Squeezing the Squeezed

 

Squeezing the Squeezed

In contemporary society, we seem to be operating under a harsh and regressive principle: those who are already burdened must be burdened further, especially if their ability to resist is minimal. This unfortunate trend is particularly evident in Pakistan, where increases in taxes, electricity bills, and deductions in salaries disproportionately target government employees, most notably those in the education and healthcare sectors. These individuals, rather than being supported, have become the most convenient scapegoats for the state's financial imbalances.

This situation is reminiscent of an Indian film in which a state Raja repeatedly raises taxes to fund his ambitions, ignoring the suffering of his people. Each time they protest, he uses force to extract more from them. Similarly, in our context, whenever the government faces a financial shortfall or budgetary gap, the immediate response is to cut into the earnings and benefits of public servants. It appears the state is never hesitant to wield its metaphorical sword against the very people who have served it faithfully.

Government employees already pay a disproportionate share of taxes and fulfill remittance obligations more consistently than any other segment of society. Yet, their financial futures are now under severe threat. Pensions, gratuities, and other post-retirement allowances are being slashed arbitrarily and without transparent justification. Historically, public sector employment was desirable because it offered a sense of financial security after retirement, typically after 35 or more years of dedicated service. Today, even that sense of security is rapidly eroding.

A particularly troubling example is the recent elimination of Leave Encashment, a policy through which employees were compensated for unused leave. The government has now replaced this with the Leave Preparatory to Retirement (LPR) system, which denies financial compensation even to those who diligently saved their leave. Gratuity payments have also been drastically reduced, and pension percentages are declining. These policy shifts have understandably created panic among those scheduled to retire in 2025 or in the coming months.

This sense of uncertainty is compounded by the broader economic crisis: spiraling inflation, record-high taxes, skyrocketing food and energy prices, and increasingly unaffordable healthcare. Retired employees, often elderly and vulnerable, are now left to navigate a hostile economic landscape with diminishing resources. Rather than being rewarded for decades of service, they are met with neglect and financial insecurity.

What is particularly egregious is that the government has also refused to release group insurance payments and has withdrawn several allowances—such as the Discrepancy Allowance, which continue to be paid in other provinces. The result is not only declining morale but also a decline in the quality of work in essential sectors like education and health.

These developments have serious social and psychological repercussions. In the past, individuals worked hard to secure admission to higher education institutions and eventually land government jobs, encouraged by the promise of long-term stability. Now, seeing the deteriorating conditions of public sector retirees, many young people are disillusioned. They are turning instead to vocational skills or private enterprises, seeking immediate income over long-term service.

The irony is staggering. Government employees are the only segment of society from whom taxes are deducted directly from their salaries. Yet, they are taxed again and again—on purchases, ATM use, banking transactions, telecommunications, and digital services. Meanwhile, powerful groups such as industrialists, traders, large landowners, and even professionals often pay little to no taxes. Many enjoy state-subsidized perks like free electricity and fuel, all while evading tax obligations through loopholes and underreporting.

Given these realities, it is imperative for the state to recognize and fulfill its responsibilities to government employees. The state must ensure that those who contribute most consistently and honestly to national revenue are not abandoned in retirement. Through mechanisms such as mutual funds, pension insurance schemes, or public-private partnerships, sustainable support systems must be established for retirees. In Pakistan, finding employment post-retirement is nearly impossible. Older individuals face health issues, mental stress, and often a deep sense of loss and nostalgia, making re-entry into the workforce an unrealistic expectation.

It is therefore not only a matter of economic justice but of moral duty for the government to support its retired employees. These individuals have served the nation for decades and deserve dignity, security, and care, not abandonment and uncertainty.

 

Uniting for Climate Responsibility

 

Humanity has always joined hands in the face of a calamities, threats and disasters and more than often succeeded on warding off the looming dangers. The same holds good for Pakistan because now Pakistan is right now in the eye of a black hole which won’t let it come out so easily and even if it does so, there will be huge and loud scars and pains left on its face. So, now the time has come that we must truly follow the dictates of our beloved father of the nation and that is unity, faith and discipline. We must realize the enormity and colossal nature of the impending catastrophe that we cannot hide our heads in the sand like ostrich because it calls for drastic measures at drastic times. 

The very first and most urgent is the advent new world order of 21st century (2025) which clearly means drying up of all sources coming from USA, neither as a loan, nor as a donation or grant and instead it may bring stringent measures to shift the trade and earning balance in favor of USA. The early signs of decay are visible in the closure of all educational funding and scholarships programs hitherto being run by US State. Pakistan is not now likely to be supported to combat the menace of terrorism as it has been in the past. Now everyone is required to put his own fight against terrorism. The strong and robust effort is also needed to come up with an effective plan to control this menace. A concerted effort at almost every front is the need of the hour to deal with this renewed wave of domestic terrorism. 

The next big thing is the environmental crises which again needs all sociopolitical and psychological measures to combat the global change within our resources. For example, we are facing shortage of rain and temperature rise. The potable and water for irrigation and electricity generation is falling down rapidly. Time is not for ahead that we would run short of irrigation water and even drinking water. So, hands must be joined together by each and everyone to change our habits and everything possible must be done to recycle and conserve water along with the policy of judicious use of available water. Besides, the effect of greenhouse games must be minimized by introducing efficient system of electric bus-based city transportation. In heavily populated areas of the city all type of carbon fuel-based activity should be strictly banned and in big cities at least two days a week, no private fossil fuel run vehicle should be operated. This may bring down the rising temperatures and pollution in the city which may consequently halt or delay the climate change. If we have water, we have life. I mean, the absence of water means loss of food growth, damage to the fruits, absence of Agricultural business. If this happens, half of the Pakistani economy is likely to collapse because we are Agri-based. We shall have make a law that if one tree is cut, at least will have planted in its place. 

Above all, why the population is being allowed to increase as rapidly as possible without any checks and balances which is causing imbalance in the supply and demand of resources and causing a huge strain and burden on services to maitain such a huge population. There is no more time left to wait for someone outside to come and induce a comprehensive plan to stem the rising tide of population in the absence of which we are going to develop a nation of destitute only. The capitalists of the society must take a little rest in exploiting the national resources for their profit. Instead they may join hands with our authorities to introduce environment friendly, innovative, renewable and recyclable techniques and methods to mitigate the impact of previous non-judicious use of environment. This measure is even necessary because if the nation is healthy and strong, they may earn profit, and an environmentally sick nation will not be able to sustain their profit. 

Classroom is the best pulpit to preach such a change of heart and mind in our society. So educational environment must be revamped on war footing to make it more amenable to the life in 21st century than to keep it a traditional liberal education. Classrooms must not only equip our students with technical and Vocational skills but also to make them 

responsible citizens we must arrange for them hands on workshops and practice based learning seminars for awareness and learning. Each institution must teach its students to keep the environment and its use within the normal and acceptable limits . And above all every individual of the nation must make joint efforts at individual and collective level only then the boat of Pakistan nation can be saved from sinking.

Cognition versus Artificial Intelligence

 

Centuries ago, human beings learned to create and utilize tools to harness and exploit the natural resources around them. This capacity enabled them to dominate their environment, primarily because no other species possessed the same level of critical thinking or cognitive development. It is this cognitive development that has empowered humanity to innovate, manipulate nature, and secure a better quality of life. The evolution of human cognition has been central to holistic human progress and has long been emphasized in educational theory by figures such as Piaget, Dewey, Bloom, and others. On the other hand, we have already a very meagre share of developing cognition and critical thinking in our education procedure because of overreliance on memorization and rot learning and equally faulty system of testing evaluating the capabilities developed by the learners.

 

Over time, educational practices have become increasingly sophisticated, particularly with the integration of technology. Multimedia, computing, and digital publishing have significantly enhanced the processes of teaching and learning, making them more engaging and accessible. Nevertheless, it is the skilled and reflective teacher who has historically played the most crucial role in fostering cognitive development, critical thinking, and intellectual growth among learners. In the 21st century, however, technology—particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI)—is assuming many traditional roles of the educator. AI now provides personalized and immediate access to vast amounts of information and tailored solutions, reducing the need for both teachers and students to consult numerous physical or digital sources. This shift raises a critical concern: with AI performing many cognitive functions, there is a risk that the human mind may become a passive recipient rather than an active processor of knowledge. Consequently, humanity must once again rise to the challenge of ensuring that technology serves as a facilitator rather than a replacement for human intellect.

 

AI is now used globally across nearly all educational levels, significantly decreasing classroom activities such as reading, writing, evaluating, and independent thinking. While many educators cautiously embrace AI to save time and energy, students increasingly rely on it to generate written content and complete academic tasks. This trend raises a pivotal question: at what point in this process does the student genuinely engage in learning? Or is it AI, rather than the student, that is doing the learning and problem-solving? Recent international surveys reveal that at least 60% of teachers are already incorporating AI into their classrooms—a figure that is even higher in countries like Pakistan. Student usage of AI tools reportedly ranges between 80% to 90%. In such a context, the fundamental purpose of education—nurturing the intellectual and personal development of learners—is at risk of being undermined. As Dewey and Bloom assert, cognition and learning can only be truly developed when learners engage directly with problems, think critically, and apply knowledge actively.

 

Some scholars argue that AI is merely another technological advancement that, like its predecessors, will ultimately enhance human capabilities without fundamentally altering our identity or societal structures. While this view is optimistic, it overlooks a crucial element: human progress has historically been driven by curiosity, struggle, and the persistent desire to overcome environmental challenges. From the invention of the wheel to the exploration of space, it is this innate drive that has fueled innovation. Without nurturing curiosity and training the human mind—particularly at early educational levels, it is uncertain how future generations will rise to the ever-evolving challenges of the modern world. If AI begins to handle all problem-solving and decision-making, the role of human effort may diminish to the point where society becomes complacent, reliant on technology for all solutions, akin to the mythological “Lotus Eaters.” This vision may seem appealing, but reality paints a far grimmer picture.

 

Humanity faces unprecedented global threats, including wars, environmental disasters, climate change, overpopulation, food insecurity, inflation, and resource depletion. Therefore, it is imperative that AI be used judiciously—as a tool to support human endeavors rather than to replace them. Delegating all responsibilities to AI would disproportionately benefit capitalists seeking profit maximization, while eroding essential human traits such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. This is especially concerning education, where the overreliance on AI could undermine curiosity, discovery, and meaningful learning. Educators must lead the way in developing pedagogical approaches that harness the benefits of AI while keeping the human mind and heart at the center of the educational process. It is equally essential that teachers and classrooms evolve to meet the demands of a technologically advanced society, ensuring that learners are not only equipped with digital literacy but also empowered to think, question, and innovate.

Save Green, Save Life

 

It is the ripe time to fight climate change and to adapt ourselves to the nature around us. So far, we have attempted to control the environment in which we could partially succeed within the limited confinement. For example, cooling or heating within the confines of walls of the rooms or controlling water in dams, etc. But while doing so we have raised the temperature of the environment and so are suffering from climate change. This calls for a change in our attitude and planning and implementing acclimatization which means adopting such strategic measures which can help us maintain the sustainability of our home earth. One of these strategies is to learn, adopt and incorporate green skills in our lives. These green skills must be part and parcel of our lives.

Green skills are the behavioral shift towards such technologies as can help us reverse climate change or at maintain the status quo. For example, we must enforce and emphasize the renewable sources of energy production because all other nonrenewable sources cause damage to the environment. Another technology may be employed in the waste management systems that the waste may be converted to or recycled for future use and even disposed, the waste must not cause environmental damage. Similarly, agriculture technology can help us not only grow organic food but also replenish our food chains. The Education qnd training must begin from the primary and must be inculcated up to university level. Universities must maintain research in order further enhance the capacity of these technologies. The degree courses of the universities must include components about developing, researching and implementing such technologies. Similar technical reforms may be implemented in the construction and manufacturing area. For example, the latest environmentally friendly technology may be adopted in brick kiln and other related sectors. More of the wooded structures may be used instead of concrete and steel technology. Our transportation systems must undergo a 180-degree shift towards rapid and readily adoptable techniques to stop green house effect by controlling or minimizing the emission of smoke.

Besides the development of technical green skills, our society must prepare the green problem-solving skills to control the damage to the environment at the home and individual level.  We may also introduce and implement environmental ethics so that we may bring about cognitive and behavioral changes in us to increase the green capacity of our planet.  This training can further be extended to cooperation and coordination among the individual for collaboration and adaptability through joint converted efforts. Once we succeed in creating a responsibility attitude towards nature, we may be able to save much of nature instead of wasting it.

We must always keep in mind that plants and trees are natural air-conditioners and purifiers which demands that we must increase their number with speed to recover and restore our green environment. The students in educational institutions must be trained to not grow plants but also to protect and sustain them.

The education sector can help by producing empowered environmental citizenship which means that our education may not just be a source of securing a job but also must develop green values on the similar pattern of developing sociopolitical values. The inculcation of these green values can give responsible citizens who would adapt to the environment instead of controlling it. It is through experiential learning in the classroom that Practical activities such as eco-clubs, tree planting, recycling projects, and water audits can reinforce concepts learned in classrooms. The next big thing is the green digital technologies and skills. Digital social media Platforms can be helpful in popularizing the reduction of carbon footprints by educating the young and old for the love for environment for the benefit of our future generations.

Having said all that, we must keep in mind that there would be challenges in the implementation of green skills because the governments astonishingly in capable of coming up with a comprehensive and crystal-clear policy and lack interest in the implementation of the same. Besides this indifference, there is always a resistance to any change around us, especially the profit mongers who make money at the cost of environmental crises. But whatever may be the case, we need to act for the development of green skills and implement them as our value system before our home may become an example of another Mars where we are searching the footprints of life.  The more friendly we become, the more nature would afford sustainability to us and to our posterity.  There are models of green skills available in the world for example, Finland has incorporated sustainability in to all levels of education through interdisciplinary green themes.  In Costa Rica environmental policy is enforced in the course contents of the education system. Germany’s dual vocational system links green skills training with industry needs, especially in energy and manufacturing sectors. If the world is doing all this with huge success, why should we not, especially when we are the worst victims of environmental disasters and the climate change.

Green Campuses for a Sustainable Future

    Almost all the globe is grappling with the issues connected with environmental crises after decades of criminal carelessness and grabbing the earth resources to fulfil the need and greed of the powerful and the capitalists. Now when the damage is done, every state is coming up with new solutions to turn the tide backward. Some are suggesting turning into fossil fuel free economies and some are funding to increase the growth of forests and trees to restore the balance. Some are suggesting planning effectively to reduce the rising temperatures. But no one is paying heed to curb and contain human behavior in general towards the environment and to prepare for a future generation who would use earth and its sources as an essential commodity for the survival of humanity in future and so take it as a precious commodity bestowed by nature. The nations like Pakistan are attempting to bring new legislation and criminal code of conduct to penalize the ones who would cause unwanted to damage to nature. All this is well and good and may be of some help to curtail the rising temperatures, pollution and depleting resources but without q positive and healthy attitude towards nature, the goal of saving the environment for future generations cannot be realized. 

    The efforts to minimize the damage to the environment must begin at home and then in our educational institutions. At home the parents need to develop a positive and healthy attitude towards nature, and they need to become role models for their children by inculcating the habits of neatness, cleanliness and using sources only for need not for wastage. The parents must make their children learn protection of the environment by adding greenery and love for preserving water. They may teach them to stop anyone who is willingly or unknowingly wasting the necessary resources.  

    The next big thing must begin at the primary and tertiary level of education because the mind of Young one at this stage is very receptive and the acquired habits from this stage become the essential part of one’s conscious and unconscious and one automatically follows the training received during this period. If the policy makers want a real change of attitude towards nature for the greater good of humanity, the syllabi must contain such awareness about the significance of good environment and the development of such habits as can preserve the resources to save the wastage of the earth’s valuable resources. These children may perform little tasks to keep the environment neat and clean by avoiding the waste of water and food along with other necessary ingredients for the maintenance of a good life. If this procedure is adopted, very soon just in two decades we will be able to bring up a generation which would carry a missionary spirit to preserve their environment and will be able to create a resistive attitude also to the damages caused by the profit mongering human beings. This new generation will also be deeply and sincerely interested in innovative technologies and research that make our planet once again a happy healthy home for humanity and there will be no more competition between man and nature and instead both will go hand and hand to save each other.  

    The next big thing can be performed at the graduation level i.e. at university and college level. Here the learners must be given projects designed not only to spread awareness but also creating safe environmental zones, recycling of earth’s sources, preservation of water, and judicious use of transportation facilities by reducing the burning of fossil fuels. The practical and fact-based research projects may be assigned to the students of almost all disciplines to discover which discipline of studies can be of what assistance to restore and rejuvenate mother nature for the betterment of humanity. Which new technologies can be brought in and which innovative ways can be introduced to minimize the damage to the environments and keep maximum utilization of the resources. These and many other measures can be taken to bring a fundamental change in our attitude towards nature and can foster a big change in our thinking towards nature and can help indeed to revert the balance of nature and man in our world.   

    But alongside that we must prevent the devastation of nature just for the profiteering and for amassing wealth. Human beings will have to convince themselves that the earth can sustain life for a long time to come only when we make our best efforts to help nature survive for us. And there is no denying the fact that it is still possible to create a balanced approach between man’s need for nature resources and the replenishment of these resources. For example, if we cut trees for our multiple uses, we must plant an equal number of trees to maintain a perfect balance. A similar attitude towards all other provisions of nature can restore the much-needed balance between nature and man.  

 

Contemporizing Literature

Literature has always persisted in almost every society as an integral part of their culture and traditional values and has provided models of greatness and nobility through its stories. As such achieved the status of artistic relics for the education and training of the people. The same models of literature are taken as literary models for the next coming generations. The later writers took these old models as shoulders of giants to stand on to look across the horizon. Without these giant shoulders, one would find difficult to create extra ordinary pieces of literature in the same way as scientific progress could never take without the consideration of previous progress. In this way there is two-edged weapon that benefits literature. For example, contemporizing literature not only revives the old classical and traditional literature but also it travels further and enters the modern ages of the day. 

Many writers practiced it in the past time, and they are practicing it even though because according to Ngugi all literature are connected together and there is a kind of shared value of your teacher present all around. If we want to write new piece of literature in the modern age, the dresses of old classical and famous pieces of literature can be traced inside it. Alongside many benefits of contemporizing literature, one benefit is the opportunity of making new experimentation in literature. For example, when we are attempting to revise, revive and to give a new shape to old piece of literature, we may be introducing new things and experimenting with new techniques in writing the old literature in the contemporary age and giving it a shape and style which is more akin to the current modern trends of the age as compared to the old tradition.

 Keeping this in view it is very much evident that contemporizing literature is beneficial technique of not only keeping the tradition alive side by side of the modern trends of literature. Another added benefit is that whoever contemporizes literature belongs to different times and the spaces of the world and so they use the older traditions of literature according to their space and time and may add into the new experimentations once again. For example, the part of that odyssey which was the song of the sirens has been written by at least two poets one is Alamgir Hashmi as a Pakistani Anglophone writer and another is Margaret Atwood as Canadian writer in English language. Let us take first of the case off Alamgir Hashmi. Hashmi takes up the song of the sirens which was sung in the poem Odessey in the sense that nobody can avoid them. The song of the sirens influences everybody and it works as a detractor so therefore it is likely and more possibility there that the warriors who have come on the surface of the sea in order to find out their desired island or their desired destination, they would be distracted by the song sung by the sirens and as a result they would not be able to reach their destination and so their purpose would be unsatisfied. But the song of odyssey goes to show that warriors for years try to compete with these songs and try to come out of that to achieve their purpose. Sometimes they succeed but only who are very brave ones. Most of the time the sailors fail to achieve that. Song was converted by Hashmi into a mini epic which means that all materials and thoughts would remain the same but in a very short form.  Hashmi writes smaller points and gives them the name of the books in order to give the impression of the epic the Odessey is a long epic but he writes in a very short style. For example, arrangements have been made by the Warriors and the sailors that they may not be distracted by the song of the sirens and may not be losing their point of view and the destination. They put wax and cotton into their ears so that they cannot listen or do not listen to the song of the sirens. But the song of the sirens is so strong that it reaches through their bones through their skin and they are duty-bound to listen that song into the ears so that is why destruction can happen. But most of the time these people also make extraordinary efforts because of that they can save themselves from the song of the sirens and reach dear destination. 

The same is the case with Margaret Edward who has used this song in order to highlight the difficulties of humanity and she tries to convey the message to the suffering humanity that if the warriors could save themselves from the effects of the song and reach the destinations, the modern warrior the modern human being living in the modern age can also use different techniques and ways in order to achieve the purpose. She declares that there could be the problems and the issues but these issues with the strong will can be overcome. If the will is not that strong, there’s a possibility of destruction.

 We may conclude that contemporizing literature in different spaces and times affords benefits that not only it helps reviving the old literature but up it also gives a new color to the new literature in the older picture by combining them according to the needs and status of the modern age. As a whole, this is overall a very good style of making the people understand what used to be the forms and the styles and the purposes of literature in the past time and how these things can still be offered to the model reader so that that that person may be able to enjoy whatever is being said by the plate so in that way this is a new way of keeping literature alive and getting benefit from literature the way it has been designed and the way it is possibly going to make the world a better place for the humanity.

Pakistan’s AI Readiness

 

Pakistan’s AI Readiness

In my beloved homeland all innovations and inventions enter like a tornado but very soon lose the lustre because of the weak response to infrastructure as well as preparedness. The same has happened in case of the advent of Artificial Intelligence, rather we must say that it has taken us like a storm and it’s not going to lose its grip so soon. Pakistani students in almost every field are highly and deeply engaged with the use of artificial intelligence. The same is the case with the uses of artificial intelligence in many other areas like media communication, film development, and writing of scripts. A large number of our youth is now engaged also in earning money through this artificial technology and so far they are successful in it. In other words, AI has created opportunities for all and sundry whoever possesses a good computer and an Internet connection can earn money and increase and learn multiple skills in order to excel in this field. Thanks to government policies that now are facilitating many institutions as well as working spaces to increase our contribution in the uses of artificial technology. But as it has happened over the years in a number of other fields of our national life, We are not fully prepared to handle and to avail the benefit from the tools of artificial intelligence, especially in the absence of some ethical restrictions and a comprehensive policies, we are drifting into the negative areas of this artificial intelligence technology instead of the positive ones. Although the government has established computer cities and computer enclaves in mega cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to enhance the working capacity, level, skills, and understanding, of artificial technology. The same is the case with the famous universities of Pakistan like NUST, FAST, NUML, and EUM, which are contributing significantly in providing skills to our youth and training experts so that we can get the best possible benefit out of that. But majority of universities lack in well manned and equipped infra structure for this. We have ignored number of challenges which are yet to come or are coming on our way. We are not prepared for that and nor have we addressed to these and therefore very soon, like the .com bubble, the bubble of AI may burst out if we do not take heed of that. For example, on the one hand we are claiming that we are going to become a digital nation and we are going to capture the highest possible market related to artificial intelligence, on the other hand, the internet speed is hindered in the name of data management and issues related to structural damages. Similarly, the concrete benefits of AI technology can be harnessed only with the establishment of powerful computer infrastructure which is lacking in my beloved homeland. The laboratories where the youth is to be taught and trained, lack even in modern and state of the art infrastructure. In such a situation the dream of becoming a digital nation and grabbing the maximum market share in the field is not possible.

At the socio-political level, we also are experiencing the digital divide because the good internet speed and the modern and powerful Internet machines are only available to the city-dwellers while the rural classes have no or little access to these necessities, sometimes because of high cost and sometime because of lack of interest of the related institutions or individuals. This is exactly opposite to the technology claims that it is an equal opportunity for all. Moreover, the government seems reluctant in the matter of investment in this area and is unwilling to turn to paperless AI economy and is so divesting the current youth and coming generation from the utilisation of the artificial intelligence tools.  

In an age of Artificial Intelligence, not providing comprehensive policy guidelines and a robust infrastructure would be an injustice not only to our current youth but also to the upcoming exertions. The world is going to be changed so rapidly and Pakistan needs to cope with its speed. The foremost thing that our sociopolitical set up must engage in is to provide a comprehensive ethical guideline to our people about the use of this technology in an attempt the safeguard the privacy and the data. Copying and manipulation of data usage for other than professional and research purposes must be watched and protected diligently. Again, government must allocate extraordinary sources for this field of technology which may meet at least minimum benchmarks in the world. A good increase in funding would provide more job and market opportunities to the people involved.

Artificial intelligence can be helpful in reducing, if not eliminating, corruption and other malpractices. It can change the life of the common citizens for the better. Government and the relevant institutions must look for the opportunities for our trained youth in the multiple parts of the world, so that everyone may secure a fair deal in the matter of Artificial Intelligence.