Twitter and politicians

Few would have thought that a time might come when a politician desirous of speaking up might choose to not just do so quietly, but also restrict it to text messages of 140 characters or less. — File photo

Politicking, Pakistan-style, and most people would think: loud — and long drawn-out. It’s traditionally been about people travelling long distances, a canopied platform faced with serried ranks of chairs, blood-stirring speeches and thundering denunciations.

Few would have thought that a time might come when a politician desirous of speaking up might choose to not just do so quietly, but also restrict it to text messages of 140 characters or less.

That time may have come.

Where Facebook rules the roost amongst much of the citizenry — admittedly, those that have literacy and internet connectivity — several members of the political elite have turned to Twitter. It might just be the newest arrow in several politicians’ quiver.

Many of those that figure amongst the Twitterati are of the age or background where the internet is a familiar means of communication. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is often found commenting here, as is Maryam Nawaz Sharif of the PML-N. But politicians’ use of the site is far from restricted to any one generation or party.

People who tweet regularly include Sherry Rehman, Hussain Haqqani and Rehman Malik of the PPP, as well as Asad Omar of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf; Sheikh Rashid Ahmed puts in a comment from time to time, as does Mushahid Husain.

So does Twitter actually make constituents feel closer to the politicians whose attention and concern is vital to the smooth functioning of everyday life? One person that is a frequent presence on Twitter commented that “in speeches and in pressers, you get something that’s been prepared. On Twitter, they each have a distinctive voice, and you can tell who manages their own account. Rehman Malik, for example, is frequently diverting, while Nabil Gabol had this to say recently: ‘breaking sindh means breaking Pakistan so im a Patriot Pakistani nd wil remain so and no 1 is in favor of dividing Sindh [sic].’”

Politicians wouldn’t be using this platform — and tens of thousands of people wouldn’t be following them — if there were no benefits. There are many examples of person-to-politician interactions, one of which is Maryam Nawaz who is these days tweeting often in response to queries about the Youth Business Loan Scheme. Bilawal Bhutto responds frequently to direct comments, too.

“I find it very useful since there’s instant feedback and you can talk directly to followers,” said Asad Omar of the PTI. “But it depends on the kind of politician one is. There’s a very high penetration of social media in my constituency, for example, but obviously people contesting from rural constituencies would find it different.”

For this reason, he added, Twitter is not replacing the traditional methods of reaching out to voters; it’s simply a new tool.

Does instant feedback have an effect on policy, though? In Mr Omar’s view, no, “because it’s just a small fraction of people — it’s not what Pakistan is thinking but a fraction of Pakistan.” With cheap phones becoming Twitter-capable too and with people using the Urdu font, though, “if it keeps going this way virtually every educated Pakistani will be connected through the medium,” he said.

“In the last couple of weeks even TV channels have been picking up Twitter feeds.”

As the former editor of a newspaper, and a regular on Twitter, put it, “political parties and leaders have realised that social media has now become a news source for media organisations. Politicians — or those who run their accounts — sometimes, but not always, also respond when they are tagged to queries. This helps them raise their profile and, in a very, very small measure, may also contribute to better governance and decisions.”

On the downside, he added, “the ease of tweeting doesn’t allow those using Twitter to reflect on what they are saying. There have been many political controversies when a leader has tweeted or retweeted someone else without really thinking through the possible reaction.”

As with each new tool, time will no doubt bring proficiency. But meanwhile, large sections of Pakistan’s educated, internet-connected citizenry seem to be enjoying being atwitter about a politician might say next.

Global IT & Techno-Jingoism

By 2020, the world will have about 50 billion connected electronic devices. We will have our own smartphones and computers, and organizations will have them spread everywhere from offices to tractors and boats to planes, monitoring rivers, air and soil.

 

To start understanding what this means, think of cellphones. About 1.75 billion sets were sold in 2012, and Samsung and Apple together took up 52 per cent of the smartphone market's share in the last quarter of 2012. But despite that, the big business and long-term dominance of wireless network equipment is with Ericsson – 38 per cent globally. The sales of Ericsson's cellphone may have dropped to a few per cent, but the company has a century of history in infrastructure network, which, unlike cellphones, cannot be changed according to our whims and fancies.

China's two wireless network equipment companies, Huawei and ZTE, have changed from minor players to global giants in a few years. It is this phenomenon that has prompted some people to use techno-jingoism to thwart the two companies' attempts to invest in the United States and European Union countries. Their rationale is as ridiculous as the corny plots of some old James Bond movies in which Chinese were depicted as the bad guys.

The simple fact is that, as a spin-off from the three-decade GDP growth miracle, Chinese entrepreneurs have hit the ground at speed with confidence and vigor. And like Haier in household appliances and Lenovo in PCs, Huawei and ZTE have rocketed to the front after learning hard lessons from Western companies and spreading throughout China's regions before going national and global.

The Huawei CEO is justified in boasting that the company has 140,000 hardworking, well-trained, motivated workers in 140 countries, and it innovates technologies and improves management systems. While "only" 27.2 million Huawei smartphones were sold in 2012, the year-on-year increase was 73.8 percent.
More to the point, and worryingly for Ericsson, is the fact that Huawei network services have pioneered "integrated revenue and customer management", which is very attractive to customers and encourages end-to-end technology purchase rather than large customers buying segments that don't match.

If the core industry in a new greenfield development project in western China - such as a mine or oilfield - and attendant agriculture, water, power and transportation sectors are all part of a Huawei network, their efficient operational management and transparency would show how disjointed are the monitoring and management of a city whose different departments use different servers.

The techno-jingoists in the US and the EU either accuse China of granting unfair subsidies to its industries that lead to loss of jobs back home or allege that China poses a threat to their national security. They refuse to acknowledge that since 2008, the US government has pumped several trillion dollars into stimulus and quantitative easing packages to help banks and other industries, which common sense says were subsidies.

China has reason to wonder what is wrong with its government helping enterprises when AT&T openly contributes millions of dollars to American political parties as well as lobbies the US government ($130 million declared since 1998). And EU bailouts should disqualify its member states from even trying to criticize China for giving subsidies to its enterprises.

The second accusation leveled at Huawei and ZTE by the US, and recently by the EU and India, is that the use of communication networks associated with China could invite commercial and military espionage. Essentially, that may be possible. It is also likely that some people may spy to gain financial or strategic advantage.

But banning the two Chinese companies from selling their products in a country is similar to cutting off your nose to spite your face. Huawei and ZTE are already major global players, offering advanced technologies at low prices. And you do not cut them out just to feel safe.

Think past the oratory in parliaments. Many old equipments branded in Texas or Milan still have chips, boards and/or black boxes shipped from Shenzhen in China. Would it not be better to go really global and establish standard monitoring practices to expose all hidden codes or tricks. If UN standardized random checks were instituted, then Westerners buying from China and Iranians buying from the West would feel equally safe.

Neither techo-jingoism nor fear-mongering has any place in peaceful global integration. About 100 years ago, technophobia was aggressively promoted by Thomas Alva Edison to protect his direct current power facilities from the superior alternating current network introduced in Europe. To spread fear among people, he gruesomely had an elephant electrocuted in order to convince New York State to replace hanging with the electric chair for the death sentence. This was an outrageous example of generating fear for technology.



Huawei and ZTE are not run by the "bad guys" of old Bond movies. It is true that the founder of Huawei is a former military officer. It is also true that Chinese companies have to become more transparent and should accept checks and balances. But no EU company has demanded an investigation against any Chinese IT enterprise. The EU's commercial associations are vociferously against investigations and bans. So why has the European Commission initiated techno-jingoism?

Before pointing the finger at a Chinese CEO who used to be in the military, people should check out Ericsson, which is controlled by the Wallenberg family that indirectly controls companies that account for one-third of Sweden's GDP and exercise a powerful influence on many European governments. And, by the way, the Wallenberg family's motto is Esse non viden (To be, not to be seen).

The author is an Australian researcher collaborating with Chinese academic and commercial institutions.

Gadget Watch: The Internet-Connected Toothbrush

A Kolibree connected electric toothbrush is displayed during the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 8, 2014. — Reuters Photo

Armbands that track how much you move have become popular ways to motivate people to get fit. But how fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them?

Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.

The Kolibree toothbrush, demonstrated at the International CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week, senses how it's moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.

Virtual Dentist: The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don't forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you're brushing long enough, says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.

"It's kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis," Serval says.

Fun With Hygiene: The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so an enterprising developer could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for chasing monsters among your teeth.

"We try to make it smart but also fun," Serval says.

Inspiration: Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said "yes," but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.

Availability: The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, depending on features. The US is the first target market.

The Future: Serval says that one day, it'll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can examine your cavities and tartar while you brush. Forget selfies - the next adventure in self-expression could be close-up guided tours of people's teeth.

Quotable Quotes of Allama Iqbal, Unique Poet and Philosopher

Christianity describes God as love; Islam as power. How shall we decide between the two conceptions? Extracts from Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s book “Stray Reflections”

The great philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal used to write notes on different topics in his notebook. The poet himself gave the title “Stray Reflections” to this notebook. These notes are reflections of the books which Iqbal read during 1910 to 1932 as a student and thinker. “Although we may disagree with some of his ideas, this notebook enables us to glimpse the liveliness, richness, and fertility of Iqbal’s mind,” says, Dr Iqbal, the compilor of the book. [Stray Reflections: the private notebook of Muhammad Iqbal, p. 161].

I have selected some quotes from the rare book for the benefits of the students. [Q.N.]

A Dialogue
Heart – “It is absolutely certain that God does exist.”


Heart – “So much the better my Aristotle.

”

The Power of Belief 
Belief is a great power. When I see that a proposition of mine is believed by another mind, my own conviction of its truth is thereby immensely increased.

Right and Might
Philosophy is the logic of right, history is the logic of might. The cannons of this later logic appear to be more sound than those of her sister logic.

Idea
Individuals and nations die; but their children, i.e. ideas never die.

Waiting for the Mehdi
Give up waiting for the Mehdi – the personification of power. Go and create him.

Self Control
Self control in individuals builds families, in communities it builds empires.

To Reconstruct this World 
Given character and healthy imagination, it is possible to reconstruct this world of sin and misery into a virtiable paradise.

Success in Life
It is determination, not brains, that succeeds in life.

Poets and Politicians 
Nations are born in the hearts of poets; they prosper and die in the hands of politicians.

To Political Life
True political life begins not with the claiming of rights, but with the doing of duties.

Think of the Devil
Think of the Devil and he is sure to appear. This is equally true of God.

Islam
Islam is not a religion in the ancient sense of the word. It is an attitude – an attitude, that is to say, of Freedom and even of defiance to the Universe. It is really a protest against the entire outlook of the ancient world. Briefly, it is the discovery of Man.

The Man with a Single Idea
If you wish to be heard in the noise of this world, let your soul be dominated by a single idea. It is the man with a single idea who creates political and social revolutions, establishes empires and gives law to the world.

Experience and Knowledge 
Every experience evokes something from the soul of man. Even the experience of sin will reveal some aspect of your soul of which you were not cognizant before. Experience, then, is a double source of knowledge; it gives you an insight into what is without you, as well as an insight into what is within you.

The Value of the Moment 
I judge the worth of my days, months and years from the experiences which they bring to me; and sometimes I am surprised to find that a single moment is more valuable than a whole year.

The Most Charming Thing on Earth
A woman of superb beauty with a complete absence of self-consciousness is to me the most charming thing on God’s earth.
*This reflection was published in New Era, Lucknow, in 1917.
“…is to me the most charming thing” was changed to “is probably the most charming thing” – KAS.

A Successful Man
Recognise your limitations, estimate your capacities and your success in life is assured.

To Become A Public Leader
If you wish to become a public leader you ought to know how to flirt with the Dame Public. Entertain her with platitudes and, if necessary, with lies.

Equality 
The working power of an idea depends on the force of the personality in which it embodies itself. Muhammad, Buddha and Jesus Christ are the great embodiments of the ideas of Equality, yet Islam is the only force in the world which is still working in the direction of Equality.

 

Hegel, Goethe, Ghalib, Bedil and Wordsworth
I confess I owe a great deal to Hegel, Goethe, Mirza Ghalib, Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil and Wordsworth. The first two led me into the “inside” of things; the third and fourth taught me how to remain oriental in spirit and expression after having assimilated foreign ideals of poetry, and the last saved me from atheism in my student days.

The Future of Afghanistan 

The verdict of history is that buffer states have never been able to form themselves into great political units. So was the case with Syria – a buffer state between the Empire of Rome and that of the Persians. It seems difficult to forecast the future of Afghanistan. 

Fanaticism
All nations accuse us of fanaticism. I admit the charge – I go further and say that we are justified in our fanaticism. Translated in the language of biology fanaticism is nothing but the principle of individuation working in the case of group. In this sense all forms of life are more or less fanatical and ought to be so if they care for their collective life. And as a matter of fact all nations are fanatical. Criticise an Englishman’s relgion, he is immovable; but criticise his civilisation, his country or the behaviour of his nation in any sphere of activity and you will bring out his innate fanaticism. The reason is that his nationality does not depend on religion; it has a geographical basis – his country. His fanaticism then is justly roused when you criticise his country. Our position, however, is fundamentally different. With us nationality is a pure idea; it has no material basis. Our only rallying point is a sort of mental agreement in a certain view of the world. If then our fanaticism is roused when our religion is criticised, I think we are as much justified in our fanaticism as an Englishman is when his civilisation is denounced. The feeling in both cases is the same though associated with different objects. Fanaticism is patriotism for religion; patriotism, fanaticism for country.

Metaphysics 
I confess I am a bit tired of metaphysics. But whenever I happen to argue with people I find that their arguments are always based on certain propositions which they assume without criticism. I am, therefore, driven to examine the value of these propositions. The practical in all its shapes drives me back to the speculative. It seems to me to be impossible to get rid of metaphysics altogether.

Forms of Government 
“Let fools fight for the forms of government,” says Alexander Pope. I cannot agree with this political philosophy. To my mind,

government, whatever its form, is one of the determining forces of a people’s character. Loss of political power is equally ruinous to nations’ character. Ever since their political fall the Musalmans of India have undergone a rapid ethical deterioration.

Of all the Muslim communities of the world they are probably the meanest in point of character. I do not mean to deplore our former greatness in this country, for, I confess, I am almost a fatalist in regard to the various forces that ultimately decide the destinies of nations. As a political force we are perhaps no longer required; but we are, I believe, still indispensable to the world as the only testimony to the absolute Unity of God – Our value among nations, then, is purely evidential.

 

The God of Islam
Christianity describes God as love; Islam as power. How shall we decide between the two conceptions? I think the history of mankind and of the universe as a whole must tell us as to which of the two conceptions is truer. I find that God reveals Himself in history more as power than love. I do not deny the love of God! I mean that, on the basis of our historical experience, God is better described as power. 

Overcoming Procrastination 7 Tips to Get Yourself Going

Overcoming procrastination is at the top of many people’s lists for improving themselves. If you keep procrastination to a minimum you’ll lead a productive and happy life.

Figuring out why people procrastinate is simple, it’s figuring out how to get over, is difficult. In order to overcome procrastination, consider the following tips:

1.    Overcome Stress. Many people find themselves procrastinating because they lead stressful lives. You can solve many problems by overcoming stress in a healthy way. Follow certain steps, Have sound sleep. Take plenty of time to relax. Ask for help when you need it.

2.    Set a Schedule. It may help you to get a day planner or other type of scheduling plan. Not having a set schedule is one of the main reasons why people procrastinate. It’s easy to forget to do something, or to avoid doing something if you’re not holding yourself responsible at the end of the day. Look at your schedule throughout the day and make sure that you stick to it.
 Another tip to remember is to set attainable goals for yourself. If you try to cram too much into one day, your body and mind will fight it with procrastination. Also, make sure you schedule in time for you to relax too.

3.    Break your Tasks Apart. Sometimes you’ll find yourself procrastinating because the task at hand seems too large. An example would be cleaning out your garage. You may have boxes everywhere and just the thought of going in there is too daunting. In this situation you should tell yourself that you’re going to sort through one or two boxes per day. Before you know it the job will be done little by little.

4.    Take Breaks. When you’re on the journey to overcoming procrastination, you must learn how to take breaks. If you push yourself too hard, you may eventually burn out. After you accomplish each small task, give yourself some time to yourself. Don’t be tempted to take breaks that are too long. If you are tempted then make sure that you time yourself.



5.    Do It Right Now. When it comes to the little things, take on the “Do it right now” mentality. All those little things can add up to some serious stress if you continue to procrastinate. This just means if you get a bill in the mail, go online and pay it. If you find something out of place around the house, put it away. Stop allowing yourself to save things for later.

6.    Give Yourself a Firm Deadline. When you have one particular task that you must accomplish, don’t leave anything up in the air. Give yourself a firm deadline that you must adhere to in the end. If you end up wasting time at the beginning, you’ll be hurting as the deadline approaches. If this happens to you, maybe that’ll be just the push you need to start staying on top of things.

7.    Get Someone to Hold You Accountable. It’s easy to feel alone with your problems, but when it comes to overcoming procrastination there are probably many people that can offer you their assistance. Maybe you have a friend that also has a problem with procrastination and you can start to check up on each other. When you have a particular thing that you need to accomplish, have someone check up on you during certain intervals. It’s definitely a good way to hold yourself accountable in the end.

5 Steps to Define Your Goals and Devise a Plan to Get There

Where do you want to be 5 years from now, 10 years from now, or even this time next year? These places are your goal destinations and although you might know that you don’t want to be standing still in the same place as you are now, it’s not always easy to identify what your real goals are.

Many people think that setting a goal destination is having a dream that is at the far distant future, and will never be attained. This proves to be a self-fulfilling prophesy because of two things. Firstly, that the goal isn’t specifically defined enough in the first place, and secondly, it remains a remote dream waiting for action which is never initiated.

Defining your goal destination is something that you need to take some time to think carefully about. The following steps should be started on a journey to those goals:

1. Make a list of your goal destinations. Goal destinations are the things, important to you. A synonym would be “Ambitions”, which sound outside your grasp, whereas goal destinations are certainly achievable if you are willing to make efforts towards them. So what do you really want to do with your life? What are the main things that you would like to accomplish in your life? What would you really regret not doing if you suddenly found you had a limited amount of time left on the earth? Each of these things is a goal. Define each goal destination in one sentence.
If any of these goals is a stepping stone to another one of the goals, take it off this list as it isn’t a goal destination.

2. Think about the time frame 
For each goal, you need to think about the time frame you’d ideally like to have accomplished this goal. This is where the 5 year, 10 year, next year plan comes into it. Some goals will have a “shelf life” because of age, health, finance, etc, whereas others will be up to you as to when you would like to achieve them by.



Now comes the more intense part of the goal destination setting - devising the planning of your journey towards arriving at each of your goal destinations. Follow the step by step plan for each of your goals individually.

1. Write each goal destination at the top of a new piece of paper.
2. For each goal write down what is needed to you and don’t have now that will allow you achieve that goal.

This could be some kind of education, career change, finance, a new skill, etc. Any “stepping stone” goals you removed from part 1 of the goal destination identification process will fit into this exercise. If any of these smaller “goals” have sub-goals, go through the same process with these so that you have precise action points to work with.

3. Write down the things to complete the goal
Write down the things that you will need to do in order to complete each of the steps required to complete the goal. These items will become a check-list. Check-list is a tangible way of checking how you are progressing towards reaching your goal destinations.

4. An overview your goal destinations 
Now take an overview of all your goal destinations and make a schedule of what you need to do this week, this month, this year - in order to progress along the road towards your goal destinations.

5. Write these action points on a schedule 
Write these action points on a schedule so that you have definite dates on which to do things. At the end of the year, review what you have done this year, mark things off the check-lists for each goal destination and write up the schedule with the action points you need for the next year.

Although it may take you several years to, for example, get the promotion you desire because you first need to get the MBA which means getting a job with more money to allow you to finance a part-time degree course, you will ultimately be successful in achieving your goal destination because you have planned out not only what you want, but how to get it, and have been pro-active towards achieving it. Congratulations!

Why our Universities are no Match to Oxford or Harvard?

It is a sad fact that our universities are still no match to the universities like Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale or Stanford which always make it to the prestigious list of world’s Top 10 universities.

When it comes to choosing a university for a Master's degree or PhD or even an undergraduate programme nowadays, Western universities are greatly preferred. One dreams of studying at Harvard or become a Yale graduate, but, why people don't look up to our universities?

A number of students particularly mention the superior infrastructure in Western universities such as better research facilities, state-of-the-art libraries and well-equipped laboratories. These things, according to most students, play a significant role in the quality of education. Students are attracted by the libraries in universities, the commitment and professionalism of university staff, and the dialogue-based pedagogy.

Unfortunately, the quality of education in Pakistan is marred with a declining trend. Most public sector colleges have substandard education and insufficient infrastructure. The universities, too, lag far behind the Western universities. An immediate reason for this imbroglio is the lack of academic freedom. Our universities are not completely free of administrative control or, at least, bureaucratic influence. The chancellor is still a high state functionary. In case of provincial universities, it is the provincial governor while for the federal universities it is the President of Pakistan. The vice chancellor is his nominee that means the bureaucrats have a major say in his appointment. 

While the provincial governments exercise administrative control over university affairs, financial control is exercised by the Centre. But, there is no coordination between them. Most often the governments order to increase student intake without increasing the budget to provide facilities for them. The powerlessness of the administration before the bureaucracy creates hurdles in smooth functioning of a university.

 As many as seven Pakistani universities made it to the 2013 list of top 250 Asian universities while three other universities among the top 200 world universities in agriculture and forestry. Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad (QAU) secured 119th position among top 250 Asian varsities while National University of Science and Technology Islamabad (NUST) was declared 120th, Agha Khan University Karachi (AKU) between 151-160, Lahore University of Management Sciences Lahore (LUMS) between 191-200, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore (UET), University of Karachi and University of the Punjab Lahore between 201-250 are now in top 250.

 On the contrary, World's most prestigious universities are autonomous and free of all influences of bureaucracy. This makes academics confident, independent and fearless.

Most Pakistani universities are staffed by the people who cannot be considered the cream of the nation because most top achievers opt for civil service or go into engineering or medical profession. Being a professor is not the first priority since no incentives are offered. Teaching is not a lucrative job in Pakistan. Hence universities do not get the best human resources. To aggravate the situation, there is lack of proper teacher training centres. The incompetent and inadequately trained teachers are unable to impart proper knowledge to the students.

On the contrary, the professionalism of the professors and their absolute commitment are the highlights when we see the Western universities.

“The professors here are committed. They are constantly involved in the process of enlightenment and impart the best of their knowledge to the students. I see in them the spirit and skill of teaching,” says Ahsan Riaz, a Pakistani PhD student at the University of Toronto.

There exists an anti-participatory environment in our universities. Where Western institutions have a positive attitude and an overall environment conducive to student support, Pakistani universities are bound by low teacher-student ratios leading to lack of individualized interaction among teachers and students. Students, therefore, are unable to push themselves for an effective learning environment.

Muhammad Ilyas Khan, a Leicester PhD student says in “A comparative glance at universities in Pakistan and the UK”:

 “This reflects a philosophy of education which is really based on constructivism and where the professor does not consider himself the source of all knowledge but works with the student in a two-way process of knowledge creation and development. This is, besides others, the feature that universities in Pakistan need to adopt, if we in fact want our universities to be real centres of knowledge, creation and innovation.”

 Most of the Pakistani universities are teaching centres, rather than being research-oriented institutions. It is generally believed that universities are supposed to teach and not to conduct research. The staff members see themselves as lecturers and not as someone who eagerly involves himself with the students in quest of knowledge. They merely disseminate information produced by others without doing creative, original research themselves. The key behind success of Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge or Yale is extensive research in every field. The students who are engaged in research are more in touch with latest developments often making genuine discoveries and receiving recognition for their work.

Along with recruiting trained teachers, it is high time Pakistani universities update their syllabi as well. The memory—based education must be replaced by conceptual study. Furthermore, the stereotype system of evaluation must be reinvented. Pakistan has abundance of talent. This state has produced, and will be producing, prodigies like Arfa Karim and Asiya Arif.

Modern ideas, science, technology and the idea of education on scientific lines need to be introduced. The education sector should be provided autonomy as well.

MEDIA ETHICS & THE FREEDOM OF PRESS

Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan gives the guidelines under which the press is supposed to function in Pakistan. This article says:

Media is the fourth pillar of state. It is the institution that disseminates information on the latest happenings across the globe. Owing to its multifarious functions, especially being an opinion maker, the media has to dig out the truth. This is considered the right of media to do whatever possible to bring reality before the public. However, with every right comes a responsibility. So there is a dire need to set some standards or ethics for media. 

Ethics are the principles that determine the rightness and wrongness of an act. These are the self-imposed principles that mainly aim at maintaining decency, harmony and positivism within the organizations. Ethics can also be termed as the canons of morality. 

Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan gives the guidelines under which the press is supposed to function in Pakistan. This article says:

Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence.

In today's globalized and enlightened world, media is considered as a double edged sword. It can be as lethal a weapon as a nuke. It is universally acknowledged that pen is mightier than sword. The principles of good journalism are directed toward bringing the highest quality of news reporting to the public, thus fulfilling the mission of timely dissemination of information in service of the public interest. 

The codes and canons, to a great extent, evolved through observation of and response to past lapses by media personnel. However, it is heartening that the terms of employment mandate adherence to ethical codes equally applicable to both staff and freelance journalists. Upholding professional standards also boosts public trust in a news organization, which serves as an impetus to enhance the number of its audiences. The process of designing the journalistic code of ethics is full of difficulties, such as conflicts of interest, to assist journalists in dealing with ethical dilemmas. The codes and canons provide journalists with a framework for self-monitoring and self-correction.

In the present-day world, journalism has got an unprecedented importance in our lives because:

1. It acts as watchdog which means that it protects society from aggression.

2. By bringing in public awareness, it promotes public participation. 

3. It projects the images of politicians and leaders, etc.

4. It challenges the acts of autocracy and dictatorship

5. World has become global village, people stay connected through it. 

Journalism's first obligation is to the truth, its first loyalty is to the citizens and its essence is discipline of verification. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant. 

Following are the fundamental canons that should be opted as guiding principles of journalism. 

1. Reporters must avoid conflict of interest incentives to report a story with a given slant. This includes not taking bribes and not reporting on stories that affect the reporter's personal, economic or political interests. 

2. Competing points of view must be balanced and fairly characterized. Moreover, persons who are the subject of adverse stories must be allowed a reasonable opportunity to respond before the story is published or broadcast.  

3. Interference with reporting by any entity, including censorship, must be disclosed. 

4. Confidentiality of anonymous sources must be maintained. 

5. There should be the avoidance of anonymous sources to the maximum extent. 

6. Accurate attribution of statements must be made 

7. Pictures sound, and quotations must not be presented in a misleading manner.

8. Simulations, re-enactments, alterations, and artistic imaginings must be clearly labelled as such.  

Reporters are expected to be as accurate as possible given the time allotted to story preparation and to seek reliable sources. Events with a single eyewitness must be reported with attribution, however, events with more eyewitnesses may be reported as fact. Independent fact-checking by another person is desirable and if any error is found, the corrections must be made. Opinion surveys and statistical information deserve special treatment to communicate. Special sensitivity must be used when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects. The journalists must be sensitive while seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by a tragedy or grief. They must acknowledge that private people have every right to conceal information about themselves than do public officials. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy. The media personnel must be judicious when naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges. 

Freedom of press shall not be used as a weapon against any one. Ethics, canons and moral standards of journalism must be designed in the light of the Constitution of Pakistan so that journalism could truly be exploited for materializing positivity in the mindsets of the masses and constructive approach for all segments of society.

Lahore Resolution & the Partition of India

23 March, 1940 is a milestone in the political history of the Subcontinent as on this very day, the Lahore Resolution, which served as an impetus to the creation of Pakistan, was passed.

 

This resolution gained a wide currency and importance when the Hindu press disdainfully declared it “Pakistan Resolution.” The motive behind this act of Hindu-dominated press was to make this resolution controversial.

Introduction 
Hindus became hostile to the Lahore Resolution despite the fact that the very word 'Pakistan' was not even mentioned anywhere in the Lahore Resolution. The 'Daily Tribune' called the Pakistan scheme unacceptable and horrible. 'Hindustan Times' and 'Modern Review' termed it as the ingenuity of the most ingenious constitution-mongers that will be unable to divide India.

Never in the history of the world had a resolution consisting mere 40 words changed the destiny of a nation, but Lahore Resolution did this miracle. The newspaper 'Statesman’ wrote:

“It is a revolutionary proposal but those who are willing to oppose it, must study it before criticizing it. They must understand that the League has seriously presented it; therefore, it cannot be ignored as a mere fanciful dream.”

The Lahore Resolution was passed on the 27th annual session of All India Muslim League. It seems that the passing of the Resolution was a response to Congress atrocities against the Muslims. This was the time when Muslims were firmly convinced that in order to survive, they must have a separate state of their own. This stance was further strengthened by communal antagonism and harsh treatment meted by the Congress Ministries.  Though the solution of Hindu-Muslim conflict had been being proposed since the 19th century, these proposals received huge impetus in 1930s and 1940s and attracted popular response as well. An illustrious historian I.H. Qureshi describes it in these words:

“The concentration of Muslim majorities in the north-west and north-east of the Subcontinent could not remain unnoticed by the political thinkers.”

British Proposals
Since the arrival of the British in the Subcontinent, many administrators and analysts had been closely observing the prevailing situation. They made a number of efforts to settle the issues between Hindus and Muslims once forever. In this regard, the first proposal came from a British parliamentarian Mr John Bright who, in 1858, proposed that various Presidencies and States would be existed instead of forming one compact state. He said:

“…and if at any future period the sovereignty of England should be withdrawn, we should leave so many Presidencies built up and firmly compacted together, each able to support its own independence and its own Government; and we should be able to say we had not left the country a prey to that anarchy and discord which I believe to be inevitable if we insist on holding those vast territories with the idea of building them up into one great empire.”

W.S. Blunt also did not see any prospect for a united India; he saw the main line of division running between the Hindus and the Muslims and pointed out, in 1881-82, the hidden strength of the Indian Muslims.

In 1932, Sir Reginald Craddock, a Governor of Burma and chairman of the Indian Constitutional Reforms Committee during British Raj, observed:

“If Norway and Sweden could not get to be united, how it can be expected that the infinitely greater diversities and divergent racial elements in India, could be welded into one self-governing and democratic whole.”

In 1932, John Coatman, in his book “The Road to Self-Government” wrote:



“It may be that the die is already cast and that no united India as we understand today will ever emerge. It may be that Moslem India in the North-West is destined to become a separate Muslim state or part of a Muslim Empire.”

Theodore Beck and Sir Theodore Morison also confirmed the 'Two Nation Theory' and rejected the principle of majority rule in Hind (the Hindu Raj). Morison suggested the concentration of the entire Muslim population of India in the area extending from Agra to Peshawar.   

Hindu Proposals
Similarly many Hindu politicians and political thinkers had realized the fact that the Muslims and Hindus could never be prosperous and live together in future. Therefore, a Hindu nationalist, Bhai Parmanand, who remained an ardent supporter of Arya Samaj, suggested:

“The only satisfactory avenue to unity is to effect complete severance between the two peoples; India could be partitioned in such a manner as to secure the supremacy of Islam in one zone and that of Hinduism in the other. Under this plan, some exchange of population would be inevitable. People with strong religious feelings who found themselves in the wrong region would have to migrate to the other.”

Meanwhile a veteran Hindu leader, Lala Lajpat Rai proposed in 1924 the formation of Muslim states in the provinces of Punjab, N.W.F.P., Sind and Bengal.     

Muslim Proposals
Jamal-ud-din Afghani dreamt of the formation of a Muslim Confederation consisting of the northwestern Muslim majority provinces of India, Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan.  With the break-out of Urdu-Hindi controversy at Banaras in 1867, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, previously a staunch supporter of Indian nationalism, was compelled to use the word Qaum (nation) particularly for the Muslims of the Subcontinent. 

Maulvi Muharram Ali Chishti (owner and editor of the Rafique-i-Hind, a weekly journal from Lahore) strongly opined that the Muslims were a nation and they should establish a political party; he also remained in touch with Syed Ameer Ali on this point. Under such circumstances, a separate Muslim organization known as “Muhammadan National Conference” was founded at Calcutta in 1889, so that the interests and claims of the Muslims for their national status could be protected.     

The famous novelist and journalist Abdul Haleem Sharar (1860-1926) was the first notable and prominent Muslim intellectual who made a proposal in his weekly journal “Muhazzab” for “a kind of territorial rearrangement and exchange of population; that the Hindus and Muslims should distribute the districts between themselves.”

In 1905, a well-known poet, Akbar Allahabadi proposed:

“The North of Jumna River should be given to the Muslims so that the two nations should be able to live in peace.”

He declared Hindus and Muslims two different nations in the Subcontinent. Wilait Ali Bambooque wrote in “Gupshup” about a separate country for Muslims in Northern India. The Kheri Brothers (Abdul Jabbar and Abdul Sattar) also proposed the partition of India. Attending the Stockholm Conference of Socialist International in 1917, they submitted a report in which they urged the partition of India into Muslim India and Hindu India.

In 1920, Abdul Qadir Bilgrami wrote a letter to Gandhi in which he gave an idea for the partition of India between the Muslims and the Hindus. He also provided a list of districts, which would be a part of future separate Muslim state and surprisingly this list of districts was not so much different from the state of Pakistan made after 1947. He is also considered the first person who gave the idea for the partition of Punjab and Bengal provinces into Muslim and Non-Muslim zones.

Similarly in 1920, a great poet and revolutionary figure, Moulana Hasrat Mohani was the first one who gave a resolution for independence of India from the platform of Congress. He proposed an Indian Federal Republican State based on the model of United States of America; a state in which the Muslim states would be combined within the Hindu states (provinces).

Chaudhary Wahab-ud-din Kamboh of Amritsar presented his “Nuristan Scheme” (Nuristan means a land of light) in 1923. According to this scheme, the Muslim provinces in the northwest region of the Indian Subcontinent would be separated from other parts of India for the establishment of a Muslim state.

In 1924, Moulana Obaid Ullah Sindhi also suggested a federation where religion and state would be separated; each region would be known as “Swarajiva Republic” and would be a free member of the Federation. Delhi would be cosmopolitan city and other centres of the Federal government would be established in Agra and Lahore.

In 1925, Moulana Mohammad Ali suggested separation and the right to self-determination for the people of North India for economic, strategic, religious and cultural reasons. In the same year, some teachers and students of the Aligarh Muslim University suggested a scheme of partition of India and the creation of a Muslim state.

In 1928, Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi also proposed the formation of a Muslim state in the Indian Subcontinent. Meanwhile, Sir Agha Khan also articulated his ideas for the formation of a large South Asian Federation, following the pre-1914 Bavaria model. According to this model, each Indian province (state) would have complete freedom. Every free-state would be based on religion, nationality, race, language and history.                

In 1930, Allama Iqbal gave his own scheme of formation of a separate Muslim homeland, delivering his famous presidential address at Allahabad session of All India Muslim League. He said,

“I am fully convinced that the Muslims of India will ultimately have to establish a separate homeland as they cannot live with Hindus in the United India……I would like to see Punjab, N.W.F.P. Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single state.”

In 1933, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali coined the term 'Pakistan' in a pamphlet 'Now or Never; Are We to Live or Perish Forever?' in which he demanded a separate Muslim state. It was the first appearance of the magic word “Pakistan”, which later became the top word for naming the future Muslim state in the Indian Subcontinent.

Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, Chief Minister of Punjab Province, published his scheme known as “Outlines of a Scheme of Indian Federation.” This scheme proposed for the loosest of federations, with regional or zonal legislatures dealing with common interests. He suggested enormous powers for the provinces and minimum to the central government. His scheme recommended for demarcation of Indian Subcontinent into seven zones, having loose federating units.

In 1939, Dr Zafar ul Hasan and Dr Afzal Hussain Qadri wrote 'The Problems of Indian Muslims and their Solution'. This scheme, also popularly known as 'Aligarh Scheme', proposed the partition of country into three completely independent and autonomous states.

Conclusion
By the beginning of the 1940, Muslim politics entered into a new but significant phase. Now the Muslim League took a departure from pre-1937 policy. The Lahore Resolution delineates the aspirations of the Muslims that they did not want a united Indian federation rather they were to have a state of their own. There came about 170 proposals and suggestions before the Lahore Resolution i.e. from 1858 to 1940, to divide the Indian Subcontinent. Although the Hindu Press declared it a 'controversial resolution' aimed at the formation of a separate state, yet proposals regarding the division of the subcontinent had been coming from all quarters. The Lahore Resolution saw a major turn in the politics of the Subcontinent as the Muslims' struggle for a separate homeland was reinvigorated through it.

Efficient Customer Service A SIX- STEP APPROACH

If you do not give your customer a reason to stay, your competitor will undoubtedly give him a reason to leave you.

 

The fastest way to increase customer loyalty and retention is by improving the quality of customer service you deliver. We get a lot of advice about how to deliver great customer service. Many of the tips are reminders of what we already know. And these are useful. But, sometimes, we need more than a reminder. Sometimes, it is helpful to have a system or, at least a set of steps to follow, to make our customer feel like a star.

Here is an easy yet valuable road-map for the accomplishment of the objective. It can be effective in keeping us on track so we consistently deliver what our customers want from us.

Following Six-step approach makes the customer feel satisfied with your services.

1. CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMER
This is critical. This is where you establish rapport and begin a relationship with your customer. “Connecting” means you are building trust that runs both ways.

Do this by engaging your customer. Start by giving them your name and asking theirs. Be interested in them and what they want. Ask questions. Listen. Respond appropriately. Have a conversation with them. Be genuine. Be professional all the time because people love to buy from professionals. Cater to their personal preferences. One hotel dinning room supervisor heard a guest say that she enjoyed blood oranges, so he secretly had a few brought up to her room. Delight people and, in turn, you and your business become unforgettable.

People generally do know whether you are genuinely interested in helping them or not. If you are, they are more likely to respond positively to you and to develop trust in you. If you are really not interested, they will sense it and you will have a much harder time developing the trust you need to help them.

2. DISCOVER WHAT THEY WANT
If you have a genuine conversation with your customer, you will discover what they want. They do not always know what they want or they might have trouble expressing it. Often people know what they want but they are unsure how to get it. That is where you come in. Your offer must be in accordance with the want of the customer. This may be justified by the instance that, “If we roll out the red carpet for billionaires, they would not even notice it. If we roll out the red carpet for millionaires, they expect it. If we roll out the red carpet for thousandaires, they appreciate it. And if we roll out the red carpet for hundredaires, they tell everybody they know”. Consequently such organizational behaviour helps you advertise your matchless customer service. Judging customer's want must be commensurate with the income level and buying power of the customer.

By asking pertinent questions and paying attention to the answers, you can discover a lot about your customer. Pay full attention because people naturally love to be treated extraordinarily. You can help guide them to getting what they want. That is the role you fill and that is how you keep customers coming back.



3. KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO
We cannot give the customers everything they want; sometimes they want what we cannot do, while most of the times, it is something we choose not to do. Every business has a niche to fill. It means doing what the business is best at doing for the customers can serve best. This step is about “picking your battles”. It is about choosing the customers who best fit with what you can do well by knowing what best you can do.

4. DO IT
This sounds easy and, perhaps, it should be. But it is where many businesses fail. They fail because they do not manage the process of planning, doing, measuring and monitoring well.

To execute well, you need to be able to measure what is important. What gets measured gets done. So, convert your customers' wants into actions you can measure. Then set up a system to measure the outcomes and the actions that produce them.

5. FOLLOW-UP
For customers, this is icing on their cake. This is true for you as well because it is easy to do and it pays huge dividends too.
As you plan your execution phase, make sure you plan a follow-up contact also. Follow them up by phone, email, letter, visit or whatever works. The more direct and personal the better but make it work for your customer and your company. This thrills customers because very few companies do it consistently.

6. THANK THEM
This often gets forgotten or it gets treated lightly. Too often when we hear a “thanks for doing business with us” it sounds phony, forced or robotic. People often say it out of habit but they put no feeling or authenticity into it.

So, when you thank your customers, be real about it. Make it genuine. Thank them in multiple ways, not just once. Make sure they know you are grateful for their business.

These six steps make a pragmatic approach which would make you see customers' loyalty to you and retention going through the roof.

What Should be the Aims of Education?

What should be the aims of education is a crucial question that merits deep pondering. Some people think that being educated means getting through academic institutions or making one's brain a repository of some facts and information but this approach towards education is absolutely flawed.

 

Holding a degree or diploma or certificate for the purpose of earning merely a living cannot be called education. This is rather a narrow and myopic view. If storing data and facts were the gauge of being educated, then the most educated beings would be the supercomputers with capacities of trillions of bytes up in their memory units. And if such were the objectives of education, Islam would not make it incumbent on every Muslim – male or female – to learn, and receive education.

In a broader perspective, education is not only information-oriented but is also values-based factor. It emphasizes more on practice than theory. In real connotation of education, knowing is not enough, it must be accompanied by doing and practically implementing what has been learnt. The core purposes of education should be character-building, personality development, spiritual consciousness, to name a few.

Education should be so as to enhance the intellect and explore the hidden natural talents and potential of a person to bring out his best. Furthermore, education, on the basis of different ends it has to achieve, and functions it has to bring forth, can be made to function in numerous areas of activities, most fundamental of which are the moral, mental and spiritual development.

The first and foremost aim of education should be the mental nourishment of an individual. It should expedite the fullest development and use of his/her mental capabilities. In other words, it should be able to nurture his personality and make him able to exploit his real God-gifted talent. Education should produce a well-disciplined and cultured mind. Discipline is a matter of effective training and, more importantly, a man with a disciplined mind is equipped with propitious training to deal with problems that are bound to confront him in life. Such a person would be bold enough to utilize his innate abilities to analyze situations and respond properly to them. Education can make him communicative, farsighted, cultured and able to earn a living. In a nutshell, it prepares him for life. Following are some aims which the education must fulfil:

Firstly, having received proper education, one should earn his livelihood so as to avoid being a parasite or dependent on others. Self-esteem and confidence in one's abilities are the essential features of an educated being.

Secondly, an educated person must have effective tools of communication. He must have a gregarious attitude towards life, for one cannot live in isolation.

Fellowship feelings must be an integral part of his personality to preserve sympathy, consideration and social attachment.

Thirdly, education should make one capable to adopt him/her to new changes and ideas because change is the law of life and it is the only thing that is constantly occurring all around. Every age has experienced change but that of ours has it with more rapidity. “History”, one has said, “is ahead of schedule” and the current changes and challenges substantiate the statement quite aptly. So entertainment of new ideas is highly significant for us.



Fourthly, education should prepare one to get along with others. Living in constant touch with others is one of the most serious requirements of our age. The history of civilization in part is the history of man's learning to become involved in larger relationships. The progress of “we” from family to tribe, tribe to clan, clan to nation and nation to world order is a part of this development. We need to take interest in others to live peacefully. To be educated is to put the statement “we are members of one another” in practice.

Fifthly, to be educated is to be capable to entertain oneself, to create a rich and dialectical inner life and a wide range of appreciation and self-control. Educated is the person who has tolerance not to get frustrated though alone. Some people are so lackadaisical that they  break into tears if they have to spend one or two hours in solitude. The present excessive use of grudges, alcohol and barbiturates clearly manifests the seriousness of the issue and enlightens the need to learn self-control and have a better understanding of life.

Another objective of education should be the moral and spiritual development of man. Morality is what that draws the fundamental line of demarcation between human and animals. Broadly speaking, spirituality is the ultimate end of creation. Morality may differ from people to people but in the real sense it is found in the articulated saying of Socrates: “know thyself.”

This is the true essence of morality. Knowing your inner self is important at a time when there exists a huge difference between our remarkable understanding and control of our physical world along with the meagre understanding and control of ourselves.

Given the above-mentioned points, there should be practical steps taken to implement the policies which serve the purpose of fulfilling these purposes. Thus only the education will help improve the standard of life in our country.

QUERIES of CSS,PMS,PCS Aspirants

Jahangir's World Times is the only magazine that caters for the needs of the candidates of the prestigious competitive exams including CSS, PMS and PCS. Candidates often face difficulties in selection of subjects, choosing the right books, preparing for the interviews and so on. JWT's CSS GURU is an initiative to provide the guidance candidates may need at any stage. Our guru will answer all your queries. If you want to ask something and need guidance, please write to us or email at the following address: Jahangir's World Times 121-D, Gulberg II, Lahore. email: cssguru@jworldtimes.com

 

Dear Guru
I am doing my B.S. (Hons.) in Mass Communication from Punjab University. My subjects are sociology, psychology, political science and journalism. Now I am in third semester and I am going to appear in BA exam this year so that I may appear in CSS. The PU library has a lot of books but I cannot decide which books I should choose. Moreover, my English is not so good. Keeping in view my shortcomings, please tell me which subject combination is right for me and also suggest me a few good books of these subjects along with a method to improve my knowledge and writing skills.

I belong to Gilgit-Baltistan and we have 4 per cent quota in the CSS. If you guide me a little I will work hard because I am at an initial stage right now.

Regards
Syed Imtiaz Ahmed

Dear Imtiaz
You may consult the books suggested below. However, you should also benefit from PU Library for value-addition of your notes for each subject. You may select from subjects like Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Journalism, British History and Political Science.

Psychology:
1.    Introduction to Psychology by Morgan & King
2.    Abnormal Psychology by Neil Davisson  
3.    Psychology by Ali Ajmal

Physical Geography:
1.    Physical Geography of Human Environment by     H. De Blij
2.    Certificate Physical and Human Geography by     Goh Chen Long

Economic, Regional and Human Geography:
1.    Geography (20 Questions) by M. Jahangir Sanpal Khan
2.    Economic Geography by Fazal Karim Khan
3.    Oxford Geography for Pakistan by Fazal Karim

Sociology:
1.    Sociology by Horton and Hunt
2.    Social Problems of Pakistan by Dr Muhammad Khalid

British History:
1.    Modern English History by G.W. Southgate
2.    British History for CSS by Dr Waheed Asghar

Dear Sir
I want to seek guidance on the matter of Muslim Law. Should I opt it for 2014 or skip it? I have done some work on it but I am scared of its low scores it has yielded in the last two years.
Kindly help me.
Shenzay Ali

You are right in mentioning that candidates of Muslim Law have got disappointing marks in past few years. But you must remember that each year many candidates with good preparation are able to obtain good scores in this subject.  Muslim Law is a technical subject and you have to provide references from different sources of Islamic Law as well as some historical references. If you can handle the demands of this paper, then you should go for it ignoring the results of other candidates.



Dear Guru
I have done Masters in Political Science from Balochistan University and now I want to appear in CSS and I want to have the combination of Political Science with Public Admin., International Law, Psychology and Pushto. Will it be suitable for me? Please also suggest me the reasonable method of study and making notes.
Thank You.
Sabir khan
Qillah Abdullah, Balochistan

Dear, your combination is good except that scores of Political Science have not been encouraging in recent years. However, being a Masters in Political Science, you should be in a position to handle this paper aptly. As an option, you may also consider Geography or British History.

You should study with a timeline in mind. First of all enlist all topics to be covered for each subject. Consult past papers to get an idea of the way questions are asked in exam. Make a combination of one textbook and one CSS-specific book. During first read, take short notes of all important points. Add all useful diagrams, figures and flow charts you find to your notes. Refine your notes with every revision.

Dear Guru
I want to appear in CSS-2014 exam. Please guide me on how to improve English writing skills and the appropriate usage of punctuation marks? Can one do it all by oneself while reading the essays in JWT?
Baha-ud-din
Quetta.

English writing skills are learnt by reading good sources and refined by practicing. Try to consult good sources for study, and write regularly. The best way to improve understanding of English grammar is to study and acquaint oneself with rules of English grammar.

A very useful book to learn basic rules of English grammar is 'English Grammar in Use' by Raymond Murphy. It contains grammar rules with exercises to help you find out and correct your mistakes. A very popular book on CSS English is 'Discovering the World of English' published by JBD Press.

Dear Sir
Please tell me how I should prepare for General Knowledge paper of PMS. Kindly also tell that how can I score good marks in Urdu because my Urdu is weak and in last PMS, I scored only 37 in spite of attempting all questions.
Matee ur Rehman 

Dear Matee,
For Urdu, you need to work on your written expression. Read Urdu newspapers regularly and try to write regularly. You may consult Urdu Mazamin by Imran Azam and Urdu General by Meher Hayat. For General Knowledge, regularly peruse the “CSS” section of this magazine. Moreover, you need to prepare data regarding countries of the world, international organizations, and specific days celebrated by UN.

Dear Guru
Assalam-o-Alaikum
I want to seek your advice on the matter of selection of books on Public Administration and Journalism. Please recommend me at least 3 good and authentic books for each subject.
Sana Misbah

Dear Sana,
You may consult these books:

Public Administration:
1.    Essential Managers' Manual by Robert Heller & Tim Hindle
2.    Public Administration Vol. I & II By Dr Sultan
3.    Public Administration by Asif J. Mir

Journalism: 
1.    Journalism in Pakistan by Dr Abdus Salam Khurshid
2.    Journalism for All by Dr Mehdi Hassan & Dr Abdus Salam Khurshid
3.    Journalism for CSS/PMS by Quratulain & Haseeb Gohar

Pakistan Becomes Nuclear Power

Pakistan crossed the nuclear threshold to become a declared nuclear weapons state on 28 May 1998 after it detonated five nuclear devices in the Ras Koh Hills in Chagai, Balochistan.

 

This day is celebrated across the country as a national day “Youm-e-Takbir”, and is a milestone in the history of Pakistan.

Background
After BJP came into power in India after February 1998 elections, it upped the ante against Pakistan. Another turning point came in the history of the region as India decided to carry out second nuclear tests; first being in 1974. On 11 and 13 May 1998, India conducted 5 nuclear tests at Pokhran, Rajasthan near the Pakistan border and became a “nuclear weapons state”. This destabilized the balance of power in South Asia heavily in India's favour.

Aftermath of Indian Explosions
The dust at Pokhran had yet to settle when India's civil and military leadership started a tirade against Pakistan. India declaring to adopt a “pro-active” policy on Kashmir asked Pakistan to realise the “new geo-political realities in South Asia”.

Owing to India's long-time malicious designs, Pakistan's civil and military leadership had been preparing to conduct nuclear tests and it was now possible to conduct test, on short notice. After India's tests, Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif was in an untenable situation. Pakistan was in urgent need to demonstrate its own prowess in a similar manner.

Pakistan's Tests Preparations
International powers tried to stop Pakistan and even the President Clinton telephoned Nawaz Sharif and 'advised' him “not to respond to an irresponsible act in kind”. But the decision had been made firmly. On 18 May 1998, Chairman PAEC, Dr Ishfaq Ahmed, who had cut short his foreign trip and had returned to Pakistan on 16 May, was summoned to the PM House where he was relayed the decision of the DCC. “Dhamaka kar dein” (conduct the explosion) were the exact words used by the Premier.

On 19 May 1998, two teams of 140 PAEC scientists, engineers and technicians left for Chagai, Balochistan. The nuclear devices were flown in a completely knocked down (CKD) sub-assembly form on a Pakistan Air Force C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft from Rawalpindi to Chagai, escorted even within Pakistani airspace by four PAF F-16s armed with air-to-air missiles. The PAF F-16 escort pilots had standing orders to shoot down the aircraft if the C-130 is hijacked or is flown outside of Pakistani airspace.

Once in Chagai, the parts of the nuclear devices were placesd in 5 'zero rooms' in the long tunnels at Ras Koh Hills. Dr Samar
Mubarakmand supervised the complete assembly of all five nuclear devices. Diagnostic cables were thereafter laid from the tunnel to the telemetry to connect all five devices with an observation post 10 km away. This whole process took 5 days.

The tunnel was sealed by the afternoon of May 26, 1998, and by the afternoon of 27 May 1998, the cement had completely dried out due to the excessive heat of the desert.

The date and time for Pakistan's rendezvous with destiny was set for 3:00 p.m. on the afternoon of 28 May 1998.

• Explosions
Then came the day for which Pakistanis have dreamt the most. In the pre-dawn hours of 28 May, 1998, Pakistan cut the communication links for all its seismic stations to the outside world. All military and strategic installations in Pakistan were put on alert, and the Pakistan Air Force F-16A and F-7MP air defense fighters were placed on strip alert - ready to begin their take-off roll at any moment.

Ten members of the team reached the Observation Post. The firing equipment was checked and prayers were offered. At 2:30 p.m., a Pakistan Army helicopter carrying the team of observers arrived at the site. Pak Army's team headed by General Zulfikar Ali, Chief of the Combat Division was also with them.
Soon afterwards, the all-clear was given to conduct the test as the site had been fully evacuated.

Amongst the 20 men present, one young man, Muhammad Arshad, the Chief Scientific Officer, who had designed the triggering mechanism, was selected to push the button. He was asked to recite “Allah-o-Akbar” (All praise be to Allah) and push the button. At exactly 3:16 p.m., the button was pushed and Muhammad Arshad stepped from obscurity into history.

As soon as the button was pushed, the control system was taken over by computer. The signal was passed through the airlink initiating six steps in the firing sequence while at the same time bypassing, one after the other, each of the security systems put in place to prevent accidental detonation. Each step was confirmed by the computer, switching on power supplies for each stage. On the last leg of the sequence, the high voltage power supply responsible for detonating the nuclear devices was activated. A radiation-hardened television camera with special lenses recorded the outer surface of the mountain.

As the firing sequence continued through its stages, 20 pairs of eyes were glued on the Chagai Mountain.



A short while after the button was pushed, the earth in and around the Ras Koh Hills trembled. The Observation Post vibrated as smoke and dust burst out through the five points where the nuclear devices were located. The mountain shook and changed colour. Its black granite rock turned white as de-oxidisation from the radioactive nuclear forces.

A huge cloud of beige dust then enveloped the mountain.

The total time this whole process took was only thirty seconds. This colour-change was the culmination of a journey which started over 20 years ago.
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs would later describe it as “Pakistan's finest hour”. Pakistan had become the world's 7th nuclear power and the first nuclear weapons state in the Islamic World.

Two days later, Pakistan conducted its sixth nuclear test at Kharan, a flat desert valley 150 km to the south of the Ras Koh Hills.

Population Bomb

Most educated people in Pakistan agree with the fact that the country’s population has been growing at an alarming rate during the past few decades. Pakistan was only the second country after India that started an official family planning programme about 50 years ago, while many other Asian and Arab countries did so later.

 

Even though in Islam there is no bar in using birth control methods, our religious leadership has vehemently opposed family planning, due to the belief that family planning is against Islamic teachings.

Since the 1990s, the UN has organised a few conferences where Muslim clerics from various countries have given their views on this subject. There have also been publications on this issue, which clearly indicate that there has been consensus among early scholars of Islam that Quranic verses or the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) don't forbid or say anything against family planning. But apparently, religious leaders associated with the two major Islamic parties in Pakistan, think otherwise – perhaps due to lack of knowledge.

In the March 31 Geo TV programme, The Great Debate – anchored by Hamid Mir and Iftekhar Ahmed – efforts were made to get the views of eight major political parties about this important subject. First of all, the initiative taken – pointing out the repercussions of excessive population growth in Pakistan and openly discussing family planning in the presence of a young mixed audience – by both the journalists and particularly Geo TV should be commended.

While representatives of the PPP, PML-N, PML-Q, MQM, PTI and ANP were very encouraging about providing access to family planning services to women, one fails to understand why representatives of JUI-F and the Jamaat-e-Islami (supposed to hold the most knowledge about Islamic teachings) continue to oppose family planning, which they have been doing since the 1930s. It's unfortunate that not only their representatives but also most ulema and pesh imams are of the same view – that family planning is contrary to Islamic injunctions.

The role of clerics at the village level is indeed very crucial, since those who are less educated, and have very little knowledge about Islamic teachings, seek guidance from these so-called clerics on matters such as whether they should use family planning methods or if it is appropriate to marry their daughters off at puberty (which is also not encouraged in Islam according to Imam Abu Hanifa). Indeed three countries that have had successful family planning programmes are all Muslim majority states – Iran, Indonesia and Bangladesh. These countries have managed to use their clerics to promote family planning services.

On the other hand, over the past decade, while top Pakistan officials from Population Welfare Ministry have visited these countries several times and have even had clerics accompany them, they have been largely unsuccessful in reaching out to men in the rural areas. Thus, those in our rural areas end up with an average of five children per woman as opposed to two to three children in families living in the rural areas of Iran, Bangladesh and Indonesia. During the Geo TV programme, the representative of the Jamaat-e-Islami had no answer when asked about the Bangladeshi Jamaat not opposing family planning activities in Pakistan.

It was interesting to listen to representatives of the PPP and the PML-Q, two women members of the outgoing parliament who are well known for their support to family planning initiatives over the past three to four decades. They blamed lack of political will for the poor performance of the family planning programme in Pakistan. One wonders what stopped these two – having been in the corridors of power, each for over a decade, and also having served as ministers – from convincing their respective leaders to making population planning a top priority.

Since 1999, neither the sole military ruler nor the elected government paid any heed to this crucial issue. During the last 15 years, use of family planning methods among women of reproductive age in Pakistan remained at about 30 per cent. Most of these women are educated, living in urban areas and are doing so either through the efforts of NGOs or on their own. On the other hand, since 1980, use of contraception among married women has doubled in Iran to 73 per cent, in Bangladesh to 60 per cent and in Indonesia to 58 per cent.

Consequently, whereas in 1980 there were 10 million more people in Pakistan than in Bangladesh, now there are 30 million more people in Pakistan. Similarly, Indonesia had 50 million more people than Pakistan in the year 2000. With a much higher growth rate, Pakistan's population will exceed that of Indonesia by 2030. Thus, Pakistan will have the distinction of being the largest Muslim country in the world – with a substantial proportion of the population illiterate and poor.
Unfortunately, there is little possibility that Pakistan's population growth rate will decline in the near future, since the Ministry of Population Welfare has ceased to exist at the federal level after the 18th amendment and at the provincial level, there is hardly any activity. In a seminar held in Bhurban recently, attended by the representatives of the four provincial governments (from the departments of health and population welfare), it was pointed out that there is no integration in the activities of the two departments as both have independent ministers and secretaries. Each has its own domain and is not willing to accept the other as an important actor in the delivery of contraceptives.

This not only wastes limited resources, but delivery of contraceptives also gets affected due to departmental conflict and lack of monitoring. It was also pointed out by the experts present at the Bhurban meeting that in countries where family planning has been a success story, there is only one minister and a secretary in charge of both population and health while there are two directorates each responsible for its own activities.

Ideally, the same model should be adopted in Pakistan. The function of the family planning directorate should be limited to publicity and motivation and that of the health directorate in the provision of services. Of course, NGOs should also play an important role in reaching out to women living in rural areas. Hopefully, the representatives of the major political parties will take this into consideration.

If they fail to do so, then five years later we will be discussing how to handle 220 million people instead of the approximately 190 million we have today. Perhaps some political parties will be happy that the vote bank will be over 105 million then. However, most will be much more demanding than they are now.
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