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Global Zero: World without Nuclear Weapons

By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)


utline
!" Introduction
#" Brief history of nuclear weapons
$" Perils of nuclear weapons
%" Need to eliminate nuclear weapons
&" Global zero initiative
'" Is this goal achievable? Yes:
a" istorical support
b" Political will
c" !trong public support
d" New leadership
(" ow to achieve it? Procedure"!trategy:
a" #atification of NP$"%$B$
b" #eduction by the &! and #ussia
c" 'limination by all nuclear states
d" (ollow up: control mechanism
)" %reation of International Nuclear (uel)Ban*
*" +dvantages of nuclear zero
!+" %onclusion
,-his is the .o.ent to be/in the wor0 o1 see0in/ the peace o1 world without nuclear
weapons2 ,Bara* -bama.
/an has achieved tremendous progress in developing scientific technology for the
welfare and well)being of humanity0 but simultaneously0 he has also developed weapons
for his own destruction1 $o ac2uire power3the most flagrant of all passions3he created
weapons including e4plosive0 chemical0 biological and nuclear1 +mong them0 the nuclear
weapons are the most destructive causing mass destruction1 $hough0 these have been
used once in history during the 5orld 5ar)II0 these have created a perpetual fear of
annihilation among all humans1 Now0 with the evolving of a multi)cultural globalised
world0 there is an increase in momentum to develop a consensus for achieving Global
6ero) elimination of all nuclear weapons1 $o succeed in this initiative0 the need is to sit
together0 contemplate0 devise a strategy and agree to divert this capability from weapons
to welfare of humanity1 $he most resounding argument0 generating urge to achieve this
surpassable tas* lies in the brief history of apocalyptic perils of nuclear weapons1
$he perils of atomic weapons were manifest as the two cities of 7apan were wrea*ed
when the bombs were dropped on them1 In iroshima0 some 890::: people were
immediately *illed by blast0 fire and radiation1 +nother 8:0::: died by the end of ;<=91
$hree days later in Nagasa*i0 plutonium bomb *illed about =:0::: people immediately0
another 890::: died by the end of ;<=91 (ive days after Nagasa*i>s flattening0 7apan
surrendered1 But the impact didn>t stop there1 $housands people died in following years
due to radiation1 $ens of thousands became disabled1 Not only the people present at the
time suffered but the ?unborn> as well1 $housands others were born with deformities and
genetic disorders due to which successive generations have suffered1
$he +mericans and 7apanese learned different lessons from these bombings1 ,-he
A.ericans lesson was3 the nuclear weapons win wars4 and there1ore ha5e 5alue" -he
6apanese learned that hu.an bein/ and nuclear weapons cannot co7e8ist"2 ,@avid
Arieger0 President Nuclear +ge Peace (oundation.1 owever0 the danger posed by
nuclear weapons today is far greater than the destruction they caused in iroshima and
Nagasa*i1
$oday0 the number of nuclear weapons around the world is about B:0::: bombs with far
greater weight and destruction power1 'ven a fraction of these weapons could put an end
to human as well as other species on our planet1 It is clear that if we don>t achieve
?Global 6ero>0 our planet is always at ris*0 of being converted into a ?Ground 6ero>1 $his
could happen not only due to a deliberate act but also accidental incident1 $herefore0
there is a strong reason that ?these weapons must be abolished before they abolish us>1
$he need to eliminate nuclear weapons is not only because these can be used for
destruction in war but also because they pose e2ual danger in times of peace1 $here have
been C%lose %allsD to annihilation in various occasions1 EIn ;<<9F President Boris Yeltsin
was informed that a nuclear missile was speeding towards the heart of #ussia1 #ussian
nuclear forces0 already on hair)trigger alert0 were put in even higher alert1 #ussian policy
called for a Claunch on warningD1 $he fate of the planet hung in the balance1 Yeltsin
wisely waited1 +nd within those moments0 the alarm declared false1 C+n unimaginable
nuclear disaster had barely been avoidedD0 declared +merica>s @efense /onitor0 %enter
for @efence Information0 @ecember GH0 ;<<<1
+nother0 important incident too* place in the &! on +ugust B;0 G::81 +ir (orce crew
loaded si4 live nuclear warheads onto a I)9G Bomber and flew from ?/inot +ir (orce
Base> in North @a*ota to ?Bar*sda* +ir (orce Base> in cruising over the country>s
heartland ,+round ;9 states.1 'ach warhead was ;: times more powerful than the atomic
bombs dropped on iroshima and Nagasa*i1 In analysis report0 +merica>s @efence
science Board ,@!B. revealed that ?si4 of the planet>s most powerful weapons were
missing and no one noticed until they had landed in Jouisiana after flight of B K hours1>
$he report concluded that ?human error was at the heart of the incident1>
$his incident underscores the ris* of accidental nuclear e4plosion threat due to ?human
error> even in the country of its origin and in the ?peace times>1 It is important to note that
this incident occurred in the &!0 which claims to employ world>s best safety standards for
nuclear weapons1 5hile the &! itself *eeps e4pressing concern over the safety of
Pa*istan>s nuclear arsenal1
It is learnt from these incidents that the humanity is at the ris* of Lust single human error0
if the nuclear weapons e4ist in the world1 $herefore0 wisdom calls for elimination of all
nuclear weapons in order to ma*e the future of humanityMour generation and our future
generations 3 safe and secure1
In addition0 the %old 5ar which was the pushing force behind nuclear race has ended two
decades ago1 +lso due to the interdependence of states in the current scenario0 there is
unli*eness of revival of such conflicts1
/oreover0 the presence of nuclear weapons in some states provides reason and prete4t for
other ambitious nations to ac2uire the same status1 $his unwise race has itself caused
devastating effects on economy and human development0 particularly in developing
countries1
-ne of the maLor world powers0 the &!!# too0 collapsed under the heavy burden of
e4traordinary defence spending on economy1 $he developing countries li*e India0
Pa*istan0 and North Aorea also Loined the race1 $hey did succeed in ac2uiring nuclear
weapons but their poor population is suffering from abLect poverty1 + country li*e
Pa*istan0 which is merely surviving at the edge of economic insolvency0 could gain much
economic growth0 had the resources been utilised for the welfare of people1 Iranians are
bearing the sanctions imposed by western powers through the &N for pursuing nuclear
technology0 which according to them0 is aimed at ac2uiring weapons1
Besides0 the argument to possess nuclear weapons to maintain deterrence capability has
also lost its ground1 /ore the states ac2uire ?nu*es>0 more the ris* of their use builds)up1
/oreover0 the presence of nu*es always poses ris* of slipping into the hands of terrorists1
+dmiral Noel Gayler0 a former commander)in)chief of the Pacific %ommand of &! Navy0
as*s0 CIs difference of nuclear weapons still possible?D e answers0 CNoD1 e also
2uestions0 C@oes nuclear disarmament imperil our security?D e answers0 CNo0 it
enhances it1D +s human 3 beings are fallible0 deterrence is not a perfect system1 It can be
failed by human error0 accident0 miscalculation or simply miscommunication1 C@oes it
ma*e sense to ris* the future of our cities and even the human species on an unprovable
theory?D0 @avid Arieger0 founder of the Nuclear +ge Peace (oundation1
$his is why0 fortunately0 the initiative of achieving peace of the world without nuclear
weapons is gaining support among both the senior military and the political leaders of the
world1 $he increasing number of leaders have realised what +braham Jincoln said0 ,We
.ust thin0 anew and act anew"2 #ecently many world leaders have e4pressed
willingness to move towards this goal1 British Prime /inister Gorden Brown said in
/arch G::I that the &A was ready to wor* for Ca world that is free from nuclear
weapons1D -n @ecember 90 G::I0 Nicholas !ar*ozy0 the (rench President0 while holding
'& Presidency0 wrote a letter to &N General !ecretary0 outlining an '& plan to advance
global progress toward nuclear disarmament1
In order to seize this positive trend0 to achieve the commitment of the entire international
community0 and to re)energise effort for complete nuclear disarmament0 a new initiative
CGlobal 6eroD was launched on @ecember <0 G::I0 in Paris1 $he initiative was endorsed
by ;:: international political0 military0 business and civic leaders across the world1 $he
signatories included former &! President 7immy %arter0 former !oviet leader /i*hail
Gorbachev0 former British (oreign !ecretary /argaret Bec*et0 Nueen Noor of 7ordan0
'hasnul a20 former 7oint %hief of the !taff committee ,7%!%. of Pa*istan0 former
Indian National !ecurity advisor BraLes /ishra1
Global 6ero envisages eliminating nuclear weapons through phased and verified
reduction over a period of years1 Aey steps include:
O /assive reduction in #ussian)&! arsenal1
O %omplete elimination to zero by all states1
O 'stablishing verification system to *eep chec*1
O International management of the fuel cycle1
$here are many positive indicators which indicate why this goal is achievable1 (irstP there
is a strong historical support1 $hroughout the nuclear age0 even at the height of the %old
5ar0 leaders foresaw a day when the world could be free of nu*es1 In ;<IH0 !oviet
Premier /i*hail Gorbachev and &! President #onald #eagan agreed that: C+ nuclear
war could never be won and must never be fought1D In ;<<<0 %hinese President 7iang
6emin stated: C$here is no reason why nuclear weapons should not be comprehensively
banned and completely destroyed1D
!econdP as 7iang 6emin had emphasised in his statement0 ?5hat it ta*es to reach this
obLective is no more than a strong political will1> $he world leaders agree with the idea of
a world without nu*es and have the means to achieve it1 5hat they only need is the
?Political will>1 !ome analysts argue that even if the maLor world powers agree to
eliminate nuclear weapons0 country li*e Iran might not agree to abandon its ambition1
$hough Iran>s nuclear weapon ambitions is a fallacy0 there is a strong reason why Iran
would follow the course1 CIf there is growing support by nuclear powers and public
opinion worldwide0 I thin* it becomes harder for any government0 including Iran0 to cross
that barrierD0 said #ichard Burt0 who was 5ashington>s %hief negotiator in the !trategic
+rms #eduction $reaty ,!$+#$. tal*s in the early ;<<:s1 Naturally0 no country can
afford to be on the one side and whole of the world on the other1
$hirdP there is a strong support among maLority of the people around the world1 + poll of
G; countries conducted by Program on International Policy +ttitudes ,PIP+.0 &!+0 shows
that global public opinion is overwhelmingly in favours of an international agreement for
eliminating all nuclear weapons1 8H per cent of respondents0 across all countries polled0
favour such an agreement1 +s the public opinion tends to direct the policies of
governments0 it is li*ely that the leaders would come to the table1
(ourthP at this time particular0 there is a new and great opportunity1 &! President Bara*
-bama and #ussian Prime /inister Qladimir Putin have signalled to wor* on nuclear
disarmament1 $he former declared0 C$his is the moment to begin the wor*s of see*ing the
peace of a world without nuclear weapons1D !imilarly0 #ussian Prime /inister Putin
e4pressed in a speech in !eptember G::I to C%lose this Pandora>s Bo4D1
$his new and unprecedented political support from the heads of the world>s most
important governments> for zero nuclear weapons has made this goal possible1 $his
moment offers both the possibilities and dangers1 PossibilitiesP because of new leadership
in the &! which appears to support the goal of nuclear abolition1 @angersP because0 if this
moment passes without action0 then the nuclear)race could 2uic*ly gather pace with many
more states ac2uiring weapons and the ris* of weapons falling into the hands of terrorists
would increase1
$his opportunity must be seized1 It is the time for a new beginning to achieve a world
free of nuclear weapons1 $his moment calls for embracing possibilities and dispelling
dangers1 $he phased and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons is possible1 ere are
some of the steps needed to achieve this goal:
(irstlyP the ratification of Non Proliferation $reaty ,NP$. and %omprehensive $est Ban
$reaty ,%$B$.1 $he NP$0 which was sponsored by the &!0 &A and the &!!#0 was
aimed Cto prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapon technology0 to promote
cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving
nuclear disarmamentD1 $he treaty was signed by ;I8 states and was ratified in ;<891
owever0 the &!0 its sponsors0 did not ratify it1 -ther four countries which have not
signed it are: India0 Pa*istan0 Israel and %uba1 !imilarly0 %$B$0 introduced in ;<<90 has
not been ratified by many states0 including the &!1 It is strongly felt that if the &! ratifies
these treaties0 others would follow the course1 C'arly the &! ratification would do much
to encourage the few remaining states to follow suit0D wrote @avid /iliband0 &A>s
former (oreign !ecretary0 in $he 5ashington Post on @ecember I0 G::I1
!econdlyP negotiations between 5ashington and /oscow should start to cut bac* nuclear
stoc*piles to minimum1 +ccording to moderate estimates0 the &! and #ussia have about
GH::: of total G8::: weapons in the world1 +s both these states possess largest stoc*piles
M<H per cent of all the nuclear weapons in the worldMthey should reduce their arsenal
in the first step1 CProcess needs to start with +merican and #ussian leadershipsD0 argues
#ichard Burt1
$his is an absolutely insensible approach to accumulate that much big arsenal that
fraction of which can destroy the whole world1 C5hen a country can be destroyed by a
dozen weapons0 its own possession of thousands of weapons gains no securityD0 says
+dmiral Noel Gayler1 $he huge possession of nu*es itself puts larger responsibility on
the &! and #ussia to initiate the process of disarmaments up to minimum level1 $he
successful conclusion of ?!$+#$ N'5> between both powers strengthens the possibility
of reaching an agreement on nuclear disarmament1
$hirdlyP following the reductions by the &! and #ussia0 the rest of the countries can be
brought on board for complete abolition of nu*es1 It would not be a difficult tas*1 -nce
the powerful countries lead the course0 rest will follow them1 Perhaps others seem poised
to welcome such move1 $he willingness of %hina0 the &A and (rance has already been
mentioned1 $he two !outh +sian countries India and Pa*istan are also ready to shun the
nu*es1 Jast 7une0 Indian Prime /inister /anmohan !ingh0 bac*ed the same goal0 saying
that: C$he only effective form of nuclear disarmament and elimination of nuclear
weapons is global disarmament1D President 6ardari has also tal*ed of Cnuclear weapon)
free !outh +siaD1 North Aorea is already on)board in si4)party tal*s and has also
committed to abolish nuclear weapons for economic incentives1 $he only country which
has stayed silent is Israel which is undeclared nuclear state1 But given the leverage0
5ashington enLoys over it0 Israel will have to be part of the process1
-nce this process sets in momentum0 the weapons could be delivered to a single and
common remote place in oceans for dismantling under the supervision of s*illed
scientists1 $he nuclear material could be returned to the donors for use in the energy
sector or disposal1
Jastly0 having achieved the complete and verified elimination of nuclear weapons from
the world0 all the countries will have to conclude a Loint treaty at the &N platform
banning any development of nuclear weapons and technology1 +s Nueen Noor of 7ordan
told BB%0 C5e have to wor* on de)legitimising the status of nuclear weapons1D $his is
vital for ma*ing the elimination of nu*es irreversible1 $his would re2uire establishing
many mechanisms to constitute an eventual regime for overseeing the global ban1
It is also important to realise that advantage of use of nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes is too great to be ignored1 $he NP$ also underscores ?to promote cooperation in
the peaceful use of nuclear energy>1 +nd0 every country has the right to ac2uire nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes1 But given the element of conflict in international
affairs and atmosphere of mistrust0 all the countries can>t be trusted as reliable for not
pursuing the ambitions of ac2uiring nuclear weapons again1 $his situation warrants a new
approach0 which would allow the use of nuclear energy and deny the weapons
technology1
$he Global 6ero initiative envisages ?international management of the fuel cycle to
prevent future development of nuclear weapons1> C+n agreement on a new International
+tomic 'nergy +gency ,I+'+. led system that would help states wishing to develop a
civil nuclear energy industry to do so without increasing the ris* of nuclear weapon
proliferationD says @avid /iliband1 %reation of such international fuel ban* would also
end the conflicts in the world li*e Iran Nuclear Issue1 $his proposal was also forwarded
by I+'+>s former head /uhammad 'lbradi as early as in G::B0 that: Call production and
processing of nuclear material be under international controlD1 $his novel idea has
attracted the '& and an +merican billionaire ?5arren Buffett> for financing the proLect1
In this way0 the world could not only be safe from destruction and the humanity from
annihilation0 but the tremendous energy potential of the nuclear resources could also be
utilised for the welfare of people1 $he resources that go into weapons would help *eep
people safe and healthy and to give them opportunities1 Not only the world is facing
energy crisis due to depletion of fossil fuels0 but with their emissions our environment is
being damaged severely1 Nuclear power possesses tremendous energy and simultaneously
it is clean energy1 It is important for health purposes as it is used in the treatment of many
diseases0 including cancer1 Its use in agriculture enhances crop yield which would help
mitigate the food crisis1
Global 6ero offers two3pronged benefits: achieving safety by eliminating nuclear
weapons and to achieve prosperity by using nuclear energy1 $he leaders of world have the
greatest moral responsibility to seize the opportunity for the welfare of the living and the
future generations of man*ind1 +s Benazir Bhutto said0 ,We owe it to our children to
build a world 1ree o1 the threat o1 nuclear annihilation"2
9risis o1 Good Go5ernance in Pa0istan
By :r" ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
Introduction
Good governance is a prere2uisite for social harmony0 public order0 political stability0
economic prosperity and certainty about future1 It delivers the fruit of progress and
development evenly to all and sundry1 Good governance is re2uired at all levels of
society and state1
=ssentials o1 /ood /o5ernance
!" Promotion of national cohesion
#" National integration
$" Institutional supremacy
%" Independent Ludiciary
&" %onstitutional supremacy
'" #ule of law
(" Political stability
)" 'ducational opportunities
*" !ocio)economic development
!+" '2ual distribution of resources
!!" 5elfare state with provision of social securities
!#" !trong writ of the government on all fronts
Situation o1 /o5ernance in Pa0istan
!" (orces of disintegration )) stronger than forces of cohesion
#" 5ea* writ of the government
$" +bsence of independent Ludiciary
%" No rule of law
&" Political instability
'" Interprovincial conflicts
(" &ne2ual distribution of resources
)" Pa*istan presenting a picture of e4treme bad governance on all national fronts
9auses
Political causes
!" Parliament0 a toothless tiger
#" Political instability due to constant military interference
$" Issue of provincialism on revenue0 resources and demand of provincial autonomy
Ad.inistrati5e causes
!" Bureaucratic hold on all institutions
#" Political interference on bureaucracy
$" %orruption0 mother of all evils
%" +bsence of culture of accountability
&" /ismanagement of resources
'" Pa*istan0 a soft state because of inability of implementation of policies due to lac* of
consensus
=cono.ic causes
!" (ragile economy ) (@I shrin*ing on account of terrorism and political instability
#" %risis of energy0 food0 water
$" %orruption from top to bottom creating burden on the government e4che2uer
Social causes
!" Poverty 3 =: per cent population living below the poverty line ,&N reports.
#" -ver population );H1H crore , 'conomic !urvey of Pa*istan G::<.
$" Illiteracy leading to socio)economic bac*wardness
>e.edies
!" Pa*istan is in dire need of truly capable leadership
#" !trong anti)corruption campaigns strengthening National +ccountability Bureau
$" !trict accountability of all government servants in particular and common masses in
general
%" Investment in socio)economic development
&" +llocation of seven per cent G@P for education
'" $hree per cent for population control
(" $hree per cent for poverty alleviation
)" Generation of new employment opportunities
*" '2ual distribution of resources
!+" 'nsuring freedom of press
World rder: ?nipolar to <ultipolar
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
utline
!" Introduction
#" Brief history of 5orld -rder
$" &nited !tates> &ni)polar !tatus
%" @eterminants of 5orld -rder
a) 'conomic strength
b) /ilitary power
c) International political clout
d) Ideology appeal
&" $he Paradigm shift
'" %atalyst factors:
a) 'nergy resources
b) Ira2 war
c) (inancial crisis
d) Globalisation
(" (uture scenario) /ultipolar 5orld
)" 5ould the multipolarity be beneficial to world?
*" %onclusion
istory has witnessed cycles of rise and fall of civilisations0 empires and regional as well
as global powers1 In past0 military power was the only decisive factor in Cbalance of
powerD among nations1 Its strength ensured their e4pansion and influence while its
wea*ness precipitated their fall and disintegration1 $hough0 it is still an important
element0 many other factors li*e economy0 ideology0 political stability0 statesmanship and
diplomacy have played substantial role in determining the status of a country among the
comity of nations in this globalisation world1
$he 5orld -rder has been more dynamic due to the unprecedented developments in
international affairs in the last century)ranging from multipolar0 bipolar and unipolar1 $he
&! has enLoyed unilateral and unparalleled status in the international affairs1 But as
history repeats itself0 the might of +merican power is visibly diminishing due to
neoconservative and imperialistic policies0 and new centres of power are emerging to
shape the Cmultipolar world orderD1
Naturally0 whenever any maLor power or state has shown its ambition to con2uer the
world and set up hegemonic empire0 it has created resistance from other forces or alliance
of forces1 $his clash of power has been the characteristics of all the periods0 thoughP the
G:th century is significantly an e4ample of unprecedented struggle between the countries
to ac2uire world supremacy1 In the multipolar world0 the conflict between 'uropean
countries led to the 5orld 5ar)I1 $ill then &nited !tates of +merica followed isolationist
policies in international realm1 @uring first three years of war0 5ashington remained out
of war and then declared war on Germany on +pril H0 ;<;81 $he success in war
established an international foothold for the &!1
$his deadliest war of history came to an end with of the deadliest weapons ,nuclear
bombs.0 which ushered in a new era of nuclear competition1 +s the military strength of
both the &! and the &!!# ,former. had played significant role in defeating the Ca4isD0
they established their enormous influence in the world affairs1 $he resulting conflict of
interest and ideology between the &! and the &!!# shaped CBipolar 5orld -rderD1 In
the aftermath of 5orld 5ar)II0 &nited Nations -rganisation ,&N-. was created to
maintain peace1 owever0 this forum was also unable to diffuse the tension between the
&! and the former &!!# which mar*ed the second half of the G:th century1 $he period is
*nown as the %old 5ar1
'ventually0 %old 5ar ended with the disintegration of the &!!# and emergence of the
&! as sole super power of the world3 economically0 militarily and politically1 $he then
president of the &! Bush coined the term CNew 5orld -rderD0 which was significantly
C&nipolarD1 $he &! has enLoyed a prominent status and role since thenP its economy grew
with tremendous pace0 its military strength has been unmatched0 its political influence in
the international affairs has been uncontested0 and its ideology of democratic principle
earned its world leadership1
!imply0 the &! holds supremacy in every element of global eminence1 #ichard Ni4on0
the e4)president of the &!0 in his boo* CIn the +renaD0 has described ingredients of global
political clout as: economic power0 military forces0 ideological appeal0 domestic political
cohesion0 s*ill in statecraft and commonality of interest with other maLor powers1 In the
light of these ingredients the &! still enLoys upper hand over other countries of the world1
!ome of these are enumerated here1
$he &! also possesses a strongest military in the world with ;1= million active personnel
force1 Its combat force consists of the largest number of carrier ships0 fastest fighter
planes with precision guided missiles and bombs1 It has successfully tested anti)ballistic
missile shield capacity1
/ore importantly0 the &! has led the world ideologically) for the purpose of democratic
principles1 It was this ideological perception on the basis of which Jeague of Nations
after the 5orld 5ar)I and the &nited Nations after the 5orld 5ar)II were created1
/oreover0 it has maintained commonalty of interest with other maLor powers1 owever0 it
has not been able to ac2uire absolute power due to increasing competition from other
maLor powers0 particularly emergence of %hina0 resurgence of #ussia0 and union of
'uropean countries globally and Iran0 Qenezuela regionally1 C$he scope of +merica>s
global hegemony is admittedly great but its depth is shallow0 limited by both domestic
and e4ternal restraints1D !ays Birzins*i0 the former &! National !ecurity +dvisor1
$he &! has posed and acted as a most powerful state in the last two decades0 but the
shallowness of its power1 -ther powers have challenged the hegemony of the &! in the
international affairs1 $hough0 no any power has individually surpassed the &! in any of
the elements of balance of power0 they are poised to do in the near future0 given the
changing paradigm1
'conomically0 the &! is still the largest economy of the world but closely followed by
7apan and %hina1 $he per capita income of 7apan is higher than that of the &!1 %hina has
a very growing economy with sustained growth rate of over nine per cent for the last one
and a half decades1 $he &! faces trade deficit of RI:: billon while %hina has trade
surplus of R;9: billion a year1 '&>s collective G@P is now greater than that of the &!1
!ince the launch of 'uro currency in ;<<<0 dollar had been losing its value against it
constantly1 'conomy of #ussia has been bloating its since G::: and its G@P has been
tripled1 $he rising oil and gas prices have added enormous impetus in #ussian economy1
%ommenting on the challenges to unipolarity of the &!0 #ichard N1 ass0 a scholar at &!
%ouncil for (oreign +ffairs0 wrote in C(oreign +ffairs /agazineD: C+lthough &!> G@P
accounts for over G9 per cent of the world total0 this percentage is sure to decline over
time given actual and proLected differential between &! growth rate and those of +sian
giantsD1
/ilitarily0 &! military force is said to be the strongest in the world but its superiority is
not assuredly mar*ed in contrast to the military forces> capabilities of other maLor powers
li*e #ussia0 %hina0 (rance0 Germany or if the capability of communist countries is
combined on the one hand and that of the '& is combined on other hand1 +lmost all the
maLor powers are nuclear states1 #ussia claims to have antiballistic missile capability
successfully developed and tested during the %old 5arP %hina has tested a direct ?anti)
satellite missile> and ?carrier cruse *iller>1 /oreover0 in the current scenario militarilism
and terrorism have undermined the strength of 2uite larger armies1 $he <";; attac*s
showed how a small investment by terrorists could cause e4traordinary level of damage1
Politically0 the influence of the &! and its unilateral posture has been seriously chec*ed1
$his is manifested from nuclear imbroglio with North Aorea and Iran1 %hina proved to be
the best able to influence Pyongyang1 Iran has faced four sets of sanctions by the &N!%
on the insistence of the &! but does not seem to be ready to compromise its stance1 $he
degree of sanctions was significantly softened due to the stand of #ussia and %hina1
C5ashington>s ability to pressure $ehran has been strengthened by the participation of
several 5estern 'uropean countries and wea*ened by the reluctance of %hina and #ussia
to sanction IranD0 says #ichard N1 ass1
/eanwhile0 writ of the &! has been significantly challenged by Qenezuela in Jatin
+merica0 which is supported by +rgentina and Brazil1 5hile challenging the &!
authority0 Qenezuela is developing close relations with #ussia and %hina1 #ussian
President @imitry /edvedev visited %aracas in mid G::I and signed a nuclear deal with
his counterpart ugo %havez1 $heir military cooperation is also strengthening after this
result1 In !outh +sia0 India is emerging as a global power due to its robust economic
growth and large population of over ; billion1
Ideologically0 &! had prominence due to its ideological appeal but the practical approach
to the democratic cause has been contrary to the ideology1 5ashington>s dealing with
other countries has been influenced by its economic and hegemonic interests rather than
democratic principles and Lustice1 $he &! has been supportive to dictatorships and
*ingdoms0 while it has been calling others for democracy1 $he factor which has most
stigmatised +merica>s reputation is its policy in the /iddle 'ast where it has been biased1
It calls Israel>s ?state terrorism> as ?right of self)defense>0 while it terms the legitimate
resistance of Palestinians as ?terrorism>1
$hough0 emergence of new powers was natural0 the status of the &! could remain
unchallenged0 had 5ashington transformed its attitude and policies from a unilateralist to
multilateralist approach1 But the unilateral and unLustified policies of the &! on several
accounts from Ira2 war to climate change crises have only unveiled fissures in its power
structure1 $he most controversial issues0 which have placed the &! at the opposite pole
from rest of the world0 are energy crises0 Ira2 war0 climate change0 financial crises and
globalisation1 $hese factors have rather proved catalyst in the shift from unipolar to the
multipolar world1
'nergy resources are vital element in foreign policy formulation0 particularly in
contemporary scenario of energy crises1 $he &! energy policy is a driving force behind
the end of unipolarity1 !ince there is increase in demand of oil0 it has two)fold effects on
geopolitical front1 (irstP the increase in demand raised the world oil prices from Lust over
RG: a barrel to over R;9: a barrel in less than a decade until the financial crisis plunged
the oil prices1 $his increase in oil cost resulted in enormous transfer of wealth and
leverage to energy rich countries1 !econdly in order to secure energy supply0 all the maLor
powers have common interest in the energy rich countries1 $his competition has resulted
in confrontational politics on the international stage1 $his is the energy demand which led
the &! to war in Ira21
$he Ira2 war has significantly contributed to the dilution of the &! power in the world1 It
has proved to be e4pensive in terms of almost all elements of power and in human terms1
istorian Paul Aennedy had outlined in his boo* ?Imperial -verstretch> that the &!
would eventually decline by overreaching Lust as other powers had in the past1 $he war
has cost +merica deaths of more than =09:: troops and over R8:: billion as loss1
#esultantly0 the &! fiscal position has declined from surplus of R;:: billion in G::: to a
deficit of R8:: billion in G::81 $his also manifests that 5ashington cannot fight anymore
war unilaterally1
-n the diplomatic front0 the &! could not obtain approval from the &nited Nations
!ecurity %ouncil ,&N!%. for going into war in Ira21 $he issue of pre)emptive war
divided the &! and the &A from their 'uropean partners M (rance and Germany M and
other global powers M #ussia and %hina1
$he financial crisis of G::I hit the bac*bone of the &! economy whereas #ussian0
%hinese and other +sian economies have displayed 2uite stability1 $he crisis damaged not
only its economy but image as well1 C$he financial crisis is causing maLor damage to &!
image as the stable anchor of the world economy0 and +merican leadership0 as the
dominant financial superpower with free and innovative mar*ets0 is in 2uestionD0 says
Yeongseop #hee0 of Broo*ings institution1 In a short0 the financial crisis has defined the
economic multipolarity of the world1
Besides0 the globalisation has transformed the world into an interdependent multipolar
world1 Nation !tates have been losing their monopoly on power and are being challenged
by regional and global organisations0 and non)governmental organisations ,NG-s. and
corporations1 Globalisation has strengthened ties and connection in economy0 politics0
science and technology0 culture and society around the world1 It is the impact of
globalisation and leverage of environmental NG-s that ;IH countries though reluctantly
signed the Ayoto Protocol0 %openhagen +ccord and now the ?%ancun +greements> on
climate change1
+bove issues have reflected upon a point that no country can independently address such
global issues li*e climate change0 terrorism0 proliferation of weapons of mass destruction0
economic crisis and above all the world peace and security1 It has been proved that
unilateral and hegemonic efforts have been failed to change the obLective law of world
politics0 rather0 they have aroused resistance across the world1
ence it is becoming evident that the age of ?unipolarity> is ?dissipating> and the world is
?moving towards> natural ?multipolarity>1 In other words0 there emerged multipowers or
centres power1 owever0 multipolarity is not an immediate reality the rather it is
developing trend1 +s the emerging powers are strengthening and their inter)dependence
increasing0 world is being pushed towards multipolarity1
In the future multipolar world order0 power would not rest with a few maLor countries but
with several countries1 'ach having its specific prominence will have assertive say in the
world affairs1 Besides the &!0 7apan0 %hina0 '& and India would have economic strength1
Iran0 !audi +rabia0 Qenezuela0 members of the +frican &nion and Brazil would have
leverage due to their vast energy resources1 #ussia would have both advantages1 !ome
countries would have importance due to their geostrategic location li*e Pa*istan0 %entral
+sian !tates0 &*raine0 and $ur*ey as these countries are located on the energy routes
through which energy resources will be routed to rest of the world1 Besides0 the
international organisations li*e &N-0 5orld Ban*0 I/(P regional organisations li*e
!++#%0 '&0 !%-0 +!'+N0 +& and NG-s including environmental0 social and
humanitarian would be on the list of power centres1
ere a 2uestion arisesP whether the multipolar world with so many power centres could
ensure peace and security? $here are serious concerns because previous multipolarity had
led to two 5orld 5ars1 $he answer is assuredly affirmative1 $he future multipolarity is
not going to be li*e the previous one based on independent power base of countries1 -n
the contrary0 the emerging multipolarity is the age of growing inter)dependence and
mutual cooperation1 $he countries would not be asserting their influence individually but
through regional and international organisations on the basis of democratic principles1
$he strength of economy0 technological advancement0 availability of energy and human
development depend upon the cooperation of all countries and civilisations1 +nd a
multipolar world can best serve this purpose by creating balance in e4ercise of power and
boosting competitive atmosphere in technological and economic fields1 In this regard0 a
scholar of %hinese People +ssociation for Peace and @isarmament0 Yu 6hongrong says0
C+ multipolar world is characterised with coe4istence of multiple forces and multiple
entities1D $o be precise0 collective security0 mutual cooperation and inter)dependence
would be the earmar* of multipolar world1
$o achieve this purpose0 all the e4isting and emerging powers need to develop consensus
on some prere2uisites1 $he international relations are re2uired to be democratised1 +nd to
achieve the goals0 &N is a best forum1 (irstly its charter>s basic principles of e2uality of
states0 maLority as core of democratic system and mechanism of institutions shall be
followed in true spirit in dealing with all international issues1 !econdly0 &N>s authority
must be safeguarded and enhanced to play its role to balance the power of various forces
and to find Lust and rational solution to international conflicts li*e Palestine0 Aashmir0
Ira20 nuclear proliferation and humanitarian crises1 It shall facilitate dialogue and
e4change of views between different civilisations and cultures of all religion0 region and
countries1
+s the chronicles of international politics have proved that hegemony and imperialism
are the biggest threat to world peace and are the root causes of conflicts and wars0 the
multipolar world of ?inter)dependence> and ?coe4istence> is a bid to create a harmonious
world of economic stability0 social Lustice0 collective security and common development1
In this way0 human will see the world to embar* on the path of peace)the ultimate goal1
Perils o1 <usli. ?nion
By :r" ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
Introduction
!" /uslim population comprising G"Brd of worldSs total population1
#" @espite enormous potential M /uslim world lags behind in all spheres of life1
$" $hesis statement leading to conclusion1
5er5iew o1 the econo.ic potential o1 the <usli. World
!" 5orldSs largest oil reserves1
#" +rabian Peninsula enLoys a significant strategic position in the world1
$" !trait of ormuz M H:T of the worldSs oil route1
%" 'conomic growth rate high in !audi +rabia0 Auwait and &+'1
&" -rganisation of Islamic %ountries M a Potential -rganisation1
Perils o1 <usli. ?..ah
=cono.ic 9auses
!" Jac* of economic cooperation1
#" @iversified economic interests1
$" Jac* of economic cohesion and unity1
Political 9auses
+bsence of democracy M /onarchical forms of governments ,!audi +rabia0 &+'.
-echnolo/ical and =ducational bac0wardness
!" Jowest literacy rate1
#" Jac* of scientific research and education1
$" Inability to cope up with the changing global trends1
9ultural 9auses
!" Islam versus the 5est1
#" Islam perceived as a threat to modernism1
-erroris.: ,among the /uslim %ountries.
!" $he wave of terrorism M damaging the fabric of /uslim countries1
#" /uslims perceived as terrorists1
I9: + dead organisation
!" Inefficiency of organisation in the last three decades1
#" +nnual meetings without practical resolutions1
9urrent situation and i.plications o1 the abo5e .entioned 1actors
<usli. ?..ah @ cau/ht up in a 5icious cycle o1 terroris.4 econo.ic and political
tur.oil"
<usli. ?..ah tar/eted by the West in the na.e o1 Isla."
Inability to resol5e the core issues o1 <usli. world4 li0e:
!" Aosovo M Aashmir M %hechnya M Ira2 M +fghanistan
#" 'conomic bac*wardness1
$" Poverty0 over population0 high crime rate1
%" Jow G@P and @I in /uslim world1
&" /eagre contribution in world trade1
'" Jeast developed infrastructure ,!udan0 !omalia etc1.
(" 'ducational bac*wardness1
Su//estions
=cono.ic cooperation: (6oint 5enture o1 <usli. world)
!" -pen the barriers of trade1
#" 'nhance e4ports and imports1
$" /a*e use of oil reserves to the benefit of whole /uslim &mmah1
%" 'asy visa policies M uman movement1
<usli. World @ to raise 5oices on international 1oru.s 1or con1lict resolution
!" AashmirP Pa*istani dispute to be ta*en on the &N forums1
#" 'fforts for getting permanent seats in the &N !ecurity %ouncil1
$" /uslims countries should get united to stop 5estSs war against Islam1
<usli. inte/ration @ Need o1 the hour
!" /uslim integration M only solution of /uslim problems1
#" /uslim /onetary (under Ban* to be established1
$" (und collection for the poor /u)slim countries ,!udan0 !omalia.1
%" /uslim rehabilitation fund should be established to cope with Natural @isasters
,'arth2ua*e0 floods0 draughts etc.
I9 @ to be .ade a 5ibrant r/anisation
!" %hanges in the structure of the organisation1
#" $he pattern of C'uropean &nionD to be followed and C/uslim &nionD to be formed1
$" Bi)annual meetings should be held with persistent political will1
%" Guidance and 'conomic assistance of !audi +rabia should be sought out to address all
the issues of /uslim &mmah1
Global war.in/
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
utline
!" Introduction
#" 5hat is global warming?
$" Green house effect
%" 'vidences of global warming"climate change
a) $emperature0
b) Precipitation0
c) #ise in sea level1
&" %auses of global warming)emissions
'" !ources of emissions
(" 5ho are responsible for green house emissions?
)" Possible impacts of global warming:
a) /ost affected would be marginalised communities0
b) %oastal areas0
c) (re2uent and strong storms and floods0
d) ealth problems0
e) 'cosystem destruction0
1) +gricultural loss ,(ood insecurity.1
*" &npredictable surprises
!+" $hreshold level
!!" !trategies to mitigate global warming:
a) $ransforming to renewable sources of energy0
b) 'nergy conservation and efficiency0
c) Individual efforts1
!#" %onclusion
Global warming is simply defined as an increase in the average global temperatures1
$hough0 it is an environmental problem0 it has serious implications on the global
economics0 geopolitics0 society0 humanity and all living beings1 ,Global war.in/ is one
o1 the .ost contro5ersial science issues o1 the #!st century4 challen/in/ the 5ery
structure o1 our /lobal society24 says /ar*1 $hough0 there has been controversies
between two schools of scientific thought0 one calling it is a myth and the other
considering it is a reality0 there is sufficient evidence to support the later1 +nthropogenic
activities0 causing increased emissions of green house gases0 are behind the global
warming1 It has been established0 that0 if not addressed properly and immediately0 it
would have catastrophic impacts1
Global warming means earth is becoming warmer gradually1 $here is increase in average
global temperatures of air and oceans0 accompanied by widespread melting of glaciers
and rising of sea level1 $he &nited Nations Intergovernmental Panel on %limate %hange
,IP%%. in its ?!ynthesis #eport on %limate %hange>0 states that there is clear evidence for
a :1H :% rise in global temperatures and G:cm rise in sea level during the G:th century1 It
predicts that Cglobal temperatures could rise by ;1= to 91I :% and sea level could rise by
G: to IIcm by the year G;::1D /aLority of the scientists and research organisations0
including IP%% have reached on consensus that global warming is caused by massive
increase of green house gases such as %arbon dio4ide ,%oG. in atmosphere resulting from
burning of fossil fuels and deforestation1
$he temperature of earth is maintained by the balance between the heat energy coming
from the sun and the heat energy returned bac* to space1 !ome atmospheric gases:
%arbon dio4ide ,%-G.0 /ethane ,%=.0 Nitrous -4ide ,NG-U.0 %hlorofluorocarbons
,%(%. and water vapours are important to this temperature balance1 $hey form the green
house blan*et in the atmosphere1 $his blan*et absorbs some of the long wave radiation
and re)radiate it bac* to surface0 which causes the atmosphere to warm up to B9:%1
5ithout these gases the earth>s atmospheric temperature would be ;9 to G::%1 If more
such gases are added to the atmosphere0 the earth>s temperature would increase
accordingly1 +nd these are being added enormously1
$his is why the global warming is ta*ing place with greater pace due to the abundant
increase in emissions1 C$he scientists community is largely persuaded that not only is
earth>s climate warming0 but rate of warming is accelerating due substantially to0 human
activity1D says @r1 $errence /1 7oyce0 !enior !cientist and @irector of -cean V %limate
%hange Institute1
$he main evidences of global warming are three basic indicators) temperature0
precipitation and sea level1 (irstly0 the temperature of land surface0 ocean waters and free
atmosphere has been measured through fi4ed thermometers0 balloons in the air and
satellites1 By these sources0 scientists have produced record of last ;B: years0 which
shows a global warming of :1H9,W ) :1:9degree %. over this period1 5e also *now that
G:;: was globally the warmest years on record1
!econdly0 the recorded data of precipitation also reveals that there is upward trend in
global precipitation1 It shows that precipitation has increased over land at high latitudes in
northern hemisphere0 especially during cold seasons1 +s the cyclones0 i1e1 hurricanes0
tornadoes0 storms are closely related with the process of precipitationP the world has
e4perienced more fre2uent and stronger hurricanes and storms during the recent pastP
urricane Aatrina in the &! in G::9 and G:;: !uper (lood in Pa*istan1
$hirdly0 the global sea level has risen by about G:cm over the past ;:: years1 Initially0 it
was believed that the rise in sea level had occurred due to temperature increase as water
e4pands on heating1 But it has been revealed by relevant data that the =: per cent increase
in the sea level was due to warming and H: per cent increase was due to melting of ice1
$his is pretty dangerous news as both the poles of earth are covered with ice) +rctic and
+ntarctic0 with huge mass of ice1 If melting is accelerated due to global warming it would
cause catastrophic rise in oceans1
$he magnitude of the impacts warrants seriously loo*ing into the responsible factors for
emissions in order to devise effective strategies to cope with this peril1 $here are many
sources"agents which are responsible for emissions of green house gases 3 resulting
mainly from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation1 Industrial processes0 power
generation0 transportation and domestic consumption of fossil fuels are maLor sources of
anthropogenic emission1 &nfortunately0 the fossil fuel i1e1 oil0 coal0 natural gas supply I9
per cent of energy supply whereas the clean forms of energy i1e1 nuclear 0 biomass and
hydrogen only form ;9 per cent of energy supply1
-n the other hand0 cutting of trees for settlements and natural fire incidents li*e the
summer fire in +ustralia and unusual fire in #ussia in G:;:0 due to high temperatures0 are
also causing deforestation at massive level1 In this way the forests0 which are maLor
source of balancing %-G0 are also decreasing resulting in its increase in the atmosphere1
!ince0 the emissions are proportional to the consumptionP these are not evenly distributed
around the world1 North +merica is a leading emitter followed by 'urope and +sia1
$ogether they ma*e <: per cent of the global industrially produced %-G1 $he developed
countries have emitted much more than developing countries1 Besides0 the developing
countries are striving for economic progress0 subse2uently increasing emissions as
economic development is closely associated with energy production1 Now0 all the
countries0 particularly developed countries have to share responsibility to cut the
emissions for the purpose of humanity otherwise we are going to suffer the possible
implications1
Global warming is going to divest communities that are already the most marginalised in
world1 $hese are the communities that are least responsible for the industrial and
historical emissions that created the problem1 owever0 future climate change will have
impacts on all parts of human society0 including coastal regions0 storms and floods0 health
and water resources0 agriculture and biodiversity1 !ome of the impacts are discussed
separately1
-neP the coast line regions are most vulnerable1 +s the &N>s panel on climate has
reported that sea level could rise by G:)II cm in ne4t ;:: years0 this is a serious problem
for coastal areas which will be more prone to storms and floods1 In response0 the bigger
and developed countries would have to build higher walls on the coasts but still they will
have to lose some agricultural land1 owever0 the small island countries li*e /aldives
face dire situation1 $he sea rise would flood up the dry land0 ma*ing these islands
inhabitable1 +nother country0 Bangladesh which is deltaic region would lose considerable
portion of land and its agriculture 3 a prime source of livelihood there will be destroyed1
$woP storms and floods are maLor natural hazards1 $he records show that the temperature
regions0 particularly in the northern hemisphere0 have witnessed more storms over the last
9: years1 $wo)fifth of the world population lives under the monsoon belt1 /onsoons are
caused mainly by temperature difference between oceans and continents1 $his difference
will increase and the monsoons0 which are normally life)giving rains0 would e4acerbate
tremendously flooding the regions and destroying the agriculture 3 the maLor economic
activity in the developing countries1
diseases and inLury due to e4treme eventsP increased fre2uency of diarrhea and
cardiovascular diseases1 By far the most important threat to human health is access to
fresh drin*ing water1 $hough0 the runoff is proLected to increase by ;: to =: per cent by
mid century at higher latitudes but the negative impacts of global warming on fresh water
system outweigh its benefits1
%urrently0 appro4imately ;18 billion people0 a third of world population0 live in countries
that are water stressed1 IP%% suggests that with the proLected global population increase
and the e4pected climate change0 five billion people may e4perience water stress by
G:G91
(ourthP ecosystem which is an essential component for biodiversity0 is going to be
seriously affected by global warming1 $he species at ma4imum threats are: $he mountain
gorilla in +frica0 amphibious Bengal tiger0 polar bears and penguins0 etc1 $he reason for
threat to these species is that they are unable to migrate in response to climate change due
to human activity and urbanisation1 +nother e4ample of an ecosystem under threat is
coastal protection1 $here are evidences that the coral reefs are diminishing due to
temperature increaseP which will disturb basic food chain in marine life1
(ifthP the most worrying concern of climate change is the effect it will have on
agriculture1 $he world is already facing food crisis1 +ccording to &N0 more than I::
million go to sleep hungry every night1 Increase in temperature would have two effects:
first0 in higher latitudes it will increase food production due by moderating temperatures
and increased %-GP it second0 it will reduce the crop yield in the low latitudes due to
higher temperatures and destruction of agricultural land by salinity1 Generally0 there will
be a drop in food production in both the developed and less developed countries1
$he above impacts assume that there is a linear relationship between the increase in
temperatures and its implications1 owever0 there is increasing concern among the
scientists that climate change may occur abruptly and e4plode surprises for humanity)
beyond its control1 It is observed that environment is changing at a faster rate than
e4pected1 + report by a &! National +cademy of !cience ,N+!. says0 C+vailable
evidence suggests that abrupt climate changes are not only possible but li*ely in the
future0 potentially with large impacts on ecosystem and societiesD1
/oreover0 there is a point of no return) CthresholdD0 after which warming may become
unstoppable1 $he earth>s climate can change abruptly when the responsible factors reach
the thresholds1 /ost scientists thin* that the point lies not far beyond G:% hotter1 It is the
point at which anthropogenic warming can trigger huge release of %arbon dio4ide from
warming oceans or similar releases of both %-G and %= from melting permafrost0 or
both1 $o limit warming to G:% we must stabilise concentration of green house gases in
the atmosphere at a specific ?stabilisation level>1
Anowing the dangerous conse2uences of inaction0 the world needs to act to chec* the
global warming1 +s the global warming is caused by anthropogenic emissions0 the most
logical approach to this problem would be to cut emissions significantly1 $his0 however0
has a maLor implication for the world economy) the energy of which is mainly based on
fossil fuel burning1 !everal efforts have been spearheaded in the past but consensus has
not been reached due to contentious position of some most industrialised countries1
(rom the Ayoto Protocol ;<<8 through %openhagen0 G::< to %ancun %onference G:;:0
the world leaders have been unable to agree on substantial cuts in emissions and ade2uate
funding for adoption1 $hough0 there has been some progress in foundation wor* along
with commitments from the world leaders to tac*le this danger to planet earth0 there is a
long way to go for effective action1
Being the developed countries these are well e2uipped0 technologically0 to cut the
emission by transforming their economies from fossil fuel)based energy to renewable
resource energy1 $he solar energy available is the most abundant form of energy available
to humans1 5ind energy is another plenty source of energy1 Nuclear source is also a non)
pollutant source of energy1 $he developed countries should not only e4plode this source
but they should also support"help the underdeveloped countries to generate electricity
from this source1 5e need to understand that we have to switch over to these sources of
energy as the fossil fuels are bound to be finished by the increasing levels of
consumptionP so why late0 why not now?
(urthermore0 the effort at the international level is not the only way to control global
warmingP all the people can play their individual role as well1 +fter all are the end users
of all that is produced in the industries and energy sector1 Individuals can help reduce the
green house emissions by many ways li*e: driving less0 sharing a car with a friend or
colleague to office0 eating local0 improving vehicles> fuel efficiency0 consuming less0
using less electricity ,and saving money.0 energy efficiency at wor* and home and by
reducing waste products1 $hese acts would serve the purpose of emission reduction in
two ways: -neP the less) consumption would result less production and subse2uently less
burning of fuels1 $woP it will generate a moral pressure on the industries and governments
to realise the dilemma and agree to the emission reduction policy1
$here is a feasible counter balance to reduce %-G from atmosphere by growing forests on
land and vegetation in sea but it will not do much1 &ltimately0 a combination of improved
energy efficiency and alternative energy resources is the way to mitigate global warming1
$hough it will cost us but ?the earlier effective action is ta*en0 the less costly it will beD0
says !ir Nicholas !tern0 the %hief 'conomist at 5orld Ban*1 5e need to act now0 we
need to act before it>s too late0 as the maLor threat from global warming is its
unpredictability1
$he global warming has become the real test of the foundations of our modern society0
civilisation and democracy1 Its anthropogenic causes are amply proved1 Its implications
have started hitting humanity0 which are too harmful to be ignored1 $he solutions are at
hand1 $herefore0 the world leaders have responsibility to respond to it effectively for the
cause of humanity ) our future generation1 ,9li.ate chan/e4 and what we do about it4
will de1ine us4 our era4 and ulti.ately the /lobal le/acy we lea5e 1or 1uture
/enerations24 says Ban Ai /oon1
Global ener/y crisis
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
utline
!" Introduction
#" 5hat is energy crisis?
$" !hare of energy resources in energy supply
a) Non)renewable
b) #enewable
%" 5orld consumption distribution
&" 5orld production distribution
'" %auses of crises
a) !urge in demand
b) #esource nationalism 3 tighter supply
c) Political uncertainty
d) Jac* of diversity
(" Impact of crises
a) 'conomy
b) Politics
c) @evelopment
)" 'nvironmental concerns
*" 5ay out: #enewable energy
!+" %onclusion
/an is dependent on energy0 which has been the *ey to his rapid industrial growth and
technological development1 $he pace of development after industrial revolution is
unprecedented1 7ust G:: years ago0 the world e4perienced energy revolution that launched
the industrial age1 $he catalyst to this epochal change was ordinary blac* coal ) an energy
rich hydrocarbon1 + century later0 oil and gas were added to satiate the thirst of industry1
/an still relies mainly on these fossil fuels1
Nevertheless many other sources of energy: hydro0 solar0 nuclear0 wind0 geothermal0
biogas and wave have been taped1 $hese sources of energy are not only renewable but
clean as well1 !ince the hydrocarbons are e4haustible and their use also threatens human
health and environmentP this fact has necessitated transformation from non)renewable
energy resources to renewable and clean energy resources so that economic growth could
be sustained and environmental degradation could be prevented1
'nergy is not only vital for the industry but it is also the life blood of our daily life1 $he
consumption of fossil fuels has increased manifolds due to rapid industrialisation of
developing countries li*e %hina and India1 owever0 the maLor proportion of
hydrocarbon is consumed by already developed countries li*e the &!0 7apan and 5estern
'uropean states1 $he fossil fuels are also the main source of energy for heating of houses
and running motor vehicles and generation of electricity1 !ince the demand has been
increased far more than the increase in the production of fossil fuels0 a disproportionate
imbalance between the demand and supply has been created which has resulted in energy
crisis1
If the fossil fuel production remains constant0 it is estimated that the reserves will be
depleted soon1 $he oil crisis of G::I0 when petrol prices soared to R;9: a barrel0 was an
early symptom of such scenario1 $he increasing demand coupled with speculations of
depletion of fossil fuels caused s*y roc*eting rise in the prices0 which was the principal
catalyst behind economic crises in the world1
$he energy crises are caused due to disproportionate dependence on non)renewable
energy resources fossil fuels1 $he hydrocarbonsP coal oil and gas together constitute I9
per cent of the world>s total energy supply1 $heir respective share is oil B8 per centP coal
G9 per cent and gas GB per cent ,total I9 per cent.1
-n the other hand the renewable resources of energyP hydro0 solar0 wind0 nuclear0
geothermal0 biogas and wave constitute only ;9 per cent of global share of energy supply1
$hese are also clean sources of energy1 @espite their enormous benefits0 the renewable
sources of energy have not been e4ploited sufficiently due to many reasons1 $he reasons
may include technological barriers0 initial cost and political compulsions1 Both the least
developed and developing countries mainly face technological bac*wardness and
barriers0 while the developed countries have been too slow and reluctant to transfer their
technology due to the higher cost and political reasons1
$he world distribution of energy consumption reveals that the most developed countries
are the highest consumers of fossil fuels1 $he &!0 which is the most advanced country
technologically and richest economically0 consumes G9 per cent of the total world energy
output while its population ma*es only five per cent of the world1 $his ma*es +merica
the highest per capita energy consuming nation1 !econd comes 7apan0 which consumes
si4 per cent1 $he 5estern 'uropean countries which are also technologically advanced
consume ;9 per cent of the world energy1 %hina0 a growing economy0 consumes nine per
cent of the world energy resources1 owever0 the rest of the world consumes only =9 per
cent of energy production1
$his consumption is in sharp contrast to the production in respect of regional distribution1
+s the &! has only G1= per cent of world oil reserves and B19 per cent of gas reserves0
7apan imports 89 per cent of its energy needs0 %hina imports more than 9: per cent of its
energy needs1 $he largest fossil fuel reserves are located in /iddle 'ast and #ussia1 $he
+rab countries possess H; per cent of oil reserves of the world but they are not big
consumers1 $his uneven distribution of consumption and production is the one cause of
energy crisis1 -ther three causes behind the global energy crisis include surge in demand0
tighter supply0 political uncertainty in oil producing countries and lac* of the diversity of
resources1 $hese factors are:
-ne0 the demand of energy resources have surged throughout the world1 In ;<8:0 the total
consumption of world was G:= Nuadrillion B$& which doubled in G::: to =:G
Nuadrillion B$& and is now around 9:: NB$& higher1 It is proLected that the energy
demand by G:B: will be increased by 9: per cent1
+s the economy of world is mainly dependent upon fossil fuel energy0 the demand of oil
and gas is increasing tremendously1 Jet>s ta*e e4ample of %hina has more than doubled
its oil use over the past decade to 9199 million barrel a day1 $he &! 'nergy Information
+dministration ,'I+. has reported that %hina oil needs could almost double to ;; million
barrels a day by G:G:1 !ame is the case with India0 the largest growing economy in !outh
+sia1 $he %entral +sian and !outh +merican countries have also multiplied their
consumption due to rapid industrialisation1
$wo0 the supply of oil and gas are mainly dependent upon the capacity to pump from the
reserves1 $hough0 the -rganisation of -il '4ploring %ountries ,-P'%. boosted the
supply during the pea* crisis in G::I but that was not enough to meet the demand of the
mar*et1 +nother factor determining the oil supplies is the volatile price mechanism1 +s
the speculations cause increase in the prices0 the oil producing countries get higher
profits1 $his trend has led to new political concept3 #esource nationalism1 $he
international firms have found themselves faced with tougher terms and shut out of
globe>s most promising oil basins1
$hird0 the supply of hydrocarbons is also affected by the political condition in the
resource countries1 &nfortunately0 the political conditions in all the oil producing regions
are volatile1 It was painfully felt by the western world when +rab leaders clamped an oil
embargo on the &! in retaliation to 5ashington>s support of Israel in the ;<8B /iddle
'ast war1 'ven today the conditions in this region are not stable1 $he &! forces are
occupying Ira2 in order to secure oil supplies1 Iran is facing sanctions due to nuclear
imbroglio with the 5est1 #ussia is also at odds with 'urope on the gas supplies1 ugo
%havez is busy in consolidating power in Qenezuela where he is facing the &!)bac*ed
political opposition1 $he %entral +sian !tates have their own internal political turmoil1
(ourth0 nature has bestowed man with infinite resources of energy but man has made
himself dependent on the finite resources1 $he lac* of diversity of resources is the chief
cause of energy crises1 Instead of harnessing new technology0 the industrial growth in
developing countries is increasingly dependent on fossil fuels1
!uch importance of energy has made it important element in the foreign policies of the
independent states1 $he G:th century and dawn of the G;st century have seen wars fought
for oil1 In ;<880 %I+ prepared a plan CGo to war to get oilD and subse2uently0 the &!
went to war with Ira2 in ;<<;Gulf war1 +merica is again there for the same purpose1
!imilarly %hina>s foreign policy towards many regions of the world particularly +frica0
the /iddle 'ast and %aspian !ea region0 oil holds a critical status1 %hina>s vibrant
policies in these regions are being watchfully monitored by 5ashington1 $his is also true
for !outh +sian region1 Pa*istan is engaged with Iran for gas pipeline proLect and is
e2ually interested in the %aspian !ea region 3 %entral +sian !tates1
Besides these conflicts0 the fossil fuels cause havoc to our environment1 $he
hydrocarbons are the chief source of green house gases)carbon dio4ide0 /ethane0
fluorine0 which cause global warning1 Burning coal accounts for =B per cent of carbon
emissions1 -il and gas account for another =: per cent of emissions of %-G1
(ears of global warning aside0 burning fossil fuel releases chemicals and particulates that
cause cancer0 brain and nerve damage0 birth defects0 lung inLury0 and breathing problems1
$he to4ics released by combusting hydrocarbons pollute the air and water and causes
acid rain and smog1 $hese negative implications of burning fossil fuels on human
environment and life ma*e it incumbent upon man to diversify the energy resources1
/an also needs to realise that the fossil fuel energy is limited and would be depleted1
ennery Aissinger had said0 C$he amount of energy is finite XXX1 +nd competition for
access to energy can become the life and death for many societiesD1
(irstP the solar energy0 the basic source of energy0 can be converged and converted into
different ways0 such as simple water heating for domestic use or by the direct conversion
of sunlight to electrical energy using mirrors0 boilers or photovoltaic cells1 %urrently only
:19 per cent of the world energy supply is obtained from this source1
!econdP humans have been harnessing the wind for thousands of years and have
succeeded in producing electricity from it1 +ir flowing through turbines or spinning
blades generates power that can be used to pump water or generate electricity1 +t present0
the wind energy constitutes :1B per cent of world energy supply but it has a great
potential1 Germany is producing GB::: /5 from wind0 which is more than Pa*istan>s
total installed electricity generation capacity1 Ji*e solar energy it is also a clean source of
energy1 +ccording to the &! @epartment of 'nergy the world>s winds could supply more
than ;9 times its current energy demand1
$hirdP hydroelectric power is another source of renewable energy in the natural water
cycle1 $he flow of streams can be manipulated by construction of dams at higher altitudes
and the *inetic energy of waterfall is used to rotate the turbines to ma*e electricity1 $his
is the very cheaper source and clean form of energy1
(ourthP atomic energy is hailed as panacea to pollution problems generated by fossil
fuels0 and is destined to be the cheapest source of energy1 owever0 it is also limited and
has hazardous effects on human health1 But given the potential of energy and the capacity
of technology to safeguard the nuclear plants0 it is the 2uic*est option to solve the energy
crises in the world as one nuclear pellet ,finger. produces energy e2uivalent to ;8:::
cubic feet of natural gas1
(ifthP biomass is also a potential source of energy1 umans have been burning biomass
materials since the dawn of time1 It has been recently discovered to produce clean
combustible gas from waste products such as sewerage and crop residue1 /any countries
have also invested in bio)fuels1 owever0 this is counter)productive as it induced rise in
food prices0 therefore only bio waste should be used for energy production1
!i4thP another alternate source of oil is methanol 3 a clear colourless li2uid made from
natural gas0 coal industrial garbage1 $his is a reliable source of fuel for automobiles as it
is cheaper and far easier to be produced in bul*1
!eventhP geothermal energy can be used with heat pumps to warm a buildings or
swimming pools in winter1 $his can lessen the need for other power to maintain
comfortable temperatures in buildings0 particularly in countries having very cold winters1
'ighthP hydrogen has been touted as the fuel of the future1 It is most abundant element
*nown in the universe and can be burnt as a fuel for vehicles and industry1 If this form of
energy is taped at a larger scale0 it will eventually become society>s primary energy
carrier in the G;st century1
$he media and industry claim that renewable energies are not yet economically
competitive fossil fuels1 Perhaps notP but given the health and environmental costs0 and
limit of fossil fuels0 the price of renewable energy is only viable option1 owever0 no
renewable energy form will single handedly replace oil0 but together they will become a
very important part of the energy mi4 of the future1
+s the demand of energy is set to grow rapidly during ne4t G: years the supply of energy
is going to decline0 which could give rise to competition and conflict coupled with
economic instability1 /eanwhile0 human environmental and health hazards could become
irrecoverable1 $herefore0 man should strive for energy independence that can be achieved
only through fuel choice and competition1 +nd the first choice of sustainable energy is the
clean and renewable energy1
:isaster .ana/e.ent in Pa0istan
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
utline
!" Introduction
#" @isasterP definition and types
$" @isaster management
%" Phases of disaster managementP
a" /itigation
b" Preparedness
c" #esponse
d" #ecovery
&" istory of disasters in Pa*istan
'" @isaster in the wa*e of recent floods
(" !tructure of disaster management in Pa*istan
)" #ole of National @isaster /anagement +uthority ,N@/+.
*" +bysmal state of disaster preparedness and management in Pa*istan
!+" Impacts of wea* disaster management
i) (ood crisis
ii) ealth hazards
iii) #avaged infrastructure
i5) &nemployment and economic loss
5) /ilitancy and crime
5i) Political upset
!!" +n organised disaster management is the need of the hour1
!#" /easures to improve disaster management in Pa*istan
!$" %onclusion
Pa*istan is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world1 Generally divided into
natural and man)made0 all disasters are managed by a systematic process of disaster
management that aims at minimising the damage and restoration of people to their
normal state1 Pa*istan is well familiar with disasters which have caused a heavy toll in
terms of men and material1
owever0 due to its inade2uate preparedness to manage disasters0 it has failed to
effectively cope with them1 $hough0 after earth2ua*e)G::90 a systematic effort was
geared up to develop a viable structure of disaster management evolving into
establishment of N@/+0 it has yet to achieve the re2uired standards1 $he heavy floods of
G:;: e4posed its unpreparedness and frail management resulting in unprecedented
proportion of losses and damages1 !ince0 the magnitude of implications is too heavy to
bearP the efficient disaster management comes0 on the priority0 second to none of other
needs1 $herefore0 it is necessary to formulate an organised disaster management system
to cope with disasters that may brea* out in future1
@isaster is defined as Ya catastrophic event that brings about great damage0 destruction
and devastation to life and property1Y $he damage caused by disasters varies depending
upon geographical location0 climate severity and above all0 the types of disasters1
@isasters have been classified into two categories ) natural disasters and man)made
disasters1 %yclones0 tsunami0 floods0 droughts0 earth2ua*es and volcanoes are a few
e4amples of natural disastersP and wars and nuclear accidents fall in the category of the
man)made disasters1 +ll these calamities and catastrophes incur heavy toll on man and his
habitat1 owever0 the disasters can be mitigated and losses can be minimised with
efficient preparedness and management1
@isaster management is the mechanism of coordinating and utilising available resources
to deal emergencies effectively0 thereby saving lives0 avoiding inLuries and minimising
losses1 $his also deals with strategic and organisational management processes used to
protect vital assets from hazard ris*s in such emergencies1
+s mentioned earlier0 disaster management is a systematic process0 consisting ostensibly
of four main phases: response0 recovery0 relief and rehabilitation1 owever0 it remains
incomplete without mitigation and preparedness0 which are basically pre)disaster
management phases1 +ll these phases are crucially important in managing disasters1
/itigation0 the very first phase of disaster management0 is a sustained action that reduces
both short)term and long)term ris*s to people and property from the hazards and their
effects1 It involves activities li*e scientific hazard analysis0 vulnerability analysis0 ris*
assessment0 avoiding construction in high ris* zones0 launching awareness campaigns0
training and capacity building of responders and managers0 etc1 /itigation0 therefore0 is a
persistence effort to lessen the impact that disasters may incur1
Preparedness0 the second phase of disaster management0 is defined by Global
@evelopment #esearch %enter as Ya set of steps that enhance the ability of communities
and government to respond to a disaster1Y $he steps included in this phase are the
maintenance of resource inventory0 stoc*piling0 logistic planning0 evacuation planning0
communication planning0 and needs assessment1 $he *ey to effective disaster
management is readiness to provide a rapid emergency response1 It entails everyone to be
prepared to respond to e4treme situations1
#esponse0 the ne4t phase of disaster management0 includes the action of responding to an
emergency1 It aims to provide immediate emergency support to a community to maintain
health0 safety and morale until a permanent solution can be put in place1 $he steps
involved in response phase are situation analysis0 crisis maps0 information
communication0 evacuation and shelters0 dispatching of resources and early damage
assessment1 Besides0 trained and e2uipped personnel are re2uired to deal with an
emerging crisis1
#ecovery0 finally0 is the process of returning to normal1 #ecovery phase may be short)
term as well as long)term0 and it begins after the disaster commences1 #eco)very phase is
overlapped by reconstruction0 rehabilitationP spatial planning0 infrastructure building0
housing0 livelihood0 social security0 transport0 clean drin*ing water0 communication and
agriculture1
Previously0 Pa*istan has fallen victim to disasters many a time1 $he earth2ua*e)G::90
unza landslides and (loods G:;: are some of the incidents1 $he available data suggests
that Pa*istan suffered heavily at the hands of these disasters owing to the lac* of efficient
disaster management1
#ecently0 the spate of floods that began late in 7uly of G:;: dealt a serious blow to
Pa*istan1 $he floods with such a magnitude had never been witnessed in the history of
Pa*istan1 $orrential monsoon rains in Ahyber)Pa*htun*hwa0 !indh0 Balochistan and
PunLab were primarily responsible for the floods1 $he heavy rains also affected Indus
river basin1 +lmost one"fifth of Pa*istan submerged in water1 /oreover0 almost G:
million people were directly affected by the destruction of property0 livelihood and
infrastructure1 +nd the death toll rose to about G0::: people1 ad there been no institute
to deal with this natural calamity0 the damage caused by floods would have been much
more1
owever0 despite establishment of National @isaster /anagement +uthority ,N@/+.
the response was too slow to meet the magnitude of challenge1 $he purpose behind its
establishment was to change national response to emergency situations from reactionary
model to an active mitigation0 preparedness0 response and recovery model1 N@/+ is the
e4ecutive arm of the National @isaster /anagement %ommission ,N@/%. headed by
Prime /inister1 +lso0 N@/+ supervises Provincial @isaster /anagement +uthorities
,P@/+. and @istrict @isaster /anagement +uthorities ,@@/+.1
$he National @isaster /anagement +uthority has been assigned the tas* of coordinating
the disaster ris* management at the national level0 implementing disaster ris*
management strategies0 mapping the hazards0 developing guidelines0 ensuring the
establishment of disaster management authorities and 'mergency -peration %entres
,'-%s. at provincial0 district and municipal levels0 providing technical assistance to
concerned departments0 organising training to personnel0 serving as a lead agency for
NG-s and international cooperation0 coordinating with the federal government through
National 'mergency -peration %entre ,N'-%. and re2uiring any government
department or agency to ma*e available needed resources and personnel1
@espite establishment of this organisation assigned with apparently multifarious tas*s0
disasters in Pa*istan are hardly managed effectively1 Its preparedness and response during
recent floods were found inade2uate1 C(or ;: days0 the flooding was only in this
province1 But we didnSt hear from the N@/+ and nor did we see any N@/+ official1 No
one even contacted us0D said Ahyber)Pa*htun*hwa Information /inister Ifti*har ussain1
@isaster management0 particularly preparedness in Pa*istan has largely remained
unsatisfactory1 $he underlying factors responsible for its inefficiency0 besides insufficient
resources0 are lac* of proactive approach and transparency1 /oreover0 this agency has yet
to prove its credibility0 strategy and efficiency of infrastructure which lie at the very heart
of these critical situations1 +nother factor that hampers the smooth functioning of disaster
management process is duplication of efforts which arise due to the lac* of integration
between various agencies and organisations involved in the process1 %onse2uently0 these
multiple factors render management process wea* and0 therefore0 people bear the brunt
on their shoulders1
5ea*er disaster management0 nevertheless0 accounts for the damages caused by floods
uptill nowP as International /onetary (und ,I/(. puts it0 Y(loods which have devastated
Pa*istan will present a massive economic and political challenge to its government and
people1Y +part from economic and social losses0 looming food crisis0 ravaged
infrastructure0 multiple health related problems and increased chances of proliferation of
e4tremism are but a few adverse impacts of wea* disaster management1
!pea*ing of the food crisis0 almost ;8 million acres of agricultural land submerged under
water1 +ccording to @aily (inance0 Y+ maLor concern was that the farmers would be
unable to meet the fall deadline for planting new seeds in G:;: which implied a loss of
food production in G:;; and potential long)term food shortages1Y +dditionally0 seven lac
acres cotton crops0 two lac acres sugarcane0 two lac acres rice0 five lac tonnes of stoc*ed
wheat0 three lac acres of animal fodder and stores of grain were lost besides two lac
livestoc*1
In addition to food crisis0 outbrea* of various diseases further aggravates the situations1
!cores of people have been affected by the fatal diseases li*e gastroenteritis and diarrhea
due to the non)availability of clean drin*ing water and proper sanitation facilities1 +lso0
the eruption of cholera and multiple s*in diseases along with malaria has added to their
suffering1 +part from these diseases0 there is a sheer dearth of maternity care for
thousands of pregnant women1 $hus0 these victims need medical attention on war
footings to save invaluable human lives1 $he authorities were not prepared to deal with
such situation1 'ven though0 the floods were moving gradually ahead0 they could not ta*e
precautionary measures in the prone areas1
$here has been a huge loss to infrastructure1 +ccording to Ball !tate &niversity %enter
estimate0 around B<;H *m highway and about 9H=H *m railway trac* has been damaged1
$heir repair costs are e4pected to be at least R;9I million and R;B; million0 respectively1
-n the other hand0 public damage accounting to almost R; billion resulted in response to
floods1 $he sorry state of affairs was revealed when authorities were unable to rather
incapable of restoring the cut off routes and breaches in river ban*s1
#esultantly0 country received a serious economic Lolt1 In this regard0 International Jabour
-rganisation ,IJ-. said that almost 91B million people became Lobless1 $herefore0
Yproductive and labour intensive Lob creation programmes are urgently needed to lift
millions of people out of poverty that has been aggravated by flood damage1Y
(urthermore G@P would decline from overall = per cent to )G to )9 per cent1 %rop losses
have stubborn impact on te4tile industry: the largest manufacturing industry of Pa*istan1
Besides0 the implications include growth in militancy and crime1 S+s soon as Pa*istan
+rmy diverted from fighting militant insurgents in the north)west to help in relief efforts0
$aliban militants were given a reprieve to regroupS0 observed the +ssociated Press1 -ver
and above0 the Lobless0 desperate and deLected youngsters from the affected areas are an
easy prey to militant recruitment and criminal activities1 It may aggravate the security
situation given the inefficiency of the government to address the problems of the victims1
If observed politically0 public may perceive the government inefficient thus giving rise to
an episode of political unrest1 Not only people0 the outside donors have also become
s*eptic1 /ore than that0 migration of internally displaced people ,I@P. to urban areas
incited urban sectarian discord which further hindered the process of management of
disaster1
In the light of above facts0 it is evident that Pa*istan is in dire need of an organised
disaster management programme to face the emergency situations and their implications1
!o far0 disorganised and ad hoc methods had been in practice in disaster management
system1 It is because of this that the country suffered more1 $herefore0 it is incumbent
upon the Government of Pa*istan to strengthen its policies of disaster management1
In other words0 disaster management should be amongst the top priorities of government1
N@/+ can be strengthened by proper allocation of funds0 research0 e2uipment0 training
and maintenance of transparency1 In this regard0 effective communication between
concerned agencies and with people is a must1 'mban*ment of rivers0 disaster proof
housing and infrastructure0 early warnings0 rapid evacuation0 nomination of danger zones
prior to disaster0 establishment of rescue centres and creating public awareness about
disasters and safety techni2ues with their inclusion in curriculum will surely pay
dividends1
@isasters often come without early warnings0 recent floods in Pa*istan0 however0 too* a
gradual course1 But lac* of sound disaster management and unpreparedness policies and
their implementation has resulted in grave damages to Pa*istan in all the previous
disasters1 $herefore0 the onus lies upon the Government of Pa*istan to revisit its policies
and strengthen institutions to not only tac*le such situations but ma*ing them to our best
use1 It is high time that the government as well as every citizen of Pa*istan plays its own
respective role to bring about a positive change1
Aiberal =ducation
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
!" Introduction
#" @efinition
$" Importance
%" !phere of liberal education
&" -bLectives
(a) $o produce informed citizens1
(b) $o develop creative thin*ing
(c) $o improve s*ills and competitiveness
(d) $o inculcate communication s*ills
'" Present style of education in Pa*istan
(" Prere2uisites for liberal education
)" +dvantages of liberal education
(a) 'conomic development
(b) 'mployment opportunities
(c) Interdependent and stable society
(d) Peace and harmony in community
*" %onclusion
'ducation is the most important factor behind the progress man has achieved in this
world1 It has been the permanent character of human history and evolution of thought1
owever0 in the past0 it used to be prerogative of only a few privileged men and the pace
of development was 2uite slow1 !ince it has been disseminated to common people0 there
has been rapid growth in every sphere of development: science0 technology0 sociology0
politics0 anthropology0 etc1 Now it is treated as basic human right of every man1 $hough0
it encompasses a wide sphere of *nowledge0 it has been metamorphosed by man
according to his needs1 It has been mainly applied as a tool of economic development0
which has limited its application1 %onse2uently0 people are deprived of the potential
education offers for the overall development of personality and stability of society1 $he
chaos in modern world is also partly due to this fault1 $herefore0 in order to meet the
multi)dimensional challenges0 man faces in the world0 it is essential to impart real
education i1e1 liberal education1
$he liberal education has been defined in many ways0 though emphasizing the similar
essential elements1 $he best definition is offered by the C+ssociation of +merican
%olleges and &niversitiesD1
CJiberal education means to empower an individual and prepare him to deal with
diversity0 comple4ity and changeD1
+s manifest from the definition0 the purpose of education is to enable man to surpass the
challenges faced in the world0 to *now and obtain his rights and to accommodate himself
in the constantly changing environment in the present day competitive world1
$he importance of liberal education in this contemporary globalised world is greatest
than ever before1 $he world has become so shaped that every economic and social
activity re2uires modern and advanced means of communication and technology1 $he
transformation of technological development is on a very fast trac*1 $here is a demand of
more interactive and communica tive manpower to run this comple4 system1 /oreover0
despite the interdependence on each other0 the diversity in different areas is in sharp
contrast1 ence0 the man is re2uired to be 2uite sufficiently prepared to move forward1
+nd the instrument that can enable him to face these challenges is nothing but liberal
education1
$his is why the renowned scholar C!*arnoveyD says: CJiberal education: the developing
countries must adopt it as it is a necessityD1 Nevertheless0 it is essential for every nation
but the developed countries are already ahead in this sphere1 $he developing countries0
which are still far behind0 need to forge efforts to transform their education system in
order to catch up with the rest of the world1 Not only because it helps in achieving
economic development but also because it fulfills the need of society in every sphere of
life1
$he sphere of liberal education is wide enough to call it real education1 Basically0
education is aimed to develop whole being of a person1 It is necessary to educate man to
learn social ethics0 cultural values0 religious obligations0 ways and means of a stable
society and s*ills of professional competitiveness1 Jiberal education0 simply0 fulfills all
these essential needs1 It emphasises the development of a citizen who is professionally
capable of living in the society in civilised way ) the way which is not only beneficial to
himself alone0 but also fruitful for other members of his family0 community and society1
It is best elaborated in the words of Aurth AahinP CJiberal education teaches something
about everything and everything about somethingD1 is words can be best understood by
contrast to the ma4im C7ac* of allP master of noneD1 !imultaneously0 there are also people
who are C7ac* of none but master of oneD1 $he people0 who ac2uire general education
without proficiency in any specific subLect0 are e4plained by the first ma4im1 5hile some
people who are very s*illed and highly 2ualified in one field li*e an engineer0 scientist or
doctor but do not *now any other subLect or field of lifeP these are referred to the latter
assumption1 owever0 liberal education is a moderate way between both the polar
positions1 It is aimed at ma*ing a person Sa good professional in any one fieldS and also to
Spossess *nowledge and s*ills about other important fieldsS1 /ore importantly0 it ma*es
constructive members of society better described as C7ac* of allP master of oneD1
In such a way0 the obLectives of liberal education are multifaceted0 which address the
re2uirement of society to a considerable e4tent1 $hese obLectives are briefly discussed
here:
(irstly0 it is the most important for a man to be an informed citizen1 $he people who are
concerned only with their single professional field of occupation cannot be ideally good
citizens1 $hey would only be members and nationals of a community or nation1 + good
citizen is re2uired to be participatory in the social and political building of community0
which is the foundation of any society1 +s the actions of man are based on information
and *nowledge0 without these none understands the obligation towards community and
resultantly remains inactive member of society1 owever0 but if the students are
inculcated the *nowledge of their needs and roles0 they would be 2uite prepared to
foresee occurrences and would direct their thoughts and actions towards social and
political participation1 $his can be achieved when the system of education is made liberal
which does not aspire to produce only technical robots in human shape but informed and
good citizens1
!econdly0 the philosophy of liberal education envisages the development of creative
thin*ing among the students1 %reative thin*ing has ac2uired fundamental place in the
education system of advanced countries1 $he students are encouraged to Cthin* a newD1
$he creative e4periments0 creative writings and creative art lead to frame the
development of thought process1 $hough0 it is practised in western countries0 it owes its
origin to the most influential scholars and artists of Gree* period and early /uslim era1
!ocrates0 Plato0 +ristotle0 /achiavelli0 Ibn)e)Ahaldun0 Galileo0 Ahuw)arzmi0 Newton0 to
name a few0 all were creative thin*ers1 In short0 whole of the development in the world
and education itself is the result of creative thin*ing1 -n the contrary0 the limited
application of education is insufficient to produce brilliant minds1 $he specific
technological development devoid of human values and ethics has failed to form the basis
of a viable society1 $hus0 it is the obLective of liberal education to teach the students
various subLects li*e history0 sociology0 philosophy and psychology besides their
professional field0 so that creative thought is encouraged to be developed among them1
$herefore0 we need to introduce liberal education in order to secure our future based on
collective ideals1
$hirdly0 liberal education improves the s*ills and competitiveness of students0 which is
necessary to enable them to get foothold in the competitive mar*et1 (or e4ample a typist
may have good efficiency in his field but computers have replaced typewriter1 People li*e
to get their papers typed on computer in order to save their document and to get good
command1 Now0 the e4cellent typist is in trouble0 he would go Lobless in the mar*et
unless he learns to operate computer1 !ame is the case with every field of employment1
$he modes of technology are being transformed very rapidly1 In order to meet the
demands of mar*et one should be 2uite prepared and s*illed1 ence0 the *nowledge of
mathematics0 science0 computer literacy and technological ac2uaintance are necessary to
be imparted to the students0 which can be achieved through liberal education1
(ourthly0 as the world has become a global village0 the importance of communication
s*ills has been increased manifold1 + person must be proficient in national and at least
one international language1 e must *now how to send e)mail0 voice)mail or to carryout
visual communication1 $he social change compels the person to change the Lob for better
opportunities1 $he talented people feel an urge to move towards other countries as well in
order to actualise their talent and to obtain ma4imum result1 $his is where the
communication s*ills are mostly re2uired1 +ll the communication techni2ues0 basically0
listening0 spea*ing and writing are essential ingredients1 $herefore0 it is necessary to
improve the s*ills of students through methods of listening comprehension and spea*ing
ability tests1 +ll the e4aminations of foreign languages comprise these elements and even
very talented students from developing countries fail to go abroad due to lac* of these
communication s*ills in international languages1
$hese few obLectives of liberal education underline its importance and need in the
developing countries0 including Pa*istan1 &nfortunately0 it has not been ta*en seriously1
$he system of education in our country is obsolete1 It is devoid of the contemporary
methodology of teaching and the curriculum is almost from primary to university level1
%omputer is studied as a field of study only0 not as a s*ill1 'ven in most of the
universities it is taught only to the students of computer department see*ing degree in that
subLect0 let alone its use at primary and secondary level1 In universities the students of
other subLects li*e sociology0 languages0 arts and other sciences are not taught the
computer s*ills1 $his lags them far behind from students of other countries and few
2uality institutes of the country1
!ame is true of languages1 'nglish though introduced from primary level0 is not taught
according to the modern techni2ues of comprehension1 -nly reading lessons and
*nowing meaning of words cannot enable students to master the language1 $he
methodology of 'nglish departments in universities is also in 2uestion1 $he national
language0 &rdu0 is also not focused at any level of education1 Jearning of both these
languages is important to produce capable and competitive students at the national and
international level1
$he fate of the students of other subLects is also not much different1 -n the one hand0 they
are deprived of computer and language s*illsP on the other they do not become proficient
in their field of interest as the proper methodology is not applied1 (aculty members are
not well 2ualified0 research is not pursued and creative thought is ignored1
$hese defects of our education system are the main reasons of the chaos0 unemployment0
poverty and social instability in our society1 In order to overcome these shortcomings0 we
must adopt the liberal education system without any further delay1 owever0 this re2uires
a well thought out and comprehensive policy to improve the e4isting education system1
Primarily0 we should redesign our curriculum at all levels1 +ll the maLor
components"subLects of liberal education: sociology humanism0 citizenship0 history0
philosophy0 languages0 computer and sciences must be introduced in every tier of
education from primary to university levels in accordance with the capacity of students
and the needs of society1
!econdarily0 all the institutions should be e2uipped with computer and scientific
laboratories and libraries1 $he research and creative thin*ing should be encouraged
through modern techni2ues of education1 In this regard the accessibility and e2uality of
all sections of our stratified society must be ensured in order to achieve uniform
development1
Jastly0 the faculty must be energised by providing s*illed and e4perienced teachers1 $he
e4isting teachers should be trained to e2uip them with modern techni2ues of teaching
methodology1 (resh and young blood must be encouraged to Loin education field as a
profession by enhancing the monetary incentives in the education sector1
$his policy will yield tremendous benefits to the future of a nation1 $he liberal education
is hailed because it brings concrete advantages1 $he young generation of Pa*istan ma*es
bul* of the population of country1 +ccording to a report of the !tate Ban* of Pa*istan H9
per cent of the educated youth is unemployed due to irrelevance of their s*ills with
mar*et1 If this portion of population is properly s*illed0 it will prove to be a boost to the
economy as the manpower is considered a resource in all countries of the world1
+nother benefit would be the eradication of poverty1 -nce our youth are employed0 they
will naturally add to the income of their families and conse2uently eradicate their
poverty1 It will also help in raising the living standard of our common man as it is directly
proportional to the income of a family1
$he liberal education would create sense of understanding and cooperation among the
people1 $he contemporary chaos of e4tremism and isolationism are due to lac* of
approach towards collective interests and common goals among people1 -nce they realise
their social obligations and thin* creatively they will initiate participating positively in
the stability of society1
It is 2uite clearly manifested from the discussion that liberal education0 which is the real
education0 is an essential component of good governance and stable society1 It not only
helps an individual to progressively achieve goals but also gives impetus to economic0
political and social stability to a state1 In short0 it forms the basis of human development
in this comple4 global world of diversity and challenges1 It offers a way towards a better
change1
Pa0istan >ich in Natural >esources
But Poor in their <ana/e.ent
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
utline
!7 Introduction
#7 Natural #esources and their management
$7 #ichness " abundance of natural resources in Pa*istan
%7 Pa*istanSs natural resources and their mismanagement
a) 'nergy resources
i7 Nonrenewable energy resources
a1 -il and Gas reserves
b1 %oal reserves
ii7 #enewable energy resources
a1 5ind and solar power
b1 ydropower
b) +gricultural resources
i7 Irrigation Networ*
ii7 (ertile Jand
iii7 Qariety of %rops
i57 +nimal usbandry
57 (ishing
c) /ineral -re #esources
i" %opper and gold resources1
ii" !alt mines and other minerals
d) uman resources
i" !i4th Jargest Population in the 5orld
ii" Youth comprising maLor chuc*
&7 (actors leading to poor management " Governance
a) Political instability" rivalry0
b) Jac* of vision and planning0
c) (lawed policies0
d) Bureaucratic bottlenec*s and corruption0
e) 5orsened Jaw and order situation0
'7 Implications of mismanagement of natural resources
(7 5ay forward
)7 %onclusion
Pa*istan is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources but also
one of the poorest among them in their management1 $he country is abundant in the vital
resources including that of energy0 agriculture0 minerals0 population0 and geography0 but
unli*e the developed countries0 these have not been properly e4ploited due to poor
management1 $his dismayed situation is caused due to several0 both chronic and acute0
flaws which have led to poor governance of country since its inception e4cept some brief
spells of economic prosperity1 Prevalent political rivalry and instability0 worsening law
and order and rampant corruption have catalyzed the situation to resource development
impasse1 %ontrary to economic potential of its natural resources0 Pa*istan is a depending
on foreign aid and debt0 it is facing deficit in trade0 acute energy crisis to run industry0
and water stress for agriculture0 to name a few challenges1
owever0 the daunting challenges and the mounting public pressure caused due to
awareness of civil society are increasingly influencing the political decision ma*ing1
'ventually0 there is sign of hope for devising effective strategy to e4ploit the natural
resource wealth of the country for its self sufficiency and viable economic development1
It is suffice to say that the proper e4ploitation of this wealth would lead to the prosperity
of this nation1
Before discussing what natural resources Pa*istan possesses0 it is important to understand
what constitutes natural resources1 $hese occur naturally within environments
characterised by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity e4istent in various ecosystems1
!ome resources li*e water and agriculture are essential for survival of inhabitants while
others li*e energy and minerals are secondary in nature but essential for economic
development1 owever0 efficient management of these resources is vital to achieve
prosperity of nation1 Natural resource management is a discipline with a particular focus
on how management affects the 2uality of life for both present and future generations1 It
is interrelated with the concept of sustainable development1 Pa*istan is blessed with huge
2uantity of resources but lags in management1
Being situated at one of the best geographic and geostrategic locations on the map of
world0 Pa*istan is affluent in the natural resources1 It has enormous energy surplus
resource potential of both renewable and nonrenewable0 which is greater than that of oil
rich countries of Gulf1 +mong the worldSs G:: plus countries it has the second largest salt
mines0 second largest coal reserves0 fifth largest copper and gold reserves0 seventh largest
wheat and rice production capacity1 It is the si4th most populous country in the world
having large share of young population1 ad these resources been properly managed0 this
country would have been one of the richest economies of world1 $he detailed account of
the natural wealth of Pa*istan shows how such great potential has been untapped due to
mismanagement1
$here are plenty of nonrenewable energy resources li*e oil0 gas and coal in Pa*istan1 It
has more than =BH1G million barrels of oil0 according to %I+ 5orld (act Boo*0 and B;1B
trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves1 $he current oil production is H90<<8 barrels per
day while gas production is = billion cubic feet per day1 $hough it is not enough to meet
the needs0 it can save considerable outflow of currency1 /oreover0 there is resource
potential of G8 billion Barrels of -il and GIG $%( of gas reserves in the country which
has not been e4plored due to lac* of vision and flawed policies1
Pa*istan has worldSs second largest coal deposits of ;I9 billion tons1 $hese are estimated
to be e2uivalent to H;I billion barrels of crude oil1 $his is more than twice if we compare
it with oil reserves of !audi +rabia1 If it is converted into oil by gasification0 it will
generate H9: barrels of crude oil which at an average mar*et rate of eighty dollars per
barrel0 would generate 91G trillion dollars1 But the policy ma*ing elite of the country has
not only been oblivious to the potential but also indifferent to the slow pace of efforts to
harness this source for energy production and e4ports1 $he energy deficit is badly
affecting the industry in country but no any serious initiative is ta*en for electricity
production from coal1 %hina imports its H9 percent of coal re2uirements but despite being
Sall weather friendS0 this giant energy importing economy does not import coal from
Pa*istan1
Besides0 the geography of Pa*istan enriches it with the renewable energy resources1 5ind
and !olar energy are other unused lifelines of Pa*istan1 ;:=H *m long coastal line gives
potential of =:::: /5 of electricity1 $he vast lands of Balochistan can be utilized for
solar electricity generation1 But unfortunately these resources have barely been used due
to technological bac*wardness and lac* of innovative policies1
$he hydropower potential of the country is also enough to satisfy the needs of energy1
-nly BB percent of around G:0::: /5 generation capacity is produced from this
resource which has the potential of producing =:0::: /51 No concrete steps have been
ta*en to harness this resource mainly because of political differences and distrust
prevailing in the country1
$he lac* of vision and policy planning in utilisation of water resource is also severely
affecting agriculture1 @espite having one of the largest irrigation systems of the world0
Pa*istan is facing water scarcity for crops1 !torage capacity of water reservoirs is 2uic*ly
depleting because of annual sediment inflow and a substantial 2uantum of available water
is lost in seepage as the canals have not been cemented1 -ut of 88 million acres cultivable
area0 only 9919 million acres have been ploughed1 $he country is blessed with four
seasons and variety of crops but due to lac* of research the productivity remains low1
In addition0 being an agricultural country it possesses tremendous scope of animal
husbandry1 Pa*istanSs breeds of cow li*e !ahiwal cow are the best breeds of world1 @ue
care to this area can lead to bul* of e4ports in dairy products1 -n other hand0 fishing
industry has an important role to play in national economy of Pa*istan1 $he coast line of
I;= *m provides ample opportunity to enhance this industry0 but poor performance and
poor presentation of our cause in 5$- have put this industry at the verge of destruction1
$he minerals are also vital natural resources available in great 2uantity1 Pa*istan has fifth
largest copper and gold reserves in the world1 $he #i*o de2 proLect0 copper and gold
reservoir0 have been estimated to be worth of GH: billion dollars0 which is ten times the
all financial aid received from &!+ in last si4ty year1 But instead of e4ploiting own
resources for economic independence0 country has been dependent on foreign aid1 ow
rich Pa*istan is0 and how poor Pa*istanis areZ $here are other partially untapped
resources of roc* salts0 Gypsum0 lime stone0 iron0 marble0 and silica sand in large
2uantities1 $hese resources have not been e4ploited due to corruption and bottlenec*s in
political and bureaucratic culture1
$he most important of the natural resources in this globalized world is human resource1
Pa*istan is the si4th most populous country in the world having large share of Syoung
populationS i1e1 HB percent below age of G9 years0 according to &nited Nations
@evelopment Programme1 But the failed policies have caused mounting unemployment
of ;9 percent1 $he resource which could be used to enhance the economic activity is left
to no use which is adding to the increase in poverty1 $he lac* of opportunities leading to
the brain drain of talented minds has further worsened the situation1
$he above analysis reveals that Pa*istan is not poor0 but poorly managed country1 $he
factors which have caused the poor management of natural resources include political
instability0 political indecision ma*ing " divergence0 lac* of vision and planning0 flawed
policies0 bureaucratic bottlenec*s and corruption0 lac* of human resource development0
worsened law and order situation1 $hese factors have led not only to the poor
management of natural resources but also to the poor governance of country1
$he political instability has been the main cause of such mayhem1 !ince the
independence0 no political group in Pa*istan has been given enough time to be mature1
$he military interference in politics and rivalry among political sta*eholders are the *ey
features of brief history of this country1 $his inconsistency has *ept the e4ploitation of
natural wealth unattended1 $he divergence of opinion on construction of water resources
has deprived the country of storing the surplus water for agriculture and electricity
generation1 owever0 this could be overcome by vision and planning0 which is a scarce
commodity here1 Instead of controversial big dams several small reservoirs could be
constructed0 had a pragmatic approach prevailed among the decision ma*ing machinery1
%oupled with this0 the flawed policies of successive governments have caused
tremendous problems despite availability of ade2uate resources1 $he energy sector is a
vivid e4ample of such poor management1 $he maLor chun* of the electricity is produced
through thermal generation for which almost I: percent of oil is imported1 5hereas the
second largest treasure of coal in the world is left une4plored as it contributes only G
percent of electricity generation1 %ountries li*e &!0 %hina and India generate electricity
by almost H: percent from coal due to its lower cost1 $his shows how other countries ta*e
cost of electricity generation into serious consideration1
owever0 it would be unfair to put all the burden of poor resource management on the
political factors1 $he bureaucratic bottlenec*s and corruption have been e2ually
responsible for this undesirable scenario1 !everal hydro power proLects0 $har coal proLect0
and oil e4ploration proLects are in doldrums due to bureaucratic bottlenec*s1 $here is no
headway in solar and wind energy proLects planned by +lternative 'nergy @evelopment
Board1 !imilarly0 corruption has also been e4tremely detrimental1 $he standstill in the
#i*o de2 proLect is an e4ample of this case1 Pa*istan is ran*ed at B= in %orruption
Perception Inde4 G:;: by $ransparency International0 which is a discouraging factor for
foreign direct investment1
In addition0 the worsened law and order situation has caused severe blow to the economy
in general and natural resource management in particular1 $he volatile situation in
Balochistan is harmful to the e4ploitation of resources1 $he Gawadar port0 despite being
located at crucial location0 has not been made fully functional1 -ther proLects of mineral
e4ploration are also affected1 $he terrorism in the northern areas has been harmful for the
potential tourism industry1
$hese factors of poor management have placed Pa*istan in an undesirable situation
domestically and internationally1 $he socio)economic situation remains gloomy as the
G@P growth rate is one of the lowest in !outh +sia at G1G percent0 trade deficit is
estimated about R;H billion0 inflation rate continues to be in double digits at ;9 percent0
population below poverty line is alarmingly around B9 percent0 and unemployment is at
;9 percent1
+lso0 it does not enLoy a favorable position among the comity of nations1 It is ran*ed
;GBrd out of ;B< countries in Global %ompetitive Inde4P it is at ;B=th among ;<G in
uman development Inde4 by &N@PP and it occupies the critical position of ;Gth in
(ailed !tates Inde4 G:;; issued by (oreign Policy /agazine1
$he country has been economically dependent on foreign aid and debt0 which has
adversely affected her standing in international community1 owever0 despite Pa*istanSs
crucial role in westSs geostrategic framewor* and war on terror0 the allies end up donating
small amounts of grants which ma*e fractions of what could be obtained from e4ploiting
own natural resources1 $he e4ternal debts and liabilities have nearly doubled from R B8
billion in year G:::0 to R 9<19 billion in year G:;;1
Nevertheless0 the worst impact so far is the energy crises in Pa*istan1 $here is serious
shortfall of electricity0 gas and oil1 'lectricity demand e4ceeds supply and Cload
sheddingD is a common phenomenon1 $he shortfall of electricity reaches at =:::)9:::
/5 which badly affected industry0 eventually leading to decreased e4ports and
diminished economic activity1
$hese adverse implications0 of the e4tremely poor management of resources0 on the
economy and society in the country0 warrant a serious approach and comprehensive
strategy to reverse the trend1 $he pragmatic approach and policy direction can help the
country to be able to rely on its own resources instead of dependency1
Pa*istani leadership must focus on e4ploration of natural resources and their scientific
management1 Properly managed natural resources can become instrumental in national
income and its growth1 '4tensive geological survey is re2uired to discover the resource
potential0 planning and vision is needed to e4plore the proved but untapped resources and
effective strategy is essential to fully e4ploit the resources under use1
In order to ta*e ma4imum benefits from natural resources there is the need of technical
education of people involved in resource e4ploitation and management1 $he technical
education ensures that there is minimum wastage of the resources1 ence0 such education
should be made compulsory for the people in concerned areas of activity1
-n the other hand0 the politicians0 policy ma*ers and all the sta*e holders must adopt a
rational approach not to politicize natural resources1 It should be prioritized as the vital
national interest and dealt with as such1 $he controversies on the management of water
and mineral resources must be resolved pragmatically for best interest of the nation1
Jast but not the least0 worsened law and order situation in Pa*istan0 which has led to the
lac* of investment0 must be chec*ed1 $he private firms engaged in resource e4ploration
must be protected by the state1 'nsuring the security0 would attract investment in the
respective areas which would subse2uently guarantee the inflow of capital in the national
economy and the resource potential could be fully e4ploited1
It needs not to be emphasised that Pa*istan is not poor but poor management of its natural
resources has made it so1 $he enormous natural resources of all *inds li*e energy0
minerals0 agriculture0 and human could have made this country a wealthy economy1
Instead0 there been blea* picture of economy and undesirable image outside due to the
chronic flaws in vision and policies1 $hus0 the daunting challenge of poor management of
natural resources direly needs to be addressed not only to overcome the perils caused due
to it but also to achieve economic self sufficiency and prosperity of the nation1 By
surpassing this challenge0 Pa*istan is destined to have eminence place in the world as a
stable0 growing and prosperous nation1
Source: Natural >esources o1 Pa0istan and their <is7.ana/e.ent
-he New Great Ga.e and Pa0istanBs Forei/n Policy
By Caseeb Gohar (FSP)
utline
Introduction
O Need of oil and gas
O %oncept of regionalism
O Importance for /uslim countries
Bac0/round
O Brea*down of the !oviet &nion
O %aspian region
<onopoly o1 the P=9
?SBs interests in the >e/ion
O -il dependency
O %ountering influence of %hina
O +pplication for !%- membership
9hinese Interests
O 'normous need for oil
O UinLiang under the threat of terrorism
Pa0istanBs Interests
O Need of oil and gas
O Pa*istanSs dire need of !%- membership
O $ur*menistan) +fghanistan) Pa*istan) India gas pipeline
$he interdependency of the states to meet the oil and gas needs reaches at the apogee
with the industrial revolution1 $his provides impetus to the regionalism1 Big nations
combine to form big blocs in order to enhance the economic and political activities1 $hus0
%aspian region0 fulfils the above statement11$his region is enormously rich in oil and gas
reserves1 Its geography and /uslim ideology is distinct on its place1 Jet us see how this
region is affecting world oil politics and future perspective for Pa*istan1
In ;<<;0 after dissolution of !oviet &nion0 %aspian and %aucasus region came into being1
$he former became the part of New Great Game1 $his term was coined by a Lournalist0
#ashid +hmad in order to emphasis on the importance of the region1 Aaza*hstan0
Ayrgyzstan0 $ur*me)nistan0 $aLi*istan and &zbe*istan are also called central +sian
republics or %+#s 1 $he region shares its boundaries with #ussia0 %hina0 +fghanistan0
Iran0 and %aspian !ea and also with Pa*istan which is a narrow strip of 5a*han away
from the borders of $aLi*istan1
In ;<H:0 -P'% was established to provide the protection to the oil e4porting countries1
!audi +rabia0 Qenezuela0 Auwait0 Ira2 and Iran formed this organisation1 Presently0 they
constitute 8:T of the world oil e4port so these countries have a huge monopoly on the oil
production1 owever0 the central +sian republics are e4pected to have G:: billion barrels
of oil and =HB trillion mB of gas1 ence0 this region has a potential to neutralise the effect
of -P'%1
&nited !tates is the only country in the world which constitutes Lust =T to the world
population but consumes G9T of the world energy reserves1 er oil consumption is over
;; million barrels per day which is largest in the world1 &! energy reserves are depleting
very fast1 $hat is why0 &! is importing oil from the /iddle 'ast0 Qenezuela and %anada1
It is said that !audi +rabia would e4haust her oil reserves in ne4t 89 years as her daily oil
production is over ;: million barrels per day1 &! wants good relations with %+#s1 &!
established her military base in Ayrgyzstan in G::; in order to have a chec* on #ussia as
well as on %hina1 +fghanistan invasion also strengthen the importance of %+#s for the
&! as +fghanistan shares boundaries with $aLi*istan0 &zbe*istan0 and $ur*menistan1 $his
is the reason behind that &! applied for the !hanghai %orporation -rganization ,!%-.
membership in G::9 which was denied by %hina1
%hina is an emerging power in the world1 %hina is enormously needing oil and gas to
fulfil her domestic needs1 In this regard0 %+#s are the natural allies of %hina1 $his was
the rational of constituting !hanghai 9 to !hanghai %orporation -rganisation1 %hina is
facing terrorism problem in her country in UinLiang province which is one)si4th of the
total country area1 It is allegedly said that these terrorist activities are controlled from
$ur*menistan1 $herefore0 !%- can provide a forum to curb these activities1
Pa*istan too enLoys a considerable importance in the region1 Its geo)political significance
creates a remar*able prestige in the region1 5a*han in +fghanistan divides Pa*istan from
$aLi*istan1 %+#s are /uslim countries0 thus have common ideology1 Pa*istanSs total oil
production capacity is B=< million barrels which is very low indeed1 $herefore0 she has to
rely on e4ternal sources1 #ecently0 Pa*istan signed a gas pipeline deal with $ur*menistan0
+fghanistan and India1 $his means that this region is having an enormous potential to
change the world politics1
%urrently0 Pa*istan is having an observatory status in the !%-1 But0 the latter is in dire
need of having permanent membership in !%-1 $he need is Lustified on these grounds1
(irstly0 Pa*istan is a natural ally of the member countries1 %hina and $aLi*istan ,crossing
5a*han strip. shares border with Pa*istan1 !econdly0 Pa*istan satisfies the obLectives of
!%-0 i1e1 to eradicate terrorism from the region1 $hus0 Pa*istan fulfils the needs of the
organisation1
$hirdly0 Pa*istan is the only country which gives a sea route to the %+#s throughout the
year1 $hus0 no one can deny the geo)strategic importance of Pa*istan1 $herefore0 Pa*istan
and the member states can also enhance the bilateral trade between them1
In doing so0 Pa*istan should *eep in mind the sensitivity of %hina in UinLiang province1 It
is allegedly said that the wrongdoings in region is controlled from Pa*istan1 $he terrorists
have some connection from Pa*istan1 $herefore0 Pa*istan has negated such elements of
involvement in the province1
In a nutshell0 %+#s have a great potential in the economic as well as political domain1
$hese states must utilise their power to accomplish their goals with sagacious will1 $he
&!0 %hina and #ussia are tilting their heads with full commitment1 Pa*istan in this regard
should come one step forward to Loin their hands1 If Pa*istan could curb the militancy in
the country0 it would have deep impact on the !%- members also1 Pa*istanSs geo)
strategic location0 Islamic ideology0 and common interests are the manifestation of their
future consideration for %+#s1
Power o1 <edia in <odern World
By :r ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
utline:
Introduction:
" Power of media in G;st century
" /ost powerful weapon of the contemporary world
" /edia111bac*bone of tremendous social0 political and cultural changes
" (reedom of e4pression111a basic human right
" Interrelationship between media and democracy
" $hesis statement leading to conclusion1
9onstitutional pro5isions and /uarantees:
" +rticle ;< of the constitution of Islamic #epublic of Pa*istan ;<8B1
9onstituents o1 1reedo. o1 press:
" (reedom of thin*ing0 speech0 e4pression
" (reedom from all government pressures1
Functions o1 .edia:
" 'ducation for the masses
" +wareness about world scenario and fundamental rights and duties
" -pinion formation related to social0 political0 economic V religious issues
" 'nsures public participation in governmentSs policies1
Freedo. o1 press in Pa0istan:
" !emi)independent press owing to punctuated democracy
" #ole of military regimes from +yub Ahan to 6ia &l a2
9urrent scenario in Pa0istan o5er the last decade:
" P'/#+ G::;111martial law regime G::;
" /ushroom growth of private $Q channels
" #ole of media in promulgation of emergency111Brd November G::8
P#-0 under emergency
9hallen/es D hurdles be1ore Pa0istanBs .edia
" Illiterate population111Jac* of interest" awareness
" Political instability
" Indifferent attitude of the masses towards the policies of the government
" !hortage of funds" resources
" Political interference
bli/ations o1 .ediaD the way 1orward"
" 'thics of Lournalism" press to be followed1
" !trive for national integration
" Impartial " unbiased analysis
" +void e4aggeration
" +void obscenity " vulgarity
" @epiction of Pa*istanSs true culture and history
" Promotion of social0 ethical and moral values
" ProLection of softer image of governmentSs policies
" /aintenance of public confidence
" Promotion of NuaidSs vision and ideology of Pa*istan
9onclusion
,Freedo. o1 conscience4 o1 education4 o1 speech4 o1 asse.bly4 is a.on/ the 5ery
1unda.entals o1 de.ocracy and all o1 the. will be nulli1ied i1 the 1reedo. o1 press
be success1ully challen/ed"2
,&! president0 #oosevelt.
/edia is regarded as the most powerful weapon of G;st century1 It is as lethal a weapon
as a nu*e1 It has the capability to convert day into night and night into day0 a hero into a
villain and a villain into hero1 /edia has brought revolutions in the world and has
transformed the globe into a global village1 It has virtually erased the geographical
boundaries0 removed the barriers of social0 political and cultural differences and as a
result this diversified world has been reduced to remote control1 /ediaSs role in
education0 awareness0 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 reversed0
however0 they may be altered in nature and composition1
$he status of freedom of press in Pa*istan0 ever since independence0 has remained semi)
independent0 despite ade2uate safeguards and provisions promised by the constitution1
,-here shall be 1reedo. o1 press" It shall4 howe5er4 be subEected to any reasonable
restrictions i.posed by the law4 in the interest o1 /lory o1 Isla.4 o1 the inte/rity4
security and de1ense o1 Pa0istan or any part o1 it4 1riendly relations with 1orei/n
states4 public order4 decency and .orality or in relation to conte.pt o1 court or
co..ission or incite.ent to an o11ence"2
,+rticle ;< of the constitution0 ;<8B.
(reedom of press literally means the freedom of e4pression i1e1 speech0 writing and
thin*ing1 It also ensures the liberty to thin* and act without any restrictions and pressures1
+ free press and electronic media is an essential attribute of democratic polity as both
wor* hand in glove with each other1 If democracy is the government of the people0 media
is the voice of the people1 But it is a matter of grave misfortune for Pa*istan that due to
one factor or the other0 ever since independence0 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 government1
$he fundamental ingredient ma*ing democracy possible is the flow of information1
/edia is the only force that can ensure the flow of information1 If restricted0 hindered or
obstructed in any way0 masses remain ignorant0 ignorant of their rights0 their duties to the
state0 their needs and the role that they can play for the betterment of the society and the
country they live in1
/ediaSs role in imparting education to the masses cannot be stressed enough1 -nline
lectures and speeches of the professors0 scholars and intellectuals are playing a significant
role in imparting formal and technical education to the masses1
/ediaSs role in creating awareness among the masses regarding the political0 social and
economic scenario cannot be overemphasized1 -wing to the mushroom growth of $Q
channels and newspapers0 people today are more aware and educated about the
surroundings and the steps ta*en by the government1 $his is promoting public
participation in the decision)ma*ing of the state machinery1 $he s*illed and bold
personalities of the anchor persons raise peopleSs voice0 analyse governmentSs actions and
get the e4pert opinion1
/edia has also played a significant role in bringing the world at our doorstep1 It produces
and introduces different lifestyles in the world0 changes moods and behavior0 braves the
bold topics through dramas and tal* shows1 It also suggests the new household styles0
guides the youth to new opportunities and creates civic sense1
/edia also helps in providing religious *nowledge by the competent scholars0 answering
the 2ueries of public to solve their problems1 It highlights religious events and promotes
sectarian harmony1
In the historical perspective0 one can safely say that unfortunately democracy could not
flourish here in the true sense of the word1 %onse2uently0 Pa*istan has not been able to
evolve a full) fledged free news media1 $he media in Pa*istan has not received the
nourishment needed for its full flowering1
owever0 the electronic media too* new form after promulgation of Pa*istan 'lectronic
/edia #egulatory +uthority ,P'/#+. G::;0 by the autocratic regime of president
/usharraf1 $he authority has been made responsible for facilitating and regulating the
establishment and operations of the broadcast media and distribution services in Pa*istan1
$he mandate of the P'/#+ is to ensure accountability and transparency by optimizing
the free flow of information1 $his law is on the face to the article ;< of the constitution0
which guarantees freedom of speech0 e4pression and press1
@espite fre2uent martial laws0 other factors that stand responsible for the poor growth of
independent media could be indifferent attitude illiteracy0 poverty0 unawareness0 attitude
of indifference towards the political decisions0 lac* of interest in state affairs0 political
instability and political pressures and problems1
Illiteracy has proved to be one of the maLor obstacles in the improper growth of press and
electronic media1 -wing to lac* of education0 people have been rendered unaware of
their rights0 duties and of course responsibilities to the state1 $his dilemma of illiteracy
gave birth to poverty and conse2uently0 the poor masses that could not afford two meals
in a day0 could never realize the importance of newspapers and freedom of press1 $his
sorry state of affairs has created an indifferent attitude on the part of the common masses1
%onse2uently0 the apathy shown by the government and the people gave birth to an
orthodo4 and stereotyped thin*ing and nationalist approach1
$here are certain ethics and doSs and donSts of media channels and press to shape the
discipline of Lournalism so that they may see* truth0 convey information0 ideas and
opinions with transparency and accuracy1 $hese ethics advise the media personals to
report and interpret honestly0 stri*ing for accuracy0 fairness and disclosure of all essential
facts and urge the necessary correction of errors1
G;st century has turned out to be a century of media war0 as it has turned out to be the
most lethal weapon of the contemporary age1 @rastic0 cultural0 political and social
changes can now be seen as a result of revolutions brought about by media1 /edia is
bursting forth li*e a meteor0 brea*ing new frontiers1 In this age of cosmic revolution and
technology and means of communication0 those archaic barriers bloc*ing any peopleSs
access to independent source of information are being dismantled rapidly to the utter
discomfort of the obscurantist still intent on *eeping them intact1 $his is an era of satellite
television0 internet connectivity and mobile telephones1 &! constitution categorically
forbids that:0
,9on/ress shall .a0e no law abrid/in/ the 1reedo. o1 speech or o1 press"2
Need 1or Good Go5ernance in Pa0istan
By :r ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
utline:
" Introduction
" @efinition and concept of good governance
" Pre re2uisites" 'ssentials of good governance
=ssentials o1 /ood /o5ernance:
" !table democracy" political stability
" %onstitutional supremacy
" #ule of law" effective implementation of law
" Independence of Ludiciary
" 'fficient administrative hierarchy
" Qibrant foreign policy
" '2uality" transparency
" '2ual distribution of resources
" Public participation in all decision)ma*ing processes
" (ree and uniform education system
" (inancial satisfaction
" !ocial security
" (reedom of media
Status o1 /ood /o5ernance in Pa0istan:
" Poor scenario" grim picture of governance
" Political instability
" Qacuum of leadership ever since NuaidSs death
" Qulnerable national integrity0 piety0 solidarity and sovereignty
" #ampant corruption owing to vested interests of ruling elites
" Jac* of culture of accountability
" %rippled economy
" Poor law and order situation
" Inefficient law enforcement agencies
" !ocial insecurity and uncertainty
" !ocio economic bac*wardness of the masses
Su//estions 1or /ood /o5ernance:
" 'nsure stable democratic system
" !upremacy of constitution
" #ule of law
" 'fficient administrative system
" Investment friendly environment
" Public participation in policy)ma*ing
" 'ducation for all
FGood /o5ernance is a precondition 1or .eetin/ the challen/e o1 reducin/ po5erty4
pro.otin/ sustainable de5elop.ent and buildin/ /ood /o5ernance"2
(Go1i Annan )
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how
public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to
guarantee the realization of human rights1 (urthermore0 Governance describes the process
of decision)ma*ing and the process by which decisions are implemented or not
implemented1 Good governance can also be termed as the effective use of power0
legislation of policies0 transparent accountability0 and development of human resources
and supremacy of constitution with the absolute rule of law1
,Good /o5ern.ent does not .ean autocratic /o5ern.ent" Good /o5ern.ent does
not .ean despotic /o5ern.ent" Good /o5ern.ent .eans4 a /o5ern.ent that is
responsible to the representati5e o1 people"2
(6innah4 the ;uaid o1 Pa0istan)
Good governance is a continuous process that determines the fate of nation1 It is a
fundamental factor that is inevitable in ta*ing the nation to the zenith of glory in the
world community1 Good governance is 2uite a wider term that encompasses within itself
multiple factors that are considered inevitable for its proper implementation that includes
democracy0 rule of law0 constitutional supremacy0 accountability and public participation
in decision)ma*ing1
&nfortunately0 the situation of good governance in Pa*istan is 2uite gloomy and grim due
to wea* leadership ever since independence0 incompetent administrative hierarchy and
wea* accountability accompanied with poor law and order situation1
@emocracy and good governance are interrelated to each other1 In case there is no
democracy0 there can be no good governance1 It is a matter of grave misfortune for the
entire nation that ever since the birth of Pa*istan0 democracy could not flourish here due
to fre2uent martial laws and unnecessary intervention of military dictators in the state
affairs1 It is a matter of serious concern that for more than three decades0 the country has
remained entangled in the oppressive clutches of dictatorship1 In ;<9;0 the countrySs first
P/0 Jia2uat +li Ahan was assassinated and in ;<9I0 the first military coup was invo*ed1
In ;<8;0 the country went through the tragic episode of debacle of 'ast Pa*istan and in
;<88 again 6iaSs martial law was imposed1 $he span of ;<II to G::: saw acute political
instability through dissolution of National assembly by another martial law1 In the light of
the up given picture of countrySs political situation0 good governance seems a cry for the
moon1
%orruption is another crucial factor that can prove to be a serious impediment in the way
of good governance1 %orruption perception inde4 G:;; by $ransparency International
ran*s Pa*istan at ;B=th position out of ;IB countries which is alarmingly bad1 IndiaSs
ran*ing is much better ,<9th out of ;IB.1 Good governance is a distinct reality when the
process of accountability of the corruption ridden elements is either wea* or missing1
National accountability Bureau was formulated in ;<<< after military coup by general
/usharraf0 but the sad fact is that the said body suffers from corrupt practices and lac* of
accountability within itself0 ma*ing it a laughing stoc* in the eyes of other national
institutions1 +nother Ler* to the governance was N#- formulated in /usharrafSs era in
G::8 to secure his otherwise illegal and unconstitutional reelection as the president1
Pa*istan today happens to be the classic e4ample of ingenuities for bribery and e4change
of favors1 /ore than 8::: beneficiaries of this defunct law had to face reopening of their
cases in G::<1 $his was an open violation of the principle of good governance1
'ffective and in time implementation of the law is another deciding factor in the process
of good governance1 Pa*istan unfortunately has become a classic e4ample of worst law
and order situation1 'very other day a substantial number of innocent citizens0 who are
Lust silent spectators0 are targeted by the law enforcement agencies1
(lourishing economy is one of the maLor components of good governance as both are
interrelated in one way or the other1 In Pa*istan0 economic governance is the victim of
political instability1 Pa*istanSs commission for human rights stated that G:I people
committed suicide in +ugust G:;;0 predominantly out of economic crisis1
Good governance is pointed out as one of the largest goals in the /illennium
development goals but in Pa*istan nothing is realized on the ground e4cept paper wor*1 It
must be remembered that economic prosperity and good governance are deeply
interconnected1 $he alarming figures of crippled economy lead us to the prompt measures
for ensuring good governance in the country1
Political stability and efficient administrative hierarchy are the vibrant components of
good governance1 Both political leaders and beaurocracy go hand in hand for bringing
about cult of good governance through effective implementation of public policies1 $he
tradition of nepotism0 lac* of democratic norms and political recruitments on high
government offices must be eliminated in order to promote transparency0 accountability
and supremacy of law at all levels1
/oreover0 the government should create an investment)friendly environment in order to
boost up the economy and industrial activity as raising the standard of living is the *ey
component of good governance1 Jaw and order situation should be made conducive and
encouraging for the foreign investors so the (@I may be enhanced for the ultimate benefit
of the nation and the country at large1 /ost importantly0 the government must also try to
bridge the gap between the demand and supply of energy1 New dams and barrages must
be built without putting national and political stability at sta*e1 Government should have
control on the hoarding mafia0 particularly those involved in the hoarding of eatable
commodities1 aving strict chec* on the inflation would increase the standard of living of
the general masses at larger scale1 (urthermore0 imparting education and awareness to the
common people is necessary to have good governance as the masses have to be the part
of this process1
/ediaSs role in the advent of true democracy and good governance is not stressed enough1
/edia is recognized as the fourth pillar of the state1 /edia can prove to a vibrant factor in
motivating public participation in national decision)ma*ing processes and can also create
the awareness of rights and duties among the general public1 /edia can also bring
government authorities under accountability for their violations of power and bad
governance1
$o put in a nut shell0 it may be stated that good governance is an inevitable phenomenon
for the smooth wor*ing of any state machinery1 $herefore0 political stability0 rule of law0
constitutional supremacy and public participation in policy ma*ing and implementation
must be ensured1 $he entire nation must thin* and act as one nation and collectively
contribute for the prosperity of the country1 $ime is now ripe to come out of the false and
baseless concepts of provincialism0 sectarianism and nepotism1 5ith all the leadership
vacuum and political instability0 the nation can still step ahead to create an environment0
where good governance is not merely a dream
,Hou will ha5e to be alert4 5ery alert4 1or the ti.e 1or rela8ation is not yet there"
With 1aith4 disciplined and sel1less de5otion to duty4 there is nothin/ worthwhile that
you cannot achie5e"2
(6innah4 the ;uaid o1 Pa0istan")
9orruption In Pa0istan <other o1 all ills
By :r ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
Introduction:
@efinition of corruption
#oot cause of all ills in Pa*istan
!ocio)economic bac*wardnessX1an outcome of corruption
$hesis statement leading to conclusion
9auses o1 corruption:
Political causes:
+bsence of culture of accountability
Incompetent Ludiciary
ighly centralized economic system
+bsence of rule of law
Punctuated constitutional supremacy
Socio7 econo.ic causes:
igh inflation and food prices
/eager salaries of government servants
%lass conflict due to capitalism
'vasion of ethical and religious values
Nepotism and favoritism
(eudalism
I.pacts o1 corruption:
Pa*istan ran*ed ;B<th by transparency international
Increased crime rates
$arnished image of society and state
@iscouraging (@I
NepotismX1 -rder of the day
N#-
Pra/.atic ways to curb corruption:
'mancipating accountability
Need for ethical councelling through education
'nsuring meritocracy instead of red tapism
'nhancing transparency
Increase in salaries of govt1 servants
Implementing law in its true letter and spirit1
9onclusion"
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely1
%orruption is a method and a techni2ue adopted Lust to bypass the rule of law and
engulfing the whole system into socio)economic turmoil1 (urthermore0 corruption0 being
the mother of all ills0 gives birth to multifarious problems including nepotism0
favouritism and negating meritocracy0 transparency and accountability1 It is an
established fact that the cruelty shows its influence as the rule of law is abrogated1
Ban*ing scams0 industrialistSs monopoly to create baseless crises0 bypassing the
constitutional supremacy0 lavish living styles of the ruling class0 foreign tours under the
head of national e4che2uer0 general apathy0 neglect0 carelessness and an attitude of
indifference towards national issues are all the outcomes of corruption which is root
cause of all evils in the motherland1 $he poor are sidelined0 the rich are bestowed0 the
needy are ignored and the affluent are delivered1 owever0 the story does not end here1
$he socio economic situation is much more dubious and gloomy than as e4pected1
Jac* of accountability is an outcome of nepotism and favouritism1 ow can a corrupt
person be held accountable by a corrupt authority? +ll in all the entire unfortunate system
is prone to the monster of corruption1 In such dismal state of affairs0 the 2uestion of
accountability does not arise1 -nly lucrative and emotionally charged speeches and
pledges can never come up to the e4pectations of the people1 #ule of law is the only
option that can pave way for accountability1
/oreover0 the crippled and dwindling economy and ever)rising levels of inflation are the
maLor source of corruption1 $he more the prosperous a country0 the more the rule of law
are followed1 But it is 2uite unfortunate to mention that Pa*istan is a country rated in the
third world where neither the rule of law prevails nor the economic system is
strengthened1 $he per capita income is significantly low that renders the lower strata of
society more prone towards corruption1
Incompetent Ludiciary in terms of not bringing the culprits in to the gallows of law and
absence of bringing the corrupt politicians and policy ma*ers to the boo*s is another
decisive factor in todaySs sorry state of affairs1 In the same manner the unnecessary delay
in deciding the cases of corruption is a clear e4planation of the adage: the Lustice delayed
is Lustice denied1
In much the similar fashion0 highly centralized economy0 breeds conflict amongst the
poor and the rich1 $he growing influence of the privileged class always uses the
influential authority to snub the poor people1 In such a grim situation0 the victims and the
upper both use their influence at their ma4imum e4tent to have ma4imum benefit from
the opportunity1 $hus the capitalism is in the forefront in bringing and paving ways for
corruption1
%orruption evolves as a result of evasion of ethical and religious norms1 #eligion always
as*s the believers to have a solid strive in bringing a moderate society1 It agrees in favour
of decentralized economy1 #egulation of wealth according to rule of law is the motto of
Islam1
+ll the above mentioned factors have brought Pa*istan at number ;B<th among the most
corrupt countries of the world1 +ccording to %PI report0 Pa*istan has G1B score out of ;:
which shows its position very wea* while on contrary0 New 6ealand showed <1= out of
;: in the race and toppled the entire scenario1 Pa*istan on the other hand0 is lagging
behind in all spheres of life1 $his is the outcome of corruption that Pa*istan has lost its
identity and failed to establish its credibility in the whole world1
$he discussion on corruption in Pa*istan would never be complete without having a
glance on National #econciliation -rdinance0 a symbol of corruption in Pa*istan1 It was
promulgated by a military dictator to serve his own vested interests1 It freed all the
politicians and civil servants until ;<<:0 who were convicted on charges of corruption1
PPP and P/J ,N.0 the big political giants remained the beneficiaries of this ordinance1
&nder the provisions of N#-0 the civil servants0 politicians and maLor industrialists were
given a safe passage to escape from all the charges of corruption and made them free of
any sin1 N#-0 most appropriately can be termed as the law that legitimized corruption in
Pa*istan1
Given the dismal state of affairs0 as is evident from all the above)e4plained short story0
there is a stringent need of implementing religious and ethical values0 if the nation wants
to get out of the clutches of monster li*e corruption1 $he religious counseling must be
given at all levels so that ethics and values have a strong hold on the characters and
actions of the people1 'ducational reforms based on morality must be given place in the
social system1
#edtapism0 nepotism0 favouritism must be eradicated by grooming and nurturing a
culture of accountability based on tric*ledown effect that runs from top to bottom1
Independence of Ludiciary and rule of law can only bring in meritocracy so that talented
and high caliber people must be employed at the higher posts1
+nother pragmatic solution is to increase the salaries of the government servants1
(inancial satisfaction to all and sundry can bring in a positive change in the society1 It
forces the wor*ers to follow the principles of morality and honesty1
/oreover0 the laws must be made strict and their implementation be ensured1
&nfortunately0 Pa*istan is a land of laws which are never implemented1 -ne thing must
be given preference that it is not the severity of punishment but the certainty of
punishment that matters1 !uch practices put the things in order and in right directions1
$herefore0 strict implementation of laws is the only way forward1 %hina after the
empowerment of communist party0 paved this way for a cause of change1
%orruption is social curse that must be ditched1 $he lawma*ers in the parliament must
ta*e stringent efforts and evolve practicable strategies to eradicate the mushrooming
menace1 #ule of law0 supremacy of the constitution and independence of Ludiciary and off
course a free and vibrant media being the fourth pillar of the state0 must be implemented
in true letter and spirit1 $he accused must be given a cold fist1 $ime is ripe that drastic
measures be ta*en to get rid of this tsunami of corruption that undoubtedly has torn and
destructed our very social and economic fabric1 'nough of apathy and negligence0 the
need of the hour is to Loin hands on all fronts by all members and areas of society to
ouster this curse1 If Pa*istan wants to run in the race of socio economic development0
evils li*e corruption do not fit in the scenario1
:ialo/ue is the Best 9ourse to 9o.bat -erroris.
$errorism today happens to be the most common globalised terminology being used in
modern times1 Its intensity has increased after <";;1 Pa*istan has become a scapegoat in
the whole terrorism scenario due to the pro4y war conducted by the &nited !tates against
the former !oviet &nion in ?I:s to contain communism1 Pa*istan was the main actor then
M and happens to be again in G:;: M along with the &nited !tates against a common
enemy +l Naeda and its offshoot $aliban1in the war on terror1 But the 2uestion being
as*ed today is how to contain terrorism? It has become a delimma for the world states1
(orce is the last option1 $he foremost priority is the need to focus on dialogue1 +nd for
the success of tal*s0 patience is re2uired1 It>s a slow0 painsta*ing solution1 +rt of
diplomacy and sincerity is re2uired to bring positive results1 It is not literally possible to
achieve victory against terrorists by force1 ow the #ussians were defeated by the tribal
militants two decades bac* is no secret1 Now the +mericans have replaced the !oviets1
But the &! is in close touch with Pa*istan and the &! is not alone as the Nato is
involved1 5ashington has engaged dialogue with the moderates to achieve results1
+venues for tal*s have not been closed along with raging war being fought in
+fghanistan by the &nited !tates and Pa*istan troops engaged in terror war in Notrth and
!outh 5azirstan and !wat1
$he &nited !tates directly or indirectly has sway over world politics1 $errorism and its
e4pansion had been e4plained through different perspectives and the solutions that had
been e4tracted includes a wide range of strategies including diplomacy0 tal*s0 coercive
methods0 and the last option being war1 Pa*istan is engaged in strategic tal*s with the
&nited !tates with top priority on war on terror1
Need to contain terroris. throu/h dialo/ue
$he prevention of terrorism and the international law framewor* both need greater
attention from scholars and policy ma*ers0 as part of a balanced and comprehensive
approach1 In a clearer sense0 terrorism is the fate of globe and there are no feasible ways
to eliminate terrorism through the use of force1 @ialogue is the only way to tame the
terrorists1 +mong the terrorists organisation0 there are moderate elements and the best
way to avoid *illings of innocent people is to engaage in tal*s with the moderates1
$errorism cannot be mitigated as the magnitude of terroristorganizations having global
e4posure is continuously rising throughout the globe1 $he defined concepts of eliminating
terrorism from the world have varied and many analysists believe that no state can wipe
out terrorism as a force to rec*on with1 -nly tal*s is can bring desired results1
/any people perceive it as big game in which the state as well as non)state actors play a
very destructive role1 /any see the role of $aliban as politico)oriented Islamism
movement of some sectarians present in different parts of the world that has been
gathered under a platform of hate and phobic elements in the tribal region of Pa*istan
under al Naeda and $aliban1 $heir aim is to bring Islamic revolution among the /uslim
states and wea*en its enemy M the &nited !tates through acts of terrorism1 $errorism in
western world is usually *nown with reference to Islam0 the ideology behind these deadly
deeds is narrated under the concept of 7ihad1 owever0 modern days missionaries and
/uslim moderates have played a useful role in trying to curb this menace1 $he terrorism
today is perceived as an inheritance of /uslim e4tremists li*e -sama Bin Jaden and
/ulla -mer and many others1
$hese fanatics including Jaden and -mer remained maLor contributors as friends of the
&! in the victory against the pro4y war two decades ago against the !oviets1
It was the region of +fghanistan where the decline of !oviet economy begun and lead to
the collapse of the politico)economic system resulting into splitting of the !oviet &nion1
$he +fghan warriors then played a maLor role in defeating the !oviet troops in
+fghanistan1
$he terrorism and its deeproot ideologies begun from this era because
the leaders of the modern day terrorism arose from here having a large
materialistic support from the &! for a long time for attaining the victory agaist
communism1 -rganizations li*e al Naeda too* birth from this period0 and the $aliban
concept emerged from the madressahs in Pa*istan0 which produce $aliban in thousands1
Pa0istan4 ?S dialo/ue to contain terror
Pa*istan and the &nited !tates have been holding tal*s on terror and are successfully
achieving results1 $hough both the countries had differences at times but eventually the
process of dialogue is producing desired results1 $he strategy to counter terrorism being
pursued by the two countries has dealt a vital blow to the terrorists1 +t times the &! was
stubborn and Pa*istan had to be soft and at times Pa*istan was stiff and the &! showed
fle4ibility1
$he latest strategic dialogue between the &! and Pa*istan on steps to contain terror held
in the middle of 7uly0 G:;: was productive1
Important0 arguably central0 as the security angle may be to the Pa*istan)&! strategic
dialogue but the +merican side appeared to be saying to Pa*istan0 tell us your needs1 +
sum of R819bn a year in non)military aid has to be spent over the ne4t five years1 $he
Pa*istan government can influence the right choice to a great e4tent0 if it gets its act
together1 'conomic prosperity can help largely to eliminate terrorism1
It would not be wide off the mar* to suggest that the +merican campaign in +fghanistan
is beset by strategic confusion1 5hile publicly the +mericans vow that reconciliation will
not be pursued until the $aliban insurgency is dented0 there are real doubts if that is in
fact achievable1 + central plan* of counter)insurgency strategy is the civilian government0
but +fghan President amid Aarzai seems more interested in pursuing a 2uic* deal with
the $aliban than improving governance and leading a civilian surge1
Pa0istan4 India dialo/ue
Pa*istan at the same time is also engaged in tal*s with India1 5ith @elhi>s top priority
being terrorists attac* in /umbai and for Pa*istan0 Aashmir and water issues are core
issues1 $hough nothing emerged in the brief meetings in BeiLing between Prime /inister
Yousuf #aza Gilani and his Indian counterpart /anmohan !ingh but it was reassuring to
see the Pa*istani premier emphasise the importance of fighting hunger0 poverty and
illiteracy in the region M in addition to Lointly combating terror1 $he latter is important to
furthering the Pa*istan)India dialogue as neither country0 especially ours0 is immune from
the violence that the war against militancy has engendered1
But how well can India and Pa*istan wor* together to battle violence considering the
high level of mistrust that e4ists between them? !uspicions of each other>s intentions
must be allayed through tal*s and one of the most effective ways to ma*e tal*s successful
would be to wor* Lointly on improving socio)economic conditions in both countries1 Not
only would this create confidence in each other>s endeavours0 perhaps even lead to
lingering disputes being resolved0 it would also stri*e at the roots of terror that is
perpetrated largely by a class of people with serious social0 political and economic
grievances1
owever0 the more optimistic interpretation is that India and Pa*istan are warily re)
engaging one another0 the diplomatic hiccups the result of a nascent but real process of
rebuilding trust and confidence in a relationship poisoned by mutual distrust1 (or a
dispute that is over si4 decades old0 a few months M from the prime ministers> meeting in
$himpu to the present M is a mere blin* of an eye1 $he optimists suggest that the
e4cruciatingly slow pace of re)engagement isn>t indicative of problems but a way of
building a solid base for the ne4t phase of the peace dialogue between the two countries1
#ational and sensible people on both sides of the border will be hoping that it is the
optimistic hypothesis which is true1
But even if it is not0 the two sides must ensure that they *eep tal*ing to each other1 $he
constituency for peace in India and Pa*istan is elastic M engagement will ensure that
constituency grows1 No tal*s0 though0 would mean that the /umbai attac*ers have won
and the people of !outh +sia have lost1
No matter how 2uic*ly the Loint anti)terrorism mechanism that the two countries installed
some time ago is made fully operational0 terrorist activities will continue unless there is
greater concentration on the people>s welfare1
=? strate/y on counterin/ tarroris.
Gilles de Aerchove0 'urope &nion %ounter)terrorism %oordinator0 spelt out the '&
strategy to counter terrorism1 Aerchove revealed the wor* of the %ouncil of the '& in the
field of counter)terrorism: maintain an overview of all the instruments at the &nionSs
disposal0 and closely monitor the implementation of the '& counter)terrorism strategy1
$he importance of the role was reaffirmed by the 'uropean %ouncil in the adoption of the
!toc*holm Programme ,@ecember G::<.1
e emphasized on what the &N Global !trategy called Cconditions conducive to the
spread of terrorismD were e4actly that0 conditions in which terrorism could spread but not
all societies faced with such conditions triggered such a violent response1 %ountries
which cannot provide good governance of all their territory allow the development of
Csafe havensD in which terrorist groups can thrive1 $he '& has made a start in providing
direct support for the counter)terrorism efforts of a number of *ey countries0 in !outh
+sia0 the !ahel and orn of +frica0 through the CInstrument for !tabilityD1 owever0
responding fully to these problems is a much broader challenge for the development
community1 Aerchove said0 C!ince G::H0 the '& and the Jegal +dviser of the &! !tate
@epartment have engaged in a dialogue about counter) terrorism and international law1
Nuestions discussed include the use of the concept of CwarD and Claws of armed conflictD
in the fight against terrorism as a matter of lawP the relation between and applicability of
international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the fight against
terrorismP the rights of detainees apprehended in the course of the fight against terrorism
in particular the conditions at GuantanamoP the treatment of prisoners and interrogation
methods used in detention centres where detainees are heldP so)called renditions and
secret detention centres1
9onclusion
+rguebly0 dialogue is the best course to combat terrorism1 $he other option is war1 But if
the war is lost0 what then? owever0 if the tal*s fail0 there are reasons to believe that as
the tempers cool down of the leading actors0 dialogue can start again1 +nd terrorism is
pursued by religious fanatics1 It is not easy to win wars in mountainous areas or erase the
hideouts of the terrorists1 $here are moderate elements among the terrorists and accept
tal*s to find out ays to achieve peace1
$he $aliban are feared because of their utter defiance of the country>s laws and their
evident lac* of respect for the rule of law and due Ludicial process1 5here they held sway
they instituted an arbitrary Lustice system that featured summary e4ecutions and torture1
$he law they followed M and do follow in certain parts M was of their own devising0
characterised by a brutality that defied every national and international covenant of fair
legal process and concern for citizens> rights1
Now0 as tal*s with hardliners a22ani group is being pondered by Aabul0 it may bring
positive results in the wee*s ahead1 'ven if the first of tal*s fail0 ,if dialogue are held. at
least0 an understanding can be reached in the second round1 !o0 dialogue is the most
practical way to counter terrorism1
$errorism is no doubt an enemy that must be defeated0 but not simply through military
means even if it is a Loint effort1 @ialogue is the only plausible answer to achieve results
in fields that can help control terror1 +mong the most potent weapons that can crush
terrorism are the elimination of poverty0 hunger0 illiteracy and disease that affect millions
in the subcontinent1
Na5id >iaI (Aate)
$he &N- as (ailed to /easure up to the @emands of its
%harter
utlines:
;uotation
Introduction
9harter Prea.ble
Ai. and purpose o1 charter:
<aEor issues re.ain unresol5ed
Poor states i/nored
>oot 9ause Pre5ention =11orts
9onclusion
$he picture of the &nited Nations in meeting the demands of its charter is blea* as the
&N- has miserably failed to meet its charter demands1 $he world body is deeply under
the influence of the &nited !tates0 the chief financial donor to the &nited Nations1 $he
&N>s financial dependence on maLor powers has contributed largely in the world body>s
failure to act in a neutral and unbiased manner1 + decade or so bac*0 it was 7apan0 &A0
(rance and Germany which helped substantially along with the &! to bolster the fiscal
*itty of the &N but slowly all these states drifted away leaving the &! to remain almost
the sole power to meet the finances of the world body1 !uch a situation is unfortunate as
the &nited !tates is dominating the world body today1
It has been seen over the years that the &N has been successful in the economic
cooperation only in the developed countries0 while the wea*er states continue to be
e4ploited by the stronger ones1 /aLor issues li*e Aashmir and Palestine remain
unresolved even today1 $wo resolutions on Aashmir demanding plebiscite in the Indian
held Aashmir are lying pending in the &nited Nations since ;<=I)=<1 Israel has been
ruthless against the Palestinians and the helpless Palestinians have no one to support their
cause e4cept the toothless /uslim states1 $he Palestinians remain deprived of their
homeland even today1
$he &! invasion of Ira2 on the pretence to rid Ira2 of all weapons of mass destruction
,5/@s. and to renounce their further use proved totally incorrect1 + series of inspections
by the I+'+ failed to find conclusive evidence that proved allegations that Ira2 was
continuing to develop or harbour such weapons1
$he &N has also failed to differentiate between a terrorist and a freedom)fighter1 $his is a
million dollar 2uestion today1 $he freedom fighters in Aashmir and Palestine have been
dumped as terrorists0 though they are struggling for freedom from the Indian and the
Israeli yo*es1 $he &N has also failed in the field of disarmament and to implement its
nuclear non)proliferation policy1
$he *illings in the ethnic war in former Yugoslavia0 saw hundreds of innocent /uslims
men and women being massacred by the !erbs1 $he &N remained helpless as the maLor
powers were least pushed at the horrific situation1 $he *illings continued for wee*s
before the &N came into action1
owever0 despite its failure in many fields0 the &N- has made credible achievements in
preserving the world from the scourge of the third world warM thus saved the humanity
at large M from total destruction1 Yet0 saving the world from catastrophe0 though a maLor
&N aim0 is not the sole purpose of what it was carved outM in ;<=90 after the world had
witnessed two world wars1
9harter Prea.ble
Before discussing the role of the &nited Nations that how far it has measured up to the
demands of its charter0 it is essential to ta*e a loo* at the charter1
(ollowing in the wa*e of the failed Jeague of Nations ,;<;<3;<=H. ,which the &nited
!tates never Loined. the &nited Nations was established in ;<=9 to maintain international
peace and promote cooperation in solving international economic0 social and
humanitarian problems1$he %harter of the &nited Nations was signed on GH 7une ;<=90 in
!an (rancisco0 at the conclusion of the &nited Nations %onference on International
-rganization0 and came into force on G= -ctober ;<=91 $he !tatute of the International
%ourt of 7ustice is an integral part of the %harter1 +mendments to +rticles GB0 G8 and H;
of the %harter were adopted by the General +ssembly on ;8 @ecember ;<HB and came
into force on B; +ugust ;<H91 + further amendment to +rticle H; was adopted by the
General +ssembly on G: @ecember ;<8;0 and came into force on G= !eptember ;<8B1 +n
amendment to +rticle ;:<0 adopted by the General +ssembly on G: @ecember ;<H90
came into force on ;G 7une ;<HI1
E!I6'[YBFJAi. and purpose o1 charter:E"!I6'F
$o save succeeding generations from the scourge of war0 which twice in our lifetime has
brought untold sorrow to man*indP and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights0 in
the dignity and worth of the human person0 in the e2ual rights of men and women and of
nations large and smallP to establish conditions under which Lustice and respect for the
obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintainedP
and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedomP to practice
tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighboursP and to unite
our strength to maintain international peace and security0 and to ensure0 by the acceptance
of principles and the institution of methods0 that armed force shall not be used0 save in the
common interest0 and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the
economic and social advancement of all peoples0
?N has 1ailed to .eet charterKs /oals
!o0 ta*ing a cursory loo* at the charter0 one is forced to arrive at the conclusion that the
&N- has failed to measure up to the demands of its charter1 $he world0 since the
inception of the &nited Nations0 has witnessed wars0 unresolved issues0 coercive tactics
and double standards employed by the powerful states0 no concrete steps to maintain
fundamental human rights in the states ruled by dictators0 has miserably failed to promote
social progress and better standards of life in poor states0 failed to employ international
machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples0 and
to employ international machinery for promotion of the economic and social
advancement of all peoples1
$he &N has also failed to achieve the goals included in its charterM to promote peace
among regional states and ensure amicable settlement of disputes1 $hough terrorism has
not been e4plicitly stated in the charter0 it is implicitly a maLor factor in creating regional
wars0 *illings of innocent people and creating hurdles in the economic development of
the states affected by terrorists1 $he &N has also failed in the field of disarmament and to
implement its nuclear non)proliferation policy1 $he arms race0 today0 continues to
threaten the world peace1
<aEor issues re.ain unresol5ed
/aLor world issues have remained unresolved since decades1 Aashmir and Palestinian
issues are deadloc*ed despite untiring efforts by the grieved parties1 $wo resolutions on
Aashmir demanding plebiscite in the Indian held Aashmir are lying pending in the &nited
Nations since ;<=I)=<1 $hree wars have been fought on the Aashmir issue between
Pa*istan and India0 yet no outcome by the &nited Nations1 Both states have nuclear
weapons and another war on Aashmir can be destructive1 $he &N has failed to resolve
the lingering issue since ;<=I1 $he &! role is dominating in the world body and if wants
sincerely0 it can help resolve the Aashmir issue by implementing the &N resolutions on
Aashmir1
$he Palestrina issue has yet to be resolved despite endeavors by Palestinians and the
support of the /uslim states since the creation of Israel1 Israel has been ruthless against
the Palestinians and the helpless Palestinians have no one to support their cause e4cept
the toothless /uslim states1 $he Palestinians remain deprived of their homeland even
today1 $he &nited Nations have failed to resolve the Palestinian issue since decades1 $he
powerful 7ewish lobby in the &nited !tates is the stumbling bloc* is helping resolve the
issue1
Iran and North Aorean nuclear issues continue to remain unresolved due to &N>s double
standards and pro)&! policies1 $hese issues would have resolved long before if the &N
had dealt with the issues impartially1
Poor states i/nored
In socio)economic affairs0 the lot of the poor women and children in underdeveloped
countries has not improved1 5hat is being witnessed is a deplorable story of the poor
states being ignored with social and economic conditions pitiable1 $hird world poor states
miseries are being multiplied in sectors li*e economic0 social0 cultural0 educational0
health0 and related matters1 $he +rticle HG of the &N charter has been literaaly dumped1
unger and starvation in the poor states is rampant1 uge amount is being spent on the
defence by the &nited !tates and other maLor states but peanut share for the &nited
Nations is being being on this count1 $his practice is in violation of the the &N charter
which clearly states its purpose in the +rticle HG1 $hus the &nited Nations have also
failed in the purpose for which it wa created by its lip service in meeting the social and
economic sectors1 $he &N functions include: to achieve international co)operation in
solving international problems of an economic0 social0 cultural0 or humanitarian
character0 and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race0 se40 language0 or religionP
and $o be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these
common ends1
>oot 9ause Pre5ention =11orts
$hough there is no universal agreement over the precise causes of deadly conflict0 it is
common to differentiate between underlying or CrootD and precipitating or YdirectY causes
of armed conflict1 $here is a growing and widespread recognition that armed conflicts are
ta*ing place by ignoring the root causes as rights of self)determination0 poverty0 political
repression0 and uneven distribution of resources1 &rgent steps are needed towards
reducing poverty and achieving broad)based economic growth and implenting plebiscite
in the regions li*e Aashmir and Palestinian rights0 accordind to the &N resolutions1
Preventive strategies must therefore wor* to promote human rights0 to protect minority
rights and to institute political arrangements in which all groups are represented1 Ignoring
these underlying factors amounts to addressing the symptoms rather the causes of deadly
conflict1
9onclusion
$he &nited Nations is a criminal enterprise in which no moral nation should ever
participate0 let alone perpetuate said $om @e5eese0 one of the &! leading advocates of
individual liberty who fought over B: years against oppression world)wide1
$oday0 we find the &nited Nations buried under scandals1 It has oil for food scandals0
power)abuse scandals0 smuggling scandals0 theft scandals1 $he &N sets its own standards
of conduct and it controls its own Ludge and Lury1 $hese0 of course0 are the very reasons
why many have opposed &! membership in the &N1 +nd itSs why many have feared the
&N gaining any sort of power to gain its own ability to ta40 field an army0 or create a
court system1 Possessing these three powers drastically changes the &N from a volunteer
membership organization to a global governing body1
5hile most agree that the &N could be improved0 Noam %homs*y0 a leading critic of &!
foreign policy0 proposed that measures such as the &! relin2uishing its veto power in the
!ecurity %ouncil and submitting to the rulings of the International %ourt of 7ustice could
significantly improve the &NSs ability to foster the growth of democracy and promote
global peace and the protection of human rights1
$here can be no doubt about the agenda of further steps1 $here is a need to continue to
see* agreements on measures which prevent war by accident or miscalculation and to
continue to see* agreements on safeguards against surprise attac*0 including observation
posts at *ey points1 $he &N must e4ert its influence to continue to see* agreement on
further measures to curb the nuclear arms race0 by controlling the transfer of nuclear
weapons0 converting fissionable materials to peaceful purposes0 and banning underground
testing0 with ade2uate inspection and enforcement1 $here is a need to continue to see*
agreement on a freer flow of information and people from 'ast to 5est and 5est to 'ast1
$he world has not escaped from the dar*ness1 $he long shadows of conflict and crisis
envelop us still1 But in an atmosphere of rising hope0 and at a moment of comparative
calm0 there is still ray of hope prevails among the member states of the &nited Nations1
World Politics stands .ore derisi5e than it was be1ore
due to the speci1ic i.perialist desi/ns
I1 it were necessary to /i5e the brie1est possible de1inition o1 i.perialis. we should
ha5e to say that i.perialis. is the .onopoly sta/e o1 capitalis. @ Lladi.ir Ilyich
Aenin"
utlines
MShrin0in/ natural resources
MI.perialist desi/ns
MGlobal rules o1 trade
M>ole o1 Power1ul <ultinationals
M?S Strate/ic Interests
M9onclusion
International politics analysts in /eneral a/ree that world politics stands .ore
derisi5e than it was be1ore due to the speci1ic i.perialist desi/ns" -he /lobe is
witnessin/ conte.ptuous dealin/s a.on/ the word states 1or their .aterialistic
/ains" It has resulted in coerci5e politics4 he/e.onic desi/ns4 strate/ic interests4
cripplin/ o1 principles and international .orality" -hus the super power @ ?nited
States and the e.er/in/ super power 9hina and other leadin/ powers includin/
>ussia4 ?G4 France4 Ger.any4 6apan4 Israel and India are pursuin/ their policies
based on speci1ic i.perialist desi/ns under the /arb o1 de.ocracy"
-he states are in5ol5ed in the worst 1or. o1 power stru//le 1or their sur5i5al"
?nited Nations is spineless in curbin/ the hypocritical world politics" State/ic
interests sway polices o1 the .aEor states 0eepin/ in 5iew their countryKs interests as
the ulti.ate dri5in/ 1orce in 1ra.in/ out the policy"
-hese .aEor states use di11erenrt subtle tools to trap the poor /o5ern.ents to accept
aid that binds the receipient states to 1ollow the rich statesK dictation which .a0es
the world politics cynical and de5oid o1 international .orality" -his policy practised
by the de5eloped states is to /ain .a8i. .onetary bene1its as part o1 their broader
i.perialist desi/ns"
Shrin0in/ natural resources
-he do.inatin/ power stru//le a.on/ /lobal states to hold access to shrin0in/
natural resources in the 1ace o1 /lobal war.in/4 astoundin/ population /rowth4 neo7
liberal 1ree .ar0et econo.y4 oil politics4 and strate/ic interests ha5e led to the world
politics .ore derisi5e today"
State policy4 practice4 or ad5ocacy o1 e8tendin/ power and do.inion4 especially by
direct territorial acNuisition4 or by /ainin/ political and econo.ic control o1 other
areas is what is bein/ seen today" Because i.perialis. always in5ol5es the use o1
power4 o1ten in the 1or. o1 .ilitary 1orce4 it is widely considered .orally
obEectionable4 and the ter. accordin/ly has been used by states to denounce and
discredit the 1orei/n policies o1 their opponents"
I.perialist desi/ns
So what .a0es the world politics .ore conte.ptuous .ay easily be attributed to the
speci1ic i.perialist desi/ns bein/ pursued by the /o5ern.ents a1ter the Second
World War" What has been seen since then4 .ost o1 the British and French colonies
started /ettin/ independence" It resulted in power politics a.on/ the world leadin/
states" Another reason was the threat o1 co..unis. loo.in/ lar/e o5er the
capitalist states" -he West led by the ?S .ade inroads a.on/ the de5elopin/ states
in the 1or. o1 allliances4 so as to apply bra0es to the spread o1 co..unis. in Asia
and =urope" A1ter the death o1 co..unis.4 the strate/y applied now is .ore subtle
than the precedin/ years"
-o put it succinctly4 i.perialis. is the process whereby power1ul /roups try to
e8tend their power and increase their wealth by brin/in/ e5er .ore o1 the world
under their do.ination"
I.perialis.4 is de1ined as the creation and .aintenance o1 an uneNual econo.ic4
cultural and territorial relationship4 usually between states and o1ten in the 1or. o1
an e.pire4 based on do.ination and subordination" I.perialis. is considered the
control by one state o1 other territories" -hrou/h political or .ilitary .eans (direct
i.perialis.)4 the i.perial power .ay ta0e o5er the /o5ern.ent o1 a particular
territory or throu/h econo.ic processes (indirect i.perialis.)4 in which the
concerned re/ion is o11icially sel17/o5ernin/ but lin0ed to the i.perial power by
(o1ten uneNual) trade relations" Further.ore4 the notion o1 cultural i.perialis. is
indicated by e8istin/ or traditional ways o1 li1e and ways o1 thin0in/ that are
subordinated to the culture o1 the i.perialists"
-hus i.perialis. .eans the policy o1 e8tendin/ a nationBs authority by territorial
acNuisition or by the establish.ent o1 econo.ic and political he/e.ony o5er other
nations" I.perialis. is one o1 those words that o1ten see. to be little .ore than an
e11ecti5e way o1 .a0in/ people stop listenin/ to you" Cowe5er4 despite the 1reNuency
with which it is thrown around by le1t win/ /roups4 with little or no e8planation o1
the ideas behind it4 it does ha5e real .eanin/ and is so.ethin/ that we can all
reco/nise in the world around us 7 especially in this a/e o1 the ?S wars a/ainst third
world re/i.es"
FAs lon/ as i.perialis. e8ists it will4 by de1inition4 e8ert its do.ination o5er other
countries" -his do.ination is called neocolonialis.4F says 9he Gue5ara4 <ar8ist4
who played a do.inatin/ role in brin/in/ co..unis. in 9uba"
Global rules o1 trade
-oday4 we can see this pattern o1 neocolonialis. in the 1or. o1 do.ination by the
.aEor states throu/h di11erent channels o1 /lobal trade" -he worldBs .aEor
capitalists de1ine the /lobal rules o1 trade throu/h such international bodies as the
W-4 I<F4 World Ban04 and <ultinational 9orporations" Aoans are e8tended on
hea5y interests throu/h I<F and World Ban0 and e5en by the countries
indi5idually"
-he poor countries are unable to pay bac0 the loans4 resultin/ in addin/ up o1
interests with the ori/inal loan intact" -he recipient states then are totally dependent
on the rich states 1or their sur5i5al" Althou/h4 these are presented as bein/ neutral
bodies4 with 5oluntary .e.bership4 they are in 1act i.perialist tools" -hey o5ersee
the trans1er o1 5ast Nuantities o1 resources and wealth e5ery year 1ro. the poorer
parts o1 the world into the ban0 accounts o1 the super rich" A1ter centuries o1
e8ploitation4 A1rica apparently owes the West .ore than O##( billion"
>ole o1 Power1ul <ultinationals
A .ultinational corporation (<N9) or transnational corporation (-N9)4 also called
.ultinational enterprise (<N=)4 is a an enterprise that .ana/es or deli5ers in .ore
than one country" It can also be re1erred as an international corporation" -he IA
has de1inedP an <N9 as a corporation which has its .ana/e.ent headNuarters in
one country 0nown as the ho.e country and operates in se5eral other countries
0nown as host countries"
-he .ultinationals ha5e swept o5er the world econo.y and dictate ter.s to the
/o5ern.ents as the world econo.y is lar/ely depended on the .ultinationals 1or its
sur5i5al" -he /iant co.panies4 in5est their products a.on/ the world states on
ter.s and conditions 1a5ourin/ the. with .a8i.u. bene1it" Nowadays .any
corporations ha5e o11ices4 branches or .anu1acturin/ plants in di11erent countries
than where their ori/inal and .ain headNuarter is located" -his o1ten results in 5ery
power1ul corporations that ha5e bud/ets that e8ceed o1ten national bud/ets o1 the
de5elopin/ states" <ultinational corporations can ha5e a power1ul in1luence in local
econo.ies as well as the /o5ern.ent policies and play an i.portant role in
.ouldin/ the econo.y" -he presence o1 such power1ul players in the world econo.y
is reason 1or .uch contro5ersy"
It .ay see. stran/e that a corporation can decide to do business in a di11erent
country4 where it doesnBt 0now the laws4 local custo.s or business practices" Why is
it not .ore e11icient to co.bine assets o1 5alue o5erseas with local 1actors o1
production at lower costs by rentin/ or sellin/ the. to local in5estorsQ ne reason is
that the use o1 the .ar0et 1or coordinatin/ the beha5iour o1 a/ents located in
di11erent countries is less e11icient than coordinatin/ the. by a .ultinational
enterprise as an institution" -he additional costs caused by the entrance in 1orei/n
.ar0ets are o1 less interest 1or the local enterprise"
Accordin/ to Cy.er4 Gindleber/er and 9a5es4 the e8istence o1 <N=s is reasoned by
structural .ar0et i.per1ections 1or 1inal products" In Cy.erBs e8a.ple4 there are
considered two 1ir.s as .onopolists in their own .ar0et and isolated 1ro.
co.petition by transportation costs and other tari11 and non7tari11 barriers"
?S Strate/ic Interests
A.erican political analyst4 Willia. 6 lson4 in his boo04 ,?S Strate/ic Interests in
the Gul1 >e/ion2 says: -he ?S need to control oil in West Asia has also a11ected the
countries in West Asia" -he burnin/ e8a.ple is IraN" IraN4 which has second lar/est
oil reser5es in world a1ter Saudi Arabia4 has su11ered a brutal ?S in5asion on the
prete8t o1 weapons o1 .ass destruction (W<:)" About !"# .illion people in IraN
ha5e died in se5en years o1 war and sanctions (!**+7*()4 out o1 which4 hal1 .illion
were children" In #++'4 Aebanon was attac0ed by Israel4 and now Iran is under
threat" Is this a war a/ainst terroris.Q Is this a 1ace o1 supplied de.ocracyQ Is this
1reedo. supposed to co.e 1ro. political instability and authoritarianis.Q
Now the ?nited States is 1i/htin/ the war on terror in A1/hanistan as lar/er part o1
its /lobal a/enda" In other words4 it is a war bein/ 1ou/ht by a super power to
sa1e/uard its strate/ic interests" It is worth notin/ that this 5olu.e e.anatin/ 1ro.
the ?S Ar.y War 9olle/e /i5es priority to the need to relate A.erican security
policy to the realities o1 <iddle =ast politics rather than to the So5iet or 9hinese
.ilitary threat to the re/ion" -his broad /eneral perspecti5e opens the way to
1a.iliar proble.s o1 1orce structure4 basin/4 ar.s sales and diplo.acy"
9onclusion
ne o1 the i.portant 1eatures o1 #!st century politics is to establish re/ional
do.inance throu/h alliances" ?S i.perialis. throu/h its old allies4 Israel and ?G
has unleashed the war on third world countries" Now4 9hina4 Pa0istan and India are
cooperatin/ with the ?S he/e.ony to beco.e re/ional powers" India 5ote a/ainst
Iran4 the Indo7?S nuclear deal4 strate/ic de1ence deals with Israel and 1or/ettin/ its
co..it.ent toward the cause o1 Palestine and Gash.ir are the .ani1estation o1 the
de5iation o1 IndiaKs 1orei/n policy" =5en 9hina has de5eloped e8cellent econo.ic ties
with the ?nited States 1or 1inancial bene1its despite the unsol5ed issue o1 -aiwan"
-he relationship has helped 9hina beco.e the e.er/in/ super power"
A.erican author Sa.uel P" Cuntin/ton says in his boo04 ,A.ericaBs chan/in/
strate/ic interests2 that the ?S is the undisputed centre o1 political power" In this
era4 the ?nited States is the undisputed centre o1 political power in the world and so
it is throu/h the ?S that the capitalists 1le8 their .uscles"
-he conte.porary world in the na.e o1 de.ocracy4 Eustice and liberty4 continues to
see the ?nited States create ha5oc in the 1or. o1 inEustice4 subEu/ation o1 1reedo.
and .assacres RR 1ro. Aebanon and Palestine to IraN and A1/hanistan" It is still
see0in/ to recreate this in other parts4 notably in Iran"
<er5yn Frost4 author o1 Global =thics Anarchy4 Freedo. and International
>elations4 challen/es the co..onplace that conte.porary international interactions
are best understood as stru//les 1or power" =schewin/ Ear/on and theoretical
abstraction4 Frost ar/ues that /lobal politics and /lobal ci5il society .ust be
understood in ethical ter.s" ,International actors are always 1aced with the ethical
Nuestion: So4 what ou/ht we to do in circu.stances li0e theseQ2 Illustratin/ the
centrality o1 ethics to our understandin/ o1 /lobal politics and /lobal ci5il society
with detailed case studies4 Frost shows how international actors constitute one
another in /lobal social practices that are underpinned by speci1ic ethical
co..it.ents" ,Global =thics 1orces readers to con1ront their own necessary ethical
en/a/e.ent as citiIens and ri/hts holders in /lobal society" Failure to understand
international relations in ethical ter.s will lead to .is/uided action"2
So4 the need o1 the ti.es is to 1or/e a broad unity a.on/st the resistin/ 1orces and
build a broad based support .o5e.ent to e8press solidarity with the resistance" In
the war a/ainst i.perialis.4 the role o1 countries li0e 9hina4 India and Pa0istan
ha5e beco.e i.portant as the rulin/ elites in these countries are /ettin/ co7opted
under the pressure o1 the ?S and proEectin/ their class interest as the interest o1 the
country" -he people o1 these countries .ust not only e8press their solidarity with the
resistance in Palestine4 Gash.ir and IraN but also de1eat the desi/ns o1 their elite to
tea. up with the ?S" -his is the challen/e 1acin/ the de5elopin/ world 77 the
challen/e to .ould world politics to be based on tranNuillity and international
.orality rather than bein/ hypocritical with speci1ic i.perialist desi/ns"
What has /one wron/ with the syste. o1
education in Pa0istanQ
By :r ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
Introduction
NuaidSs view on education
%oncept of educationX11 meaning and definition
!ignificance of educationX11as pillar of success
'ducationX11an agent of socioeconomic reforms
!pinal cord of the nation
$hesis statement leading to conclusion
Pa0istanBs =ducation Syste. as per !*($ 9onstitution
'ducational and economic reforms in bac*ward areas
#emoving illiteracy
Promotion of technical educationX11 basic concern
'ducationX11access to all
5omen participation0 etc1
Factors Aeadin/ to 9atastrophe
Indecisive medium of educationX1'nglish? " &rdu?
%o)educationX1a social dilemma
Jac* of uniform academic syllabus
5omen educationX11 concept in doldrums
Jac* of creative education methodsXX cramming culture
Political interference in education institutionsX1student" teacher unions
Political pressures" influences
$eacher absenteeism
Ghost schools
Jess than GT G@P0 for education
%rippled economy0 etc1
=ducation Policy #++*
Budget for educationX11 increased by 8T
+ll primary schools upgraded to middle standard schools
igher education percentage to be increased from =18T to ;9T by G:;9
'mphasis on technical education
'stablishment of residential colonies for the teachers
!pecial incentives for teachers willing to wor* in remote areas0 etc1
Su//estions
@ecentralised system" local government
Qillage
%ouncil
$ehsil
@istrict
+t least 8T budget for education sector
+ccountability and transparency in education department at all levels
Public)private partnership
/adrassa reforms
#egistration of madaris
Introduction of 'nglish and technical subLects
=ducation Sector >e1or.s
Primary education for all
/a*ing civil society vibrant
(emale educationX1 + *eystone
Promotion of technical education
Incentives for the teachersX1 Increase in salaries
#evised and updated curriculum
P$%"%$ replaced by @iploma in 'ducation
'nhancing the role of igher 'ducation %ommission
'4pansion in universities
Qirtual universities0 etc1
9onclusion
,9o.e 1orward as ser5ants o1 Isla.4 or/anise the people econo.ically4 socially4
educationally and politically4 and I a. sure that you will be a power that will be
accepted by e5erybody"BB
(;uaid7e7AIa. <uha..ad Ali 6innah)
$he importance of education cannot be negated1 'ducation paves the way for
advancement1 It is a primary catalyst for national development and its availability ensures
accelerated growth and progress1 It is a *ey factor that distinguishes one nation from
another1 ItSs the education which ma*es a person live a better life and more importantly
contributes to his social well)being1 owever0 it is unfortunate that education system of
Pa*istan is fundamentally flawed0 thoroughly shattered and e4ceedingly divisive despite
the fact that Nuaid)e)+zam was a staunch supporter of educational reforms1 e provided
the basic guidelines for the future development by emphasising that education system
should suit the genius of our people0 consonant with our culture0 history and instil the
highest sense of honour0 integrity and responsibility1 e was also of the view that
scientific and technical s*ills are the only way forward1 Pa*istan today stands at the
crossroads where there is a stringent need for educational reforms based upon moral
edifice1 $his is only possible if all creeds of mind sit together and evolve a consensus
policy in the light of Islamic ideology1
Before going into the details letSs have a loo* on the ;<8B %onstitution which is a much
chanted slogan in Pa*istan by almost all political elites1 +rticle G9+ of the ;<8B
%onstitution says:
C$he !tate shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five
to si4teen years in such manner as may be determined by law1D
$he %onstitution further goes on to ma*e the state responsible for the education of its
citizens in the following way:
!pecial care will be ta*en for educational and economic reforms in the bac*ward areas1
Illiteracy will be removed and secondary education will be made free and compulsory
within minimum possible period1
People from different areas will be imparted training for agricultural and industrial
development1 $echnical and general education is made generally available and higher
education accessible to all on the basis of merit1
Participation of women in all spheres of life will be encouraged1 @espite all the pledges
and promises made by the constitution0 nothing has been done yet on the above)
mentioned grounds1 Indecisive system of education0 outdated curriculum0 medium of
instruction0 meagre budget allocation for education sector and many other factors have
played havoc with the fate of this unfortunate nation1
It is noteworthy that Pa*istanSs national language is &rdu but 'nglish has become the
maLor medium of education1 'nglish medium schools are enLoying prestigious status in
society and are charging heavy fees from students as well1 'nglish language is nothing
but a way of e4pression but why is it made necessary? 7ust to spoil the potentialities to
learn 'nglish? +dmittedly0 'nglish is an international language but the students should be
imparted educationin their mother tongue also1 !ir %harles 5ood sent C5oodSs @espatchD
in ;I9= regarding the medium of education in India that throws light on the importance
of mother tongue in education1 @espatchSs fifth point was:
C$he Indian natives should be given training in their mother tongue also1D
+nother reason of this sorry state of affairs is the outdated curriculum which leads to the
failure of education system to produce professionals in all fields of life1 -utdated syllabi
do not fulfil the re2uirements of the ongoing developed world1 It is an era of science and
technological development while0 unfortunately0 Pa*istan is still entangled in the web of
obsolete pedagogical methods1
(urthermore0 !tudent wings of various political parties are also ruining the educational
environment of colleges and universities1 &nions li*e +$I0 /!( and I7$ have been a
source of deep concern for the students1 !uch activities ma*e them forget their aim of
admission and they start to ta*e part in political activities1
Public sector is also confronting the issue of teachersS absenteeism1 !canty salaries and
Lob insecurity compels them to Loin private sector institutions that offer them better
incentives1 $he grievances of the teachers are grave but real and they need to be
addressed urgently1 + very little amount of G@P0 about GT is being allocated for
education sector which should be above 8T for a country li*e Pa*istan1
It is noteworthy to mention the role of madaris in Pa*istan here as they are a part of
traditional system of imparting religious education1 Present government is wor*ing to
register these madaris and there are around ;G0::: madaris that are yet to be registered1
$here is also a dire need to revise the method0 syllabi and curriculum of these institutions
so as to impart true spirit of religious education without creating misconceptions and
confusions and also *eeping them in pace with contemporary world1 $he conventional
style of religious education should be abolished and new methodologies based on science
and technology should be adopted1 $he role of civil society in regarding the reforms is
very crucial and e2ually re2uired1
In the past0 there were courses li*e P$%0 %$0 etc1 which were optional for the students1 In
the present circumstances0 it is strongly recommended to replace such short courses by
diploma in education so that the students after adopting teaching profession could give
their best to the nation1 -n the other hand0 the teaching staff must be provided special
training in form of refresher courses to enhance their capacities and capabilities1
'ducation is the *ey to the development and advancement of any nation1 Pa*istan needs
highly *nowledgeable and s*illed professionals e2uipped with innovative abilities to gain
a respectable in the comity of nations1 Pa*istan is passing through the turbulent phase in
terms of social0 economic and political turmoil1 It stands at the crossroads and the only
way forward is the promotion of education1 $ime is ripe0 effective and implementable
strategies must be formulated to come out of these crises1 'ducation must be made the
top priority1 /ore than =)8T of G@P must be allocated for education sector0 for teachers>
training0 development of infrastructure0 abolition of ghost schools0 scholarships0 etc1
%hief /inister>s laptop scheme is a good omen and an encouraging initiative for bringing
educational reforms in the country1 !uch efforts can be a source of encouragement and
inspiration for the young generation1 Nations rise by dint of education and education
alone1 If we want to realise the dream of socioeconomic development in Pa*istan0 we
must follow the message that Nuaid)e)+zam /uhammad +li 7innah gave us years ago1
e said:
,<y .essa/e to you all is o1 hope4 coura/e and con1idence" Aet us .obiliIe all our
resources in a syste.atic and or/aniIed way and tac0le the /ra5e issues that
con1ront us with /ri. deter.ination and discipline worthy o1 a /reat nation" 2
=cono.ic cost o1 ener/y crisis in Pa0istan
and the way 1orward
By :r ;uratul Ain <ali0 (I-G)
'nergy indisputably is a primary catalyst for national development1 It is termed as the
bac*bone and lifeline of a countrySs economy and its availability ensure accelerated
growth and development1 -n the other hand an acute shortage of energy can be a great
bottlenec* in the supply of energy resources to an economy1 %ontinuous and accelerated
supply of energy has turned out to be the biggest challenge and a matter of serious
concern of the contemporary world as the global scenario is now shifting its face from
geo politics to geo economics1 +s a matter of fact0 there has been an enormous increase in
the global demand for energy in recent years as a result of industrial development and
population growth1 !upply of energy is0 therefore0 far less than the actual demand1
Pa*istanSs energy concerns are now assuming serious and horrific proportions owing to
the fact that Pa*istan has been suffering from an energy crisis for about half a decade
now1 $he power crisis is becoming unbearable with every passing day proving to be a
serious threat and impediment in countrySs economic progress1 Internal stability of any
country is highly dependent on its economic well being which is directly dependent upon
sufficient energy resources and their proper management1 +t present Pa*istan is suffering
from energy deficit of about =9:: /51 $his dismal state of affairs has led to the closure
of many industrial units hence rendering a large number of people unemployed1
/oreover0 large parts of Pa*istan have been affected by power blac*outs due to an
electricity crisis1
$here is a shortage of more than 80::: megawatts which amounts to =: per cent of the
total demand1 'nergy crisis is threatening to become bigger in coming years1 $here is an
e4pected shortfall up to 9:T because of increase in demand and supply gap up to B0:::
/51 Pa*istanSs total energy re2uirement will probably increase by =IT in G:;;1 Power
generation in Pa*istan is hugely dependent on oil0 whereas we have only G:T oil of the
original amount needed for the production1 $he remaining oil has to be imported from
Gulf !tates and other countries of world1 No maLor oil field so far has been discovered in
the last three decades1 -il demand is e4pected to double by G:;9 and 2uadruple by G:G91
$his would lead to an alarming trade shortage0 and general price hi*e1
Pa*istan energy sector comprises maLor sources with share of 9:1=T of gas0 followed by
oil G<T0 hydro electricity ;;T0 and coal 81HT1 %onse2uently0 Pa*istan imports energy to
overcome the problem and maintain standard of living of people1 $he maLor shortfall is
e4pected in natural gas supplies1 Pa*istan had GI trillion cubic feet reserves of natural gas
in G::H but due to increase in its demand it is e4pected to be e4hausted in ne4t two
decades1
$he power outages have almost crippled normal everyday life of people and particularly
hit industrial and agricultural production1 $his energy shortfall has caused B to = per cent
G@P loss in financial year G:;:)G:;;1 +s recently as G::;0 the country had =0:::
megawatts of e4cess power capacity1 $oday unfortunately the situation has faced
threatening prospects1 $he +sian @evelopment Ban* ,+@B.0 in a report has said that
Pa*istanSs economy faces a maLor hurdle in the shape of its domestic energy crisis as the
economy continues to be affected by structural problems0 including a domestic energy
crisis0 a precipitous decline in investment0 persistently high inflation0 and security issues1
Budget deficits remain high0 driven by substantial subsidies and losses at state)owned
enterprises0 and ta4 revenue below target1 Josses arising from power and gas shortages
held down G@P growth by B3= per cent in (YG:;; and (YG:;G1 +s a matter of
conse2uence the state)owned enterprises0 naming Pa*istan #ailways0 Pa*istan
International +irlines ,PI+.0 and Pa*istan !teel /ills are bearing the unprecedented
losses1 Nations are using renewable energy0 transport policies and eco)cities to overcome
poverty0 create millions of Lobs0 e4pand industries0 attract direct foreign investment and
strengthen economies1 Pa*istan can solve its energy crisis and Loin modern world
provided our leaders are willing to adopt effective laws0 transparent policies0 get rid of
corrupt practices0 and e4plore and invest in renewable and alternate sources of energy1
Jet us delve into the issue to chal* out the reasons for this acute shortage of energy in
Pa*istan despite the presence of enormous natural resources1 -ver)reliance on dwindling
hydro power0 lac* of research and planning0 untapped energy resources0 lopsided
priorities0 poor management and lac* of accountability can be the reasons for the dearth
of energy in Pa*istan1 It has to be *ept in mind that the number of consumers of
electricity has significantly increased owing to the rapid urbanization process and modern
living style1 $he facility of electricity is now provided to the remote villages1 $he power
loss is to tune of about ;9 to G: percent annually due to poor distribution system1
Industrial0 transport and domestic sectors are the three important consumers of energy1 It
is assumed that a misplaced use of energy is rampant in industries which need to be
curtailed1
If one analyses the situation of the past few decades0 it can be observed that Pa*istan used
to generate and meet half of its energy demands through hydel power and remaining from
thermal generation1 owever0 there is a limit to the e4tent of e4ploitation of hydel
resources and thermal power plants due to environmental and other concerns1 'conomic
situation of the country has now changed manifolds1 $o meet the challenges faced by
todaySs Pa*istan0 there is a dire need to go for the alternate sources of energy1 (or that
matter the process of converting coal into product gas underground can be a good
alternate source of energy1 $echnically this process is called as underground coal
gasification1 Besides coal0 the renewable energy as biomass can also be utilized to
overcome this crisis1 !imilarly the wind energy is also available in Pa*istan which can
harness this energy in a much more effective way1 5ind can be utilized to produce
electricity at the coastal areas1 If windmill power plants are set up along the coastline and
this venture is handed over to the foreign investors0 satisfactory results can be achieved1
!imilarly0 hot climatic conditions of some areas of upper !indh and !outhern PunLab may
prove to be a source of solar energy1 !olar energy is the best solution for energy crisis0 as
the country has a potential of generating G<0::: /5 electricity from sun1
Pa*istan has worldSs seventh largest reserves of coal after discovery of $+#1 $hese
reserves are still untouched due to lac* of techni2ue in coal mining1 !imilarly solar and
wind energy in coastal areas of Baluchistan and !indh have a lot of potential to generate
electricity but ac2uisition of technology at an enormous cost ma*es this an unbelievable
source1 Pa*istan has only two nuclear plants providing two percent of electricity to our
country1 Population e4plosion is another cause of energy crises1 +t present Pa*istan is
pursuing a multidimensional pro)longed strategy to ensure ade2uate and uninterrupted oil
and gas supply and other energy resources to sustain the present pattern of energy for the
rapid national economic growth1 Greater reliance on gas0 aggressive pursuit of
hydroelectric power generation0 and enhancing nuclear power generation capacity are
some of the *ey elements of this strategy1
Pa*istan is also see*ing to e4pand its primary energy supply base by encouraging oil
e4ploration and power generation companies to underta*e energy proLect in Pa*istan1 $he
regional gas pipe line proLects in which Pa*istan is actively pursuing to meet its
e4panding domestic energy demands1
$hese are the prere2uisite for resolving energy crises that0 unless resolved promptly0
would cast a long shadow on the short and medium term obLectives of economic growth
and development1
$o cut the long story short0 Pa*istan is at a critical Luncture entangled with multifaceted
problems1 Pragmatic approach coupled with rational decision)ma*ing can show some
light at the end of the tunnel1
/odern)@ay %ommunication Qia !ocial Networ* 'nds $rue0 !incere
#elationship
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9reatin/ trust de1icit
Lulnerability to in1atuation
:ependence on i.personal 1or.s o1 co..unication
Sabota/in/ personal co..unication throu/h dread1ully7little con5ersation
Sensationalis. and decay o1 .oral 5alues
<a0in/ a pri5ate .atter public
9reatin/ scope 1or suspicion and in1idelity
=li.inatin/ personal space
Super1iciality behind B5irtual 1acesB
ProEectin/ 1alse perceptions o1 Baweso.e li5esB and Bhappenin/ social /ee0sB
:isconnectin/ us throu/h .ore connections
Accentuated /eneration /ap
%" N==: F A:AP-A-IN - G==P =7IN-=>A9-INS >=AA
&" 9N9A?SIN
I.pact o1 social networ0in/ on hu.an relationships in the present7day .odern li1e in5ites .i8ed
responses 1ro. 5arious sections o1 society" So.e dee. it a healthy and positi5e 1actor which has
i.pro5ed hu.an relationships3 while there are others who thin0 that social networ0in/ has .ade the
relations de5oid o1 truth and sincerity" -here is no denyin/ the 1act that social networ0in/ has done a
/reat wor0 in i.pro5in/ the social consciousness and awareness" It has also brou/ht people to/ether
by /i5in/ the. a chance to 1ind and interact with others ha5in/ sa.e interests4 attitudes and /oals
throu/h 5arious web7based co..unities" But as 1ar as inti.ate hu.an relations are concerned4 the
social networ0in/ has created isolation and alienation" In the present7day /lobaliIed world4 where
socialiIation throu/h social networ0in/ has acNuired the status o1 a necessity4 the basis o1
relationships is .ore on appearances than truth and sincerity" -he core 5alues dri5in/ an inti.ate
relationship4 li0e trust4 1idelity and sincerity4 ha5e been put to test because o1 the o5er7.echaniIation
o1 hu.an li1e" -he relationships which de5elop in the due course o1 ti.e o1ten cul.inate into .ature
and trusted co.panionships" -his was possible in an a/e where the relationships were .ore inti.ate
and depended on direct interaction" But nowadays4 the social networ0in/ has .ade co..unication
possible without ha5in/ a 1ace7to71ace interaction" -han0s to social networ0in/4 now there are three
parties in a relationship3 social networ0in/ sitesD.obile bein/ the third party" -his intrusion o1
technolo/y has /reatly a11ected hu.an relationships" Where it has introduced ease and accessibility
in relationships4 it has also created a roo. 1or deceit and dishonesty in the relationship" -he
see.in/ly /reater access to personal in1or.ation is in 1act a controlled reach at 1iltered in1or.ation
only" It has .ade it di11icult to understand a person in entirety" What people say and how they
appear .eans .ore than what people are and how they beha5e in person" -he social networ0in/ has
penetrated to such a le5el that it has started hurtin/ the health o1 hu.an relationships"
-he ad5ent o1 social .edia has trans1or.ed the way we co..unicate" Fro. business and
or/aniIational co..unication to interpersonal co..unication4 and 1ro. socio7political interactions
to leisure acti5ities4 co..unication in e5ery wal0 o1 li1e has been drastically rede1ined by this new
1or. o1 co..unication" -e8t .essa/es4 e.ails4 tweets4 direct 5oice calls4 and personal .essa/es on
social 1oru.s4 to .ention a 1ew ha5e beco.e new dri5ers o1 co..unication ha5in/ enor.ous e11ects
on our interpersonal relationships" Social .edia has /ained this power 1or its ability to 1ul1il the basic
need o1 people: the need to be heard4 en/a/ed4 and in5ol5ed in processes they had always wanted to
participate in" Now co..unication is o1ten .ultidi.ensional that has i.pacted interpersonal
relationships the .ost" It has created new co..unities and relationships based on .utuality o1
interests4 attitudes and /oals" Bein/ nearby is no .ore reNuired to be near to so.eone" -his erosion
o1 the need o1 bein/ to/ether in person in order to be close to so.eone has a11ected our relationships"
-he truth and sincerity o1 relationships can no .ore be ascertained throu/h these 5irtual
co..unication tools"
-he social networ0in/ has a11ected the de5elop.ent o1 a true and sincere relationship" -he 1irst and
1ore.ost thin/ necessary 1or a true and loyal relationship is the presence o1 .utual trust" With the
ad5ent o1 social networ0in/ sites and .obile phones4 the .utual trust and har.ony has decreased"
When both the partners in a relationship interact on any social networ0in/ sites4 their .utual
relationship /ets susceptible to .istrust and suspicion" <ost o1 the issues creep up between the
partnersDlo5ers due to the inherent nature o1 social networ0in/ sites" -he .ost co..on instances o1
such issues are be1riendin/ such persons which the other partner does not li0e4 reluctance to share
passwords and sharin/ in1or.ation with others"
-he relationship which has its birth owin/ to the social networ0in/ has an in0lin/ o1 i..aturity and
is .ostly because o1 in1atuation" <ost o1 such relationships are 1or.ed in the teena/e when the
thin0in/ patterns o1 the youth are deri5ed .ore o1 passions and less o1 reason" Such relations are
.ade .ore 1ic0le by the social networ0in/ where updates are pro5ided 1or e5ery .inute detail"
?pdatin/ status4 uploadin/ pictures and the co. .ents by 1riends create con1usions and Eealousy"
ne o1 the bi//est issues with the .odern7day relationships is that they are 1ar too .uch dependant
on i.personal 1or.s o1 co..unications li0e social networ0in/ sites and .obile phone" It is
i.possible to build a stable and healthy relationship online or on .obile phone" Face7to71ace
interaction is 5ery necessary 1or the de5elop.ent and /rowth o1 a sound relationship" But the
.odern7day relationships based on social networ0in/ are dependent on i.personal 1or.s o1
co..unication lac0in/ 1ace7to71ace interaction"
<oreo5er4 relationships based on social networ0in/ are de5oid o1 truth and depth o1 understandin/
essential 1or a sincere relationship" People /et to 0now a lot about each other but that depends on
what in1or.ation is shared" <ostly4 those traits and aspects o1 oneBs li1e are shared that are .ore
li0ely to appeal or e8cite interest o1 the other party" 9hattin/ is .ostly centred on areas o1 co..on
interest and not to /au/e the personality o1 the person" -hat is the reason why there is little o1 scope
o1 testin/ the 5eracity o1 shared in1or.ation and state.ents"
<oral decay is also a.on/ the issues encirclin/ the .odern7day relationships" Lalues li0e dedication4
1idelity4 sincerity and truth1ulness 1ind no place in the technolo/y based relationships" Appearances4
sensuality and 5erbosity see. to play a /reater role in .a0in/ new relationships" -he unchec0ed
access to in1or.ation a5ailable on web disinhibits i..oral beha5iours and puts to test our real
relationships" Increasin/ly we 1ind posts4 co..ents or e5en pictures that are inappropriate to be
shared in public" <any o1 these posts relate to our relationships thus .a0in/ a pri5ate .atter public"
<atters pertainin/ to the e.otional li1e ha5e beco.e the subEect o1 /ossip at the social networ0in/
sites" -raditionally4 such issues as those o1 relationships on 5er/e o1 brea0ups were resol5ed by elders
within con1ined sacred boundaries o1 ho.e" Now there is nothin/ con1ined3 hardly any concept o1
sacred3 and 5irtually no boundaries" Personal di11erences are shared and discussed publicly"
Ironically4 we /et Bli0esB and Bco..entsB 1ro. those hardly concerned"
Interactin/ on Faceboo0 or twitter has another proble." It brin/s one closer to too .any possible
B.atchesB that your partner beco.es naturally suspicious" Gi5en the still7e8istin/ social dyna.ics
and 5alues o1 our society4 such interactions always lead to disa/ree.ents" -he thin line between
co.pli.entin/ and 1lirtin/ has been worn away by too .any interactions" <any a ti.e these
suspicions are not un1ounded" -hus4 a spontaneous and casual attitude in social networ0in/ creates
scope 1or suspicion and in1idelity"
9ontrarily4 .any a relations are now disturbed by a co.pulsion to share too .any thin/s with oneBs
1ellows that one otherwise would ha5e 0ept to onesel1" ne has to disclose oneBs leisure acti5ities and
han/outs a/ainst oneBs wishes" It beco.es an obli/ation to si/n7in and in1or. whene5er one is around
thus eli.inatin/ oneBs personal space" It leads to 1rustration and disappoint.ent which o1ten pro5es
1atal 1or relations"
Anony.ity or little access to true in1or.ation .a0es social .edia unpredictable" Because people
control what they share4 social .edia /ets dicier" Anyone who is technolo/ically .oderately literate
can proEect whate5er i.a/e o1 hi. heDshe wants" ne can hide behind the te8ts4 e.ails4 tweets4
co..ents or status7updates" No one has access to the Breal oneB" -hus there is little scope 1or sincere
relationships"
ne o1 the hall.ar0s o1 social .edia is sharin/ o1 .inute details and pictures with 5irtually e5eryone
around" 5er a .illion pictures are uploaded on Faceboo0 e5ery day" People use this .ediu. to
broadcast their social li5es proEectin/ their aweso.e li5es and co.pany o1 happenin/ social /ee0s"
-hese 1alse perceptions o1ten beco.e basis o1 new relationships pre.ised on e8pectations that are
ne5er 1ul1illed" -hus brea0ups are e5en .ore co..on than 1or.in/ o1 new relationships"
<ost o1 our ti.e spent on socialiIation is now consu.ed by social networ0in/ where we .eet our
5irtual 1riends and 1ellows" Apart 1ro. seein/ anony.ous people and indul/in/ in 1a0e relationships4
it .ar0edly reduces the ti.e we spend with our near and dear ones waitin/ 1or our attention" We
co..unicate .ore with our web71riends thousands o1 .iles apart and i/nore those sittin/ ne8t door"
=5en siblin/s who are considered to be closest to each other are now bein/ considered in1rin/in/ on
personal space" -hus4 rather than i.pro5in/ our connections4 social .edia has snatched our dear
relationships"
Social .edia has also widened the /eneration /ap as technolo/ically illiterate older /enerations 1ind it
di11icult to reconcile with social .edia dyna.ics" -he so7called Generation H4 that /rew up with 1ast
co.puters4 instant internet4 .obile phones and di/ital .edia is .ore co.1ortable with tools o1 social
.edia interactin/ with their co..unities o1 1riends and peers" -hey ha5e beco.e .ore and .ore
distant and isolated 1ro. other se/.ents o1 society" -hus4 our relations with a11ectionate and lo5in/
elders ha5e been a11ected by this social .edia"
Gi5en the drastic conseNuences o1 social .edia on hu.an relations4 there is a constant realiIation to
1i8 this proble." We need to learn to li5e with this new pheno.enon and adapt to its reNuire.ents"
-here is a need to chec0 what and with who. we are sharin/ and its possible i.plications on our
relations" Also4 si/ni1icance o1 1ace7to71ace co..unication cannot be o5eresti.ated" We should resort
to direct co..unication whene5er electronic co..unication 1ails or puts us in a 1i8" <oreo5er4
co..unication .ust be a two7way process" Si.ply te8tin/ so.eone should not .ean that our
.essa/e has been con5eyed" We need to /et to recipientBs 1eedbac0 to ensure that they understood
our .essa/e" Further.ore4 rosy pictures and eloNuent speeches are o1ten .ade on social .edia
without realiIin/ that we ha5e to li5e up to the e8pectations arisin/ 1ro. those state.ents" Social
.edia thus reNuires e8tra care in co..unication so that it doesnBt disturb our relationships"
-o conclude4 ad5ent o1 social .edia has re5olutioniIed our ways o1 co..unication and interpersonal
relationships" Ai0e any other scienti1ic chan/e4 this social .edia can destroy our social structure i1
le1t unchec0ed" We .ust adapt our habits to ensure that our e7interactions are real and .eanin/1ul"
We need to learn ways to reap bene1its o1 these ad5anced technolo/ical .eans o1 co..unication and
socialiIation without co.pro.isin/ on our true personal and pro1essional relationships"
PLEASURES OF READING (CSS-2011)
-&$JIN':
;1 $he common factor in most reading is escapism1
G1 $his factor lasts even into later life1
B1 umorous novels are 2uite amusing and rela4ing1
=1 /ost educated people have a balanced reading diet1
91 People with interest in politics crave for a historical perspective1
H1 $he classics provide the best comprehensive source of pleasures1
81 Poetry 3 a great source of pleasure1
I1 (iction 3 the most entertaining form of reading1
<1 %onclusions1
#eading is a welcome escape from the dullness of daily routine1 It is an e4cellent recreation which rich and
poor ali*e can afford as most boo*s are not very costly1 /oreover0 in these days the large number of public
libraries ma*es reading cheaper and easier than ever before1 + man who has developed a taste for reading
as*s nothing more of life if0 besides the means of physical well)being0 he is provided with boo*s and the
leisure to read them1 /athematics0 scientific theories0 doctrines of philosophy and religion are ta4ing to the
brain1 But the reading of newspapers0 history0 biography0 accounts of travel and e4ploration0 drama0 verse
and above all0 fiction0 is a source of *een delight1 /illions of men and women nowadays find a delight in
reading1
$he 2uantity and variety of reading material available to us are really enormous1 $here are boo*s of all
*inds boo*s discussing topical matters0 boo*s on se4 and marriage0 boo*s on health and hygiene and boo*s
on personalities of the times0 as well as purely literary boo*s including drama0 poetry and prose fiction1 $he
variety and number of magazines and periodicals are e2ually amazing1 !tory magazines0 picture magazines0
film Lournals0 literary periodicals0 magazines on fashions in dress0 political magazines ))))) there is no end
to them1 'ach of these types has its admiring readers who would rather miss a meal than their favourite
wee*ly0 fortnightly or monthly1
Jet us analyse the cause of the pleasure which results from reading the printed matter that we buy from the
boo*)stalls or borrow from the libraries1 $he common factor in most reading is that one can pic* up a boo*
of his choice and escape from the humdrum into a new world of e4citement0 sometimes identifying with the
hero or the heroine1 Girls tend to favour school stories with a touch of romanticism and later0 magazine
romances and romantic novels0 taste for the latter often lasting well into adult life1
$he attraction of escapism0 modified of course by e4perience0 lasts into later life1 /ost adults enLoy a
detective story for rela4ation1 $he murder or crime concerned is rarely dealt with psychologically1 It is
merely the peg on which to hang the clues leading to the final solution1 $he best of such stories also
develop character to some e4tent and reflect the social bac*ground of the years in which the novel is set1
$hus0 the pleasure of reading0 says +gatha %hristie0 is partly nostalgia and partly mental e4ercise1 'motion
plays a negligible part1
+nother genre of boo*s written for pleasure and rela4ation is the humorous novel0 represented by P G
5odehouse0 /ar* $wain and !tephen Jeacoc*1 ere0 the amusement lies in comedy of situation0 turn of
phrase0 and very clever plotting1 +gain0 they are period pieces0 in the case of 5odehouse evocative of the
idle young rich of the B:s0 and entirely without social comment1 umour draws the sting from ine2uality1
$hen boo*s are read for pleasure0 rela4ation and a good laugh1 owever0 most educated people have a
balanced reading diet which develops over the years as a result of specialization in one subLect or another1
/ost of us have developed a general interest in politics and current events0 and in democratic countries
these are well covered in the responsible press and in specialized ranging from agriculture to car
maintenance1 In these conte4ts0 the pleasure of reading is derived from interest in the subLect1
Interest in politics and current events leads to the development of a historical perspective0 and hence
interest in the past1 $his is well catered for in an immense body of historical and biographical literature1
!ocial history is necessary to the understanding of current trends1 istorical romances often provide a good
read0 and the best of them are very informative about the events of past times1
owever0 the classics provide the best all)round sources of pleasure1 It is one thing to have to study te4ts
for oneSs + or : Jevels1 $hat can be hard wor*1 It is 2uite another to read them for pleasure in later life1
$hey offer a more sophisticated source of interest than can be obtained from any other genreP development
of character0 social and political comment0 action and reflection0 humour0 pathos0 sometimes tragedy1 $he
appeal of poetry should not be ignored1 $he best of it re2uires the ultimate in the command of language1
Poetry can provide the richest satisfaction of all1 It is the purest form of literature and its rhythm0 melody
and music give it an additional charm1 $he lyrical flights of !helley0 the sensuousness of Aeats0 the lavish
and colourful imagery of $ennyson0 imaginative intensity of %oleridge0 the beautiful description of nature
by 5ordsworth ))))) all these enchant the reader1 $he very diction of poets li*e #ossetti0 Bridges0 and
+rnold has great appeal1 $he readers of &rdu poetry are not less fortunate in this respect1 $here is a great
treasure of rich and fascinating poetry in &rdu1 Joo* at GhalibZ 5ho can match the flight of his
imaginationZ $hen there are I2bal0 (aiz0 /eer0 +*htar !hirani0 /aLeed +mLad1 (raz and many others1 $he
beauty of YGhazalY form is a Loy forever1
/ost adults enLoy a detective story for rela4ation1 $he murder or crime concerned is rarely dealt with
psychologically1 It is merely the peg on which to hang the clues leading to the final solution1
$he designation SnovelS covers a very wide spectrum of literature1 It comprises the classic wor*s of fiction
of all countries1 By definition0 a novel is a prose piece of over H:0::: words1 /any are much longer1
+nything shorter is a SnovellaSP if much shorter0 a short story1 $he genre grew up independently in many
countries0 particularly those of 'urope1
(iction of course is not limited to the classics0 which form a relatively small part of it0 for at least three
centuries the boo*shops have always been full of the more ephemeral *inds of proseP the +merican Sbloc*)
busterS0 the 7 +rthur %lar*e type of space fiction0 the ghost story0 the detective \who dunnit?0 the story0 the
war story1 $he list is endless1
It is 2uite possible to become \hoo*edS on novel reading and this has two dangers1 $o read novels when you
should be doing something else0 eg study0 or practical chores0 is indeed a waste of time1 +nd it is never
courteous to have oneSs nose in a novel when visitors arriveZ !econdly0 there are some people who find in a
novel a means of escape from reality1 $his has other dangers1 $oo much relapse into fantasy may destroy
oneSs ability to face facts1
If reading novels can be a waste of time0 reading bad novels is always a waste of time and can be positively
harmful1 + really bad novel is not easy to define0 but for anybody with intellect it has some0 or even all of
the following features: unreality in characterization and situation0 poor construction0 concentration on se4
and violence for the sa*e of it0 bad sentence construction0 a boring approach0 e4pletives and bad language
generally a biased attitude to people0 situations and issues and stereotyping of characters1
$hat said0 to read anything is arguably better than read nothing0 or sin*ing out the bottom line0 mindless
television watching1 +t least the capacity to read demonstrates that one is literate1 In Britain today0 there is
an alarming number of school)leavers from the state system who can neither read nor write1
$he case for reading the classics need hardly be made1 $heir characters live0 and are of their time1
@escriptions of town and country engross the reader1 !tories and therefore plots0 seem to grow out of the
characters1 -ften0 great national events0 wars and revolutions provide the bac*ground0 but are integral at the
same time1 %haracters and great events affect each other1 $he same process is seen in the good political0
maritime or war story1 $he classical novel provides a window on another worldP good contemporary novels
offer new insights into our own world1 $he reader will inevitably gain in *nowledge and understanding
from this class of literature1 !uch reading supplies valuable bac*ground material for other studiesP history0
sociology0 politics0 psychology and economics1
owever0 life is not all self)improvement0 or shouldnSt be1 #eading for pure rela4ation can do the reader
nothing but good1 $he poor0 ugly girl may find a therapeutic escape in a romantic novel1 7ust such a person
as she is may be pic*ed up by a dar*0 handsome0 rich0 even aristocratic stranger and transported into new
worlds of delight1 5hy not? It will never happen0 but there is no harm in dreaming1 +nd there is the
comfortable0 stately world of the \country house murderS0 where death is relatively bloodless0 and the
culprit turns out to be the colonel0 the butler0 or a rogue vicar1 Pitting oneSs wits against the authorSs is a
good form of rela4ation1 !o0 to the 'nglish reader0 are the novels of P G 5odehouse0 which open windows
on the life of the idle rich in 'ngland I the G:s0 contain absolutely no social comment on the rigid class
system of the time0 are brilliantly constructed0 and contain laughs on every page1 $herefore0 no sane person
could say that reading novels is a waste of time1
$he world wide popularity of novels tends to support this view1 It is interesting that the spread of television
has had little or no effect on the sale of boo*s and that the use of lending libraries is as great as ever1
+dmittedly most of the boo*s borrowed are novels of one sort or another1 In a descending order of
popularity they are love stories0 crime thrillers and spy novels0 space fiction0 historical novels0 biographies
and classical literature1 $hough related to life0 and sometimes dealing with its harsh realities0 novels feed
the human imagination1 $hey allow us to escape from a life which may be humdrum or unpleasant0 and live
for a time in a world of imagination1 !o novels are escapist0 but is escapism necessarily wrong? $he novel
transports the reader to another world0 gives heightened emotion to those who lac* e4citement0 and
tran2uility to those whose lives are too busy and active1 Good novels of whatever description have a
beneficial effect on the reader1 +fter all0 because one may live in a dream world for a time it does not
follow that this will have any adverse effect on a personSs approach to real life1 Nuite the opposite may well
be the case1 5isdom can be gained in living other peopleSs lives vicariously through boo*s and mista*es
avoided1 People read for all *inds of reasons0 and all *inds of people are readers1 (or many0 reading the
classics is their best form of rela4ation1 (or some0 the motive is intellectual stimulation0 and for these the
most popular categories are history0 biography0 philosophy and theology0 sociology0 archeology and
anthropology1 $here is in addition a whole range of boo*s special to the interests of the individual0 ranging
from the professions to every sporting and leisure activity imaginable1 $hese promote interest and increase
*nowledge0 so can hardly be described as YescapistY0 though ta*ing the reading public as a whole it has to
be said that serious and factual boo*s cater for the minority1
Poetry can provide the richest satisfaction of all1 It is the purest form of literature and its rhythm0 melody
and music give it an additional charm1
$he great variety of reading matter ma*es it possible for men of all tastes and temperaments to draw
pleasure from it1 (or the serious and reflective types of readers0 there is plenty of tragic and sentimental
literature1 (or those of lively temperaments0 there is a rich store of comedies0 amusing episodes0 witty
dialogues0 humorous s*its and tit]bits1 (or those more interested in actual life there are countless
biographies0 autobiographies0 histories and daily newspapers1 Indeed0 the pleasure of reading should not be
missed by any educated person1 'veryone ought to cultivate the reading habit1 #eading lifts us out of our
personal circumstances1 5e can forget our private worries and an4ieties0 fears and responsibilities while
reading an interesting boo*1 Not only that1 #eading adds to our *nowledge0 and the feeling that our
*nowledge has increased and our understanding of life become deeper affords us a *een pleasure1 5hether
we are Lourneying by train0 or we are sitting in a par*0 or we are at home0 reading is an e4cellent recreation1
-erroris. -he Bi//est -hreat to Pa0istan
By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP)
!" Introduction
#" Cistory o1 -erroris. in Pa0istan: An 5er5iew
$" Pa0istan Faces Larious For.s o1 -erroris.
a" 'thnic " !ectarian
b" Nationalist " !eparatist
c" 7ihadi " Islamist
%" 9auses o1 -erroris. in Pa0istan
a" +ugmenting Illiteracy
b" Increasing !ocial InLustice
c" !welling Poverty
d" @erailing @emocracy
e" eightening #eligious Intolerance
1" &nending +fghan 5ar
/" %rippling 'conomy
&" Is -erroris. a Great -hreat to Pa0istan: H=S
I" $o @emocracy
II" $o !overeignty
III" $o 'conomy
IL" $o Governance
L" $o Progress
LI" $o National !ecurity
LII" $o National Integrity
'" >eco..endations:
I" &sing the Influence of #eligious Jeaders
II" &tilizing %ivil !ociety
III" 'mploying /edia 'ffectively
IL" #evamping 'ducation !ystem
L" +chieving Peace in +fghanistan
LI" 'nsuring %ompetent Intelligence
LII" @ealing 'ffectively with /ilitants
LIII" 'conomic #ecovery V Poverty +lleviation
IS" 'nsuring !peedy V +ffordable 7ustice
(" 9onclusion
=ssay
$errorism is second to none amongst the threats faced by Pa*istan1 $he cost it has
incurred0 overweighs the losses bore in any other turmoil in history of the country1 $he
comple4ity of this multifaceted menace lies in the fact that it is caused by multitude of
factors ranging from internal situation to e4ternal developments1 It has been damaging
not only the economy0 political stability0 social sector and social fabric of the country but
also national security and integrity1 $he countrySs image abroad and its foreign relations
are severely affected0 as well1 /oreover0 the ris* of being termed as a failed state was
born out of the implications of no other problem but terrorism1 Nevertheless0 the
increasing realization and resolve of the political0 civil and military leadership to combat
this threat with iron hands harbingers a strong action to eradicate terrorism1 owever0 this
problem will not go away easily given the isolated responses from state institutions1 +
comprehensive and integrated counter)e4tremism and counter)terrorism strategy is need
of the hour1 $he emerging clarity among institutions and political consensus among maLor
sta*eholders is a positive sign in this regard1
$he origin of terrorism in Pa*istan can be traced bac* to two important events that
brought obscurantism0 intolerance and resultantly terrorism in Pa*istan1 Before ;<I:s0
religion has never been a controversial issue in Pa*istan1 $he sectarian militants emerged
in Pa*istan after the ;<8< Iran #evolution which transformed the nature and magnitude
of sectarian violence in Pa*istan1
Besides0 !oviet occupation of +fghanistan was the most critical event leading to the
spread of militancy1 + fundamental change that altered the very character of society in
Pa*istan occurred after the outbrea* of !oviet)+fghan war1 owever0 the real damage
was e4posed only after the !oviet withdrawal from +fghanistan0 when there emerged
weaponization and violence in Pa*istan1 Jately0 in the wa*e of &! attac* on +fghanistan0
and Pa*istanSs entry into 5ar on $error as an ally0 the e4tremism and terrorism soared1
5ith its multifarious nature0 the magnitude of terrorism has become greater1 'thnic0
sectarianP nationalist0 separatistP and Lihadi terrorism are some forms of it1
'thnicity has been haunting Pa*istan since its emergence as an independent state1 $his
was the ethnicity factor that led to dismemberment of the country in ;<8;1 +rson0
bombings0 assaults0 vandalism and even murder have been some aspects of this nuisance1
!eparatist terrorism is another threat to Pa*istan1 $he Balochistan province has been
facing the intermittent guerilla wars1 $he tribal militants0 allegedly patronized by foreign
powers especially India0 carry out heinous acts of terrorism and even resort to target
*illings to advance their separatist agenda1
$he so)called Lihad is another form of terrorism that is most widespread nowadays1 $his
type of terrorism emerged with !oviet invasion of +fghanistan in the late ;<8:s1 +fter the
!oviet withdrawal0 this armed struggle transformed into a sort of civil war0 and later
+fghanistan became a breeding ground for terrorists1
(urthermore0 after <";; attac*s0 when Pa*istan entered in war against terrorism0 some of
these sham 7ihadi groups turned their guns against Pa*istan1
$his violent phenomenon has become comple4 in nature due to multitude of the causes1
$he situation in Pa*istan is more complicated due to its underdevelopment0 strategic
location0 diverse cultures and religious orientation of society1 $he first and foremost
cause is widespread illiteracy in Pa*istan1 Pa*istan ran*s ;;Bth among the ;G: nations in
the literacy rate inde41 !ince0 people lac* the *nowledge of the true teachings of IslamP
they are easily carried away by the emotional and sentimental speeches of religious
fanatics1
!econdlyP inLustice or lac* of Lustice is also one of the core causes of terrorism1 People
are suffering from many social inLustices including0 but not limited to0 une2ual resource
distribution0 restricted access to 2uality education0 the eliteSs hegemony in political
system0 lac* of basic health facilities0 and non)availability of necessary commodities to
maLor portion of the population1 $here is plethora of e4amples in history when deprived
and marginalized people rebelled and even resorted to violence to gain their rights1 In
Pa*istan0 the underprivileged and depressed class is prone to be e4ploited by the
terrorists1
$hirdlyP poverty is also a maLor cause of terrorism1 +ccording to a study conducted by the
!ustainable @evelopment Policy Institute0 every third Pa*istani is living below the
poverty line i1e1 9I18 million out of ;I: million are living in abLect poverty1 + survey
conducted by Benazir Income !upport Program ,BI!P. revealed that around =918T
population of Pa*istan is poor1 $hese people0 caught in the vicious cycle of poverty0 Loin
terrorists for monetary benefits1
(ourthlyP derailing of democracy by military dictators also contributed to the spread of
terrorism in Pa*istan1 istory of the country manifests that these were the decisions of
military rulers that put Pa*istan in this 2uandary1 It was 6iaSs decision to involve Pa*istan
in war against !oviets in +fghanistan1 +gain0 it was Gen Pervez /usharrafSs decision to
become a frontline &!)ally in war against terrorism1
(ifthlyP the ever)growing religious intolerance in Pa*istan also fosters terrorism1 In recent
past0 more than ;:: !hiites were *illed in Nuetta in one attac*1 In addition0 many
!unni"!hia processions were attac*ed and churches were set ablaze1
!i4thlyP Pa*istanSs participation in +fghan 5ar has also plagued the country with
terrorism1 Pa*istan still ails from the disease it ac2uired during !oviet)+fghan war1 Now0
those militias have become so unbridled that they even challenge the writ of the
government in various parts of the country1
!eventhlyP the crippling economy also gives rise to terrorism1 $he faltering economy has
increased inflation0 poverty and unemployment1 +lmost 9:T of the Pa*istani wor*force
is unemployed0 reveals the survey released by the Pa*istan 'conomy 5atch ,P'5.1
/iseries compel people to find additional sources of income and the terrorists lure these
marginalized people1 $hus0 economic frailty ma*es recruitment for terrorists easier1
$errorism is the biggest threat to a viable state1 $he first and foremost threat0 it poses0 is
to democratic system of the country1 Pa*istan has had only a wobbling democracy1 Proper
democratic transition is ta*ing place for the first time in the countrySs history1 owever0
the elections were marred by terrorist attac*s on election campaigns1 If the environment
of insecurity prevails0 democracy would never flourish and people will lose trust in the
democratic process1
$errorism also threatens the sovereignty of Pa*istan1 $he presence of terrorists invites
drone attac*s which is a serious challenge to the countrySs sovereignty1
-ne of the maLor reasons behind the crippled economy of Pa*istan is terrorism1 $he
terrorist activities in Pa*istan have led to flight of capital and investors1 $he investors are
reluctant to invest here due to law and order situation1 $he estimated losses are around
R8:bn1 /oreover0 tourism industry of Pa*istan is also in a dying state1 (urthermore0 the
threat of terrorism also compels the government to divert resources to security spending1
$errorism also hampers the prospects of good governance1 $he government finds itself
hapless to improve the law and order situation in the country1 $he schools are bombed
and demolished which deprives people of the light of *nowledge1 $he proponents of
education are attac*edP the case of /alala Yousafzai is an e4ample in this regard1
$errorism thwarts the progress of the country as well1 Pa*istan couldnSt ma*e any
progress in the last decade rather all the economic and human development indices show
a considerable fall1 Pa*istan ran*s ;=9th on the uman @evelopment Inde41 $he country
has spent more than RG: billion on war against terror and is compelled to increase its
defence budget1 #esultantly0 the spending on the social development has seen new lows1
ence0 terrorism causes underdevelopment which leads to increase in miseries of the
masses1
$errorism endangers the national security as well1 + fleeting loo* at the current situation
reveals that the country is suffering from worst security crisis1 $errorists carried out0
successfully0 attac*s even on most secure and strategically important places1 $he attac*s
on GN0 /ehran Naval Base and Aamra +ir Base are testimony to this fact1 $he
magnitude of losses can be gleaned from the fact that only one !aab)G::: aircraft fitted
with an +irborne 'arly 5arning V %ontrol !ystem ,+5+%!. destroyed at Aamra was
worth RG9: million1
$errorism0 lastly0 is a great threat to national integrity1 It is threatening the very roots and
fabric of the society1 Pa*istanis are being divided into small sub)nations fighting to assert
their e4istence and separate identity1
@espite the above)mentioned facts0 Pa*istan has all the capacity and potential to eradicate
terrorism1 +ll it re2uires is a comprehensive and coordinated strategy1
(irst of all0 religious leaders and scholars can play a vital role in this regard1 $hey should
use speeches and writings to preach the message of peace1
$woP the civil society also needs to come forward and play its role in sorting out the
problems face by the nation1 /oreover0 a huge campaign is re2uired to defeat the
ideologies of terrorists1 $his campaign or mass movement can be used very effectively
with collaborative efforts1
$hreeP uniform system of education can play a viable role in eradicating terrorism1 $he
curriculum should be free of all the biases0 religious bigotry and fanaticism1 It shall
include religious and modern education in e2ual proportions1 $he minds of younger
generation need to be washed of all the rigidnessP then only peace will prevail in society1
(ourP media can be the most effective tool in eliminating terrorism1 /edia can be used to
educate people and bring them on board about challenges faced by the country1 !oft
corner for militancy in the general public can only be eradicated by well)organized media
effort1
(iveP peace in +fghanistan is one of the prere2uisites for curbing terrorism in Pa*istan1
Presence of Nato and +llied (orces in +fghanistan is a maLor cause of instability in the
region1
!i4thP an effective strategy to counter militant and e4tremist groups hinges in the
capability to gain timely and accurate intelligence1 $he local intelligence needs to be
strengthened in terms of organization0 e2uipment0 training and coordination1 $he
intelligence agencies should be made completely free of political interference1
!eventhP a coherent strategy on using force as last resort should be evolved1 $he
foreigners cannot live among the locals unless they are sufficiently motivated to support
these militants1 $he local tribesmen should be ta*en into confidence and must be
encouraged to stand up against the foreign elements1
'ighthP economic and social disparity leads to increase in recruitment of terrorists1
'conomic recovery should be given the top priority0 especially in the underdeveloped
areas1 %omprehensive plans to ensure revival of industry to generate economic activity
and Lobs should be devised1
Jastly0 there is0 undoubtedly0 a need for providing speedy and affordable Lustice to poor
masses1 +s S7ustice delayed is Lustice deniedS0 the people feel themselves alienated from
society1 $he performance of lower Ludiciary has resulted in loss of trust of general public
in courts and thus the $aliban)type speedy Lustice system attracts public support in certain
areas1 $herefore0 Lustice system should be reviewed to ensure that people get speedy and
affordable Lustice1 /oreover0 the prosecution needs to be made effective in order to
curtail the large ac2uittal ratio of terrorists1
$here is no denying the fact that Pa*istan is facing great threat of terrorism1 ItSs a country
which is plagued with multifarious terrorism caused by several intricate problems1 It
poses threat to essential ingredients of the state0 from democracy to national security and
integrity of the country1 owever0 combating terrorism is not an insurmountable tas* for
this resilient nation1 $he enormity of the challenge has led to the momentum that is
underway with regard to building of consensus on the policy to combat terrorism1 $his
would lead to a conclusive strategy to eliminate this menace1 $he policy accompanied
with political resolve is bound to win this war and achieve the stability and prosperity in
the country1
$' IN%IQIJI$Y V &N!-%I+J B'+QI-&# -N !-%I+J /'@I+
Outline: Social Media in the limelight Advent of social media
Empowerment of people Arab Spring manifestation of its
power Communitybuilding toola case of Shahzeb
ssues with social media users
ncivility and immorality reign
Anonymity and mob!mentality
"a#e profiles of leaders$%ournalists
&eyboard 'ihadists informal e!brigades of political parties
Elections ()*+ campaigns and reactions
,o effective control mechanism
Swift action from -.A on fa#e profiles and abusive posts
Our responsibility
-he ad5ent o1 social .edia has re5olutioniIed the .odern7day .eans o1 co..unication" Faceboo04
-witter alon/ with blo//in/ sites ha5e pro5ided us with new a5enues to co..unicate and
disse.inate our 5iews and thou/hts to a lar/er audience that was once a prero/ati5e o1 politicians
and Eournalists only" -hese blo/s and 1oru.s4 co..only re1erred to as FSocial <ediaF4 when hit the
internet world4 they beca.e the 5oice o1 public within no ti.e" -he pri.ary reason behind the
i..ense popularity and sur/e o1 the social .edia was that both electronic and print .edia R
newspapers4 radio and -L channels R 1ailed to /i5e due space to 5oices who dissented the authorities
or /o5ern.ents" It be1uddled .any /o5ern.ents and societies throu/h its co..unity7buildin/
capacity"
Cowe5er4 as true with other scienti1ic in5entions4 poor and irresponsible use o1 social .edia in our
society has turned it into a bane rather than a boon 1or our social 5alues" 9i5ility is bein/ ebbed away
as B?nsocial attitudesB o1 so7called warriors on social .edia are in1ectin/ our .oral 5alues" Social
<edia abounds with 1a0e pro1iles which are in5ol5ed in spreadin/ .isin1or.ation and le5ellin/ 1alse
and o1ten un1ounded accusations a/ainst popular leaders4 Eournalists4 public 1i/ures and e5en ci5il
ser5ants" -his dile..a re5eals that the Pa0istan -eleco..unication Authority (P-A) is incapable o1
chec0in/ this .isuse o1 technolo/y" :o we need to learn to li5e with this idiocy and senselessnessQ
-his re.ains a burnin/ Nuestion 1or all the concerned and responsible citiIens4 social scientists and
thin0ers" As 1ar as our /o5ern.ent is concerned4 the .ain concern 1or it is to decide whether it
should also ta0e the lead o1 Gul1 /o5ern.ents by penaliIin/ the people behind these 1a0e I:s 1or
these clear acts o1 slander and de1a.ation or notQ
Be1ore this social .edia crept into our li5es4 people used 5arious .eans o1 co..unication but all o1
those were di11erent in their nature and in their respecti5e i.pacts on society" <eans o1
co..unication used prior to the ad5ent o1 social .edia were direct in nature as the parties in5ol5ed
in co..unication 0new each other and there was no scope o1 anony.ity in5ol5ed anywhere" Because
the identities were 0nown to e5eryone4 it was i.portant 1or e5eryone to re.ain within li.its o1
ci5ility" In case o1 political debates4 our leaders4 writers4 colu.nists and political analysts used to
e8press their opinion and dissent throu/h newspapers and readers could co..ent on those 5iews
throu/h letters to the editor" -he newspapers 0ept a chec0 on the 5iews e8pressed by /eneral .asses
throu/h their editorial policy" Social .edia re.o5ed these barriers and /a5e people direct access to
such 1oru.s where there were no e8plicit chec0s" By .a0in/ wron/ use o1 ri/ht to 1ree speech4 they
started enEoyin/ unbridled power and passin/ co..ents and e8pressin/ opinions about their leaders4
public 1i/ures and celebrities" -he 5ery nature o1 social .edia is such that i.posin/ chec0s and
applyin/ 1ilters in order to assess the 5eracity o1 opinions is al.ost i.possible"
-his new and /reater access4 no doubt4 led to e.power.ent o1 people where e5eryone had eNual
access to show hisDher senti.ents and opinions" -he .ain intent behind the pro/ression o1 social
.edia was to pro5ide people with such 1oru.s where they could e8press their ideas and opinions
with a relati5e ease and 1reedo." It also .eant that the ones who used to sway the public opinion
could no lon/er assert their 5iews with i.punity without bein/ challen/ed by their audience" It .ade
all public state.ents issued by political leaders4 obser5ations and rulin/s o1 the courts4 colu.ns as
well as co..ents 1ro. Eournalists and news7anchors subEect to instant criticis. by an acti5e
audience at social .edia"
-his 5ibrant new society surprised e5eryone with the power o1 co..unity7buildin/ by or/aniIin/
people with di11erent races and co..unities under one co..on cause" Its /reatest .ani1estation was
the Arab Sprin/ where dissentin/ youth used -witter and Faceboo0 to unite the li0e7.inded people
and to Nuic0ly disse.inate in1or.ation in order to plan and or/aniIe .assi5e countrywide protests"
=5en autocratic /o5ern.ents in Gul1 had to /i5e in to the pressure o1 protestors de.andin/ chan/e"
Social .edia also 1illed in the 5acuu. o1 electronic .edia where4 1or 5ested interests or want o1
co..ercial 5alue4 the latter i/nored Eust 5oices o1 the a//rie5ed and deEected people" -his aspect
beca.e e5ident in ShahIeb .urder case 1ro. Garachi where electronic .edia didnBt hi/hli/ht this
issue until a .assi5e .o5e.ent started on social .edia" It built so .uch pressure that the ape8 court
had to inter5ene and suspects were brou/ht to the boo0"
Where this e.er/ence o1 power1ul social .edia pro5ed panacea 1or .any ills4 it has created bi//er
proble.s than those it had sol5ed" Without /oin/ into the details o1 how social .edia has a11ected our
relationships and how wastin/ billions o1 hours purposelessly on social .edia has .ade us actually
antisocial4 letBs e8a.ine its i.pacts on our socio7political li5es"
-he bi//est proble. with social .edia is that anyone can say anythin/ to any audience irrespecti5e
o1 the basic nor.s which ou/ht to be 1ollowed while spea0in/ or co..entin/ in public" urs is a
society where dissent is not encoura/ed in any institution and where ar/u.entation is li.ited to
debate co.petition on annual 1unctions" <aEority o1 population /ets no trainin/ as to what should be
the conduct durin/ a public debate" In such a scenario4 /ettin/ unbridled power o1 indul/in/ in
debate and e8pressin/ opinions is playin/ ha5oc with the .oral and social ethos o1 our society"
9ouple this 1act with the 0ind o1 ar/u.entation we witness e5ery e5enin/ on .ushroo.in/
co..ercial current a11airs pro/ra..es on news channels" ur leaders4 un1ortunately4 are .ade to
de.oniIe each other in these pro/ra..es li0e an act" Ironically4 at the end o1 pro/ra..e4 they /reet
each other and .o5e to another channel 1or the si.ilar act" All this nonsense has crept into .inds o1
our untrained youth eNuipped with 0eyboards and .ode." With such intellectual pollution
constantly 1ed to the.4 all they learn is inept ar/uin/ and inci5ility which they re1lect while
interactin/ on social .edia"
-he .ost dan/erous aspect o1 this issue is the ability to hide oneBs identity and pretend to pose as one
li0es" It doesnBt reNuire any identity e8cept an e.ail which .ay well be a 1a0e one" -hus4 you can be
anyone 1ro. >o/er Federer to I.ran Ghan4 and 1ro. NawaI Shari1 to the 9hie1 Secretary o1 a
pro5ince" Fro. these 1oundations4 e.er/es the anony.ity and .ob7.entality where one /ets into a
position to bash anyone as one li0es without a sli/htest 1ear o1 oneBs real identity bein/ disclosed"
Because there is no e11ecti5e control .echanis. de5ised by re/ulatory bodies4 what we 1ind on social
.edia is an educated but abusi5ely a//ressi5e youth" -hey would 5ehe.ently ton/ue7lash anyone
they disli0e i/norin/ the ci5iliIed li.its" <any politicians4 sports.en and Eournalists 1ace the wrath
o1 these Geyboard 6ihadists who belie5e they are the beacons o1 .oral 5alues4 and rationaliIe co.in/
down hard on any 1a.ous person"
?n1ortunately4 .ost o1 the political parties ha5e hired these -ech7warriors in order to wa/e a BwarB
a/ainst their opponents" -he weapon o1 this war is propa/anda by disse.inatin/ .isin1or.ation and
le5ellin/ 1alse accusations a/ainst opponents" -hese social .edia warriors or e7bri/ades ha5e beco.e
a nuisance 1or the society as .any politicians and Eournalists 1ind the.sel5es in an e.barrassin/
situation due to ,unsocial ca.pai/ns2 and they ha5e no option but to issue clari1ications and tender
apolo/ies 1or no 1ault o1 theirs"
-he hei/ht o1 this nonsense was obser5ed durin/ the General =lections #+!$" So.e techno7Ein/oists
used e5ery un1air .eans to propa/ate 1or their parties" But ironically4 .aEority o1 such ca.pai/ns
were based on 1alsehood4 1abricated 5ideos4 hal17truths and 1a0e accounts" Fro. these 1a0e pro1iles o1
renowned scholars and leaders4 they issued state.ents in 1a5our o1 their parties" Ironically4 their
slo/an was B1ree and 1airB elections" =lection results ca.e as a surprise 1or .any3 .ore so 1or these e7
superheroes" :ri5en by ri//in/ co.plaints in a 1ew constituencies4 these warriors created a chaotic
at.osphere tryin/ to sabota/e the whole process"
-his /rowin/ peril de.ands a swi1t action 1ro. those at the hel. o1 a11airs as well as 1ro. ci5il
society" Surely4 a crac0down a/ainst social .edia4 li0e in case o1 Houtube4 wonBt be a wise option"
?nli0e Gul1 States4 where courts ha5e sentenced people 1or dissent on social .edia4 we need a
crac0down a/ainst these 1a0e pro1iles" Faceboo0 and -witter .ay be as0ed to lin0 user accounts on
these sites to .obile nu.bers used in Pa0istan by these users" It would re.o5e the anony.ity and
1acelessness 1ro. these warriors and at least they would realiIe that their real identities are 0nown to
e5eryone and they will ha5e to 1ace the .usic 1or their BsharesB"
All the political parties and their leadership should ti/hten their 1ilter a/ainst 1a0e pro1iles and
abusi5e posts" Political parties especially need to denounce and conde.n in clear words any such e7
Bri/ades that are tarnishin/ their na.es as well" It is their responsibility to culti5ate in their wor0ers
a sense to abide by the .oral and ethical 5alues and societal nor.s while pro1essin/ their political
a/endas" <oreo5er4 as a society we need to teach our youth that ar/u.entation doesnBt i.ply 1i/htin/
rather itBs a constructi5e debate based on e.pirical e5idence4 obEecti5e analysis and lo/ical
reasonin/" We also need to realiIe the i.plications o1 Bsharin/B a post without chec0in/ its
authenticity" Social .edia and internet are .eant to be a boon" Aet us not .a0e it a bane 1or our
society"

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