PAKISTAN HAS THE LARGEST U.S GOVT. FUNDED FULBRIGHT PROGRAM IN THE WORLD: SAYS DAS ETHAN ROSENZWEIG

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

DAS for Educational & Cultural Affairs USA

He envisions building a modern Pakistan through education. He likes the hospitality of Pakistani people. He focuses on U.S- Pakistan Green Alliance Framework to provide opportunities to strengthen climate resilience, pursue energy transformation, and foster inclusive economic growth. He is a well-built, a jolly good fitness freak with an ambition to celebrate the success of Fulbright Program that could strengthen diplomatic relations between U.S and Pakistan. A recipient of degrees in Law and Public Policy, he has been involved in academia and its allied services to an extent that he forgets to be married.

He is Ethan Rosenzweig, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S Department of State. During his quick visit to Pakistan, this scribe has a tête-à-tête- focusing various academic and cultural programs being offered to Pakistan from the people of America.

Ethan Rosenzweig told this scribe that he came to Pakistan for a three days visit to attend the 4th Annual Humphrey Alumni Conference. This year’s theme is “Combatting Climate Change.” Besides he will have few engagements with Alumnus of Fulbright and Humphrey Program.

Talking about the Fulbright program in Pakistan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary said that Pakistan has the largest U.S. government-funded Fulbright program in the world. “With more than 37,000 members, Pakistan’s alumni network is also the largest in the world. Each year, approximately 800 Pakistani students and professionals travel to the United States to participate in these exchanges”, he maintained.

“I arrived yesterday (Wednesday) and have found Pakistani people very hospitable. The hospitality of the Pakistani community is something which I will remember for a long time,” Rosenzweig said.

He said that the United States is proud to sponsor these exchanges because we believe education is the foundation for both economic development and for strengthening the people-to-people ties between two countries.

About the Humphrey Alumni conference hosted by USEFP, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, DAS Rosenzweig said “This week, I’m attending the 4th Annual Humphrey Alumni Conference. This year’s theme is “Combatting Climate Change is a critical issue to explore, and it’s one to which the United States is dedicated. In Pakistan, I know that our embassy and consulates are hard at work to establish a U.S - Pakistan Green Alliance Framework, which will provide opportunities to strengthen climate resilience, pursue energy transformation, and foster inclusive economic growth, including through initiatives relating to agriculture, energy, water, and more.

Talking about the Fulbright scholarship program, Rosenzweig said this program was the premier international exchange program for students, researchers and scholars. This is the largest US government-funded program in the world. “Under this program, the U.S government has been ensuring that students have opportunities in the U.S. I am overwhelmed because our Fulbright program in Pakistan is larger than Australia, Germany, or U.K,” he said.

Smiley faced, Rosenzweig said, “I believe relationships between Pakistan and U.S will be more stronger regardless of impediments occurring in Pakistan, as Biden Administration wants smooth relationship with Pakistan.

He told that over 800 Pakistanis coming to the US every year through exchange program. The U.S has a large alumni network of 37,000 members in Pakistan and alumni groups have been playing an important role in Pakistan by applying the experience they gained while staying in U.S.the Humphrey program is also one of the most important programs, under which the U.S invites Pakistani leaders, government officials and others to visit the country and work on pressing issues, such as climate change, global health, Education and others.

Dressed in formal black suit and yellow neck tie, Rosenzweig said, “I love the hospitality and how welcoming all of Pakistani people have been to me. The purpose of my trip is to promote all the opportunities for student exchange, for mutual understanding between the two cultures, through studying in U.S and for our students to study in Pakistan. I’ve met with our prestigious Fulbright students, Alumnus from both U.S students and Pakistanis on this Govt. funded fellowships. I’ve met with my Humphrey fellows who are distinguished leaders. We are here to talk about how we can make society better by working together. We are talking to our friends from academia who also believes in the power of mutual exchange in academia programs. We’re so proud for our Fulbright Program that has been operational in Pakistan and U.S for so many years, “he elaborated.

The DAS maintained that, “We’re celebrating our 75th anniversary of cooperation. Americans and Pakistani believe in the power of mutual exchange and mutual understanding by studying each other countries, by learning each others’ cultures, by experiencing each others’ languages, and making hospitality of each other. We’re so proud for our long standing history, academic exchange between us and the hunger and the excitement for more cooperation between universities, colleges to promote mutual understanding,” he said.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S Department of State, Ethan Rosenzweig said mutual understanding is the more powerful network for our two cultures to work together and academic exchanges, through Fulbright, through Humphrey, to study abroad in both countries is a powerful tool to promote that goal. We know that there is a hunger for students to study in USA and we know that we’re very eager to meet Pakistanis desire to study in U.S.

Rosenzweig said, “We want to ensure that American students have that full options and opportunities, and that Pakistanis universities are very eager to host students from across the world, and we wanna make sure through our education network,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, one of the alumni, present there, Mahum Tariq, a part of Global UGRAD exchange program- 2016, said that she studied abroad at Florida Gulf Coast University for one semester during her undergrad program. “I graduated as a software engineer. I took courses in tech and entrepreneurship. Studying in a multicultural and innovative environment and getting exposure to the tech scene of the US enriched my undergrad experience,” she said adding currently work at an edtech startup called Manara.

Freeha Ihsan, another alumnus, while sharing her experience said, “It has been transformative and life-changing experience to be more open person and work for my own community. Since I am back my sense of working for my community has increased and I am working activities for human rights, community and community empowerment of youth,” she said adding she is working with a tech startups accelerator name “ScaleX” and manages her two initiatives focused on financial inclusion and youth empowerment.

ARMY HAS DECIDED NOT TO INTERFERE IN POLITICAL AFFAIRS: COAS GEN. BAJWA SINGS SWANSONG

The six top-brass Generals

Political speculations are at a fever pitch in our hapless republic. All due to an appointment of an official heading a department that reports to a Grade-22 federal secretary, who reports to a cabinet minister, who reports, of course, to the prime minister himself. That pecking order doesn’t end there. The PM, in theory, reports to the people that elected him. And the incumbent holder of that office was elected to it by the majority of the representatives of those people.

But the people don’t seem to be featuring anywhere in the scheme of things, either for the government or the opposition, which, it needs to be pointed out, runs the provincial governments for much more than half of the country.

The previous (federal) dispensation was rightly made fun of when it came to the musical chairs that it had made of the finance ministry. But are the incumbents any better, what with replacing Miftah Ismail with Ishaq Dar in just a matter of several months? Furthermore, the much trumpeted Mr Dar’s ascent to his old position was justified by, amongst other things, the claim that he would improve the dollar-to-rupee exchange, a problematic goal to begin with. Well, now even that imperfect target is slipping away.

Terror rears its head in not just the former tribal areas, but also in Swat, again, with massive rallies carried out by the locals against its rising tide. One shudders to imagine the desperation of these protestors if they risk the ire of the aforementioned militants, specially since they, more than metropolitan ‘mainstream’ Pakistan, know what those zealots are capable of.

The Baloch insurgency, with all its transgressions, and the human rights violations in reprisals by the state against it, carries on, unabated.

And this is not to mention the biggest cause for concern, a natural calamity the scale of which this nation has seen rarely, the terrible floods of this year, with the lives of literally millions of people not back to the way they were, which wasn’t a prized position in the first place.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s critics accuse him of lacking on the whole ‘vision thing’ but even they concede that he does a decent enough job on the getting-things-done front. Sadly, he is nowhere to be seen in the midst of the ever brewing political crisis.

The people need governance. Where is the government?

Courtesy: Pakistan Today

STIGMATISED AZAM SWATI CRIES IN VAIN?

Reacting to a video clip of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati breaking down in tears at a press conference, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has said that he never thought the intelligence could be so ‘shameless and disrespectful’.

The PPP Senator shared a clip of Azam Swati detailing his torture at the hands of the authorities at a press conference. Swati revealed that his daughter had allegedly broken down while telling him that the agencies had some private and personal videos of him and his wife. The PTI Senator himself started crying while narrating this.

Tweet from Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on Nov5, 2022

Tweet from Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on Nov, 5, 2022.

Reacting to the video clip, Khokhar said, “This clip of Azam Swati Sahib is a slap on the face of the Senate Chairman and all parliamentarians.”

He went on to say that he never would have thought the intelligence would be so shameless and disrespectful so as to tear our religious and social ethics and etiquette to shreds in such a manner.

“No one’s self-respect is safe,” he wrote, adding, “May God curse these people.”

Talking about the aftermath of assassination attempt on PTI Chief Imran Khan, it would be sheer fantasy to talk little of Mr Khan’s popularity but neither he nor those willing to burn the citadel down in his name would wish to create more holes in an already struggling ship. Economically speaking, we are in no position to stomach yet another setback. In the meantime, the nation is in desperate need of some olive branch from the state to at least repair the razed-to-ground bridges. If history serves oft-repeating lessons, Pakistan would spend a while before it recovers from this attack. Still, optimism forces us to hope for normalcy to prevail before more lives are lost to an endless spree of violence. If only, wishes were horses!

RIP ARSHAD SHARIF!

There can be nothing more tragic than the loss of human life, especially when mired in obscurities. Amid heart-wrenching sobs and utter shock, news of hardcore journalist Arshad Sharif being shot dead in Kenya spread like wildfire on Monday (October 24, 2022).

On Tuesday, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said the military had asked the government to carry out a high-level investigation into the tragic killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif by Kenyan law enforcement officials.

The Kenyan police fatally wounded Sharif on the night of Sunday, October 23, in what the Kenyan authorities said was a “mistaken identity” shooting on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. 

“We have requested the government to hold a high-level investigation so that all these speculations can be put to rest,” he said while talking to a private news channel. “All the aspects of this terrible incident need to be looked into.”

To a question regarding the accusations being hurled at the institutions' alleged involvement in Sharif’s killing in Kenya, the DG ISPR said: “It is very unfortunate that people engage in allegations without any evidence to back them up … and I think an exhaustive investigation should be carried out to deal with these things”.

He said it was critical to watch out for the elements trying to exploit this tragic incident to their advantage. “I believe it should also be investigated as to why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan in the first place,” the DG ISPR said.

“Though Kenyan police have confessed to their mistake, a number of questions need to be answered.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to form a judicial commission headed by a high court judge to probe into the tragic incident.

While, PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has claimed that slain journalist Arshad Sharif has been killed in a "targeted attack." “No matter what anyone says, I know that Arshad Sharif became a victim of target killing,” Khan claimed, while addressing a lawyer’s convention in Peshawar.

 

While condolences continue to pour in from all quarters, the grief-stricken announcement on social media by the cast-down widow–punctuated with appeals for respecting privacy–reflects the sheer pain of someone who has had their loved ones snatched away. The need to gain closure becomes all the more critical in such dreary circumstances when it is only the unforgettable sight of the white shroud that can strengthen hearts and lace souls with solace. Ergo, the unrelenting efforts of Pakistan’s ambassador to Kenya in repatriating the deceased should be appreciated.

But just as important as not wasting any time in the process is the request from PM Shehbaz calling for a “fair and transparent” investigation. While the police in Nairobi have admitted the killing was a case of “mistaken identity” during a hunt for a similar vehicle, the Kenyan authorities should be taken to task for the gross negligence, which resulted in the death of a Pakistani national.

 

The diplomatic channels promised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as it assured the family of the deceased of “all possible assistance,” need to be further pursued. This has already been underscored by Islamabad High Court in a directive given to the secretaries for interior and foreign ministries. Shrouded in ambiguities, the details of the sudden death should be brought before the public eye using diplomatic clout.

 

May it be a liaison with the Kenyan agencies or the dedicated efforts of the embassy staff, all Pakistanis deserve to know that a thorough investigation has been conducted for the sake of one of their own. To agree with his politics is no litmus test to grieve yet another target of a long, grim record of violence against members of the press.

Aleast Islamabad can do to put up a strong case against any rumours of complicity is the pursual of an immediate inquiry. Rest in Peace, Mr Sharif. You may have left us far too young and far too brutally but the world would forever remain witness to your courageous streak and nerves of steel.

WHEN PARACETAMOL AUGMENTS YOUR PAIN!

Perhaps, the most useful medicine in flood-hit areas is paracetamol. Though it is primarily used as a cold or flu medicine, it is also useful in cases of dengue and other viral infections, because it is an anti-pyretic, which controls symptoms and thus allows the patient to recover without the danger that high-grade fever can bring.

Unfortunately, the floods coincided with the most popular formulation, Panadol, going off the market, after a pricing dispute with the government ending with the manufacturers deciding to stop making it, as it did not make economic sense to keep making it at the price the government allowed.

True, paracetamol has not disappeared off the shelves, being available in other formulations manufactured by other pharmaceutical firms, but the facilities available for the manufacture of these pills cannot be ramped up to meet the suddenly increased demand, which will be pushed up further by the coming winter.

This is not the first time the government has failed to ensure the supply of an essential. Every Ramazan and Eid, prices of foodstuffs go up. The example of petrol prices is to hand, with an increase coming at a time when international prices are falling, so that the government can get the difference.

Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel

The government should have ensured the availability of Panadol, either by subsidizing its manufacture, or by obtaining supplies at least for itself, at an economic price for the manufacturer. There is too disturbing a trend of official neglect of citizen’s needs to be ignored.

The assumption by the constituents of the government machinery, both elected and permanent, that the citizenry exists to provide them with their perks, must come to an end, and be placed by the view that they exist to provide that citizenry a better life.

Courtesy: Pakistan Today, September 23, 2022

FLOODS IN PAKISTAN: NATURAL CALAMITY OR BAD GOVERNANCE?

Only one Nero was enough to push a thriving city into the deadly flames. The notorious Queen of France’s shameless suggestion to her starving peasant subject during the days of the French Revolution to eat cake continues a blot on her legacy to this day. But what to do when there’s a Nero–ready to fiddle at the expense of hapless millions–lurking in every corner in this star-crossed country, no matter how dire the circumstances may be.

For quite some time, people in the flood-impacted regions have started raising their heads; daring to ask their feudal landlords about their due share of the relief goods. But nothing can trump what transpired in the town of Nasirabad where none other than a district judge led a sting operation against an influential councillor in a bid to recover as many as 500 tents and ration packages.

 

The same judge had similarly conducted another raid to find 200 tents stuffed inside a local authority’s office. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands continue to bear the brunt of rains under open skies, desperate for a single morsel of grain or a sip of clean water.

 

That Pakistan does not need the help of any enemies to plot against it has long been written on the wall. The neverending greed and obsession with misusing whatever power one has is now a part and parcel of our national character. At a time when the entire nation should have joined hands and unitedly stepped forward to take care of as many as 33 million brothers and sisters, those sitting on seats that actually matter are either jacking for their own gains, smearing mud on others trying to make a difference of peddling a political narrative.

 

Such tight is the Machiavellianistic grip on our societal mindset that the pleas of the hungry, thirsty and homeless continue to fall on deaf ears. The government is constantly sounding the alarm over the virtually incomprehensible extent of the devastation but its requests for an immediate lifeline have not yet warranted a response from the developed countries. The stunning statistics, the saddening stories and above all, a negligible share of the egregious climatic damages, all seem to have failed in gaining their empathy.

Thinking again, why should they? When heated propaganda over the black market sale of international relief items and media reports about such reprehensible actions become the order of the day, those sitting outside the stadium are bound to pull back their hands. Why bother wasting their precious resources on a country that is itself not interested in helping its own? 

Courtesy: Daily Times, Septemeber 17, 2022

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.