Ambitious students interested in studying abroad invest much time and effort in picking and applying to the right colleges.

Seventeen year old Uzair is no stranger to juggling a wealth of activities. He has always found time to be a debater, cricketer and social worker amid the burden of five A-levels subjects. But these days his time management skills are being tested to the limit as he attempts to cram in preparation for the SAT exams and works on his college essays.

"Applying to the United States for undergraduate education is a rigorous process," he explains. "You need to take time out to research the colleges you want to apply to and think about why you are a good fit for them. You need to write essays, take standardised tests, collect recommendations and generate an impressive list of extracurriculars to be a competitive candidate."

Applying abroad for higher education has always been a popular choice among those seeking a post-graduate degree, but it is becoming increasingly common at the undergraduate level too, particularly among students from private schools who can compete well with their foreign counterparts in English language skills and extracurricular achievements.

Not everyone looking to pack his bags for a distant educational mecca needs to devote his final year in school to the cumbersome research and application process. "I am keen to study in the United States since I feel the breadth of its education is unparalleled," says a student of LACAS (Lahore College of Arts and Sciences) "but to do justice to the application process, I am planning to take a year off after my A-levels. This concept of a 'gap year' is actually quite common among American students. This will give me additional time to develop thoughtful applications and American universities will appreciate the extra maturity and perspective I bring to their class with one year of post-school internship experience."

It is no more taken as conventional wisdom any longer that educational meccas are only present in the familiar lands of the United States and United Kingdom. Indeed, universities from Australia, Singapore and Japan are openly courting our students and enticing them with offers of financial support and the promise of secure and lucrative jobs following graduation. "Students from my classes end up everywhere from China to Cuba to Germany," explains a teacher at Lahore Grammar School in Johar Town. "The competition of attracting students from countries like Pakistan has really become a global business."

In the case of Usman who sought an advanced degree in telecommunications, the choice of selecting to study in Sweden was obvious. "I had the option of studying in the United States," he explains, "but I was aware that Scandinavian countries are advanced in information and communication technologies in a way that no other nation can compete with. Couple this with the fact that higher education there is virtually free and they have been making concrete effort to attract students from Pakistan in recent years, it was an easy decision for me to make."

How is one to decide where to apply among such a galaxy of options? "You need to spend a lot of time researching your options," says a graduate of Macalester College in the United States. "Each school has its pros and cons and you need to take into account what you want to study, where you want to work and where you are likely to thrive. People often make the mistake of only applying to the most well known schools which can only accommodate the chosen few. They overlook some less well known schools that may provide comparable education and job opportunities at a cheaper price tag." He also recommends that students scour online forums that attempt to answer the many questions that crop up among anxious applicants.

Others benefit from the mentoring and advice of friends who have already been through the process. "I am fortunate that many from my school have successfully undergone the process of foreign admissions and have first-hand information on how to best present yourself in the application. They are more than happy to guide future generations since they themselves benefited from the mentoring of their seniors," says a student of Aitchison College.

There are many who do not have the benefit of such alumni networks. Some souls turn to private admissions counsellors to help them navigate through the process. "Being from a school with limited counselling resources, I am particularly eager to benefit from a private counsellor," says one student currently immersed in the admissions game. "As long as you can find someone with a proven track record of mentoring students into getting accepted to selective schools, I think the expense is worth it. Most of all, I appreciate the reliable information on financial aid and visa policies since I have no other source for it."

What kind of advice would those who have successfully cleared all the hurdles for foreign admissions like to share? "I would encourage applicants to do some soul searching and think about what they hope to achieve in college," says a student enrolled in Middlebury College in the United States. "Most foreign schools are looking for unique individuals, not automatons who have packaged themselves specifically to appeal to the admissions committee."

Dark lonely night and a beautiful woman with long hair and feet turned backwards. She has always been the favourite character of nanis and khalas who love telling horror stories. The summer vacation visits to the cousins are just incomplete without this woman who everyone has seen once in his or her lifetime. And only when they are alone.

What makes it more interesting is that the description never changes even if the settings do. Last summer and every summer before that we cousins have had those late nights when we told each other horror stories. From 'personal experiences', of course. Once my cousin told me how her grandfather's father was going on a deserted street when he saw a lonely beautiful woman. Shocked to see a woman so late, and that too a beautiful one, he stopped. On being asked where she wanted to go, the woman vanished. Just like that.

In another family legend I was told that one of my great grandfather's step-brother was nailed in the head by the djinns because he tried to spoil one of their weddings. According to another of my cousins, she heard footsteps at the rooftop just about the same time every time. The stories sound too stupid in the morning but the moment they are told they just freak you out.

At the risk of sounding rude, I must state that I find it hard to believe these stories. Though good stories, all of them, they are capable of driving you mad if they get stuck in your mind. I was always told never to believe them and yet I was always told these stories.

Recently when my friend's young brother told me how they see often a beautiful woman in their backyard or terrace, I actually became quite concerned. Do these children really believe in what they listen to? Apparently they do. And the result isn't that good. I told him how these stories are just meant for fun and not to be believed in. I was told that I need to believe things in order to see them. May be that's why I never had the honour of encountering the 'beautiful woman'.

Almost all of us have listened to these stories as children. Once the childhood is gone, so is the belief. Seeing these children as well as their parents believe in such tales only made me think if we are inculcating fear in them. The psychological impact of doing so is not so good after they start justifying their certainty of them.

Our belief in supernatural stems from the belief in all the unseen forces. The need to give up one's belief is not the question here. What needs to be checked is the attribution of human qualities to something just so that it appears more realistic.

Physical and metaphysical should be kept within their respective spheres. Superstition must not be spread. It might help telling our children to always doubt the authenticity of the Djinn stories they are told. These should be taken as stories and nothing more.

That is why I have never doubted the literary ability of these legends. They ought to be read and enjoyed as Greek mythologies. Absurd yet pleasurable and meaningful too. I wonder why nobody paid any attention towards these legends. If Heer Ranjha is such a huge success, maybe the 'beautiful woman' could have been immortalised too.

The question remains: How come no one ever saw a handsome man? Why always a lonely woman?

• An exhibition of elegant Sindhi fabrics

by Mrs. Uzma Hammad on September 23 (today) from 10am-4:30pm at 160-B, Upper Floor, Street 7, GECHS Phase III, Model Town, Link Road

• Exhibition of miniatures

at Nairang Art Gallery till September 25 from 11am to 11pm daily. Featured artists: Mufakir Subhani, Aakif Suri, Kausar Iqbal, Urooj Chugtai, and Mizna Syed.

• Punjabi Sangat

is weekly (every Friday) gathering at Najam Hussain Sayed's (Punjabi poet, playwright, critic) house, where Punjabi classical poetry is read, interpreted and sung. Time: 7pm.

• Female entrepreneurs' products and handicrafts

Exhibition opens at 11am every day till September 30 at Women Business Incubation Centre Peco Road

• Paintings exhibition by Mohammad Shafique

at Hamail Gallery, off M.M. Alam Road, Lahore till September 30

• Mansoor Aye at Croweaters Gallery

Abstract figurative works open till September 30. Gallery timings: 10:30am to 7:30pm daily. Sundays closed.

• A concert

of unheard melodies at Government College University Lahore every Saturday at 1:30pm.

The people of Lahore have been deprived of safe drinking water due to the rapid and unorganised urbanisation of the city. Huge number of people travel into the city from small cities and villages to enhance their quality of life but end up drinking unclean, polluted water. The city district government (CDGL) has failed to provide the residents of Lahore with the basic necessities of life, including clean drinking water.

The continuous use of contaminated tap water is causing an increase in water-borne diseases throughout the city. According to a survey 75 per cent of underground water within the city is contaminated and 80 per cent of the water supplied to the city is unfit for human consumption. Almost 60 per cent of the diseases are water-borne. 40 per cent of the reported deaths are due to consumption of contaminated water.

In the year 2004 the government pledged to install 7,044 water purification plants in each district and tehsil of the country at an estimated cost of Rs 8 billion. It is moving at a snail's pace. Furthermore, environmental laws like the national environment quality standards, the national drinking water and sanitation policies and the Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1977 exist but it's agonising to see that these and other laws are not being implemented.

The government is not doing anything in this regard, says a Wasa official on condition of anonymity. "People blame us for this gory picture but in reality the government is the one who should be blamed. Wasa does not have enough funds to clean up water tanks within the city that costs Rs 200 per water tank only; how is it possible to carry out a multi-million project."

Wapda colonies in Lahore located at Chungi Amar Sadhu, Upper Mall and Bund Road respectively have set up water purification units in the wake of diseases arising from contaminated water. These water purification units according to Wapda (Water and Power Development Authority) authorities cost them three to four hundred thousand rupees which is much cheaper than the huge plants set up by multinationals selling bottled water. The residents of these colonies are allowed to collect water from these purification units free of cost for drinking purposes only.

"It's a good step taken by the administration of Wapda societies," says Nasir who is a driver in Wapda and lives in Chungi Amar Sadhu Wapda Colony.

Another official of Wapda says, "We learnt that Lahore's water supply had a dangerous level of arsenic and flourine which is quite dangerous for human health. That's when we took the initiative of installing water purification plant so that the Wapda employees and their families could have access to clean and purified drinking water."

In Pakistan majority of people live below the poverty line and cannot afford bottled water or filters for their homes. According to a research, 15 out of 48 brands of mineral water were declared unfit for drinking. Similarly, many consumers who have their own water filters at their home are not satisfied with the filters. Muhammad Ahmad, a resident of township and a father of four says: "I bought an expensive filter so that my family and I could drink clean water but my children kept falling ill. It was then that I learned that the filter was of no use."

Having access to clean drinking water is also a problem for the local governments. They say it's a big responsibility to provide clean water to the people in their jurisdiction but they can't help with the meagre resources they have. The local governments neither have funds nor the technical competence to handle this problem. "We pay a monthly bill of 600 to 800 rupees for the water we use but what's the use of paying our bills if we are getting contaminated water." Water at any places like government schools, hospitals and public places is unsafe for drinking. This year Wasa pledged to clean all the contaminated water tanks but the plan was halted due to unavailability of funds.

"If our colony had waited for Wasa to take action for provision of clean water, installation of these units would not have taken place," says Arshad, a resident of Bund Road Wapda Colony.

With more and more people consuming contaminated water, the government should start thinking about installation of water purification units like the ones set up in Wapda colonies. If the it does not have the resources to carry out this project throughout the country, it should at least think of installing these water purification units in places where they are most needed.

With the advent of Ramzan, a large number of beggars from other parts of the country rush to Lahore and swarm in streets, public places and worship places to seek alms. They set up cottages in various open places in and around the city during this month and return to their natives villages and towns.

"I beg because all my family does this job," Sajjad, a 15 years old resident of Sheikhupura tells TNS. He says they are three brothers and a mother and have no means to earn livelihood. "During Ramzan, all my family members leave for big cities." Beggary, he says, is his paternal job and an easy way to earn. I earn Rs 500 to Rs 600 per day, which is impossible for me to earn otherwise.

The government departments and NGOs have looked the other way as far as the issue of beggary is concerned. Deputy Director, Social Welfare Department Punjab, Muhammad Suleman tells TNS that during 1985-1988 their had set up welfare homes for beggars which were funded by the Zakat Council which later withdrew this facility and the programme had to be wound up. "In the welfare homes, beggars were imparted training of masonry, carpentry and other skills to enable them earn livelihood in a respectable manner." He said they have moved a summary to Punjab Chief Minister for setting up of welfare homes.

About the jurisdiction of Social Welfare department, Punjab, Suleman says that the department covers three districts -- Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura regarding beggary.

Child Protection & Welfare Department (CP&WD) which was established by the Punjab government some two and a half years ago claim to be playing a significant role for the rehabilitation of run away, unclaimed and beggar children. "The CP&WD, since its inception has rescued as many as 5,000 children including beggars and camel jockeys and sent them to their homes for reunification," Zubair Ahmad Shad, Director Programme Child Protection and Welfare Department (CP&WD) tells TNS. He says parents do not pay attention towards their children due to a number of factors like ignorance, illiteracy, poverty, economic problems etc which make the children beggars, criminals and addict. "We can only eliminate child beggary from the society with the cooperation of parents," he says, adding that if someone spots a child beggar he should inform Child Protection Department.

Most of the children brought in the CP&WD are addicts or beggars. He claims that CP&WD in collaboration with Punjab government and UAE government is providing Rs 600, a bicycle and providing free eduction to the children registered with the CP&WD under Monthly Conditionally Cash Grant (MCCG).

Before, the establishment of CP&WD, he says, four criminals were active in Lahore which they had divided city in four zones. Kala Ungli Cut was active in Wahdat road and Model Town area, Kala Jawaaria was active in Lahore Station, Shafiq Mana was active in Gulberg area while Baba Zeldar was active in Data Darbar area. These criminals detained children and forced them to beggary and other immoral activities.

Incharge Edhi Welfare Centre, Salma says the centre rescues about 50-60 women beggars monthly and lodge them in Allama Iqbal centre from where they are sent to their home towns after their moral training. Similarly, the same number of male beggars are lodged in Gulberg centre every month.

Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Ravi Town says under local government ordinance, begging by showing deformity through self-inflicted injuries on any part of his/her body is an offense. "The officials of Ravi Town catch such persons and release them after imposing fine which has to be deposited in bank."

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Iqbal Malik tells TNS that 1195 beggars have been arrested under the Begging Act 1958 during the drive that has been launched since June 2007. As many as 150 children were handed over to Child Protection Welfare Department while 45 women beggars were handed over to Edhi Welfare Centre.

1.Allu Cholay-Chachu Chat Wala, Bank Square

2.Dahi Bhalay- Dahi Bhalay, Ghalib Market

3.Samosay- Butt kay Samosay

4.Pakoras- anywhere

5.Jalebi-Yateem Khana Chowk

6.Kachoriyan- Punjab Sweets,Ichra

7.Cream Bhalay-Opposite Variety House, Anarkali

8.Fruit Chat- Bano Bazzar, Anarkali

9.Pathooray- Next to Wazir Khan Masjid

10.Tang- anywhere