PENNY APPEAL's FOR HUMAN UPLIFT ACROSS THE GLOBE

Penny Appeal founder Adeem Younis shares the secrets behind the monumental success of one of Britain’s fastest growing charities. Stuck by personal tragedy with the death of his father when he was just six, ‘Small Change, Big Difference’ follows Adeem’s unlikely story, from growing up in poverty to becoming a dotcom millionaire and award-winning philanthropist.

MAHTAB BASHIR
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
03335363248
ISLAMABAD

A UK-based humanitarian charity organisation Penny Appeal has distributed an estimated 2.1 billion PKR in aid across Pakistan and has been instrumental in disaster relief, as well as launching income generating projects to support women and children in need.

"I was six year old, when my Dad expired. I chose, at quite a young age, to be an observer, and to listen. More than anyone else, Mum showed me by example how to grow financially, one step at a time. She was very unusual in the community of Wakefield in the 1990's, being the sole breadwinner in a house with three kids and a poor parent. From her piecework sewing job to acquiring her car and thus her independence, renting a market stall and then opening her shop, I now realise that every step of her courageous progress involved calculated risk. Month after month, year after year, Mum was a case study in diligent entrepreneurial thinking." 

 

Talking to this scribe, 42 year Adeem Younis, founder of UK-based humanitarian charity- Penny Appeal, in his typical Yorkshire accent told that the charity, has helped transform the lives of over 20 million people around the world and has worked in 60 countries.

Adeem, whose parents from Gujjar Khan, said that Penny Appeal have a diverse portfolio of relief projects in Pakistan which includes water wells, hunger relief, eye operations, care for the elderly, orphan homes and a number of excellent schools. 

The Scribe with the writer of "Small Change, Big Difference"

While talking about the ongoing projects in Pakistan, Adeem said that the charity has sought to prioritise projects that have a perpetual and multiplying impact on its intended beneficiaries. With cutting edge water waste management, for example, through its network of 9,334 kitchen gardens, the charity produces the equivalent of 65,000 meals every day. This is in addition to 18,645 Tube Wells, benefiting 216,020 individuals, 461 Deep Wells benefiting 105,200 individuals, and 27 Solar Powered Wells and Power Centers benefiting 32,600 individuals. 

By focusing on sustainability, Penny Appeal has helped transform Zakat receivers into Zakat givers. In 2018, Penny Appeal provided livestock to vulnerable families and widows in District Vehari, Punjab Province and with the income, meat, and milk these animals provide, families- who were once struggling to feed their children, are now able to support multiple families beyond their own. 

Penny Appeal established 31 mosques that are also used to teach over 6,700 children- a comprehensive Islamic Education. 

A group photograph with the founder of Penny Appeal

Adeem Younis said that "Pakistan is where our charity began. It's here where we draw our inspiration to serve vulnerable people and communities all over the world. We want to help people not just escape poverty but become agents of change in their own communities."

He said "we are inspired by the dignity, hope, and aspiration of every day Pakistanis, we founded a charity that would transform small change, that most of us take for granted, into a big difference for those who need it the most. 

Penny Appeal is here, not to give hands-outs, but rather offer hand-ups, to help people escape the vicious cycle of poverty for good, he added. "During the Covid19- Pandemic, an estimated 2 million more Pakistanis were plunged into poverty. Penny Appeal has helped transform over 20 million lives across 60 countries since 2009," he said. 

Adeem also told that over 9.7 m pounds (2.1 billion PKR) has been distributed in aid across the country, reaching countless Pakistanis living in poverty. "Everyday, an estimated 353,820 people across Pakistan benefit from Penny Appeal's water solutions almost 20,000 of tube-wells, over 400 deep wells and 27 sustainable solar powered wells with adjacent power centres," he said. 

Penny Appeal's network of cutting edge waste-water management systems irrigate an estimated 9,334 kitchen gardens, providing the equivalent of 65,000 meals every single day. 

Funded by Penny Appeal's Education First Appeal, Govt. Girls' Primary School Chah Karori Wala School in the Layyah District (Punjab) now, serves 200 girls of primary school age. "It is one of the 17 schools, Penny Appeal has funded and supported across Pakistan, directly reaching 5,400 students and teachers, opening 51 classrooms. A total of 31 Mosques in Pakistan have been built by Penny Appeal donors, directly serving 31,800 congregants, every remote region of Pakistan, Adeem said. 

He further told that over 6,700 children benefit from an Islamic education hosted in these Mosques. "In 2018, Penny Appeal provided families in need across Vehari, a total of 168 pregnant goats. A few years later, the numbers have grown to 1,512 goats with more on the way," he said. The milk and meat the goats represent a significant income for these vulnerable families. Incredibly, many have gone from being Zakat receivers to Zakat givers, the CEO Penny Appeal said. 

Impossible spells I'Mpossible: Adeem Younis

Narrating his tale of mixed emotions of his single parent mother, Adeem Younis takes us behind the scenes, through the blood, sweat and tears that it took to beat the odds, escape the vicious cycle of poverty and help millions more, at home and abroad, do the same. 

According to Dr. Husna Ahmad OBE, Secretary General, World Muslim Leadership Forum," it is a story of one Muslim man's journey describing both the thorns and roses along the path of building and sustaining a humanitarian charity."         

Adeem Younis founded his first business- SingleMuslim.com, aged 17 above a pizza shop he worked for in Wakefield. What started as a leap into the unknown, grew into the world's largest Muslim matrimonial service, reaching over a million members in the UK and a further three million around the world. 

In 2009, he founded Penny Appeal- an award-winning and Guinness World Record-holding humanitarian charity. His inspired vision, daring strategies and tremendous work ethic have enabled Penny Appeal to raise over 100 million pounds for good causes across the world. 

“Zero to £100 million in just 10 years? I’m in!”

James Caan CBE- BBC’S DRAGON’S DEN     

Adeem was appointed an Ambassador of the Yorkshire Society seeking to improve cohesion amongst divided communities. He was decorated as the 2017 'NatWest Great British Entrepreneur for Good' and in the same year received a Highly Commended National Award from the Institute of Directors. He also won Entrepreneur of the Year in Wakefield Business Awards 2018 and won Charity Chair of the Year at the 2018 Third Sector Excellence Awards. And in 2019, he received the Prime Minister's Points of Light Award for outstanding individuals making a change in the community. 

A renowned academician, scientist and a religious scholar Dr. Musharraf Hussain OBE DL, recommends this book to anyone interested in serving humanity, see a stunning portrait of a Godly servant. Anyone interested to understand how altruism produces amplified results, let him read Adeem's story of the Penny Appeal.

Chairman HEC Vows To Meet Global Challenges Taking Drastic Measures

MAHTAB BASHIR
0333 53 63 248
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
ISLAMABAD

Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed has said that in his expected stipulated tenure of two-years as Chief of the Commission, he will, first up, consult the high-ups of all public and private universities, HEI’s and stakeholders to devise a roadmap for national security, water crisis, climate change, food security, health issues to cope these current global challenges to secure our posterity. 

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed

talking to this scribe, the newly appointed Chairman HEC while waning the expression that the present financial crunch varsities are facing is the biggest challenge, said “It’s not at all a financial issue, it’s a mal-administrative and mal-governance issue- we will have to rectify with immediate effect,” he said.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed maintained that “since its inception, a lot has been done for the uplift of higher education sector, people who think for the last few years, HEC has done nothing better as a “Clash of Titans’ in the recent past damages the Commission reputation- is not true. It was, he kept on saying, our higher education sector that created the space in the world in a very short time. I, also disagree saying that the government does not support this sector. But, we must forget about the past to make headway for future with a ray of hope and a positive attitude,” he said.

“For the last so many years, I’ve kept on ignoring few of those (persons) involved in damaging the reputation of our national institutions, higher education sector and also found guilty of my personal character assassination. I’m not a man of vendetta, but I admonish them all to mend their nefarious actions ASAP.” Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC

Now, it’s a testing time for me as well to meet all the challenges. I have an edge for being here again, that I know this institution inside out. “I have given precious thirteen years of my life to this institution. I will soon change the negative perception of HEC into a positive one. I am least bothered whether, the policy makers revert the amendment (of two years into four years), but I assure the nation that I will work as hard in two years that others might dream of reaching to that milestone in four years, perhaps,” Dr Mukhtar vows.

The HEC chief said in the past, we started working on smart universities concepts, but we could not prepare enough to benefit from it in the Covid-19 phase- which caused immense problems for our education system. “Now, the higher education sector all over the world is shifted to a hybrid mode, we must immediately follow it. The coming era is all about skills. Now, in near future, classrooms and books might become obsolete, we must learn and employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our education system,” he maintain.

Talking about the past, Commission Chairman said, “I believe, in the past few years, HEC has not taken all the stakeholders on board, in particular, on the PhD and Undergraduate Policy, which was approved by the Commission. I will, within few days, invite all stakeholders including Vice Chancellors to review this policy,” he said.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said HEC will take forward the agenda of improving quality of teaching and research in higher education institutions and the universities will be encouraged and supported to play a proactive role for socio-economic growth of the country. “HEC will bring together universities, research organisations and other government departments to jointly work on presenting solutions to the problems facing the country, especially water depletion and flooding, food security, climate change, and country’s security,” he said lamenting these issues are global, I will be surprised to talk about senior faculty members of varsities to work on these issues, rather they are ought to teach me about it, but… , yes, I am here to work on and work hard.

The Chairman pointed out that quality, governance and technology-readiness as the major challenges facing the higher education sector, and assured that HEC will put more efforts for continuous improvement in quality and governance. We will also review research methodology, research journals, plagiarism policy, Commission (board) members, VC’s Search Committee and so on, he said adding we will upgrade our courses in all disciplines to make them market-oriented. 

He said HEC is committed to the mandate of enhancing access, improving quality and ensuring relevance, but added that HEC will emphasise care in expanding the higher education sector. He asserted that the government has shown its strong commitment to supporting the higher education sector despite challenges.

“I assure the Vice Chancellors, faculty, and students that HEC will facilitate all of you. And we will work together for development of higher education sector,” he said, affirming that HEC’s role as a regulatory body will be to streamline the processes and improve the quality standards.”

Dr. Mukhtar hoped that the public and private sectors will jointly work to enhance their contributions towards the development of Pakistan.

RAISING AWARENESS ON MIGRATION ISSUES THROUGH MEDIA REPORTING

Strengthening the knowledge, access to information and tools for journalists to better reporting on migration in Pakistan

MAHTAB BASHIR
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
0333 53 63 248
ISLAMABAD

Participants of the training workshop

Mass communication and migration experts at a three day training workshop for media personnel said that the media should refrain from sensationalising reports on labour migration and human trafficking. They also stressed the need for proactive role of media in facilitating the safe migration of female workers, and suggested for more coverage of news concerning migration of female workers in different media.

Raising awareness on “Migration through Media Reporting”, the training contributed in strengthening the knowledge, access to information and tools for journalists to better and ethical reporting on migration in Pakistan.

These trainings were a part of a project, “Raising awareness on migration in Pakistan (PARIM) funded by the European Union (EU), Ministry of Interior, Austria and Bulgaria and implemented by International Centre for Migration and Policy development (ICMPD).

The training workshop (20-22 July, 2022) provided the participants an understanding of the regional and international context of migration; explain the terminology of migration, considering existing media coverage of migration, especially its ethical aspects. The trainings dispel key commonly held myths on migration, and present a primer on the national legal framework governing migration.

Migration is not an easy topic to cover. It is mired in complexity, opacity and the concerted effort of some, with a particular agenda, to perpetuate myths and misconceptions. Challenges faced by journalists in covering migration, and methods to overcome them, are also addressed in the training.

The journalists from Islamabad found the training modules highlighting common myths around migration, the resources that can be utilized to access the most recent data on migration and the guidance on the optimal steps for creating multimedia content on migration very relevant and interesting.

The experts during the training also shared the best practices in migration journalism, focusing the individual first and giving migrants a voice.

Myra Imran, Vice President National Press Club shared that “it requires the careful and accurate use of terminology, prudent use of pictures, and care not to contribute to the reinforcement of stereotypes and myths.”

Talha Ahad, CEO, The Centrum Media (TCM) while elaborating the importance of digital media, its visual impact and the ways to use the social media tool effectively shared “the internet and digital platforms offer traffickers numerous tools to recruit, exploit, and control victims; organise their transport and accommodation; advertise victims and reach out to potential clients; communicate among perpetrators; and hide criminal proceeds –with greater speed, cost-effectiveness and anonymity.”

Other interesting and learning sessions included Irregular migration and human trafficking including legal framework, irregular migration trends, legal and labour migration, migration trends and data, digital storytelling, reporting ethics, avoiding hate speech and pitching stories to the editor was conducted by Azaz Syed, Hassan Gilani, Dr. G.M Arif, Fauzia Kalsoom Rana and Ayesha Qaisarani.

ICMPD developed a training manual for journalists on human trafficking in 2017 and a migration media reporting guideline (2020) which builds the basis to develop a more thorough programme. Journalists for the training were chosen based on a call for applications and a specified selection process, evaluating applicants by experience, years of media engagement, sample writings and endorsements by senior editors.

In July 2022, Pakistan has recently moved up in global ranking from Tier- I watch list to Tier- II in combating human trafficking in Pakistan. Irregular migration remains a high priority issue for the Government of Pakistan. The government, national and international organisations have taken significant steps in preventing and combating the phenomenon.

Migrant smuggling and human trafficking like any other enterprise are processes that end up in making illicit money through exploitation. Traffickers often lure people with false job offers, including fake modeling advertisements, sham recruitment agencies, and high recruitment fees charged by illegal labor agents or sub-agents entrap Pakistanis in debited and bonded labor, including in Gulf countries. The trainings over all contributed to more evidence- and human rights-based, ethical and responsible reporting on migration.

Faisal Raza Khan, a senior journalist and one of the participants thanked ICMPD and rest of resource persons for their extensive information sharing and valuable presentations. “It was very useful, superb, informative and to be honest wonderful experience, that will definitely contribute in our future work. Delighted to have such mind boggling, multidimensional, vibrant and extremely talented young journalist colleagues. Wish ICMPD team and all group members the very best in all future endeavors. Regards,” he remarked at the conclusion of three days workshop.

Fauzia Kalsoom, a female journalist, said she is indebted to all senior journalists who graced the event. “It was your show and all deserve to be praised for such a keen participation. I am excited for story ideas, hope you all will follow the ethics and secure your physical and digital security as well, she said.

Sehrish Qureshi also spoke high about all the stakeholders for arranging informative and interactive training sessions. “It was a pleasure to learn from all the trainers and other resource persons of the training. Indeed you all are very knowledgeable and professional. Thank you all the participants for being so kind & inclusive,” she concluded.

Abdul Hamid Malik, Deputy Controller News, Radio Pakistan and Abdullah Achakzai, a journalist from Balochistan thanked the management for well organized and informative sessions. “It's been a great learning experience especially the interaction with the international experts. Special thanks to Ms Myra Imran and Fauzia Rana for proposing my name as a participant. Ms Hina and her team really deserve the applause for conducting the training sessions. Looking forward to future interaction,” said Abdullah Achakzai.

Hina Maqsood, Project Manager, The Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) Pakistan told this scribe that MRC was established in Islamabad and Lahore in 2016. The MRCs work under the auspices of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) at Federal Level and with the Department of Labour, Government of Punjab at the provincial level. 

A group photograph of the participants

They are supported by the EU-funded project “Raising Awareness on Migration in Pakistan” and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The MRCs help people make informed decisions when considering to migrate. They provide different types of services: personal counselling, referrals to services for migrants, pre-departure orientation and outreach to outgoing, intending and potential migrants by engaging with local communities, technical, vocational institutes, universities and government offices.

VIBRANT FORIEGN POLICY NEEDS BACKING OF STRONG ECONOMY: FORMER ADVISER TO TRUMP, SAJID TARAR

Mahtab Bashir
0333 53 63 248
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
Islamabad

Sajid Tarar delivering lecture

Policies are ethereal. Instead of a specific set of instructions, it is a general sense of being and a spatial sense of direction as to where we might be heading as a country, an institution, a society and an individual. Foreign policy sits at the heart of the art of statecraft. Its evolution is non-linear. Foreign Policy deals both with the vernacular and the elite and everything that falls in between. Foreign policy of a country could not be independent sans strong economic policy. Policy making in Pakistan needs to be more pro-active in reducing income inequality. Denial of the existence of the problem or hoping that somehow it will take care of itself is not a good strategy. Any discussion of ways and means of reducing inequality has to start from the premise that political leadership acknowledges the existence of the problem and the importance of addressing it. Assuming that this will dawn on policy makers at some point, the next question would be where we stand and what can be done.

Former Advisor for Muslims to US President Donald Trump, and a Pakistani American entrepreneur, Sajid Tarar has said that President Trump’s foreign policy was as much as unpredictable that it could well be manage to avert Russia-Ukraine War. He said there is Pak-US antagonism over CPEC, while USA is trying to contain China, Pakistan’s close and seemingly unconditional ties to China have been contentious in United States.

Dr. Munawar giving introductory speech

Raising question over the Pakistani Diaspora in USA, Tarar claimed that it was lack of interest of Pakistanis that they could not avail the opportunities of being a part of US Elections/Congress as compare to Indians. He also questioned Nationalism which is no more a part of Pakistanis either from top-notch Politicians or from the masses. “Pakistan is too much internally divided, nationalism and unity among Pakistanis would solve all the problems which she is facing right now”, he maintained.

Moreover, he said, Indian lobby in United States is the second strongest lobby in the US after the Jewish- that limits the relations between the two countries. Tarar spoke about his conversation with President Trump who agreed to arbitrate between Pakistan and India on the issue of Kashmir.

Sajid Tarar being warmly received at ASC QAU

Tarar while hitting hard on Islamabad policies stated that Washington is demoralized right after the Biden held the office. “United States has been conservative since birth and will stay conservative. Its main goal is to contain China and Pakistan has an opportunity here. However, India is economically bigger and more stable; therefore, America prefers India and aims to use it against China,” he claimed.

The Pakistani entrepreneur from Baltimore and a Pro-Trump Republican Party leader, Sajid Tarar was invited by Area Study Centre (ASC), Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) faculty, to deliver a lecture on “Pak-US Relations: Future and Challenges”.

Upon his arrival, Tarar was warmly received by senior faculty member ASC Dr. Munawar Hussain along with M.Phil Students.

Keen listening students

In a packed auditorium of ASC, Sajid Tarar said that Pakistan is in dire need of a quality leadership-a leader whose property, children and interests and all stakes are intact to or for Pakistan. He said that bringing dollars into Pakistan is not a difficult task but stopping and pouring out dollars from Pakistan is indeed a huge challenge. “It could not be possible that those (countries) who are giving us aid is our friend and those who don’t- is our foe,” he said.

Fatima Hassan (M.Phil-I) ASC, QAU, contributes: Known for his support for President Donald Trump and Islamic prayer at 2016 Republican National Convention, Sajid Tarar said the menace of corruption was making Pakistan more fragile, economically. “Pakistan should establish relations on the basis of interest. Proximity to China and anti-US rhetoric has damaged Pakistan-US relations, in a great deal,” he observed. Tarar said that even before the Abbottabad incident and Pak-Afghan relations, it was time to work hard to restore that confidence.

Tarar said there is a trust deficit between Islamabad and Washington that Pakistan has failed to address. He highlighted his Pro-Kashmir and Pro-Palestine position within the Republican Party despite the backlash. His lectured contained his observations as an insider of a ruling Republican Party, reporting the sentiments felt within the White House. 

Group photograph with the distinguished guest at Campus

He said Pakistan’s internal situation and political turmoil has weakened its image among powerful nations. “Pakistan is facing huge challenges- corruption, instable political system, dwindling economy, education and health issues and overpowering establishment,” he said adding Pakistan must act strongly to fix its economy and then to work on an independent foreign policy.

Sajid Tarar concluded with the solution that Pakistan must focus on creating a stable economy couple with steady political and social system.

UNOPS and KOICA to enhance Government’s Water Testing Capacity

Under this project, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will help the Government of Pakistan make progress on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG’s) 6: “clean water and sanitation for all”, providing people with safe drinking water and improving overall public health.

 

In partnership with KOICA, UNOPS Pakistan will also help the Ministry of Climate Change to strengthen the technical and coordination capacity of its WASH Cell to monitor drinking water quality in close collaboration with provincial governments.

Funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UNOPS is working with the Ministry of Climate Change, PCRWR and Public Health Engineering Departments (PHEDs) to help enhance the technical capacities of the Government of Pakistan to provide men, women, boys and girls with access to safe drinking water. 

In partnership with KOICA, UNOPS will utilize $4.4 million funding to address the lack of clean water by procuring essential water-quality testing equipment and upgrading the water-quality testing laboratories in Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The rollout of a Management Information Software will strengthen the water-quality data management at provincial level and enable the Ministry of Climate Change to coordinate and monitor the drinking water quality in close collaboration with provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

 

The project is supporting the Sustainable Development Goals: 3 Good health and wellbeing; and 6: Clean water and sanitation, and it is aligned with the Pakistan Government’s Vision 2025 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework for Pakistan 2018-2022 specifically Outcome 3: Health and WASH. 

 

Mr. Seok Woong Yang, Country Director of KOICA Pakistan said: 

“The Korean Government will continue to support the Government of Pakistan in different sectors, especially in the water sector. I hope that this project will improve people’s quality of life by enhancing water quality and will help in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”

 

Miss Marysia Zapasnik, UNOPS Country Manager for Pakistan, said: “Access to adequate and safe drinking water is a human right and monitoring the quality of drinking water is a first step towards its management. In Pakistan, around 22 million people still live without access to clean and safe water.  With generous support from KOICA, we are delighted to support the Government of Pakistan and specifically the Ministry of Climate Change in providing the people of Pakistan with increased access to safe drinking water and improving their quality of life.”

ENCOURAGING BOOK-READING FOR PLEASURE: KHALID MASOOD

An avid booklover, a fervent Urdu literature critique, a dedicated publisher and an owner of ‘Kitaab Ghar’, Khalid Masood says, “Kitaab Ghar (established 1948) has, recently, given incentive to book-readers to avail 50% rebate on purchase of books for a year time and that too for unlimited buying on a meagre membership fee of Rs: 500- that will instantly consumed on 50% discount of customers’ first visit at both outlets of Kitaab Ghar- at Committee Chowk, Rawalpindi and Jinnah Super Market (F-7 Markaz), Islamabad”- a first of its kind from a private entity.

 

MAHTAB BASHIR

0333-53 63 248

mahtabbashir@gmail.com

ISLAMABAD

"An hour spent reading is one stolen from Paradise."

The dedication and hard work of pioneering publishers, scholars, and book lovers have not come to fruition yet in Pakistan. Publishers have been demanding for decades for book publishing to be recognized as an industry. Despite repeated promises, the government has not taken any steps to materialize this demand.

 

Sitting in his bookstore named ‘Kitaab Ghar’ at Jinnah Super Market (F-7 Markaz), Khalid Masood says it is very unfortunate to see book-reading culture is on the decline in Pakistan. 

 

“It gives me pain to see that the habit of reading has been declining among our younger generation. While technology is steadily taking control over individual lives, we must find a way to encourage our children to read. Books are also costly, which is a contributing factor to the situation. Some parents discourage children from reading for pleasure and force them to read textbooks only,” Khalid says adding book reading is a contagious habit- if parents are away from books- their children are least bother to read books.

 

Also, the publisher opines, “The overuse of technology should be discouraged. The government should set up at least one library in every sector of Islamabad. Students should be encouraged to read books besides textbooks by teachers at school, college and university levels and by parents,” Khalid suggests.

 

Khalid Masood- Owner Kitaab Ghar

He said for the first time ever in the history of Pakistan, ‘Kitaab Ghar’ has taken this initiative to entice book-lovers through its ‘Readers Club Scheme’- under which we are providing 50% rebate on purchase of books of all genre annually without limit with the membership fee of Rs.500/=   

Khalid Masood maintains that membership card is valid on both outlets of ‘Kitaab Ghar’ of F-7 Markaz (Jinnah Super Market) and Committee Chowk, Rawalpindi.   

 

Khalid Masood, the CEO of ‘Kitaab Ghar’ narrates that, “Of course, interest is a matter of concern. Your disinterest might work to deter the child from the books. A good practice here is to mix and match varieties of stories, including topics you like. Reading and creating conversation about a book is a key skill which you can easily impart to your child.”

 

You wonder at times about the state of reading in the world you are part of. There is the sense that it is dying, that indeed these increasing levels of sophistication coming into technology are in essence putting holes into our old habits of reading. Not many people read today, which is a pity. Worse is the knowledge that bookstores are being downsized because business is not good. And what you have in place of these truncated, eventually murdered bookstores is storehouses of all those things that reflect the decline of intellect in our times.

 

Khalid Masood with his father Malik Ghulam Muhammad

Khalid describes that one of the positive changes brought about by the pandemic is the culture of online activities. “Not only did social media communities on Instagram and Facebook burst open with possibilities, seeing increasingly more book reviews, giveaways, and nation-wide book exchanges organised by readers themselves, but publishers and booksellers, too, adapted a regular practice of holding virtual book launches and discussions with authors.

On the other hand, question remains the same: “How many programmes are there on that ubiquity of television channels that cater to books, to reading? There are nations that are privy to book discussions on television, to authors talking about their works. Surely similar discussions for an hour or so every week can be injected into the television schedules in Pakistan.

 

There are newspapers, Urdu as well as English, which come up with weekly reviews of books. It would not be a bad idea calling in reviewers and bringing them in touch with readers through the medium of television and radio. There are rivers that nourish the land. And books nurture the soul, he keeps talking.

 

Telling a tale of his laborious father, Malik Ghulam Muhammad, Khalid Masood narrates: his father established ‘Kitaab Ghar’ in 1948 at Committee Chowk, Rawalpindi for the promotion of book and book-reading. After awhile, he started publishing books. He started publishing ‘novels’ of prominent Urdu and English writers. In 1964, he took the initiative for publication of a digest with the name of ‘Kamran Series’ with similar features of ‘Imran Series’- after publicity of Imran Digest, a mushroom growth of such publications took place in Lahore and Karachi.

Since then, Khalid says, he was head over heal in love with book-reading and publishing and indulged in this profession with his father- who died in 2012 at the age of 94. “Now is the time to think about qualitative development. We need to ensure excellence in book writing and publishing. And to do so, readership has to be developed in every part, in every institution of our society,” he says adding to keep publishing sector alive, we really need to bring in meritorious young entrepreneurs in this sector and for doing so, the government should recognize it as an industry.

With his kids Ali Masood & Hassan Masood

He requested National Book Foundation (NBF) high-up’s to to take effective measures to in promotion of book-reading through ‘Shehar-e-Kitaab’ situated in F-7 Markaz and to use its own property more efficiently.    

 

The World Culture Score Index conducted a global study to measure the amount of time that people around the world spend reading on a weekly basis. The results of this study do not specify what type of material is being read, which could be anything from online news to work e-mails and magazines to books in print. Additionally, the study does not report specific information about the people surveyed (like age, educational level, or sex) or how many people were surveyed.

 

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-countries-that-read-the-most.html

 

India topped the list with its citizens reporting an average of 10 hours and 42 minutes a week spent reading. Achieving the number 1 position on the list is quite an accomplishment for this country, which has a literacy rate that is lower than the global average (only 74%). This rate has, however, increased by more than 6 times since the country gained its independence in 1947, which could be an indicator of an increasing interest in reading. This time spent reading does not necessarily reflect the amount of time reading printed books, however, and may include time spent reading online or in electronic format.*

HIGHER EDUCATION TURMOIL: DR. ATTA-UR-RAHMAN VERSION

In 2018, the appointment as chairman HEC of someone who was a lecturer at a low-ranking university in the US at the time of his appointment, raised many eyebrows. He had only four publications in international journals, which would have made him ineligible for consideration as an associate professor in a public-sector university in Pakistan which requires 10 publications in recognised journals.

What followed in the higher education sector over the subsequent two-and-a-half years was absolute devastation. This became evident at a major conference in Bhurban, in November 2021, where 180 vice-chancellors of the public- and private-sector universities participated and almost unanimously condemned his policies.

The VCs complained against the unreasonable undergraduate and postgraduate policies developed and imposed by the HEC, without stakeholder consultation; the attempts made to destroy PhD programmes in Pakistan by abandoning the need for a Master’s degree and offering direct admission into a PhD programme on the basis of BSc degree, risking the derecognition of the country’s PhD programmes due to non-conformity with the requirements of the internationally accepted Bologna protocol; the decay of the salary structure under the cherished contractual tenure track system; lack of coordination with the regulatory bodies such as the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the National Business Education Accreditation Council (NBEAC), the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that provide accreditations and no consultation with the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) that also rejected those new policies outright; massive financial and administrative irregularities that led to NAB inquiries; and the National Research Programme of Universities (NRPU) budget cuts from over a thousand grants annually to less than 100 annually, destroying the research environment in universities as the programme used to provide research funding to young faculty members.

They were also irked at the growth of some 50 new universities during the tenure of the chairman without faculty or funding, resulting in a sharp decline in education quality as these universities poached teachers working at other public- and private-sector universities for their faculty needs – the HEC remained a silent bystander as the destruction took place; the attempts made to destroy existing research centers in universities by proposing to merge their budgets with university budgets and imposing an unwise funding formula; foreign scholarship cuts – from about 1,000 foreign scholarships annually to around 300 per year; and the non-absorption of the returning PhDs, who were forced to hold demonstrations outside the PM residence due to frustration.

These and a host of other complaints piled up in the PM Office, as the prime minister is the controlling authority of the HEC. Finally, after much thought, the Ministry of Education recommended that it would be in the fitness of things if the tenure of the HEC chairperson was two years (extendable) instead of four years as a huge amount of irreparable damage could be done in a four-year-long period by an incompetent individual. The HEC ordinance was accordingly changed.

Immediately after this, the HEC chairman held a number of press conferences falsely claiming that he was removed from office because he dared to audit the accounts of some research centres. After the careful analysis of the available documentary evidence, the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the very organisation that he chairs, stated in its press release that this was completely wrong, and it gave out the following statement:

“There have been incorrect statements made to the press by chairman HEC that he was removed from office because he tried to have the accounts of some research centres in Karachi University audited that he claimed are supervised by Dr Atta-ur-Rahman. The facts are as follows: a) Prof Atta-ur-Rahman has held no administrative position in any research centre or university for the last 20 years. No centres have been operating under his administrative or financial control since the year 2002.

“b) HEC had requested for academic and financial audit of [the] International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences. The requests were strongly welcomed by the centre in writing. The only requirement of the centre was in connection with the academic audit – that it should be carried out by experts in the relevant fields of chemistry and biology, which was reasonable.

“An academic audit of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences was conducted by 11 international experts in 2018. It was commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology and in their report all the 11 foreign experts were unanimous in their praise of the high quality of research work being conducted in the centre, and had recommended additional financial support for it.

“c) The Ministry of Education objected to the funding formula proposed by HEC for all university research centres and pointed out that it was not suitable, without precedence and that it would badly damage research. The issue therefore was never about the auditing of accounts or transparency, as has been wrongly portrayed by Chairman HEC in statements to the press.

“d) HEC had proposed to take away the autonomy and merge the budget of the International Center of Chemical and Biological Sciences with that of the University of Karachi. This was not possible as the government has a formal agreement with UNESCO that its financial autonomy will be maintained. This was pointed out by the Ministry of Education to HEC in writing.

“This centre is the UNESCO Center of Excellence, the TWAS Center of Excellence, OIC Center of Excellence and the WHO Collaborating Center. Its faculty members have won more civil awards and international prizes than any other academic Center in Pakistan, including one Nishan-e-Imtiaz, four Hilal-e-Imtiaz, 13 Sitara-e-Imtiaz and eight Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and many honorary doctorate degrees from foreign universities including the University of Cambridge UK. The work of the Center has been praised by many Nobel Laureates. The accounts of ICCBS are regularly audited by the government and are well maintained. The Center is headed by Prof Iqbal Choudhary, a leading scientist of Pakistan, since 2003”.

The above statements exposed the HEC chairperson’s incorrect statements. The powers of the commission given to the chairperson were withdrawn after he tried to illegally appoint an executive director. These powers are now vested with the HEC executive director.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) needs a new visionary chairperson who strictly abides with the law and who can restore the respect and admiration that it enjoyed in the first decade of its existence.

The writer is chairman PM National Task Force on Science and Technology, former minister, and former founding chairman of the HEC.

Courtesy: The News