Weak politics

Indian Rupee has depreciated by over 20 per cent over the last year. We have to depreciate Pak rupee vis-a-vis our competitors. We have seen Pakistan's economy suffer worse, like after the nuclear tests and it also went through imposition of sanctions thereafter. There has never been a default and likelihood of it is still very low. Yes the present government has not been able to manage the economy but the reason is a politically weak government which is the result of divided mandate and hence so many compromises. I hope that a politically powerful government comes in order to stablilise economy; since weak politics leads to weaker economy.

Falling education standard

Education means training for life. The main aim of education is threefold – physical, mental, and moral development of human personality. We find a constant fall in the standard of education.

There are various reasons behind the problem. Everyone is equally responsible, the government, teachers, parents and students.

The government is indifferent to the problems. The changing governments in the country have failed to assess the real causes of educational deterioration. The education administration is slack, corrupt and rather helpless against the student community. There are no proper checks on the functioning of the educational institutions. Accountability is missing at all levels.

The parents are equally responsible for the falling standard. Home plays the most important role in shaping the thinking and character of children and youth. In fact, a mother’s lap is the first school for a child. Parents are over indulgent with their children. They are allowed to do as they please. Lack of proper upbringing of children is a main cause of poor discipline. Parents have no strict control on youth.

The teachers, in general, are the product of our corrupt society. The primary schools are the nurseries of the nation. But our primary teachers are the least qualified and lowest paid. How can they raise good crop?

At college and university level, very few teachers are devoted and dedicated. It’s a common complaint that teachers do not take classes regularly; they come late and leave the classes before time. The heads are rather helpless before the political appointees. The greatest responsibility for these ills falls on the student community in general. Absenteeism, irregularity, unpunctuality and indiscipline are common practices. The government is sleeping or ineffective. Not acquirement of knowledge but easy papers and fake degrees are the aim of education for them. Peace that is a must for learning is missing. Examinations have become more a test of unfair means and dishonesty than of attainment and proficiency.

KAINAT ABDUL MAJEED

Karachi

Has social media overshadowed traditional marketing?

The author raises some interesting issues regarding the increased role of social media in modern day marketing. Facebook is becoming a great tool for marketers and the impact and penetration of social media have become too great for the companies to ignore. It is certainly a great article and after a long time, I have read an article that has engaged the readers despite it being written on a boring topic. The writer has raised very valid points with regard to the continuous evolution of social media and its impact on our lives. Companies now need to invest in their online marketing strategies in order to survive, those that fail to do so will struggle.

Ahmad Shah Islamabad

Are we an apathetic nation?

If we feel that our nation has become apathetic then it is obviously because people have suffered so many adversaries and atrocities. Now we are so much prone to everything that we hardly care about anything. Pakistanis are not 'born apathetic’; it is the environment that forces them to become apathetic. In this media-saturated society, where media daily reports dozens of killings, suicides, bomb blasts, protests, etc. How can anybody survive without being apathetic? I’m not saying that we not concerned at all, but then again, ‘every cause has its effect’, it’s simply that the kind of environment that surrounds us has certain effects on us. Otherwise, Pakistanis can be as empathetic as any other nation can be!

Marvee Mahmood Lahore

Islamic interbank benchmark rate

Dr Dar has shared a lot of valuable knowledge with the readers. Any person who has some interest in Islamic banking and finance knows very well the importance and urgency of an Islamic benchmark for pricing financial products in the Islamic banking market. In fact, it was long awaited. And as suggested by the writer, Islamic Interbank Benchmark Rate (IIBR) needs to be scrutinised from Shari’a and economic perspective. There is high time for Muslim world to contribute in the development of Islamic banking by participating in Islamic banking transactions and activities and to segregate Islamic banking from conventional banking for good order sake and purity. Nawab Ali Shah Lahore

Trade-with-India argument

After long term reliance on USA, now Pakistan has to open up itself to other countries as well, especially neighboring counties. Pakistan already enjoys FTA with China and India shall not be ignored. The main argument against MFN status to India is that Pakistani local industry will suffer; however, this is not the case. Due to MFN, Pakistan’s competitiveness in agricultural goods will increase and it will be able to compete with Indian goods. Trade is the solution to many problems between countries, which should be considered because only trade can resolve conflicts between India and Pakistan. We cannot afford long term enmity with India. Wahab Khan Khattak peshawar

Rupee depreciation

As rupee continue to plunge into obscurity, things are indeed looking bleak. Obviously the fact that exporters are holding back their export means that things would only get worse. Dollar is continuing to appreciate and rupee’s depreciating trend doesn’t look like halting any time soon. We need a lot of investment in our neck of the woods, and for that to happen we need to invite investment. With terrorism prevailing and other problems also engulfing our country, the available options for investors are already minimal. Add the fact that we aren’t even giving any incentives to them and you get a dead end.

Trade-with-India argument

This is true as a general rule that a specific industrial policy is needed to kick start and maintain growth momentums in productive capacity of the economy. It has been argued by many economists like, Ha-Joon Chang of Cambridge University that all developed countries have had protection/support systems for priority sectors. Pakistan is a unique case. If Pakistan lowers the tariffs below ASEAN levels, then it can hope for some development. What Pakistan needs is a well-articulated industrial policy with some structures of industrial forecasting, even at the provincial and city level. We are trying to bring in the economics of 80s (much of neo-liberal thought in new bottles) under the so-called new growth strategy for Pakistan.

GM food necessary to overcome hunger?

The article reads like a thoroughly brainwashed outcome of the MNC's corporate propaganda, without understanding how Biology and Agriculture operate, or bothering to refer to independent research on what is wrong with GM – easily available on the internet all that has been demonstrated the world over. How can the author, unload such false and dangerous disinformation and marketing hype on the public, especially in Islamabad, which city already suffers from excessive and unwarranted influence from vested interests, both local and foreign? There is a need to check out the updated information on global food security issues. The world already produces enough to feed 11.5 billion people, but it does not reach the hungry in the South, whose fundamental rights to food and livelihoods have been sold out by rights-violating commodification of food, land and other essentials by self-serving governments and politicians to multinational agro-businesses, WTO’s (non-)free trade, and global financial and food trade speculators. GM technology development is self-contradictory and ultimately suicidal, as it depends on wild biodiversity to obtain gene traits it needs to fiddle with ("modify") to obtain so-called "new" varieties, which are then patented and also aggressively imposed on small farmers who do not need them. Yet GM is a continuation of monoculture that has already destroyed most of the world’s edible biodiversity. If not anything else, the author at least needs to read up on what the UN and FAO have to say about what will happen if we do not at the earliest return to traditional, organic, sustainable agriculture, and if the world continues doing industrial agriculture. This has already degraded most of the world’s soils, poisoned its water bodies, as well as wrecked the health of poverty-stricken peasants and farmers who work the land, by following the misguided, profit-oriented-for-the-MNCs path. Najma Sadeque karachi

Rage against the machine

As long as we remain dependent on American aid, the rage against NATO would be pointless. Yes it is true that Uncle Sam needs our support to drag them out of the mess that they find themselves in, but the way things work in the real world, economic dependence will always be more menacing. The attacks were totally uncalled for, and yes we need to take a strong stance against such an uncalled-for act, but at the end of the day we can’t afford to take things beyond repair. Unfortunately in the real world, where money governs most matters, it is difficult to play hardball against someone you owe. Nida Mansoor lahore

Philip Morris – comedy of errors

I loved the article and it is a job well done by the writer. For years, we have been fooled with the illusion of the hunk and the cigarette as a sign of grandiosity and power. Ever since the British colonialism, the sub-continent has been infected with numerous addictions and one can't really blame the companies for corrupting our minds. But then again, there is no room for excuse. The government has done a wonderful job by imposing a ban on these commercials. However, at the same time, there are millions of fake and smuggled tobacco brands and the government is not doing anything to regulate them. What about their taxes or regulatory laws? Nadira lahore

Philip Morris – comedy of errors

The article is very well written and researched. The content and the writing style actually took me on a nostalgic journey of 90s. Cigarette advertisements are nowhere to be found in Pakistan today and it is pretty evident that they are banned. My reaction towards the recent print advertisement of Marlboro in one of the local Sunday magazines was the same as the writer’s. I still wonder, what made the famous tobacco company make such a big blunder. Not being well researched is not a good excuse because it is not an immature company. To put it in a nut shell, last week was a crisis week for Philip Morris in terms of reputation.

Mazher Ahmed Lahore

177pc rise in import bill

First of all I would like to thank the Profit team for giving the readers such an accurate depiction of stats and numbers. This makes us more aware about the current scenario and how things fluctuate. Moving on to the actual rise in import bill and the rupee’s fall against dollar, it is a clear case of lack of investment. Risk-averse investors should be given incentives so that various plans could be implemented. This would prove to be a strong method of boosting our economical turmoil. Something must be done or else the import bill would inflate further.

Tooba Rafi Rawalpindi

Work on Iran-Pakistan pipeline

Now that Iran has almost completed their side of the pipeline, we need to follow suit and work on the project with similar work ethic and determination. It is promising to note that Balochistan is being supportive and giving easy access to the various targeted sites. However the Federal Government needs to back this up by giving as many employment opportunities to people in Balochistan as possible. Despite the US antagonism, the pipeline has come a long way and is on the verge of completion. The pipeline is a lucrative move and now that it has endured the test of time, we must ensure that we take the project to the finishing line.

Momina Bilal Lahore

Planning and economic growth

I agree with Mr Tarin, but not totally. Yes, there is a need of will to do the things with honesty, but the most important of all is to address our structural problems; and in this regard, energy crisis is on the top. We need to address the energy problems as much as early, because today energy is considered to be the life blood of economy without which our economy can not move. Furthermore, in the west, the demand is not that of planning mechanism, as the writer mentions in the article, but that of economic system's alternative. To demand for a planning mechanism is like asking for another committee, or state department.

Muhammad Asif Joyo Islamabad