Protests Against Trump Continued on 3rd Day of Republican National Convention

Protests continue against Donald Trump on third day of Republican National Convention. Inside the convention hall at Cleveland, Senator Ted Cruz refused to endorse Trump, shattering the nicely scripted facade of the party unity.

“…vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution”, he said while addressing the convention.

Angry Trump supporters booed Ted Cruz and chanted “We want Trump”. Cruz’s wife, Heidi, also faced the jeers of angry Trump supporters. She was quickly taken off the floor out of fear for her safety.

Interestingly, “vote your conscience” has also been a famous slogan of anti-Trump movement. Cruz’s call for people to vote their conscience was seen as his vote of no confidence in Trump.

Outside the convention hall, anti-Trump continued their protests for the third day of the convention. Cruz’s remarks were taken very well by the protesters. “Conscience can never ask someone to vote for Trump,” said a protester present outside the convention hall.

Positives and Negatives of Social Media

Social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Youtube etc. are very much common among youth. They have a huge impact on students and their academic work as students use these social media websites for discussion and other related study purposes. Social media has become a vital part of life in our modern society. It is especially becoming increasingly important due to its ability of an instant global outreach and power to interconnect people.

By now, we are all aware that social media has had a tremendous impact on our culture, business, and our day to day lives. A constant cultural diffusion is in process. Not only are we invaded and influenced by aspects of alien cultures but we’re also influencing other cultures. Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate and socialize.

Here is a closer look at the effect of social media on politics, business, socialization as well as some of its negative effects such as cyber bullying and privacy concerns.

Social networks offer people the opportunity to re-connect with their old friends and acquaintances, make new friends, exchange ideas, share content and pictures, and many other activities. Users can stay abreast of the latest global and local developments, and participate in campaigns and activities of their choice. It has now become quite easy to raise your voice which could instantly be heard at the other corner of the world.

Students can collaborate with their peers to improve their academic proficiency and communicational skills. One can learn about different cultures and societies by connecting with people in other countries.

However, there are a few downsides to social networking as well. Many introverts and socially reclusive users place too much emphasis on virtual interaction and ignore the real world outside.

Many companies have blocked access to social networks on their office Internet as addicted employees can distract themselves on such sites, instead of focusing on work.

Also, another serious issue faced by people is of cyber bullying and harassment. School children, young girls, and women can fall prey to these malicious attacks which can lead to tension and distress. The sane thing to do about cyberbullying and online harassment is to immediately inform the concerned law enforcement authorities. It is quite easy for our agencies to nab such culprits who hide behind their computers to harass people.

Moreover, if you’re not careful, what you post on the internet can come back to haunt you. Revealing personal information on social sites can make users vulnerable to crimes like identity theft, and stalking etc. Many companies perform a background check on the internet before hiring an employee. If a prospective employee has posted something embarrassing on social media, it can drastically affect his/her chances of getting the job.

The same holds true for our relationships too, as our loved ones and friends may get to know if we post something undesirable on social networks. What we should keep in mind is that whatever we post on these social networking sites, never remains private. If you want to keep something private, don’t share it online.

Social media has its advantages and drawbacks as revealed in this article. But then again, it’s all about how one uses it. At the end of the day, it comes down to each individual as it is up to him whether he uses it wisely to enhance his professional and social life, or he uses social media to waste his precious time.

WiFi-Network Unavailable!

Yes, you just read it right. Your eyes did not deceive you. The topic of my article really does NOT have any open WiFi network available. This must seem very strange to you because now-a-days there is hardly a place where a WiFi connection is not available. And, I know the question must have popped up in your mind that ‘why this article is named the opposite then?’

Well, let me tell you, this is to make the WiFi-addicted people realize that a ‘No WiFi Zone’ can also be entertaining. Ok, maybe you’ll not be able to see the incessant statuses and check-ins or the latest selfies of your friends. You’ll also not be able to know what is going on with millions of people’s lives, neither will you be able to download those unlimited number of pictures, videos or audios people have been sharing on those Whatsapp groups.

But then who says getting swamped with so such meaningless information is fun? Not getting overwhelmed with such meaningless statuses and instead enjoying quality time with your REAL friends in a REAL world can be a lot more fun.

In short, this article does not let you socialize with the whole world just sitting on your couch.

And hey! instead of whining about a WiFi connection not being available and not being able to talk to people through a virtual world, why not just look around and talk to people who are actually present near you. Trust me, you will see that these people are exactly similar to the ones you communicate with on Facebook. The only difference being that they are more close to you, would better understand your problems and comfort you in a better way.

What problems you say? Well, I am talking about the problems that you just updated as your Facebook status and were waiting for random people to comment there to get some comfort.

I don’t know whether Einstein said it or not but whoever he was, he sure was not any less of an Einstein when he said, “I fear the day when technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots”. We sure are a generation of Socrates on facebook and idiots in the real world.

I just fail to understand why whenever two people are together they feel an immediate urge to ask for the WiFi password of the restaurant to update their Facebook status and let the whole world know? I mean why not actually enjoy that moment and maybe update the status later if you really have to?

I am really glad that my childhood was filled with playing with my real friends rather than poking them on Facebook or sending them invites or gifts over the internet. I didn’t grow up in such a virtual world and I would rather continue not living in such a fake world.

Anyway, I just wanted you guys to realize that there is a whole REAL and FUN world around you which does not require a WiFi connection. Do take out your precious time for that too sometimes.

F-16s Vs. Pak-US Relations

The whole F-16 fiasco has started to look more like a case of “can’t swallow it and can’t spit it out”, for Pakistan. Amidst the US’ dwindling position on the agreement, and the Congress’ reluctance with regards to utilizing Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to offer subsidiary on the sale of eight Lockheed Martin F-16 jets, and the pre-conditions being attached to provision of subsidiary, the negotiations are still underway to find a way out which could be acceptable to both sides and more importantly to the US Congress and India. However there are mixed hopes about the outcome of these negotiations.

While the US Congress expresses reservations about Pakistan not being fully committed to the cause of fighting terrorism and has time and again being asked Pakistan to “do more”, the Indian factor and strong lobbying it has done cannot be ruled out. India has actively been voicing its fears and concerns in case the F-16 jets are given to Pakistan, alleging that there are more chances of Pakistan using them against India than fighting terrorism or terrorist elements.

Interestingly enough these concerns were there in October last year as well when the deal was agreed upon but the decision to move ahead with the deal was taken nonetheless. It is only recently that the US has almost rolled back on its offer. Short of saying a clear no, the US has actually said no by asking Pakistan to pay in full i.e. $700 million if it wants to procure the jets.

It is somewhat disappointing to see a supposedly responsible state like the US withdrawing from its commitment but at the same time one can recall that it is nothing new. In the retrospective it looks more like the echoes from the past where the 1985 Pressler amendment by the US, authorized the banning of most of the military and economic aid to Pakistan, albeit more discreetly and without sanctions this time. Back then the purpose was to put a halt on the nuclear program, which, this time again is one of the many reasons why the US Congress is opposing the F-16 deal.

Delaying the delivery of jets, Congress voicing dissatisfaction over Pakistan’s efforts to fight terrorism, assumptions about F-16 to be used against India, are all being fabricated to tighten the noose around Pakistan. This time the campaign is part of putting pressure on Pakistan for handing over of Dr. Shakeel Afridi, and to make Pakistan roll back its nuclear program, while the concerns about Haqqani network and Pakistan’s alleged association and support to it remains a constant suspicion for the US.

Looking at the past few months, one can see that Pak-US relations do not look very hopeful. The US seems to be toiling with the idea of “can’t live with it and can’t live without it”, while deciding on Pakistan’s relevance for its strategic interests in the region. The sentiments have been reciprocatively shared and expressed by both the Pakistani and American side. Mr. Sartaj Aziz stated that the bilateral relationship is not very ideal for a few months now. He even stated that Pakistan will explore alternative options if the US doesn’t fulfill its commitment. Similarly the US Congress is demanding that the F-16s should be put on hold until Pakistan an “uncertain ally” becomes a “trusted ally”.

Lesson here for Pakistan, which is not even new, is to hone on its diplomatic skills. The languid diplomacy from Pakistani side creates an ideal space for the counter forces and renders even the most justified and significant causes to be seen as trivial. In addition to this, an effective diplomacy is the only way to improve Pak-US relations and to make US realize that the regional security situation cannot be pivoted around the interests of just one state i.e. India, if the US is truly sincere about having peace in the South Asia region. This message is to be firmly conveyed along with another important note to the US lawmakers sitting in the Congress that if they wish to see Pakistan “doing more” against terrorism, they should facilitate and support the process and provide for the tools and instrument by which it could be made possible instead of blocking it. This includes the provision of the promised F-16 on the agreed upon price and subsidiary.

It is rather ironic that while the US senate and the recently visiting US representative to Pakistan Mr. Richard Olson are all hailing Pakistan’s commitment and efforts against terrorism, the US Congress is harping on a completely different tune that is totally based on “assumptions”. While Mr. Olson once again reiterated and appreciated Pakistan’s role in the war against terrorism, the message coming from US congress makes it confusing.

The inability to reach a unanimous and prompt verdict on the F-16 is not just nerve wrecking for Pakistan but also reflects poorly on the US non-seriousness about the issue and intentional indecisiveness. Pakistan has also to keep in mind the strong Indian-centric tilt that the US is efficiently exhibiting for some time now. Indian lobby has always been active in delaying the process of deliveries citing a direct threat to India’s security. Also because India is central to US’ pivot to Asia policy, any concerns from the Indian side, ultimately do hold importance for the US.

Pakistan needs to realize that the Pak-US relations have unfortunately never been built on the basis of equality. Over the last few months the not so ideal relationship between US and Pakistan coupled with the US’ tighter embrace of India, is creating more difficulties for Pakistan. The US will not allow for any uncalled for rifts in its “meaningful” relations with India that aims at making India the regional power to essentially counterbalance China. On the other hand Pakistan has always been approached by the US in exchange of some services and favors only. Afghanistan war is the relevant example, where Pakistan is essentially fighting a war which is not even its own, even then its gets the blame of not doing enough.

At the same time, the sacrifice of our soldiers on Pak-Afghan border has not been appreciated by the US congress. This purely transactional relationship is further fraying as the relevance of Pakistan for the US is apparently diminishing and as Pakistan is failing at convincing the US to keep an equal handed approach towards both India and Pakistan. Objectively speaking, Pakistan doesn’t have any political influence nor does it have any diplomatic leverage which it could use at this time to win the deal back in its favor. This is a severely neglected area where Pakistan’s diplomatic machinery seriously needs to work on.

Imran Khan Rubbishes Reports of Third Marriage

Chairman PTI Imran Khan has rubbished all such reports of his third marriage saying, “I haven’t even met the woman being reported as his third wife”. He said his third marriage will not take place in privacy and he will inform the public before he takes such step.

Imran Khan ✔ @ImranKhanPTI
Rumours abt my marriage absolutely baseless. I have not gotten married. When I do I will announce & celebrate publicly.
3:12 PM - 12 Jul 2016
  3,852 3,852 Retweets   8,921 8,921 likes



Earlier, sections of the media reported that Imran Khan has married a woman named Maryam from Pakpattan. She was said to be from the influential “Manika Family” of Pakpattan.

PTI central information secretary, Naeem ul Haque also refuted media reports about Imran Khan’s third marriage through his twitter account.

 Follow
 Naeem ul Haque @naeemul_haque
Rumours about IK getting married are totally wrong. He is spending time with his boys in England and will be back in Pakistan on Sunday.
1:59 PM - 12 Jul 2016
  389 389 Retweets   703 703 likes
Rumors about Imran Khan’s third marriage are rife since his comment to Hindustan Times when he said, “I haven’t given up on third marriage”.

Schools destroyed by militants in Lower Dir still remain in ruins

The continued showers of the rain and the cold weather further adds to the miseries of students studying in the Government Primary and High School of Maidan Bandai Dir Lower when they have to slack the thirst of their knowledge by sitting under the open sky. The situation becomes worse when they have to attempt the examination by holding Umbrella in one hand and attempt the paper through the other hand. It is indeed an arduous task for the students who are yet to have a proper classroom for their school which was demolished by the militants in 2009.

While the PTI led coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken some encouraging steps in the field of education and consider it their top priority, Government Primary and High School in Maidan Bandai area of Lower Dir are still in ruins and need serious attention of the concerned authorities.

During the military operation against the militants in 2009 in Maidan Bandai area of Dir Lower, the militants had blown up a number of schools in the area which also included GPS and GHS Maidan Bandai Dir Lower. Though the PARSSA, Pak Army and lots of nongovernmental organizations carried out rehabilitation work in the schools affected by the militancy, however, these two schools remain deprived of being reconstructed and rehabilitated. T

The ANP Led government which used to take credit of establishing new universities, colleges and primary schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, did not show any resolve in their five-year term to reconstruct these schools. They failed to give a safe shelter to the students of the said schools.

The issue has been highlighted in the media time and again, however not a single brick has been put in place to start work on the rehabilitation of these schools.

Students attempting their exams under open sky in rain

Students have to suffer more in the rainy season particularly when either the teachers have to send them back to their homes or teach them in the nearby mosque. Last year, when a photograph of the students of the said school taking exam while holding umbrellas in their hands was published in the newspapers, the then Governor Engr Shaukatullah Khan and Senior Minister Siraj Ul Haq took notice of the issue. However, no practical steps have been taken so far to complete the rehabilitation work.

It is worth mentioning here that Chairman District Development Advisory Committee Dir Lower Mr. Saeed Gul is also an elected MPA from the said constituency of Maidan. He belongs to Jamaat-e-Islami which in power in KPK as a coalition partner of Tehreek-e-Insaf. However, he is yet to take any concrete steps to reduce the miseries of the students and teachers studying/teaching in the said schools.

Lower Dir School
The plight of the school in Lower Dir

Locals of the area and parents have time and again approached the political leaders, officials of the education department but they seem to be less concerned about this awful situation. “Indeed it is a dilemma that no one has taken a serious interest in rebuilding these schools and the poor parents are now more worried who cannot afford to send their children to private schools”, said Engr Hanifullah Khan, a social activist who has worked hard to bring this issue to the notice of concerned authorities.

One wonders that if there is an educational emergency declared in the province, why rebuilding process of these schools is not given a top priority. People of the area are increasingly getting disillusioned from PTI and its allied parties for not living up to the expectations to bring a change in the education sector.

Education is the backbone of any nation and without it none can progress or prosper. The teaching staff and the children are worth praising who fight the odds and continue to engage in the teaching and learning process in such worst situation. However, if serious efforts are not made to improve the deplorable condition of the school building, it may exacerbate the already low literacy rate in the area.

HEC Direction: Quantity vs Quality in Higher Education

There are several reasons behind low literacy rate in Pakistan like poverty, lack of proper facilities, awareness among people, cultural tendencies and motivation. Lack of motivation seems an odd reason here but it is probably the most important reason these days. When parents see a large number of highly qualified people unemployed they are reluctant to send their children to schools and colleges. They prefer to send them to a place where they can learn some sort of skill which will help them earn a living in future.

Thousands of students graduate from universities in different disciplines every year but few are able to find a job comparable with their qualification. Government is setting up new universities; the existing universities are starting new programs; the intake of students is increasing in the existing programs every year. These factors have led to an abrupt increase in the number of graduates in the country but unfortunately there is no infrastructure and industries to accommodate all these qualified people. Also, quality of these graduates is not according to international standards so they cannot compete for job on international level. It has led to frustration and resentment among the educated youth over the last few years.

Higher education in Pakistan is regulated by Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan which evaluates all the higher education institutions every year and then ranks them. Several factors are considered during this ranking process some of which are; the number of PhD professors in a university, the number of research publications published, the number of students successfully graduated and so on. Most of the factors are quantity based. Quality based factors are given little or no consideration in this process.

In order to get high ranking, the universities focus only on their numbers. If a person holds PhD, they will hire him whether s/he has the ability to teach a particular course or not. They increase the students’ intake every year whether they have the requisite facilities or not. Same is the case with research publications. Whether the research is genuine or not, the data is original or manipulated, is it relevant to the conditions and industry of the country or not. They do not care, they just want to publish it in a local journal and add it to their publications’ list.

These factors have severely undermined the higher education. Under these circumstances, what can we expect from the graduates of these universities? They are in no position to apply their knowledge in the practical field.

Some fields are already super saturated like business administration, telecommunication and computer science. Every year thousands of graduates are added up to the already existing unemployed lot. Even the fields of Engineering, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, agriculture and natural sciences are saturated. Whenever there is an announcement for a few vacancies, there are hundreds of applicants per single post. But still some of these fields are thriving and creating some vacancies from time to time.

However, there are some disciplines started in different universities for which no infrastructure exists in the country. Hundreds of students graduate in the fields of Bioinformatics, Space Technology and Robotics but there is no industry for these disciplines here. These graduates either join the faculty of the same university from where they graduated or go abroad. It clearly shows these programs were started without proper planning.

A limited budget is allocated for higher education every year. The concerned authorities need to spend this budget according to the needs of the country.

But on the bright side, there are few top quality universities in Pakistan where not only quality education is provided but also state of the art research facilities are available. These universities focus both on theoretical and applied aspects and produce high quality graduates. These graduates can outclass their competitors not only at national level but also at international level. Higher Education Commission needs to set these institutions as benchmarks for other universities.

Entrepreneurship seems to be a rare commodity in Pakistan. All the educated people look for jobs but unfortunately job opportunities are limited. The alternative is to start something of your own. It is the duty of educational institutions to infuse awareness among students and prepare them for entrepreneurship. A couple of universities have already started such programs where research projects of the students are evaluated by a team of experts and if they approve the project then the concerned students are trained accordingly. These students also get funding for their startups from the university. All universities need to start such programs. It eases the unemployment situation to some extent.

Government should prioritize quality over quantity. Universities should revisit their admission criteria and only those students should be admitted who show a strong aptitude towards a particular discipline. Technical institutions should be set up at district level for those who cannot get admission at universities where they will learn different skills. Moreover, holding a degree does not make one eligible for teaching so training programs for the teachers should be set up so that they can prepare students for the challenges of contemporary world.

Research in the universities should not be for the sake of completing a degree or getting promotion, rather it should be conducted according to the country’s requirements. These factors will restore the people’s faith on the education system and they will not hesitate to send their children to schools which will help in improving literacy rate of the country.

Suggestions for Improving Literacy Rate of Pakistan

Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and some of the main reasons behind this low rate are financial constraints faced by the parents, lack of sufficient number of educational institutions in the country, large number of students per teacher, lack of a competitive culture in remote areas, lack of motivation, inconsistent curriculum and many more. If government can provide free quality education to all children it will help in improving the literacy rate but that seems unlikely due to limited resources.

Although provincial governments are providing free education to some extent but that is clearly not enough to equip all the children with the treasures of knowledge. They provide free education up to primary level and that is also limited to some areas. But there are some other measures which may not require huge sums of money but they can help us to improve the country’s literacy rate.

One of such measure is to provide education up to secondary level in the local language with English and Urdu as compulsory subjects. It will encourage all those students to continue their education, who leave the schools just because they are not well versed in English and Urdu and they are forced to study all subjects in one of these two languages. Moreover, it will also be a source of promotion of our dying local languages. We hardly see young renowned scholar, poet or writer of local languages. All those students who have the aptitude to study literature opt for either English or Urdu literature.

However, if we start teaching our children all of their courses in local languages they will not only learn those courses in a better way but it will also help them to develop an interest in these languages. So in future if they want to pursue their higher studies in literature they may opt for their regional language as they already have a firm foundation for that.

Apart from the inclusion of local languages, the ages old curriculum needs to be revisited. Children should be taught only the basic subjects in primary schools. Then in the secondary schools they should be given choice of selection of courses on their own, of course teachers can serve as guide in this matter but subjects should not be imposed on the students. Like in the present education system students are given the choice to either study Humanities or science but still Mathematics of the same level in included in the curriculum for both science and Humanities. Due to which a large number of Humanities students never pass their matric/SSC examination.

One of the other main hindrances in improving our literacy rate is the lack of qualified teachers. Although, it is a fact that recruitment of large number of qualified teachers at once might not be possible due to non-availability of sufficient funds but if the existing teachers are properly trained and motivated, they can play a vital role in improving the literacy rate. They can motivate their students to continue their studies despite the financial hardships they and their parents are facing.

For this purpose services of experienced and retired teachers may also prove handy. Hiring professional trainers is another option. Apart from training, the school teachers need to be motivated through incentives. When they consider themselves as financially stable, they will do their job diligently. Teachers serving in tribal and other rural areas should be given special incentives like special pay and allowances as well as bonuses for those teachers who show promising results.

Another way to ensure provision of education to children without costing huge sums of money is to make the “ghost schools” functional. As we have seen in media reports that there are dozens of ghost schools present in different parts of the country. The infrastructure is already there, the teachers are being paid regularly but the schools are not functional. Instead these schools are used by the influential people as their “Hujras” or dairy farms.

It is very unfortunate that despite the media reports, government has not taken any step to make those schools fully functional except one or two schools in KPK which were made functional by the provincial government in recent past. Government needs to mobilise the concerned authorities to take action against those people who use the government schools for their personal use. Moreover, action should also be taken against those teachers who are not doing their job regularly.

National Book Foundation is doing a very good job by providing books to the readers on low prices. As government already allot a significant amount of money to the NBF every year so if NBF starts providing school books, it will make life easy for all those children and their parents who cannot afford to buy books for their children. Moreover the “Books on Wheels” project can include schools in remote areas in this project. It will help the children of far flung areas to get books on their doorsteps.

Article 25-A of the constitution of Pakistan ensures the provision of free education to all children of the age 5 to 16 years in such manner as may be determined by law. So it is the duty of state to leave no stone unturned in providing education to all children. The process of development is incomplete without education. The secret of development of all the developed countries is that they directed their resources to provision of education to their masses. Our country needs to follow the same route to development.

Kashmir: A Nuclear Flashpoint

There is no denying the fact that the longest lingering and the major issue between Pakistan and India is the Kashmir issue “the unfinished agenda of the partition”. It has often been dubbed as the nuclear flashpoint owing to the fact that it is a constant bone of contention between the two nuclear states of South Asia; India and Pakistan. A wider belief maintains that if there is one problem that has the tendency and potential to make the two nuclear power states come to an exploding threshold that would be the Kashmir problem.

No wonder the first bloody war between India and Pakistan was fought over Kashmir in 1948, which set the precedent for future hostilities, distrust, proxies and battles. The Kargil conflict in 1999, again in the backdrop of Kashmir crisis, brought the most critical circumstances for the two states, where the world saw them positioning their troops along the border and readying their naval forces against each other. It was highly feared that the situation had brought them to the brink of another war, which could have irrevocably disastrous repercussions since the two had overtly gone nuclear by then. However the crisis was stopped short of spiraling into a full blown war by the international mediation, and by the very presence of the nuclear weapons which served as a deterrent.

However, the details mentioned in the book titled “This Unquiet Land: Stories from India’s Fault line” by Barkha Dutt, proclaims that India had not ruled out the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Pakistan during the Kargil crisis. The formal Indian National Security Advisor Brajesh Misra during an interview to the NDTV revealed that a letter given to President Clinton by PM Vajpayee had hinted that India was contemplating crossing the LoC as well as using the nuclear weapons if Pakistan did not pull out the fighters from Kargil.

This revelation while was shocking but highlights a couple of facts: a) The international community only scrambled to its feet when came to know of India’s vile intentions of using nukes, b) going by the confession made in the book, it probably wasn’t the presence of nuclear weapons and their expected deterrent role, but the possibility of their use which made international community put pressure to keep the crisis from going out of control, c) India will not shy from using them despite time and again reiterating its “no first use” policy, d) the Kashmir issue needs a third party facilitation because so far the bilateral efforts have all led to stalemate, e) since the Kashmir issue remains unresolved till today, it may again trigger India to consider exploiting a nuclear option anytime.

The situation in Kashmir is once again calling for world attention amidst the equally critical yet slightly different circumstances. The extrajudicial killing of Burhan Wani reflects India’s disregard to the legal system. Further making the situation worse, India has resorted to the most terrible form of violence and state terrorism against the locals to curb down protests, blinding them with pellets and causing most miserable injuries and deaths. These Indian atrocities merit an immediate intervention especially by the international human right watchdogs.

The responsibility for the present unrest in Kashmir falls solely on India for committing violence against the unarmed civilian population. Even today, India is adamant at using force apparently against its “own people”, as it claims IoK to be its own territory. Seeking a diplomatic solution of this problem doesn’t seem to be on India’s agenda. The ongoing crisis also points to the fact that locals do not accept Indian occupation and the recent havoc that Indian security and police forces have unleashed on the innocent unarmed Kashmiri people, has been their embarrassing failure in keeping the situation under control.

Not just that, but recently when Pakistan showed solidarity with the Kashmiris by observing Black Day on July 20th, India implicated Pakistan for inciting and instigating the present crisis in Kashmir, demanding that it should stop supporting and abetting the insurgents and protesters. A couple of days ago, in her strongest statement against Pakistan till date, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of advancing the “despicable design” of destabilizing South Asia by exporting “dirty money and dangerous terrorists”.

These allegations hurled at Pakistan however do not find endorsement of the international community; but the strong and caustic rhetoric by Indian leadership once again raises alarms regarding its aggressive mindset. The amendments in its nuclear doctrine since 1998, especially the Indian Cold Start doctrine does provide a space for that by aiming for rapid but limited retaliatory incursions into Pakistan by the Indian army in order to seize and hold narrow slices of territory in response to any act of terrorism in India by Pakistan.

Since in the ongoing violence in Kashmir, it strongly incriminates Pakistan for abetting violence on alleged “Indian territory”, no matter how hypothetical it may sound but looking at the past event one cannot rule out the possibility that India might once again be mulling over the nuclear option. Hence, the tactical nuclear weapons become ever more relevant for Pakistan for effective deterrence, so is the active involvement of the international community not just to keep a close watch over the three stake holders but to also work efficiently for the immediate crisis management and later on for its resolution too.

The international community should not wait until India’s jingoism in Kashmir makes it send another letter to the US. The deplorable human atrocities in Kashmir at the hand of Indian state should immediately be put to end and those responsible for it should be held accountable. Kashmir needs attention not just as a political issue or for its tendency to become a nuclear flash point, which it still is and is going to remain for the times to come, but more importantly on the human grounds.

What Makes a Pakistani a Pakistani?

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events. Weak minds discuss people”



Pakistan came into existence in 1947 with Islam as an ideological base but with the passage of time and introduction of the western and Indian media in our society, our culture has gone un-islamic and very much confusing for the new generation. What actually this sentence mean “what makes a Pakistani a Pakistani”? It means that by the blessing of Allah and by the efforts of our great heroes, we have our country Pakistan, but we have yet to become good Pakistanis. We have made our wrong image all over the world due to our wrong polices and mistakes done by our immature and uneducated politicians.



Unfortunately, Pakistani media is playing in the hands of outsiders and are hell bent on creating false/confusing information. They are not contributing their efforts towards the true image of the Pakistani social and Islamic values. Now a days, we have divided ourselves into different sectarian classes. We are all involved in Holy Wars. We kill one another on the basis of sects and we play the negative role in our society which gives bad name to Pakistan.



Even during the month Ramadan, a Muslim brother kills another Muslim brother. But then again, since when does terrorists take Ramadan into accounts? They are not even humans, let alone being Muslims.



Due to lawlessness situation which is spoiling the image of Pakistan globally, when ordinary Pakistanis go abroad, then foreigners call them as terrorists. This is what our image has been reduced to. Extremely unfortunate, to say the least.



We are lucky that we have our great army which fights for us every time to save us from terrorists. They never refuse to call whether it’s a natural disaster or saving us from terrorists, or securing our borders. However, a section of our Indian sponsored media is always busy in tainting them with a negative brush.

Following are the measures through which we can reinstate and improve the Pakistani history/Islamic culture.

We should try to teach the Islamic and Pakistan history to new generation. Media should also play a vital role in their daily electronic and print media programs and there should be a complete media access in remote areas of Pakistan. We should introduce our talent in the media so that they can inspire our new generation.

Educated/talented people do not get the appropriate opportunity to employment within Pakistan due to mismanagement and wrong policy of government in this way we are losing our talent as they seek to go overseas in search of better future.

Even students who are well educated and have done their Masters and PhD struggle to get a proper job. The people who have references get the job otherwise ordinary students do not get the job.

At the end, I want to give some suggestions due to which we become the perfect Pakistani and improve the image of Pakistani in the world

We should not indulge ourselves in different sect/groups and treat one another equally. Poverty and violence are unequivocally consuming our youth in different ways and we need to address this issue on a war footing. In this regard, the state should act quickly and bring reforms in public sector educational institutions which at moment are in bad shape.

Similarly, if we are in foreign country, we must follow their rules. Similarly, we should keep our surroundings clean. Show respect to one another especially on internet. Besides all this, we need good governance at central and provincial level which is of course, the most important change that we need at the moment.