There have been times in the history of Pakistan when the founding father was manipulated, criticised, misquoted, used, abused and misused by different political parties for different political purposes. Not very long ago, a prominent political leader questioned Jinnah’s nationality. Fortunately the nation, as well as Quaid, survived the insult, and life moved on. However, never in the history of Pakistan was Jinnah disowned from his contributions towards an independent and sovereign Pakistan, nor made into an oppressive figure that haunted the corridors of Pakistan’s national history. Even the hard-headed Taliban never questioned Jinnah’s personality and his attitude towards Islam (though he was condemned by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) former ideological leadership for his alleged secular thoughts). The reason is simple; Jinnah was no dictator. On June 15, 2013, miscreants attacked Ziarat Residency in Balochistan – a monument associated with the founding father as he spent the last few days of his life in 1948 at the place (earlier a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients). What is interesting to note here is that Jinnah was an established lawyer and a highly respected international dignitary who had spent over half of his life in Europe (he even owned a small estate in England at a time). Unlike his wife (Ruttie Jinnah) who he sent off to Paris for a change in environment during her last days, Jinnah preferred Balochistan, simply because he believed in Balochistan. Moreover, Jinnah had a much deeper understanding of the Baloch sentiments over six decades ago than any of the current politicians have at the moment. He received criticism from a few over his decision of making Balochistan a governor general province in early reforms that he responded to in a way expressing his deepest emotions for the province. Responding to a question in a press conference at Sibi: February 15, 1948, Jinnah specifically voiced his feelings for Balochistan, he dismissed dictatorship of any form and said,

“I take this as flattering to myself that my heart, my soul and my pulse ensure that I shall be very useful to Balochistan in its present condition. There are two reasons for this proposed reform: (one) I want to help Balochistan in every way I can; and (two) things will be done far more quickly.”

• Hitting the root cause of all of this hatred and exposing the reasons behind the negative sentiment.
• A nationwide move to re-establish the connection between Baloch Nationalism and Pakistan’s ideology
• A revolutionary plan to purge the Baloch youth from all the hatred they have been spoon-fed for decades.

Teacher to Akram and Aslam: You both failed the test because you were late for class. Why were you late? Akram: Sir, I was busy looking for my atthani which I lost on my way to school today. Teacher: What is your reason Aslam? Aslam: (Sheepishly): Sorry sir, but I was standing on top of his atthani, hiding it.

I still remember my Economics professor’s words,

“The political cost of economic decisions is the worst nightmare for the policy-making circles particularly political parties and this is what plays the most significant role in budgetary allocations.”

The initial prognosis of the recent budget by pundits is positive, with the phrase “business-friendly” or some other variant prefacing their every breath. While that’s an italicised development from past years, let’s hope there is a noticeable change in the fields of research, development and technology as well. To say the least, Pakistan has had its share of intestinal economic and political disruptions. Incessant wars, military rule, flogged bureaucracy and corruption represent some of the determinants of Pakistan’s snail-paced economic growth. Recognising these factors, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar during his budget presentation speech invoked the word “development” 26 separate times, but he failed to contribute even a sentence of his speech to the importance of development in tandem with technology and research, save the part of his speech when he promised to dole out laptops to a select few students pursuing higher education. He did however spend some time harping on a significant increase in defence spending, perhaps an accurate reflection of the misplaced priorities that lie ahead. In a chapter in Anita Weiss and Saba Khattak’s most recent publication, Development Challenges Confronting Pakistan, economist Shahrukh Rafi Khan presents readers with a review of the barriers that have contributed towards Pakistan’s lagging growth. Rafi Khan cites and compares several factors that have been primary contributors; important among them a failure to diversify the economy in the face of a more technologically advanced and globalised age. Put differently, he surveys a unique discussion that is reduced to a cursory slider on our television screens, often at the expense of age-old scandals, chest-thumping nationalism, and the various shades of blame and hopscotch that find their places in our vast spectrum of political discussions. Research and Development (R&D) is a key catch-phrase many developing countries appeal towards in order to draw attention to their capabilities in hopes of soliciting investors. In our case, Rafi Khan notes that we spend about the same as India on matters concerning R&D - nothing to smirk about, since the figure stands at less than one percent of GDP - but the results are significantly hammered. In terms of patent activity in 2006, there were 5,314 patent applications filed in India and 122,318 filed in China. In Pakistan, a barely noticeable 91 patent applications were filed! This figure reflects well on our decreasing contributions relative to neighbouring countries. One of the key factors of technological improvements, as Shahrukh Rafi Khan observes, is its function in helping diversify an economy.

“Most nations start with textiles and clothing industry and then move up the technology ladder,” writes Khan.

Ordinarily, Pakistan does not surprise me with the injustice that goes on in the country. I live in Karachi and am frighteningly used to instances of violence and bloodshed that the city is reputed for. The news, more or less every day, leaves me depressed, but for the past few days, my heart has been aching for what is going on in Karachi -- especially Lyari. In four days, Lyari has seen the concentrated essence of what we call ‘Karachi violence’. Four were dead as of June 10 and 18 had been injured even before the sun set. With a TV screen as the sole connection between Lyari and the rest of Karachi right now, it is becoming next to impossible to watch the news and believe that a part of this very city is suffering the most arid kind of negligence from the authorities. Yes, Rangers and the Sindh Police have not even penetrated the area fully. A “gang war” sprung between the Kutchi Rabita Committee (KRC) and a local rival group after a man called Arif Baloch was killed on Saturday in Kalri. The rival group claims that the KRC attacked Baloch. In reaction, “unidentified men” opened fire in Hingorabad, Lyari, injuring four KRC workers. The KRC denied the allegation of Baloch’s killing. This episode resulted in a series of cross-firing between the groups of Lyari. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="Workers of Kachi Rabta Committee protesting against target killing in Lyari in Karachi. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI"][/caption] The question here is who is really bearing the brunt of this clash the most? It is the innocent residents of Lyari, who are helpless as they watch their children traumatised by the deafening roars of gunshots. They have run out of food and have had to risk their lives to get flour and rice. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="People standing near the chairs after bomb blast in Lyari Karachi. PHOTO: ASHRAF MEMON"][/caption] Residents of Lyari, teary-eyed as they spoke, told the media that they plan to relocate (like many others who have) and pleaded with the perpetrators to stop this madness. They claim that although seven Rangers pickets had been set by the peace committee in the area, there were no Rangers in sight to help stop the bloodshed. The residential buildings in Lyari are riddled with bullets. The walls, like the people, are brittle from being shot at and attacked by grenades. Children cannot go to school any more without risking their lives. Even during the elections, Lyari was given minimal to no coverage. It is a well-populated area and deserves as much efficiency of the media and law enforcement as anywhere else. Had Lyari been highlighted like NA-250, perhaps we’d have made worse discoveries about rigging and injustice than we did. Yesterday, one man died and 20 others were injured in Lyari. Thankfully, it earned some attention from Muttahida Quami Movement chief Altaf Hussain, who said that such activities are promoting hatred and that immediate action should be taken by the government. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="People standing near the motor cycle which destroyed in bomb blast at Lyari Karachi. PHOTO: ASHRAF MEMON"][/caption] This area is a PPP stronghold and while PPP Sindh general secretary Taj Haider has condemned the attacks on civilians, I am sure the residents are looking forward to some action from them to put an end to their misery. Just using the word "condemn" to calm people down is not enough. In its tenure, the PPP should have cleaned up Lyari of its drug, guns and extortion mafia. This says a lot about what lengths parties can go to for votes -- what lenience they can exhibit for support. Let us not forget the rest of Karachi, which has been experiencing sporadic bursts of violence throughout it for the past half week. What have these people done to deserve this? Is this what Karachiites get for a political awakening? Does associating oneself with the ideology of a certain party deserve this blood-drenched fruition. Affiliation with a party is the midpoint in the process to realising one’s responsibilities as a citizen. Bullets are not what innocents deserve for living in a certain area where issues between parties and gangs cannot be sorted out. If grenades keep exploding and gunshots resonate in the city on daily basis, the snowball effect of this complete unrest may be something worse than we can handle – civil war. I strongly urge the Sindh Police to own up to their responsibility and arrest these gangsters, who are also notorious for extortion and other crimes amongst other offences. 19 lives have already been lost as I write this. The new government needs to address the citizens of Karachi, who are on the verge of losing their faith in any kind of system after having lost their loved ones to routine clashes. That is the least that can be done in this hour of need. Read more by Imaan here or follow her on Twitter @SheikhImaan

PML-N has done well to appoint Anusha Rehman as the new IT minister. She has already been part of the national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) domain and what a marvelous opportunity she is looking at now - an opportunity to create thousands of jobs, help provide education, health and other government services at the doorsteps of millions of Pakistanis, increase software and services related exports by tens of millions of dollars, and generally catapult Pakistan to the 21st century! As an ICT professional, with 35 years in the field, I venture to say what the government should now do with regards to the following; Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies ICT is a fast moving high-tech sector where policies get outdated very fast anyway and in Pakistan, it has been a decade. The government should take up the job of creating new ICT policies urgently with input from all stakeholders. However, I do feel strongly, that in the meantime, there is no need to wait for the policies to be in place before starting the long delayed vital ICT development programs. National broadband plan This may or may not be a part of the ICT policy, but broadband deserves special treatment. The impact of broadband on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is now widely acknowledged. Since 2010, the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development has been actively helping countries prioritise the roll-out of high-speed broadband networks through National Broadband Plans, to support their goals of inclusive economic growth and competitiveness in the information age. More than 100 countries across the world have already formulated Broadband Plans. Optic Fiber Penetration Optic Fiber Highways are like the road highways of the yesteryears. Most of the countries have realised this and are working feverishly to increase fiber penetration (Indonesian ‘Palappa Ring’, Nigeria’s ‘Btrain’, Australia’s National Broadband Network, India’s Bharat Broadband, etc). When I was at the Universal Service Fund (USF), we made good progress in the program; “Optic Fiber to every Tehsil”. Now the need is to extend the Fiber to all the 6,000-plus union councils, terminating at the Community Telecenters there. Even in the short-term, thousands of jobs will get created. Community Telecenters High-speed broadband connected centers could become the source of all kinds of information for the villagers. Each center, equipped not only with PCs and allied equipment but also WiFi hotspots and renewable sources of power, should be run and managed by rural development organisations that have roots in those areas with professionally trained trainers and relevant local content. The broadband connectivity available at these centers could then be extended to neighbouring schools, healthcare centres, post offices and government offices etcetera – the so-called “anchor customers”. Broadband for schools Out of all the destinations of broadband, none is more important than schools. ICT is all-encompassing as it impacts every sector of the economy. Therefore if our new generation does not grow up with knowledge of using ICTs, they will be nowhere. But one has learned that connecting schools with broadband is not all. One needs to have the provincial education and school administrations on board, develop/provide relevant local content (with links to the curriculum), create portals, implement child protection policies, and train the teachers. In fact train, train and train. 3G and 4G It is a pity that even Afghanistan has 3G and we don’t! Worldwide there are more than two billion 3G subscriptions - more than 70 million in India. The PML-N manifesto favours 4G (100 million worldwide), however mostly the spectrum licenses are technology-neutral. It is the private sector that then goes for the most viable technology in the given spectrum band. But there is simultaneous space for 3G as well as 4G. Therefore spectrum for both should be auctioned, with less emphasis on the price and more on wide-spread, time-bound roll-out obligations. Role of the Private Sector Fortunately in ICTs, budget constraints of the government are no worry. But the government has to provide clear policies, fair regulations, level playing field, to promote competition and let the citizens enjoy the fruits. If at all the government has to intervene with is cash, it is in areas which the private sector doesn’t find lucrative enough. And for that there is the Universal Service Fund! It is the private sector which brought the 2G revolution to Pakistan (along with massive amounts of Foreign Direct Investments) and it is the private sector which should be given the challenge again. To the private sector, all I have to say is that, with a stable government in place, manned by competent people at the top, it should have no hesitation in contributing it’s share in a big way. Follow Parvez on Twitter @Parvez_Iftikhar

On Tuesday morning around 10am, with the sun in its full glory and waves of hot air making it impossible to stand outside, I was in the court room of the Lahore High Court awaiting my turn. As I stood there, I noticed teenagers, around 16-17 years of age, standing in the court room looking baffled. I wondered what reason had brought them here as this was certainly an unusual sight. My curiosity subsided when the reader of the court called out a case and a crowd, including these teenagers, paced towards the rostrum. These children were students of FSc/FA/intermediate, fighting for their right to education guaranteed under Article 25-A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973; they should have been studying for their exam scheduled to be held on June 6, 2013, but they were forced to come to court to fight. These students were not issued statement of entries/roll number slips by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore. According to the board, the educational institution (which, I must add, is a well-known institution), had failed to get the students registered with the board and therefore the board had refused to issue roll number slips to the students. The lawyer representing the board in its defence stated that the said educational institution was given a period of almost one year to get the students registered with the board, despite which, the institution failed to take any action. The representatives of the educational institution were also present and a plethora of accusations were hurled across the court room. Amidst this entire debacle, those innocent students stood there looking worried, least concerned with whose fault had brought them to court, silently awaiting their fate. Eventually the case was adjourned, with the following directions by the honourable judge to the representatives of both the educational institution and the board:

“The matter must be resolved before the exam, that is, June 6, 2013, otherwise the principal of the educational institution will be called to the court, and if he fails to justify his actions, appropriate proceedings shall be initiated against him.”

“Who shall be held responsible for such futile administration?”

Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur, along with two others, have been slammed with the death sentence today. The harsh reality of murder has just taken its form and reactions across the board differ. Many people are pondering over whether or not this really is justice served. In my opinion, it is. As cruel as it may sound, I not only agree with the decision made by the court but laud their valour to resort to such a decision. Many feel this may be another instance of judicial activitism but this is, unfortunately, justice in its raw form. Some may argue that the sentence is not proportionate to the age of the defendants, however, what they fail to consider is the proportionality of the punishment to the crime committed. One could argue that our religion teaches us to forgive and maybe a less severe punishment is more appropriate, but then you didn’t lose your son, did you? I am not married, but the closest I have to kids are my nephews. My blood boils when I hear of them even remotely being bullied at school; my heart races when they fall off of a swing or scrape their knees on the road when they come running to say hello - but this was death. The parents of Shahzeb Khan will never see their son again, they will never hear him laugh or experience the changes he undergoes in his life. I am not this boy’s parent, sibling, relative or friend, but the pain they feel is ruthlessly palpable. How could I forgive the person who took a gun and brutally shot at my child four times? How could I forget the face of my child when he comes to me wrapped in a white shroud? How could I forget the face of the boys who shot my son and then left him to die in cold blood? My child, my relatives, my siblings, my parents, my nephews are all a part of me, my body and soul, outside of me. How do I seek to survive without all my parts functioning? This verdict is not only justifiable, it also serves as a lesson to society. The judiciary does not care whose son or daughter you are, what societal status you hold or how much money you have. In front of a judge you are on your own - disconnected from all those who support you and you will be held accountable for all your actions. There is no escaping it. This was a necessity. If either Shahrukh Jatio or Siraj Talpur were excused for their actions, thrown in juvi or a rehabilitation center or given a sentence, less severe in its nature, you would have made this nation a breeding ground for juvenile murderers. We have already seen the kind of example this case set for an even younger lot of children - Hamza Ahmed. We lost another life to that incident too. Many argue that the main cause in all this is the upbringing of the child. The fact that it is a clear parental failure and that they, the parents should be held accountable in this instance and not the child. However, a death sentence to the children of these parents is the most direct punishment any parent could be afforded. Tacit as it may be, it is directed clearly towards not only these parents but all parents out there who have borne children. This obsession with guns and blood has to stop. We have already lost far too many young lives and we will keep losing more until we do something about it. This has to stop. Parents should take this verdict as a warning; your child is never old enough to carry arms or ammunition of any kind and not every Tom, Dick or Harry should be hired as a ‘guard’ to protect your kids. If you look closely at the facts of the recent cases of murder that have taken place you will notice that it is not really the child that initiates the argument - it is the guard that instigates it and it is the easy access to arms that conclude both cases. I hope that this case comes as a welcome first step to disarming the people of the country. Weapons are not toys and lives are not games. Only those of age, with enough experience and training should be allowed to man a weapon of any kind. You cannot commit murder and then roam about scot free. This verdict has shunned all opinions that drew the conclusion that the upper class will have an upper hand - sources will be used - justice will be tampered with and Shahzeb will be a name lost in history. It is a lesson served and one that should be taken seriously by one and all. One life is worth waging a judicial war over. Every life is worth waging a judicial war over. Nobody ever said justice would be lenient. Read more by Erum here or follow her on Twitter @shaikherum

In 1856 when Mount Everest was definitively identified as the world’s highest mountain what began was a series of early Everest expeditions, mostly led by the British, which, in 1933, included efforts to deploy the British Union Flag on top of the mountain by flying a formation of aircraft over the peak (an expedition funding by a British millionaires, Lady Houston) Since 1921 Everest has had over 4,500 climber visitors from over eighty nations. And while the first female ascent of the mountain was in 1975 by Japanese mountain-climber, Junko Tabei and the first Pakistani to scale the Everest was a man by the name of Nazir Sabir, on May 19, 2013 twenty two-year old Samina Baig set a new record for the country as she ascended to 8,848  meters and became the first Pakistani woman to reach the roof of the world. Much is remarkable about Samina Baig’s story. She is only twenty-two. She was the first person to climb Chaskin Sar (a peak above 6,000 meters which is now named after her). She managed to secure Rs10 million from funders in New Zealand for this climb (after being turned down by the Pakistani government). Upon reaching the top, she chose to deploy the Pakistan flag alongside the Indian flag (deployed by twin sisters and fellow climbers from India) in a symbolic gesture that puts all our politicians and leaders to shame. But most impressively, Samina chose to dedicate her expedition to a higher cause – for the confidence and empowerment of Pakistani women, in particular those who come from the most remote regions of the country, like Samina herself. However, it would not be a stretch to say that Samina was not the only one to create history at 7:40am on May 19. Her brother Mirza Ali, who beamed with pride next to his sister while she gave press interviews, is an equally remarkable component of this tale. When I first heard of Mirza Ali’s enthusiasm and staunch support for his sister’s mission I was reminded of Aung San Suu Kyi who once said,

“In societies where men are truly confident of their worth, women are not merely tolerated but also valued.”

“No nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men”.

Drones are effective; they kill the most-wanted militants, reduce operational costs, minimise collateral damage and President Obama calls them “legal”. So where is the problem? Why are they so widely condemned? Recently, a drone attack killed another militant, Waliur Rehman, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He was supposedly the number two of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) - the only organisation that Pakistan considers inimical to its interests. The TTP is a publicly stated enemy of Pakistan as it has mostly claimed ownership of suicide bombings and IED attacks which keep killing innocent Pakistanis. Waliur Rehman’s elimination, on the face of it, means Pakistan has one less thing to worry about. Yes, it is considered as good news and Pakistanis will be even happier if Hakimullah Mehsud, the TTP supremo, is taken out the same way. But should this continue endlessly? I think not. It merits a dispassionate review because while drones help in eliminating unwanted elements, they do undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty, along with risking many innocent lives. So, what are drones all about? Drones work both ways, say eyewitnesses: Due to limited media access in Fata, it becomes hard to judge the effects of drone attacks, the real number of casualties caused, along with what the locals think about such attacks and tools countering the militants, or the Mujahideen, as they call them. My views on drones completely changed when I accidently tuned into a Pashto radio channel, broadcasting an interview from Fata, where a resident of Waziristan was praising the role drones played in helping his area get rid of militants. That was my first reality check as before this, I could have never imagined anyone, except the US policy makers, supporting drone strikes. This motivated me to make a thorough inquiry on this issue and ask the people around, especially students belonging to Waziristan, about their views on drone attacks. Faizan, a student from Miranshah village of North Waziristan, who frequently visits his village, had the following opinion on the issue.

“Drones infiltrate our sovereignty, which makes them something negative for our country. Yet on the other hand, our people just consider them as 'normal' - most call them electronic birds, knowing that they will only target the Mujahideen, and not the locals. They have a lower collateral damage compared to army operations. But, drones have also affected the locals psychologically, as most of them always remain under constant fear or threat of these drones.”

“Drones are an American initiative. Even though they kill many militants, they have ruined our lives. They have crippled an entire generation, community, and have inculcated fear into the minds of minors and elders. I don’t support drone attacks or the army operations as both only aim for their targets and leave their assets. For me a dialogue is the only solution to solving the security crisis in Pakistan.”

 “I can campaign for three months to win hearts and minds of the local population—I may get 50 or 60 people to my side, but a single drone attack brings the whole village to my side”, said Mehsud.

“First as a peaceful resident of Fata, we have never supported these militants and we feel happy after a militant is targeted through drone strikes. As compared to the army operations, these drones strikes are very effective as civilian casualties are very small in number and they have are more accurate. So far, drones have targeted a number of higher ranked Taliban leaders including second-in-chief. The only reservation against the drones I have is the national integrity of Pakistan.”