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The main purpose of conducting this research study is based on the effect of outdoor education on the concept attainment at elementary level Science subject. It was hypothesized that outdoor education has significant positive effect in logical concept attainment of ‘Scientific processes’ in Science at elementary level. The objectives of the study were to explore and investigate the concept attainment of scientific processes in Science and student level of participation in an interactive social experience. The population of the study was 8th grade students of elementary level. The Educators school was conveniently selected and 60 students from 8th grade comprised the sample of study. Two groups were formed and one was designed as control group and other was experimental group. The researcher conducted pretest before teaching the selected topics. The experimental group was taught with outdoor education method and they were exposed to natural environment for having practical learning of the selected concepts and control group was taught through traditional method of teaching. After 12 days of teaching to the both groups the researcher administered post test on both the groups. The t-test was applied on the raw scores of both groups which showed that there was significant positive effect of outdoor education on student learning. It was observed by the researcher that students of the experimental group took more interest in their leaning process as compared to the control group. Keeping in view the results it can be recommended that practical activities and learning through nature can be made an integral part of teaching at elementary level so that students show more interest in learning science.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between domestic violence and depression among women. The sample was consisted of 300 women from the Gujrat city. The respondents’ age ranged from 20 to 60 years. Partner Abuse Scale (Hudson, 1992), and Depression Subscale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) were used for data collection. Results were computed by applying statistical techniques including correlation and t-test. Findings indicate that there was significant relationship between domestic violence and depression. The finding also reveals that higher level of domestic violence had insignificant mean difference between working and non-working victimized women, also for victimized women of rural and urban areas while there was significant mean difference between victimized and non-victimized women.

The study entitled, “Impact of Vocational Education and Training on Women’s Socio-economic empowerment” aimed at measuring social, economic and household empowerment of women through Vocational Education and Training from Sargodha division. In this quantitative study self-administered questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection and it consisted of 36 questions. Questionnaire was filled by 211 respondents who passed out the training course from Vocational Training Institutes (VTIs) in the years 2013 and 2014. For empirical analysis, Correlation and Regression was used to see the relationship between vocational education (dependent variable) and Socio – Economic empowerment (independent variable). Data from the sample showed that majority of the respondents considered that vocational education is very helpful to empower women. Majority of the respondents feel that the training course increased their employment opportunity. Improved standard of living, participation in daily activities, more confident in social relations, freedom of expression, freedom of mobility, participation in major decisions of family, consulted in purchasing household accessories and independent to attend family and friend’s functions were the major responses reported by the respondents. On the basis of the aforementioned findings, it is suggested that yet greater investments must be made for meeting the emerging demands of women empowerment and the network of VTIs should also be increased to remote areas where women are in greater need of empowerment.

In Pakistan, civic education is being given at different levels through different subjects like Pakistan Studies, Social Studies, Islamic Studies, and linguistics. However the contents so taught are mostly related to the aspect of value education. After reviewing the related literature it is observed that in the education so given, civic skills are not that much focused as compared to the values. In this context the present study was made to gauge the level of awareness, perception and practices of the students towards civic skills at tertiary level, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

This study was conducted to explore the experiences of overseas students studying in Chinese universities. The objectives of the study were to analyze the cultural and learning experiences of International Students and to assess the students’ level of satisfaction with academic and other facilities offered by Chinese universities. Semi-structured interview protocol was used to gather data. The population of the study was post-graduate International students studying in Chinese universities. Owing to the limited time available for the study and other constraints, a purposive sampling technique was used. In total twenty five students from eight Chinese universities were interviewed. A literature review revealed that a vast array of studies have been conducted for the assessment of ‘culture shock’ , particularly social and academic shock to International students in a foreign university as well as level of satisfaction with academic and other services offered to International students by host universities. The findings revealed that all students interviewed had undergone cultural and academic shock, however, the degree of intensity varied individually. The majority of the students expressed feelings of satisfaction with the academic and other facilities offered to them by university, though language barrier and teacher-centered teaching model were significant problem emerging from the study. The most significant finding was the difference of opinion between Asian and Western students about cultural shock.

Review of the Book "Masla-e Qaumiyat Aur Marka-e Din-o Watan" written by Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan, Fateh Publishers, Lahore: 2016, Pages 136, Price Rs. 300

Primary focus of this paper is to test the hypothesis that India-Pakistan nuclear developments challenge the established norms of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). It aims to prove that despite the fact India-Pakistan, though are two different states their nuclear weapon programmes over the course of years have been tangled. Nuclear proliferation in South Asia reveals that how a determined state can acquire necessary fissile material, technology and knowhow to divert nuclear programme for developing nuclear weapons. South Asia enjoys unique status among students of strategic studies because it has become a laboratory to analyse, understand and draw lessons, from the region to overt future crises. Owing to prevailing trust deficit, mutual suspicions and turbulent India-Pakistan history, Pakistan fears Indian aggression and it is posed with security dilemma. Latter’s reliance on nuclear weapons create security dilemma for the former and provides breathing space for conventional and nuclear arms race. Efforts to match or outpace opponent military capabilities result in qualitative and quantitative improvements in nuclear realm. Pakistan’s reliance on nuclear weapons endorses realist dictum that self-help is the only recipe to survive in international anarchic system. Indian nuclear posture determines the fact that only nuclear weapons deter nuclear weapons. Causes of nuclear proliferation in South Asia need to be analyzed with their essential impact upon national security of India-Pakistan and their implication for the NPT.

The concept of faith healing exists in every society. “Faith Healing” refers to the healing achieved by religious faith and prayers. Healing through faith is also referred as “Spiritual Healing” and mostly considered the last and only resort of solution. In Islam, the tradition of spiritual healing was basically derived from the Quran and Sunnah. For the sake of spiritual healing Muslims visit various aalims, pirs, and shrines, recite Quranic verses and offer prayers. The present study has been conducted with the main objective to explore social, economic and religious background of the people who believe and practice faith healing for the solution of their problems. The study explains how faith healing help people in resolving their socio-economic and medical problems and what are the motivating factors which persuade people to approach these faith healers. The study was conducted at Salfi House located in District Rawalpindi, Pakistan to explore relationship between the socio-economic statuses of the female clients and type of treatment they seek from faith healer. The data was collected by employing anthropological techniques including participant observation and in-depth interviews from 77 respondents which were conducted during the period of six months.

The Arab uprising that profoundly transformed the Middle East and North Africa originated from Sidi Bouzid, a small town in Southern Tunisia on 17 December 2010, with the self-immolation of a common young man as a protest against highhandedness of an abusive government official. Within weeks of this event, thousands of young men and women took to the streets in many of the Arab countries, chanting a common slogan “regime change.” The Arabs in all the countries were protesting against their authoritarian regimes with a unified narrative and a deep sense of shared destiny. The Arab Spring” has a lot to do with democracy and self-respect because the people have been victim of prolonged authoritarian rule which deprived them of political empowerment, freedom and social justice. The revolution has been orchestrated by men and women from all walks of life. Aided by technology i.e. cell phones, social media, Face book and Twitter, the educated and globalized young generation of the Arab world has been the main driving force behind the uprising. The Arab uprisings have been profoundly appreciated all over the world. However, there has been skepticism and nervousness in the West as to what will finally emerge out of such extra ordinary political events. Pakistan like the most Arab States is vulnerable to the effects of Arab Spring due to prolonged scourge of terrorism which has dented the fabrics of our society, deteriorating economic conditions and lack of job opportunities coupled with other socio-economic factors and weak governance make Pakistan ideal breeding ground for next round of Arab Spring like situation. This paper will analyze the causes and impact of Arab Spring on the region and draw pertinent lessons for Pakistan proffering comprehensive recommendations at the end.

In the present era, Universities have acquired an importance and magnitude that is unprecedented. These are said to be the agents of change which emphasize augmentation and modification of those facets of society pertinent to culture, socialization and educational ministrations. Therefore, the credibility and attention afforded them is vindicated indeed. The University of Sargodha is one such agent of change that has influenced the Sargodha region in ways that are momentous to say the least. Through this study, an exertion has been made to comprehend the extent of influence and impact that the university has imparted upon the locality designated as Sargodha and its proximate areas. The subjects from whom the requisite data for this study was gathered hail from those dimensions that are readily and profoundly influenced by the University of Sargodha’s presence or aura if you will.

The present research aimed to investigate the personality, perceived stress and coping strategies in early adulthood. It was hypothesized that there is likely to be a significant relationship between personality, perceived stress and coping strategies in early adulthood. The quantitative study design and convenient sampling technique was used for data collection having a sample size of N=180 (70 males and 110 females). Three self reported questionnaires were used for data collection. Personality was measured by Big Five Inventory (BFI) by using its five subscales that are extraversion vs. introversion, agreeableness vs. antagonism, conscientiousness vs. lack of direction, neuroticism vs. emotional stability, and openness vs. closeness to experience (John & Srivastava, 1999). Perceived stress was measured by using perceived stress scale - 14 that was developed by Cohen and his colleagues (1983).Wellness scale, thought control scale, active coping scale, social ease scale, tension reduction scale and spiritual practice scale, the six subscales of Stress Coping Resources Inventory were used to measure the coping strategies.Results indicated that personality subscales are significantly positively correlated with some subscales of coping strategies. It also revealed that perceived stress in negatively correlated with coping strategies and its subscales. However, regression analysis revealed that gender, father’s education, religion and health of the participant are important significant predictors of perceived stress and coping strategies. Furthermore, it was found that Agreeableness and extraversion type of personalities are significant predictors of coping strategies.Result findings also revealed no any significant differences of family system in any main variable of the study.

National Library plays an important role in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. This is an evaluative research study of the National Library of Pakistan (NLP) regarding policies, related to Legal Depositary Law and Policy assessment. A questionnaire based survey from the thirty five Library and Information Science Experts was carried out and the response rate was 80.05%. The study’s findings and conclusions are as, legal depository law has not been implemented in Pakistan and publishers are non-cooperative to deposit their publications. The policy contents are weak and not valid to implement. The major changes are required to the policy of the National Library of Pakistan. The study recommended that the management of NLP is responsible to implement the policies, regarding legal deposit, acquisitions, bibliographic control and digitization. The policies must be revised by the experts of Library and Information Science in the light of International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Federation for Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) standards.

LOST HISTORY: Michael Hamilton Morgan, Pages 301, Published in 2008. National Geographic Society; 1145, 17th St. N.W. Washington D.C.2036. price: U.SS15.95

Social capital is important to study the work performance of employees in any field. The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between social capital and work performance and to examine the effects of social capital on work performance. The data was collected from 105 respondents residing in the targeted population on the basis of convenience sampling. Sample was gathered from different hospitals of Sargodha. Basically, this study was descriptive in nature. Structured questionnaire was used that vigilantly taking into account all the suggestions gathered during pretesting. Hypotheses were consisted of variables; social networking-work performance, peer relations-work performance, interaction-work performance and teamwork- work performance. The results showed a positive association of work performance with social networking, interaction and teamwork. Peer relations were not found significantly associated with work performance.

This study examined Abbotabad Operation, a very significant in which Osama was captured and killed in Pakistan by the Americans. The gravity of the event blurred the question of violation of sovereignty and took trust deficit stricken Pak-US relation to its lowest ebb. It further strengthened the terrorist image of Pakistan. Osama & Al-Qaeda are the outcome of containment policy, block politics and strategic depth vision. Al-Qaeda basically is a reaction of American presence in holy land. Its main objective is to force the USA out from Muslim countries and install Islamic regime on the modal of initial Khilafat. Al-Qaeda was a partner with CIA and ISI against Russian invasion at first but became the worst enemy of the USA after Soviet withdrawn from Afghanistan. Westren countries are drastically threatened by the prospect of using WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) by this organization in their countries. After American invasion in Afghanistan Al-Qaeda was forced to flee and take resort in Pakistan. Many of its principal leadership were captured from Pakistan but the hunting of the most wanted man from its soil further deteriorated mutual relations of Pakistan and the USA.

Pakistan and China enjoy a multi-dimensional friendship that has passed the test of international vicissitudes. Both sides never disturb their friendly ties despite changes on regional and global environment. Since 1980s, China’s foreign relations have become economy-centric and it has launched major economic and social reforms to modernize the country. Its economy enjoyed sustained and rapid development. The GNP increased at the rate of 9.9 percent annually from 1975 to 1995, and income of urban and rural population raised and touched the figure of 6.3 percent. This growing economy has made China an economic power of the world. Pakistan needs to take benefit of its time-tested friendship, which is not yielding desired results in economic field. In Pakistan, there is need of commitment with vigorous efforts to move on the path of economic reforms. With Chinese support, Pakistan has completed many projects while several are underway. There are still several areas, which want the attention of both sides urging mutual attempts to get benefits. New avenues of cooperation should be explored with a view to constantly expand the scope of economic development and laying solid foundation for closer bilateral ties. The paper is aimed to highlight those areas where more Chinese cooperation and assistance are required with discussion on the impediments that need to be addressed with proactive and supportive policies.

Cultures that come into being, in response to colonial domination by foreign powers, produce literatures that deal with the experience of colonialism. A piece of literature, if written by the colonialist writer, tends to project the colonialist ideology of superiority espoused by colonialists. However, if the writer belongs to the subject race, it either resists or reinforces the ideology of the superiority of the dominant race and culture. The present study is intended to investigate the portrayal of the impact of colonialist culture upon the native culture and identity, in the form of mimicry, hybridity and the ultimate rejection of the colonialist ideology was and culture by the subject race .The study also wanted to show that Ahmad Ali in Twilight in Delhi has portrayed the British as oppressors and has shown that the Indians resisted the colonialist ideology of superiority of the British. The study based upon the analysis of the text in the light of Postcolonial critical theory. The study found that Ali presented the resistance of the Indians to the colonialist ideology of superiority and he also portrayed the anti-colonialist ideology of the Indians and celebrated the ancient Indian civilization and culture. The study found that colonialism leaves its residual impact upon the culture and identity of the subject race.

This paper is an effort to get an insight into the course of events, occurred during the seventies in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It also explores the fact that it was not the grand design of the Soviet Union (USSR) to reach the warm waters, a much propagated theory by the western scholars, but actually it was the grand design of the United States to compel the USSR to enter into Afghanistan and to defeat it decisively to end the Cold War. The United States chose Afghanistan as a ‘battlefield’ and Islamic ideology of ‘Jehad’ (the Holy War) to counter Communism. It planned to mobilize the Islamic fundamentalist factions in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union with the help of Pakistan and Iran. The US needed ‘friendly’ and ‘religious minded’ rulers in Pakistan and Iran for the implementation of its plan so that they could support the religious factions of Afghanistan. The then governments in Pakistan and Iran could not have the right ability to serve the purpose. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the Shah of Iran were though still ‘friendly’ but not ‘religious-minded’ in nature. The change in governments, both in Pakistan and Iran, was must for the implementation of US plan in Afghanistan. The latter developments in the region prove that the US took every possible step in this regard and ended the Cold War by defeating the Soviet Union decisively. That's why, the writer does believe that the Soviet move into the Afghanistan in 1979 was not offensive but it was defensive in its nature.

In this paper the research scholar has tried to focus the irregularity in spellings and pronunciation of English language, which pose a lot of problems for the learners of this all around the world. A comparative analysis of Urdu and American English in the historical perspective has been presented to highlight discrepancies that pose serious hurdles for the new learners. Spelling reform in the realm of English language is the dire need of the hour. English language has been renewing itself by shedding off old forms in spelling and pronunciation over the last couple of centuries and adopting new ones. The fashionable idea of spelling reform is becoming a dominant tendency of the present age but efforts in this regard remain scattered. It is impossible to change spellings of words and even it is done it looks like an impossible project to implement it successfully.

Air Pollution is one of the main problems of urban area of our society. Air pollution occurs when so many contaminants are released by the industries and motor vehicles. Karachi is one of the top 10 cities of the world which has the highest level of pollutants packed into the air. Air pollution is affecting the health of common men. People often suffer in respiratory diseases like asthma, lungs diseases and cancer etc. It has become a serious health hazard for Karachiites. In the present research paper, the researcher has tried to explore causes of air pollution and its effects on human health. It has been observed that the number of private vehicles is increasing day-by-day due to lack of good public transport facilities. The roads are not broad enough to allow this big number of vehicles run comfortably. In near future there is no hope for extension of roads so on the basis of findings some recommendations are made, and by implementations of those the effects of air pollution can be minimized. But sincerity and commitment is required for it.

Current paper analyses the formation, contribution and importance of Punjab Peasant Movement in social and political sectors of the province. The internal and external constraints in the development of the Peasant Movement have been examined. In this regard the challenges to the Movement in the form of actions of governments, religious leaders and the local Zamindars who acted to create hurdles in the development of the Movement need to be explored. The paper thus marks how the affiliations of the peasants with the Movement that could contribute to its success were wasted because the weak leadership could not transform it into highly result oriented struggle, as initially envisaged by the founders of the movement. The incapability of the leadership in respect of the organization of the Movement was also examined. Current study is exploratory and descriptive in nature, where the conclusions have been drawn on the basis of interviews conducted with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and the relevant literature has been reviewed for the purpose.

Book Review

Book Review: Social Work education in countries of the East: Issues and Challenges

The present study aimed at studying the relationship between psychological resilience, self esteem and delinquent tendencies among orphan and non orphan adolescents. The sample consisted of 42 orphan adolescents including boys (n=30) and girls (n=12) from orphan institutions of Sargodha city and 42 non orphan adolescents including boys (n=30) and girls (n=12) from School of Sargodha, selected through purposive sampling. Age range of adolescents was from 12 to 19 years (M=15.5, SD= 2.16). Resilience Scale (Batool, 2012), Self Reported Delinquency Scale (Naqvi & Kamal, 2008) and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (Sardar, 1998) were used to asses psychological resilience, delinquent tendencies and self esteem respectively. Results of correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between self esteem and delinquent tendencies whereas, a significant positive correlation between self esteem and resilience. T-test analysis revealed significantly high level of resilience in orphans as compared to non orphan adolescents however non-orphans were found to have more delinquent tendencies than orphan adolescents. These results are helpful for academicians and psychologist to sort out and deal the problems of orphan and non-orphan adolescents and to take preventive measures to solve their problems regarding high level of delinquent tendencies and low level of resilience.

Riparian relations are emerging as one of the most difficult aspects of inter-state relations in the 21st century. The Indian sub-continent is also emerging as a flashpoint for water-related issues between nations. Due to the reluctance of the nations of South Asia to incorporate the Espoo (EIA) Convention that sets out the obligations of Parties to assess the environmental impact of projects completed or initiated, there is possibility of freshwater related issue spiralling into serious inter-state contention. In this context, this article is an attempt to take stock of the direction of riparian relations between India and Pakistan, to comprehend the nature of water issues between these two states which share the Indus River Water system, with an intention to examine whether the conflict-cooperation dichotomy of the inter-state water debate adequately explains the riparian relations of these two nations.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a comprehensive plan for uplifting socio-economic advancements, and to promote regional integration at the global level .In South Asia, one of the BRI’s plans, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the potential to exacerbate not only the regional integration but to augment Pakistan’s national integration. CPEC is considered as a ‘game changer’ by both China and Pakistan due to its geo-political and geo-economic implication. Presently, CPEC has generated misgivings between center and provincial governments of Pakistan. This paper evaluates the impact of CPEC to redress inter-provincial and federal-provincial disparities through compromises and dialogues. To comprehend the association between economic development and national integration, the theory of nation-building provides understanding to identify the main proponents of this debate.

Convergence and divergence: two different terms used in international relations. Normally, convergence means coming together or organized while divergence means moving apart, or differences, or disagreement. Both the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China are playing a significant role in South Asia, especially in India and Pakistan. Several interests are converging between Washington and Beijing while major diverging interest is more prominent. South Asian states have good relations with both major powers but face issues owing to their divergence of interest. The primary purpose of this study is to answer the research question about the convergence and divergence of interest of both states in South Asia, particularly in India and Pakistan in the era of President Obama. To answer the research question secondary sources of data are used and the analysis is done based on collected data. This study provides a new contribution and direction for researchers and policymakers in this domain.

The research paper is an attempt to provide a national picture of commercial sexual exploitation of women and children in Pakistan. This growing phenomenon has been studied in the light of ‘demand and supply’ principal. Supply, demand and impunity, together, create a space in which trafficking can flourish. The study documents the magnitude, incidence and consequences of women and children engaged in beggary and sex business. The role of poverty and mindset which forces the women and children in the particular business has been addressed. The poverty is the lack of ability to earn and satisfy one’s basic minimum needs to keep body and soul together. When the community and the state fail to provide basic needs, the trend of begging increases and attains an organized way of income generation. The study also reviews what is known about the causes and associated risks and protective factors. Its focus is on preventive strategies, in particular through the identification of best practices in prevention, including those designed by the victims themselves. This study also reveals the role of religion, society and neighborhood in promoting begging as a business which ultimately leads to human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Furthermore, the study describes the evidence demonstrating which interventions work, which are promising, and which have been shown to be ineffective.

The Civilization and libraries came into being in Egypt and Mesopotamia for the first time in the history of the mankind. The libraries have always played an important role in helping humans to meet their basic needs for survival and self realization. Hence the libraries were established in each and every part of the civilized world since remotest past. In this paper an attempt has been made to give a brief account regarding the emergence of the libraries in Egypt. Many libraries have been discovered in Egypt especially the libraries of Edfu and Remises-II.

In the research paper positive discrimination with female elementary teachers has been idiosyncratically analyzed. To widen employment opportunity as well as to positively discriminate females in Punjab, Pakistan, female teachers have been inducted in male schools where only male teachers were teaching to male students. The process of including females in male schools definitely is an encouragement but it is more interesting to investigate to what extent male teachers and heads allow them to work more autonomously within co-staffed schools. The study intends to identify the gaps if exist and need to fill them to discriminate positively with newly inducted female teaching staff in public schools. Data were collected through questionnaires using convenient sampling technique from 118 female teachers inducted in public schools located in Punjab, Pakistan. Factors upon which the gaps were identified included time-suppleness, workload, appreciations, value opinion, favorable policy, male behavioral dominance, female confinement, affections to children, privileges prearranged. The result of the study suggests that notwithstanding inducting women in male elementary schools is encouraging movement but still gaps exists which need to be filled to discriminate female teachers positively.

This paper aims to discuss the impact of training courses on practicing teachers' educational beliefs and aspirations. It is believed that this is a somehow neglected area of English language teacher education where in most cases courses put an emphasis on the technical delivery of a number of skills and they do not devote time to discussing values which underlie practice. As a result; it may happen that teachers do not fully accept new philosophies and change because these may be contradictory to their existing value systems. Besides discussing ‘teachers’ education and training institutions in Pakistan, first, the concept of educational change will be discussed. This is followed by the presentation of a research project which was carried out to examine the effects of training on Pakistani ELT teachers' values. Finally, the paper will offer some suggestions on how value training should be implemented in the course of teacher education and teachers’ training workshops can be made fruitful in achieving set objectives.

Corruption is not only the cause or effect of poor leadership; there are many other social factors which gauge the performance of a leader. The prime objective of the research was to know the people’s perception about causes and impact of poor leadership. Several variables like age, education, gender and some intervening variables (leader’s behavior about subordinates, level of knowledge, leadership qualities and influence of political family culture) were also analyzed in search of the study objectives. The sample size of present research was 150 respondents. A stratified random sampling design was used for the selection of respondents. The questionnaire instrument was used to collect data and Pre-testing was carried out. The collected data was analyzed by using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS).

After gaining independence in 1991, Uzbekistan faced a plethora of issues and challenges. One such challenge was in the sphere of culture. It was realized that the need of the hour was to relook at Uzbekistan’s history, because, there is no future without knowing the past. The Year 1991, along with political independence, brought cultural and religious freedom to the Uzbek people and liberated them from the repressive Soviet past. Fundamental changes in society made a great impact on hearts and minds of people and gave a powerful impetus to rebirth of religious, moral, ethic and cultural values of the nation. In order to fully comprehend a nation’s self identity, one has to restore the broken links between generations by applying to the past and the history of the soil. The fibre of society is knit by the evaluation of various aspects of life that includes the daily colour of human activity. The socio-religious conditions of a society depict its cultural, religious and historical affiliations. The main objective of the paper is to highlight and traverse of the rebirth and revival of pre-soviet socio-religious and cultural ethos and life pattern in the post-soviet Uzbek society. The paper is conceptual and based upon the secondary sources.

This study has been conducted to assess the bi-directional relationship of economic growth and inflation so that beyond theoretical concept inflation could be treated for policy implication. Time Series data pertaining to 1971 to 2005 for analysis purposes was applied to estimate the objective oriented results. Both the series were found to be stationary at first difference for all the considered period on the basis of ADF test and Phillip Parron test. The estimated Error Correction Model (ECM) has shown no exact relationship in the short as well as in the long run. Undoubtedly the three periodical segments showed different pattern of relationship because of independency of relationship under every considered segment of time beyond theory and concept. So there existed a positive shock to the system which resulted in adjustment in opposite direction. These results were supporting the idea that the system revealed no relationship between inflation and economic growth under the environment created by the economic, social and political policies of the country. The optimal inflation rate for Pakistan under the introduced economic environment was 8 percent or 9 percent which would be positively contributing to economic growth.

Book Review: Rohan Gunaratna and Khuram Iqbal, Pakistan: Terrorism Ground Zero London, Reaktion Books, 33-Great Sutton Street, 2011. Price: UK £19.75/ US $29.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the architecture of modern India after its independence in 1947.Apart from handling the domestic situation, Nehru’s major contribution lies in the area of external relations as he kept foreign affairs under his strict control over seventeen years and made all the major foreign policy decisions himself merely getting consultation from his advisers and aides. Constructing the conceptual frame work of foreign policy, Nehru abrogated to himself the role of the sole arbiter of Indian foreign policy. His policies were characterized by ideological perspective including Panchsheel, nonalignment, colonialism and racism. Formulating the foreign policy, Nehru not only considered the other states’ foreign policies but also observed the trends in contemporary world politics. These two traditionally discrete realms known as inter-domestic politics increasingly influenced the Indian foreign policy jointly highlighting the need for the leader to integrate his domestic and foreign policies. All activities occurring beyond India’s borders structured the choices of Nehru’s policymaking. He wanted India to have an identity without overt commitment to either power bloc; the USA and the Soviet Union. The paper is to analyze the internationalist approach of Nehru in foreign policy-making, which led him to find solution in non-alignment and Punjsheel. Despite these peaceful looking policy, the question is Indian clash with its neighbors; Pakistan over Kashmir and China over the border. Keeping in view, these two opposite direction, Nehru’s foreign policy has been analyzed discussing different issues and occasions.

This study was conducted with a key purpose to examine the significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of urban and rural students in University of the Punjab. Three hundred and forty (340) students were selected, 170 urban and 170 rural students from the mainly four faculties of University of the Punjab by the random sampling. In this study, hypotheses were formulated. t-test was used to analyze the difference between academic achievement and in emotional intelligence of urban and rural students. Regression test was used to check the relation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of the urban and rural students. The results showed that there was significant difference of academic achievement of urban and rural students on contrary, insignificant difference of academic achievement of urban and rural students. There was no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of urban and rural students in University of the Punjab.

Effectiveness of the instruments and strategies for child welfare in Pakistan has been a big challenge in the face of robust and rampant child abuse in the country. How far these instruments and strategies addressed the situation has been an un-answered question of the first two decades of new millennium. This question has been answered through the analysis of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The main objective of this study was to evaluate child welfare in terms of Pakistan’s achievement in MDG2&4(child-related MDGs) and also in comparison with its neighboring countries like India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Being a literature-based study multiple sources of secondary data were accessed through their websites. The analysis leads us to the fact that child welfare in Pakistan is residual in nature. To double-check the results of the analysis made through locally constructed indices, the findings were triangulated by the In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) of 30 welfare personnel of the country as well as by Child Development Index (CDI), a child-related UN index.

In Islamic gallery, there were some valued inscriptions displayed in a corner at museum Lahore. The inscription attributed to the saint Pir Balkhi buried in the Kashmiri bazar but recorded in Lahore museum which was apprised the said inscription received from tomb of saint Salahuddin’s at kaithal in District Karnal at India. The calligraphy of the inscription was represented 400 years of Monumental Calligraphy. The script was a specific nature of monumental suls.

The article mainly deals with the perception and experiences of the infertile women. It highlights social consequences that arise due to their childlessness and reproductive failure. Data for this study comes from anthropological research tools primarily participant observation and in-depth interviews which were conducted with sixteen married infertile women in a village Choha Shah Ghareeb in Tehsil Hassan Abdal, District Attock. This anthropological study explains how infertility is perceived in a culture where motherhood is considered the most conventional way for married women to prove their worth by providing children which is highly valued for the establishment and continuation of the family. It also highlights how religious beliefs and fear of social stigma shape their perception of progeny and persuade them to adopt various strategies to fulfill their desires of having children. In short, this paper critically examines the construction of motherhood as a cultural category.

Punjab possesses unmatchable prowess that it demonstrated throughout its history. The British witnessed a vigorous resistence from the leftists till the collapse of their Raj in 1947. Leftists immensely contributed to the national politics by participating in the political activities at bottom level and prepared the masses to register their protest against exploitation. Human rights and humanity expounded by universal ethics don’t concede laws and moves against the violation of the basic rights. Masses constitute major portion of any society therefore the majority can not be deprived of their basic rights. Leaders of different political parties, Congress, Muslim League, Unionist Party, and other social organizations of the Punjab played significant role in the intellectual fabrication but the contribution of the leftists in spreading prowess and determination among the masses is praiseworthy. They worked hard for pursuit of life and infused the sense of integrity and revolutionary ideas in the west Punjab after 1947. Leftists faced unremitting hurdles as the rightists had dominated in the social especially the political domains. Nevertheless, the committed activists of the left wing organizations made their utmost endeavours to bring a revolutionary change in the social circles of the newly established country. This article deals with the efforts made by the communist and socialist activists for awakening the masses and providing them a platform which could raise voice for their due rights.The modern socialistic philosophy is based on Marx’s review of the capitalistic economy and his own ideas on class struggle and surplus value. It aimed to eradicate the exploiting powers and capitalistic class through a revolution and to ensure a classless society. Several socialist thinkers including Lenin revised his theories after his death keeping new trends in mind.

Book review: Zahid Hussain, The Scorpion's Tail: The Relentless Rise of Islamic Militants in Pakistan-And How It Threatens America, Free Press New York, 2010. Price: US $15

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between religious outlook and attitude towards science in Pakistan For the purposes of data collection, a questionnaire comprising three parts was used. These were as follows. Part 1: “religious outlook”. Part II: “perceived benefits of religious faith”. Part III: “attitudes towards science”. The sample of the study comprised of the students of Grade 11 and 12 from three districts of Punjab (Pakistan): Sargodha, Gujranwala and Chiniot. We personally visited the sample students and collected the data. The questionnaire was validated through factor analysis. The data analysis revealed that there was no correlation between religion outlook and attitude towards science.

Afghanistan is under occupation by coalition forces led by the United States since almost last thirteen years. Invasion of Afghanistan was made on the pretext of countering terrorism, dismantling international terrorism and establishing democracy. Since the start of war regional powers have been involved in the war measures and post-war state building efforts with varying roles and interests. Regarding the role of regional powers there is a mix response from the International Community. On the one hand these are considered as ‘part of solution’ and viewed as facilitators. On the other hand their involvement is viewed as a threat to the stability and security in Afghanistan. It is established fact that regional powers have involvement in Afghanistan but the question is what drives regional powers for such involvement. War on Terror forced regional powers to cooperate in counter-terrorism operations but now when the withdrawal plan of International forces is announced, a new wave of competition has started between India and Pakistan to serve their relative geo-strategic, geo-political and economic and commercial interests. These interests are varying and sometimes conflicting. Besides other interests both the nations have strategic stakes in Afghanistan. Pakistan has pre-occupied with its ‘strategic depth policy’ and India with its security related to Kashmir. There is a clear indication that the clash and competition in Afghanistan among regional powers may be transformed into a hot war after the withdrawal of International Forces. The need is to manage their interests and neutralize their concerns regarding the post-2014 scenario in Afghanistan. In this regard an enhanced regional cooperation is required. Recent conduct of election and formation of coalition government in Afghanistan led both by the competing political segments can be regarded as an opportunity for the strengthening of stability and security situation in Afghanistan. At strategic level a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) has also signed between new Afghan government and United States that would also facilitate establishment of stability in Afghanistan. This will augment regional efforts to bring stability in Afghanistan. Paper evaluates the endgame politics in Afghanistan. It analyses the nature of regional powers’ interests and concerns in relevance to post-withdrawal scenario in Afghanistan.

Any program of education, for school or college, university or training centre can never be considered wholly objective. It is an essential product of certain choices made by those in-charge(s) of selecting what knowledge and skill should be taught to the learners. Therefore, the curriculum at any educational level is based on certain values and biases which reflect the views and beliefs of those who have designed and constructed it. Thus the learners’ extensive exposure to such a curriculum and other learning material over the years serves as the powerful means of indoctrinating them with specific ideological biases. The role of textbooks in any educational program is highly important; they expose the learner to specific, socio-cultural, national and moral aspects. Generally, those are opinion-molding texts rather than purely knowledge based texts for they define the world, pass judgments upon it and frame our attitudes towards it. The present study based on the qualitative approach is concerned with the dissemination of ideology through textbooks. The selected textbooks have been analyzed manually on the paradigm of content analysis and the conclusion is drawn by keeping in view the socio-political and socio-cultural norms of the Pakistani society in which they operate.

Political stability of Afghanistan is a prerequisite for peace in South Asia in general and Pakistan in particular. Afghanistan’s political situation directly impinges on the security of Pakistan. The continued wars and civil wars in Afghanistan for last three and half decades have badly damaged the political institutions of Afghanistan and caused unimaginable losses, both in men and material, not only to the people of Afghanistan but also to the people of Pakistan, particularly in the areas located in the proximity of Afghanistan. In the wake of planned drawdown of NATO in 2014, an atmosphere of uncertainty looms large on the political horizon of Afghanistan, with the apprehensions expressed that this country may plunge once again into the abyss of lawlessness and civil war. The study in hand aims at distillation of Afghanistan’s existing political and security systems and chances of their survivability after NATO’s drawdown, besides analyzing the current frictions between Pakistan and Afghanistan on various issues. The underlying assumption of this study is that the political and security situation of Afghanistan has a direct linkage with security and political stability of Pakistan. The key findings of this study are that political and security systems of Afghanistan have too fragile structures and institutions, which are heavily dependent on foreign assistance. Afghanistan could not develop trustworthy relations with neighboring states, particularly Pakistan, by removing various irritants. The Government of Afghanistan needs to recognize Durand Line and work out, in collaboration, with Pakistan, an effective border management and surveillance mechanism, to wipe out the infrastructure of drug- traffickers, saboteurs and terrorists from both sides of Durand Line. The international community needs to work towards peace and prosperity of South Asia, as the people of this region deserve much needed respite and let-up from violence and bloodshed.

This article deals Pak-India relations during period of first military ruler of Pakistan, which was started in October1958 and ended in 1969. After taking the charge, Ayub Khan offered Indian Government the proposal of joint defense between both the countries i.e. India and Pakistan, but Indian Government rejected it. Pakistan and India signed Indus Basin Treaty in October 1960 when Nehru visited Pakistan in Karachi and Murree. As far as solution of Kashmir issue is concerned, both countries met many times but not reached any solution. In 1965, war started between both the countries that were one of the big wars after World War-II. Although Indian Government was given full advantage by Ayub Khan to avoid war, but failed. In 1966 both the countries met at Tashkent in Soviet Union and signed on Tashkent Accord.

Ali Hujveri is one of the best known Sufis of the world. His exposition of Sufi doctrine and practice are distinguished not only by his wide learning and first-hand knowledge but also by the strong personal character impressed on everything he writes. He has presented his Sufi wisdom and teachings in his everlasting work Kashf-ul-Mahjoob (written in the reply of the questions of his friend Abu saeed Hujveri on some mystic concepts).This paper discusses his views regarding the responsibility of an individual towards the decency of the society, with reference of his denoted magnum opus. It is explored that Hujveri’s views are highly valuable for building a sound Islamic society.

Book Review: Evelyn Z. Brodkin and Gregory Marston, Editors,Work and the Welfare State: Street-Level Organizations and Workfare Politics,Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 3240 Prospect Street, NW, Suite 250, 2013.

The purpose of this research study was to find out and compare the professional attitude of prospective teachers of B.Ed. session (2012-2013) enrolled in public and private institutions of campuses of University of Education and private teacher training colleges affiliated with University of Education. The population for this research study consisted of all the prospective teachers of B.Ed. session (2012-2013) who were completing their academic courses and training. Out of the population, the researchers drew out 240 prospective teachers using convenience sampling technique, 120 prospective teachers were selected from public and 120 from private teacher training institutions. For the purpose of data collection, “Attitude Scale towards the Profession of Teaching (Ustuner, 2006)”, was used. Analyses, although, reveal that there is no significant difference in the level of professional attitude of prospective teachers of both institutions but gender-wise the prospective teachers show statistically significant differences in their level of professional attitude. Male prospective teachers of private institutions show less positive professional attitudes than male and female prospective teachers of public sector.

Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program and deterrence capability has attracted negative perceptions due to Pakistan’s internal turmoil, proliferation allegations, historical tensions with India, and recent development of Short Range Ballistic Missiles. These perceptions do not factor in Pakistan’s security compulsions in the region due to India’s changing strategic orientations and major power ambitions in South Asia. Pakistan’s has taken efforts to showcase itself as a responsible nuclear weapons state as it attempts to overcome these misperceptions with gradual transparency. Pakistan values strategic stability in South Asia and deterrence credibility towards India across all spectrums. Yet, the nuclear relationship in South Asia remains under flux and constantly shifting due to the changing security challenges and rise of violent non-state actors.

Women status is a scorching issue in the underdeveloped countries, like Pakistan, for last six decades. This article is a descriptive review of women status in Pakistan. In this article, the situation of women in Pakistan with regard to their poor health conditions, educational status, economic conditions, and violence against them will be discussed. The role and the situation for women in a customary society of Pakistan include a great suffering. They suffer not only due to cultural constraints prevailing in the country, but also due to the government’s unwillingness to uplift women's status. Even being a signatory to different international commitments and having national policies to ensure gender equality, the domestic policies are still unable to protect women from violence in Pakistan. There is a discernible gap between the policy making in the country and their implementation mechanism, resulting in the poor status of women in the country.

The study presented a comparative view of the higher education sector of UK, USA, and France in line with the societal demand on labour market. Secondary sources of data were used. Focus of the study was to investigate the (economic) performance of university graduates in the labour market. Findings of the study helped to conclude that there was a growing gap. There was an obvious lesson to be learnt for the countries like Pakistan.

The dawn of 1970s observed trendy foreign policy by the leadership of the Muslim World. Following the 1967 Arab-Israel War the Muslim countries entered into a new era of political and socio-economic cooperation through a joint platform of Organization of Islamic Conference. Arab-Israel conflict became the immediate cause of its formation, and the initial fervour, emotions were manifested in high aspirations at Lahore, in 1974. The emerging young leadership represented largely the general support of their respective countries. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, Colonel Qaddafi of Libya, President Houari Boumedienne of Algeria, Shah Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Jafar al Namiri of Sudan, and PLO’s Yasser Arafat were at the top of the pyramid. They tried to configure an independent Muslim World Order by exploring alternatives other than becoming a US or a Soviet client or with the new defunct Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The prospects for future of the Muslim Ummah seemed progressive, however, the aura of this leadership dispersed soon as this leadership got through ill fate leaving their followers dispersed on the way to achieve the proposed objectives in the 1974 Summit. This study makes an effort to explore why this aura has wiped out gradually, portraying these leaders culprits in their own homelands.

Book review: Margaret Alston and Wendy Bowles, Research for Social Workers: An introduction to methods 2nd Edition, South Wind Productions, Singapore, 2003.

The paper examines that lack of legislative support, interest and infrastructural revival left FATA and Frontiers Region far behind the rest of Pakistan in economic, social and political terms. It may be negligence coincidence with the hard facts of region such as conflict in Afghanistan that made FATA and Frontiers Region ideal breeding grounds for extremism and radicalism. The importance can be judged from the fact that owing to present deteriorating law and order scenario in KP and FATA, whole Pakistan’s milieu has become a sheer victim of the essential fallouts. As a result of the breeding grounds of terrorism and radicalism, the economy of the country reached to the lowest ebb. Foreign exchange reserves remained alarmingly at the low level. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is substantially low in history of the country. Terrorism, fundamentalism, sectarianism and extremism have become order of the day. Private investor is in limbo and is looking for new horizons for his investment abroad such as Middle East, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Kalashnikov culture has become prominent and extortionists are wandering as the free birds in the mainland. Accordingly, causes of extremism need to be analyzed with their essential impacts upon the national security of Pakistan at this critical juncture.

Sex status assumes an imperative part in deciding different parts which are performed by particular gender in specific social orders. Because of patriarchal nature of Pakistani society, gender inequality has been seen at wide level. Hence, women have turned into the minimized section of this patriarchal society. Unfortunately, this fragment is more than fifty percent of the aggregate populace of Pakistan. Among this substantial populace, a few women populace can get chance to work but unfortunately these working ladies can't work with their maximum capacity for various constraints extended from family to society. In brief, women having occupation needs to persuade his family that she won't do anything which may hurt the families' appreciation and respect in the public arena. Alongside, she needs to adjust her family and profession in the meantime. In the light of these realities, the motivation behind the study is to investigate the imperviousness to working women at different levels. Using structured questionnaire, information was gathered from two hundred (200) working women serving public and private organizations of district Bhakkar and Mianwali. For dissecting information, OLS model is used and connected direct relapse to test the theory made by the scientist. The findings of the study are that working women are more marginalized in rural localities and conservative values are among core factors of constraints. Besides, women working in public organizations are facing less constraints comparing to those women working in private sector. Moreover, this research study concludes that working women are facing constraints of various magnitudes extending from family life to social surroundings. Hence, it is recommended that endeavors ought to be made at different levels including administrative and nearby levels. Then, it is dire need to create better opportunities for women in professions so that they are motivated for doing jobs.

The study investigated the role of perceived organizational politics in meaningful work, organizational commitment and its constructs (i.e. continuance commitment, affective commitment, and normative commitment) among purposively selected 120 university teachers both male and female through survey research. Perception of Organizational Politics Scale (Kacmar & Carlson, 1997), Work as Meaning Inventory (Michael, Bryan, & Ryan, 2012), and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (Mowday, Steers & Porter, 1979) were used to measure the constructs of present study. Correlation analysis showed that perceived organizational politics and its constructs (i.e. Get along to Get Ahead, General Political Behavior, and Pay and Promotion Policies) were negatively correlated with meaningful work and organizational commitment and their constructs. Simple linear regression analysis showed that perceived organizational politics was significant negative predictor of meaningful work (i.e. Meaning Making through Work, Positive meaning, and Greater Good Motivation) and organizational commitment (i.e. continuance commitment, affective commitment, and normative commitment). Simple linear regression also showed that meaningful work was significant positive predictor of organizational commitment and its constructs (i.e. continuance commitment, affective commitment, and normative commitment). Independent sample t-test demonstrated that females were significantly higher on perceived organizational politics and lower on meaningful work and organizational commitment and its constructs (i.e. continuance commitment, affective commitment, and normative commitment). Results of present study will be helpful in providing possible implication for various organizational settings especially for understating university teachers’ commitment with their organizations and for employers to establish policies regarding employees’ welfare in work settings. Suggestions for the future research and limitations of the current study have been discussed.

This research paper aims to evaluate the religious and cultural significance of hijab (veil) in Europe in the wake of Western hostility to this Islamic female dress code. In the aftermath of 9/11, there is an increasing trend among Muslim women in Europe and America to use hijab as an embodiment of Islamic identity. Western critics of Islam are hostile to this dress code and have been using it as a pretext to paint Islam as an oppressive and male-oriented dogma which does not give equal rights and freedom to women. Islamic feminists take this Eurocentric interpretation of Islamic veil as a continuation of Western colonial mindset to unveil Muslim women. Kahf, an Arab Muslim feminist writer, deals with the controversy regarding hijab from Islamic feministic perspective in The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf and challenges western constructed image of Muslim women as monolithic entities. The writer presents female characters that cherish hijab practice as a symbol of their Islamic identity.

Recent years have witnessed increasing number of voices in favor of creation of more administrative units in Pakistan. However, there is a lack of consensus as to whether these units should be created based purely on administrative lines or ethnic and nationalistic identity of people. Movement for Saraiki identity and a separate province based on this is among the strongest movements for new provinces in Pakistan. Economic disparity between various regions within Punjab has been cited as the main reason behind the development of pro-Saraikistan sentiments among people. Although the upper/central regions of current Pakistani Punjab have remained as an administrative unit separate from southern region i.e. Saraiki belt, the linguistic border between the dialects spoken in both areas is not clearly defined. However, starting in the 1970s, Saraiki nationalists have built up a very strong narrative supporting a separate identity for Saraiki language and people. Backed up by economic and social deprivation on one side and efforts of nationalists in standardization of Saraiki language on the other side, nationalistic sentiment has taken firm roots in indigenous people residing in Saraiki belt. Nonetheless, until very recently this nationalist agenda and the demand for separate province remained a bit away from mainstream political scenario. However, after the restoration of electoral democracy in 2008, demand for new provinces including that for Saraiki province has been gaining more support from mainstream political parties. Although, the establishment of a separate province for Saraiki speaking population still looks a bit difficult in near future, support for it among the key political players as well as general population both inside and outside the Saraiki belt is increasing day by day.

Son preference is a tenacious phenomenon found in various countries around the globe. Following a brief overview of son preference, this paper presents a descriptive review of socio-economic topographies of son preference and women familial status in Pakistan. It describes that there are a number of socio-economic factors which presents a relationship between the women familial status and the birth of her son. Amongst the economic factors, old age economic source and family purse are the major contributors for her old age economic support. Additionally, socio-cultural factors, gives her an uplifted status and shift in power, family acceptance and certain uplifted roles in the family. Being a mother of a son is the only channel which is a source of her uplifted status in the patriarchal setup. This notion confirms the ideology of son as superior and daughter neglect; resulting in promotion of son preference culture in the country. While state policies are still unable to uplift woman’s status and to eliminate discriminatory customs against her at familial level in the country.

The First Indian Author in English Dean Mahomed (1759-1851) in India, Ireland and England By Michael H. Fisher, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 200, Pages, 368, Rs. 250.00

This paper investigates the ideology or the mindset that operates behind the practices of social institutions in Steinbeck’s short fiction Breakfast. Steinbeck’s political poetics suggests that ideologies are always a manmade phenomenon but they are, universalised, legitimised and naturalised through social agencies, social organizations and social institutions. In the story under analysis, he describes the role of religion, family, traditions, sacrifice and rural simplicity that let the present oppressive system go on. These social agencies first routinise the exploitative ideological practices and then interpellate the social subjects to accept the common experiences as natural phenomenon. Being a political writer, he produces some gaps in the ruling ideologies. The readers are astonished to observe these irregularities in the text that the hegemonic hierarchies try to smooth over. He is an expert artist in using the philosophy of dialectics in his art. The dynamic conflicts in a piece of literature have a lot weightage to enlist the reader. Consequently, the reader sees through the ideologised face of social realities and makes up his mind to wage a war, in his own way, against the hierarchical hegemonies that justify the oppression and exploitation of the weak by the authorised. Althusser’s concept of ideologies that he presented in his essay Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses is selected to inform the study as a theoretical framework.

This paper aims at investigating the form and function of T.S. Eliot’s favourite artistic technique i.e. free repetition of form in Ash-Wednesday. Well aware of the strategic use of verbal choices in poetic art, Eliot consciously appropriated two distinguished categories of traditional rhetoric: epizeuxis and ploce. These two modes of exact copying of some previous part of the text stand for immediate repetition and intermittent repetition, respectively. They operate at a word level, phrase level and clause level in the language of the poem under analysis. The acceptance and respect this modern poet of the previous century continues to enjoy greatly owes to his mature artistic sensibility that is actualised through the formal devices he used. The hypothesised functions that these two means of free verbal repetition perform are: to estrange the poetic discourse for enlisting the reader, to stress some idea, to convey the size and depth of the emotion or thought, to enpasulise some discussion, to turn the poetic argument into a debate, and sometimes to emphasise the helplessness of the modern man. A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry by Leech (1989) is selected to work as the theoretical frame work for the present study. The research project is expected to define and determine the aesthetic role of free verbal repetition in the creation, effectiveness and suggestiveness of Eliot’s poetic art.

Usefulness and Liking are main considerations for learning any subject in academic settings. English being official language and saleable skill in Pakistan is considered very useful. People in Pakistan also like to study English as it is the language of the elite class in Pakistan. The study intended to explore the perceptions of usefulness and liking of students of English language at University of Sargodha, Pakistan. A purposefully developed questionnaire was used to collect data from 185 bachelor level students from the departments of English and Education. It is concluded that the university students in Pakistan consider English language useful for them and they have also developed liking for it.

Wars always change the course of the history; and not only affect the human lives socially, politically, and economically but also bring new dimensions of brutality and violence. After World War II, the advent of nuclear weaponry altered the conventional war techniques and introduced new warfare methods. Since the conventional war among the superpowers has become antiquated thus states engage in conventional wars only to show their capabilities so that deterrence remains intact. However, in modern times, wars have now become multi-dimensional; and in such a case, hybrid warfare strategy has been proven more effective as it includes both conventional and non-conventional tools. Considering all this, Pakistan and India both are nuclear states and they do not confront each other directly rather they use non-conventional tools to subdue each other. The military modernization and doctrinal change by India has created a security threat for Pakistan. In this paper qualitative method is used to study that how India has employed hybrid warfare against Pakistan, what are the consequences, and how Pakistan can counter Indian hybrid warfare.

It is scribbled in the pages of history that many well-disposed efforts such as, making alliances to reverse the rivalries end up failing or even worsening the situations because of the complexity of the trust operation in relationships. This can aptly be identified in the recent Anglo-Saxon alliance, formally known as AUKUS agreement. Ostensibly, AUKUS is a trilateral security agreement among Britain, America and Australia (O’Connor, Cox, & Cooper, 2021). This trilateral military agreement aimed at augmenting the security in the Indo-Pacific region. America with the help of Britain planned to ensure regional security by providing Australia with Nuclear powered submarines and also aiding in cyber capacities, quantum technologies and artificial intelligence. But it has stronger and deeper messages for the world that need keen attentions. AUKUS agreement aptly illustrates that even the closest of friends can become your enemies when the economic concerns are at stake. This article encompasses around the paradoxical statement that ‘an alliance to make your friends your enemies’ and also tries to substantiate it with two things. First, being the robust and aggressive reaction to this agreement by France, calling it “stabbing in the back” and second, mixed and perturbed reactions of other states (Vock, 2021). This agreement also carries both negative and serious Nuclear Proliferation concerns that also put question mark on the security of the region in future.

Pakistan-Russia relations remained chaotic during last seven decades. Their interactions were started in early sixties however; it proved a brief marriage of convenience as there was a divergence of interests during Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. Viewing its national interests and religious affiliation, Pakistan favored and supported Afghanistan. It also extended her support for America’s anti-Soviet operation which caused a chasm between Pak-Russia relations. On the other hand, Kremlin established deep strategic ties with India; arch rival of Pakistan, who frolicked a grievous role in rupturing Pak-Soviet links. Due to these cracks, both have failed to establish durable relationship during last century. However, enmity or amity; nothing is permanent in international political realm but national interest. In the backdrop of fast changing regional and global security milieu, states have reassessed their relations in immediate peripheries to mitigate emerging security threats. Viewing the geopolitical and geostrategic compulsions; Pakistan and Russia are also coming closer and reviving their relations. This study focuses on different opportunities of Pak-Russia cooperation as well as discusses their mutual interests mainly in terms of defense and economy.

Federalism in Pakistan did not meet the expectations due to the differences between theory and practice. The expectation was not flight of fancy as federalism provided solid foundations to mitigate ethnic differences. But the expectations did not materialise as initial hardships diverted all attentions of the nascent state. The constitution of 1973 was federal in nature yet it also did not meet the expectation in term of provincial autonomy. During latest transition to democracy in 2008; wave of terrorism, power shortage, economic crisis and conflict in Balochistan made the situation so miserable that even existence of federation was at stake. The 7th NFC award although favoured Balochistan yet it was hard to materialise impact of the increased share due to serious concerns of people of Balochistan. Historical facts and ground realities were directing towards right constitutional development so the 18th amendment in constitution of Pakistan was indispensable.

Particularly in developing and poor countries, political instability has grown to be a severe and dangerous issue. It is causing serious issues and impeding these nations' progress. This article's main concern is Pakistan's lack of political stability in light of its ongoing identity and legitimacy crises. Maintaining social cohesion and governmental legitimacy both depend heavily on political stability. It is a requirement for a state's economic growth, social integration, and legal supremacy. The processes of building a nation and a state are directly impacted by the political system's stability. For both of them to develop and prosper, stable political regimes are necessary. Without a strong and well-organized political system, the development of a country and a state is impossible, and politics devolves into a tug-of-war between competing interest groups. In conclusion, the article aims to investigate the potential causes and consequences of political instability in Pakistan.

This writing is an effort to elaborate and understand the political state of affairs of India in late 1930s and intellectual bend of the prominent Muslim leadership, primarily Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Both of these personalities had become the pivotal of Muslim political understanding at that particular rendezvous of the Indian history. Iqbal had presented his views in Annual Session of All India Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930and Muhammad Ali Jinnah had abandoned his self-exile in London and come back to India in 1935. He was endowed with the responsibility of reorganizing League and to popularize its message among the Muslim masses. Later, Iqbal and Jinnah remained in contact through correspondence and enlightened each other about the political situation and upheavals faced by the Muslims in the colonial India. They also pondered over the strategy to cope with those problems and to achieve freedom for India as well as the Muslims. Therefore, a study of these letters is a valuable primary source of developments of these years, which is attempted to find out in this article.

The article is an effort to provide insight to the readers about the flagship project of the great BRI initiative; more precisely it is a try to put light on the expected challenges towards China in this project. CPEC is a project expected to be a game changer largely for the region and will ease bringing prosperity and peace not only for Pakistan but also would be opportunity for the whole region. The project is envisioned to change the fate of numerous states including Asia, and Africa to central Europe, and more importantly will serve the Chinese motive to attain the desired reach and space, in the global market, they envisaged and worked hard for for decades.Humongous China state significantly extends greatly in Asia as the state shares land and maritime borders with about fourteen Central Asian countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and India. Chinese President Xi Jinping presented the CPEC vision and mission in 2013 that will connect Kashgar with Gwadar in Pakistan. China Pakistan Economic Corridor connects Asia with Europe through land and sea routes considerably facilitating trade—supply of goods and services. This trade network will connect above 60 countries and will boost the economy of the whole region more importantly mapping to accommodate the regional landlocked countries. The Gwadar port has naturally limitless importance, it plays a vital role in economic development and it will give access China to the Indian Ocean. However, this project faces challenges from internal and external forces. The article will particularly examine various challenges China faces while carrying through the CPEC, amid detestable regional political, economic, and security scenarios. Besides, Chinese rivalry towards global key players along with the Security situation and international relations implications over Pakistan, the origin state of CPEC and significant strategic partner for the whole of this move will surely lead to face animosity from different regional and global power stakeholders.

It is impossible to live in isolation in the 21st century because this is the age of globalization. All states are dependent on each other. So, they try to establish and maintain amicable relations. With this in mind, Pakistan and India took the initiative to improve their hostile relations. Pakistan opens the Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit their Guru Dera in the Pakistan district Narowal. This initiative is appreciated worldwide and considered a Corridor of Hope. Although, no positive gesture of peace from the Indian government's side, it is a ray of hope that artificial evils and hatred will slowly flow away like water. And if nothing else, when people meet on the other side of the border, their misunderstandings will go away. The concerns of the Indians are baseless, illogical, and merely political rhetoric. Yet it is an unprecedented development in the history of both countries, and it is a milestone. For Sikhs, opening this corridor is no less than a blessing. For them, Kartarpur Dera Sahib is like Madinah for Muslims. It is very important for Pakistan economically, socially, culturally, religiously, and diplomatically. It will pave the way for better relations between the two countries in the years to come.

The paper aims to unfold the development of National Integration under Margaret Thatcher's leadership. National Integration has been considered a buttress of nationalism. It is a prerequisite for peace, political stability, and economic prosperity. National integration played a pivotal part in the progression of nation-building. However, it is a complex phenomenon and is always influenced and driven by indigenous cultural realities in every country or region. The present paper analyzes the key components of National Integration and their relation with the emergency of Thatcherism. Basically, it focuses on two components—first, the consolidation of nationalism, and second, political integration. The study explores to what extent these components lead to National Integration. It also emphasizes political actions, political policies, and intra-party policies, which channelized the Conservative Party's electoral success under Margaret Thatcher's leadership. Moreover, it ponders upon the bold critical decision taken by Ms Thatcher and the aftermaths of these decisions on the process of national integration. The study primarily necessitates an approach that is both descriptive and analytical, with a specific emphasis on the interpretation aspect. Therefore, to effectively convey the information, a methodology that combines description and analysis is employed to provide a comprehensive account.

Cultural heritage of subcontinent covers a variety of tangible and intangible cultural attributes. A cherished culture gives a sense of pride and identity to the present as well as future generations of the country. Subcontinent is a land of magnificent architectural monuments, art and archives, names and nomenclature, fiction and literary works. Partition of Subcontinent in 1947 due to atrocious British Rule left bloody marks on cultural heritage of subcontinent as it caused mass migration and annihilated victims of partition and cultural assets across the borders. These pains of partition have been reflected in language and literature of both countries. After partition, governments and people of diverse communities did not pay much heed to respect and safeguard the cultural heritage of each other. Religious and communal disharmony left striking marks on cultural homogeneity among different segments of society after partition in the subcontinent. Present study is highly significant as it will come up with the best possible outcomes for preservation of cultural heritage in the subcontinent especially by eliminating the scares of religious antagonism and communal riots caused by the process of partition. The study has followed the exploratory and qualitative methodology for the research.

The study investigates the transitivity patterns in the short narrative A Beheading (2010) by Mohsin Hamid to understand how language plays a role in the ideation of our world experience. This study aims to discover and illustrate how various processes and situations are represented in this interior monologue while also determining how frequently and what kinds of processes are employed in the text. The analysis shows that all six processes are employed in the narrative at varying frequencies. The most common uses of the material and mental processes are to provide the readers with a psychological impression of the protagonist's perplexity, panic, regret, hope, and dissonant banality, and to arouse empathy for the character. The circumstance of location is most often used to refer to the location of events among the four circumstances of manner, time, accompaniment, and location. This research follows Halliday (1985, 1994, 2004, 2014) and Eggins (2004) in classifying processes, participants and circumstances, which are employed to illustrate the characterization of the protagonist as a victim of brutality. The transitivity experiences of this character reveal and criticize the way influential political and religious personalities victimize journalists and writers.

Populist mode of governance has remained a significant element of a democratic form of government. Unfortunately, democratic norms could not get flourished well in developing polities. The same is the case for Pakistan where long authoritative military rules in the state. The period of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is considered the first populist regime in Pakistan’s political history. The paper attempts to analyze the governance under the premiership of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to ensure political development in the state. The study concludes with the fact that Bhutto was the first political figure who laid the foundation of populism in Pakistan. He adopted many fruitful strategies but they all proved short-term and cosmetic in nature. The real required efforts for political development could not be ensured.

The study is an investigation to analyse and portray the treatment of females as compared to their male counterparts in the Turkish patriarchal society. By applying the critical framework of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) as postulate by Lazar (2007, 2005a, 2005b), the study focuses on The Bastard of Istanbul (2006) by ElifShafak to reveal how the themes of marginalization and patriarchy are woven into the text. The exploration is done through the investigation of linguistic choices made by the author to portray characters in her novel and their treatment by male characters and/or society. Passages bearing the themes of marginalization, and patriarchal treatment are purposefully chosen for the analysis. The selected passages are analysed critically, which lead to the revelation of patriarchal practices in Turkish society that shape the identity of a woman who is the "other".

Elected governments in the western and developed democracy may be removed through a vote of no confidence or popular protests. If the motion succeeds, then the party in power is compelled to replace the head of government through constitutional means. But if we look at the political history in Pakistan, since (1947), the executive branch used to manage the judicial and legislative powers. Controversies arise whether judiciary can intervene in the domain of parliament or not? For this the theory separation of powers is applied to observe the constitutional domain of the three institutions. Under this approach no one whether individual or department has an authority to encroach the constitutional jurisdictions of the others. For this, the different clauses of the constitution are analyzed to observe the theory of separation of powers in the country. This descriptive and analytical study aims to highlight the political development through the involvement of judiciary in the test case of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s removal. The representatives are elected (or rejected through elections) by the people to ensure the fundamental rights of the citizens in parliament. The procedure adopted to change the PTI Government on April 09, 2022 and the role of judiciary seems positive development in the enforcement of rule of law. Finally the study shows that the removal of PM Khan through the parliamentary procedure is a step towards political development.

Sindh has a long tradition of nationalist politics on the basis of Sindhi nationalism. This spirit of nationalism remained present even during the British rule. The demand for separation of Sindh for its separate identity and autonomous status was the nationalistic vision of Sindhis. In this aspect, G. M. Sayed is considered as the founding father of Sindhi nationalism. In post partition era, the Sindhi nationalists were disillusioned by the policies of the state. The strong control of the centre and suppression of provincial autonomy aggravated the situation. The fragile ethnic factor was flourished with immigrants of non-Sindhis. The actual seeds of Sindhi nationalist movement were sown by unification of the West Pakistan as One Unit in 1955, which eroded the separate identity of Sindh. Such policies inflamed the situation and significantly, changed the political dynamics of Sindh. The turning point in politics of Sindh resulted with start of separatist movement for Sindh as “Sindhu Desh”. The separatist movement was led by G. M. Syed under the umbrella of Jeay Sindh Tahreek. Later on, the separatist groups’ splitted but followed G. M. Sayed’s philosophy and continued this movement of separation. This study focuses on the emergence of separatist elements in result of nationalist movement and their effectiveness in politics of Sindh. This paper critically examines the politics of Sindhi nationalism and its impact on politics of Sindh as well as Pakistan.

The pursuit of energy security has been a primary goal of many South Asian and Central Asian states. Several projects, including the TAPI Gas Pipeline, the IP Gas Pipeline, and the Central Asia-South Asia Power Project (CASA-1000), were signed to meet this demand. These projects, however, did not succeed due to ongoing political turmoil in Afghanistan, growing inter-state conflicts in the region, lack of funds, and the US sanctions against Iran. In this desperate situation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has emerged as a ray of hope, opening new channels of cooperation between South Asian and Central Asian states. The SCO can play an important role in energy security, and China, as a core member, has assumed a pivotal role in the organization's success. The recent geopolitical shifts, particularly the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the new detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran, are probably going to make it possible for China to establish, within the framework of its cooperative leadership, the kind of environment that would allow several Central Asian and South Asian nations to pursue cooperation on energy security. Through the lens of regional integration theory, this article investigates "What role China can play in strengthening the cooperation between Central Asian and South Asian states on energy security under the banner of SCO?" This qualitative analysis is based on the secondary sources and published literature in the field.

This article examines the noteworthy facets of gender biases, gender inequalities and the workings of power in Bina Shah’s Slum Child (2010). This qualitative study through character analysis exposes socio-political stigmas attached to Laila’s life while living in Pakistan, leaving her in impoverished circumstances. The study uses Foucauldian discourse on sexuality and power to analyze the vulnerability, gender discrimination and stereotypical construction of nine-year-old Laila, Shah’s protagonist. Power is a hegemonic and potent apparatus for identity formation and assertion; similarly, the point of convergence of Foucauldian discourse and feminism is the abuse of power and enforcement of informed choice in a patriarchal social system that functions on a significant sex-gender bias, favoring men with power while oppressing others – women and children, in both private and public spheres of life. While probing the abuses of power, this work concludes that the complicated rapport between men and women, marking them as superior and inferior, is an orthodox approach, subsequently, bringing an abuse of power, sexual assault and harassment on women’s part.

This qualitative research study purposes to assess the PLGA-2013 from a legal and applied perception. The study employs qualitative research approach, with in-depth interviews, document scrutiny, and opinion, to gather data from various stakeholders, such as legal experts, government officials, and community representatives. The research explores the legal framework provided by the PLGA-2013 and examines its practical implications in the context of local governance in Punjab. It seeks to understand how the Act has been implemented, identify any challenges faced in its execution, and evaluate its effectiveness in achieving its intended objectives. Through the analysis of collected data, including interviews and document review, this research aims to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the PLGA-2013. It examines the Act's provisions, their interpretation, and their impact on local governance practices. The study also considers the perspectives and experiences of stakeholders to gain a holistic understanding of the Act's practical implications. The results of the research will add to the prevailing information on local government legislation in Punjab, offering valued insights for officials, experts, and researchers. The study intentions to suggest some recommendations for improving the implementation and effectiveness of PLGA-2013(2013) based on the identified challenges and stakeholders' feedback. Ultimately, it strives to enhance the understanding of the Act's legal and practical aspects and contribute to the ongoing discourse on local governance in Punjab.

This study explores the complex web of historical changes that traditional civilizations have experienced because of urbanization. This study's main goal is to conduct a thorough analysis of the various effects of urbanization on communities that have long upheld traditional lifestyles. Through a thorough examination of primary sources, archival documents, and historical records, this inquiry reveals the ways in which urbanization has influenced, changed, and occasionally disrupted the social structure of these cultures. The results of this study show that traditional communities and urbanization interact in a complex way. Deep changes occurred to old societal systems as cities grew and modernized. This study finds a variety of effects, from modifications to cultural identities including belief systems to shifts in social structures and economic behaviors. This study emphasizes that the impact of urbanization was not one-way through a careful historical lens. The main finding of this study is that there was a complicated reciprocity between traditional villages and urbanization. Despite what some earlier research may have said Urbanization did not always have a negative or transforming effect. Overall, this historical research challenges oversimplified narratives and offers a deeper knowledge of the complex historical factors that have produced the world's urban environments, so presenting an alternative perspective on the connection between urbanization and traditional communities. The results call for reevaluating urbanization strategies and highlight the necessity of incorporating conventional wisdom into contemporary urban planning to build livable, culturally thriving cities.

The article examines the implications of China's ascension as a global power and analyzes whether China's rise presents opportunities or threats to the international community. It explores China's economic growth, military expansion, and increasing influence in global affairs. The article delves into the potential economic benefits for other nations through trade and investment opportunities, while also discussing concerns regarding China's assertive foreign policies and human rights issues. The paper highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of China's rise, acknowledging both the potential benefits and challenges it poses. Ultimately, the article calls for a balanced and cooperative approach in engaging with China to harness opportunities and address potential threats for a stable and prosperous global order.

Work-family conflict is said to be one of the most pressing issues faced by working women in Pakistan. This was conducted to determine the impact of work-family conflict on the emotional wellbeing of female nurses in Bhakkar, a district of Punjab, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was undertaken through a quantitative method in which perceptions were sought from female nurses across the district with the help of a self-developed questionnaire. About 434 female nurses were found to be employed in public and private health care centres in the district, from which a sample of 250 nurses was taken through the L. R. Gay table of sample distribution. The study found a significant impact of work-family conflict on the emotional wellbeing of female nurses (r = 73, β = .81). Moreover, married nurses (M = 4.11, SD = 0.42), compared to unmarried nurses (M = 3.67, SD = 0.67), were more significantly affected by work-family conflict. The study also found that married nurses (M = 3.87, SD = 0.31) compared to unmarried nurses (M = 3.48, SD = 0.59) were less likely to enjoy emotional wellbeing. The overall study concluded that unmarried and married women nurses’ emotional wellbeing was affected by work-family conflict, but the influence was greater on married nurses compared to unmarried ones. In this scenario, the Punjab government is required to shorten the working hours of female nurses as they have to be responsible for household chores. It will definitely increase their emotional wellbeing.

Pakistan has a patriarchal culture with majority people having beliefs which promote conservative responsibilities in males and females. However, research shows that diplomatic beliefs about male-female responsibilities are an important predictor for an individual’s wellbeing. The diplomatic beliefs of university teachers are important as teachers have a role in influencing the beliefs and mind-set of youth. This research aims to investigate the relationship between types of beliefs (conservative versus diplomatic) about male-female responsibilities and wellbeing in university teachers of Punjab. A group of 173 university teachers were surveyed from different universities in Punjab, using a quantitative research design. It was found that when conservative beliefs about male-female responsibilities is high, wellbeing is low (p<0.01); and when diplomatic beliefs about male-female responsibilities is high wellbeing is also high (p<0.01). The following groups have more diplomatic beliefs about male-female responsibilities: (i) females, (ii) single people, (iii) people living in joint families, (iv) those from lower wealth backgrounds, and (v) those living in rural areas. Based on study findings we recommend two broad policies to improve diplomatic beliefs on a whole for Pakistani society, and specifically for university faculty.

This research aims to explore the influence of heroism and demonism as depicted in Indian films on the national identity crisis among youth, focusing on a case study conducted at the University of Sargodha. Using a purposive or convenient sampling technique, the study selected 300 individuals from the population and categorized them demographically. The survey research method used to collect responses from the chosen sample, using appropriate statistical tests tailored to the nature of hypotheses to achieve statistically significant results. The findings of the study strongly confirmed the hypothesis and revealed a pronounced preference among respondents for Bollywood films over those from Lollywood and Hollywood. Furthermore, the results highlighted that respondents spent more time watching Bollywood films as they felt they suited their lifestyle. Notably, internet platforms have been the preferred medium for accessing Bollywood content. A substantial majority of respondents showed a significant attraction to the comedic, musical and thematic elements present in Bollywood films. Furthermore, the survey revealed a tendency among respondents to emulate Indian film characteristics such as hairstyles, dialogues, music, dresses and festivals, driven by the pursuit of personal satisfaction. This emulation extended to clothing choices, including traditional Indian garments such as kurta, churidar, lehenga and mathapati. Interestingly, the survey also revealed that Indian cultural elements had a profound influence on social interactions with both parents and friends among respondents. A crucial revelation of this study focused on the youth's national identity crisis, strongly confirming the hypothesis that Bollywood films have a direct impact on Pakistani national identity. The study concluded that Hindu cultural elements, as depicted in Indian films, had a significant influence on Pakistan's national language, dress, food habits, national symbols, the Two Nation Theory, national heroes and perceptions of the military. In essence, the study underlines the multifaceted role of Indian cinematic representations in shaping youth perceptions of identity and cultural affinity within the Pakistani context.

As Minorities' Day is observed in Pakistan on August 11th, 1947, it is an important day in history. The founder of the nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, addressed the nation's first Legislative Assembly on this day. The terminology used to allude to Pakistan placed a strong emphasis on the freedom of religion. The State's founding leaders wanted to establish a free state where every minority group could practice their religion without fear of retaliation. Unfortunately, political religious groups that claimed to be the guardians of Islam quickly took over the State of Pakistan. At the moment, there is a lot of hostility towards diversity and interfaith understanding, which has led to a number of instances of forced conversion and a large exodus of minority groups. Every year, there are numerous reports of mistreatment and prejudice based on religious affiliation, religion, or ritual, a pattern that is regrettably becoming more prevalent.

The Senate of Pakistan, a House of Federation, is dedicated to promoting non-majoritarianism and protecting the territorial interests of the smaller provinces. But, owing to the parliamentary nature of the political system, it has traditionally held a subservient position to the popularly elected National Assembly. Yet, it is seen as a body that assures power sharing among the federating units at the national level. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the constitutional role of the Senate and to examine the ways in which the Senate of Pakistan offers the federating units shared rule. The analysis, primarily, relies on parliamentary data to assess how senators belonging to various provinces participate in the Senate’s legislative business. The evidence shows that the Senate of Pakistan serves as a platform that guarantees smaller provinces a substantial voice in federal legislation and decision-making. The data shows that senators from smaller provinces have been more involved in the legislative proceedings of the chamber, demonstrating how important this chamber is to them. Hence, it can be argued that provincial minority groups regard the Senate of Pakistan as a House that provides them with shared rule at the national level.

Status of women in South Punjab requires in-depth cultural study especially while describing the traditional role of women in South Punjab. This study focuses on Proverbs to understand the traditional status of women.Proverbs are the traditional mirrors that display the picture of traditional identities and characters. Proverbs also act as depositories of social knowledge and present social epistemology in particular social contexts. South Punjab’s Saraiki character and identity is shared by the inhabitants of Urdu and Punjabi speaking communities. So, describing the cultural representation of Women in South Punjab requires a combined study of Saraiki, Urdu and Punjabi languages. The traditional tone of proverbial knowledge presents multiple characteristics of the status of women in society in South Punjab. By going through the proverbs this study not only questions the reductionist representation of women in journalistic and academic accounts but also suggest the preservation of the positive and powerful aspects of status of women in the social legislation in Pakistan.

The revocation of article 370 & 35-A by Prime Minister (PM) Modi Government on August 5, 2019 marked significant constitutional changes, depriving the people of Jammu & Kashmir from their special status. This move was aimed to integrate Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India. The paper employs a qualitative methodology, analyzing secondary data from different sources to understand the implications of the revocation of article 370 & 35-A. The findings inculcate that the revocation of article 370 & 35-A has led to significant social, political and economic upheaval in Jammu & Kashmir, by widespread violation of human rights and economic instability. The paper concludes that India intended to assert its strong control and promote development. Contrary to their aims behind revocation of article 370 & 35-A, they exacerbated tensions and instability in the region and also highlighted the issue internationally, calling for a balanced approach to achieve a long-lasting peace between two nuclear armed states.

This extensive study examines the intricate network of regional connectivity facilitated by this ambitious project. It also highlights the geostrategic significance of Pakistan and China, detailing how these nations play a pivotal role in shaping global dynamics. Both countries are integrated into various initiatives that are poised to drive significant changes in infrastructure, economic growth, and societal development, impacting not just South Asia but extending well beyond the Asian region. The various projects aim to bridge both physical and social distances between different regions of the world. They offer opportunities for enhanced regional connectivity and contribute to a more globalized world. This project details several initiatives related to regional connectivity, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It provides comprehensive insights into these projects, outlining their impact on regional connections and mapping their influence. Additionally, the project highlights the geostrategic significance of Pakistan and China, illustrating their crucial roles in this global network.

Self- recognizing is one’s ability to know about and understand his behavior. It also involves managing one’s behavior and reactions to objects and things occurring around. Self-recognition relies on a number of skills which enables one to manage the emotions and to think before acting. An action research was carried out to recognize the self-behavior of learners through education in the rural areas. All learners of rural area were the population of the study. Sample included 150 learners, who were conveniently selected for the study. The data was collected through Checklist, observations and field notes and was analyzed qualitatively. Study findings showed that the learners who had access to education were more self-regulated, self-aware and had a positive attitude as compared to others.

This was a participatory action research. This research was intended to know the views of the visually impaired students who were studying at university level about the facilities they have in their universities. A focus group discussion among visually impaired university graduates was conducted to know about the issues faced by the visually impaired students. In the light of literature review and focused group discussion, a questionnaire was developed. The visually impaired students from various universities and from different educational levels were asked to fill the questionnaires. The data was collected through Google forms and telephonic conversations. After data collection the data was analyzed and interpreted. On the basis of findings and data interpretation an interview was designed. In order to validate the research findings, the interviews of visually impaired university graduates were conducted. On the basis of this triangulated data the research found that students with visual impairments were mostly not satisfied with the services they had in their universities. However, there were some positive prospects like provision of academic fee waiver, provision of extra time for taking exams and close peer group cooperation.

This research article examines socio-economic transformation of Sahiwal District (formerly Montgomery) in Punjab, Pakistan, during British colonial period from 1857 to 1947. The study explores the multifaceted changes in agriculture, trade, infrastructure, society and governance that occurred under British rule. It investigates the impact of British policies, role of Christian missionaries and creation of collaborations as political agents in shaping the district's socio-economic landscape. The article highlights both the positive developments and challenges faced by local population during this transformative period.

It is very surprising to learn that media success was significantly documented in military times, and more specifically in Pervez Musharraf's tenure. This growth in mass media has resulted in freedom of expression, which had become a source of contention for the retired general himself. Political pressure on the media is an inescapable aspect of Pakistan, and it is always typically done indirectly. The government had also directly outlawed or officially suppressed popular television networks by using draconian legislation. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), which was established to support and flourish the mass media industry, has been used several times by influential and dominant players to quiet the broadcast media by suspending licenses, seize the equipment or simply threatening to do so. Though, Pakistan's media has come under increased scrutiny, since Musharraf sparked a political and legal crisis.

COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world around us. Many of the changes that it has stimulated are yet to fully manifest themselves. Like the other fields of life, education too was affected by the pandemic and its ramifications. This led to opting of online educational system by the educational institutions. Keeping in mind the importance of education which has been further augmented by the inclusion of education as sustainable development goal by UN, it becomes imperative that we ensure that all sections or our polity have an equal access to education and in this regard online education can be very helpful. Public sector educational institution like GC University, Lahore took a lead in devising an indigenously evolved and synthesized online education policy but it too cannot be deemed perfect for reasons that somehow cannot be controlled by the institution in question. It is pertinent to note that there are a variety of impediments that have hindered our attempts to realize the potential of online education, if we overcome those impediments and create a virtual educational environment that has utility and inclusiveness to offer only then we can call it a good online educational system otherwise all the exercise will be futile.

Hereditary party politics has remained a norm in many developing states. The Political system of Pakistan has seen long military rules and military-backed-civilian governments. These traits have proved as a hurdle to inculcating democratic norms in the political setup of the state and the emergence of personalization traits in politics. After the first populist regime of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, powers shifted to Benazir Bhutto which gave birth to a hereditary trend in Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP). The period of Benazir Bhutto is considered the first hereditary party politics regime of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP). The paper attempts to analyze the governance under the premiership of Benazir Bhutto to ensure political development in the state. The process of political development is examined through seven indicators including institutionalization, political participation, governance, legitimacy, accountability, distribution of power and national integration. The study concludes with the fact that the rule of Benazir Bhutto was the revival of democracy in Pakistan but was characterized by centralization of power, personality-oriented decision-making, nepotism, favouritism, lack of transparency and institutional clashes. Her political measures and strategies could not get desired results due to these mentioned hurdles and the process of political development in the state could not be ensured.

Islam has been a greatly professed religion in the Soviet Union for many centuries. However, despite years of reprisal and persecution in the Soviet Union by the Czar Russian policies, communist designs, and repressive policies under Lenin, Stalin, Gorbachev Islam has managed to preserve its spirit as a way of life that culturally defined every facet of the believer’s existence. This was especially true of Islamic lifestyle rituals including, fasting, feasting, pilgrimages, polygamy, and the handing out of alms. In retrospect, the Soviet campaign against Islam had proved to be only partially successful. It managed to curb Islamic activity and perhaps contained Islamic sentiments in the region but it was far from eradicating the Islamic faith. Now Muslims enjoy freedom in practicing their religious obligations in Russia as protected and accommodated by the state constitutionally and legally. Islam is enjoying rebirth and revival in Russia with multiple impacts on Muslims in Russian society. This study will try to explore socio-demographic facts about the Muslim population in Russia, constitutional and legal protection to religious freedom of Muslims in Russia, Islamic revivalist movements, and their impacts on the Muslim community in Russia.

The Slogan "Maar Nahi Pyar" (love, rather than punish) has been introduced in Punjab Schools to provide a safe and learner-friendly school environment. The study explores teachers' and parents' perspectives regarding the effects of this slogan on the students' behavior toward their education and students' discipline. A qualitative, narrative phenomenological approach was used for this purpose. For data collection, semi-structured and focus group interviews were conducted with the teachers and only semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents to collect the data. Purposive sampling was used, whereas teachers with at least five years of teaching experience before this slogan were selected. The findings revealed mixed reactions regarding the effects of the slogan on the school environment. Some teachers and parents mentioned improvements in the students' participation and behaviour. However, the majority of the teachers and parents highlighted its negative consequences. Teachers mentioned the instances where the students took advantage of this emphatic approach, resulting in increased disruptions and reduced academic focus. The study also implies that the implementation of the slogan has its benefits, but there is a dire need to overcome the challenges the teachers face for its successful implementation. The findings contribute to the growing literature on alternate discipline strategies, emphasizing the need for more balanced and well-enforced policies. Future research should focus on strategies that mitigate adverse effects and ensure that positive reinforcement does not affect classroom management.

This article explores the journey of courtesans who received lavish treatment, were adored by the emperors for their beauty and artistic skills; however, they have been reduced to the status of prostitutes or sex workers as Louise Brown's work The Dancing Girls of Lahore demonstrates. These magnificent courtesans' artistic abilities—music, dance, poetry, and manners—have become a distant legacy as a result of the strict policies of the colonial masters, who referred to them as exotic others. The article argues that the courtesans’ reduction into subaltern characters of prostitutes is a source of their perpetual exploitation, marginalization, and sufferings in the cultural context of Pakistan. The rationale behind carrying out this research is to speak for the characters who are pushed to the peripheries of mainstream society, exploited by the pimps and the clients, ignored by the state, and are carriers of many fatal diseases. The work is also pertinent while exposing the complex interplay of colonial histories, cultural identities, and gender dynamics at work in the chosen book. The article takes the postcolonial feminism as a theoretical framework and methodology for the textual analysis of the selected book. Conceptual markers of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Leela Gandhi, and Ania Loomba have been used to support the claim that colonial powers have impacted the identities, class, and social roles of the courtesans while reducing them into marginalized characters of prostitutes. This article concludes that despite courtesans’ resistance to regain their lost image, they are helpless in the hands of contemporary powers and face daily exploitation for their survival.

This qualitative research study examines the views and experiences of gratitude among Muslims and non-Muslims. Using a purposive sampling way, the study recruited 20 people, consisting of 15 Muslims and 5 Non Muslims, who are between 18 and 23 years of age. By using semi-structured interviews, the participants were asked to reflect in detail about their experiences of gratitude, how they express and show it, and what causes them to feel grateful, thus enabling a richer understanding of this phenomenon. Several key themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the interviews, such as the differing attitudes towards gratitude in Muslims versus non Muslims, the prevalence of gratitude in almost all facets of life, and the ability to foster feelings of gratitude through difficult life situations. Further, the study showed the important role of religion on gratitude, where respondents revealed that they often performed religious acts like praying as a form of being thankful. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the phenomena associated with subjective experiences of gratitude and emphasizes the significance of fostering gratefulness as a means to attain a more purposeful life.

Youth, particularly students, have historically played a vital role in shaping the destiny of communities, societies, and nations. Their vigor, enthusiasm, and the cutting-edge knowledge they possess often serve as catalysts for societal transformation. This paper explores the historical relationship between Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and students, focusing on his staunch belief in the importance of education and its role in the progress of a nation. From the early stages of his political career, Jinnah recognized the key role students could play in societal change. When he decided to launch Pakistan movement, he not only engaged with Muslim students but also entrusted them with the responsibility of rationally propagating the idea of a separate Muslim state. This study delves into Jinnah’s interactions with students, examining how he guided, mentored, and assigned them roles in the political landscape. Moreover, it reflects on his consistent expectations of the student body, despite the evolution of his political ideologies. By analyzing Jinnah’s approach, this paper highlights the significant role he envisaged for students in the realization of his vision for a new nation.

The research inquires the relation of job insecurity induced by employer with recalcitrant behavior of employees in public or private universities of Lahore, Pakistan. The article investigates whether the job insecurity induced by employer is related to the satisfaction or recalcitrant behavior in employees of an organization. The constructs are studied through mixed methodology in a cross-sectional comparative setting by administering 250 online questionnaires and 30 interviews of the faculty. The results indicate that job insecurity and the related perceptions lead to recalcitrant behavior in the university faculty. This has significant insights for the employee retention, turnover and performance in the universities as well as organizational productivity and sustainability.

Wheat is a crucial staple diet for Pakistan, constituting approximately 65% of food grain consumption, especially among the rural and urban poor. The strategic importance of wheat has led successive Pakistani governments to intervene extensively in the market, setting support prices and providing subsidies to stabilize both farmer incomes and consumer prices. However, these policies impose significant financial strain on the government, exacerbated by high procurement costs and inefficiencies in storage and distribution. The Punjab government, responsible for a substantial portion of wheat production and procurement, faces mounting financial burdens from subsidies and loans, resulting in large fiscal deficits. Domestic wheat prices exceed international levels, reducing global competitiveness. This study reviews existing literature and examines the financial implications of current wheat procurement policies. It highlights the need for policy adjustments, particularly recommending a shift from price subsidies to input subsidies for fertilizers and seeds.

The word “madrassa” does generate a huge complexity, negative propaganda, and curiosity among scholars of regional, national, and international communities since 9/11. It is considered an institution of preaching hatred and breeding violence and extremism. Madrassa as a unit of study also remainsless focused by academics and came to the forefront since 9/11. Ilm, Talib, Maktab, all terms have been denoted as negative but never understood in a concrete term to their original sense. No heed has been paid to the mushroom growth of these madrassas across Pakistan at any level. This increase in numerical strength itself is an alarming situation not only for national or regional peace and stability but for the international community as well. Post 9/11 Government of Pakistan has tried to reform madrassa system but could not achieve much success due to a shallow approach and non-compliance of various madrassa establishments. Therefore, the fundamental objective of the study is to understand the changing pattern of madrassa with a focus on patron-client case study of Sindh and the role of local chieftains and government to modernize these institutions. This paper is an initial and early attempt to highlight major causes responsible for the mushroom development of patron-client relationship and to highlight the conundrum of a gap between state and society in the province of Sindh.

The rise of right-wing populism is a significant ideology which combines populist beliefs with right-wing policies, highlighting nationalism, anti-elitism, and protectionism. Across Europe, right-wing populist movements such as Hungary’s Fidesz party, Poland’s Law and Justice Party are on the rise and exerting pressure on liberal democracy and reconfiguring fixed political and economic structures. The effects embrace labor, scarcity of foreign investment, and economic insecurity followed by economic stagnation, increase in economic inequality, and cultural fears as a result of globalization. Right-wing populists consider historical injustices and societal phobias and they exploit the respective sentiments with welfare programs as well as protectionist policies that may have immediate positive impact on the electorate. Also, populist ideas have impact on social relations and the institutions especially trade unions, increasing challenges in a political sphere which in turn impacts employment rights. There’s a need for understanding the nature of the right-wing populism and its future implications for a society and democracy under rising international politics.

Climate change is a great threat to Pakistan's economy, security, and livelihoods. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and water scarcity have serious consequences. This study explores the implications of climate change on world politics and its challenges for Pakistan. A qualitative approach is used to analyze secondary sources. The study finds that Pakistan faces many challenges, such as shifting temperatures, water scarcity, floods, and coastal erosion. Climate change influences agriculture, human migration, and the economy. The research provides financial support, technology sharing, capacity building, and international cooperation to face challenges of climate change. Developed countries should realize that they have emitted greenhouse gases during their historical processes and therefore, a customized package has to be presented to them. Climate justice and equity are highly important in the international climate policy. Proper execution of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies will enhance Pakistan's sustainable development.

The research aims to conduct a cross-border examination of news framing in well-read and specific Indian and Pakistani newspapers following the killing of Burhan Wani. Focusing on how media narratives contribute to shaping public perceptions and biases, the study seeks to uncover the nuances and divergences in the framing of this pivotal event. By employing the Framing Analysis approach of Erving Goffman, the research aims to unravel the underlying influences of print media that shape the narratives of both nations.

Ethics is essential in forming and impacting many aspects of human life, including people’s beliefs and behaviours. Since the ethics ensures a fruitful teaching-learning process, promote a polite and encouraging institutional climate, and strengthen the bond between educators and students, ethical values are essential for educators. Using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire grounded in literature and expert review, the study employed a descriptive correlational research design. The study sought to understand perspectives of teachers from of Baltistan on practicing ethical values and assess their adherence to these values. The findings revealed a high overall commitment to ethical values, with a mean adherence score of 0.907.Among identified dimensions, “Devotion and Critical Thinking” had the highest mean (0.893), indicating a strong faculty alignment with intellectual and professional integrity. In contrast, “Inclusiveness and Empathy” with the lowest mean score (0.736), highlighted a need for development in promoting an academic climate that is more inclusive and empathetic. Correlational analysis indicated no statistically significant relationships between ethical adherence and demographic variables (gender, age, marital status, education level, or political orientation). The study underscores the importance of reinforcing inclusive and empathetic practices in university settings and recommends the development of targeted professional development programs to address these gaps. This study provides practically insightful framework for educators, policymakers, curriculum designers, and community leaders to strengthen ethical culture and address ethical challenges in higher education.

The post-World War II era, while transformed European polities, engendered far reaching socio-political, religious, cultural and economic changes in Asia. India got independence in 1947, soon after the end of World War II, from the British Raj and two newly born nation states, India and Pakistan, were carved out. These states fashioned their alignments afresh depending upon their historical legacies and perceived future trajectories. Pakistan initially developed dependence on United States which was leading the West in post WWII period. However, Pakistan under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto realigned itself, with fresh thrust, into developing close ties with China and the Middle East. Middle East had a legacy of religious ties with Pakistan and people of both countries had sympathies with each other even before the establishment of Pakistan. However, developing close cultural and political ties with China was a unique re-enactment of past, of a long history of cultural sharing between the region now constituting Pakistan and China from the ancient period. Pakistan-China border sharing is basically the physical dimension of their cultural sharing of many centuries. The present initiative of One Belt One Road is yet another recent creative projection which will transform the cultural exchanges of these three regions into economic exchanges. The twenty first century—rightly being projected as Asian century—will solidify the economic links between regions and then transcend from economic to cultural exchanges further. An example in point is the increasing popularity of Chinese language in Pakistan and the Middle East noticeable even on billboards. On the other hand, the Chinese—in their interaction with Pakistanis and the Middle Easterners—have already started absorbing words of Urdu and Arabic languages. Similarly, cultural exchange has started in other cultural forms too, such as arts and crafts. But it is important to discuss the centuries old historical legacy of cultural exchanges among these regions. This paper will highlight the importance of historical legacy of religious and cultural exchanges between these regions and the way this legacy can work to foster and solidify future trajectories of cultural exchanges

Education reform is the process of continuously modifying and enhancing the quality of schools. The demands and values of society serve as the foundation for this change in education. Through educational reforms, educational standards are constantly reorganized and renegotiated. It seeks to represent social, political, and economic culture's ideals. In the current study, the researchers’ objective was to uncover how the ideas, emotions, and opinions of school stakeholders contribute to their understanding of the phenomenon and provide perspectives for their practices. The public-school education system was the setting for this investigation. The phenomenon in this study was explored through qualitative research methods and thorough, semi-structured, in-person interviews with the stakeholders. A thematic analysis of the gathered data was conducted. The themes of the study revealed that there were serious challenges faced by the stakeholders in schools during initiating, carrying out, implementing, and maintaining a reform program. The primary factors that pushed back reform measures were the school environment, lack of motivation among teachers, lack of physical and human resources, and inefficient school management. As a result, it was determined that before developing any reform project, it was vital to comprehend the unique requirements of each region and the obstacles that would arise during implementation.

The relationship between Pakistan and India has been marked by chronic events, jurisdictional disagreements and geopolitical tensions leading to never ending hostility. Sports diplomacy somehow worked as a diplomatic bridge in easing tensions and fostering confidence building measures. This research work aims to explore the achievements, limitations and capability of sports diplomacy between Pakistan and India as a tool in conflict resolution. The study aims to analyze sports diplomacy at broader International Relations, highlighting its potential as a soft power tool and cultural connectivity. Study also explores key historical events where cricket diplomacy proved to be an effective tool like in 1987 Zia's visit to India to watch a cricket match, resulting in easing military standoffs at the border. Other events like 2004-2005 cricket tours and 2011 semi-final served as backdoor channels in initiating political dialogues between Pakistan and India. This shows the potential of cricket in mitigating tensions, promoting dialogues and people to people connectivity. However research work also critically analyzes the limitations of sports diplomacy, examining how events like Mumbai attack in 2008 and Pulwama attack in 2019 led to suspension of diplomatic and sporting ties between them. Where the sports diplomacy between Pakistan and India stands is uncertain due to political reasons but still potential of sports cannot be ignored. Sports will certainly help both sides in improving bilateral relations if they resume cricket and other sports in future.

Poetry and music have been in a togetherness not just historically but also artistically integrated through the profound establishment of meter and rhythm. Both genres complement each other to such an extent that there occurs the process of ‘artistic transmutation’, which apparently seems to be radically divergent, but this association empowers and praises both, the beautiful poetic form and the field of musical production. This masterly eluded interrelation becomes even more discernible in the case of Hindustani classical music which is structurally distinguished by its elegant, electrifying, and traditional outlook. This research aims to recontextualize the interconnected relation between poetry and music; reaffirming the propinquity among diction, meter, rhythm, and sonority. Considering this propensity as a source of ‘contextual relatability’, music and poetry both provide aid for one another’s social acquiescence and lastingness. Due to this intersection of music and poetry, Urdu ghazal in the twentieth century reimagined the subcontinental paradox, proliferated the socio-political landscape, and challenged the existing limitations of ghazal as a literary genre. Hence, the works of prominent poets got popularized among the middle class as self-contained musical enactments distinguishing between an ordinary poet and a ‘people’s poet’. While raag and ghazal may seem like opposites in terms of their nature, they actually share a fascinating and enigmatic connection. This connection stems from the interplay between rhythm and meter in raag, and the mode and tone of ghazal.

Focusing on the lived experiences of women working in brick kilns in South Punjab, this study highlights their health conditions. For this study, three districts i.e., Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Muzaffargarh were selected. By using purposive sampling and Edmund Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology, twenty-five (25) interviews with brick kiln women workers were conducted. Data were analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings of the study revealed that generally, women working in brick kilns are facing health issues such as breathing problems, cough, respiratory problems, kidney issues, tuberculosis, skin allergies, hepatitis, piles, muscles and joint pain due to specific postures, heart problems due to dust and heat exposures, drinking of contaminating water along with soil deterioration in the environment of brick kilns. Although all the persons working in brick kilns are exposed to health risks due to hazardous working environment, women and newborns are particularly vulnerable. Pregnant women, mothers, newborns require nutritious diet for better immunity to fight diseases, but for many, managing even simple meal for two times a day is a daunting task.

Endowed with reason, logic, sagacity and intellect, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (b.1058-d.1111) was destined to play a significant role in the history of human thought. On account of his contribution, he was surnamed as ‘Islam’s convincing proof’, and a Mujaddid (Renewer/ Reviver) and even reckoned at par with four imams. No doubt that Islamic world produced many men of high caliber, but the uniqueness of Ghazali lies in the fact that his life and works are so interlinked and interconnected that it is difficult to conceive of the separation of one from the other. According to Macdonald, Ghazali is the equal of Augustine in the philosophical and theological disciplines. But, to Ghazali, the position of early philosophers of Islam was merely that of peripatetic, who were concerned with espousing the cause of Aristotelian philosophy. Only al-Farabi wins exception, for he, by virtue of his mysticism, approaches him with some degree of closeness. By nature, Ghazali was curious and inquisitive, who was prone to disentangle the mysteries shrouding the truth, which, according to him, had been lost in the labyrinth of doubt and suspicion. However, he is blamed to have stymied the spirit of scientific inquiry and quest for logic and thus contributed in decline of Muslim societies. This paper challenges this interpretation and tries to shift blame not on a single person but multiple factors which may have contributed to such a decline.

This study examines the complicated linkages between tradition, change, and cultural identity in Pakistani culture while accounting for urbanization and materialism. The study examines how growing urbanization is hurting cultural heritage, focusing on its pros and cons. The sustainable preservation of Pakistan's cultural identity is suggested to address urbanization issues. These recommendations are based on international conventions and regional differences. The abstract summarizes a comprehensive study on the delicate balance needed to preserve culture in a rapidly urbanizing society. A thorough synthesis of legal statutes, academic frameworks, and case studies underpins this inquiry.

This research article examines the complex relationship between academic integrity among distance learning university students and its significant impact on academic performance. In an era marked by the proliferation of online education, maintaining academic integrity has become a paramount concern for educational institutions worldwide. This study focuses on the context of Pakistan, with specific attention to the Higher Education Commission's (HEC) plagiarism policy and the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in preserving academic integrity. The research adopts a qualitative method. Furthermore, this article delves into the impact of academic integrity on students' academic performance, shedding light on whether adherence to ethical standards correlates with higher grades and improved learning outcomes. HEC's plagiarism policy is examined in detail, exploring its effectiveness as a deterrent and its role in shaping the academic environment for distance learning students. Insights from interviews with educators and administrators provide valuable perspectives on the policy's implementation and potential areas for improvement. The research also investigates the integration of AI-driven tools and technologies in preserving academic integrity, including plagiarism detection software and proctoring solutions. It explores the extent to which these technologies are being utilized, their effectiveness in deterring dishonest behavior, and the ethical considerations surrounding their deployment. The findings of this study offer comprehensive insights into the complex relationship between academic integrity and academic performance among distance learning students. They provide valuable recommendations for educational institutions and policymakers to strengthen academic integrity practices, enhance the implementation of plagiarism policies, and leverage AI technologies effectively. Ultimately, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on ensuring the integrity of online education in an ever-evolving academic landscape.

Federal bicameralism has recently received considerable scholarly attention. However, few studies have investigated the challenges that second chambers usually face in parliamentary federations in the face of stronger popular chambers (lower houses). Therefore, this study investigates the Senate’s position as a federal chamber compared to its counterparts in contemporary parliamentary federations. The paper shows that the Senate has received co-equal legislative powers (compared to National Assembly of Pakistan), and performs considerable oversight role since the federation has adopted the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Being an indirectly elected body, it can claim more democratic legitimacy than appointed or nominated federal chambers. Similarly, the Senate is among those second chambers that provide parity representation to constituent units irrespective of their population size. Besides, the disparity between sizes of two chambers in Pakistani parliament is not exceptional. National Assembly-to-Senate membership ratio is also comparable with Canada, Austria, and Malaysia. This comparison demonstrates that the Senate of Pakistan is not a deviant case, and it fulfills the requirements of a federal chamber. As compared to its Asian counterparts—the Indian Rajya Sabha and the Malaysian Dewan Negara, it appears a more influential house. Several reforms suggested by ethno-regional groups, such as powers related to election of Prime Minister, approval of budget, and endorsement of international treaties are not compatible with parliamentary system of government. Nevertheless, the centralized nature of party system, electoral malpractices, and weakening of democratic institutions are the factors that limit the federal role of Senate in Pakistan.

It is a historical fact that Pakistani society, with its rich outlook, pleasant exposure, and fascinating tales, is composed of several communities, each with its own social fabric, subculture, and identity, entrenched in its beliefs and mindset. This diversity is a strength of the society on one hand, if the people are satisfied with their mode of life. At the same time, it reflects ethnic fissures, social layers, and economic chasms, as they face the hardships in economic or social aspects of life or the blurring of their identity. Several Scholars of the current era posit that the diversity of an inclusive society is its beauty; whereas, the voices of smaller, overlooked groups should not go unheard, because communities in remote villages, such as the Pathan community in Golewali, District Khushab, are usually more sensitive in this respect. This article uncovers one of the stories from overlooked communities in society and reflects on the ongoing interplay between identity and cohesion through inductive reasoning. It is also a typical research, which persuades writers to uncover similar stories for encouraging lovely diversity in our society.

The Abraham Accords signed in 2020 between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain—with subsequent participation by Sudan and Morocco—have marked a significant transformation in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. These normalization agreements signal a departure from the long-standing Arab consensus on conditioning ties with Israel on the resolution of the Palestinian issue. This paper explores the implications of these developments for Pakistan, a country with a historically strong position on Palestine and no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The Abraham Accords have created a strategic realignment in the region, drawing key Gulf states closer to Israel and the United States, thereby shifting the regional power dynamics and potentially isolating countries like Pakistan that remain outside this framework. Pakistan faces a delicate balancing act: maintaining its traditional support for the Palestinian cause while navigating its economic and strategic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Additionally, growing Indo-Israeli cooperation, especially in defense and intelligence, adds further complexity to Pakistan's regional calculations. This paper argues that while Pakistan is unlikely to normalize relations with Israel in the near future due to domestic political considerations and ideological commitments, it cannot ignore the shifting regional alliances and must recalibrate its foreign policy to safeguard its strategic interests. The Abraham Accords, therefore, not only challenge the existing regional order but also present Pakistan with new diplomatic dilemmas in an increasingly multipolar Middle East.

The launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by China in 2013 has restructured the geography of the Eurasian economies with massive connectivity and trade projects. Being located at the intersection between the East and West, Kazakhstan is at the center of this network as a transit state and a new industrial player. The paper will discuss the role of infrastructure initiatives in the BRI and specifically the Khorgos Gateway, the Western Europe Western China (WE-WC) Corridor among other investments in logistics has played in the economic modernization and diversification of Kazakhstan. The study employs a secondary research approach and synthesizes the information on scholarly literature, institutional reports, and policy reports to evaluate the impact of the BRI on trade dynamics, industrial capacity, and regional integration. Through the modernization and dependency theories, the study concludes that although BRI improves logistics and the connectivity of the regions, the chauner of developmental advantages of the BRI is unbalanced, since there are governance constraints, external dependencies. The difficulty of Kazakhstan is the conversion of transit benefits into industrial and technological competitiveness in the long term. The paper concludes that the final success of the BRI in Kazakhstan lies in the institutional change, diversification agenda, and strategic independence in the emerging Eurasian economic order.

Postcolonial literature, especially Anglophone Fiction from South Asia, often grapples with the questions of belonging, migrancy, alienation, hybridity, home, and, most importantly, the question of identity. The paper discusses major postcolonial Anglophone fiction from South Asia and its deliberation of the question of identity and related themes. Utilizing close reading skills along with ideas from major scholars in the field, this paper argues that the question of identity in most canonical fiction from South Asia responds to major political and/or historical events, be they local or global. It also identifies that fiction stages these identities as shifting, evolving, and changing over time, with respect to local-global events. The research not only presents a comprehensive overview of the thread of identity linking canonical postcolonial anglophone texts from South Asia but also paves the way to further isolated and focused research on each of these works of fiction.

The Muslim world is geostrategically positioned in a strategically sensitive region between the Western and Eastern hemispheres through some of the most sensitive maritime chokepoints globally. The marine crossroads like the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Bosporus, and Strait of Gibraltar open up to a disproportionate amount of worldwide energy and trade streams. Dominion or intervention in these chokepoints immediately affects global security, financial stability, and political autonomy, particularly of the Muslim nations surrounding them. This research article elucidates the security implications of sea geography to the Muslim world according to historical and contemporary geopolitical thought such as Mahan's sea power theory, Mackinder's Heartland approach, and Spykman's Rimland theory. It analyzes the strategic significance of each chokepoint, the navy weaknesses and strengths of Muslim nations, and determines the role of foreign powers to formulate maritime policies and presence within the region. This is a qualitative study which utilizes qualitative content analysis technique. The research is more descriptive than empirical and does not involve primary fieldwork or classified naval intelligence. However, it provides a strategic in-depth analysis of maritime geography and security issues within the Muslim world. Considering the analysis of maritime security threats, regional energy transit dynamics and competition, this article is directed towards cooperative maritime policies, more robust naval defense mechanisms, and more integrated economic approaches to construct sovereignty. The study concludes with policy recommendations for strategic naval collaboration and capacity development in the Muslim world to counteract external pressure and ensure regional stability.

This paper examines the historical development and operational framework of the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) within Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Pakistan’s pioneer large-scale distance learning university founded in 1974. It maps the shift in distance education systems from initial dependence on printed materials distributed via postal networks to the incorporation of broadcast technologies (radio and television) and subsequent adoption of digital tools. Across more than fifty years, IET evolved from basic production units reliant on external assistance from organizations such as Radio Pakistan, Pakistan Television Network, UNDP, ODA, and JICA to highly developed infrastructure supporting FM radio broadcasting (Voice of AIOU 91.6), a YouTube channel with over 4000 videos and 121,000 subscribers (as of 2025), and advanced digital editing sets. The analysis details IET’s internal organization through its core departments, Program Production, Design, and Engineering and outlines specialized functions including script development, visual animations and graphics, and professional development workshops for academic staff. Through strategic adaptation of successive communication technologies, IET has extended instructional reach, enriched correspondence-based resources, and enabled remote interaction for a vast learner population, thereby reinforcing the institutional model of open distance learning in Pakistan and comparable contexts.

This article examines the evolution of Pakistan’s transitional polity, analyzing the interplay between modernization, class structure, and political institutionalization. Drawing upon theories33 of political development by Samuel P. Huntington, Francis Fukuyama, and others, it explores how Pakistan’s post-colonial state inherited colonial structures but failed to establish stable political institutions. The paper focuses on the emergence and transformation of the middle class—from the colonial salariat to a fragmented, consumer-driven group—and its limited role in democratization. Using a historical-analytical method, the study argues that Pakistan’s middle class, while expanding economically, has remained politically passive, enabling elite dominance and contributing to political decay. The research concludes that the silent collapse of Pakistan’s middle class signifies a deeper erosion of state accountability and democratic vitality within a procedural democracy.

The 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement stands as one of the most consequential political upheavals in the nation's post-independence history. What began as a student-led protest demanding reform of a civil service quota system - which reserved 56% of government jobs for designated groups including descendants of 1971 Liberation War freedom fighters rapidly escalated into a nationwide uprising against authoritarianism. The state's violent crackdown claimed over 1,400 lives according to final tallies, wounded more than 20,000, and ultimately forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country on 5 August 2024 after 15 continuous years in power. This article provides a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of the historical origins of the quota system, the proximate triggers of the 2024 protests, the human rights violations documented by the United Nations and international organizations, the political and economic structural factors that transformed a job-quota grievance into a mass revolution, and the post-Hasina transition led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The article draws on United Nations Human Rights Council reports, Amnesty International documentation, peer-reviewed analyses, and contemporaneous reporting to assess both what happened and why it matters for Bangladesh's democratic future.

The phenomenon commonly referred to as women's empowerment may be analytically conceptualized as the capacity that women possess to exercise autonomous agency in charting their own social, political, and economic trajectories. In modern research, the ability of women to be involved in social, political, and economic activities is significantly limited, an issue that is more severe in the developing economy. Gender inequality has been formalized as the fifth objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The current paper provides an analysis of a continuum of mechanisms that aim to empower women. To evaluate the effectiveness of these empowerment strategies, this empirical study uses panel data based on thirty nine (39) developing economies between period of 2004 and 2024. The Gender Inequality Index (GII) used in the current research serves as a proxy of women empowerment and used as a dependent variable. The proxy of governance is the Governance Index (GOVI). The control variables include Gross Domestic Product Per Capita Growth (GDPPCGR), Labor Force, Female (LFF) and Gross Capital Formation (GCF). The Driscoll and Kraay (DK) standard error (based on fixed effects estimation) technique employed for addressing the problem of heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and cross-sectional dependency in the models. The findings of study show that governance has a strong impact on women empowerment.

The partition of British India in the year 1947 was one of the most important and hurtful events in the South Asian history that led to the birth of India and Pakistan. Among the principal points of partition that are analyzed in this article are the separation of state property between two new states that were created, mass migration and communal violence. The research methodology is qualitative in historical research and involves reference to secondary literature on the topic as well as primary data in the form of official papers, governmental reports, and contemporary records. This paper explores the role of the rush political move of dividing the subcontinent in the migration of one of the largest migrations in modern history where millions of Muslims fled to Pakistan and Sikhs and Hindus fled to India. The migratory process was characterized by a lot of communal violence which entailed murder, kidnappings and severe social unrest. The paper provides a comprehensive insight into the complex institutional and humanitarian effects of the partition by focusing on the administrative challenges in distributing the governmental systems of British India, military bases, and financial resources of the country.

The notion of 'backwardness' has been integral in organizing global hierarchies of knowledge and power since the colonial era. This article claims that backwardness was not a fact of nature as seen from the colonial point of view rather it is a political-economic product of colonial discourse and imperial economic institutions. Colonial knowledge systems endowed colonized societies with the characteristics of stagnation, irrationality, and deficiency while colonists’ political economy re-invented colonized societies to create structural underdevelopment. The article brings together postcolonial study, discourse analysis and global political economy to show how backwardness was self-confirming as it perpetuated and legitimized imperial domination and reinforced the domination of colonial powers. The paper further argues that the modern thinking on development emphasizes colonial norms and views the Global South societies as deficient, less mature or underdeveloped. In doing so, this article underscores the deep rooted colonial epistemologies on current development processes and suggests a critical review of the categories under which global inequalities are constructed.

Empowerment of women has been designed through an intricate interface of political ideologies, constitutional developments, and legislative reforms in Pakistan, spanning from the pre-partition era to the present. This review critically examines the political underpinnings of women’s empowerment with a particular focus on the evolution of women-centered policies and legal frameworks in Pakistan, and more specifically, the province of Punjab during 2008–2018. This qualitative review of secondary sources, including historical records, constitutional provisions, and legislative documents, traces how different political regimes have influenced the direction and effectiveness of women-centered policies. The findings reveal that while Pakistan has established a robust constitutional and legislative framework supporting gender equality, significant gaps persist between policy formulation and implementation. Provincial autonomy following the 18th Constitutional Amendment enabled Punjab to introduce comprehensive pro-women laws addressing workplace harassment, political representation, violence against women, and inheritance rights. However, these initiatives are often constrained by weak enforcement mechanisms, socio-cultural barriers, limited institutional capacity, and exclusion of marginalized groups, particularly in rural and informal sectors. The study concludes that despite notable progress, women’s empowerment in Pakistan remains uneven and requires stronger institutional accountability, inclusive policy design, and effective implementation strategies. The paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive political and legislative analysis while identifying critical areas for future research and policy intervention.

Pakistan is a democratic, welfare and Islamic state but the concept of good governance is still a dream especially in post-colonial societies, institutional crumbliness, political uncertainty, and socio-economic disparities context that are frequent barriers. The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, uttered an inclusive dream of governance based on constitutionalism, rule of law, responsibility, and inclusivity. This research article critically examines Jinnah’s vision of good governance by scrutinizing his speeches, and political demeanor, placing them within modern governance theory. The study has argued that his governance viewpoint line up meticulously with contemporary democratic principles of governance that offers a normative framework for dealing Pakistan’s existing governance discrepancies. By integrating historical assessment with theoretical viewpoints, the study has highlighted the significance of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision for institutional reforms, democratic link, and proper leadership.

Over the last several years, the longstanding Baloch insurgency in Pakistan has seen an influx of female activists. On the one hand, women militants, like Shari Baloch, have become active participants in a series of terrorist attacks launched by insurgent groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF). On the other hand, the growing number of females in organizations like the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) continues to rally in an unarmed resistance movement mobilizing mass protests for the missing persons or the enforced disappearances. However, the Pakistani government appears to be conflating the activities of these groups and advancing a particular discourse that frames women as victims of trafficking, grooming, and coercion by terrorist groups in Balochistan. This paper aims to review the gender-based aspects of the Balochistan conflict through the lens of human security and feminist security discourse to determine if such a framework can offer additional policy insights and research avenues in understanding the manifestations and motivations of female militants and those involved in non-violent protests. It will be argued that while the Pakistani government’s discourse on women trafficked and coerced into militant organizations addresses some aspects of the conflict, it may overshadow the efforts of those women who appear to be exercising their agency to further the sociopolitical and economic cause of Balochistan. Secondly, applying this discourse to an unarmed non-violent resistance movement may neglect a more significant human security issue in the region. This paper will contribute to the existing scholarship on the Baloch conflict by providing a more nuanced understanding of the gender-based aspects of the decades-long insurgency in Balochistan.

This article revisits Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Sultana’s Dream (1905) as a pioneering feminist utopian text that articulates resistance to both colonial modernity and indigenous patriarchy in early twentieth-century India. Situating the novella within the socio-historical context of colonial educational reform, gendered domesticity, and emerging feminist thought, the study examines how Rokeya deploys the utopian genre and dream narrative as deliberate literary strategies. Drawing on feminist theories of utopia, the article argues that Sultana’s Dream moves beyond simple gender role reversal to construct a political metaphor grounded in intellect, education, ethical governance, and non-violent transformation. Through the imaginative space of ‘Ladyland,’ Rokeya exposes the social construction of gender hierarchies, challenges patriarchal claims of masculine superiority, and redefines power as collective rationality rather than domination. The dream framework functions as both a narrative safeguard and a symbolic act of awakening, enabling Rokeya to envision women’s emancipation without reproducing violence or coercion. By reading Sultana’s Dream as a conscious act of feminist resistance rather than an escapist fantasy, this article extends existing scholarship on utopian literature and foregrounds Rokeya’s contribution to South Asian feminist thought as a writer who transformed imagination into a political tool for social critique and change.