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Sunday 15 August 2021

Principles of Foreign Policy of Pakistan

 This is based on the following basic principles.

PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE. Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence and respects the liberty, freedom and sovereignty of other countries, and expect the same from others. Pakistan is always disinterested in the internal affairs of others, and opposes imperialisms and aggression of every type.

NON-ALIGNMENT. Pakistan has adopted the policy of non-alignment by making changes in its foreign policy. Pakistan has not shown alignment with any block, and has established good relationship with all the countries. Therefore, now Pakistan is trying to establish good relationship with Russia, United States of America, People Republics of China, United Kingdom, France and other countries and excepts the same from others of significant importance. At present Pakistan is also a regular member of Non-aligned Movement (NAM).

BILATERALISM. Pakistan wants to develop its relations with all countries on the basis of bilateralism. Therefore, Pakistan has invited India many times to solve the Kashmir dispute by negotiation.

UNITED NATIONS CHARTER. Pakistan is a member of United Nations and follows its charter strictly. Therefore Pakistan has supported every action of the United Nations and provided military assistance to implement its decisions.

SUPPORT TO RIGHT SELF-DETERMINATION. Pakistan supports the right of self-determination of all the suppressed nations. Pakistan believes that every nation must have the right of self determination. Therefore, Pakistan has supported the demand of abolishing the colonialism and every movement for the exercise of the right of self-determination in Europe, Africa and Asia. Pakistan has played very important role in the struggle of independence of Kashmir, Palestine, Bosnia, Namibia and Vietnam. It has also opposed the occupation of Afghanistan by Russia and helped the Afghanis to get the liberation from foreign rule.

UNITY OF ISLAMIC WORLD. Pakistan is the supporter of the unity of Islamic world, and is following the policy to establish good relation with Muslims countries. Pakistan has always tried to solve the conflicts of Islamic World and played very important role in Iran-Iraq war, Kuwait’s occupation by Iraq, Palestine’s liberation, and Afghanistan’s liberation. Pakistan is an active member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Pakistan has provided a platform for Muslim countries of Central Asia to solve their economic problems by establishing Economic cooperation Organization.

DE-WEAPONIZATION. Pakistan is the main supporter of de-weaponization and supported all international efforts to de-weaponise the world. Therefore, Pakistan is not in the race of weaponization. Pakistan uses atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Pakistan tries to avoid the danger of nuclear war in the world. Pakistan has repeatedly suggested for the de-weaponisation of South Asia, but India has not responded it accordingly.

ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. Pakistan wants to eliminate the racial discrimination throughout the world. Pakistan has protested over racial discrimination in South Africa, Namibia and Rhodesia. There is no racial discrimination in Pakistan and all the minorities in Pakistan have equal rights.

ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE. Pakistan wants establishment of peace throughout the world. Pakistan has also protested against aggressive powers, desires, and supported the oppressed nations for getting the peace. Pakistan has repeatedly invited India to negotiate peace in South Asia but it has rejected every move.

GOOD RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBOUR. Pakistan wants good relationship with all neighbours including India. Pakistan also wants to solve all the issues with neighbouring countries including Kashmir issue with India peacefully. Therefore, Pakistan has invited India for talks at any time, at every level and at every place.

INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL COOPERATION. Pakistan is an active member of International and regional organizations i.e. United Nations, Non-aligned Movement (NAM), Organization of Islamic cooperation (OIC), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and SAARC. Pakistan always cooperates with all these organizations for the security of World Peace.

Challenges for Single National Curriculum in Pakistan

 The progress and development of any country rely upon the quality of its education system. The nation that compromises on its educational standards can never keep pace with the contemporary advancing world. The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, has categorically warned the newborn nation about the importance of education, saying “Education is a matter of life and death to our nation. The world is moving so fast that if we do not educate ourselves we will not only be left behind but also be no more.” As education had never been made a priority, thus, Pakistan is falling a long way behind different nations in all the development indicators. However, the introduction of the Single National Curriculum in Pakistan to revive the flawed education system is heartening. Moreover, the uniform education system will also eradicate a number of social evils.

The Structure of the Education System of Pakistan

The education system of Pakistan is divided into three broad categories; private, public, and madrassah systems. The individuals from the lower class of the society generally get education from madrassas owing to poverty, the public sector belongs to the middle class or the lower middle class, while the upper-middle class and the upper class (also known as ‘the elite class’) opt private sector institutions for the education because of the quality of education imparted in top private educational institutes of the country. This division in the education system leads to further division and disparity in the socio-economic status of people. Thus, Pakistani society is deeply ridden with class disparities which further result in many social and economic issues.

Single National Curriculum (SNC)

Against this backdrop, the present government has set out to reform the education system of Pakistan in order to put Pakistan on the right track. Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has rightly underscored that the poor education system is the root cause of all the socio-economic issues in Pakistan. In order to reform the education system, the PTI government has introduced the Single National Curriculum (SNC) to be implemented across the length and breadth of the country. Once implemented, all the existing tiers of education in Pakistan will be mainstreamed in the uniform curriculum, and individuals from all the classes of society would be able to obtain a uniform education. Madrassahs will be mainstreamed in the new education system. All the contemporary subjects would be taught in madrassahs and their students will appear in the board exams.  According to the curriculum development team, some 35,000 seminaries will get registered as schools.

Objectives of the ‘Single National Curriculum’

According to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the aims and objectives of the ‘Single National Curriculum’ are to ensure that all children have equal opportunities for high-quality education and for upward social mobility in Pakistan. This will ensure social cohesion and national integration. Tolerance for diversity in Pakistan would be achieved by teaching students respect for different cultures and religions. The culture of rote memorization would be jettisoned and the focus would be laid on inculcating critical and creative thinking. Students would be taught the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The uniform curriculum will ensure a level playing field for all. In short, the PTI government has set out to meet the ambitious targets in order to do away with the class-ridden Pakistani society that would ultimately end the menace of economic disparities in the long run.

Challenges in the Implementation of the Single National Curriculum

The viability of the Single National Curriculum is a vexed topic. Critics highlight a plethora of challenges in the way of these educational reforms in Pakistan. It is often argued that the attempt to mainstream madrassahs is not new. In the 70s, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto moved to formalize madrassahs. The move faced strong opposition. After that, the Islamisation drive made during the Zia regime highly radicalized madrassas that led to militancy and sectarianism. During his era, Pervez Musharraf endeavored to scale those trends back by endeavoring to present model madrassas. Only three out of a hundred madrassas got enrolled under this project, where the students were acquainted with contemporary subjects. But this project too fizzled out. Even under SNC, reforming, and mainstreaming the education system of madrassah would not be an easy task. It is destined to face criticism and opposition by religious parties.

In addition, the addition of Islamiat in the new educational program from grade 1 under with its hefty ideas requiring the learning of the texts and Nazras will affect the learning capabilities of kids, as likewise brought up in the ASER report.

Little or No choice for Minorities

Another structural challenge that comes with the implementation of a uniform curriculum is that the students belonging to the minorities would also be dealing with Islamiat subject (not by choice, but by compulsion) at the primary level, on the grounds that a lion’s share of schools in Pakistan does not provide course choices. Ultimately, it would negate Pakistan’s commitment to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Dearth of Trained Teachers

The government has taken initiative, concerned departments have structured the policies of SNC, and the new curriculum is being formalized. After the implementation of the uniform curriculum, the onus of achieving all the ambitious goals associated with SNC would be on the shoulders of the teachers. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of trained teachers, especially at the primary and secondary levels in Pakistan. If the teachers failed to fulfill their responsibility, all the goals and objectives would remain unachieved.  There is a dire need to train the teachers first. The vocational training programs should be organized at all levels before the implementation of the Single National Curriculum across the country.

Budgetary Constraints

The objectives associated with the ‘Single National Curriculum’ could be achieved only when (i) all the out-of-school children are brought to schools, (ii) the gender disparity in education is minimized or brought to end, (iii) all the basic infrastructural requirements are made available in the schools, (iv) teachers are held accountable for their negligence or undue absenteeism, (v) books, pencils, uniforms, and transport facilities are provided to children, and (vi) the article 25-A of the constitution is implemented in letter and spirit. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s weak economy does not allow for these steps to be taken. Thus, budgetary constraints are a serious impediment in the way.

Possible Central-Provincial Disharmony

The ‘Single National Curriculum Framework’ is formulated after bringing all the stakeholders on one page. It is believed that the center and all the provinces see eye-to-eye on the subject. After the 18th amendment to the constitution of Pakistan, the subject of ‘education’ has been devolved to the provinces. Now, the provincial governments are fully authorized to reform the education system of their provinces as per their requirements and needs. Ergo, the possibility of disharmony between the center and the provinces on the subject of SNC in the future cannot be ruled out.

Way Forward

For the ‘Single National Curriculum’ to become viable, the government must work on structural shortcomings like making choices of subjects available at all levels for minorities, training the teachers, bringing all the out-of-school children to school, etc. In this regard, special attention must be paid to female education. The societal obstructions placed in the way to education for girls must be removed. Moreover, more budgets should be allocated to the educational sector. Also, corrupt practices or white-collar crimes must be curbed to make SNC viable. The religious parties and religious scholars of the country must be brought on one page for reforms in madrassahs.

Bottom Line

The introduction of the ‘Single National Curriculum’ by the government is a welcomed step. For a society like Pakistan, it will prove to be a panacea for all socio-economic problems. It is heartening to see that the long-neglected education sector has finally caught the attention of the authorities. With the reformed education system and the resulted classless society; Pakistan would soon start making strides towards betterment, development, and progress.

Sunday 13 November 2016

China's SAIC Motor Set To Build And Sell Audis

SHANGHAI—SAIC Motor Corp., China’s largest auto maker by sales, has struck an agreement that paves the way for it to build and sell Audi AG vehicles in the country, people familiar with the deal said Saturday, as the German car maker seeks to strengthen its position at the top of China’s luxury-vehicle market.
Audi A4L at a new transmission plant in Tianjin, China, in August 2016


Audi and SAIC this week signed a cooperation agreement, the people said, and will likely set up a joint venture to sell Audi cars. Separately, SAIC Volkswagen Co.—an existing joint venture between SAIC and Audi parent Volkswagen AG—will take up the manufacture of Audis, the people said.

Saturday 12 November 2016

India And Pakistan, Second Cold War, Third World War.

On September 17th, the latent tension between South Asian heavyweights India and Pakistan escalated into overt hostility after an attack on an Indian Army base in Uri, part of the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir. Mourning the deaths of 18 soldiers, the Indian public called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration to strike back. India eventually retaliated on September 29th with “surgical strikes” on terror launch pads inside the Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir. These strikes resulted in the deaths of “38 terrorists and Pakistani soldiers.” Relations between India and Pakistan have since degenerated to new lows since the conclusion of the 1999 Kargil War.

Gwadar Port To Begin Trade Activities Today


ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will kick off the shipment of trade goods from Gwadar Port to international markets today (Sunday), marking the historic launch of trade activity through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

During his day-long visit to Gwadar, the prime minister will also address a ceremony of launching the first mega pilot trade cargo.

 

Friday 11 November 2016

UK-China Joint Nuclear Research Center Opens In London

China and the UK are joining research forces by opening the UK-China Nuclear Joint Research and Innovation Centre in London. This is the first nuclear research collaboration between China and a Western country. With funding of 50 million British pounds over five years, the facility will play a crucial role in providing cutting edge scientific nuclear research.


China Tries To Conquer Everest

China has big plans for Mount Everest. Although the south-facing side of the mountain, in Nepal, might be better known, the Tibetannorth face also has a rich mountaineering history, and China has outlined an ambitious new vision for commercializing it. That may sound like an unseemly approach to the world's tallest and most forbidding peak. But on balance, it will actually be a good thing.