lack of critical thinking in pakistan

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Pakistan’s education: lack of critical thinking.

Taimoor Khan |

‘Your assignments and exams will be assessed, keeping in mind how critically you have done your research and presented your ideas on the paper. Think practically and out of the box, and while finding solutions to a problem, assume yourself in a real-world environment (as a manager, consultant or a supervisor)’.

The above statement was one of the major highlights of my first lecture at a reputed business school in the UK when I started my Bachelor’s degree. Among a lot of things which were new for me when I started, the aspect of critical thinking really puzzled and confused me. I knew its literal meaning, but how to think critically and how to translate that thinking on paper was the real question. I was coming from an education system, where rote learning was more encouraged and going to academic institutions was mere to complete syllabus and get good grades in exams. Achieving 90 plus percentage was considered a yardstick for success and there was no room for general abilities and skills. Alternatively, the UK education system demanded more practicality and room for new ideas. In the preliminary semesters, fewer parameters and criteria were set and we were assessed more on our quality of ideas and class discussions/ activities. As I read more and actively participated in seminars and lectures, I was able to overcome the problem by the end of Year 1.

Lack of critical thinking among students in Pakistan is among the major reason Pakistan is left behind in conducting quality research. It is evident from the dismal performance of the country’s institutions at global ranking tables such as THE (The Higher Education) and QS (Quacquarelli Symonds). Only 3 universities of Pakistan are among top 1000 of these global tables, which raises major concerns regarding the quality of education at our institutions. Furthermore, as of 2016, Pakistan’s education system has been ranked lowest on QS 2016 ranking, with an overall score of 9.2, finishing on a lower rank of 50. Comparably, India ranks 24 with 60.9 points, finishing with 30 universities in top 500 tier in the global ranking.

Quality research, all over the globe, can be defined as something that adds to the existing knowledge by identifying questions that have been empirically tested. In terms of research quality, Pakistan ranks lowest among all SAARC nations. Furthermore, highly cited papers from Pakistan are 0.01% of total research produced in the last decade.

Any discussion on the ‘Ideology of Pakistan’ is also discouraged. A state narrative is to be acknowledged. The journey from Muhammad Bin Qasim to the independence of Pakistan is muzzled and censored. Any opportunity for discussion and investigation on it can land you in serious trouble.

Often, the lack of research funding is attributed to the stagnating research quality in the country, however, that is not true. HEC allocated Rs. 41 billion (0.039bn $) in 2014, Rs. 42 billion in 2015 and a massive 91 billion Rs. (US $ 0.087bn) in 2016. In the last 10 years, Pakistan has also seen a surge in published research papers from 2000 articles in 2006 to 9000 articles in 2015. However, the increase in published papers has not improved Pakistan’s research quality globally as 70% of the research conducted is of poor quality and does not meet the global criteria.

Such grim and gloomy figures shouldn’t be surprising. It can be attributed to a culture that discourages independent and critical thinking. The society we live in is a hierarchical system, where there is nearly zero tolerance for dissent and almost no scope or opportunity for new ideas and discussions. Critical thinking thrives where people with different ideas and viewpoints can argue; where a healthy debate contributes to the betterment of the society and paves way for a more inclusive and pluralistic environment.

Read more:  Pakistan: Education can be a strategic investment

Lack of quality research and critical thinking in Pakistan can be analyzed with two of Richard Feynman’s quotes, ‘There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires a doubt.’ and, ‘I can live without doubt and uncertainty. I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing them than to have answers which might be wrong.’ Research begins with doubt and doubt leads to questioning. Questioning and doubt have been the force and reason behind the rise of various fields, and it is the thriving force of ‘investigation’ which has not halted the research prospects in numerous fields. The questioning conundrum has deeply hindered learning prospects for students and society in Pakistan. Critical thinking is non-existent because students in educational institutions are not encouraged to question, ponder and investigate. In classrooms, there is no stress on discussing new ideas, there is no place for open discussions on various topics and issues. Healthy debates take a back seat while more focus is given on covering the syllabus.

This can be justified by the study of Durkin (2008) who conducted critical research thinking skills of South Asian students who went to the UK for higher education. She concluded that these students had the tendency to agree with the teachers’ opinion and even though lectures were designed in a way that discussion and debate were encouraged; they sided with teachers’ opinion. Moreover, this behavior seems a cultural norm and instilled in pupil’s mind from an early age. This study was further endorsed by another research conducted by Shaheen (2012). She concluded that Pakistani students in the UK lacked creativity and lacked skills to think out of the box. Their writing lacked self-expression and critical thinking. A similar study, conducted by Schweber in 2010, explains his experience at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), one of the most highly ranked and reputed institution in Pakistan. He stated that students showed unfamiliarity with questions regarding their critical skills and felt perplexed and confused.

Pakistan’s education system has been ranked lowest on QS 2016 ranking, with an overall score of 9.2, finishing on a lower rank of 50. Comparably, India ranks 24 with 60.9 points, finishing with 30 universities in top 500 tier in the global ranking.

Therefore, it’s important to encourage and promote healthy debates and active thinking in class. Merely covering syllabus and subjecting students to endless drills can lead to students possessing less creativity and expression. These students can be termed as well trained, but not well educated, as they lack skills which are needed to examine various aspects and gather evidence to investigate a question. Thus, critical thinking skills lead to enhanced questioning skills and are considered to be a significant ingredient for researchers.

Teachers in institutions should be advised to encourage the act of questioning in class and build a more positive relationship with students. It would lead to lessening the communication gap and students would feel more confident in expressing themselves. Students are supposed to consider teachers as their mentors and role models, not someone they should be afraid of questioning or having a discussion with.

Furthermore, a range of topics and issues should be opened for discussion. This would enable students to observe and investigate facts with a much wider perspective. Quantitative and qualitative methods of investigation should be taught to students from secondary level. These methods are essential for research students and possessing the knowledge to do so, from an early stage, would make them more creative, expressive and proficient in these skills. Students should be taught to listen to ideas of others and prior to approving/disapproving, test it, either through observation or experimentation.

Read more:  The quality gap in Pakistan’s education system

Another pedagogy used by teachers can be through research projects and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) to enhance and develop the critical thinking skills among students. The study of Tiwari and Yuen in 2006 conducted this research on two groups of students where one was taught using lecture method while the other taught using PBL. It was concluded that students taught through PBL had more enhanced expression and critical thinking skills as compared to students taught using the lecture method.

Another major factor due to which, Pakistan has failed to produce critical thinkers is the mismanagement of education funds and its inappropriate allocation. In the FY2018, 902.7 billion was allocated for education by all governments, as compared to Rs. 776 billion last year, which shows an increase of 16.3%. However, due to underutilization in the FY2017, the budget couldn’t achieve major educational targets. Punjab and Sindh couldn’t effectively utilize their budgets and fell short by 30% and 37% respectively. In this way, Pakistan will spend 2.5% of its GDP on education, which is a slight improvement from 2.3% in 2017 but, it still fails to meet international standards.

Another dilemma is the lack of emphasis and resources for improving primary education. To produce critical thinkers, we need to train and develop the mind and skill set of our children from childhood during their primary education. Nurturing them at an early stage, teaching them the necessary problem-solving skills and the practical implications of their general abilities and skills can yield a more sensible and professional workforce in the future. At present, Pakistan only spends 13% of its education budget on Primary education while a major chunk is allocated for tertiary education. 25 million children are out of school while 65% of students already enrolled are not able to retain their education after 5th standard. Politicians are more interested in announcing the opening of new universities rather than new schools. Unless the government devises policies and initiatives to improve education at grass root level, our higher institutions will remain factories of producing unemployed graduates. These graduates will have the same specific narratives instilled in their minds regarding history, society, culture, and religion, who are highly intolerant, possess a confined mental capability and are susceptible to new horizons of thinking and development.

Similar study, conducted by Schweber in 2010, explains his experience at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), one of the most highly ranked and reputed institution in Pakistan. He stated that students showed unfamiliarity with questions regarding their critical skills and felt perplexed and confused.

Unfortunately, the HEC’s draft of vision 2025 also possess the same drawback; quite generic and functional. The draft has no mention to improve critical thinking among students and in educational institutions. The draft entails aspects such as producing more engineers, technicians, doctors, and managers of the future while having no mention of promoting open discussions, new ideas and problem-solving skills. Teachers training regarding how to respond to students’ questions in class and how to promote healthy discussion in the class is also non-existent in the draft. More emphasis has been placed on producing maximum graduates in every field while giving minimal thought to general skills and abilities.

Lack of critical thinking is not only confined to our education sector; the problem also finds its roots in the society. There are very few safe topics for discussion left in the society. Conversations among friends have shrunk drastically. Individuals refrain from expressing their sentiments and beliefs in public. The lynching of Mashal Khan is a glaring example, where merely an expression of his own beliefs took his life. A blind adherence of religious and cultural belief is expected and any criticism on questioning these beliefs is strictly prohibited. Rights of minorities are curbed, making it difficult for them to preach or exercise their beliefs. Presence of religion is ensured in all spheres of life. Religious interpretations govern economic, social, political and even personal space. Land reform debates are banned as it’s deemed un-Islamic by the Sharia court. The leadership of a woman is unacceptable, not because she is incompetent, but because religious interpretations say so. Underage marriage is not discouraged because the interpretations do not allow for it.

Read more:  Can education be decolonized in Pakistan?

Similarly, any criticism on state institutions, especially the army is also not allowed. Not only on defense and security-related issues, but also, on their influence in other domains of society – their lust for land, commercial interest from housing schemes to cereal manufacturers, interests in banking and insurance, their active role in Pakistan’s politics, missing persons, the Baluchistan issue and their efforts to curb freedom of expression by harassing journalists.

Thus, the system is bent on producing dummies and people with state-engineered narratives, who can be easily convinced and led to any direction, and made to believe any account or story, which the state wants them to believe.

In this regard, a collective effort is needed, and drastic changes are needed in state policies and our education system. To promote critical thinking, it needs to be implemented within all realms of society. Without effective implementation within the society, it’s hard to expect positive changes in higher education..

Taimoor Khan has completed his Masters in Business Administration (Global Business) from Coventry University, England. His bachelors in Business management is from University of Bedfordshire, England. He has a keen interest in domestic and global affairs. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space’s editorial policy.

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Daily Times

Your right to know Sunday, August 25, 2024

Critical Thinking in Pakistan: The Path to Educational Reform and Societal Progress

Dr. Muhammad Fahim Khan Jadoon

June 15, 2024

In the modern world, busy with the actively evolving in the 21st century, the question of critical thinking is highly relevant for people, groups and societies. It allows one to think critically, make logical conclusions, and come up with sound decisions. Since education, especially in schools and universities, is essential in the development of a country like Pakistan, it becomes significant to encourage critical thinking. However, the reasoning skill, which is a crucial component of Celt’s philosophy, goes largely unrecognized in the context of educational practices in Pakistan on account of rote methods and memorization, which are the more pervasive and dominant pedagogical approaches combined with overemphasis on the testing culture. This paper aims to review the current scenario of critical thinking in Pakistan: its advantages and measures required to improve the incorporation of critical thinking in educational context.

Pakistan’s education system faces challenges such as a lack of school buildings and infrastructure, inadequately qualified teachers and a teaching-learning process that focuses primarily on rote learning rather than comprehension. This practice of rote learning entails students memorizing information primarily regarding facts and figures without understanding the fundamentals. This suppresses innovation and analysis, hence preparing the students ineffectively for real-life challenges.

Actually, critical thinking is not about questioning others but is a holistic approach to problem-solving and decision-making. It involves Analysis, Evaluation, Inference, Explanation, and Self-regulation. These skills help individuals in their daily lives, specifically their careers, and in the functioning of democracy. These factors are more topical in a country such as Pakistan, given the numerous social, economic, and political issues. This critical thinking ability enables an individual to analyze problems and arrive at reasonable solutions, taking into consideration the possible solutions and their implications. This is especially true when it comes to solving problems in the workplace since these processes largely presuppose critical thinking. Critical thinking helps individuals involved in decision-making processes make well-thought-out decisions with less bias. It is an essential skill in practically all areas of professional activity and in everyday life since the consequences of decisions vary.

This makes critical thinkers able to express their ideas in a logical and convincing manner, as communication is crucial in everyone’s life. This is particularly the case when explaining the basis for arriving at a conclusion and illustrating the evidence in both writing and speaking. Though critical thinking is connected with accurate data analysis, it also has a positive impact on creativity because it teaches people to look at things from different perspectives and come up with hitherto unthought-of solutions to problems. Critical thinking is an asset in an age where people are often fed half-truths and unadulterated falsehoods; hence, being able to dissect the received information and questioning its validity reduces the chance of the population falling for a particular political agenda.

To integrate critical thinking into Pakistan’s educational system, several steps need to be taken: To integrate crucial thinking into Pakistan’s educational system, several steps need to be taken:

The current curriculum needs to be modified, and it must place more emphasis on knowledge rather than cramming. This can be done by asking many questions that have no right or wrong answers, carrying out projects, and utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, whereby students will be able to relate what they are learning in class to other topics being taught.

Teaching and learning involve many areas of a student’s life, and the teacher is responsible for nurturing the student’s critical thinking skills. Lecture and practical courses should be initiated to enhance teachers’ thinking abilities and introduce them to techniques that may be employed in the classroom setting.

The scientific types of assessments that require memorization should be accompanied by the assessments that promote critical thinking. These can be essays, assignments and oral group works, which require the students to express their analytical and evaluative skills.

It is important for students to be encouraged and allowed to argue about issues and seek opinions from different standpoints. This may be carried out through discussions, debates and the Socratic method, where the student is directed to start questioning his or her premises and gain further insight into the topic.

In my experience and through research, I understand that technology is very helpful in the development of critical thinking skills. Computer programs that solve problems facilitate virtual classes, and involve students in critical thinking activities also reduce pollution levels by enhancing the learners’ learning experiences. Therefore, integrating critical thinking within the Pakistani Educational system has its own difficulties. Standardization is another major challenge that continues to favor test preparation to the extent that memorization takes precedence over analysis. To alter this situation, a change in the policies and paradigms of education is required, with an introduction to the importance of critical thinking. It is herein recommended that there is a need to reform the competencies encompassed in the educational policies and that critical thinking be included among them. This calls for the use of collective effort between teachers, policymakers as well as relevant stakeholders to develop a curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking. Education reform is relevant and largely dependent on the parents’ and community’s support. Schools should involve parents by providing training forums and pertinent materials that assist them in fostering critical thinking at home. Reasonable provision has to be made to schools to enable them to off-fund critical thinking programs. This encompasses expenses for teacher professional development, lesson plan design, and the adoption and application of technology in the learning process. It is important to work on reinforcing the learners’ agency and questioning. This will entail a social change, which will ensure that people realize that education is not about accumulating information but about the methods used to acquire it.

Since Pakistan is struggling to cope with the outcomes of the modern world, the requirements for specific thinking skills will definitely increase as time passes. The generation is yet to come across formidable problems that will call for out-of-the-box and well-researched solutions. To that end, ensuring that critical thinking remains a prominent component of Pakistani education can help students not only gain the tools and knowledge necessary for an individual’s success and fulfillment in life but also become valuable members of society.

Therefore, on the basis of the facts presented in this paper, it is possible to assert that critical thinking, as one of the key components of education, should be at the center of educational processes in Pakistan. Reasoning helps the person to overcome the challenges of the modern world, make the right decisions, and solve problems. By introducing critical thinking into the curriculum, being a part of Pakistan’s educational framework, and developing an environment that is conducive to analysis, evaluation and reflection, students will be prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Now is the time for action to make effective training of critical thinking skills a central component of education at all levels.

The author, a seasoned professional in the field of education (Political Science), holds the esteemed position of Director of ORIC and is an Assistant Professor at the Department of International Relations, MY University, Islamabad.

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Lack of critical thinking skills leading to research crisis in developing countries: A case of Pakistan

2017, Learned Publishing

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• DOI: 10.1002/leap.1091
• Corpus ID: 30328821

Lack of critical thinking skills leading to research crisis in developing countries: A case of Pakistan

• Sarwat Nauman
• Published in Learned Publishing 1 July 2017
• Economics, Education, Political Science

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Critical Thinking Crisis in Pakistan: Causes and Consequences

The Kashmir Pulse

Pakistan has an unconditionally rich history of producing intellectuals and critical thinkers, who have contributed significantly to the country’s development and progress. However, in recent years, there has been a gradual decline in critical thinking in Pakistan, which is a matter of great concern.

The demise of critical thinkers in Pakistan is a multifaceted problem that has several causes. Before digging deep enough into the causes, I would explain what critical thinking is: The ability to critically analyse and assess data, claims, and arguments in order to reach informed conclusions or judgements is known as critical thinking. It entails challenging presumptions, taking into account other viewpoints, and determining the accuracy and relevance of the evidence.

One of the main outstanding reasons for the demise of critical thinkers in Pakistan is the quality of the education system. The education system in Pakistan is outdated, and it does not encourage critical and rational thinking, which is a significant factor in building one’s successful future.

The focus is primarily on rote learning, memorization, and regurgitation of information. As a result, students are not taught how to analyze information, think critically, and come up with substantiated and logical conclusions. Dissent and rational thinking are no longer encouraged in universities, colleges and schools. This lack of critical thinking skills is evident in various spheres of life in Pakistan, including politics, media, and business.

Another factor leading to the demise of critical thinkers in Pakistan is the lack of intellectual discourse. There is a prevalent culture of intolerance towards divergent views and ideas, and this is particularly evident on social media platforms. People who express their views on various issues are often subjected to trolling, abuse, and even threats of violence. This culture of intolerance discourages critical thinking, as people become reluctant to express their opinions and ideas for fear of being targeted or being mocked.

The media also plays a pivotal role in moulding public opinion and promoting cognitive thought processes. However, the media landscape in Pakistan is highly polarized, and the majority of the media outlets are biased towards a particular political party or ideology. This bias is sheer apparent in the coverage of news and events, where information is often distorted or manipulated to suit a particular narrative. Accordingly, people are not exposed to differing viewpoints, and critical thinking is discouraged to a greater extent.

Furthermore, the political environment in Pakistan is also a major contributor to the dwindling scope of critical thinking. Political parties often resort to populist rhetoric, making false and impetuous promises and presenting simplistic solutions to complex problems, which render unresolved, creating more woes for the masses. This style of politics does not encourage critical thinking or wise decision-making.

Moreover, political parties often use propaganda and misinformation to influence public opinion, which further undermines critical thinking. In addition, there is a general lack of appreciation and plaudits for intellectual pursuits and critical thinking in Pakistan. Intellectuals and critical thinkers are often exceedingly marginalized and considered irrelevant or labelled as “psycho”.

The education system, the media, and the political culture, all conduce to this marginalization. Hence, there is too little incentive for people to pursue intellectual pursuits, and critical thinking is not valued.

The demise of critical thinkers in Pakistan has far-reaching consequences. It has resulted in a lack of innovation, creativity, poor decision-making, and paucity of progress in various spheres. The absence of critical thinking has also contributed to the perpetuation of social and economic inequalities, as people are less equipped to analyze and challenge the status quo.

To tackle this problem, there is an acute need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders. The reforms must be brought into the education system, with a greater emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

The media needs to be more objective and unbiased and diverse viewpoints should be encouraged. The political culture must be revolutionized, with politicians promoting informed decision-making and engaging in constructive and fruitful debate. Finally, there needs to be greater appreciation for intellectual pursuits and critical thinking, with the media and the public recognizing the contributions of intellectuals and critical thinkers.

To conclude, the demise of critical thinkers in Pakistan is a daunting challenge that requires urgent attention. The education system, the media, the political culture, and the public all have an essential role to play in coping with this problem.

By promoting critical thinking and intellectual pursuits, Pakistan can overcome the challenges it faces and move towards a brighter future. It can head towards catastrophic front, if it’s too late.

Written by The Kashmir Pulse

Uncover untold stories with The Kashmir Pulse. Bold journalism. Authentic insights. Amplifying unheard voices. Every word resonates. Every pulse reveals truth.

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Education system in Pakistan not developing critical thinking in students, lament academics

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E-Paper | August 25, 2024

Lack of critical thinking.

THE base of knowledge stems from inquiry and dissent. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s education system is wary of both. Rote learning, copy-pasting, and adherence to norms has been the established way to success. This has lead to a plethora of second-hand knowledge, and want of homegrown solutions.

Recently, we have been hearing of the China model and Dr Mahathir’s economic reforms as a solution for Pakistan’s problems from our prime minister.

One comes to think of the socialist model we once followed that led to the collapse of our industry. The countries which succeeded in solving their problems didn’t follow other models but developed their own solutions.

Then there is the fact that Pakistan has different education systems for the privileged and poor class. But even those who get a better education — with all the facilities and opportunities than most of Pakistan’s population — have a dearth of ideas. The discouragement to question and shackles on dissent creates a cramming culture, where students feed on notes instead of thinking critically. To imagine that we are heading towards progress is living in a fool’s paradise.

Unless the base of students is strengthened with critical thinking abilities, no scholarships, hefty funds, and skill development programmes can change the future of our nation.

We have tried almost all of the ideas and solutions out there. It is time we learn to disagree (but) with logic, so that we can develop our very own solutions for our (very own) problems.

Muhammad Qasim Zia

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2020

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If leadership is devoid of critical thinking and analytical skills…

There is no short cut to becoming a vibrant state. The struggle for success is a long one, which must be led by leaders possessing critical thinking and analytical mindset. If a country is becoming a failed state where rule of law and governance are non-existent, it means the ruling elites are unable to critically and analytically evaluate their failures. Reading from history with an open mind and developing skills for pragmatic decision-making with clarity, analytical skills and critical thinking can be major characteristics for a successful leadership having capability to manage a crisis situation.

When national assets like PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan Railways are inflicting losses running into billions of rupees annually, it means the leadership responsible for running such institutions is devoid of analysing critically the reasons which degenerated these national assets. When billions of dollars of payments are made to Independent Power Projects (IPPs) at the expense of electricity consumers, it means there is something critically wrong with decision-makers.

If a country’s leadership is imbed with hardwork, intelligence, integrity, clarity, wisdom, courage, analytical skills and critical mindset, a fragile and failing state can be turned into an economic powerhouse. When a country’s educational system is rotten, dismal and inefficient, expecting it to produce a dynamic leadership is a utopian idea.

Pakistan’s predicament, since its inception, has resulted from failures due to feudal, bureaucratic, conservative, corrupt and inefficient leaders with lack of focus to deal with issues which have caused crises in economy, governance, rule of law, foreign policy and politics. Major national tragedies — like the assassination of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, the separation of East Pakistan, military takeover in 1958, 1969, 1977 and 1999, Ojhri camp disaster of April 1988, Kargil crisis of 1999, loss of J&K following the August 5, 2019 revocation of article 370 of the Indian constitution — means the leadership which governed Pakistan lacked skills and strategic foresight to deal with issues causing harm to the national interest.

Countries like China, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, the UAE and Turkey transformed their failures into successes by focusing on economic development, better governance, rule of law, quality education and political stability, thanks to a capable leadership.

When the ruling elites are oblivious of severe economic challenges and bow to IMF dictates, passing the huge budgetary losses to taxpayers, it means they lack analytical skills to understand why the currency value, per capita income and economic growth rate have plunged. Questioning and reasoning are fundamental characteristics of a vibrant leadership which efficiently uses human resource to pull the country from economic stagnation, political instability, bad governance, failed educational system and breakdown of rule of law.

Dr Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State and an iconic political scientist, in his path-breaking book, Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy (UK, Penguin Books, 2022), gives a vivid account of leadership which can cause miracles and lead to success from failure. According to Kissinger, “Any society, whatever its political system, is perpetually in transit between a past that forms its memory and a vision of the future that inspires its evolution. Along this route, leadership is indispensable: decisions must be made, trust earned, promises kept, a way forward proposed.” Furthermore, according to him, “within human institutions — states, religions, armies, companies, schools — leadership is needed to help people reach from where they are to where they have never been and, sometimes, can scarcely imagine going, Without leadership, institutions drift, and nations court growing irrelevance and ultimately, disaster.”

Inspiration from the writings of Dr Kissinger about the importance and role of leadership and its command over history along with analytical skills is a fundamental reality. An educated and a knowledge friendly society is an asset for the leadership, whereas if the society is illiterate, stagnant with state actors unable to lead their people in positive direction, it may cause national tragedies. The six case studies of leadership analysed by Dr Kissinger in his aforementioned book — those of former West German Chancellor Kurt Adenauer, former French President Charles de Gaulle, former American President Richard Nixon, former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew and, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — contained major characteristics of leadership which enabled them to leave a positive mark on world history.

How can the leadership in Pakistan, which has pushed the country into a perpetual state of crisis, chaos and disorder, transform for the better? One can figure out three major essential requirements for a vibrant leadership.

First, revamping educational system is essential in order to ensure free, compulsory and quality education from primary to high school. When schoolchildren are trained to develop their analytical skills and critical thinking, it will help the country in building a generation which is not mediocre or below mediocre but has excellent leadership qualities. When 26 million children of Pakistan are out of school and only a minor segment of students have access to quality education, it is bound to cause frustration, chaos and unemployment. Leadership with vision, caliber, integrity, intelligence and hardwork will make a difference in running the country and its institutions with better planning and ownership.

Second, the elites of Pakistan, who are the beneficiaries of the prevailing corrupt and inefficient system and have their interests outside the country, will oppose revamping of educational system, better governance and rule of law. As a result, one is bound to see augmentation of anger, antagonism and frustration particularly among the youths. Backbreaking price hike and unemployment are compelling the youth to seek legal and illegal methods to migrate from the country. Saner elements among the elites must take notice of the grim situation so that hope and optimism can replace pessimism and gloom.

Finally, it is about time for the youth of this country to give up on the ruling elites, who continue to let them down, and focus on seeking knowledge by enhancing their reading habit, analytical skills and critical thinking so as to secure a better future of their country.

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