Draft Provincial Report Punjab

Citizens Speak
Provincial Report of Policy Consultations On Eighteenth Amendments and implantation issues Public Spending On Education Conducted and Compiled By: Civil Society Support Programme
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(Punjab, June 2010)
Address: 144-AA, Block-A, R.E.C.H.S. Johar Town, Lahore Phone: 092-42-36130278; Email: bilal.naqeeb@gmail.com Web: www.cssp.org.pk
Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 3 6 6 12 18 24 29 36 43
3. POLICY CONSULTATIONS 3.1 Bahwalpur . 3.2 D.G. Khan . 3.3 Gujrat . 3.4 Jhang . 3.5 Lahore . 3.6 Multan . 3.7 Rahimyar Khan .
ACRONYMS
BISE CSSP DCO D.G. Khan DMA GDP HEC IUB JI JUI (F) LG LGS MNA MPA NA NFE NWFP PEC PM PML-N PPPP PTA SDPD TMA UC UNDP Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Civil Society Support Programme District Coordination Officer Dera Ghazi Khan District Municipal Administration Gross Domestic Production Higher Secondary Education Islamia University Bahawalpur Jamaat-e-Islami Jamiat-ul-Ulama-e-Islam (Fazl ur Rehman) Local Government Local Government System Member of National Assembly Member of Provincial Assembly National Assembly Non Formal Education North West Frontier Province Primary Education Commission Prime Minister Pakistan Muslim League-N Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian Parent Teacher Association Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development Tahsil Municipal Administration Union Council United Nations Development Programme
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Civil Society Support Programme The Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP) emerged as a response to the challenges facing civil society of Pakistan with regards to the fight against poverty, social injustice, and governance issues in Pakistan. CSSP is aimed at meaningful engagement of civil society in the socio-economic and democratic development in Pakistan. This is going to be achieved by diversifying the efforts of different stakeholders including youth, civil society organizations, media persons, academia, researchers, lawyers, trade unions, and elected representatives through lobbying and advocacy for policy reforms and implementation. CSSP is working in following programme areas: Capacity Building for economic empowerment Supporting Civil Society initiatives/ Networks Promotion of Civic Education Youth Development and Environment as Cross Cutting Themes
Current Projects: A two-year programme titled Voices of New Generation has been launched to promote the active political participation of youth from Punjab and Sindh in public affairs. It will strengthen the capacity of youth organizations to engage in advocacy and awareness-raising on social, economic, and political issues. Considering the emerging need of mid- level and small NGOs/ Community Based Organizations and other development institutions, Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP) initiated Institutional Development Network (IDN) to provide technical assistance to community institutions for organizational development and capacity building. The main purpose of this net work is to provide a platform to the member organizations for regular interactions and getting technical support from the IDN expert team and consultants. This will also help the member institutions in creating networking and linkages opportunities for its member organizations to interact with the support organizations and donors for getting their assistances in different community development interventions. 1.2 Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development (SDPD) This project was brought into being to provide technical support to the Parliament of Pakistan. Getting regular updates and technical assistance is something all good organizations, including parliaments, have to do. Realizing this, the Pakistani Parliament asked the United Nations Development Programme and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to provide the technical support. As a result, Parliamentarians orientation and staff training have become some of the vital services that Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development, or SDPD, is providing. The project has six components:
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1. Improving the organizational structures of the Secretariats of both Houses. 2. Strengthening legislative functions of Parliament through enhanced lawmaking skills, improved procedures and adequate staff support. 3. Strengthening procedures to promote more effective oversight and legislative scrutiny by the Senate and the National Assembly. 4. Improving parliamentary information services for the Senate and the National Assembly, the media and the public. 5. Improving the participation of women Members in all activities of both Houses, ie, both the quality and the frequency of their participation. 6. Strengthening mechanisms for regular and productive interaction between civil society and the Parliament. SDPD plans to incorporate the input of the primary stakeholders, the broader civil society, the local government representatives and the provincial legislators as the implementer. The consultations and dialogues made under this initiative are expected to make the body of information fed into Parliamentarians Orientation Programme in order not only to consolidate their representation role, but their oversight and legislation roles as well. Hence, the capacity enhancement of the parliamentarians and the parliament as a whole. 1.3 Policy Consultations Under Citizens Speak Programme: CSSP in partnership with SDPD planed and conducted debate on following areas / issues of public policy: 1. 18th Amendment Package and its Implantation Issues 2. Education Services in Pakistan The consultations were carried out in following selected districts of Punjab. S.No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. District Bahwalpur Dera Ghazi Khan Gujrat Jhang Lahore Multan Rahimyar Khan 18th Amendment 29 June 2010 29 June 2010 22 June 2010 23 June 2010 26 June 2010 27 June 2010 30 June 2010 Education Spending 30 June 2010 28 June 2010 21 June 2010 24 June 2010 28 June 2010 28 June 2010 28 June 2010
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2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Following are the key points of discussions and recommendation made in both consultative dialogues: Issue 1: 18th Amendment and its implementation issues In general, the consensus of political parties on 18th amendment was highly appreciated. It is being considered a major milestone in the political history and struggle for strengthening democracy in Pakistan. The continuity of democracy in Pakistan is associated with the accomplishment of promises made in the amendment. The parliament is suggested to constitute a committee to ensure the smooth implementation of the amendment in a specified timeframe. Specific comments are as follows:

Repealing of 17th amendment is seen as victory of the democratic institutions and a blocking of the dictators and their allies. Across Punjab, people were of the view that the recognition of the Pukhtoon identity through renaming NWFP is a very positive step that will strengthen federation. The realization for a separate administrative unit in southern Punjab is visible. The policy makers must take into account that due to increased size of the population of Pakistan, the division of provinces has to be done sooner or later so that political debates on such issues be encouraged well in time and should not be overlooked. The article 19A has been appreciated by the representatives from media institutions. There is a need to orient masses to know and exercise this right as it would make the governance transparent and accountable. The insertion of Article 25A is highly appreciated in each consultation which is about the provision of free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years. The groups have recommended the government to establish a monitoring system to ensure the smooth implementation of this law through appropriate policies. Generally, the groups had positive feedback on the addition of the Article 38(g) but they were of the view that the continuity of such practices would be challenging which may ensure that the provinces in all federal services under the control of the Federal Government shall be secured. The amendment has resolved the issue of the balance of power between the President and Prime Minister but in reality, the presence of a party head in Presidency cannot allow the parliamentary system to flourish in its true spirit. The power at present is remained with Zardari regardless of the amendment made. Some of the participants shared their views that the reserved seats for women and minorities should be filled through direct elections rather than the nomination from party leadership. It strengthens the hold of the selected families on the governance of Pakistan. The retaining of the additions to Articles 62 and 63 made by Gen. Ziaul Haq despite being repudiated by democratic opinion many times are seen as a compromise by the committee working on 18th amendment.
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While proposing a new text for Article 91 (The Cabinet), the committee has deemed it prudent to retain the provision that a person who is not a member of the National Assembly can be a minister for six months. This is in contradiction to Article 92(1) that declares that ministers will be chosen only from amongst the members of parliament. The only explanation can be a desire to keep a minister in office if he loses his parliamentary seat subsequent to his becoming a minister on the basis of parliaments membership. Democratic opinion is unlikely to approve of this deviation from the principle of accountability. Majority of the participants supported the process of judges selection defined in the 18th amendment and said that it must be accepted by all beyond their personal interests. Some of the participants suggested that the political leadership should handle the issues of the appointment of the judges carefully as well as ensure its independence and neutrality. It is still a gray area that needs attention of the parliament. The Article 140A has to be implemented at earliest possible. The local government system directly deals with the matters of public affairs, thus, it must be effectively governed by the elected leadership of local communities. Any further delay will negatively affect on provision of services as well as setting and planning future priorities. The benefits of the governance system must be reached out to the marginalized groups. Referring to the Article 156 regarding formation of National Economic Council, it says that the President shall nominate one member from each Province on the recommendation of the Government of that Province. The 18th amendment has removed the words on the recommendation of the Government of that Province. Now it allows Prime Minister to appoint 4 other members of the council. It is a step towards centralization and diminishing the participation of provincial governments in the matters of handling national economics. Some of the participants were of the opinion that lifting the ban on to be the third time Prime Minister or Chief Minister immediately favors to the leadership of PML (N) and it may establish the hold of such individuals on the political system of Pakistan. We should also consider that the members have also reversed the condition for intra-party elections which is another threat to the democratic system of Pakistan. Article 243 encourages the harmony among President and Prime Minister for the nominations of service chiefs which is a good move to avoid conflicts among heads of governance institutions. Another compromise is made in the proposed amendment to Article 232 by adding a proviso which states that in case, an emergency is imposed on the ground of internal disturbances beyond the powers of a provincial government to control, a resolution of the provincial assembly concerned will be necessary. It negates the previous stance of the parties that an emergency can be imposed only in the event of an external threat to the states integrity. The committee did not go that far and, quite amazingly, succeeded in securing consensus on a recommendation that makes imposition of emergency on the grounds of internal disturbances well-nigh impossible.
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Issue 2: Public Spending on Education Education policy should be revised in order to implement a new Article 25A introduced in 18th Amendment. The policy development and review processes must engage highly qualified academicians and senior teachers from each level. The difference of living conditions and environment of rural and urban must be considered. As committed in the recent Education policy, 7% of the total budget should be allocated and productively utilized. Use of information technologies must be encouraged. Computer education must be compulsory at secondary level. Attractive packages and recognition of highly qualified teachers must be introduced. Additional benefits should be introduced for the appointments in remote areas i.e. residential facilities and special allowances. Additional funds should be allocated to set up and maintain libraries in each school and reading culture through different activities be promoted. Madarassas must be regulated as regular schools and the compensation to the teachers should be done accordingly. The members of the parliament must participate in the monitoring of their respective constituencies so that issues be resolved on time. Merit system should be restored rather than entry test which is being used for the exploitation of eligible students. There is a need to introduce a system where the enrolment of children at the age of three-years can be started. The technical education should be the part of regular schooling. Teachers should be trained on new teaching methodologies and skills. It needs to be done on regular basis through setting up training institutions at district level. Availability of teachers in each school must be ensured. Transport facilities should be provided in remote areas for both teachers and schools. Education on health and hygiene should be arranged through revision of syllabus. The curriculum must be designed to accommodate the needs of minorities children for ethical education.
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3.1 District Bahawalpur 3.1.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(29 June 2010, Lataska Resturant, Bahawalpur) Speakers: 1. Malik Habibullah Bhutta 2. Mr. Hussan Ahmad Madni. 3. Mr. Hafeez Qaser, President Society for Democracy and Human Development 4. Mr. Saleem Bhatti, Secretary Information, Pakistan Peoples Party Bahawalpur 5. Abdul Jalil Hashmi, Naib Ameer, Jamat-e-Islami 6. Sheikh Abbas Raza, Renowned Social and Political Activist 7. Mr. Jamshid Karim Khan, Chief organizer, AWO 8. Dr. Sajjad Ahmad Parracha Assistant professor, The Isalamia university Bahawalpur
Moderator:
Participants: 46 (42 men, 04 women) Detailed Description of proceedings: The event started with recitation from Holy Quran by Hafiza Ammara Fayyaz, a student of Social Work Department of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB). Mr.Jamshed Karim Khan explaining the objectives of the seminar said that UNDP has set a desk for citizens to express their opinion on different political issues. The purpose of the discussion is to collect peoples opinion on 18th Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan which will be shared with decision and policy making institutions. Dr. Sajjad Ahmad Paracha, Assistant Professor, Department of Media Studies (IUB) delivered the opening remarks. He updated the participants with the history of the amendments made in the constitution. During 1985 and 2002, the military dictators tried to justify their rule through 8th and 17th Amendments respectively. The 18th Amendment has reversed all such acts except those pertaining to the size of the present assemblies. The procedure of the appointment of judges of Supreme Court and High Courts is an addition in the 1973 Constitution through this Amendment. Mr. Syed Hafeez Qaiser said that the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan was a consensus constitution in which the people were given right to elect their representatives. In 1977 and 1999 the military generals captured the power by overthrowing the political governments but no punishment was given to any abettor for subversion of constitution rather the courts assented to such unconstitutional acts. The 18th Amendment has ensured through article 6 that
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an act of high treason shall not be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and a High Court. It will secure the constitution to be tempered by the dictators in future. Mr. Saleem Bhatti addressing the forum said that 1956 and 1962 Constitutions were enforced by the establishment but in 1973, the constitution promulgated by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was a consensus constitution of all the political parties. Different In 2007 Benazir Bhutto promised in party manifesto that all such amendments will be removed from the constitution. It has been accomplished through 18th amendment and the parliamentary system has been restored in its true spirit. Mr. Jaleel Hashimi said that JI boycotted the 2008 elections which were held under General Musharaf but JI Senator Prof. Khurshed Ahmad was one of the member of the Constitution Committee, thus, JI fully own the 18th Amendment. He said that amendments related to the appointment of Chairman Public Service Commission, Chief Election Commissioner and provincial autonomy were incorporated on the demand of JI. We also stressed to give more importance in 18th Amendment to the Senate of Pakistan. He further said that the defection clause gives more power to party heads. The change of nomenclature from NWFP to Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa has created the issues of law and order in Hazara region. Mr.Malik Imtiaz said that there are five units on the basis of language and culture in Pakistan. 80 million peoples of the country speak Saraiki, but the constitution committee has violated the fundamental rights of Saraiki speaking by not declaring Saraiki as a separate unit. The parliamentary committee in its recommendations to the National Assembly has suggested that Balochistan should be considered a province having bi-lingual entities and rights of the people of both the languages i.e. Balochi and Pashto be ensured in all respect but this has not been ensured in case of other provinces where more than one cultural and lingual entities dwell, which is gross violation of basic human rights. As per constitution two-third majority of a provincial assembly is needed for any change in the territory of a province which is impossible. This clause was incorporated in the constitution during General Zia regime. The constitutional committee by not removing this anomaly has put question mark on its vitality. He further said that parliament was given the nomenclature of Majlis-e-Shoora during General Zia regime, which is unconstitutional and it should be omitted because Majlis-e-Shoora is considered to be only a consultative body whereas a parliament is an independent institution and all the other institutions function under the parliament. Referring to the points being raised in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the 18 th Amendment, there are chances of 19th amendment, he predicted. Mr.Malik Habibullah said that the case of 18th Amendment is before Supreme Court of Pakistan therefore he would not comment on a matter which is sub judice. Mr. Muhammad Akram Nasir said that 29-members constitutional committee was not having a single woman or non-Muslim member; therefore it may not be called as representative. Mr.Javed Bodla advocate said that 18th Amendment gives a formal procedure for appointments of judges of Supreme Court and High Courts, which is yet under consideration in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and we should be hopeful for the best for all the stakeholders. Recommendations:
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The president of Pakistan must not be a head of any political party otherwise the parliamentary system cannot function properly. A separate unit of Sariaki speaking areas mostly in southern Punjab must be declared. The provincial status of Bahawalpur should be reinstated. Language and culture should be considered to establish more provinces. Mr.Saleem Channar said that feudal lords have hegemony in democratic system in Pakistan. Mr.Umer Farooq , city reporter of daily Waqt Lahore, said that million of rupees incurred on the members of national and provincial assemblies but what they are doing for the benefit of general public, he posed a question.
Mr.Jamshed Karim Khan thanked all the participants for their valuable comments and thought provoking discussion on 18th Amendment. Lunch was served at the end of seminar.
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3.1.2 Public Spending on Education

(30 June 2010, Lataska Resturant, Bahawalpur) Speakers: 1. Farooq Umer Khan, Educationist 2. Qamaruddin, Principal, S.A. High School, Ahmedpur Sharqia 3. Hafiz Athar Khan, Assistant Professor Islamia University, Bahwalpur 4. Naseem Jaffery, Senior Educationist, Director 5. Ms. Naseem Mansoor, EDO-Education 6. Mr. Jamshid Karim Khan, Chief organizer, AWO 7. Dr. Syed Musawar Hussain Bukhari, Assistant professor, The Isalamia university Bahawalpur
Moderator:
Participants: 55 (30 men, 25 women) Detailed Description of proceedings: The event started with recitation from Holy Quran followed by a round of introduction. Mr.Jamshed Karim Khan explaining the objectives of the seminar said that UNDP has set a desk for citizens to express their opinion on different political issues. The purpose of the discussion is to collect peoples opinion on Public Spending on Education Sector in Pakistan which will be shared with decision and policy making institutions. Dr. Muswar Hussain delivered the opening remarks. He said that the concept of education system was first introduced by Greece scholars. A comprehensive systems were suggested by Plato, Aristotle and their followers. The education system functions as the backbone of the state as it affects all state institutions through producing human resources and knowledge. The state must consider it on the top of its priorities. Farooq Umer Khan appreciated the education policy 2009. He said although it requires some improvements but it addresses most of the issues. This is the thirteenth education policy compiled by the ministry. Now we should move ahead for its successful implementation otherwise it will be an endless debate. Mr. Qamaruddin analyzed the issue in gender perspective. He told that gender disparity is affected due to increasing extremism resulting into comparatively low enrolment in rural and northern areas of Pakistan. He said that the government will have to pay extra attention and allocate additional resources to bring equality in boys and girls education. Hafiz Athar Khan said that it is the time to develop and agree long term plan of action by each political party so that we can achieve meaningful results over the period of time. We have to first strengthen our roots through achieving 100% primary education with quality. It will be followed by a second phase of technological oriented secondary and higher education which will be the foundation of our economic prosperity. He warned that without investing in research
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we can never keep up with the rest of the world. A continuous effort is needed if we are serious with the country and the nation. Naseem Jaffery showed his concerns regarding the rapid changes in education policies and uneven flow of funds for the development and maintenance of infrastructure and negligence towards the improvement of the quality of education. He said that without having continuity and the comprehensive planning and implementation, issues cannot be properly addressed. Ms. Naseem Mansoor, EDO-Education, appreciated the efforts of UNDP and the organizers for providing a platform to debate issues and learn their solutions through collective discussions. She said that there is a need to bring all key stakeholders in partnership for the implementation of education policy and local level planning. She further said that without a continuous coordination we can never assess our actual deficiencies as well as requirements of resources. After sharing of views by the panelists, Mr. Muswar Hussain thanked to all speakers for their valuable inputs and opened the floor for discussion. The discussion was then summarized in the form of mutually agreed recommendations. Recommendations: The education must be declared the on the top of all priorities by the government. Rather than playing around with policies again and again, there is a need to develop a concrete plan of action for the implementation of the policy. It can be refined as and when needed based on learning. A strategy to be developed to respond the issue of increasing gender disparity due to extremism in Pakistan. EMIS must be maintained in each district to bring transparency and for effective management.
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PICTURES OF DISTRICT BAHAWALPUR
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3.2 District Dera Ghazi Khan 3.2.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(29th June 2010, Pakeeza Hotel, D.G.Khan) Speakers: 1. Malik Muhammad Iqbal Saqib, Advocate President District Bar Association 2. Syed Abdul Aleem Shah, District President, PML (Q), D.G. Khan 3. Mr. Bahram Khan Buzdar, Advocate, City President, PPP, D.G. Khan 4. Muhammad Aslam Khan Chandia, Advocate, City President, Jamiat Ulma-ePakistan, D.G.Khan 5. Maulana Jamal Abdul Nasir, Member Central General Council, Jamiat Ulmae-Islam (Fazl-ur-Rehman) 7. Syed Sajjad Hussain Naqvi, President Al-Asar Development Organization 8. Mr. Iftikhar Rasool, Media Consultant 9. Mr. Faiz Rasool Khan Lakhozai, Social Activist
Moderator:
Participants: 70 (55 men, 15 women) Detailed Description of proceedings: The event was started with the recitation from Holy Quran and followed by the round of introduction. Syed Sajjad Hussain Naqvi shared the objectives of consultation as well as briefly highlighted the related issues in order to set the framework for discussions. While expressing his views on the issues of 18th amendment, he appreciated the inclusion f a new article 25A which is about the provision of free education to all children at secondary level. Malik Muhammad Iqbal Saqib appreciated the joint efforts of all parties to bring and pass 18th amendment unanimously. The spirit must be continued till the governance systems are strengthened and start producing results in the form of improved social and economic conditions of the poor people of this country. He said that number of positive steps have been taken which will have great impact in years to come if it is successfully implemented. For example, recognition of the rights of access to information with help make the system transparent and accountable. He supported the process of judges selection defined in the constitution and said that it must be accepted by all beyond their personal interests. Similarly, he was of the view that balance of power between President and Prime Minister has been achieved and it should be continued without any disturbance in future. Syed Abdul Aleem Shah appreciated that the local government system has been retained. During last two phases, the system has been fully tested and now people are familiar with. The government must ensure the timely implementation of 140-A and commencement of new elections for local government. Analyzing the restoration of article 243, he was of the opinion
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that lifting the ban on to be the third time Prime Minister or Chief Minister may establish the hold of individuals on political system of Pakistan. We should also consider that the members have also reversed the condition for intra-party elections which is another threat to the democratic system of Pakistan. Mr. Bahram Khan Buzdar appreciated the reforming the constitution was long overdue. It is a major milestone achieved by the parliament. The consensus on National Finance Commission (NFC) Award is a positive sign of provincial autonomy and the begning of the decentralization of the power from centre to provinces. Muhammad Aslam Khan Chandia appreciated the recognition of Pukhtoon identity by changing the name of the province. He said that it will be an opportunity for the recognition of other identities in years to come. In future, the number of administrative units should be increased by the division of provinces. It may improve social, economic and political situation of the southern Punjab which has been neglected at large in all walks of life. Maulana Jamal Abdul Nasir pointed out that some articles were not shared publicly for debate in time. The process initially focused on 17th amendment and then later on the scope of the committee was broadened to address many other issues. It seems that achievement of the provincial autonomy is a long term process and cannot be achieved in near future. Similarly, the presence of a party head in Presidency cannot allow the parliamentary system to flourish in its true spirit. The power will remain with Zardari regardless of the fact the powers have been transferred from President to Prime Minster. Mr. Iftikhar Rasool, representing as the monitor from Civil Society Support Programme reiterated the core objectives of the consultative workshops. He said that the exercise will inform the policy makers about peoples perspective about 18th amendment. It will help understand the ground realities so that pro-people legislation can be initiated by the federal and provincial government which will secure benefits of the poor people of Pakistan. After sharing of views by the panelists, Syed Sajjad Naqvi thanked to all speakers for their valuable inputs and opened the floor for discussion. The discussion was then summarized in the form of mutually agreed recommendations. Recommendations: Parliament must ensure its independence and sovereignty so that it can legislate propeople laws in favour of the unprivileged groups. A committee is formed to ensure that implementation of 18th amendment in its full spirit and given due to importance. The heads of the state institutions must cooperate and coordinate beyond their shortterm personal interests and ensure peace, harmony and stability for the economic development and the prosperity of Pakistan. An effective monitoring system needs to be devised that ensure that Article 25A has benefited to the children in each part of the country. The quality of education must not be undermined.
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The surplus amount of Rs. 2.5 crore previously allocated for Punjab Election Authority should be utilized in health and education sector because after 18th amendment it does not exist anymore. The Article 140A has to be implemented at earliest possible. The local government system directly deals with the matters of public affairs, thus, it must be effectively governed by the elected leadership of local communities. Any further delay will negatively affect on provision of services as well as setting and planning future priorities. The benefits of the governance system must be reached out to the marginalized groups. The debate in civil society and different think tanks must be initiated to seek options for the effective governance of the provinces including the options for having more administrative unit.
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(28th June 2010, Pakeeza Hotel, D.G. Khan) Chief Guest: 1. Prof. Muhammad Ameen-ud-Din, research Scholar (Educationst) Speakers: 2. Prof. Rasheed Ahmed Mazari, Director of Education (Colleges) and Executive Director (Literacy) 3. Prof. Doctor Najeeb Haider Malghani, Vide Principal, Government Post Graduate College. 4. Mr. Shoukat Ali Sherwani, District Education Officer (Secondary) 5. Mr. Ghualm Shabbir Qasim, Principal Government Boys High School 6. Mrs. Anjum Shehnaz, Assistant Education Officer 7. Ashraf Buzdar (Media Person) 8. Mr. Wahid Bux Jatoi, Director Information 9. Mr. Faiz Rasool Khan Lakhozai, Social Activist
Moderator:
Participants: 60 (50 men, 10 women) Detailed Description of proceedings: The event was started with the recitation from Holy Quran and followed by the round of introduction. Syed Sajjad Hussain Naqvi shared the objectives of consultation as well as briefly highlighted the related issues in order to set the framework for discussions. While expressing his views, he shared that the role of civil society organizations in promoting education and enhancing its quality has been commendable. He shared that Al Asar Development Organization conducted a survey on missing facilities and developed plan of action to improve their conditions. We engaged local government departments to regularly monitor the conditions of school and utilization of funds for their improvement. We also mobilized funding agencies who supported thirty schools to support them for the improvement of their physical infrastructure. We have observed a great potential of School Management Committees as an effective mean of management and provision of accountability. Prof. Muhammad Ameen-ud-Din shared that the overall literacy rate in D.G. Khan is 30% (male 42%, female 18%). He said that it is among lowest in the districts of Punjab. The highest is 70% in District Rawalpindi. The allocation of funds should be need based. There is a need to have more resources for the mobilization and promotion of education in the District. Prof. Rasheed Ahmed Mazari was of the opinion that the major issue is the lack of sincerity, will and insufficient institutional capacities towards improving the status of education indicators in the country. These issues cannot be resolved till increasing the government spending on education.
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Prof. Doctor Najeeb Haider Malghani said that due to rapid changes in the political culture and leadership styles in Pakistan, the continuity of a specific systems could not exercised. The policies related to public services must not be interrupted due to the change in government. Mr. Shoukat Ali Sherwani criticized the government due to its lack of commitment and seriousness towards the education. He quoted the example of the BISE, D.G. Khan who faced with a severe financial crisis in early 2010 and had requested one of its neighbouring boards to give it some money. He said the DG Khan BISE is an important education board of the province, but it is facing a deficit of Rs 167 million because it has distributed the money among position holders, especially the winners of essay writing competitions. He said the board has more than 400 employees, but no money to pay them salaries or meet other expenditure. On contacting provincial government, it was surprised to know that may other boards were suffering with the same situation. Mr. Ghualm Shabbir Qasim said that the government should not leave the matter of education to foreign funding agencies. Although initiatives in non-formal education supported by donor agencies produced some positive results but it could not be smoothly linked with public sector to ensure the sustainability of the education programme. Mrs. Anjum Shehnaz told that that due to extreme form of poverty in the district, majority of the population cannot avail and access the opportunities of quality education. The overall poor infrastructure and unhealthy environment also cause for the detachment of children with school. Such types of issues can only be addressed through an effective local government system with effective monitoring. Mr. Wahid Bux Jatoi said that an EMIS was introduced by the local government which a good to track the record but it cannot be regularly maintained. Such types of initiatives must be planned by the civil society institutions in collaboration with line departments. It may help in developing long term plans. Recommendations: The education must be declared a top most priority of the government. The allocation of public spending on education must be increased in proportion with increasing population in Pakistan. More allocation of the resources required for the promotion of education so that massive enrolment will be achieved. The flow of funds to educational institutions must be uninterruptable. The salary packages must be competitive to other fields and based on the level of qualifications so that highly skilled an committed people may be attracted to education sector. Scholl Management Committees must be strengthened on regular basis. A specified percentage of bright students from the lower and middle classes must be granted scholarships.
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PICTURES OF DISTRICT D.G. Khan
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3.3 District Gujrat 3.3.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(22 June 2010, Gujrat) Speakers: 1. Mian Imran Masood, Ex-Minister, Govt. of Punjab 2. Mr. Javed Butt Ex-president chamber of Commerce Gujrat 3. Mr. Nadeem Gujjar, general sectary youth wing PML-Q 4. Mr. Asif Saleemi, Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf 5. Mrs. Asia Farooq Butt Advocate 6. Mr. Khuram Sadiq 7. Saleem Qasim More than 60 including 15 women (Representatives of various political parties, local NGOs, lawyers and general public)
Moderator: Participants:
Detailed Description of proceedings: The event was started with the recitation from Holy Quran and followed by the round of introduction. Mr. Saleem Qasim shared the objectives of consultation as well as briefly highlighted the related issues in order to set the framework for discussions. A representative on behalf of the SDPD briefed the participants about UNDP and its project SDPD. The participants actively participated in the discussion and expressed their concern regarding constitutional reforms. They discuss in detail about inter-provincial issues, rights and good governance etc. The local print and electronic media was fully involved to cover the event. Mr. Khuram Sadiq delivers the constitutional history of Pakistan since 1956 to 2010. He gave an overview of the 18th Amendment and provided details for key points as under: Article 1: Article 19A: Change of the name from NWFP to Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa It is a new insertion in the constitution that recognizes that every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by Law. It is a new insertion in the constitution that says that state shall provide free & compulsory education to all children of the age of 5 to 16 years in such manners as may determined by Law. The President shall now dissolve the Assembly, if so advised by the Prime Minister.
Article 25A:
Article 58:
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Article 91: Article 92: Article 130:
There shall be no restriction on the number of terms for the office of the PM The total strength of the Cabinet, including Ministers of state, shall not exceed eleven percent of the total membership of the Parliament. The total strength of the provincial cabinet shall not exceed 15 members or 11% of the total membership of the PA.
Article 140A: Each province by law, establish government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representative of the local government. Article 175A: There shall be a Judicial Commission of Pakistan for the appointment of judges for the above courts. Commission shall consist of Chief Justice of Pakistan 2 most senior Judges of the SC Former CJ of SC of Pakistan or Former Judge of the SC Federal Minister of Law Attorney General of Pakistan Senior Advocate of SC nominated by Pakistan Bar Council for a term of 2 years.
After this overview, speakers reflected their opinions on the issues. Mian Imran Masood appreciated the 18th Amendment and said that now the provinces can work better for the welfare of the public of Pakistan due to increased degree of autonomy. There are number of steps have been taken which restore the confidence of provinces on federation. Mr. Javed appreciated all of committee members and preliminary who they passed 18th Amendment. He supported the initiatives of renaming of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and the Judicial Commission. He was of the view that we should not make any confrontation with new names of provinces and the matter of the appointment of Judges and let be things on their passage, for self correctness based on the experiences. There is a need to change the mindset and accept the supremacy of law which are more important then any amendment. Mr. Nadeem Gujjar, General Secretary Youth Wing (PML-Q) said that the amendment is not the solution of our problems but it is a good gesture towards democracy which is equally important for building our nation. The Stage Secretary opened the forum for discussions and encouraged the participants to share their views on the implementation on 18th Amendment. Miss. Asia Farooq condemned the dictatorship and political parties for todays poor governance of Pakistan. She said that for us as Pakistani citizens, military dictators and feudal who are leading the parties both are not acceptable. For this purpose, the amendments made under article 6 are good enough to stop the way of military dictators but reversing the condition of intra-party elections will continue grooming feudal in our political system.
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In response of a question asked by a participant about the political unrest in Hazara due to renaming of Pakhtoonkhwa, Mr. Imran was of the view that expressing the opinions and mobilizing key stakeholders to build an opinion is the part of democracy but it must remain non-violent. The pakhtoons of NWFP spent more than half century to achieve their objectives in this regard. The people of Hazara must go into democratic processes to be heard for their rights. There is always a solution for every problem but the condition is continued democratic struggle goes on. Mr. Imran was agreed that with available budget for education, it is difficult to achieve the objectives determined in new article of 25A. There is a need to develop a concrete implementation plan along with financial requirements otherwise it cannot be translated into reality. Mr. Imran Masood and Mr. Javed Butt said that this is very critical situation because different stakeholders are influencing the governance of Pakistan to serve their personal interests. The most threatening element is extremism which is trying to fully capture the state institutions. We have to fight first against such enemies. Mr. Sham Shad Malhi (adv) Ex-Secretary, Bar Council, Gujrat objected the process proposed for the appointment of judges in 18th amendment. He was of the view that the previous system was fine. All the discussions and opinions were concluded and the recommendations were endorsed by the participants of the dialogue. Recommendations:

Intra party elections must be compulsory and be defined in the constitution. In future, implementation of Article 6 must be ensured with zero tolerance. Allocation of sufficient financial resources for the implementation of Article 25A. Members from civil society organization should be included in the parliamentary committee to collect feedback of common people.
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(21 June 2010, Gujrat) Speakers: 1. Mian Imran Masood, Ex-Minister, Govt. of Punjab 2. Syed Shabir Shah Director Mass Communication Department, GU 3. Mr. Saeed Ahmed Watto, Director, Evening Project, GU 4. Mr. Sajid Tarrar, Deputy Registrar, GU 5. Mr. Khuram Sadiq, President, EDF 7. Saleem Qasim About 70 including more than 20 women (Representatives of various political parties, local NGOs, lawyers and general public)
Detailed Description of proceedings: The event was started with the recitation from Holy Quran and followed by the round of introduction. Mr. Saleem Qasim shared the objectives of consultation as well as briefly highlighted the related issues in order to set the framework for discussions. A representative on behalf of the SDPD briefed the participants about UNDP and its project SDPD. The participants actively participated in the discussion and expressed their concern about meager facilities of education in the District .They review the allocated funds for education, key stakeholders including academic institutions from both public and private sector, district government and administration etc. The local print and electronic media was fully involved to cover the event. Mr. Prof. Syed Shabbier Hussain Shah said that Pakistan is a developing state and we need much more attention to spend on Education but with the comparison of other countries of the world we are allocating very low percentage of the budget. The other countries of the world are spending 3% on education at minimum, in Pakistan the amount is 1.8% of the GDP. The international ranking of the quality of education shows that not a single university of Pakistan is listed in first 500 universities of the world survey in 2009. There are 20 colleges in the district Gujrat but only 5 colleges have science classes Bachelor of Science and in those 5 colleges there is only 50 students in science classes because we do not have enough budget for science labs and other facilities. There is no upward moving of the budget allocations since 1990. He also exposed that more than 90% principals of academic institutions are not appointed on merit but referred by politicians instead. He also declared increasing poverty in Pakistan as one of the key reasons for the decline in education. Poor communities in every part of the country are not able to afford opportunities of quality education and skill development offered by private sector.
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He said that policy makers should engage and consult academicians before policy making. Considering the ground realities, people need skill oriented education so that the issue of unemployment among youth can be addressed. Mr.M.Saeed wattoo told that we should continue improving our policies, systems and implementation processes and need to remain optimistic. Although we are moving slowly but we are in right direction. We have produced a wide range of human resource working in different sectors not only in Pakistan but all over the world. He said due to the low budget and bad policies of education, we are facing many challenges e.g. controlling ratio of failed students in higher classes which is 40% in intermediate exams and 51% in Metric exams in Punjab, whereas it is observed 41% at National level. Due to lack of the opportunities for the training of teachers at higher level the failure ratio is increasing each year. It results as 83% students quit after matriculation. The chief guest of the dialogue, Mr. Imran Masood shared details of budget spending on education. He said that due to the local government system in districts, people got more budgets for education as compared to ex-governments systems. He said that only in Punjab Province the requirements are Rs. 90 billion. On the other hand, it receives only Rs. 36 billion from central government out of which 34 billion is spent on regular expenditures. The remaining amount of two billion is used for 34,000 schools. He also said that low income and lack of necessary facilities in the schools increase the drop out ratio, for example there is no basic infrastructure in our schools and this is the main cause of drop out ratio. In our government period we tried to provide as we can for education. We also use local government for the betterment of education situation with the help of community. Recommendations:
The government should spend more budget on education as compared to last year budget. The policy making processes must engage educationists in consultations so that appropriate measures can be taken to address the issues. Regular arrangements for teachers training may help in improving the quality of education. The government should allocate and spend a separate amount of budget for basic infrastructure on existing school. All appointments should be made on merits. An additional budget for the purposes of research in education must be allocated.
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PICTURES OF DISTRICT Gujrat
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3.4 District Jhang 3.4.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(23 June 2010, Hotel Four Seasons, Jhang Saddar) Speakers: 1. Mr. Iftikhar Abbas, President District Bar Association, Jhang 2. Mr. Shahbaz Ahmed Gujjar, Advocate, JUI (F), Jhang 3. Mr. Mehr Bahadur Khan Jhagar, Naib Ameer, JI, Jhang 4. Mr. Rai Ijaz Hussain Bhatti, Representative Civil Society 5. Moulana Muhammad Anwar Cheema, JUP 6. Mr. Tahir Anjum, Gen. Secretary, Nabi Azam Welfare Foundation
70 (50 men, 20 women)

Representatives of various political parties, local NGOs, lawyers and general public)
Detailed Description of proceedings: The formal proceedings started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Mr. Tahir Anjum after a round of introduction invited Mr. Iftikhar Rasool, a representative from CSSP to share the objectives of the consultative dialogue. He briefed on UNDP and its project Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development and Citizens Speak. It was followed by the speeches of panelists. They appreciated the role of the government for unanimous adaptation of 18th Amendment of the Constitution. However they expressed their concern about some articles of the 18th amendment and stressed the government to take affective measures for its early implementation. Mr. Iftikhar Abbas said that the legislation is normally carried out by a small group within the parliament and the majority follows the position of the party rather than their own active participation and opinion in the process. It happens everywhere in the world. But the situation in Pakistan is alarming as most of the members are not qualified and are incompetent. The numbers of cases have been reported of having fake degrees by the members. In such circumstances, the constitutional reforms and other legislations cannot claim the public mandate. The other dilemma of the governance system is that most of the laws and policies remain in documents and not implemented at all. It will be a test for political parties to ensure that the commitments made in the 18th amendment are fulfilled or not. Mr. Shahbaz Ahmed Gujjar appreciated the number of positive steps taken in the amendment to address inter-provincial issues, strengthening parliamentary systems, free education and other minor issues. He criticized the removal of the condition for intra-party elections. It communicated a very negative message to general public that the parties leadership are not sincere for mainstreaming of general public in political processes and the want to have life time
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personal controls over the political system. amendment.
Such things must be rectified through 19 th
Mr. Mehr Bahadur Khan Jhagar strongly criticized the 18th amendments and declared that the western democracy cannot provide solution to our problems as it in contradiction with the Islamic ideology for the governance. Moulana Muhammad Anwar Cheema, JUP endorsed the views of Mr. Bahadur Khan. He added that nothing has been proposed to align the current system with the spirit of caliphate. The economy of Pakistan must be run on Islamic principles. He said the government and the parties are not sincere in governance reforms rather safeguarding their self interest. Mr. Rai Ijaz Hussain Bhatti said that each individual of the state has equal rights and they agree with the constitution through political processes. The spirit of constitution is not in contradiction of Islam but it must take into account the security and safety of minorities and marginalized groups. We should encourage all equity measures that provide opportunity for each individual realize its full potential. Recommendations: After the round of speeches by panelists, the floor was opened for questions and answers. The discussion was summarized in the form of unanimously agreed recommendations. There is a need for timely implementation of 18th amendment. Article 25A and 140A should be implemented as soon as possible. The condition of intra-party elections must be included in the constitution. Assurance for equal rights, peace and security must be the top priority of the federa and provincial governments.
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(24 June 2010, Hotel Four Seansons, Jhang Saddar) Speakers: 1. Mr. Muhammad Azam Kashif, EDO Education 2. Professor Aman ullah Siyal, District Education Officer (Colleges) 3. Prof. Aslam Sajid, Principal Government Degree College 4. Rana Muhammad Saddique, President Private Schools Association 5. Ms.Shazia Naheed, President Punjab Teachers Union (Women Wing) 6. Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Khalid, President Punjab Teachers Association (male wing) 7. Professor Abdul Aziz Siliana, Government Ghazali College, Jhang 8. Mr. Tahir Anjum, Gen. Secretary, Nabi Azam Welfare Foundation
Moderator:
Participants: 60 including 15 women from Education Sector. Detailed Description of proceedings: The formal proceedings started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Mr. Tahir Anjum after a round of introduction invited Mr. Iftikhar Rasool, a representative from CSSP to share the objectives of the consultative dialogue. He briefed on UNDP and its project Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development and Citizens Speak. It was followed by the speeches of panelists. They highlighted the various issues of the district in education sector expressed their concerns including the mixed policies and standards in primary and high schools of the Public and Private Sector in the district. They were agreed and proposed for a substantial increase in public spending in education sector for the improvement of quality through better infrastructure, teachers training and effective management of schools, colleges, universities and technical education centre. Professor Abdul Aziz Siliana reviewing the situation of education in Jhang highlighted that the contractors and officials of education departments are making embezzlements funds which is nowadays routine business. Professor Aman ullah Siyal endorsed Prof. Abdul Azia and added that quality of constructions and services are very poor. Similarly, the private sector changes syllabus every year who is working as mafia with other investors. Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Khalid appreciated the commitment of the Punjab government who has been successful to slightly control corruption but it has to be maintained through a regular monitoring system. He requested from the government and policy makers to provide respectable status to teachers by compensating proper salaries and benefits. Ms.Shazia Naheed focused on missing facilities and poor infrastructures of academic institutions. Due to poor quality of constructions, the lives of innocent children are at risk. The government must take this situation into account and provide additional support for the improvement of infrastructure to meet at least minimum quality standards.
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Mr. Muhammad Azam Kashif appreciated UNDPs role in conducting dialogue on a very important issue. He said that being EDO Education, I have discouraged centralized approach of funds management and made possible timely release of funds and their effective management by the local authorities. We are directing to school management to take responsibilities for prioritizing their needs and to fulfill through available funds. Now, the local groups of citizens and parents are responsible to monitor the progress and assist the management in preparing and implementing school development plans. For this purpose, we also encourage the formation and strengthening of School Management Committees (SMCs). Mr. Rana Muhammad Saddique shared a comparison of public and private schools. He told that despite a shortage of resources, private schools are doing a great job. They are maintaining and improving quality standards. On the other hand, the government has enough funds but failed to achieve the quality of education. It can be overcome through effective check and balance system. Prof. Aslam Sajid focusing on the ultimate objectives of building an educated society, showed disappointment that we are not only spoiling resources but pushing our future in darkness. We are already paying the cost in the form of extremism that happened due to low literacy rates and due to negligence of governance institutions. Recommendations: After the round of speeches by panelists, the floor was opened for questions and answers. The discussion was summarized in the form of unanimously agreed recommendations. A proper committee comprising on teachers, parents and government representatives should be formed and responsible for the funds management in transparent manners. Frequent and unnecessary changes in syllabus must be discouraged and regularly monitored. School Management Committees should be revived and strengthened to participate in school development plans and the monitoring of its progress. Control over embezzlements and manipulations of contractors Establish and strengthen check and balance system Encourage local funds management Eliminate commission mafia.
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PICTURES OF DISTRICT Jhang
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3.5 City District Lahore 3.5.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(26 June 2010, Ambassador Hotel, Lahore) Chief Guest: Speakers: 1. Ms. Samia Amjad PML (Q) 2. Mr. Shameem, Advocate, Supreme Court 3. Mr. Salman Abid, Regional Head SPO Punjab 4. Mr. Bilal Naqeeb, Coordinator, Civil Society Support Programme 5. Ms. Mumtaz Mughal, Aurat Foundation, Lahore 6. Mr. Hanif Ramay
61 (43 men, 18 women)

Detailed Description of proceedings: The agenda of the consultative meeting was of such significance, that not only civil society showed up, but there were also many representatives of the media present at the meeting, for coverage of the event. People from print media along with some of the leading news channels were there coving the proceedings. The formal proceedings started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Mr. Hanif Ramay after a round of introduction delivered the opening remarks. He told the participants, that there are 102 amendments have been made through 18th Amendment in the constitution of Pakistan. He requested Mr. Shameem to share detail analysis. Mr. Shameem said that the prime objective of the 18th amendment was to reverse 17th Amendment and restore the structure of the constitution in its original spirit. He was of the opinion that the process will help the parliament to come up with more effective and needed legislation to pull the country out of the political chaos. In fact, agreement between all the political parties in assemblies on so many of the amendments proposed is itself a great achievement. He appreciated the legislation regarding the balance of powers between Prime Minister and the President. There are also other positive initiatives taken such as; NFC award. He also briefed the participants about the difference between Federal Legislative List which and the Concurrent List. The Federal Legislative List can only be discussed and amended at the federal level by the legislative assembly, whereas, concurrent list is the areas in which both the provincial and nation assembly can debate to suggest amendments. The proposed 8th amendment has abolished the Concurrent List, thus, it has now some gray areas, for example, electricity and labor issues are needed to be addressed at both levels, and only then these
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problems can be overcome. He added that devolution of the powers from federal level to provincial matter is to be resolved by 30th June 2011. Expressing his opinion on the appointment of judges, he suggested that the political leadership needs to handle the issues of the appointment of the judges as well as ensure its independence and neutrality. It is still a gray area that needs attention of the parliament. Ms. Samia Amjad, Member Provincial Assembly (Punjab) said that these amendments in constitution should have been made a lot earlier than now in order to avoid political chaos in the country. She highlighted the positive aspects of the 18th amendment specially discouraging the military intervention in future. She argued that if there would have no military intervention this country and politics along with politicians could have done much more and positive. The democracy needs to be flourished so that this system can become mature and productive. She shared that the Chief Minister of Punjab has planned for the orientation of MPAs on the 18th amendment, so they all can understand the underlying changes and give opinions representing their constituencies. She added that democratic governments should complete their tenures and not to create hurdles in other party governments. Mr. Salman Abid a senior analyst and activist shared his opinion about the matter. He started with the notion that the constitution of 1973 was never prevailing in its true spirit in our system, democracy has not grown mature yet in this country. He told the participants that initially the idea of forming a committee was to review the 17 th amendment and its implications, but when this committee was working, it decided to review the constitution as a whole, which is good in its spirit. The devolution of the power is serious matter to be addressed that has been done well. Furthermore, the judicial commission is still unclear and people in and out of the parliament are divided on this issue. He emphasized on the fact that if we want to have a democratic government then all the stakeholders should work and contribute in good spirit. Ms. Mumtaz Mughal, Provincial Coordinator shared her thoughts on this 18th amendment. She said that the major challenge is the implementation of the amendment whole heartedly. It should be beyond the personal interests of individuals. She appreciated the steps taken to ensure the provincial autonomy but it requires proper planning and training of the concerned authorities which should be done on priority basis so that the democratic transformation can be achieved. She also emphasized on the importance of taking the civil society into confidence before making new laws. At the end of her address she argued that accountability of the parliamentarians across the board is very crucial and important. Mr. Bilal Naqeeb thanked all the speakers for their valuable inputs and reminded the fact that whatever the legislation is made, most importantly the people opinion should be weighted most as they are the directly affected by the decisions. He then argued that harmony among the institutions is must and only then this parliament can work productively. He emphasized that the non-sate actors must be kept out from the governance system for its smooth functioning. While explaining the core objectives of the consultative workshops, he expected that the exercise will inform the policy makers about peoples perspective about 18th amendment. It is
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anticipated that the policy makers will consider the ground realities and will come up with better remedies to solve social, political and economic issues of the country. After sharing of views by the panelists, floor was opened for discussion and everyone was encouraged to speak to share concerns regarding 18th amendment. Some of the important views and queries asked from the panelists are mentioned below: The issues of minorities have not been taken into account by the committee. Without completing its tenure, the government cannot ensure the smooth implementation of the 18th amendment. The democratic culture within the parties can ensure the complete ownership of the parliamentarians on the amendments and laws introduced by the governments. In present situation, the members have to follow the party policy otherwise they may loss their seat. Although the trainings of the parliamentarians were arranged by USAID in previous government, but more than half of the members in the assemblies are elected for the first time, thus, it requires regular training arrangements be retained and the mechanisms of learning from senior parliamentarians be ensured. During the discussion it was a consensus upon the formation of judicial commission and to function without any political pressure.
Ms. Samia Amjad, MPA (Q) committed and assured that voice of the people and suggestions from the consultation would be projected in the assembly with due attention.
Recommendations:
The moderator consolidated recommendations and passed the resolution for its endorsement as following: A permanent committee should be formed comprising, stakeholders from all parties that should overlook the legislation and make sure its implementation in true spirit. All the stakeholders should coordinate their efforts in and out of the parliament. The acceptance of the supremacy of the parliament must be ensured. Judicial commission should work in national interest and unbiased appointments of the judges should be ensured. All parties including those not present in the parliament must be taken into confidence for such types of constitutional reforms and legislation. Civil society institutions must provide accountability to decision making forms and bridge the gap between masses and governance institutions.
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(28 June 2010, Ambassador Hotel, Lahore) Chief Guest: Speakers: 1. Mr. Hussain Abbas, Educationist 2. Salman Abid, Regional Head, SPO 3. Mumtaz Mughal, Aurat Foundation 4. Bilal Naqeeb, Civil Society Support Programme 5. Mr. Hanif Ramay
42 (22 men, 20 women)

Detailed Description of proceedings: The agenda for the consultation was of such significance that panel of the guest speakers included educationists and related policy makers from parliament, yet apart from commitments made by the panellists, no parliamentarians were available at the meeting due to some unforeseen circumstances. Still there were, some very senior educationists, analysts and civil society representatives were present at the meeting. The formal proceedings started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Mr. Hanif Ramay after a round of introduction explained the objectives of the event that discussions and recommendations will be sent to the policy makers which will sensitize them to come up with better remedies towards the right directions. Mr. Hanif Ramay requested Ms. Mumtaz Mugal for opening remarks. She told the participants about the commitment of UN members with MDGs and their implementation in the system. She highlighted that a decrease in budgetary allocation for education is observed which is 35% less than previous years. She added that last year, there were 800 scholarships available for PhD whereas there are only 300 available this year. In addition she pointed the attention towards the medium of instruction that is English. It is seen one of the major hurdles in progress of students especially in rural areas. Mr. Salman Abid, regional head of SPO, pointed out that developing countries are not serious about their health and educational sectors. This is evident by the allocation of the budget which is only 3 percent of the GDP in Pakistan. He added that the funds available at disposal are generally consumed in urban and developed areas rather than rural and neglected communities. He showed disappointment on the quality of education and the infrastructure available. It is mainly due to lack of proper training of teachers and missing facilities of school. He argued, the dilemma is that our parliamentarians are not seriously taking this matter and least concerned to play their active role.
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He determined the criteria to assess the level of the engagement of the government in the aspects of budget allocation, political commitment and implementation mechanism. In past, some special programmes were entirely focusing on the provision of food and monetary incentives for the purpose to increase the literacy rate in the country which chould hardly produce any result. Sometimes the intensions of the government are in positive spirit but the mechanisms and the people responsible for those implementations are not committed, which cause the failure of the policies and hence the desired results are not achieved. Unfortunately, the budget deficit is managed through cuts in the education sector and especially in the primary education facilities. Although private sector is engaged to support the government but it is heavily dependent on the government due to extreme form of poverty in rural areas of Pakistan. Mr. Abbas discouraged to blame the system and emphasized on the potential of voluntary sector to overcome challenges. He said that we have number of opportunities to utilize the energy of our manpower in right direction. First of all we have to be objective oriented and to put our efforts towards the right direction. While talking about the possibilities for the improvement of the quality of education, he said that new syllabus is good but it requires major resource allocation in the area of teachers training. Mr. Bilal Naqeeb was of the view that one of the major challenge for the government is the consumption of available budget. Normally, the management of schools in rural areas utilize funds for salaries and regular operational expenditures. They dont have plan and estimation for financial requirements. These gaps are due to corruption in utilization of funds and the avoidance from audit objections. It is also observed that the funds are disbursed to contractors in the last quarter of every financial year. In this situation, NGOs working in the education sector may take up the responsibility and advocate with government to take appropriate measures for the improvement of the situation. He also pointed out that government itself working on different class-based education systems in rural/urban, Urdu/English and another category of model schools specially for Islamabad. Why the government dont replicate the model of English Medium School ascroos the country? Why all subjects are heavily influenced in religious aspect? Surely our kids need to learn about religious norms, but it should be the only one subject rather than mingling up every subject in the perspective of religion. He emphasized that the mode of primary education must be in local language which is necessary to explore the talent and creativity of students. Similarly, the educational policy must be aligned with employment and youth policies so that issues of youth development and employment generation can be addressed simultaneously. He concluded with the remarks that the education sector in Pakistan slowly and steadily being privatized. In future, the government and civil society institutions will have to adapt effective monitoring mechanisms.
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After completing the round with panelists, the forum was opened for the discussion and comments. The audience took keen interest in the discussion and participated actively. The key recommendations were as following:
Key recommendation:
The refresher courses for teachers on a regular basis may help in orienting them on new knowledge and skills as well as to monitor their capacities through a proper system. The training of school management in developing long-term plans, budget and financial management is highly desired. Similarly, the reactivation and involvement of local communities to participate in school development through monitoring committees and school management committees. There is no advancement in terms of teaching methodologies in governments schools. Student teacher ratio is another problem which needs to be addressed; the welfare of the teaching faculty should also be looked after. Follow up of the initiatives to make them work is vital and necessary. Also positive amendments in the existing policies must be done. The provision of the free books distribution was also questioned and was rightly argued that instead subsidy should be given on the books prices.
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PICTURES OF DISTRICT LAHORE
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3.6 District Multan 3.6.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(27 June 2010, Sindbad Hotel, Multan) Preside by: Chief Guest: Speakers: 1. Ms. Rizwana Azhar, Member District Assembly 2. Mr. Mian Mansoor Kareem Seyal, Secretary Pakistan Seraiki Party 3. Mr. Iftikhar Rasool 4. Mr. Shahnawaz khan, South Punjab NGOs Forum 5. Mr. Amir Hussaini, generalist, 6. Mr.Mehtab Chandio, Secretary Berty organization 7. Mr. Mujahid Pasha Senior President Peoples Unity WASA Multan, 8. Mr. Sohail Javed, President Pakistan Labour Party for South Punjab 70 (including 20 women, representatives of various political parties, local NGOs, lawyers and general public).
Detailed Description of proceedings: Mr. Sohail Javed, President Pakistan Labor party for south Punjab moderated the event. After a round of introduction, moderator made a presentation to brief the history of 18th amendment, theme and objectives of the policy consultation. Mr. Iftikhar Rasool said that Musharaf has bespattered the 1973 constitution and it was a serious concern of the citizens of Pakistan. The 17th amendment badly affected the parliamentary democracy. He appreciated the efforts made by the committee for constitutional reforms. The committee is regarded for their efforts from the citizens of all four provinces as it rectify the adulteration of dictators. The amendment is unanimously passed by all the members of parliament representing a wide range of political parties is a historical milestone. Now it requires full commitment to implement in its true spirit. Shah Nawaz khan, Representative from South Punjab NGOs Forum said that Article 61 has been amended and increased the numbers of working days from 90 to 110. We must remember that in fact the previous budget session was closed due to insufficient quorum. In future, we expect that parliamentarians will assume their responsibilities and perform their role with higher degree of seriousness. He also said that emphasized on implementation of 140-A. he said that we are concerned on suspension of local government process. Now we demand from provinces for action steps towards election of local governments. Provincial governments are bound by constitution for commencement of elections within 90 days. Local government is provincial subject, so provinces should do their job. If they think, some changes are necessary in LGA, then step forward, do their work and give right to citizens to choose their local representatives. Unfortunately citizens still did not know when provincial governments will
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hold the local elections. Another positive move under the amendment is squeezing the size of the cabinet up to 11 ministers but its implementation is left over for the next government. Amir Hussaini, generalist, was of the view that each party has secured its own interest through the amendment. The amendment has failed to safeguard minorities and to ensure equal opportunities to be the part of countrys governance structure in all capacities. Eliminating concurrent list is a good decision, but it is not a complete solution for transfer of resources. The process of fiscal decentralization from province to district government is still a gray area. As the provincial governments will continue to have discretionary power to spend 56% of the budget, it will not be possible to ensure a fair distribution of resources across districts within a province. It is a great concern over the distribution of resources from province to the local district governments. He also quoted a speech of Quaid-e-Azam once he said that provinces are administrative units, the cultural identity will remain the same to all parts of the country. In recent years, the demand has increased for new provinces based on the difference of culture. This issue must be brought into the parliament for debate. Mr.Mehtab Chandio, Secretary Berty organization and student of BZU, Multan, pointed out that Punjab government has allocated a huge amount for the formation and functioning of Punjab Election Authority. Since the High court has suspended this decision, we demand that allocated fund should be transferred to education department. Mr. Mujahid Pasha senior president peoples unity WASA Multan, said that the constitution provide the right to form associations but the labor department of Multan is creating hurdles in getting registration of trade unions in food and beverage industries. Such issues can be sorted out when labourers will have their own leadership. Mr. Mian Mansoor kareem Seyal Secratery Pakistan Seraiki Party said that before equal distribution of resources among provinces, division of provinces is essential to help out marginalized regions/areas of Pakistan. Referring to the Article 156 regarding formation of National Economic Council, it says that the President shall nominate one member from each Province on the recommendation of the Government of that Province. The 18th amendment has removed the words on the recommendation of the Government of that Province. Now it allows Prime Minister to appoint 4 other members of the council. It is a step towards centralization and diminishing the participation of provincial governments in the matters of handling national economics. On positive side, the article says that balanced development and regional equity will be ensured. How it can be ensure? It is only possible through transparent mechanisms with the consultation of provinces. He appreciated the positive changes in article 161 for Federal duties and levied on oil and gas, article 167 for provision of borrowing by provincial governments and article 172 for the use of water resources. These changes will enhance provincial autonomy. Ms. Rizwana Azhar member district assembly appreciated the inclusion of 25A that says The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years . We should make balanced policies to strengthen public sector educational system and streamline the private sector with building its capacity. Equal curriculum may bring uniformity in the education system of the country. Mr. Ziauddin Awan, student of Gender Department, BZU said that the government should be given opportunity to complete its tenure and be evaluated their performance by voters. The
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implementation of 18th amendment can only be ensured through avoiding undemocratic interruptions to the governance system. Ms. Aneesa Bukhari member district assembly commented that we have appropriate laws but there is a lack of proper implementation. We demand for early implementation of 140-A and commencement of new elections for local government. In addition to free education to children of 9 to 16 years of age, free health facilities also need to be included in this article. Azhar Balouch President Liberal Forum Pakistan Multan chapter said that the abolishment of 268 seized the chances of inner party democracy. It will establish the monopoly of the selected leaders and their families. He further said that abolishment of concurrent list is a sleeping doze to the provinces. In reality federation has gained more powers to control the finances with article 156. Devolving the all 47 subjects is not a good idea. It will make more differences in the federating units. It is confusing. Provinces may negotiate with center and may ask the center to continue overseeing some subjects like population planning, environment, criminal laws, and family laws to bring uniformity in the country. Mr. Peter Highson from Saint Marry Cathedral Church, Multan said that although the article 59 provided a space to minorities in senate but concerns in process of election are remained unresolved. He demanded that reserved seats for minorities should be filled through a direct election. Mr. Nafees Ahmed Ansari Advocate ex- member Punjab provincial assembly showed his disagreement with the process of consultation for the 18th amendment. Some articles were not shared publicly for debate in time. He was of the view that 18th amendment did not fulfill the commitments made by the two major parties as per Charter of Democracy. The promise of provincial autonomy is largely limited to cosmetic changes and use of buzz words such as abolition of the concurrent legislative list. The national status of other languages still unresolved. The measures to have proportional representation of each province in armed forces are not taken into account. Article 243 is a good move which ensures the harmony among President and Prime Minister for the nominations of service chiefs. The next step should be making defense budget transparent as well as developing sense of accountability in military institutions to democratic governance specifically in defense expenditures. Recommendations: There is a need for timely implementation of 18th amendment. The federation and the two provinces have already passed the law for access to information. The Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Punjab should legislate for the same at earliest possible. The reserved seats for women and minorities must be filled through direct elections. The parliament needs to work out more initiatives to transfer the powers and resources to the provinces. It is demanded that 25A is implemented on priority basis with the addition of health facilities. The article 140A to be implemented at earliest possible. We suggest that budget allocated for provincial election authority should be transferred to education and health sectors in a transparent way.
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(28 June 2010, Sindbad Hotel, Multan) Preside by: Speakers: 1. Ms. Rizwana Azhar, Member District Assembly 2. Mr. Muhammad Baqir, Principal Government College, Civil Lines 3. Mr. Ashraf Javed, Lecturer, Government College, Shujabad 4. Ms. Mehak Butt 5. Mr. Azhar Baloch 6. Mr. Iftikhar Rasool, 7. Mr. Ashiq Bhutta, General Secretary, Trade Union, Multan 65 (including 20 women, representatives of various political parties, local NGOs, lawyers and general public).
Detailed Description of proceedings: Mr. Sohail Javeed moderated the event. He opened the discussion with expressing his views on existing education system. He was of the view that the system is not meeting the needs and aspirations of the society as such particularly. The main inherent issues of education systems are: teachers absenteeism, high dropout rates at primary level, low completion rates, inequalities by gender, location and social groups, low literacy rate and unsatisfactory performance of schools. The budget is ahead of provincial government and district government and allocation of budgets will be made on district level too, so we have to plan and contribute in policy making that how to improve this system there is no issue of funds and finance but the main problem is of preference, that to what extent educational system is on preference Mr. Raza Ahmed Siddiqui expressed that the medium of instructions be the mother tongue at primary school level. This is a secret of the success of developed countries in todays world. In provincial budget, this time more funds are allocated for higher studies including engineering colleges, medical colleges comparing to primary and middle schools. Although, it is now compulsory for every child to go to school but it is hardly ensured. The member countries of UN have agreed to allocate 6% of total spending on education but in Pakistan its hardly 2.5 %. There is a need to mobilize teacher unions and other key stakeholders to run an advocacy campaign for more allocation of funds. Professor Muhammad Baqir Principal Govt. Civil Lines College said that our religion tell us the importance of education. He said as far as budget is concern its proper allocation and utilization on students and teachers, we have to improve our planning system, implementation mechanisms, work ethics and norms. The major focus must be the primary schooling at teachers trainings as well as improvement in the curriculum. Mr. Iftikhar Rasool shared that under new LGS, political power, decision-making authority, and administrative responsibilities have been moved at grassroots level. The main purpose of the devolution was to improve the service delivery at the grass root level in public sectors.
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During the period of 2001 2009, LGS has successfully produced some positive results in each sector including education. There is a need to restore the system as soon as possible. Mr. Waqar Aslam, emphases on supporting gender sensitive education. He shared that in 1990-91, the female to male enrollment ratio was 0.47 for primary level of education. It reached to 0.74 in 1999-2000, showing the F/M ratio has improved by 57.44% within the decade. For the middle level of education it was 0.42 in the start and increased to 0.68 by the end of decade, so it has improved almost 62%. Ms. Mehak Butt President Women Workers Federation, shared her views on the quality of education and facilities available in Punjab. She told that out of 63 thousand schools in southern Punjab, 14 thousand of them do not have basic facilities including roof, water, teachers, electricity etc. The role of the government of Punjab has been observed positive, who is ensuring the reallocation of the budget to high schools, colleges, primary schools from other heads. It has also planned to upgrade 28 school labs. Mr. Ashique Bhutta, Coordinator Citizen Action Committee Multan told that inclusion of 25 A in constitutions is a good change. Government should take immediate steps to fulfill the obligation of this right. State did not have sufficient network of educational institutions to maintain demand of citizens. Private sector is supporting to the government. We should make balanced policies. We should strengthen public sector educational system and on the other hand we should streamline the private sector with building its capacity. Equal curriculum has very importance for bringing uniformity in the education sector. Mr. Rana, Representative of private schools association commented that Punjab government has launched a FAST program for enhancement of childrens enrollment. 3500 private schools are functioning in Multan District. 128 private schools are affiliated with Punjab education foundation in FAST program. Government is paying their tuition fee and providing free books for the students. It is observed that enrollment is not increasing, only shifting of students from nonaffiliated private schools is happening, he suggested that government should start project for the capacity building of private sector. Mr. Azhar Balouch president Liberal Forum Pakistan told that school management committees were playing important role for the improvement of quality of education and for the monitoring of schools. Now these SMCs are becoming ineffective due to gap in the local bodies elections. It is reported that schools administration, teachers and other management are discouraging the community to participate in the process. He further added that enchantment of amount in budget will have positive effect only on salaries and other benefits for staff. There will be no improvement in the status of education facilities. Mr. Ashraf Javed, Lecturer Government College Shujabad, said that teachers are not given due respect. Government is also neglecting it. The majority of the talented people do not prefer to become a teacher. Higher education commission (HEC) have scholarship program, but criteria of selection for right persons is not followed.
Recommendations:
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The platform of SDPD should be used for developing strategies and policy making and taking input from grassroots level of citizens, representative of local government representatives, education department officials, and social sector on a regular basis. It was suggested that the enhancement of public sending in education sector is required and it should be at least 6% of GDP. Inclusion of article 25A in the Constitution is a positive development. It was demanded from parliamentarians to pay extra attention for the implementation of education policies in order to improve its quality. It is also suggested that allocated budget must be spent during the fiscal year evenly distributed and appropriately used. A special capacity building training program should be launched for staff involved on administrative side to manage funds effectively. The Ministry of Education must ensure the provision of missing facilitates in all government schools. The private schools should be regulated under one program to bring uniformity in their standards. The free structure needs to be realistically revised by considering the aspects of affordability of people and the sustainability of schools. Schools Management Committees (SMCs) to be revised and improved to ensure and maintain the quality of education. The elected representatives must monitor the education institutions of their respective constituency. Appointments of teachers on adhoc basis must be discouraged so that permanent staff can plan and perform more effectively. The Punjab education foundations FAST project needs to be reviewed as it does not produce the desired results.
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PICTURES OF DISTRICT MULTAN
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3.7 District Rahimyar Khan 3.7.1 Eighteenth Amendment and its Implementation issues
(On 30th June 2010 at Lamies Hotel, Rahimyar Khan)
Preside by: Chief Guest: Speakers:
1. Sardar Zafar Iqbal Tareen, Member American Bar Council 2. Zakia Shahnawaz, Advisor to Chief Minister, Punjab 3. Affan Khan, Representative Pakistan Youth League 4. Peer Ayaz Ali Shah, President Muslim League Lawyer Forum 5. Hassan Nawaz Niazi, Ex. President District Bar Association 6. Ghulam Yaseem, District Officer Social Welfare, R.Y.Khan 7. Umar Ali Khan Baloch, Senior Social and Political Activist
Moderator:
No. of Participants: 80 Detailed Description of proceedings: The consultative workshop was well organized that engaged wide range of stakeholders including representatives of political parties, lawyers, women leaders, representatives of civil society organizations, journalists, representatives of minorities, union leaders, students etc. The event was started with the recitation from Holy Quran and followed by the round of introduction moderated by Mr. Umar Ali khan. He shared the objectives of consultation as well as briefly highlighted the related issues in order to determine the boundaries of discussions. He also expressed his views about the issues in the perspective of the history of human rights violations which were backed by the dictators and their allies who endorsed while representing decision making institutions. He requested to the speakers that in addition to their own views, they are requested to specifically cover the issues of concurrent list and devaluation of departments, qualification of the membership of parliament, the procedure for the appointment of judges, intra-party elections, NFC award and the basic principles of the policies. Representing the civil society, Affan Ali Khan shared the historical background of the Constitution in Pakistan. He said that it is first time ever that all political parties, indeed the whole nation, stood united on the issue of repealing the dictatorial changes made in the Constitution. Such a wide-ranging consensus is rare in Pakistan and any government sincerely committed to restoring genuine parliamentary democracy would have pounced to take advantage of it. He said that the President has transferred his powers to the parliament, it is now the responsibility of political parties to focus on the issues that matter to the public the most. After the passage of 18th Amendment, it is an ideal situation that all parties continue to create consensus over other national issues such as the energy shortfall, inflation, and economy.
~ 45 ~
Finally unnecessary federal interference in provincial matters will come to an end, as the concurrent list has been abolished. Peer Ayaz Ali Shah Advocate, President Muslim League Lawyer Forum, said that the parliamentary committee seems to have settled for a compromise, for instance, retaining the additions to Articles 62 and 63 made by Gen. Ziaul Haq despite being repudiated by democratic opinion many times. Another compromise is made in the proposed amendment to Article 232 by adding a proviso which states that in case, an emergency is imposed on the ground of internal disturbances beyond the powers of a provincial government to control, a resolution of the provincial assembly concerned will be necessary. It negates the previous stance of the parties that an emergency can be imposed only in the event of an external threat to the states integrity. The committee did not go that far and, quite amazingly, succeeded in securing consensus on a recommendation that makes imposition of emergency on the grounds of internal disturbances well-nigh impossible. While proposing a new text for Article 91 (The Cabinet), the committee has deemed it prudent to retain the provision that a person who is not a member of the National Assembly can be a minister for six months. This is in contradiction to Article 92(1) that declares that ministers will be chosen only from amongst the members of parliament. The only explanation can be a desire to keep a minister in office if he loses his parliamentary seat subsequent to his becoming a minister on the basis of parliaments membership. Democratic opinion is unlikely to approve of this deviation from the principle of accountability. Hassan Nawaz Niazi, Ex. President District Bar Association said that neither a single amendment was made to address the issues of minorities nor was any minority leader was taken into consultation for the reforms. He showed his concern that the law has greatly been misused against all the minority communities living in the country. There is a dire need to amend the law regarding the selection procedure of the parliamentarians representing the minorities. He suggested that parliamentarians should be nominated by public votes and not by party nomination. Ms. Zakia Shahnawaz, Advisor to Chief Minister, Punjab while expressing her views specifically highlighted that reforming the constitution after 37 years of its creation is a major milestone achieved by the parliament. Another landmark achievement was a consensus on National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. These are major steps towards assurance of provincial autonomy as well as decentralizing the authority and finances from the center to the provinces. A most significant amendment is made under Article 37 (b) that recognizes the right to education. At present it states that the state shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum period possible., but this provision lies in the chapter on principles of policy and hence it cannot be enforced through courts. A more serious question raised by Ms. Shahnawaz about the revival of Article 91 which does not allow minorities to become the Prime Minister. Sardar Zafar Iqbal Tareen, Member American Bar Council appreciated the work done by the committee for constitutional reforms. He said that the 18th amendment bill has many merits including provincial autonomy, repealing of 17 amendment, and identity to Pashtoon nation. There are number of actions of the dictators have been reversed through the amendment except a step taken by Gen. Yahya Khan i.e. declaring Bahawalpur Division a part of Punjab province
~ 46 ~
without the consent of the people of the region. He suggested that under the proposed decentralization of powers, the provinces should be given more powers, which should further be transferred to the local governments so that pro-people local development processes be encouraged. Key Recommendations: There is a need to provide constitutional safeguard to address the issues of minorities as well as opportunities to provide leadership to the country, specifically, provision to become Prime Minister. There is a need to give special attention towards the implementation of a new article 25A in the chapter of Fundamental Rights to make it obligatory for the state to ensure both primary and secondary education is free and compulsory for every child between the age of 6 and 16 must be at school.
The organizers and UNDP were appreciated on conducting productive and meaningful discussion for the citizens of district Rahimyar Khan. It was also suggested that the such types of forums must be supported and strengthened on a regular basis so that people be heard by the policy making institutions.
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(On 28 June 2010 at, Rahimyar Khan) Chief Guest: Guest of Honour: Speakers: 1. Arshad Javed, Executive District Officer Information & Technology 2. Qadir Bukhas, Executive District Officer, Literacy 3. Zia Ul Qadir Khan, General Manager, NCHD 4. Hashmat Langha, District Officer, Elementary 5. Rehana Iram, Focal Person UNICEF 6. Saima Ikram, Gender Specialist 7. Umar Ali Khan Baloch, Senior Social & Political Activist
Moderator:
No. of Participants: 65 Detailed Description of proceedings: The event engaged wide range of stakeholders including representatives of political parties, lawyers, women leaders, representatives of civil society organizations, journalists, representatives of minorities, union leaders, students etc. After the recitation from Holy Quran, a round of introduction moderated by Mr. Umar Ali khan. He shared the objectives of consultation as well as briefly highlighted the related issues in order to determine the boundaries of discussions. Saima Ikram, Gender Specialist told that Pakistan still enrolls 83 girls for every 103 boys in primary schools. The primary completion rate for girls is only 58 per cent as opposed to 70 per cent for boys. She was of the opinion that today we stand at cross roads: threatened by rising military conflict and terrorism within the country, a dipping economic trend, growing energy crisis, rising poverty levels and an alarming decline in almost all human development indicators. In a country of over a 160 million today, it is estimated that half the adult population is illiterate, including two out of every three women. Pakistan has the third largest out-ofschool population in the world. Government estimates of the overall dropout rate suggest that only 30 per cent of students continue beyond the primary level. The literacy rate (for population aged ten and over) has improved by barely one to two per cent per annum over the last decade, which makes it impossible to achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015. Only 35 per cent of rural women above the age of ten have completed primary education. She said that the Constitution of Pakistan framed in 1973 promised to its citizens in Article 37 (b) & (c) that "the State shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within the minimum possible period; make technical and professional education generally available and higher education equally accessible to all on the basis of merit". Rehana Iram, Focal Person UNICEF said that in a typical public school in any rural area of Pakistan, more often children find themselves in cluttered classrooms, sometimes without
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teacher, most of the time without books, learning skills that have little meaning outside the walls of the school. Educational content replete with conservative ideologies and exaggerated nationalism based on mono-cultural understanding of society only teaches and reinforces gender stereotypes, prejudices and jingoism. She also said that Arabic, which is not spoken in any part of Pakistan, continues to be an essential part of the syllabus. Islamic Studies is a compulsory subject from class one to degree classes, without an arrangement for non-Muslim students to obtain religious instruction in their own faith. In the admission for higher education, the candidates claiming to have memorized the Holy Quran are entitled to 20 extra marks. The chapters on Islam are part of every subject including history, social studies and languages which the non-Muslim students are obliged to study without a choice. Hashmat Langha, District Officer Elementary shared that out of 68.5 million young Pakistanis between the ages of five and 19, less than 28 million are in any kind of school. There are only 220,000 schools across the country; up to 30,000 are ghost schools; 20,000 are shelter-less (meaning that classes are held outdoors, with students sitting on the ground on rainy days and through the winter); of those with shelter, 60 per cent have no electricity and 40 per cent have no drinking water. The primary schools lacked physical infrastructure, furniture, basic facilities and the level of teaching staff remained dismal. This has contributed greatly to the high dropout rate, which led to the lack of interest on parents' part in sending children to schools where teachers often failed to appear, fans or drinking water were not available and children were often beaten. According to official data, 78 percent of primary schools in rural areas do not have electricity, 40 percent have no drinking water and 60 percent are without toilets. The same was true of middle, high and secondary schools. 15 percent of government schools across the country are without buildings, 52 percent without boundary walls, 40 percent without water, 71 percent without electricity and 57 percent without toilets. Higher education gained a significantly larger slice of the education budget in recent years; however the declining standards of education, violence on the campuses and limited resource availability for research continued to adversely affect college and university students. At least two universities (Punjab and Bolan) and the Federal Ministry of Education were headed by retired military officers. The major issues are the implementation of policy, lack of political will and institutional incapacities continue to hamper any real progress towards improving the status of education indicators in the country, the problems are exacerbated by a poor track record of government spending on education. Against the recommended 4% (as percent of GDP) by UNESCO, the government spending has continued to dwindle. Adding to the woes in education governance and management are the many challenges with quality and content of the education imparted. Zia Ul Qadir Khan, General Manager, NCHD shared that the National Commission has so far enrolled 441,072 totaling up to 8.2 million out-of-school children of 5-7 years. Approximately, 296,276 teachers have been trained in enrollment, dropout prevention, and quality education. USD 2 million has been mobilized through global and local resources. Qadir Bukhas, Executive District Officer, Literacy shared that adult literacy rate is 54 percent, which is lower than the South Asian average of 64 percent and the developing countries average of 79 per cent. We should give more importance to language education and mathematics at the primary and secondary levels. He said that an integrated approach is
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imperative for meeting governments objective of achieving Millennium Development Goals in the key areas of literacy, primary education and primary healthcare. Arshad Javed, Executive District Officer Information & Technology while discussing the importance of information technology in recent era, he emphasized on the need to change the whole syllabus for information technology in our education system. Recommendation: The following fundamental reforms are urgently required to ensure the right to education for all people of Pakistan: The development of a system of schools at all levels shall be actively pursued, an adequate fellowship system shall be established and the material conditions of teaching staff shall be continuously improved. Priority needs to be given to education to catch up with the MDGs. As an initial step, funding must be enhanced to at least the minimum of 20 percent of GNP as recommended by UNESCO. Spending on non-productive sectors such as defence must be diverted to the education sector. School conditions including the state of buildings and the provision of basic facilities need to be improved. Arbitrary concepts, incoherence, inconsistency and other pedagogical problems should be replaced by a systematic set of scientific ideas about history, geography, society and identity based on well- established academic disciplines. Increasing influence of religious groups and individuals in formulating syllabus be discouraged. Similarly, all kinds of incentives in this regard must be withdrawn. Introduce standardisation of curricula and licensing and certification of teachers. On completion of higher education, each candidate must have to spend specified period of time in teaching at assigned institutions. The government must develop partnerships in private sectors to adopt and replicate their best practices at government schools to boost their performance. A specified percentage of bright students from the lower and middle classes must be granted scholarships. Offer tax benefits/exemptions and other such incentives to private sector groups to invest in education in rural and less developed areas. Use electronic media more extensively for educational purposes. A channel could be devoted to just education. Interesting and informative documentaries and activities should also be designed for the education of students. Similarly, institutions as museums, internet clubs, libraries, etc. should also be developed. Contributions from the public can also be sought for this purpose.
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Computer education should also be introduced gradually right from the elementary stage in education. More emphasis should be given to the development of educational institutions for some unconventional disciplines as fashion designing, art, music and literature.
PICTURES OF DISTRICT RAHIMYAR KHAN
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Citizens Speak

(Punjab, June 2010)

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

3.1.2 Public Spending on Education

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

PICTURES OF DISTRICT BAHAWALPUR

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

3.2.2 Public Spending on Education

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

PICTURES OF DISTRICT D.G. Khan

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Article 91: Article 92: Article 130:

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

3.3.2 Public Spending on Education

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

PICTURES OF DISTRICT Gujrat

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

70 (50 men, 20 women)

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

personal controls over the political system. amendment.

Such things must be rectified through 19 th

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

3.4.2 Public Spending on Education

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

PICTURES OF DISTRICT Jhang

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

61 (43 men, 18 women)

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

3.5.2 Public Spending on Education

42 (22 men, 20 women)

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

PICTURES OF DISTRICT LAHORE

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab

3.6.2 Public Spending on Education

Citizens Speak Provincial Report of Policy Consultations in Punjab