Stakeholders stress more budget for girls quality education in Punjab

 

• Punjab govt urged to immediately notify free and compulsory Education Act 2014

ISLAMABAD, JUN 7: Highlighting the significance of girls education towards nation building, stakeholders at an advocacy forum have called for allocating a substantial chunk of annual budget for girls quality education particularly at secondary level in Punjab as it would contribute a lot towards ensuring educated women population, a guarantee to economic and social stability.

The advocacy forum was arranged by the Awaz CDS Pakistan here with a major focus to highlight the importance of girls quality education at secondary level, get input from experts and stakeholders, and push the government to increase budgetary chunk in the upcoming provincial annual budget for this important sector. 

Chief Executive Awaz CDS Pakistan Zia ur Rahman, Punjab MPAs Raheela Khadam Hussain (PML-N) and Ayesha Iqbal (PTI), Mina Umer Hayat from Human Rights & Minorities Affairs Department Punjab, Additional Secretary (Budget & Planning) School Education Department Punjab Qaiser Rasheed, Director General (Parliamentary Affairs & Research) Punjab Assembly Inayat Ullah Lak, Coordinator National Commission for Human Right Punjab Muhammad Khalid and NGOs attended the event. 

In his opening remarks, Zia ur Rahman highlighted the significance of girls quality secondary education and explained the grey areas in the way of girls education in Punjab.

He urged the Punjab government to immediately notify the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014 which was approved earlier. He stressed for increasing development budgets in school education as developments budgets are only being distributed to PEF and PEIMA rather development budgets needs to be utilized for the development of public schools especially for girls, where missing facilities and accessibility is still a major challenge. He also called for mainstreaming the people living with disability and transgender community to make education accessible for them.

During the discussion, Punjab MPAs Rahila Khadim and Ayesha Iqbal assured that efforts would be made to get this education Act notified without any delay as education is priority of all political parties.

Ayesha Iqbal suggested to take all PEIMA and PEF schools under one umbrella to minimize the expenses on bureaucracy and other unnecessary expenditures. It will also help in making systems accountable, she rearked.

In her remarks, MPA Raheela Khadam Hussain endorsed the girls education is not getting the level of seriousness required to ensure quality education for girls in the province.

In his remarks, Mian Umer Hayat said that their department is constantly working on this sector and said that they would make extensive efforts to sensitize more and more people on girls education in order to minimize girls schools drop out ratio.

Giving her input on the issue, Marium Amjad Khan, Campaign Manager-Awaz CDS-Pakistan, pointed out hindrances towards girls education particularly gender disparity, lack of accessibility, low budget, teachers improper training. She emphasized the need for putting extra efforts in education sector from allocations to spending especially in the post-Covid situation where the number of OOSC has already been exacerbated.

NCHR Punjab Coordinator Muhammad Khalid also shared his concern over this much delay in the notification of Act. He further committed to spread awareness among communities regarding this Act as awareness raising is one of their key mandates to support communities.

A panel discussion was also held which was joined by representatives of NGOs, media, teachers, head mistresses, members of Schools Council and lawyers. They highlighted the girls education as a grey sector which is affecting the national progress. They emphasized for immediate focus on the part of both public as well as private sectors so that girls quality education is ensured for socio-economic development.

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Senate, National Assembly pass resolutions as Muslim world slams India for ‘insults to Islam’

 

KARACHI: The Indian government on Monday sought to calm anger at home and abroad following derogatory remarks by BJP members about the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), as Pakistan and other Islamic countries continued to put pressure on New Delhi to apologise for hurting the sentiments of millions of Muslims around the world.

According to Reuters, at least 38 people were arrested for rioting in Kanpur while another protest was held in Mumbai.

Top Indian officials remained engaged with managing the diplomatic fallout as more Muslim nations, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Maldives, Jordan, Afghanistan and Iran as well as the influential Al-Azhar University in Cairo demanded an apology from the government in Delhi for allowing the derogatory remarks, an Indian foreign ministry official said.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in a statement, said: “These insults come in the context of the increasing intensity in hatred of and insults to Islam in India and the systematic harassment of Muslims.”

NA, SENATE PASS RESOLUTIONS OF CONDEMNATION; RIYADH, TEHRAN AND OIC SLAM DELHI FOR ‘INSULTS TO ISLAM’

The 57-member body cited the latest decision to ban the hijab at educational institutions in several Indian states and the destruction of Muslim property to highlight what it said was the Indian government’s bias.

Indian diplomats stationed in the Gulf and neighbouring Islamic countries like Iran and Pakistan were summoned by officials in those countries to protest against the comments by BJP officials.

Its external affairs ministry said in a statement the offensive tweets and comments did not, in any way, reflect the views of the government.

“Strong action has already been taken against these individuals by relevant bodies,” said Arindam Bagchi, a government spokesperson.

The BJP said on Sunday it had suspended a spokesperson and expelled another official for hurting the religious sentiments of a minority community.

Saudi Arabia welcomed the action taken by the BJP to suspend the spokeswoman, while a senior official at the Qatar Embassy in New Delhi said Modi’s government must publicly distance itself from the comments.

“Hurting our religious sentiments can directly impact economic ties,” the official said, adding they were checking reports about boycott of Indian goods by some supermarket owners in Qatar.

Similarly, Reuters reported that a Kuwaiti supermarket had also pulled Indian products from its shelves.

At the supermarket just outside Kuwait City, sacks of rice and shelves of spices and chilies were covered with plastic sheets. Printed signs in Arabic read: “We have removed Indian products”.

Iran followed Qatar and Kuwait by summoning the Indian ambassador to protest in the name of “the government and the people”, state news agency IRNA said late on Sunday.

Condemnations from parliament, military

In Islamabad, both houses of parliament unanimously passed resolutions condemning the BJP leaders’ remarks about the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

In the Senate, the chairman remarked that the resolution would be sent to the UN secretary general and a protest would be registered with him over the matter.

The resolution passed in the National Assembly demanded the Indian government take strict action against the offending BJP leaders and ensure that such remarks should not be repeated. It also urged the international community to take notice of Indias anti-Muslim policy.

According to the Foreign Office, the Indian Charge d Affaires was summoned and conveyed the government of Pakistan’s “categorical rejection and strong condemnation” of the remarks made by two senior officials of India’s ruling BJP).

APP reported that the Indian diplomat was told that these remarks were “totally unacceptable and had not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan, but also Muslims across the world”.

The army’s publicity wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, also condemned the remarks, saying this was an indication of the extreme hatred the government held towards Muslims and other religions in India.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman termed the statements “shocking and provocative”, while Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb termed the incident “another manifestation of its extremist and seditionist mindset.”

Separately, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended India and four other states for designation as ‘countries of particular concern’ in its 2022 report.

The 2022 USCIRF report, released last week, covers the events that happened in 2021. It notes that “religious freedom conditions in India significantly worsened” last year.

During the year, “the Indian government escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies — including those promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda — that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits,” and other religious minorities.

According to the report, the Indian government continued to “systemize its ideological vision of a Hindu state at both the national and state levels” through the use of both existing and new laws and structural changes hostile to the country’s religious minorities.

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پاکستان کو جدت اور معیار سے مزین تعلیمی پالیسی کی اشد ضرورت ہے

 

ماہرین تعلیم وصحت کا پاکستان کے حوالے سے اہم مکالمہ

اسلام آباد:  معاشی بحران اور انتہا پسندی جیسے ہمارے بڑے مسائل کے تدارک کے لیے پاکستان کو تعلیم کے شعبے میں بھرپور سرمایہ کاری کی ضرورت ہے تاکہ ضروریات سے ہم آہنگ تعلیمی حکمت عملی وضع کی جا سکے جس کے زیر اثر تعلیم کا حق سب کو میسر ہو سکے۔ پاکستان میں تعلیمی نظام کمرشل ازم سمیت سنگین مسائل سے دوچار ہے اور اپنے پائیدار اہداف کے حصول کے لیے تعلیمی ایمرجنسی وقت کی ضرورت ہے۔ان خیالات کا اظہار ممتاز ملکی و غیر ملکی ماہرین تعلیم اور صحت نے ایکاعلی سطحی پینل ڈسکشن کے دوران کیا۔

پاکستان میں تعلیم کے فروغ اور صحت عامہ کی بہتری کے حوالے سے ورلڈ اکنامک فورم کے موقع پر پاکستان پویلین میں "ارتقاٸے تعلیم وصحت عامہ" کے موضوع پر منعقد کیے گٸے اس اہم مباحثے کا اہتمام کراچی کونسل آن فارن ریلیشنز نے سوئس ایشین چیمبر آف کامرس کے تعاون سے کیا تھا۔

مباحثے کے شرکا میں ڈاکٹر ہما بقائی، ماہر تعلیم و سینئر وائس چیئرپرسن کے سی ایف آر، ڈاکٹر لنڈا زنگ ویل، پروفیسر یونیورسٹی آف کیلیفورنیا، ڈاکٹر مارک سیگل، سی ای او سیگل ایسوسی ایٹس، اور جناب علی شاہ، سی ای او آئی پیتھ شامل تھے، جبکہ سینئر صحافی فیصل عزیز خان نے سیشن کی نظامت کے فراٸض سر انجام دیٸے۔ 

مباحثےکا آغاز کرتے ہوئے فیصل عزیز خان نے پاکستان میں تعلیمی نظام اور صحت عامہ کی سہولیات کا ایک مختصر جائزہ پیش کیا۔ حکومت اور سرکاری اداروں کی جانب سے فراہم کردہ معلومات کا اشتراک کرتے ہوئے فیصل عزیز نے ملک میں تعلیمی صورتحال کو ابتر قرار دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ پاکستان اس وقت 5 سے 16 سال کی عمر کے بچوں کے لیے عالمی درجہ بندی میں نائیجیریا کے بعد دوسرے نمبر پر ہے۔ جبکہ اسی عمر لڑکیوں کی ایک بہت بڑی تعداد، تقریباً 59 فیصد مختلف وجوہات کی بناء پر اسکول نہیں جاتیں۔ فیصل عزیز نے کہا کہ ملک میں تعلیمی نظام کی باگ ڈور پرائیویٹ سیکٹر کے ہاتھ میں چلی گئی ہے جو اس مقدس مشن کو منافع بخش کاروبار بنا رہا ہے۔

پاکستان میں صحت عامہ کی سہولیات کے بارے میں بات کرتے ہوئے فیصل عزیز نے کہا کہ ملک میں 70 فیصد طبی سہولیات پرائیویٹ سیکٹر فراہم کر رہا ہے اور اس حوالے سے پبلک سیکٹر شدید دباؤ کا شکار ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ علاج بنیادی انسانی ضروریات میں سے ایک ہے لیکن یہ ایک منافع بخش کاروبار میں تبدیل ہو چکا ہے۔

ڈاکٹر ہما بقائی، سینئر وائس چیئرپرسن کے سی ایف آر نے پاکستان کے بگڑتے ہوئے تعلیمی نظام پر روشنی ڈالتے ہوئے کہا کہ سرمایہ داری نے پاکستان میں تعلیم کو تباہ کر دیا ہے کیونکہ ہم نے آہستہ آہستہ تعلیم کو حق کے بجائے ایک استحقاق میں تبدیل کر دیا ہے، اور مزید یہ کہ ہم نے نجی شعبے کو کیسے اجازت دی کہ ہمارے پبلک سیکٹر کو مکمل نظر انداز کرتے ہوٸے  تعلیمی ضروریات پوری کرے۔

"ہم دنیا کا پانچواں بڑا ملک ہیں اور ہمیں اپنے نوجوانوں کو معیاری مہارت پر مبنی تعلیم دینے کی ضرورت ہے۔ پاکستان کو کثیر الجہتی تعلیمی حکمت عملی کی ضرورت ہے اور ایسا کوئی طریقہ نہیں ہے کہ ہم اس طرح کے محدود انداز کو جاری رکھ سکیں،‘‘ انہوں نے کہا۔

پاکستان کی کم شرح خواندگی کا ذکر کرتے ہوئے انہوں نے کہا کہ جو بھی اپنا نام پڑھ یا لکھ سکتا تھا اسے پڑھا لکھا سمجھا جاتا تھا لیکن یہ خواندگی بالکل نہیں تھی۔ ہما نے تعلیمی نظام کی مخدوش صورتحال پر گہری تشویش کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ پاکستان میں تعلیم کو بنیادی حق کی بجائے تجارتی پیداوار بنا دیا گیا ہے جو کسی صورت قابل قبول نہیں۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ اگر پاکستان میں ہنگامی اقدامات کی ضرورت ہے تو تعلیمی ایمرجنسی سب سے آگے ہونی چاہیے۔

ڈاکٹر لنڈا زنگ ویل نے شعبہ صحت کے انتظام کار کے حوالے سے اپنے تجربات شیئر کیے اور صحت کے اداروں کو درپیش مسائل پر قابو پانے کے لیے استعمال کی جانے والی جدید ٹیکنالوجیز پر روشنی ڈالی۔ ڈاکٹر زنگ ویل نے حاضرین کو بتایا کہ دنیا صحت کی دیکھ بھال میں مصنوعی ذہانت کے استعمال کی طرف بڑھ رہی ہے جو کہ مستقبل قریب میں صحت کی خدمات میں انقلاب برپا کرے گی۔

مارک سیگل، جو ایک بین الاقوامی یونیورسٹی میں سپلائی چین مینجمنٹ بھی پڑھاتے ہیں، نے مشورہ دیا کہ نوجوان گریجویٹس کو کاروباری مہارتیں بھی فراہم کی جانی چاہئیں تاکہ وہ دنیا بھر کی بڑھتی ہوئی مارکیٹوں میں مقابلہ کر سکیں۔

علی شاہ، سی ای او آٸی پاتھ نے جدید دور کے ہیلتھ کیئر سسٹم پر روشنی ڈالی جو صحت کی دیکھ بھال کرنے والے پیشہ ور افراد کو مخصوص مریضوں کے ذاتی ڈیٹا تک رسائی کے قابل بناتا ہے۔ انہوں نے پاکستانی حکام پر زور دیا کہ وہ نیشنل الیکٹرانک ہیتھ ریکارڈ پلیٹ فارم قائم کریں کیونکہ دنیا بھر کے دیگر ممالک نے اپنے صحت کی دیکھ بھال کے نظام کو ہموار کرنا شروع کر دیا ہے۔ علی شاہ کا مزید کہنا تھا کہ اگر ایسا پلیٹ فارم تیار ہو جائے تو مریض کی تمام متعلقہ معلومات ان کا قومی شناختی نمبر درج کر کے حاصل کی جا سکیں گی۔ انہوں نے اس پلیٹ فارم کو صحت کے شعبے میں گیم چینجر قرار دیا۔

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High-powered panel stresses need for urgent investment in education, healthcare

 

• Experts shed light on the evolution of education and healthcare in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, JUN 7: Pakistan needs to invest in the education sector by devising a need-driven strategy allowing the right of education to all, to avert our major problems like economic crisis and extremism,.. The education system in Pakistan is suffering from severe issues, including commercialism, and to achieve our sustainable goals, an educational emergency is the need of the hour. 

These views were expressed by eminent national and foreign education and health experts during a panel discussion.

The discussion “Evolution of Education and Healthcare” was held on Day 1 at the Pakistan Pavilion during the World Economic Forum. This important discussion session on Pakistan was organized by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations in collaboration with the Swiss Asian Chamber of Commerce. 

The panel comprised Dr. Huma Baqai, Senior Vice Chairperson KCFR, Dr. Linda Zangwill, Professor University of California, Dr. Marc Siegel, CEO Siegel Associates, and Mr. Ali Shah, CEO iPath, while senior journalist Faysal Aziz Khan moderated the session.

Opening the discussion, Faysal Aziz Khan gave a brief overview of the education system and public health facilities in Pakistan. Sharing the information provided by the government and government agencies, he termed the educational situation in the country as deteriorating and said that Pakistan, at present, had made a global ranking for out-of-school children between the ages of 5 and 16. 

Pakistan is second only to Nigeria, with a very large number of girls of the same age, about 59%, that do not go to school for various reasons. Faysal Aziz said that the running of the education system in the country had gone into the hands of the private sector which was making this sacred mission a for-profit business.

Talking about the public health facilities in Pakistan, he said that 70% of the medical facilities in the country were being provided by the private sector, and that the public sector was under severe pressure in this regard. He said that the medical treatment was one of the basic human needs but it had also turned into a lucrative business.

Dr. Huma Baqai, Senior Vice Chairperson KCFR, while shedding light on Pakistan's deteriorating education system, said that capitalism had destroyed education in Pakistan as we gradually turned education into a privilege instead of a right, and more so how we allowed the private sector to impart the good education by leaving our public sector in shatters. 

“We are the fifth largest country in the world and we need to impart quality skill-based education to our youth. Pakistan needs a multipronged education strategy and there is no way we can continue with such a limited approach,” she said. 

Mentioning Pakistan’s low literacy rate, she said that anyone who could read or write his name was considered to be literate, but it was not literacy at all. While expressing deep concern over the precarious situation of the education system, Huma said that education in Pakistan had been made a commercial product instead of a fundamental right which was not acceptable in any way. 

Dr. Linda Zingwell shared her experiences in health sector management and shed light on modern technologies being used to overcome the problems being faced by health institutions. Dr. Zingwell told the audience that the world was moving towards using Artificial Intelligence in healthcare which would be revolutionizing health services in the near future. 

Marc Siegel, who also teaches Supply Chain Management at the University of California, suggested that business skills should also be imparted to young graduates so that they might compete in growing markets around the globe.

Ali Shah, CEO iPath, shed light on modern-day healthcare system which enables the healthcare professionals to access the personal data of specific patients. He urged the Pakistani authorities to establish National Electronic Heath Record Platform as many other countries around the globe had begun to streamline their healthcare systems. If such a platform is developed, all relevant information of a patient would be accessible by entering their national ID number, he said. He termed the platform as a game-changer in the health sector.

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Saudi Arabia joins Muslim countries in condemning BJP leaders’ derogatory remarks on Prophet “P.B.U.H”

 

RIYADH, JUN 6: Saudi Arabia joined a host of Muslim countries — including Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iran and Pakistan — that took strong exception to derogatory remarks made against Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) by leaders of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to Hindustan Times, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and another party leader, Naveen Kumar Jindal, made disrespectful remarks about the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and after worldwide condemnation, India’s ruling party had to distance itself from their statements, announcing disciplinary action against the duo.

Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned India’s envoy to register their protest on Sunday, while Pakistan issued a strong demarche to the Indian charge d’affaires on Monday.

Qatar has sought a public apology from India for allowing such “Islamophobic” views without retribution.

Kuwait, in a statement, said it had handed over an “official protest note expressing the State of Kuwait’s categorical rejection and condemnation of the insulting statements against the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H), Islam and Muslims issued by one of the officials in the ruling party”.

Saudi Arabia also issued a statement condemning the remarks and called for respect for religions.

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called out the comments made by the BJP leaders.

The president noted that the remarks had hurt the feelings of Muslims around the world. “India under [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s Hindutva philosophy is trampling religious freedoms of all its minorities and persecuting them without any impunity”. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz tweeted, “… Have said it repeatedly that India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note & severely reprimand India.”

He said the love of Muslims for the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was supreme and they could sacrifice their lives for the Holy figure.

In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said it “reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and symbols”.

The country also welcomed the BJP’s decision to suspend Sharma, the statement added. Qatar summoned the Indian envoy and handed him an official note that expressed Qatar’s disappointment and “its total rejection and condemnation [of] the controversial remarks made by an official in the ruling party in India against Prophet Mohammed … Islam and Muslims,” according to a statement issued by its foreign ministry.

Qatar said it is “expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India”.

It noted that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constituted a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.

Meanwhile, Pakistan said the remarks made by two officials of the ruling BJP were “totally unacceptable” as they hurt the sentiments of billions of Muslims around the world.

“BJP’s attempted clarification and belated and perfunctory disciplinary action against these individuals cannot assuage the pain and anguish they have caused to the Muslim world,” the Foreign Office said, urging India to ensure that decisive and demonstrable action was taken against those responsible for making derogatory remarks and attacking the dignity of Prophet (P.B.U.H).

A day later, Pakistan summoned the Indian charge d’ affaires in Islamabad and issued a strong demarche.

In a statement issued today, Pakistan strongly urged the BJP leadership and the Indian government to “unequivocally condemn the sacrilegious comments of the BJP officials and ensure that they are held accountable through decisive and demonstrable action for attacking the dignity” of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H).

The ministry further called upon the international community, including the United Nations (UN) and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take notice of and stop “the dangerously rising ‘Hindutva’ inspired Islamophobia in India, and prevail upon the Indian authorities to prevent the systematic human rights violations against minorities in the country”.

Later in the day, the Pakistan Army also condemned the “blasphemous remarks by Indian officials” in a tweet. Meanwhile, the grand mufti of Oman, Sheikh Ahmad bin Hamad Al-Khalil, tweeted that the “obscene” comments of the spokesperson of India’s ruling party amounted to a “war against every Muslim”.

OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha also said that the BJP leaders’ remarks came in “context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims”.

India told both Qatar and Kuwait that the offensive views did not reflect those of the government of India, instead attributing these to “fringe elements”. It said that “strong action” had been taken against those responsible for the derogatory remarks.

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