Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Intra-Afghan talks
Recently, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, a veteran diplomat nominated as new ambassador to Afghanistan as direct negotiations between Taliban and Kabul aiming to end nearly two decades of war are set to begin. Following the completion of prisoners exchange release of 5,000 Taliban in return of 1,000 captive security forces intra-Afghan dialogue is likely to be held in Doha, Qatar, this week.
The delayed negotiations are the second, critical part to a peace deal the US signed with the Taliban in February in Doha. The Taliban delegation’s arrival in Qatar, where the group keeps its political office, came as a top Afghan government body blamed the militants for delays in starting talks. No doubt, Pakistan, which has played a central role in brokering these talks, is seen as crucial for any peace deal in Afghanistan. The two countries had covered considerable ground in restoring trust in their relationship.
AFIA AMBREEN
Rawalpindi
FATF and Pakistan
The Financial Action Task Force is an inter-governmental decision-making body established in 1989. The purpose of FATF is to monitor illegal money laundering and corruption across the world. It is a watchdog which maintains illegal actions happening in the world. Pakistan is also monitored by FATF but unfortunately the country failed to meet the required conditions regarding money laundering and corruption. FATF placed Pakistan into grey list in June 2018 due to failure in fulfilling the conditions of FATF.
Corruption and money laundering are rampant in Pakistan and they have shaken the foundation of Pakistan in making progress. In the last two years, Pakistan somehow maintained to make progress and acted upon 14 points of FATF out of 27. Therefore, Pakistan has been given another chance to meet further requirements of FATF till the next meeting of FATF in October 2020. It is the golden chance for Pakistan to take herself out from the grey list.
Even, our arch-rival India will be pleased if Pakistan is blacklisted. Serious restrictions will be imposed on the country and even Pakistan cannot get financial support from World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IMF and other related organization. Since 2018, Pakistan made great progress to maintain check and balance on money laundering and corruption. If Pakistan saves herself from blacklisting, it will be the huge success at international level but if it does not happen so, then we have nothing to do but to regret and face the music.
SHAHZAD PANHWAR
Sukkur
Aptitude Test
On 6th March 2018, Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an order that Law Admission Test (LAT, an aptitude test) is mandatory for all those students who want to take admission in law. The decision has taken in haste and implemented immediately. The first Law Admission Test was conducted in August 2018 by Higher Education Commission (HEC). Majority of students belonging to far-flung areas was unaware about it and it, consequently, lost a year of thousands of students. No students raised voice against it because it was order of Supreme Court. But now LAT was recently (on 5 Sept 2020) conducted by HEC which had a few flaws:-
Firstly, it was not according to level of intermediate students. Secondly, it neither contains a single question from Pakistan Studies nor from basics of law. Thousands of students applied for it throughout the country. But questions were so tough that students get fear of failure. Thus the Chairman of HEC is requested to please direct the concerned to give grace marks to students. Otherwise, majority would fail the test and lose their precious year.
IMTIAZ ESSA HALEPOTO
Jamshoro
Cannabis business
Having failed to find any clue to the present economic problems and the incompetency to chain the monster of dearness that has broken the back of poor masses, our worthy authorities have come up with a novel idea of cultivating cannabis and making an earning from this business.
Earlier, people were given advice to buy hens and earn money by making sale of these hens and the eggs these hens would lay. One must appreciate such innovative, attractive and profit-earning ideas for twenty million people of Pakistan. Thank you flag-bearers of Naya Pakistan.
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
Abolish B Ed
Standard of education in Sindh is going back year by year. Unfortunately, no proper measures are taken against those factors which are responsible for this degradation. Proper recruitment of teaching staff would bring definite change and it can uplift literacy rate too. For PST, JEST and HST, there should be no requirement of B.Ed degree; instead one year special training, after appointment.
B.Ed degree is designed to help prospective teachers develop the required pedagogical knowledge and skills to teach diff, but in Sindh’s case, it is of no use. Therefore, B.Ed should be done away with and teaching staff be appointed by open merit. In this way, candidates would compete outstandingly. And teaching staff would definitely bring astonishing result in literacy rate.
The only solution to uplift literacy rate is to change policy and B.Ed degree be abolished and after appointment, all successful candidates should be given trainings for teaching skills. We, all the students of Sindh, appeal to Chief Minister and Education Minister please consider abolishing of B.Ed degree so that competition in teaching staff can differentiate candidates.
IMTIAZ ESSA HALEPOTO
Jamshoro
Democracy and illiteracy
Democracy is the only form of government capable of representing people’s wishes and safeguarding their wellbeing. But illiteracy can be rated as its biggest enemy because of its potential of creating such an environment that not only endangers the very existence of democracy but also deprives it of all the fruits that are promised by a democratic dispensation. Democracy and illiteracy, certainly and irrefutably, can never move together.
The fact that can be presented as the very first evidence to prove democracy’s incompatible with illiteracy is electorate’s unawareness that is caused by lack of education. This unawareness leads to unwise and imprudent decisions at the time of elections and resultantly the state, despite having a democratic form of government, remains deprived of the most suitable persons to runs its affairs.
Government of Pakistan should try its hard to bring illiteracy down and promote democratic form of government so that people can be rational and aware about their fundamental constitutional rights and they may understand the modes of life of modern world. In comparison to other provinces of Pakistan, Sindh is more vulnerable in literacy rate because of poverty, unemployment, favouritism and nepotism and feudalism. You can make a difference by raising awareness about the issue, educate yourself and others so that we may play our part in choosing right candidates to run the affairs of the State.
IMTIAZ ESSA HALEPOTO
Jamshoro
