫رضببضع‬

ِ ALA-LC: Ẓarb-i ʿAẓb pronounced [zərb-e əzb]) means "sharp and cutting
strike".[41] Azb also refers to the sword owned by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, which he used in the
battles of Badr and Uhud

Strategy
For the first time, the Pakistani military implemented a military strategy called "Seek, Destroy, Clear,
Hold." The Pakistani military will seek the target. Once found, it will be destroyed. When destroyed, the
infrastructure, bodies and weapons will be cleared and the area will be held both during this time and
after its completion to ensure post-operation security and infrastructure rebuilding and/or area
rehabilitation. The Seek and Destroy component is from the Vietnam War whereas the Clear and hold
component is from the Iraq War. The Pakistani military combined the two doctrines as a single doctrine
for the operation to be successful.

Background
Peace negotiations

Peace negotiations with the Taliban were announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
after his election,[43] although previous attempts to engage TTP in dialogue had failed. The first
session of talks, between committees appointed by the Pakistani Government and the Taliban,
was held on 26 March 2014 at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.[44] The Taliban did not
name representatives from their ranks, instead nominating pro-Taliban religious figures to
present their views.[43] The terrorists called for the implementation of Sharia in Pakistan; the
Government of Pakistan demanded the cessation of hostilities, insisting that talks be held within
the framework of the Pakistani constitution.[43] A month-long ceasefire was reached on 1 March
2014.[45]

Besides the meetings at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, negotiations also involved helicopter travel
by government representatives to the areas under militant control near the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border. The government had indicated that stronger military action would be implemented if the
talks failed.[44]

Failure

Negotiations collapsed after the execution of 23 Pakistani Frontier Corps soldiers by the Taliban
on 17 February 2014.[46][47] The soldiers had been held by the insurgents since 2010, and on 17
April 2014 the TTP formally ended the ceasefire.[48] Taliban infighting since March 2014 killed
more than 90 militants. The strife, triggered by differences between the Mehsud group (led by
Sheheryar Mehsud) and another TTP faction (led by Khan Said Sajna), impeded the
negotiations.[49] The negotiations were irreversibly damaged by a terrorist attack on Karachi
Airport for which the Taliban claimed responsibility and which killed 28 people (including
security personnel).[50][51] A Pakistani military official was quoted to have said, "The army is
ready for an operation. It now all depends on the government to make a decision."[52]

Jinnah Airport attack

Main article: 2014 Jinnah International Airport attack

The operation began one week after a terrorist attack on Pakistan's busiest airport. On 8 June
2014, 10 militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and TTP attacked Jinnah
International Airport, Karachi, killing 28 people including security personnel and wounding at
least 18.[50]

In retaliation, the Pakistani military launched a series of air-strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in
the areas bordering Afghanistan. At least 25 militants were killed on 10 June. The figure also
included foreign militants killed.[53] Two drone attacks on 12 June killed Uzbek, Afghan and
local militants.[54][55] On 15 June the Pakistani military intensified air-strikes and bombed eight
foreign militant hideouts, killing as many as 140 militants (most Uzbek, including persons linked
to the airport attack and airport attack commander and mastermind Abu Abdur Rehman Almani)
in North Waziristan.[56][57]

Preparations
Using North Waziristan as a base, these terrorists had waged a war against the state of Pakistan and

“ had been disrupting our national life in all its dimensions, stunting our economic growth and causing
enormous loss of life and property. They had also paralyzed life within the agency and had perpetually
terrorized the entire peace loving and patriotic local population.

— Inter-Services Public Relations[58][59]

The Pakistani military had prepared for the operation long before, and the government prepared
for a three-front operation:[60] isolating targeted militant groups, obtaining support from the
political parties and saving civilians from the backlash of the operation.[60]

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the nation stood by its military: "The decision was
taken after the strategy of dialogue failed. The operation will continue until it reaches its logical
conclusion. Any group that challenges Pakistan's constitution, attacks civilians, soldiers, and
government installations and uses Pakistani territory to plan terrorist attacks will be targeted".
Asif added that internally displaced persons would be assisted by the federal and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa governments: "We will try to ensure that the displaced do not have to stay away
from their homes for too long."[61]

The combat troops encircled militant bases in the towns of Mirali and Miranshah. Pakistani
officials said that the Afghan's National Security Forces (ANSF) were requested to seal the
border on their side so that militants do not escape.[62] The operation involved the Air Force,
Navy artillery, tanks and ground troops. According to a military statement, "On the directions of
the government, armed forces of Pakistan have launched a comprehensive operation against
foreign and local terrorists who are hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan."[62] An official
with the military said that between 14,000 and 20,000 soldiers were normally stationed in North
Waziristan before the operation, and he expected the offensive to require no more than a total of
30,000 troops.

On 13 June 2015, the Pakistani military reported progress in the operation in the course of a year. DG
ISPR Asim Saleem Bajwa reported that 2,763 militants had been killed so far, including 218 terrorist
commanders in 9,000 intelligence based operations (IBOs). "Some 837 hideouts of terrorists have been
destroyed and 253 tonnes of explosives recovered so far during the operation", he said. The Army also
recovered 18,087 weapons, including heavy machine guns, light machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket
launchers and AK-47s . Bajwa said that thousands of terrorists were also arrested, their strongholds
cleared and their communication infrastructure destroyed. "347 officers and soldiers of Pakistan Armed
Forces have embraced martyrdom", he added.[203][204] The year 2015 was declared to be "a year of
victory" and the operation itself a "manifestation of the resolve to root out terrorism in the country" by
the Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif

One and a half years after the start of Zarb-e-Azb, phenomenal successes were achieved, with the last
pockets close to the Pakistan-Afghan border being cleared. Terrorist backbone broken and structure
dismantled. Nexus with sleeper cells largely disrupted. Intelligence based Operations (IBOs) busted
remaining sleeper cells. 3,400 terrorists were killed, with 837 hideouts from where they were carrying
out terrorist activities destroyed. During the last 18 months over 13,200 IBOs carried out across the
country in which 183 terrorists were killed, 2,193 arrested. IBOs continue. 488 officers and men of
Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps KPK, Baluchistan, Rangers Sindh were killed and 1,914 injured in
Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Total 11 military courts. 142 cases referred to military courts. 55 cases decided,
87 cases in process. 31 terrorists convicted.[207][208] In July, the Pakistan Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif
visited the military's forward-most positions near the Afghan border in North Waziristan[206] He was
briefed about the progress and future plans for Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Sharif also visited South
Waziristan and Wana agencies. It was reported that the Pakistani military had just completed the
preliminary preparations for final phase. In the area around Shawal, peaks were cleared
 It's a matter of great

“ privilege and honor to

be commanding such
an accomplished and
battle hardened
Army, We will not
stop unless we
achieve our end
objective of a terror
free Pakistan.
”
— Pakistan Army Chief, General
Raheel Sharif

State's Counter-retaliation
Main article: Targeted killings of TTP terrorists by Pakistan Armed Forces and police encounters in
Pakistan

Responding to TTP's retaliatory attacks, Pakistan has mounted deadliest counter-retaliation on

TTP; first removing the moratorium on executions of terrorists by the Presidential Order, and
secondly establishing military courts commissions (roughly based on Gitmo). Pakistani
authorities have issued "hang till death" orders to jail superintendents at the nationwide prisons.
In weeks, a number of high-value detainees convicted on a terrorism charges were hanged.

Since December 2014, Pakistan's intelligence community, law enforcement agencies,

antiterrorism forces, and inter-provincial police have been engaged in deadly police encounters
in all over the country. News media have been televising the live actions on tracking down the
militants and targeting the TTP operatives in series of police encounters. In the afternoon of 20
December, the KP Police and the special agents of the FIA raided a safe house in Shabqadar, a
town located in 30 km (19 mi) north of Peshawar. In an exchange of fire at the safe house, the
KPK police and the other law enforcement agencies gunned down the six TTP fighters, including
their commander and two other high-value targets who assisted in the attack.[245] At the night of
20 December, the team of Pakistan Rangers personnel raided a safe house in Manghopir area of
Karachi and killed five members of the TTP in a deadly shoot out.[246]

On 22 December 2014, Karachi Police and the CID teams chased down and killed the TTP
leader, Abid Muchar,[247] along with his three associates in a police encounter. The same night,
another action in took place in Karachi when the CID teams, in a high-speed chase in Hawke's
Bay Beach, chased and apprehended five members of al-Qaeda's South Asian chapter who are
suspected of planning an attack on a naval dockyard in Karachi in September.

Acting on a MI information, the navy's SSGN teams were inserted in secret hideout in Khyber
Agency and stalked the six terrorists led by Saddam Jan— the mastermind of the Army Public
School attack— at the midnight of 26 December 2014.[248] In a late night operations, the SSGN
combat teams reportedly hunted and killed Jan along with his six militants, while trying to seek
sanctuary. An unnamed senior Pakistan government official confirmed the report.[248]
On 9 January 2015, the CID teams gunned down the four al-Qaeda operatives after another high
speed chase took place in Qayyumabad in Karachi.[249] In another separate midnight action in
Lahore, the teams of FIA's special agents, assisted by the Punjab Police, raided a house located
in Burki Road.[250] Lasting almost two-hour gun battle, the FIA teams hunted and gunned down
Roohullah (alias: Asadullah)—the mastermind of the Wagah border attack along with three of
his associates. Since the attack, the FIA had been on a hunt for Roohullah and was finally killed
in a police encounter in Lahore
Power of Media in Modern World

The Writer got 68/100 Marks for writing this Essay in CSS 2009.

Outline:

• Introduction:
• Power of media in 21st century
• Most powerful weapon of the contemporary world
• Media...backbone of tremendous social, political and cultural changes
• Freedom of expression...a basic human right
• Interrelationship between media and democracy
• Thesis statement leading to conclusion.

Constitutional provisions and guarantees:

• Article 19 of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973.

Constituents of freedom of press:

• Freedom of thinking, speech, expression

• Freedom from all government pressures.

Functions of media:

• Education for the masses

• Awareness about world scenario and fundamental rights and duties
• Opinion formation related to social, political, economic & religious issues
• Ensures public participation in government's policies.

Freedom of press in Pakistan:

• Semi-independent press owing to punctuated democracy

• Role of military regimes from Ayub Khan to Zia Ul Haq

Current scenario in Pakistan over the last decade:

• PEMRA 2001...martial law regime 2001

• Mushroom growth of private TV channels
 • Role of media in promulgation of emergency...3rd November 2007
• PRO, under emergency

Challenges / hurdles before Pakistan's media

• Illiterate population...Lack of interest/ awareness

• Political instability
• Indifferent attitude of the masses towards the policies of the government
• Shortage of funds/ resources
• Political interference

Obligations of media/ the way forward.

• Ethics of journalism/ press to be followed.

• Strive for national integration
• Impartial / unbiased analysis
• Avoid exaggeration
• Avoid obscenity / vulgarity
• Depiction of Pakistan's true culture and history
• Promotion of social, ethical and moral values
• Projection of softer image of government's policies
• Maintenance of public confidence
• Promotion of Quaid's vision and ideology of Pakistan .

Conclusion

“Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly, is among the very

fundamentals of democracy and all of them will be nullified if the freedom of press be
successfully challenged.”
(US president, Roosevelt)

Media is regarded as the most powerful weapon of 21st century. It is as lethal a weapon as a
nuke. It has the capability to convert day into night and night into day, a hero into a villain and a
villain into hero. Media has brought revolutions in the world and has transformed the globe into
a global village. It has virtually erased the geographical boundaries, removed the barriers of
social, political and cultural differences and as a result this diversified world has been reduced to
remote control. Media's role in education, awareness, opinion formation and entertainment is so
diversified in its horizon and domain that one thing is clear and decided that the tides of media
cannot be reversed, however, they may be altered in nature and composition.

The status of freedom of press in Pakistan, ever since independence, has remained semi-
independent, despite adequate safeguards and provisions promised by the constitution.

“There shall be freedom of press. It shall, however, be subjected to any reasonable restrictions
imposed by the law, in the interest of glory of Islam, of the integrity, security and defense of
Pakistan or any part of it, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency and
morality or in relation to contempt of court or commission or incitement to an offence.”
(Article 19 of the constitution, 1973)

Freedom of press literally means the freedom of expression i.e. speech, writing and thinking. It
also ensures the liberty to think and act without any restrictions and pressures.

A free press and electronic media is an essential attribute of democratic polity as both work hand
in glove with each other. If democracy is the government of the people, media is the voice of the
people. But it is a matter of grave misfortune for Pakistan that due to one factor or the other, ever
since independence, media could not breathe independently and one of the factor that could be
held responsible for this sorry state of affairs is the obstructed and failed democratic form of
government.

The fundamental ingredient making democracy possible is the flow of information. Media is the
only force that can ensure the flow of information. If restricted, hindered or obstructed in any
way, masses remain ignorant, ignorant of their rights, their duties to the state, their needs and the
role that they can play for the betterment of the society and the country they live in.

Media's role in imparting education to the masses cannot be stressed enough. Online lectures and
speeches of the professors, scholars and intellectuals are playing a significant role in imparting
formal and technical education to the masses.

Media's role in creating awareness among the masses regarding the political, social and
economic scenario cannot be overemphasized. Owing to the mushroom growth of TV channels
and newspapers, people today are more aware and educated about the surroundings and the steps
taken by the government. This is promoting public participation in the decision-making of the
state machinery. The skilled and bold personalities of the anchor persons raise people's voice,
analyse government's actions and get the expert opinion.

Media has also played a significant role in bringing the world at our doorstep. It produces and
introduces different lifestyles in the world, changes moods and behavior, braves the bold topics
through dramas and talk shows. It also suggests the new household styles, guides the youth to
new opportunities and creates civic sense.

Media also helps in providing religious knowledge by the competent scholars, answering the
queries of public to solve their problems. It highlights religious events and promotes sectarian
harmony.

In the historical perspective, one can safely say that unfortunately democracy could not flourish
here in the true sense of the word. Consequently, Pakistan has not been able to evolve a full-
fledged free news media. The media in Pakistan has not received the nourishment needed for its
full flowering.

However, the electronic media took new form after promulgation of Pakistan Electronic Media
Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) 2001, by the autocratic regime of president Musharraf. The
authority has been made responsible for facilitating and regulating the establishment and
operations of the broadcast media and distribution services in Pakistan. The mandate of the
PEMRA is to ensure accountability and transparency by optimizing the free flow of information.
This law is on the face to the article 19 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech,
expression and press.

Despite frequent martial laws, other factors that stand responsible for the poor growth of
independent media could be indifferent attitude illiteracy, poverty, unawareness, attitude of
indifference towards the political decisions, lack of interest in state affairs, political instability
and political pressures and problems.

Illiteracy has proved to be one of the major obstacles in the improper growth of press and
electronic media. Owing to lack of education, people have been rendered unaware of their rights,
duties and of course responsibilities to the state. This dilemma of illiteracy gave birth to poverty
and consequently, the poor masses that could not afford two meals in a day, could never realize
the importance of newspapers and freedom of press. This sorry state of affairs has created an
indifferent attitude on the part of the common masses. Consequently, the apathy shown by the
government and the people gave birth to an orthodox and stereotyped thinking and nationalist
approach.

There are certain ethics and do's and don'ts of media channels and press to shape the discipline of
journalism so that they may seek truth, convey information, ideas and opinions with transparency
and accuracy. These ethics advise the media personals to report and interpret honestly, striking
for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts and urge the necessary correction of
errors.

21st century has turned out to be a century of media war, as it has turned out to be the most lethal
weapon of the contemporary age. Drastic, cultural, political and social changes can now be seen
as a result of revolutions brought about by media. Media is bursting forth like a meteor, breaking
new frontiers. In this age of cosmic revolution and technology and means of communication,
those archaic barriers blocking any people's access to independent source of information are
being dismantled rapidly to the utter discomfort of the obscurantist still intent on keeping them
intact. This is an era of satellite television, internet connectivity and mobile telephones. US
constitution categorically forbids that:,
Is colonial mentality impeding Pakistan’s
progress
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Colonial mentality is the practice of the prevalent culture, norms, and ideologies of a foreign
rule.

1.2 The inherited colonial apparatus in our society has put its shackles on the minds of the
aristocratic class.

2. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF COLONIAL MENTALITY IN PAKISTAN?

2.1 Imposing British beliefs and ideologies on people by manipulating the environment that
entrenched in the social psyche.

2.2 Shifting of snobbish attitude from foreigners to the privileged class due to their prevalent
ideologies in a society.

3. THE RESPONSIBLE FACTORS BEHIND COLONIAL MENTALITY.

3.1 Political parties

a) Grievances over economic developments and natural resources. e.g.; CPEC project and dams.

b) Competition over the legitimate guardian of the state of affairs.

3.2 Religiopolitical parties

a) Provoking religious agendas to attain political benefits. e.g.; ASWJ, JI, JUI-F concern over the
voting of women.

b) Beleaguering over the decisions of lawmakers. e.g.; legitimate concerns of political parties
over the GB-FATA merger plan by the government.

3.3 Individuals - as feudal lords

a) Depriving the poor of their needs. e.g.; farmers and lords systems.

b) Jirga and Panchayat systems led by landlords.

3.2 At individual level

a) Jirga and Panchayat systems hamper justice.

b) Feudal lord systems impedejust disbursements to farmers.

c) Human rights abuses. e.g: Child labour, child maid torture case of Tayyaba.

4. HOW COLONIAL MENTALITY IMPEDES PAKISTAN'S PROGRESS,

4.1 At national level
4.1.1 Political impediments

a) Hampering parliamentary proceedings due to the scuffles of political parties.

b) Impeding judicial proceedings. e.g.; Panama and Bahamas cases.

4.1.2 Economic impediments

a) Obstructing mega projects and dams due to provincial grievances. e.g.; grievances over water
issues.

b) Discontentment over the budget approvals .e.g.; competition of political parties to gain
legitimate shares of government.

4.1.3 Social impediments

a) Delaying of conducting census. e.g.; grievances of Baluchistan and KP parties to return

Afghan refugees first.

b) Dissolution of social fabric in a country. e.g.; Asfandyar Wali Khan proudly declares himself
as an Afghan Pashtun despite being a Pakistani national.

4.2 At individual level

a) Jirga and Panchayat systems hamper justice.

b) Feudal lord systems impede just disbursements to farmers.

c) Human rights abuses due to the snobbish attitude in a society. e.g. recent cases of torture on
domestic servants.
5. HOWARE THE FOREIGN FACTORS INVOLVED TO PROVOKE COLONIAL MENTALITY THAT
IMPEDES PAKISTAN'S PROGRESS?

a) Indian factor provokes provincial based superiority complex. e.g.; Baluchis being the victims
of Indian RAW agents.

b) Inculcating the minds of people by the exiled political parties. e.g.; Republican national party
leader Akbar Bugti and his descendants.

6. CONCLUSION
7. WHAT SHOULD PAKISTAN DO TO OVERCOME THE COLONIAL MENTALITY?

a) Ensuring the equal shares to all provinces in mega development projects.

b) Ensuring the just and fair judicial and parliamentary proceedings.

c) Promoting accountability and transparency to undergo just power-sharing among the

institutions of a government.

Aap ki bheti ki shaadi nahi ho rahi hai kya?

Kya aap ki bheti ko pilot banna hai lekin dark complexion suit nahi ho rahi hai?
Ye saare samasyonki parishkar ab bas sirf paanch rupiye mein.. Aur vo bhi pandra din mein
Haa aap sahi sunra he hoo..
Ab ‘fair and lovely’ cream chota pack mein..”
We come across such commercials every now and then in TV, Radio and cinema halls.
Isn’t this a manifestation of colonial mentality in the form of bias towards fair color against dark
complexion?

Two hundred years of British rule in India has profound impact on India that colonial mentality
has left significant imprints in all walks of life. Has colonial mentality helped in shaping India as
a nation ? Or it resulted in communal divide of tolerant Indian society? What kind of effect does
it have on contemporary education system? How far it influenced Indian way of living? Has it
led to promotion of English language at the expense of native languages which have been in
existence for centuries? How far it helped in strengthening our polity, administration? What is its
effect on society, Religion? What changes it brought to the games we play? These are some of
the questions that will be discussed in the following passages. However, before arriving at
answers to those questions, it is important to understand what is colonial mentality.

Colonial mentality

Colonialism is a phenomenon in which a country establishes its rule over another country with
the sole aim of economic exploitation. During this process the ruling country establishes
political, socio economic structures such that the ruled country becomes its colony. The rulers of
colonial western powers had one set of attitude. This is famously known as “white man’s
burden”. They perceived colonies as primordial societies, incapable of learning to transform
themselves and it is their responsibility to reform them. If this kind of mentality of rulers is one
aspect of colonial mentality, the psychological imprints left on minds of people of colonies is
another aspect of colonial mentality. Perceiving oneself as inferior and British as superior, in the
process blindly imitating their culture, imbibing their attitudes is seen in this aspect of colonial
mentality. The political, socio economic structural changes brought by colonial powers resulted
in various attitudinal and behavioral changes which are seen even today. So roles of both
colonial ruler’s mentality and colony people mentality have to be analyzed on India’s successes
and failures.

Uniting and dividing – making of India as a nation

Colonial mentality of rulers was to look down upon the Indians incapable of governing
themselves. Their economic policies resulted in hardships to all people of different regions,
linguistic groups, castes etc. resulting into a common struggle against them for self-government
or ‘swaraj’. The oppressing colonial mentality helped in raising conscience of Indian nationalism
among masses and led to Freedom struggle and helped in making India as a single nation which
was earlier divided politically.

Even though colonial mentality helped in making of India as a nation, it also acted as hindrance
to national integration by creating communal divide in Indian society. The contemporary
communal violence has the roots in ‘divide and rule’ policy and favouring one religion, caste
communities over the other during colonial era.

Modern education – its effectiveness

Modern education was introduced by British in 19th century. Among other reasons such as to
create uniformity in administration and civil services which are loyal to the Crown, Colonial
mentality of ‘white man’s burden’ or responsibility to transform the societies also one of the
reasons for spreading modern education in India. Though it succeeded in inculcating modern
values of rationality, scientific outlook among Indians, it acted as hindrance to educational
development. Emphasis on contemporary rote learning has roots in the same education system
that was introduced by British.

English Language versus native language

Even though there are economic reasons and globalization phenomenon that are spreading
English language at the expense of native mother tongues today in India, the roots can be traced
to love for English language during colonial rule. The employability opportunities due to English
education made Indians embrace English language during British rule. To be educated in English
was considered to be proud. This resulted in slow erosion of native Indian languages, which have
thousands of years of history and literature. This is in contrast to other nations such as China,
Japan where native mother tongue was not seen as hindrance to modern education. Even in
contemporary society, most middle classes feel proud if their kids talk only English at home.
Unfortunately, the same culture is spreading now to other sections of society too. This is a
baggage of colonial mentality.
Changes in Indian Life style.

Colonial attitude reflects even in every day Indian life. Clothing and greetings are some of the
examples that can be seen. Since they live in cold countries, western people wear suits for their
dressing. As mentioned before, the colonial mentality of Indians to look down upon themselves,
their culture as inferior and British culture & tradition as superior resulted in blind imitation of
their clothing even though Indians live in tropical nation and suits are not suited for the climate.
It has become common to greet or wish as ‘warmly’ or ‘warm regards’ in mails and letters in
India. Again as British live in cold countries, these greetings are appropriate for them. Preference
for gym fitness against ‘yoga’ is another example. Interestingly, now there are more westerners
who practice yoga than Indians, though ‘yoga’ originated here in India.

Cricket Versus Hockey

Colonialism played a negative role in the arena of Games & sports of India. Cricket was
unknown before advent of British. However, it got impetus at the expense of all other Indian
sports such as Hockey, kabaddi, Koko etc. India could win cricket world cup, but it is performing
badly when it comes to its national sport, Hockey.

Evolution of Indian polity

Colonial mentality has helped in a positive manner for Indian polity. It resulted in respect for
human rights, democracy, rule of law. These values were imbibed by Indians which helped India
to transform itself as a democratic country though many other nations who were born at the same
time struggled to nurture democracy. However, the colonial nature of over centralization of
power at the at the top is still continuing even after enacting 73rd and 74th constitutional
amendments to form Gram panchayats and urban local bodies.

Anti-racism and anti-colonialism – in foreign policy

Another colonial attitude of racism helped in a positive way in Indian foreign policy. Strong
opposition against racism and colonialism is an important parameter of Indian foreign policy. To
that effect, India voiced its strong concern against apartheid in South Africa and at other places
in International arena. This is one successful achievement in India’s foreign policy.

Administrative culture

Colonialism has mixed results in Indian administrative setup. On one hand, positively, it helped
in establishing strong institutions, civil services at all India level, but on the other hand it also
resulted in corruption and bureaucratic attitude of civil services. Policing system in India is
quoted as best example of colonial mentality by many. Originally conceived for maintaining law
and order to serve the interests of British, the nature to serve for the interests of political
executive rather than for public interest is an off shoot of colonial mentality. The bureaucratic
mindset, corruption in public office, red-tapism all trace their roots to colonial times.

Economic growth – is it sustainable?

Capitalism was one of the dominant factor for establishing colonies to exploit them by colonial
powers. The capitalistic mode of economy developed consumerism. It also gave importance to
growth centric models at the expense of ecology. Goods and services are accessed by their
money value, even relationships have become value based. It led to erosion of moral and ethical
values in society.

Colonial mentality – its mixed role in India’s success

In this respect colonial mentality in two forms – one, as mind set of British, two, as attitude of
Indians due to colonialism – played a mixed role. It boosted India’s successes in making India as
a nation, providing modern education, taking up English language to become globally
competitive, imbibing values of democracy, helping in foreign policy, providing a strong ‘iron
frame’ of civil services in administration. However, it acted as hindrance to India’s success by
creating divisions in society among different communities, by promoting English language at the
expense of native Indian languages, by blind imitation of western culture and eroding unique
Indian culture, by leading to corruption and red-tapism in administration, by favoring racism in
terms of liking for fair color, by capitalistic mode of economy without due regard to mother
nature and local tribes. There is nothing wrong in embracing positive features of colonial
mindset such as modernity, rationality and scientific outlook. However, negative aspects of
colonial mentality must be reviewed with original Indian mindset – of tolerance to diversities, of
Gandhian principles of decentralization – ‘swaraj’, of respect towards the nature.
Brexit means globalization is the rhetoric of
the privileged, and capitalism will return
ferociously as ever
Key tenets of globalization including trade and immigration were among catalysts that pushed
the U.K. to exit the EU last week, leading many experts to wonder whether the policy is still
welcome in today's world.

That debate took center stage at a World Economic Forum (WEF) panel in Tianjin on Tuesday.

"This [Brexit] is a key pullback to more trade openness, labor movements and globalization in
general. So in a way, globalization is running out of steam," observed Mehmet Simsek, deputy
Prime Minister of Turkey.

Politicians supporting the U.K.'s Leave camp pointed to the EU's immigration rules, particularly
the influx of refugees, diminished job prospects and stagnant salaries—factors widely considered
the result of porous borders—as reasons to leave the economic bloc. Thursday's vote was a clear
reminder that the bulk of the U.K. public wasn't happy with these policies, which experts at WEF
said effectively translated to dissatisfaction with globalization.

"There is certainly a backlash against globalization … There are winners and losers, we saw that
in the U.K. vote: The gap between the rich and less rich, young and old, skilled and less skilled,
urban and rural…We have to recognize these gaps are becoming more severe," said Nouriel
Roubini, chairman of Roubini Global Economics and a New York University professor.

Anti-globalization parties are increasingly gaining mass support in both peripheral and core euro-
zone countries as the region's unemployment remains in double digits, Roubini continued.

In Austria for example, the far-right Freedom Party of Austria, who also takes a hard line on
immigration, was a mere percentage point shy from winning the presidency this May.

A similar story can be seen across the Atlantic, where Republican candidate Donald Trump has
won the support of several blue-collar, predominantly white Americans who complain of job
losses, influx of foreigners and loss of competitiveness from free trade.

Offering a more sanguine view, Jing Ulrich, Asia-Pacific managing director and vice-chairman
of JPMorgan Chase, didn't believe international integration was under threat.

"The path to globalization will continue, Brexit won't impact cross-national movements."

Zhu Min, deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was slightly more
worried about the implications of Thursday's referendum.
"We need to remind the parties involved [in Brexit] to support globalization. If trade negotiations
between the U.K. and EU go into reverse course, that would be terrible."

With anti-globalization sentiment set to continue, countries have no choice but to adapt, hinted
Huang Yiping, Professor at Peking University.

China, for example, has been the main beneficiary of globalization for decades but now, the
mainland must review how to reconfigure its growth engine and focus on domestic instead of
external demand, he noted.

In my humble opinion, rather the opposite. Brexit is the (result of) rhetoric of the privileged (and
those less knowledgeable about such matters fell for it, egged on by the tabloids owned by those
privileged ones) and it is socialism that might return as ferociously as ever, at least in Britain.

The rise of the original socialism, over a century ago, in Britain, was caused by “capitalists”
going too far. Then this happend once more in the period leading up to the “Brixton riots”. This
cycle may happen yet again.

In Europe, the people running businesses and governance according to the so-called Rhineland
model, and its leading global business school Insead, are advocates of the explicit role and
responsibility of business for a BETTER world, if needs be at the expense of short term
shareholder interests. This is, however, not well understood yet and rather alien to “classic anglo-
saxon capitalist thinking”.

Far from destroying it, the EU has protected our national and regional identities. Otherwise,
between the USA, Russia and China, a small country like my own would not have much of it’s
identity left by now.

I have no doubt there will be very diverse views on this, and I am curious to see what other
people think.

Introduction
Thesis Statement: Amid the increasing military engagements by the UN in the form of its
peacekeeping missions in several African and some Middle Eastern countries; the world seems
gradually moving away from peace as the crisis remains unsolved in the said regions.

Body Paragraphs
More and More Military Engagements by the
United Nations

1. Understanding the U.N Military Engagements

(A) Peacekeeping Missions
(B) Military Observer Groups
(C) Supervisions of a combative situation through representatives for peace.

2. Analyzing U.N military engagements in Africa and how it failed to lead the world towards
peace
(A) Unsettled crisis in Congo, Sudan and Somalia
(B) Still surviving crisis of Aouzou Strip in Chad and Libya

3. How the UN military engagements in the Middle East are preventing the world from attaining
ultimate peace
(A) UN observation group’s presence in Lebanon and its failure to end the Lebanese conflict
with Israel
(B) UN observation group in Syria and its failure to end the Syrian crisis.

4. UN military engagement in Asia has failed to lead the world towards peace
(A) UN Military Observer Group between Pakistan and India has not been able to end the
boundary crisis in the region
(B) UN Military Observer Group has failed to solve the border dispute between Afghanistan and
Pakistan.

Conclusion
Despite the repeated military engagements led by the U.N. in South Asia, Africa and Middle
East; the body has failed to lead the world towards peace. The crisis remains unresolved or
mostly resurface in African and Middle Eastern regions thus undermining the global peace.

The Essay:
U.N was established following the 2nd World War to establish the world security regime and to
ensure long lasting peace in the new global order. To achieve this rhetoric, the U.N devised
different ways to combat the elements threatening the world security or peace. One method is its
military engagement. That comes in the form of Peacekeeping mission and Military Observer
groups deployed across the world states facing some sort of security or peace crisis. The
performance of such military engagements led by the U.N are however not seen as a greater
success. There are factors that reveal that as the military engagements of the U.N are increasing,
the world keeps on drifting from the path of peace and peaceful coexistence. The apparent
manifestations supporting this assertion lie in the failure of U.N led peacekeeping missions and
military observer groups to ensure peace in African countries of Congo, Sudan and Somalia.
Further, the failure of U.N military engagement in ending the Middle Eastern crisis has clearly
depicted the situation of deteriorating world peace amid the futile efforts.
Beginning with the effort to understand the military engagements of the UN, it can be assessed
that in what possible ways the international body is making a futile effort to keep peace in the
world. First manifestation of military engagement of the UN is named as UN Peacekeeping
Missions. These are the military missions carrying soldiers from the armies across the world. The
missions are deployed by the UN for the sake of securing peace in a region or country of crisis.
UN military engagement in the form of Peacekeeping Missions have been mostly deployed in the
African continent. Besides that, these missions have served in the chaotic Middle Eastern
situations. But the question remains about their performance and role in securing the global
peace and security. These military engagements of the UN are often criticized because the troops
in Blue Helmets remains unable to ensure peace in chaotic situation. Further, they have been
found indulged in certain war crimes along with showing indifference to the genocide of any
group in the area under their supervision. Their work thus remains a military engagement of the
UN that is failing to lead the world towards peace.
Second manifestation of UN military engagements is the Military Observer Groups deployed in
the regions where disputes can erupt any time owing to the unsettled territorial or political
problems. These groups lack authority in the areas of their observation. States often override the
suggestion and recommendations of the Military Observer Groups thus undermining the world
peace. Third manifestation of UN military engagement comes in the shape of sending special
representatives to the combative areas of the world. The representatives endeavor to bring the
opposing factions to some terms for the sake of the world peace.

UN military engagements in Africa speak clearly that how this endeavor is proving a failure in
keeping the world on the right track of peace. UN has deployed UN Peacekeeping Missions in
the African countries of Sudan, Somalia, Chad, Libya, Congo and Angola. Many missions have
been completed but the situation in Africa remains miserable. Peace is still a far cry in that
underdeveloped continent. Sudan remains in conflict and Libya presents a bleak picture of
collapse. Further, the problem over the Aouzou Strip between Chad and Libya remains
unresolved despite the years of UN military engagement there. All these factors bring Africa as
an obstruction in the way of ultimate peace and the world remains in chaos.

Speaking of the UN military engagements in the Middle East further elaborates how the world
peace is at stake amid the increasing peacekeeping efforts. Middle East, which is home of the
contemporary world crisis, is under military observation of the UN. The military role of the body
in this region can be currently seen in Syria. UN has special rapporteur on Syria situation. But it
seems that the regional powers like Russia, Iran and Turkey are more powerful there than the UN
itself. This keeps the military engagement of the UN in Middle East undermined thus hampering
the global peace. Similarly, UN Military Observer Group in Lebanon shows its weakness to end
the hostility of Lebanese groups with Israel and its regional supporters. This situation prevents
the world from attaining ultimate peace thus making the UN military engagements ineffective.

As far as the military engagements of the UN in South Asia are concerned, they also represent a
bleak picture. The traditional boundary disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan are unsettled.
UN appointed its military observer group over the issue but still Afghanistan does not recognize
the Durand Line with Pakistan. Similarly, the border rift between India and Pakistan was also
brought into consideration of the UN Military Observer Group. But even in this case, the body
remains a failure to settle the problem. War loom in South Asia owing to these disputed borders
thus leading the whole world towards chaos rather than peace.
In brief, UN military engagements in the form of Peacekeeping Missions and Military Observer
Groups in Africa, South Asia and Middle East have marked little success in leading the world
towards peace. In fact, the failure of UN military engagements has undermined the global peace
and security by giving the states more leverage to settle their own issues through non-pacific and
combative means which has resulted in more was and more conflict across the borders and
within the countries.
Feminism is not really a Third World issue
There are two answers to this, depending on what’s precisely being asked.

On the one hand, you can argue a “yes” in that it’s really hard to fight for abstractions like
human rights and equality when you’re starving to death. It’s not hard to imagine that the
Industrial Revolution paved the way for equality to take hold, specifically because it brought a
lot of the world out of poverty.

But on the other hand, today, it’s a firm “no,” because the easiest way to push an economy to
develop is to empower the other half of the population. I mean, presumably the “third world”
doesn’t want to stay that way, and various kinds of inequality is what holds a lot of these
countries back from the success they deserve. It might be hard to fight for equality, but it’s all the
more necessary for survival.
The India Pakistan water dispute
Scarcity of water is a huge problem to many countries of the world, especially those which are
developing. The effects of environmental degradation and poor management of available water
resource have made water one of the scarcest resources in many poor economies. As a result,
there is a struggle for this resource and this sometimes leads to conflicts. The India-Pakistan
water conflict is an example of conflict arising from struggle from scarce resources. Growing
scarcity of water resources, increasing population and poor management of water resource in
India and Pakistan has resulted in an increasing demand for water resources. The increasing
scarcity of water leads to the desire for control of water resources, which in turn becomes a
ground for breeding conflicts.

These conflicts are manifested at interstate and intra-state levels.

The need for water is accentuated by the fact that these countries are mainly agrarian economies.
These conflicts have not only hampered their economic development at the national level, but the
region, as a whole, is not fully benefiting from the process of globalization. However, the
scarcity of water resources in some cases has been instrumental in developing cooperation
among states. The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan is one of the few examples,
of the settlement of a major, international river basin conflict. However, the grievances of
contracting parties, lead to the possibility that the present cooperation may turn into a future
conflict.

This paper will focus on the India-Pakistan water dispute. The study will focus on water sharing
treaty with Pakistan and India, with a comparative evaluation of past and future trends, followed
by suggestions for sustainable future cooperation. Factors which have led to the dispute, status of
disputes and the threat of transformation of the disputes to armed conflicts in future will be
discussed in the paper. In addition, implications of the disputes amongst these states and how
cooperation can resolve the disputes will also be discussed. Recommendations on how this
dispute can be resolved, including using mediation, dialog, water conservation and others will
also be briefly discussed. Finally, a short summary will highlight the discussed issues.

History of India-Pakistan water dispute

The water dispute between Pakistan and India began during the early 1960s.

However, the Indus Treaty between the two countries created an understanding of how water
between the two countries would be shared. Six rivers that is; the Chenab, Indus, Beas, Sutlej,
Ravi and Jhelum flow to Pakistan from India. This treaty divided three rivers for use by each
country, and India had the Beas, Sutlej and Ravi. Pakistan had access to the Jhelum, Chenab and
Indus. [1] During the 1990s, India constructed a hydro-electric plant in Doda district along
Chenab River. This river is one of the tributaries of the Indus River and was designated by the
Indus Treaty for use by Pakistan.
The Pakistani government, political and religious leaders saw this as a move by India to control
these waters. This was seen to be in breach of the Indus Treaty and a threat to the Pakistani
economy. There were several ways in which the Pakistani economy could be affected. These
include reduction of water capacity for Pakistani peoples, which could affect agricultural and
animal rearing activities. India also had political superiority by having the ability to flood
Pakistan during war times through releasing excess water. These and other reasons increased
tension between both countries in attempts to control this water resource.

Factors which can lead to conflicts over water resource sharing especially during scarcity

There are various factors which may lead to conflicts between states or groups who share scarce
resources. Most conflicts arise when there is perception that one group is unduly benefiting at the
expense of another. This is made worse when resources being shared are scarce, and are required
by a lot of people. The Pakistan-India conflict over the water resource is one example. Various
factors which lead to conflicts over water sharing will be briefly analyzed below;

Population growth

Population growth is a major factor which puts pressure on resources. Population growth leads to
the over-utilization of resources, and in case these resources are scarce, the population needs are
not met. In such circumstances, this may lead to the development of conflict. Water is a scarce
resource in many countries. When population growth exhausts the available water resource or the
growth rate does not match the increase in water resources, then population needs will not be
met, leading to conflict. The population will be unable to acquire safe water for consumption and
adequate water for agriculture, especially in agrarian economies. In such cases, political
instability may occur as citizens fight for their right to access a water resource. This conflict may
begin at a local level and gradually escalate to a matter of international concern as in the case of
Pakistan and India.

Weak treaties

Weak treaties are another major source of international conflict. Sometimes, treaties are used
when sharing resources to ensure all parties acquire a reasonable stake in the resource. Treaties
which are weak are those which may be ambiguous, those which do not anticipate future trends
and those with loopholes among others. Weak treaties are bound to generate conflicts over time,
as each party to the treaty analyzes their benefits from the treaty and seeks ways of maximizing
benefits. When one or more parties realize that the treaty does not favor them, they are likely to
rescind their decision to follow the treaty.

However, one mistake which often occurs when making treaties, and is the cause of conflict
between Pakistan and India, is the inability to project future trends and needs. When the Indus
treaty was made in 1960, adequate projections on the water needs of both countries, in decades to
come, were not properly done. [2] It was therefore impossible to factor into account exceptions
where either country would be allowed to construct dams in the various rivers, and their
repercussions to those relying on such rivers for agriculture. It is necessary for treaties to factor
in dynamic nature of the world in order to avoid future conflicts over water resource sharing.
Inadequate water conservation measures

When many countries discover a resource, they exploit it until it gets depleted without
understanding the consequences of depletion of the resource. Water resources are no exception,
and unless they are conserved, they are likely to be depleted or used ineffectively. Many poor
countries do not conserve water although it is a scarce resource. Such countries are unable to
meet the population needs when these water resources dry up, or have declining levels. As it will
later be discussed, Pakistan loses millions of cubic meters of water daily due to lack of water
conservation efforts. When such losses occur, the country is unable to satisfy its citizens’ water
demands. The inability to meet this need is blamed on other factors and this may create conflict
between two or more nations.

Climate change

Climate change has had severe impacts on available resources. Environmental destruction has
led to unpredictable and adverse weather conditions across the world. Such weather conditions
include drought, floods, heat waves and others. In economies which heavily rely on agriculture,
these conditions may cause heavy losses. When drought or winter occurs, and there is a limited
water resource, this may lead to conflict over this resource especially if a nation has not taken
enough water conservation measures. The latest dispute involving Pakistan and India relates to
construction of a dam, and Pakistan argues that climate change will bring harsh winters, which
will reduce the river flow as a consequence of diversion of the river by India.

Poor political leadership

Leadership in any country entails the distribution of resources. All leaders should ensure that
available resources are distributed and used for the welfare of the majority population in the
nation. When there are good leaders, even scarce resources are effectively used and conserved to
ensure that they satisfy the country’s needs. However, in cases where the leadership is weak, the
available resources are misappropriated or used for the benefit of a few. This leads to wastage,
and the majority population does not have access to such resources. In this case, conflict over the
limited water resource is likely to occur. The dispute between India and Pakistan can be partly
blamed for weak leadership which is hesitant in solving the issues present.

Status of disputes between Pakistan and India over water sharing

Indus water treaty

The Indus water treaty was developed to solve the water dispute between Pakistan and India
during the 1960s. This treaty set out how water from the various rivers is to be shared between
India and Pakistan. India was granted access to the Jhelum, Chenab and Indus rivers for purposes
of developing hydro-electricity but not construction of dams. However, for development in these
rivers to be acceptable, India is expected to provide technical details of projects to Pakistan
before commencing operations. India on the other hand has access to the Beas, Sutlej and Ravi
rivers. For Pakistan to develop these rivers, it is similarly expected to provide India with details,
before commencing operations. Pakistan is also not allowed to develop dams along these three
rivers. When India was constructing the Baglihar Dam, Pakistan had several concerns which it
raised during this process. These include the dam size, design, water capacity and gated
spillways. Although there have been numerous discussions on these contentious issues, the 1960
treaty has been insufficient in ending the conflict.

Present status of the dispute

The dispute between Pakistan and India over water has continued over several decades.
Currently, the dispute revolves around the construction of a hydro-electric plant along a tributary
of Indus, which is Kishenganga River. Although India is defending its right to construct the dam,
Pakistan is raising several issues over the project. Pakistan explains that India is planning to
divert the river course and this is bound to have adverse effects on Pakistani who rely on the
river. Pakistani officials explain that this would reduce the capacity of the river by more than
30% during winter as a result. [3] When this happens, the Pakistani plans to construct their own
dam will be adversely affected. However, the dispute is about to be solved through arbitration, as
both parties are hopeful to see this mechanism work.

Factors which worsened the Pakistan-India water conflict

Declining water levels

The water capacity in Pakistan has been declining over the years and it poses a threat to the
survival of its population within the next decade. Pakistan had water crisis during 2009 due to
the reduction of its water capacity. In 2009 its water capacity was 1200 cubic meters while in
1950 it was 5000 cubic meters. This figure is expected to reduce to 800 cubic meters over the
next decade. Scientists warn that Pakistan will face a water disaster within the next three years if
interventions to ensure availability of water are not implemented.

Population growth and poor water storage

The Pakistani population is increasing gradually and is set to reach 250 million within the next
decade. This is a huge population which requires adequate water to sustain its livelihood. In
addition, Pakistan has poor water storage techniques and facilities. This leads to loss of water to
the sea at the rate of over 360 cubic meters each second. Lack of facilities such as dams, which
can be used for water storage, can be blamed for this wastage. These problems hinder the access
of water by the population, and when India constructs a dam along the Chenab River, this is seen
as a further threat to Pakistan’s survival.

Reduction of available water from India’s Baglihar Dam

As has been stated, there is a great concern that the construction of the Baglihar Dam will
deprive Pakistan of water. Pakistan is of the opinion that further reduction in water capacity can
be attributed to India’s construction of the Baglihar Dam. [4] Scientists explain that over 320,000
acre feet of water will be lost from the construction of this dam. This will adversely affect
agricultural activities such as the production of wheat in the province of Punjab. In addition,
irrigated land around Ravi and Chenab rivers is set to be adversely affected due to the reduced
water capacity.

How the conflicts can be transformed into armed conflicts in future

Terrorism

Pakistan is one of the countries which face an increased risk of terrorism activities. There are
many terrorist groups which operate in Pakistan and some of these include Tehrek-e-sahaba,
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Tehrek-e-taliban terrorist groups. These groups have committed various
terrorism acts through suicide bombing, booby-trapping, arming vehicles, armed assaults and
others. These acts have been serious and have led to many fatalities. Between 2006 and 2009,
over five thousand fatalities were attributed to these groups. [5] This is a very high fatality rate in
any country. However, most of these attacks are political in nature and they aim at discrediting
the government. As a result, policemen and the public have been the major targets.

Since terrorist activities are clearly established in Pakistan, it is clear that terror attacks can occur
anytime. Although the terrorist activities follow political causes, it is very easy to alter the cause
and motivate terrorists to carry out attacks due to the India-Pakistan water crisis. Such terrorists
may be brainwashed into believing that they are carrying out terrorism for the good of their
nation. If a charismatic leader who believes in terrorism emerges, he or she may easily convince
them to attack Indian targets. This shows that it is important to resolve the Pakistan-India water
crisis as soon as possible.

War

The conflict between Pakistan and India over water resources has been developing for a long
time. Dialog has apparently failed to solve this crisis which relates to the Indus treaty. Since this
conflict has lasted several decades, leaders may get frustrated and resolve to use force to achieve
their objectives. There are many scholars who are of the opinion that India is intentionally
flouting the Indus treaty in order to force Pakistan to take military action against it. In such
circumstances, India is of the view that it will win the resultant war and put the water crisis
matter to rest. The water crisis should therefore be solved before leaders resort to taking this
cause of action which may adversely affect both countries.

It has been discussed that terrorism is a real threat in Pakistan, and the water conflict may
degenerate into a terrorism war if terrorists are of the opinion that it is a real cause worth
defending. Any terrorist activity by India or Pakistan may easily lead to war between both
countries. This is because it will be perceived that the government supported the attack. Other
countries which are either enemies of Pakistan or India may also influence the perception that the
government supported these terrorist attacks. This may lead to a full-scale war between the
concerned countries hence the need to resolve the water crisis.
Implications of these conflicts on regional and national development of these states

There are various implications which the water conflict between India and Pakistan has on these
states. Most are adverse implications and they are related to the hostility and suspicion between
these countries, which hinders cooperation on essential economic matters. Some of these
implications will be discussed below in more detail;

Water conservation

Water is one of the most important resources which India and Pakistan rely on in achieving
economic development. This is because both countries rely on agrarian economies which form a
large proportion of their GDPs. For these two countries to achieve greater economic prosperity,
they should cooperate in implementing moves aimed at conserving the water resource. Since
these rivers flow between Pakistan and India, it is necessary for both countries to implement
simultaneous actions aimed at conserving water and using it effectively to meet the needs of each
country. However, there is suspicion and hostility between these countries, and they have been
unable to develop uniform policies aimed at achieving water conservation. As a result, there is a
lot of water wastage which increases costs to the government and decreases water available for
agricultural activities. This has a negative impact on both the economies of Pakistan and India.

Fight against terrorism

The Indian Prime Minister is of the opinion that the best way to fight terrorism in the region is
through collaboration efforts between Indian and Pakistan. [6] Since both countries face similar
terrorist threats and they border each other, the fight against terrorism will only be won after a
joint approach is used by both countries. In fact, foreign secretaries of both countries have met
and strategize on how terrorism would be fought by both countries. However, the water dispute
is threatening to erode these efforts due to hostility and suspicion which is brought about by the
dispute. If the dispute is not resolved and this dual-approach in fighting terrorism is neglected,
then terrorist activities are bound to rise. The high number of terrorist attacks in these two
countries will increase when this happens and an unprecedented wave of terror may be seen
leaving a trail of destruction.

Way out for cooperation in sharing water resources

In order to resolve this and other conflicts which involve the sharing of resources, countries
concerned should cooperate to ensure that they all benefit from the use of such resources.

Effective policies by countries

In order to ensure that India and Pakistan both benefit from the rivers, both countries should
implement policies which favor their mutual use of the rivers. Pakistan should allow India to use
rivers which complement its goals and vice verse, as long as national interests are not affected.
For instance, when both countries are constructing dams, mutual consultation will enable then to
draft policies which favor both countries and reduces destructive effects of this construction to
the other country. Just as the two countries are collaborating to fight terrorism, they should also
collaborate to ensure that they both achieve their objectives regarding the availability and use of
the water resource.

Dialog

Dialog is the most effective way in which the dispute between India and Pakistan over water can
be resolved. Other measures such as aggression or violence will only lead to losses among both
countries. It is imperative that the issue is sorted soon in order to prevent further conflict or
bloodshed which may occur as a result of the conflict, as has been seen. Since the 1960 Indus
Treaty has proved to be ineffective in solving the current dispute, both the Pakistan and Indian
leaders should hold dialog and develop a new treaty which will solve the present stalemate. The
various issues which have been brought under consideration are relatively complex and may
have been unforeseeable when developing the initial treaty. It is therefore necessary to alter the
treaty to reflect the current concerns while safeguarding the interests of both countries. Since
these rivers under consideration flow in both countries, it is clear that India and Pakistan are
dependent on one other and none can exist independently.

Mediation

Mediation is another successful strategy which may be used to end the conflicts between
Pakistan and India. For mediation to be a success, it should involve a mediator who is neutral to
concerned parties. Both Pakistan and India should choose a leader who comes from a country
which is neutral to both countries’ interests. The proceedings should be held at a neutral country
or on a rotation between both countries. Both countries should choose representatives who will
argue their case to the mediator. The mediator will then make a decision on India’s decision to
build a dam, on the basis of evidence provided. [7] Decisions which are made in such cases are
binding to both Pakistan and India.

Water conservation

It has been discussed that water conservation is a problem which faces both Pakistan and India.
However, Pakistan appears to have greater problems as far as water conservation is concerned.
Water conservation is important since it will enable both countries reduce reliance on the rivers,
which are scarce resources and instead take advantage of rainfall and sea water to mitigate the
citizens’ needs. [8] It has been discussed that Pakistan loses millions of cubic water to the sea
due to lack of water conservation initiatives. It has also been discussed that Pakistan faces a
looming water disaster. Water conservation will enable Pakistan have more water for use in
agriculture, and ensure that citizens have access to water. It will also reduce disputes which arise
from the use of rivers by India and Pakistan since poor water conservation is one of the factors
which have worsened the crisis.

Development of a new treaty

The establishment of a new treaty is another way in which the India-Pakistan conflict maybe
resolved. It is clear that the conflict is solely related to the Indus Treaty which forbade India from
constructing a dam within Chenab River without permission from Pakistan. However, when the
treaty was initially established, future projections on water needs for both countries were not
adequately assessed. For instance, the surge in population to hundreds of millions, decades later
was not factored in when establishing the treaty. Since the modern world is dynamic, it is
necessary to reconsider the contract and factor in these changing factors. India and Pakistan
should re-negotiate the treaty afresh and clearly explain how the water maybe used by both
countries to achieve mutual benefit. The new treaty should project future trends as far as water
consumption is concerned to avoid other future conflicts relating to water use.

Summary and conclusion

The Pakistan-India water dispute has been discussed in detail in the paper. The dispute has been
seen to have lasted for several decades. This dispute is attributed to the Indus treaty made in the
1960s which set out how Pakistan and India would share water resources. One of the clauses was
that India would not construct a dam in rivers which belonged to Pakistan without express
permission from Pakistan. However, India flouted this rule by constructing a hydro-electric plant
in Doda district along Chenab River without due consultation from Pakistan. Pakistan saw this as
an economic and political threat since it depended on waters from this river for agricultural
purposes.

However, this conflict has adversely affected both countries by limiting development through
cooperation. It also poses a danger of encouraging terrorism between the two countries especially
if terrorists find it a cause worthy of their intervention. This conflict may also degenerate into
war, especially if a terrorist activity occurs as a result of the conflict or if leaders intentionally
provoke each other in a bid to resolve the dispute. This may lead to a regional war and may cause
very many fatalities.

In order to mitigate the threats caused by the conflict, it is imperative that action is taken to
prevent further escalation of the conflict. There are various ways in which the dispute may be
resolved and one of the most effective ways is use of dialog and mediation. Dialog and
mediation enables concerned parties to discuss issues and present them to a neutral mediator who
makes a binding decision on issues raised. Another means is the re-negotiation of the treaty.
Since the treaty was made many decades ago, and it overlooked certain societal changes which
occur over time, a new treaty which replaces the current one may be developed by Pakistan and
India. However, this treaty should predict future trends which may cause further disputes in
future.

Finally, water conservation is an important policy which should be embraced by Pakistan and
India to reduce expenses on water costs and prevent the depletion of the water resource. These
measures should be embraced by all countries with resources, since they will prevent future
problems or conflicts which are associated with possession of resources.
Water that belongs to India cannot be allowed to go to Pakistan” — so said Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi last year. And that was the point when the potential for a water war
between India and Pakistan became a reality. The Pakistani response by Foreign Affairs Advisor
Sartaj Aziz, who said that revocation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India “can be taken as
an act of war,” furthered the narrative of a looming water war.

Pakistan and India have already had a minor water brawl, in 1948 when India (the upper riparian
state) choked the water flow toward Pakistan. Partition bestowed India an advantage, as the
headwaters were located in its territory, leaving Pakistan exposed to India’s physical capacity to
cut off vital irrigation water. As a result, India kept limiting Pakistan’s share of water. Seeing the
possibility of another conflict between the two neighbors, the international community plunged
in to fix the Indo-Pak water crisis. With the help of the World Bank, both states eventually
agreed to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in 1960.

The IWT enabled Pakistan and India to equally share and utilize water coming from the
Himalayan Mountains. The treaty is exemplary since it has survived dozens of Indo-Pak military
skirmishes, hostile political atmospheres, and diplomatic hiccups. What has gone so wrong that
now India is flexing its muscles to terminate the treaty, or at least change it to increase Indian
benefits? Is it mere electoral rhetoric ahead of the state elections in Indian Punjab that motivated
Modi to threaten IWT by saying “The government will do everything to give enough water to
our farmers”? Or is India truly ready to now exercise its burgeoning military might?

Whatever the motives are, New Delhi must reconsider before waging water war on Pakistan.

The Road to Another (Water) War

In the presence of nuclear weapons, advanced ballistic missile programs, and huge armies on
both sides, a traditional war is highly unlikely between the two rivals. Instead, a water war is in
the making, largely from India. Wullar Barrage, the Kishanganga Project, Baglihar Dam, and
dozens of other small and medium hydroelectric and irrigation projects are a few examples of
Indian projects that obstruct the Pakistani share of water.

Making things worse, a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated that
“Pakistan’s storage capacity is limited to a 30-day supply, well below the recommended 1,000
days for countries with a similar climate.” Pakistan’s indispensable reliance on Indus water
leaves very few options for Pakistan should India restrict flows.

Currently, the dialogue process between the two neighbors is on hold. Permanent Indus Water
Commissioner meetings usually end unproductively and Modi’s idea to review the IWT added
fuel to fire. Pakistan could wait a bit longer to determine the extent of the water crisis but
depleting water reservoirs, domestic energy woes, and growing agricultural needs may push
Pakistan to take a hard line, which could eventually unleash water war.

Chinese Retaliation?

After seven decades of friendship, Pakistan and China are cementing their bilateral engagements
by the initiation of the China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC). China remains the most
valuable investor and facilitator in overcoming Pakistan’s existing acute shortage of energy.
CPEC not only includes many coal based power plants (e.g., Sahiwal, Engro Thar, Port Qasim
etc.) but it also some hydropower projects like the Suki Kinari and Karot projects. These would
be jeopardized if India were to interrupt water flows.

Last year, China blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, which sent shockwaves
to India. Pakistani media perceived the blockage as deliberate Chinese pressure to ease
mushrooming Indian pressure on Pakistan. China, though, asserted that the move was necessary
to construct the long-planned Lalho hydroelectric project and that the construction would not
interrupt water flow toward India. Still, many saw the move as a “soft” message that India
should refrain from instigating water wrangles with Islamabad. This interpretation is largely
buttressed by the timing: the initial work on the Lalho project started back in 2014, but the
blockage came immediately after Modi’s water warnings to Pakistan. China’s Zam Hydropower
Station, which became operational in 2015 on the Brahmaputra River, also raised Indian
eyebrows over the prospect of disrupting water supplies.

Starting from Tibet, the Brahmaputra River flows into Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and later into
Bangladesh. With control of the Tibetan headwaters, China could block the water flow at any
time. Unlike Pakistan and India, there is no water treaty between China and India; however, both
established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2013 by which Beijing would provide India
with data on water flows. Indian utilization of a water blockade against Pakistan could thus invite
China to retaliate in kind, making things worse for the entire region.

Regional Peace at Stake

As stated earlier, the IWT has been exemplary over the decades for its ability to withstand ebbs
and flows in the bilateral relationship. Revoking the treaty may endanger regional security. The
Indus water system, which originates from China and subsequently flows to India and Pakistan,
could generate a three party crisis with a bigger threat of large-scale war.

Moreover, Indian revocation of the IWT could also send a negative message to neighboring
countries. For instance, around seven rivers, including the Kabul River, flow from Afghanistan
to Pakistan. The Kabul, Kurram, and Gomalis Rivers are the main irrigation source for more than
150,000 acres in Paksitan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, and there is no water-sharing
formula or mechanism between the two sides. The latest reports indicate that India is assisting
Afghanistan in constructing 12 hydropower projects on the Kabul River. Seeing the Indian
revocation of IWT could well encourage Afghanistan to follow a similar course in a bid to
pressure Pakistan on the issue of the Durand Line.

Given that Indian could become “water stressed” country by 2025, it will surely pursue
alternatives for ensuring water availability even during lean periods. In addition to Pakistan,
India also has signed a 30 year bilateral water sharing agreement with Bangladesh in 1996, but
the water crisis between the two states still persists. Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in 2015
witnessed the signing of 22 agreements, but not a single related to water, which of course
enhanced Bangladeshi anxieties. If India is successful in revoking the IWT and the international
community can’t effectively forestall the newly emerging Indo-Pak water crisis, New Delhi
could also decide to obstruct water flowing toward Bangladesh for power production and
irrigation.

India shares water issues with nearly all its seven neighboring states. In the 21st century, where
the Indian economy is on the rise and it needs regional peace to grow smoothly, sparking a water
crisis will not give India a positive image. Territorial disputes already mar India’s bid to become
a vibrant international leader, and revoking the IWT or any other agreement with neighbors
could only add insult to injury. At a time when New Delhi is facing a number of water sharing
disputes, reviewing a long-settled water-sharing formula with Pakistan would be a harmful
option to experiment with. Instead of invalidating existent water-sharing procedures, India
should try to find a mutual workable arrangement that could assist all, thus avoiding a water war.
Accountability is Essential to the Development of Pakistan

For once I tend to agree with the Prime Minister that development cannot be stopped to pursue
accountability. Retrospective steps to recover looted money are much more difficult under the
common law but future holes can be plugged to counter corruption. Proactive across the board
accountability can be very effective, the basic, definition being liable to account or in Urdu
‘Hisab Do’. Financial irregularity is just one aspect, others areas may include, misuse of
authority/perks, nepotism, favouritism, conflict of interest, delays red tape etc.

Projects are the most effective method to pursue development. Cost and schedules have to be
prepared and then followed. There are no blank cheques. In its 70 years of existence only one
project was allowed in the country outside the preview of audit. The ‘Nuclear Programme’ has
been implemented audit free and I am sure it is full of ‘Ghaplas’. As a nation we have paid a
hefty price for our security.

Since 1985 the flood gates of corruption or ‘Ghaplas’ have been let loose. Today the country has
the richest politicians, scientists, Generals and bureaucrats on one hand, while on the other a poor
deprived nation. There is no concept of service to the people. PML-N is a party of interests, in
the words of Ex-President Farooq Leghari, they embark on infra-structure projects for kick-
backs. ‘Ghapla’ is a part of the equation, in pain there must be gain is the approach.
Accountability is a far cry even basic transparency is missing.

Indeed the country needs development but at what cost? The money spent has to be justified and
its benefits understood. Cost over runs and kickbacks render projects non-productive and
unaffordable. Till today the nation continues to suffer because of the IPPs (Independent Power
Producers). The projects were launched during the second term of Benazir Bhutto on very short
sighted and unfavourable terms. Since then the energy sector has not recovered from this
misadventure.

Mystery always leads to mischief. Currently the CPEC projects (China Pakistan Economic
Corridor) have been launched in total secrecy. Initially they were projected as a Chinese
investment of around $40 billion but later on it turned out to be a loan that has to be paid back
with interest. In other words revenue has to be generated to make them viable.

Projects are temporary, unique and time dependent, as such they have to be managed and
completed on time. Most delays are due to lack of planning and result in cost over runs. The new
Islamabad airport is a prime example of mismanagement and ‘Ghaplas’ and so is the much
delayed Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project in AJK. The Lahore Ring Road is an unending tale
of misery and corruption. Even the route has been repeatedly altered for personal interests. It has
now been reported that the road will finally connect with M-2 motor way somewhere near
Thokar Niaz Baig. The Jangla Bus in Lahore and Islamabad needs to be investigated for
‘Ghaplas’ while the ongoing Orange Line Metro Transport should be audited as a preventive
measure to check corruption.

Robbers and land grabbers also claim, to be developers. The entire sector is full of ‘Ghaplas’ of
all kinds which remain unchecked. From land acquisition to development and finally allocation
of plots there is a trail of corruption. Recently I heard a statement that most developers are land
grabbers including the famed DHAs and Bahria Towns. The state institutions are unable to
control this menace.

The energy sector is infested with ‘Ghaplas’ of all kind. Nandipur has been a disaster and still
shrouded in mystery. What was its design capacity and how much is it producing? The ten coal
fired plants are not too far behind. Some sense has prevailed and no more imported coal fired
plants are being approved. Sahiwal plant is slated to produce 660MW of electricity this month,
followed by another 660MW by the end of the year for a total of 1320 MW. How this location
was selected remains a mystery. Imported coal will arrive on the port, jetties will then load it on
train bogies which will then transport it upcountry. Right in the middle of rich Agri. fields the
plant will run spewing pollution and consuming ground water vitally needed for the produce of
the area.

While the world is moving away from burning coal, Pakistan is mindlessly moving in this
direction. This black gold can be converted into Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) which is a clean
fuel worthy of use in the 21st century. This is not development it is madness, there has to be some
kind of accountability to unearth the ‘Ghaplas’ behind such decisions.

Despite enjoying power and perks for over three decades PML-N has never faced real
accountability. Even the judicial system has been rendered helpless by them. I salute the courage
of the two Supreme Court Judges who recommended their disqualification by the Election
Commission. Crime never pays but it seems it has served the rulers well as they have avoided
conviction despite day light irregularities. This ‘Ghapla’ driven development will get us
nowhere. Power generated by IPPs is unaffordable. The imported LNG is 40% more expensive
than our local gas, once the price of Brent goes up it will be out of reach of the masses. Surely as
a nation we are moving in the wrong direction in the guise of so called development, which is in
fact entrapment which must be checked before it becomes un-manageable.

This Is another Essay, which is expected in CSS Exam 2018. The Proper Framework of this
essay is given down below:

• Introduction

The start of the Essay should be an Attention grabber. Whatever attention grabber you use is up
to you.

• Conception Of The Term Accountability

The writer must write about the concept of Accountability.

• Various Aspects of Accountability

The Candidate should talk about the Different aspects of Accountability. Following are the
Aspects of Accountability:
 1. Political Accountability
2. Social
3. Religious
4. Administrative
5. Economic Accountability

• Review of the Accountability situations in Pakistan

An Overview of the accountability Situations in Pakistan is needed in this Topic which is

essential in strengthening the essay. The Overview is in two Forms

1. Situation in the Past

2. Present Situation

• Accountability being an Essential ingredient in the development of Pakistan

Description of different Roles of Accountability in the Development of Pakistan are:

1. Political Development of Pakistan

2. Accountability and Economic Development of Pakistan
3. Administrative Development
4. Social Development

• Obstacles In The Way Of Accountability

The writer must include the hurdles in the field of Accountability in this heading including
legislative and Financial, Such as:

1. Legislative Hurdles
2. Administrative Hurdles
3. Social hurdles
4. Financial Hurdles

• Recommendations For The Improvement of Accountability Situation In Pakistan

The Writer Include the Recommendations on how to cure the accountability situation. This will
help the checker to vision the mentality of the Writer and get impressed.

Conclusion

The last/final step in CSS ESSAY WRITING is the Conclusion which is one of the main
elements in attempting a CSS

Corruption from day one of Pakistan’s existence has been marring this new country that was supposed
to be the new homeland of Muslims. But even at that early stage Quaid-e Azam warned that corruption
was a menace that would destroy this endeavour. Since then those in power have been extending
corrupt practices instead of curtailing them. Progress in Pakistan has already been hindered in a major
way but not by accountability that has been non-existent but by the corruption of the rulers. So much so
that half of the population of Pakistan is illiterate, at least 60 per cent are living below or on the poverty
line and according to the innovation index Pakistan is one of the least innovative countries of the world.
Obviously, those compiling the index have not taken into account our innovation in always new means
and ways of corruption and making money from murky sources!
Policy differences have been surrounding the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since its beginning
when within one year of its establishment by Gen. Musharraf the then Chairman and Vice Chairman –
both army generals and favourites of General Musharraf – not only stopped talking to each other but
the Vice Chairman stopped attending his office till General Musharraf had to intervene to resolve the
issue, despite the fact that the performance of NAB was not up to public expectation. Now its fate is
hanging in balance again since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his serious reservations on the
functioning of the bureau. The lawyer of Dr. Asim has demanded Chairman NAB’s resignation because in
the NICL corruption case a reference is pending against him. More leaders from PML (N) continue to add
their voices against the modus operandi of NAB while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, which itself made its
Ehtesab Commission ineffective in KPK is turning up in defense of the federal anti-graft institution and
demanding that powers of NAB be clipped. A new gimmick has been coined called “Plea Bargain” that
has been only working in favour of those nabbed in corruption and the officials are claiming their share
through this bargain.
The idea of accountability of politicians and bureaucrats first developed when Mohammad Khan Junejo,
the then Prime Minister established FACC (Federal Anti-Corruption Commission) with Gen. Majeed Malik
(R) as its Chairman, by an Executive Order as extension of his authority. The FACC could not complete a
year when Mr. Junejo’s government was sent packing using 58(2) (b) by General Ziaul Haq. When 1988
elections were held and Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister, she revived FACC and appointed Malik
Mohammad Qasim as its Chairman, it did some spade work to check abuse of financial and
administrative authority by the rulers but this government also could not complete two years and was
sent home on corruption charges.
Then came in Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister but struggle for power within the then Troika and
government led to the confrontation of Nawaz Sharif with Chief Justice, President and then the Army
Chief. We saw then Nawaz supporters attacking the Supreme Court what finally led to the forced
resignation of President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice.
Again in1993 elections were held and Benazir was elected Prime Minister; she again appointed Malik
Qasim as Chairman of the FACC, this time again FACC opened cases against Nawaz Sharif’s group of
industries and government corruption in privatisation matters, the PM’s self-employment scheme, the
Yellow Cab scheme, Drug trafficking through PIA and Corruption in the purchase of Turbo Generators for
Gilgit-Baltistan. The Optic Fiber scandal, Bank loan defaulters, SRO’s abuses were other cases taken up
when I as member FACC also extended probing into the ongoing corruption by the ruling elite of PPP in
obtaining PIA free tickets valuing 70 million rupees that was given to party jyalas, PIA Hotels corruption
in operation, investment and disinvestment cases, fraudulent approval of loans under fake names
without collaterals in collusion with NBP bosses, import of cotton from Turkmenistan by CEC, efforts to
introduce Freedom of Information Act, comprehensive declaration of assets by bureaucrats, which was
resisted from every quarter and finally blocked by federal cabinet of PPP.
Than her government was toppled for a second time and when the caretaker govt of Meraj Khalid came
who appointed Justice Ghulam Mujadad Mirza (R) as FACC Chairman. When the next elections brought
back Nawaz Sharif with a heavy mandate, Saifur Rehman started meeting the Chairman FACC and got
hold of all the files pertaining to FACC enquiries against Nawaz government from Justice G. M. Mirza,
which in itself is the height of intellectual and moral corruption. Needless to say that those files were
important government records to be retained under strict custody and not handed over to some
individual like that by a retired Judge, though the newspaper and PTV records covering these cases may
still be available in their archives.
So the myth of accountability by a retired judge, bureaucrat or general is not important, what is required
is the will and support of the nation to undertake a surgical operation to get rid of the corruption
menace from the body politics of Pakistan or be prepared to face the consequences of such silence.
Today the corruption has reached a level where it is entrenched in the political system of Pakistan
having infiltrated into bureaucracy, political parties and judiciary. It is indispensable for creating funds
for terrorism and militancy. Never in the history of Pakistan has there been a real accountability of the
rulers. Writing off loans, stealing from the exchequer through privatisation and other innovative modes
of filling one’s pockets have flourished. Accountability has always meant an instrument to tame the
political opposition or the economic rivals. There has never been accountability across the board.
Now corruption and the fight against it has become a major point in the National Action Plan. While
during the first two years accountability was only on the paper more terrorist attacks in Pakistan have
helped to kick the NAB into life. And interestingly, one of the first hits was a close friend of Nawaz
Sharif’s family. Nawaz Sharif was well reported addressing Bahawalpur function in the media. Now he
intends to cut the wings of the NAB by creating a body “overseeing the NAB” under a retired judge. The
first that comes to mind is that Nawaz Sharif is trying to secure his own neck because if a case against a
family friend is allowed he himself could be next to feel the heat very easily.
Second thought is that we have seen retired judges, retired bureaucrats and retired generals sitting in
chairs and the result most of the time was far from satisfactory. And thirdly, the PM should not get too
bold after General Raheel has announced that he is going to be out; he will go but after making sure that
the fight against terrorism and with that the fight against corruption is placed into good hands – as good
as his own. So if the PML (N) government wants to avoid losing its creditability it should cooperate and
not try to put straitjackets on NAB. There should be such an effective accountability institution that not
only delivers but also enjoys trust of all people. God bless Pakistan.
Violence Against Women In Pakistan
The founding father of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah had once said that “on nation can rise to
the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs.
It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut within the four walls of the houses as
prisoners… There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have
to live”. Unfortunately for Pakistan, there are sanctions to be found in every sphere of life for
awomen in Pakistan. Gender disparity in Pakistan is evident by the country’s ranking as 141st out
of 142 countries in terms of economic opportunity and political participation for women

Women in Pakistan are regularly subject to violence. In Pakistan violence against women has been
categorized into crimes including, abduction/kidnapping, murder, domestic violence, suicide,
honour killing, rape/gang rape, sexual assault, acid throwing and burning. As per the Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan, 597 women and girls were gang raped, 828 raped and 36 stripped
in public in Pakistan in the year 2014. The Aurat Foundation estimated a total of 7,852 cases of
violence against women were reported across Pakistan in 2013

Domestic violence is a very common form of violence silently suffered by many women in
Pakistan. It is a form of physical, sexual or psychological abuse of power perpetrated mainly (but
not only) by men against women in a relationship or after separation. In Pakistan since the joint
family system is common, in laws are also common perpetrators of domestic violence in relation
to dowry issues or family disputes. The problem with this form of violence against women is that
such cases are seldom reported, often treated as private household matters. Men consider it their
right to threaten or be physically violent to their wives as corrective behaviour when women are
seen as being disobedient. According to estimates, 39% of married women aged 15-49 report
having experienced physical and/or emotional violence from their spouse.

In 2015, women were denied the right of vote in various parts of the country. In May 2016, during
a parliamentary by-election in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, none of the eligible 50,000
women in the constituency voted after warnings reportedly broadcast on mosque loudspeakers.
Polling stations were guarded by “baton-wielding men,” according to news reports, who blocked
the few women who attempted to vote.

The Pakistani government has taken inadequate action to protect women and girls from abuses
including rape, murder through so-called honor killings, acid attacks, domestic violence, and
forced marriages. The government has also failed to address the issue of forced conversion to Islam
of Hindu and Christian women.

Women: A Snubbed Entity

The world would have lost its beauty if the women were not created by Almighty, because a
woman is called the first social institution for a child, a family and a nation. But it is with no
surprise that in every walk of life, women are being treated as if they are not part of this universe
and they are suffering from loathsome condition. In Pakistan, mostly women are snubbed, and
they pass a depressed life falling victim to mental depression.
Recently, a report highlighted that in Pakistan 44 out of 1,000 teenage girls bear children and 35
percent of the total population of Pakistan is between the ages of 10 to 24, of which 2 million are
10 year-old girls. And most of the girls age 11 and 17 are forced to marry. After their marriage
they leave school and face much more problems in initiating a new life with a new partner.

If we talk about the world where over half of the girls, age 6 to 10, live in 48 countries with the
worst gender inequality including Pakistan where women suffer from injustice but unfortunately
our laws seem silent.

In Balochistan, mostly female students, quit their education after passing matriculation because
of many reasons. In Balochistan where there are no facilities available for the females to study
and pass a brilliant life. Baloch females only seem sitting at home and doing domestic work. The
few families send their women to big cities for gaining quality education. In Balochistan there
are plenty of girls who are eager to study, unfortunately, they belong to poor families and cannot
afford going to cities for studying.

The women are in chains everywhere now-a-days. They face many problems while in
Baluchistan there is also a great number of female who have done their graduation. They are
unlikely to get jobs and suffer from the worries of joblessness. Apart from this, women are not
only born to give birth to children, they have right to live as we do.

On the other hand, 16 million girls, age 6 to 11, are unable to start schooling while 47,700 girls
are married before the age of 18 every year. Among them plenty of girls lose their precious lives
during delivery. Women must get their rights to live and if they are educated, they can also take
part in the betterment of our country.

Discrimination And Violence Against Women In Pakistan

The 2016 annual report by the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
recorded gang rapes, kidnapping, acid attacks, amputations, burnings and said almost 800 women
killed themselves or attempted suicide. The report mentions that more than a thousand victims of
honour crimes were recorded last year, including a woman who was strangled and “cut up” by her
brothers and two sisters shot for their “bad character”.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report says that prosecution rates for domestic
violence and sexual offences were low, with women frequently too afraid to report the crimes or
being intimidated into withdrawing complaints. It recorded more than 900 rapes and sexual
assaults in 2015, 279 instances of domestic violence, 143 of burning, 833 kidnappings and 777
suicides and attempted suicides. The figures are believed to be far below the real figures as
violence against women in Pakistan continued unabated.

The HRCP has also reported 987 honour crimes in 2015, with 1,096 female victims and 88 male
victims, including an unknown number of children. Women are subject to numerous acid attacks
too. This form of violence involves intentionally spraying, throwing or pouring acid onto the
victims’ faces and bodies, often intending to permanently disfigure and cause extreme physical
and mental suffering to victims In an incident that really exposes the minimal degree of protection
of women by the state authorities, one acid attack was allegedly carried out by a police constable
in Karachi, causing his 19-year-old victim to lose an eye.

A combination of factors has contributed to the culture of violence against women and impunity
for the perpetrators. One is the perpetual living in denial and a persistent refusal to acknowledge
as a society that we have a problem of pervasive violence against women that needs to be addressed
urgently. As women have struggled to gain greater say in decisions that affect their lives—from
getting education to finding gainful employment and speaking their mind about marriage or choice
of their spouse—they seem to have invited ever greater degree and incidence of violence. It is
unfortunate that such violence has not been adequately condemned by prominent members of
society and political leaders. The conditions that enable the perpetrators to avoid paying for their
crime have also directly contributed to the growth of violence.

The condition of women in Pakistani is a pitiable one. They face discrimination at all levels and
are subject to varying forms of violence. Their situation is further aggravated by the dogmatic
practices of Pakistani patriarchy, that often have religious sanctions. The Pakistani state
machinery, directly or indirectly pampers the perpetrators of violence against women, leading to
further atrocities.

Women Rights Abuse In Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the most dangerous country to be a woman. he State does little to protect it’s
vulnerable; despite constitutional guarantee and laws guaranteeing free will to the women of
Pakistan, they are denied their fundamental right. “Honour killing” alone claims a thousand lives
each year in Pakistan. Despite a lapse of 69 years since its inception, the State has not been able to
empower its women and girls. Rather, Pakistan has regressed to the stone ages, where women may
have been traded and bartered as chattel. While their peers are heading nations, corporations, and
multinational entities, Pakistani women have to suffer the wrath of the Council of Islamic
Ideology, who dwell on the best methods to hit a woman and what kind of weapons can be used
to “lightly” beat wives.

The act of live burning of young girls has become endemic. While most go unreported, recently
three cases have found space in the press. 19-year-old Maria Sadaqat and 16-year-old Amber who
were burnt for daring to exercise their right to choose whom to marry. While the former was burnt
for refusing a marriage proposal, the latter was torched for assisting her friend to elope.

The increasing intolerance and radicalization is reflected in the societal disorder that manifests
every time a woman suffers torture and violence. Legislative lip service such as Women Protection
Act, Anti-Honour Killing Laws Amendment) Bill 2014 and Anti-Rape Laws have failed to change
the patriarchal mindset; the laws have lost their credibility due to lack of implementation.

The violence that what many Pakistani women face can be described as gender-based violence. It
includes physical, mental and sexual abuse because of gender. This global term is used mainly in
the context of women who suffer brutality because they are female. Within gender-based violence
the cruellest form of oppression is domestic violence. It is said and frequently reported that
Pakistani women are at more risk of domestic violence than any other form of gender violence.
In Pakistan, patriarchal control over women includes the institutionalisation of extremely
restrictive codes of behaviour. There is a widespread practice of rigid gender segregation that
excludes women from social and economic opportunities. Moreover, specific forms of family and
kinship and a strong ideology linking family honour to female virtue allow men to control women.
Thus, when a woman’ s behaviour is seen to threaten the patriarchal order, it is her body that is
punished with beatings, burnings, sexual abuse, and even murder in the name of honour. To add
to the misfortune of these women, not only have subsequent Pakistani governments, whether
elected or dictatorial, failed to legislate to protect the rights and real honour of women, but instead
they also have formulated several laws that protect perpetrators of violence against women.

Pakistan has been ranked as the third most dangerous place in the world for women.[1] Gender
Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan has its roots in a patriarchal social structure under which
women are considered inferior to men and are viewed as property.[2] Illiteracy, ignorance and
blind faith in clergy provide a fertile ground for the maintenance of the status quo, and
encourages this extreme form of patriarchal society.[3] This issue is further compounded by
discriminatory legislation and a dysfunctional criminal justice system.[4]

Acts of violence committed against women including, inter alia, sexual violence, intimate
partner or spousal abuse (domestic violence), sexual harassment, harmful traditional practices
(forced marriage, vanni, karo kari), and other discriminatory practices based on gender all fall
within the ambit of GBV.[5] Over 10,000 cases of GBV were reported in Pakistan in
2014.[6] According to official figures released by the Ministry of Human Rights, 8,648 human
rights violations were reported in the country between January 2012 and September 15, 2015.
These included 90 incidents of acid burning, 72 of burning, 535 cases of violence against
women, 860 honour killings and 344 rape/gang rapes, 268 sexual assault/harassment, and 481 of
domestic violence.[7]

Challenges faced

Despite this there is no specific federal law prohibiting domestic violence.[8] Women who have
tried to report abuse have faced grave challenges, with the Police and judges hesitating to take
action, deeming such matters private home affairs. Police officers often use the method of
mediation to settle domestic disputes to save women the shame of going through courts, which
does not always result in justice.[9] Women that wanted to take legal action were told to lodge an
FIR in an environment which they described as “scary” and “confusing” and in some cases the
process took between 3 to 6 months. Moreover, none of the women reported that they had been
given any safety planning measures by the police.[10]

Rape victims are perceived as possessing immoral character and therefore blameworthy for
getting raped. Some victims are pressurized to withdraw their complaint or settle out of court.
The Station Chief of a busy Lahore police station told the Human Rights Watch that the crime of
rape does not exist in Pakistan and that women normally consent to intercourse, subsequently
lying to incriminate their male partners.[11] Judicial bias also sometimes leads to verdicts that
penalize women. The International Crisis Group reported, “While researching on knowledge,
attitudes and practices on rape, I was shocked to hear a [lower court] judge in Punjab say that if it
was a gang rape, it could be considered zina-bil-jaber (rape). But if there was only one
aggressor, then it was zina (consensual extramarital sex).”[12] According to reports, some rape
victims have been forced to marry their attackers. Furthermore, prosecution in rape cases take
years and is rarely successful.[13] In a paper submitted to CEDAW[14] it was noted that a rape
trial can continue for a time period of between one and a half years to 10 years.[15] Moreover,
medical personnel in many areas do not have the expertise required for such complicated
prosecutions and do not gather evidence on time leading to acquittals.[16] The Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has stated that less than four per cent of Pakistan’s rape cases
result in a conviction.[17]

Legislative Measures and Lacunae in the Law

Pakistan has taken a significant number of steps to counter GBV through adopting legislation on
the subject. However, the laws lack implementing measures and do not offer sufficient
safeguards. Shelter homes for women facing violence have also been established in Pakistan but
many of these lack basic facilities and are very few in number compared to the women who are
seeking refuge. Reportedly, patterns of abuse have also emerged at these shelter homes where
women found their movements strictly restricted and were also pressured to return to their
abusers.[18]

The Government has established police stations for women staffed by female police officers to
offer victims of violence a safe place to register complaints and file charges. However, there are
very few in number and are often under staffed. Furthermore, the police often lack the expertise
to handle GBV cases.[19] Evidence collection after rape cases is particularly poor which often
results in the perpetrator going free.[20] Since 2006, National Police Academy’s curriculum
includes a training module to increase gender sensitivity. This by itself is insufficient if it is not
coupled with accountability for failure to investigate crimes.[21]

The Ministry of Women Development (MoWD) and the National Commission on the Status of
Women (NCSW), are responsible for the formulation of policies to eliminate GBV.[22] In 2006,
the Gender Crime Cell was set up in the National Police Bureau to collect data on cases of GBV,
and provide policy advice to the Government on particular cases.[23] The Criminal Law
(Amendment) Act 2004 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) outlawed karo kari, siyah kari and
similar other customs,[24] however, the law leaves space for gender biases, which results in
lenient sentences and the protection of perpetrators from maximum penalties.[25] An estimated
70 per cent of perpetrators go unpunished.[26] The Qisas and Diyat Ordinances are applied to
negotiate compensation with the perpetrator. Furthermore, the police have in some cases been
reported to be complicit with perpetrators of honour crimes.[27]

The Protection of Women (Criminal Law Amendment) Act 2006 has amended law governing
rape in Pakistan. However, the law is poorly implemented and reportedly, police has also been
implicated in some cases.[28] It has been reported that police have sometimes abused or
threatened victims, especially in cases where they have received bribes.[29]

The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices [Criminal Law Amendment] Act, 2011 is considered
ambiguous and there is a lack of clarity surrounding its application amongst police officers and
public prosecutors. Furthermore, the law does not allow an arrest without a warrant or a court
order.[30] A study conducted by Aurat Foundation in 2011 revealed that most police officers and
lawyers were unaware of the existence of the AWP Act 2011 and that no trainings had been held
for law enforcement officials.[31]

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2009 was unfortunately not passed by
the Senate, accentuating the difficulty surrounding passing legislation related to women.[32]
Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab have all passed laws against domestic violence, including other
pro-women legislation such as the Punjab Women Protection Authority Act 2017, the Sindh
Commission on the Status of Women Act 2015, and the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act
2013.

However, laws by themselves cannot successfully safeguard rights. The frighteningly high
official figures released by the Ministry of Human rights is testament to that. Laws have to be
accompanied with implementing measures and for most of the pro-women laws promulgated, the
implementing and monitoring mechanisms are still pending.

Without any incertitude, women are the most marginalized and discriminated gender in our
society. They are often insecure and vulnerable to oppression at the hands of men. Every time a
woman steps out of her home, she is weak and diffident; be it schools, workplaces or any other
public space, a feeling of inferiority that surrounds most women goads them to face inhuman
treatment, abuse and even domestic violence. Since men are, supposedly, the beings in our society
who decide how honourable a woman is, it is considered a despicable act if a woman brings cases
like these on the forefront or reports them to the police.

Domestic violence is one of the most gruesome acts committed against women in Pakistan. But,
the plight of the repressed women does not end here. It’s horrifying and distressing that over the
recent years many of the cases of domestic violence have led to the horrendous killings of women
— most of them killed in the name of honour. And, this is the menace of honour killing that,
undoubtedly, is a big, daunting challenge that our society is facing at present.

As the name itself suggests, honour killing is killing a person, in most cases women, to protect the
honour and prestige of a person, family or clan. Women are subjected to honour killings when they
are accused of bringing bad name to their families by committing an act their family disapproves.
Although our religion and the law of the land are against this heinous crime, honour killings are
still rampant in Pakistan and every now and then we hear news of such killings. It is on a frequent
basis that women face violence especially at the hands of men, but the perpetrators of such violence
often go scot free and even if they are punished, the punishments are often lenient.

However, it is quite encouraging for women that Pakistan’s parliament recently passed a piece of
legislation whereby a punishment of life imprisonment for those who commit an honour killing,
and 25 years’ of imprisonment if the family of the oppressed forgives the oppressor, has been
introduced. The new honour killing law articulates that if a woman is murdered in the name of
honour by a close relative or member of the family, they will whatsoever be held accountable and
will be awarded strict punishment even if they are pardoned by another family member. This piece
of legislation was sanctioned after an outrageous cry on social media over the heinous honour
killing of the social media star Qandeel Baloch.

Although women rights activists like Aisha Sarwari and Farzana Bari have hailed the progressive
nature of the law and have also recognized the efforts made for bringing such a pivotal issue on
the forefront, yet it is important to note that out of the 446 legislators — 342 in National Assembly
and 104 in the Senate — only one-fourth of the them actually attended the session. Moreover, only
some of them understand the gravity of this issue. The principal reason behind such an
overwhelming majority of the absentee parliamentarians can be deduced from the comments made
by some senators. For instance, Senator Hafiz Hamdullah pointed out that the parliament should
also address issues such as why women elope as the number of elopements has been soaring since
2014. He also blamed that the new law propagated Western ideologies. Hence, due to clashing
mindsets, even after the approval of the honour killing law, there is a huge debate if the law should
persist and be adhered to.

Even though the honour killing law faced tremendous criticism at the hands of some prominent
religious parties like JUI-F, it did get supporters from other parties — PPP senators Farhatullah
Babar, Sherry Rehman and others supported this law.

In a recent interview, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also promised the implementation of the
law in letter and spirit. “[H]onour killing was one of the most critical problems that Pakistan was
facing and the government was determined to adopt all possible ways to remove this stain from
our society … We will make it sure to fully enforce this legislation across the country,” he said.

Even after all the aforementioned statements and the vigour for the implementation of the law, it
is important to see as to how the law will be implemented as far as the investigation of a case is
concerned. For this law to not just remain merely a piece of legislation, it is important that there
are no loopholes, and that is what will eventually showcase how serious the government actually
is in curbing this menace of honour killings.

Another issue related to violence against women has been recently addressed by the government
through the Anti-Rape Law.

In the Anti-Rape Bill, a provision to conduct DNA tests on both the victim and the alleged
perpetrator has also been added; although rape persuasion rates are almost nil in the country,
mainly because of the lack of evidence and flawed forensic testing. It is, nonetheless, important
that the principal focus of these new laws is not just to eliminate violence against women in
Pakistan but also to help effect a cultural shift in Pakistani society and enabling women to live
safely without any vulnerability or insecurity engulfing them.

In fine, it can be said that though the passage of this law is a welcome step, sans efforts to effect a
cultural shift in our society, it is highly likely that it will fail to accomplish the task of deterring
honour killings. It is high time the government came forward to protect the women from being
killed in the name of honour as there is no honour in killing anyone.
Conclusively, it shall be reminded that ‘honour killings’ must be stopped and the state as well as
the civil society should play a leading role in stopping such crimes as they should be exposed for
the brutal and ridiculous horror that they tend to spread. The government should not only pass such
pieces of legislation or bills as they have prior to all incidents and as mentioned above but the
execution of those is what will bring an end to the menace that is spread by this heinous crime.
Being an Islamic Republic, the need to get religious scholars on panel is imperative too, as it is a
national issue and they must educate the public and eradicate flawed notions propagating crimes
such as honour killings. It is also important that we expand their outreach, especially to rural areas
where leaders of the society would teach and educate illiterate masses on these atrocities and abuse
committed against the women. Lastly, we should not undermine the significance of sustainable
campaigns at grassroots levels that can be run in the future with a potential plan and help inform,
educate and encourage to change the prevalent mindset of our society, finally making sure that
these campaigns help eradicate this barbaric tradition from Pakistan.
 Corruption Culture in Pakistan

Outline
• Introduction
• Definition of corruption: It is misuse of power for the private/personal gain
• Types of Corruption: Petty, Grand and Political
• Incidence of corruption: rare, widespread, systemic
• Scenario of corruption in world in general and Pakistan in particular
• Corruption in Islamic teaching
• Quaid-i-Azam on corruption
• Causes of corruption
a. Dismal performance of Institutions
b. Poor governance
c. Lack of effective accountability
d. Meager income
e. Lack of Transparency
• Impact of corruption
I. Deteriorate the quality of governance
II. Moral degeneration
III. Shamble the economy i.e. increase poverty, inflation
IV. Injustice to people
V. Widening the gap between rich and poor
• Remedial Measures
i. Rule of law
ii. Effective accountability
iii. Mass awareness
iv. Adherence to Islamic principles
v. Role of transparency agencies
• Conclusion

Corruption is a scourge that has badly affected the quality of governance, state of the economy
and social justice available to the people. Corruption is defined as the misuse of entrusted power
for private gains. It is of different types. It is petty, grand and political. The petty corruption is
usually linked with the lower salary employees and generally considered as facilitating
payments, whereas, the grand corruption is associated with the high level bureaucracy. However,
the political corruption as name indicates is related to the politician. They usually involve in this
type corruption in order to maintain their status quo. The corruption varies in the rate of its
presence, therefore in this regard the incidence of corruption may be rare, widespread or
systemic. The rare corruption is easy to identify and control than widespread. Whereas, the
systemic corruption becomes a way of life and it is very difficult to overcome. The corruption is
universal, however, its existence varies in rate of occurrence. Since the inception of Pakistan, the
country has witnessed of the rampant corruption. Many governments in general and the
governments in decade of 1990 in particular has become the victim of the widespread corruption
and corrupt practices. In a recent survey conducted by the Transparency International, Pakistan
ranks lowered from 42th most corrupt country to 34th country in the world.
Islam explicitly condemns the existence of corruption in every form. Hazart Muhammad
(PBUH) declared that;
"Damned is the bribe giver (or corruptor)-the bribe taker (the corrupted) and he who goes
between them".
Quaid-i- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has strongly condemned the presence of corruption. He
avowed a strict action against such mal practices and their doer.
The root causes of the rampant corruption in the country are lack of effective accountability,
poor performance on the part of respective institutions, unchecked and unlimited power of feudal
for vested interests. The presence of corruption and corrupt practices play a pivotal role to
engender the deteriorate law and order, shackle the economy which leads to the inflation,
unemployment and poverty in the country. Its presence distracts a man from ethics, humanely
attitude, tradition and civic laws. The pervasive corruption in the country can be checked by
applying certain measures. The government should ascertain the rule of law; it means equal
application of law, equal protection by the law and equality before law, effective and impartial
accountability, active role of media to eradicate the corruption are the few factors which can play
an active to diminish the corruption.
REASONS OF THE CORRUPTION

The most often used definitions of

corruption have taken the place of the clichés from the time When corruption was thought a
convention, a well hidden “alternative way of living”.Nowadays Conventions are pointless and
associations are direct and clear-cut: a lie, an abuse, a theft, bribe taking, a Speculation, blackmailing.
The sides in the corruption process are clearly defined: ''the one offering the bribe and the one taking
the bribe''. Vulgarization of corruption itself brings archetypal and pragmatic notions of it. Nowadays
corruption is most often interpreted by the general public as a series of interactions:

“They want – I give”, “I want – I get”.

Corruption is a process of decay which can never be eradicated completely from any society. The most
important reasons contributing ti this decay are bad interaction between the specialized bodies for
combating corruption and the citizens, the extensive prerogatives of public officials, the widespread
bureaucracy ,insufficient political will for dealing with corruption, the low remuneration of public
officials, lack of effective measures and sanctions, the possibility for public officials to obtain illegal
benefit, weaknesses of the legislation, lack of willingness on the part of the citizens to contribute to, the
process of combating corruption. So corruption is to be done everywhere. Everyone wants to fulfill their
needs or to get success so corrupt ways are used for that so you find corruption on all levels that’s why
there are so many reason of corruption.

Low Salaries

The basic reason for corruption is low salaries as everyone is finding a way to better their living standard
as much as they can; it’s also a human nature that he has everything more and more. So mostly
corruption is to be seen where there are people having fewer salaries they use corrupt ways to achieve
the goal. It is true that they do not have any other way to fulfill their wants.

Lack of accountability and regulation:

Corruption is more prevalent because lack of accountability and regulation. If money that the
government receives is going in their pockets rather than being spent on the people who need it, on
their education, health and so on, then the consequences are obvious that many people don't pay taxes
because they don't trust the government to spend it on the people, they think they are corrupt and the
money would just disappear. And so this creates a vicious circle. People don't see the government doing
anything to help them, so they think it's a waste of time to pay taxes. The government doesn't get any
money from taxes and so can't do anything to help people.

Culture:

Corruption on the low-level is systematic and fed by desperation. In many of these nations, it's almost
expected that a policeman or clerk will earn a fair amount of income through bribes, so the states pay
those workers less based on that assumption. Bribes and the like become a kind of tip. Even in situations
where this is not true, there's still the temptation of extra cash, whether necessary to feed one's family.
The "every man for himself" attitude in some cultures encourages this.

Corruption prone institutions

Police

According to many people corruption can only thrive in bureaucratic societies or countries where every
single matter, law and order is under the control of corrupt government. The reality does not
authenticate just this idea. At an "elite" level, corruption is the everywhere. Then, what developing
countries are full of, is non-elite corrupt people. Corruption is normally associated with the government,
police, legal system and other bodies that control and allocate public resources. The police are
responsible for maintaining order and justice in a society. A police department for instance can be
compared to other governmental bodies for simple understanding of the term. e.g.: a cop stops a car to
make a ticket, but is also willing to accept a small bribe to let it pass (or even stop the car to get a bribe
in the first place). Some drivers will also try to bribe the cop, to avoid the ticket. Mostly the same at all
administration levels, at any given bureaucrat institution. Of course, virtually all government regulated
institutions (police, hospitals, schools, etc) have their employee being overly underpaid, which helps a
lot to lead into this. The reason why a policeman for example would accept a bribe to let someone go
free is that they are often underpaid and extra cash is always a tempting prospect. The wide consensus
across surveys points to the police as being one of the most corrupt institutions in Pakistan. According to
the organization Global Integrity appointments in the police force are often based on political
considerations. Police officers frequently have conflicts of interest due to personal loyalties and family
connections. It is also well known that in Pakistan, influential landlords decide the appointment of law
enforcement officers in their area, with police officers acting on their behalf. Unlawful police methods
do not solely affect poor people. Businesses also complain that they suffer from extortion by the police,
for instance in the form of bogus traffic fines. Basically Police misconduct is a topic of great concern
worldwide. However, the causes of police corruption are remarkably different. Understanding the
unique political, historical, legal, and economic institutions of a country is essential in identifying the
potential for police misconduct. The boundary line between corrupt and non-corrupt activities is quite
difficult to define. A police officer who takes advantage of his power and authority for personal and
organizational gains can easily be described as a corrupt police officer. The term “police corruption” has
been used to describe many activities: bribery; violence and brutality; fabrication and destruction of
evidence; racism; and, favoritism. Not only lower ranked officers are involved in such malpractices, but
also senior officers, and those ranked below them are involved in organized corruption. The position is
best summed up in the words of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in Pakistan:
Today we have a police, which is politicized and Politically polarized. For it has become a pawn in the
hands of its masters. In Return, the policemen get political patronage, which has become essential for
there Survival.

The Judiciary

The other sector in Pakistan which is seen as notoriously inefficient and corrupt is the judiciary.
According to TI Pakistan’s 2006 survey, 96 percent of the people who came in contact with the judiciary
encountered corruption and 44 percent of them reported having to pay a bribe to a court official. The
judiciary is also viewed as lacking independence from the executive and contributing to a general culture
of impunity. According to Global Integrity, the procedure for selecting judges at the national level is not
transparent and selection procedures are often made in exchange for political favors. Despite these
problems, judges are exempt from oversight and investigations by Pakistan's national anticorruption
agency, the National Accountability Bureau. The business community generally lacks confidence in the
capacity of the judiciary to enforce rules and laws, and the settlement of disputes often involves paying
bribes. For example, the judiciary takes an average of 880 days to settle a business dispute at a cost of
24 percent of the claim the country’s tax and public finance administration has also been affected by
corruption. The World Bank’s 2004 Public Expenditure Management report on the country showed
widespread collusion between taxpayers and tax officials, a situation that has led to tax evasion and lack
of tax compliance In addition, a financial accountability assessment undertaken by the World Bank in
2003 showed that, although good progress had been achieved in public sector accountability, major
gaps and weaknesses remain in the accountability chain. These have arisen mainly from low institutional
and staff capacity and uneven implementation of reform measures. The report emphasized the urgent
need to strengthen financial reporting, to institute adequate controls at all levels of government —
especially at the provincial level1 — and to maintain effective tracking of social spending. A more recent
report on public sector accounting in Pakistan further shows its public sector accounting and auditing
does not comply with international Standards. More attention needs to be paid to summary tables of
outstanding public sector accounting and to good reporting and disclosure processes following audits.
The high prevalence of corruption in the sectors covered in the national survey suggest that the problem
likely cuts across federal, provincial and local administrations since service delivery is divided between
different political levels. Moreover, the country is administratively structured in such a way that there
are 100 times more junior-level civil servants than senior officers, creating a ready group to engage in
the petty abuses currently plaguing Pakistan. However, recent findings suggest that the devolution of
government to the local level may provide benefits by increasing the good governance and
accountability needed to help fight corruption. (Business Recorder May 25, 2007¬)

According to a survey carried out by Transparency International the corruptions factors are as follows
along with their results in terms of percentage.

TI-Survey on Causes of Corruption-Mega & Petty

• Lack of Accountability (31.68%)
• Low salaries (16.54%)
• Monopoly of power (16.43%)
• Discretionary powers (12.61%)
• Lack of transparency (9.97%)
• Power of influential people (4.59%)
• Red Tapism (4.28%) • Others (4.9%)
Source: Government of Pakistan

Now in order to combat them few measures need to be taken are as follows
• Strengthening of Institutions
• Supremacy of Law
• Prevalence of code of conduct
• Proper check and balance on all officials as well as citizens
• Increase in salaries and incentives
• Restoration of judiciary on free basis
• Hiring of new employees on merit rather than beneficiaries
• Proper awareness campaigns need to be formed
• There should be proper ehtesaab for everyone who completes tenure of governance
• Defect positions should be reordered making it into and effect position
Corruption in Pakistan
Abstract:
Corruption is a very old problem in government, and concern about corruption has shaped the
development of public services. For example, in many countries a Public Service Commission
conducts exams or sets for the selection of suitable Candidates to be appointed to the Civil
Service posts. In this way it prevents Political patronage, as well as promoting expertise. Many
countries have established specialist anti corruption agencies relatively independent of the police
or of the government. Since the mid 1990s, there has been new international attention to
corruption. Transparency International (TI), an NGO founded in 1993, publishes an Influential
Corruption Perceptions Index1, and has a number of national groups that lobby governments.
The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank now Promote anti-corruption in their lending.
Economists have become influential in International thinking about corruption.
Introduction:
Corruption is a method and a technique adopted just to bypass the rule of law and engulfing the
whole system into socio-economic turmoil. Furthermore, corruption, being the mother of all ills,
gives birth to multifarious problems including nepotism, favoritism and negating meritocracy,
transparency and accountability. It is an established fact that the cruelty shows its influence as
the rule of law is abrogated. Banking scams, industrialist’s monopoly to create baseless
crises, bypassing the constitutional supremacy, lavish living styles of the ruling class, foreign tours
under the head of national exchequer, general apathy, neglect, carelessness and an attitude of
indifference towards national issues are all the outcomes of corruption which is root cause of all
evils in the motherland. The South Asian countries have been pluralist societies; however, the
legacy of colonial rule was a fragmentation of loyalties through corruption and bribery.

That is why corruption and nepotism continue to exist. Loyalties to a particular group; family;
caste or ethnic, religious, or linguistic community invites corruption in the form of nepotism.
Since independence, the nationalization of bank and industries in the 1970s, the use of foreign
aid, and the infusion of drug money into the economy, corruption has become even more
systemic. Lack of accountability is an outcome of nepotism and favoritism. How can a corrupt
person be held accountable by a corrupt authority? All in all the entire unfortunate system is
prone to the monster of corruption. In such dismal state of affairs, the question of accountability
does not arise. Only lucrative and emotionally charged speeches and pledges can never come up
to the expectations of the people. Rule of law is the only option that can pave way for
accountability.

Incompetent judiciary in terms of not bringing the culprits in to the gallows of law and absence
of bringing the corrupt politicians and policy makers to the books is another decisive factor in
today’s sorry state of affairs. In the same manner the unnecessary delay in deciding the
cases of corruption is a clear explanation of the adage: the justice delayed is justice denied.</p>
In much the similar fashion, highly centralized economy, breeds conflict amongst the poor and
the rich. The growing influence of the privileged class always uses the influential authority to
snub the poor people. In such a grim situation, the victims and the upper both use their influence
at their maximum extent to have maximum benefit from the opportunity. Thus, the capitalism is
in the forefront in bringing and paving ways for corruption.
Corruption evolves as a result of evasion of ethical and religious norms. Religion always asks the
believers to have a solid strive in bringing a moderate society. It agrees in favor of decentralized
economy. Regulation of wealth according to rule of law is the motto of Islam. The discussion on
corruption in Pakistan would never be complete without having a glance on National
Reconciliation Ordinance, a symbol of corruption in Pakistan. It was promulgated by a military
dictator to serve his own vested interests. It freed all the politicians and civil servants until 1990,
who were convicted on charges of corruption. PPP and PML (N), the big political giants remained
the beneficiaries of this ordinance. Under the provisions of NRO, the civil servants, politicians and
major industrialists were given a safe passage to escape from all the charges of corruption and
made them free of any sin. NRO, most appropriately can be termed as the law that legitimized
corruption in Pakistan.
The cost of corruption is high. Stolen resources from education budgets mean overcrowded
classrooms and crumbling schools, or no schools at all. Books and supplies are sometimes sold
instead of being given out freely. Schools and universities also ‘sell’ school places or charge
unauthorized fees, forcing students (usually girls) to drop out. Teachers and lecturers are
appointed through family connections, without qualifications. Grades can be bought, while
teachers force students to pay for tuition outside of class. In higher education, undue
government and private sector influence can skew research agendas. The end result is limited
access to – and poor quality of – education, and a social acceptance of corruption through a
corrupted education system.
Theme
There is little doubt that corruption impedes economic development, lowers the ratio of private
investment to GDP, and has a negative effect on the functioning of democratic institutions.
Therefore, corruption poses a serious development challenge. In the political realm, pervasive
corruption undermines democracy and good governance by undermining formal democratic
processes, including elections. More generally, corruption erodes the institutional capacity of
government institutions as formal procedures are ignored, resources are diverted for private
gain, and public offices are paid off through bribery or other means of enrichment. The good
news is that there appears to be an inverse correlation between democracy and corruption;
strong, robust democratic institutions result in less corruption across the system. The role of
sound democratic institutions, including an independent judiciary and an independent media,
along with active political participation, is crucial to the fight against corruption.
SCOPE
We need to call on our politicians and public officials to be accountable for their actions. How
can we trust them if we don’t know what they’re doing? We must demand that they put in place
regulations which will force them to act openly. Then corruption can’t hide. And our trust in the
political process will improve. When leaders act transparently, showing us clearly what they do,
we can make informed choices when we vote. And we can hold them to account once elected.
From grassroots groups to big organizations, civil society has a crucial role to play. We can
monitor electoral campaigns and parties’ activities. If state resources are abused, we must report
it. And if regulations to prevent corruption aren’t in place, we must demand them. Rules about
politicians’ conflicts of interest. For example our regulations to stop corporate lobbying and
political funding from distorting the democratic process. If companies publish their donations,
they can show their contributions aren’t intended to win favors. By speaking out, we can show
that everyone gains from honest elections and open decision-making.
Background
Benazir Bhutto of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) first came to power in August 1990 but later
was dismissed. Her government was replaced by Nawaz Sharif and his Islamic Democratic Alliance
(IJI) party in April 1993. After the resignation of both the president and the prime minister, and
an interim government, elections were held, which resulted in a second term for Bhutto and the
PPP. Her government was again dismissed in November 1996. Sharif returned as prime minister
but this time representing the Pakistan Muslim League party -N(PML-N). This era of democratic
government ended in October 1999 following a military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf.
After declaring himself the chief executive, the Supreme Court validated Musharraf’s claim to the
presidency in May 2000. In 2002 a parliamentary election returned civilian rule, yet the
Musharraf presidency was extended for another five years. During the military government,
former Prime Minister Bhutto was indicted and convicted on corruption charges at home (in April
1999) and abroad (in Switzerland in July 2003).</p>
Former Prime Minister Sharif was also tried and sentenced for acts of terrorism in April 2000
although he was eventually pardoned and went into exile. Against this backdrop, the political
situation in Pakistan deteriorated. A devastating earthquake in 2005 in the Pakistan-administered
Kashmir region greatly strained the government. In March 2007, further turbulence arose after
the dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry for alleged misuse of office. Violence
in the northern province of Waziristan and in the province of Balochistan in the south served
another blow to national unity. After a period of civil unrest, Musharraf was re-elected to the
presidency in October 2007, declaring a state of emergency and suspending the constitution
within a month of taking office. Although parliamentary elections were to take place in 2007,
they were first postponed because of worries of instability and later as a result of the
assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007. When the elections finally took place in
February 2008, President Musharraf was defeated by the PPP and PML. The parties formed a
coalition government in March 2008 with a new prime minister in power: Yusuf Raza Gilani. The
Supreme Court justices that Musharraf had dismissed during the country’s state of emergency in
2007 were then restored. Currently, the fate of President Musharraf seems uncertain now that
his party has been excluded from the ruling coalition. However, he has so far not given any
indication that he is considering any type of voluntary resignation.
Corruption in Government
Corruption is rising in Pakistan society and now it is a bitter reality. Almost every person is corrupt
no matter belongs to government or not. Pakistan is blessed with corrupt and fraud people from
President to MPA all are corrupt who are sitting in Assemblies and Parliament and are said to
be called the so called leaders of Pakistan. The corruption does not only present in high
government officials but every single Pakistani is corrupt. In my point of view corruption is in
blood of Pakistani’s and without it our identity is incomplete. According to Transparency
International Report in Pakistan corruption is increasing on every level from low level to high the
ratio is the same and the result the general public have been crushed in a wheel of inflation. In
Pakistan corruption is happening in all the departments whether it’s police, custom, education,
media, judiciary it is almost everywhere every single institution. One cannot think of getting an
NIC or passport easily without bribing the so called government employees who are said to be
called the helpers of common man but in my point of view in every government institution
corruption have been done openly without any fear. Because when our judiciary is corrupt that
who will think of being punished in this corrupt society.

It’s not only the fault of corrupt government which are rolling on us and has made our lives like
hell, it’s our fault also when we quietly bear all the unfair things happening all around at least we
should raise a voice, but it is also impossible. Pakistan corruption has touched the sky and now
it’s become uncontrollable and it has been spread like a fire in every institution of Pakistan.
Pakistani nation is now use to the rising corruption in society and we the common man have mold
ourselves in such a way that we also adopt the way of corruption in our daily lives. Corruption is
not only done on high level and in government offices, but it’s been happening all around because
common people are get inspiration from high level officials and adopt the same behavior as they
do for destroying general people. When milk man mixes water in milk what is this, this is also
corruption but done on low level and from this also common man will be affected. When traffic
police do Chelan of an ordinary citizen while violating traffic rules so the challenge meant nothing
to us we just bribe the officer and all things better. Now the common man has also learnt the
surviving techniques in the corrupt society like Pakistan and in way only we are able to
survive.</p>
Corruption is there in Pakistani society and it cannot be controlled or stopped because of corrupt
government and its Pakistan bad luck that after Liaquat Ali Khan Pakistan has been ruled by
corrupt people. To whom we can say that stop the evil of corruption from Pakistan but we the
common man can only appeal to International organization who are funding our failed stated
that “FOR GOD SAKE, DOES SOMETHING, TAKE HOLD OVER THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT, ARMY
SOURCES AND ALL DEPTS. WHO ARE BECOME THE SLAUGHTER FOR GENERAL
PUBLIC.OTHERWISE, HUMANITY WILL BE RUINED.” Corruption is not a new phenomenon in
Pakistan. The consensus is that corruption had started taking root immediately after Pakistan’s
creation in 1947, when people in collusion with the bureaucracy filled fake claims to get property
allotted to them. But none of the seven Prime ministers till 1970, Liaquat Ali Khan, Khwaja
Nazimuddin, Muhammad Ali Bogra, Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali,
Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy or Feroz Khan Noon were ever accused of being directly or
indirectly involved in any kind of corruption. Neither did the Ayub Khan or Zulfiquar Ali.

Bhutto governments encounter serious allegations of corruption. However, corruption received

a huge fillip during ‘the lost decade’ under military dictator Zia ul Haq, when the US was fighting
the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan and bags full of dollars were landing at the infamous Ojhri
camp, the ISI covert headquarters in Rawalpindi. After Zia, two governments each of the PML and
the PPP were dissolved on charges of corruption, following which Transparency International
declared Pakistan the second most corrupt country in the world in 1996. When Pervez Musharraf
took over in 1999, he promised ruthless and across-the-board accountability. Headed by Lt. Gen.
Amjad Hussain, NAB managed to send shivers down several spines (particularly those of the
business community) and succeeded in recovering Rs 300 billion. In the process, however, he
sparked off massive capital flight, which forced then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and former SBP
governor Dr Ishrat Hussain to beg Musharraf to call off the witchhunt for businessmen. Hussain
was thus unceremoniously ousted and none of his successors were willing to take up the cause.
Meanwhile, it is said, the Chaudhrys of Gujrat prevailed upon Musharraf and forced him to give
up the drive against corruption and go instead for their political opponents. This gave birth to the
infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance, the object of which was to pardon the corrupt and
the criminals in the name of national reconciliation. But in December 2009, the Supreme Court
declared the ordinance illegal.

Meanwhile, the past PPP government has won for itself the dubious distinction of being the worst
government in last 64 years. The title may not be wholly undeserved: a number of top
government officials (including ministers and senior officials) have either been sent to jail or have
had criminal investigations launched against them on the directives of the Supreme Court (this
list includes our new prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, who faces charges in a rental power case
in which Rs120 billion were swindled). Meanwhile, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is also
considered among the biggest players in the corruption game. According to a daring statement
made by the previous PPP finance minister Shaukat Tarin, the premier tax collection agency is
involved in tax evasion worth Rs 500 billion annually. This is why one never hears of tax evaders
being jailed in Pakistan; ‘punishment’ comprises nominal fines and penalties, which further
encourage evaders to remain within the ever-expanding underground economy. While the World
Bank gave $150 million to Pakistan for reforming the FBR and effecting real documentation of
the economy, nothing has happened so far. That said, Pakistan is not the only victim of
corruption.

Even so called honest societies in the west, including the US, seem to shine on the surface but
are rotting at the core due to corruption. Among recent laws introduced in the European Union
is one that states that corruption cannot be challenged in a court of law; hardly anybody is
arrested in the US for having committed financial fraud. The black economy is also a global
phenomenon which, according to The Economist, accounted for a missing nine trillion dollars
worth of output in 1998, an amount close to the size of the US economy. Later, a study by
Australian economist Friedrich Schneider attempted to measure the size of the black economy in
76 developed and emerging economies. Among the findings was the fact that underground
activity is equivalent to 15 percent of officially reported GDP on average in rich economies and
about one-third of GDP in emerging ones. In India, the black economy which was rampant in the
1970s is back and booming, pushing up stock and property prices, causing inflation and even
making the Indian rupee unusually strong against the dollar. The black economy is growing in
India and is now estimated to be worth a stunning 500 billion dollars, almost half the size of the
official economy.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chief, Admiral (retired) Fasih Bokhari has said at a press
conference in Islamabad that in his estimate, corruption in Pakistan could be Rs 10-12 billion a
day. Earlier, the NAB had put out a relatively less shocking figure of six to seven billion rupees a
day which had upset the cabinet of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The retired admiral has
responded to the ire of the politicians by being blunter. The factor of the politicians is significant.
When you cut them out, the world detects significant cutback in corruption. During the early days
of the General (retired) Pervez Musharraf regime, there was subsidence in the occurrence of graft
because his government was still to expand to get him the ‘legitimacy’ he wanted as a ruler. After
patterns of corruption get repeated, the people start complaining about it. Their encounter with
graft takes place with departments that deal with them: the police, the judiciary, the income tax
bureaucracy, the customs, land records, etc. In many cases, at the provincial and federal levels,
departments are presided over by politicians as ministers.
Third World levels of corruption have been identified and accepted as unavoidable. The noise of
corruption in India and China is deafening but no one says they are ‘failing states’ because of
corruption. In fact, both are counted as successful in comparison to the ‘no-corruption’ countries
in the EU and the US superpower itself. Those who advocate ‘tough accountability’ before the
2013 elections in Pakistan need to reflect a little on the precedents. But that doesn’t mean we
should do nothing about the loss of public trust in the NAB and the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) and other corrupt anti-corruption institutions. First of all, the NAB, FIA and FBR should be
constitutionally protected in their powers to take action against offenders. But the catch is that
Pakistan’s problem number one is not corruption but law and order and writ of the state. As
China and India demonstrate, a country can still be rated ‘successful’ if it has a functioning
economy undamaged by a dysfunctional state. All the more significant because until a few weeks
ago, the former navy chief had estimated that the amount lost through corrupt practices was just
Rs 5 billion a day. And the revised figure is giving severe heartburn to politicians; former civil and
military officials as well as the people of Pakistan who are now demanding Bukhari expose and
take action against the corrupt.</p>
However, even if Bukhari were so determined, he’d be walking into the Augean stables. ‘Pakistan’
and ‘corruption’ are synonymous in the eyes of the world. Not only has the vice gained
acceptance as a way of life, corruption has been institutionalized in Pakistan over the years. Take,
for example, the latest ordinance promulgated by President Asif Ali Zardari, which allows
investors to invest in the stock market without disclosing their source of funds till 2014. Plain as
a pikestaff, the move is aimed at assisting people to whiten their black money and evade
accountability, a fact confirmed by concerned officials. However, the Securities and Exchange
Commission of Pakistan continues to insist that the move is essential to jumpstarting investment
since the stock market is a risky business and won’t attract significant investors under the
prevailing circumstances.</p>
That said, there are primarily two categories of corruption in Pakistan. One is tax evasion, which
funnels monies into the black economy; the second is the siphoning of funds from the formal
economy by the informal economy. It’s this latter category that hurts the Pakistan economy
most. The practice that generates the largest gains for tax evaders in Pakistan is the under
invoicing of import goods, particularly machinery. Since the economy is largely under
documented, the culprits easily get away from under the noses of the authorities responsible for
maintaining checks and balances and eradicating sham business practices. But corruption is not
a new phenomenon in Pakistan. The consensus is that corruption had started taking root
immediately after Pakistan’s creation in 1947, when people – in collusion with the bureaucracy
– filed fake claims to get property allotted to them.</p>
Low Salaries<br />
The basic reason for corruption is low salaries as everyone is finding a way to better their living
standard as much as they can; it’s also a human nature that he has everything more and more.
So mostly corruption is to be seen where there are people having fewer salaries they use corrupt
ways to achieve the goal. It is true that they do not have any other way to fulfill their wants.
The Judiciary</p>
The other sector in Pakistan which is seen as notoriously inefficient and corrupt is the judiciary.
According to TI Pakistan’s 2006 survey, 96 percent of the people who came in contact with the
judiciary encountered corruption and 44 percent of them reported having to pay a bribe to a
court official. The judiciary is also viewed as lacking independence from the executive and
contributing to a general culture of impunity. Despite these problems, judges are exempt from
oversight and investigations by Pakistan&#8217;s national anticorruption agency, the National
Accountability Bureau. The business community generally lacks confidence in the capacity of the
judiciary to enforce rules and laws, and the settlement of disputes often involves paying bribes.
For example, the judiciary takes an average of 880 days to settle a business dispute at a cost of
24 percent of the claim the country’s tax and public finance administration has also been affected
by corruption Survey</p>
According to a survey carried out by Transparency International the corruptions factors are as
follows along with their results in terms of percentage. TI-Survey on Causes of Corruption-Mega
&amp; Petty</p>
• Lack of Accountability (31.68%)<br />
• Low salaries (16.54%)<br />
• Monopoly of power (16.43%)<br />
• Discretionary powers (12.61%)<br />
• Lack of transparency (9.97%)<br />
• Power of influential people (4.59%)<br />
• Red Tapism (4.28%)<br />
• Others (4.9%)</p>
Survey the most corrupt departments in Pakistan.<br />
Measures<br />
Now in order to combat them few measures need to be taken are as follows<br />
• Strengthening of Institutions<br />
• Supremacy of Law<br />
• Prevalence of code of conduct<br />
• Proper checks and balance on all officials as well as citizens<br />
• Increase in salaries and incentives<br />
• Restoration of judiciary on free basis<br />
• Hiring of new employees on merit rather than beneficiaries<br />
• Proper awareness campaigns need to be formed<br />
Corruption in society<br />
In areas of food and water, education and health, employment and so forth people across Asia
face extremely serious problems of corruption. When attempting to gain the basic services to
which they are entitled as members of society, corruption remains a serious obstacle. we are not
implementing the good system and processes and nor we are whole heartedly following that
political system, due to this, corruption is the main produce which we are reaping now and that’s
why we are looking for a leadership who will follow the rules whole heartedly and put us on track.
Impact of corruption on our society</p>
To a varying degree, corruption exists in almost all countries. However, the degree to which it
impacts the common people’s lives and increases poverty is directly proportional to the level of
this scourge and how widespread it is in society. A country’s or provinces development depends
on how much of the States resources are lost to this ugly practice. In developed countries, where
corruption is limited to a small number of projects and where common people do not encounter
it on a daily basis, the adverse impact tends to be marginal and does not jeopardize the welfare
of its people. In contrast, a poor country like Pakistan, where each borrowed dollar must be spent
to uplift the people from poverty, it has a significant impact. A recent World Bank report lists
corruption and lack of transparency as the two core reasons that hamper Pakistan’s drive for
development. Corruption can also affect the various components of sports activities (referees,
players, medical and laboratory staff involved in anti-doping controls, members of national sport
federation and international committees deciding about the allocation of contracts and
competition places).
Corruption in Education
Education is a fundamental human right and a major driver of human and economic
development. It strengthens personal integrity and shapes the societies in which we live. Since
education typically comprises 20-30 per cent of a country’s budget, it is critically prone to
corruption, from national education ministries to local schools and universities. The cost of
corruption is high. Stolen resources from education budgets mean overcrowded classrooms and
crumbling schools, or no schools at all. Books and supplies are sometimes sold instead of being
given out freely. Schools and universities also ‘sell’ school places or charge unauthorized fees,
forcing students (usually girls) to drop out. Teachers and lecturers are appointed through family
connections, without qualifications. Grades can be bought, while teachers force students to pay
for tuition outside of class. In higher education, undue government and private sector influence
can skew research agendas. The end result is limited access to and poor quality of education, and
a social acceptance of corruption through a corrupted education system.
SUMMARY
Corruption remains a substantial obstacle for Pakistan where it is still perceived to be widespread
and systemic. Petty corruption in the form of bribery is prevalent in law enforcement,
procurement and the provision of public services. The judiciary is not seen as independent and
considered to be shielding corrupt political practices from prosecution. Various efforts over the
past years have tried to develop institutional mechanisms to address these problems. A National
Anti-Corruption Strategy, which was developed in 2002, offers a comprehensive plan for tackling
corruption. The executing agency, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), is endowed with
comprehensive powers to investigate and prosecute cases. However, a lack of political will,
coupled with the perceived co-option of the judiciary and the arbitrariness of many anti-
corruption proceedings, are major obstacles in the fight against corruption.
Conclusion
In Pakistan, corruption has eaten up the inner of people belonging to all walks, sections, areas
and classes in the country. The poorest is least corrupt only because there is nothing handy to
steal from the laborer who puts in half a day’s work and charges for the full day, is as corrupt as
the executive engineer in a government department who puts half the project funds in his pocket.
The problem, therefore, is somewhat larger than it appears. Corruption has become part of our
system. It is much easy to diagnose the problem, analyze it and lay it out explicitly but it is more
difficult to prescribe as to what can be done about it. Fortunately, the solutions to all the
problems sketched out above are well known: i.e. transparency, openness accountability,
selection on merit, privatization, competitive tendering, and removal of discretion and
enforcement of the rule of law. Not with standing, mentioning or diagnosing the hallmarks of an
egalitarian society or corruption. Free policy; there is dire need to pen down practical measures
in removing or rooting out corruption from the country.</p>
Following steps may also ensure corruption-free future in our country. Establishment of
independent commission to combat corruption and ensuring independence of regulatory
institutions, and independent judiciary, in this regard, plays a vital role in upholding the rule of
law and protecting a society against corruption. It can ensure that no one is above the law. There
is also need to ensure the independence of regulatory institutions such as the Central Bank,
Securities and Exchange Commission in order to prevent major corruption in relation to the
financial operations of banks and stock exchanges. Loans must be issued pledging the equal value
property without politician’s pressure. Declaration and publications of assets of all persons
holding elected office and their family members, such declarations should be available for
inspection to the members of the public. In the UK a number measures have been adapted to
monitor and provide checks on activities of members of Parliament. A register that is open for
inspection by the public is maintained in which members have to declare nine categories of
interest from which they may derive financial benefits. All the public servants should be
compelled by law to clear their deskwork within a reasonable time.</p>
Failing which, they should be punished with deduction from their pay because sometime they
delay in work to get some benefit from people. Work in offices should be automatic so that needy
persons do not have to visit offices and give an opportunity to clerks to make illegal demands.
Citizens should be free to lodge complaints with courts or ombudsman. Discretionary powers of
officials should be kept to the minimum and be monitored by respectable citizens. Let us revive
social boycott of corrupt politicians, officials, businessmen and even journalists. In addition there
is a dire need to organize various forms of civil society groups, raise voices and keep on
highlighting these issues, use the free press to expose the real instances of corruption and
malpractices and act as pressure group. Moral and religious awareness are also key solutions to
this problem