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Punjab Government is all set to present a youth policy
By Waqar Gillani Sensing the growing popularity of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf among the youth, the PML-N-led Punjab Government is all set to announce its first youth policy. It is important to note that the Federal Ministry for Youth Affairs was created in 2005 and National Youth Policy was approved in December 2009. Before the formulation of National Youth Policy, there were a number of ministries and organisations that were working in various areas related to youth. However, the aim of the policy was to integrate their programmes and provide overall sense of direction consistent with the needs of the country. MOO
STREET Town
Talk history “Eloquence
is nothing short of magic”
Another gallery in the city
policy Punjab Government is all set to present a youth policy By Waqar Gillani Sensing the growing popularity of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf among the youth, the PML-N-led Punjab Government is all set to announce its first youth policy. It is important to note that the Federal Ministry for Youth Affairs was created in 2005 and National Youth Policy was approved in December 2009. Before the formulation of National Youth Policy, there were a number of ministries and organisations that were working in various areas related to youth. However, the aim of the policy was to integrate their programmes and provide overall sense of direction consistent with the needs of the country. Following the 18th
Amendment, the Federal Youth Ministry was dissolved and the Punjab
Government created a new ministry merging youth, sports and archeology. A
previous draft of the youth policy of the Punjab Government was a copy of
the National Youth Policy 2009 and the government only replaced word
“Pakistan” with “Punjab”. Sabiha Shaheen, executive director of Bargad NGO, an organisation working for youth for the past several years, says there was a consensus among participants of the first consultative meeting for review and formulation of the Punjab Youth Policy that there should be a new policy. She said her organisation was fully assisting the Punjab Government in preparing a comprehensive youth policy. The recently held Punjab Sports Festival and the upcoming drama festival are also part of those activities engaging youth in healthy activities. United Nations Population Fund is financially and technically supporting Bargad. “Punjab Youth Policy is scheduled to be launched soon, with over 10,000 youth in Lahore,” Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, who is leading the government in preparation of the policy, tells TNS. “There have been more than 40 consultations including some with the Punjab Assembly’s young parliamentary caucus comprising MPAs from all political parties. The draft will be shortly sent to the Punjab Assembly. Presently it is with the Department of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of the Punjab, for vetting.” The policy, Sabiha Shaheen says, is aimed at turning the youth into a dividend for the nation in a country which is facing youth bulge and massive outnumbering of young people amidst lesser investment on social development sector interventions. “Punjab Youth Policy
offers both policy and programmatic interventions for youth between the
ages of 15 to 29 years,” she says, adding, “It aims at promotion of
social, economic and political empowerment as well as engagement of youth
in the society’s mainstream economy and governance. It also aims at
encouraging character building and ethical values among youth.” Sadia Atta Mehmood, National Programme Officer of UNFPA, tells TNS that their organisation also supported the previous national youth policy. “Recently, we are supporting Punjab Government while Bargad is facilitating,” she says, adding, “Following the Punjab Government’s policy, we also plan to assist other provinces in formulating their youth policy.” This “youth bulge” is not inherently dangerous, but when governments are unable to foster work opportunities and platforms for expression and engagements, or the prospects of stability, youth bulge can exacerbate the risks of internal disorders. UNFPA has catered to early and late adolescents’ issues in the policy as well. “The policy caters to matters related to education, reproductive health, health in general, grooming, access to information pertaining to their life, and giving them right information on the issues.” For Amna Bashir, 26, a
graduate of a public university doing a private job, this is a surprise.
“This is surprising for us. The youth want proper guidance, facilities
for education, entertainment and recreation and the state should play a
role here,” she says. “We see that in every institute seniors and many
a time incapable people are sitting, blocking the way of youngsters. There
is a generation gap too. These old fashion people are also sometimes
rigid, biased and self-centered and they never even think of others,”
she goes on to say. “We need sports and positive activities,” says Ayla Hussain, 24, a student at a public sector university. “If you see lot of youth indulging in negative activities including terrorism because of their frustration and depression, why not engage them in sports and give way to their energies.” She says sports are really important for a healthy youth and there should be more sports facilities and opportunities. She hoped the policy will give the youth a window and space to breathe and play its role. There is a need to start general debate on youth issues and their role, to empower and give them confidence at organisational and institutional level. The policy draft details shared with TNS, further propose to consider youth as positive potential and strength for the national development rather than an instrument serving vested interests. Public actions under the provincial youth policy should therefore contribute to develop personal and social roles of youth. ‑vaqargillani@gmail.com I am not someone who is very conscious about his own appearance or that of others. You will not see me getting uneasy over a crumpled coat or trying to match my trousers with the shirt. I have a few pairs of shoes and, just to show how little I care, an occasional stepping on my shoe at a crowded place does not draw an angry response from me. “That’s how it should be” has been my motto till only a couple of days ago. It was nothing less than a surprise to discover this hidden love for my shoes. That magic or tragic
moment came when, after walking some distance on a busy road of Lahore
(which happens to be none other than Lahore’s Davis Road), I looked at
my shoes and found an unusually thick layer of dust settled on them. What
business had this dust sitting on my shoes? That perhaps was the time when I thought that there has to be a limit to the lack of attention I have had for my wardrobe. It was as bad as the leniency I have been showing for government’s acts of omission [read bad planning or sheer lack of good governance]. For some reason I saw a connection between the two. It may well be sheer chance that the change of mind came not because of the usual pollution in the air which gives you a bad throat or constant pinching in the head due to unending honking of the traffic. It was the thick layer of dust on my shoes that did the trick. It didn’t require rocket science to discover this was a by-product of digging along the road for laying certain pipes. And what is worse the digging part is just not coming to an end. Walking down any main road in the city is generally not a pleasant experience, especially at a time when the space for pedestrians is fast shrinking and is almost non-existent at some points. Digging for laying pipes by the government departments and then forgetting about them seems to have become a standard procedure. And there is no use contrasting this chaos with the rights given to pedestrians elsewhere in the world. But to come back to my unsightly shoes whose sheer look was so agonising and heart-breaking that I even thought about going to the consumer court, carrying the pair of dusty shoes in my hands. Deciding to be own lawyer, I thought of telling the honourable court how the shoes were all spanking black just before I walked down that unnerving patch of road called the Davis Road towards the parking lot. Somehow I am convinced the judge will take a merciful view of my petition and the sense that I have a strong case sinks in more with time. In these inflationary times, my overly dusty shoes seem to be telling me their lifespan may be cut short or that I will have to polish them all over again and apply more amount of polish than I use otherwise. But just when I am reminded of how I will have to spare more time and energy for the exercise, I am also reminded of the many many people who have to brave the dusty roads at places in Lahore that leave them with sore eyes, dusty hair and not just dusty shoes. Perhaps, unlike me, they have more pressing needs than shoes.
*Celebrating Spring 2012
at Alhamra, Gaddafi Stadium on Mar 11. Child Art Competition today. Age
group: 4-12 years. *Open Mic at Institute
for Peace peace and Secular Studies (IPPS) on Wednesday at 6:00 pm. People
not just share intellectual works like essays, papers, articles, poetry
but also other talents like songs, music compositions, monologues etc. * Miniature &
Calligraphy Show by NCA graduates at Nairang Gallery till March 17. * Three Day Theatre
Festival at Alhamra 2, The Mall at 6:00pm to celebrate International
Women’s Day. Today is the last day. Play: Wajud-e-Zan Sai Hai
Tasweer-e-Kainaat Mai Rang. * Ajoka´s Basant Bahar
Theatre at Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall from Mar 15-31. Ajoka is
presenting Bullha based on the life and times of Baba Bulleh Shah. * ´FAST DramaFest’ on
March 16-17 at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
(FAST). * Build Pakistan 2012 is
showcasing building and construction industry business in Pakistan and has
brought together more than 20 countries on one platform to exhibit and
exchange great business opportunities at the Lahore Expo Centre Pakistan.
Today is the last day.
history The Kharak Nala, which
passes through the Multan Road, has become fairly popular over the last
few years. This is because of the number of home-based industries that
have sprung up in its vicinity, adding their toxic pollutants into the
nala. This is troublesome and requires immediate action because the nala
is surrounded by densely populated areas on both sides, putting the health
of the people at great risk. This nala for me divides this section of the
Multan Road into two parts. The one we have crossed is dense and difficult
to travel across, and the one we are about to enter is wider, and a little
easier to drive on. The name of the nala is derived from the settlement known as Kharak. Even though this population originally known by this appellation no longer exists, its name lives on, compounded with the infamous nala. This area was originally a settlement of Arains and Awans from Tehsil Ajnala from Amritsar during the tenure of the tripartite Sikh Misls. At that point in time, this entire population was established within a forest. It was because of its environ that this area was inhospitable to the dwellers. It was vulnerable to frequent raids and attacks by bandits. To prevent themselves from the attackers the people from this village gathered a force of locals. The name Kharak is a legacy that continues from there. Kharak is derived from a Punjabi word Kharako, which means a person who likes violence. Today, the original area known as Kharak, has given way to modern colonies like Allama Iqbal Town, Madina Colony and Hassan Town. It is because of this reason that the road widens here. There is a graveyard on a mound at the Nishtar Block of Allama Iqbal Town, originally part of the Kharak. Inside the graveyard is the tomb of Baba Tali Peer. This is the oldest tomb in the locality. Next to the tomb is another building from the past. It is a mosque built during the Sikh era. It was later extended in 1985. Now it looks like any other mosque of the city, with a tall minaret, which as a rule has to be the tallest structure of the surroundings. There is another part of
this graveyard, which might have in actuality been one extended graveyard
near the Government High School. At that graveyard there is a tomb known
as Shahenshah Wali. The date on its grave is noted to be 950 AH, which
becomes 1529 CE. This adds an interesting dimension to our story about
Kharak, as our earlier research states that it was established during the
tenure of the tripartite Sikh Misls. This date is however of the Mughal
era. It is more likely that the date is wrong. This might be because most
of the dates on old tombs were noted down much later after the death of
the person, and since there were no written records at that time, people
had to rely on folk traditions. Somebody during that juncture could have
narrated whimsically this apocryphal date which became an accepted
historical reality later. Even today the devotees who flock his tomb regularly present various stories about the occupant of the tomb. A dominant belief is that he was a general from the army of Babar who had come with him from Afghanistan. While fighting the infidels of Punjab (who were actually Muslims) his head was severed, but the body kept on fighting and put many unbelievers to grave. Finally, the body gave up and it was interred here without the head, because that went missing. The area known as Kharak now is home to thousands of people, most of whom belong to the lower and upper middle-income strata. This area comes to life in particular during the Eid-Milad-un-Nabi celebration. Different streets and mohallas compete with each other to decorate their areas better. Any official tally of number of visitors decides the winner. Several thousand rupees are spent on this competition. The entire area around the nala is decorated like a newly-wed bride for two nights and is definitely worth a visit for anyone interested in exploring the cultural side of Lahore.
The Beaconhouse Liberty
Kasuri Cup 2012 was a mega debates event, one of its kinds as it
incorporated three different debating formats. It was a three day event
from Friday, Feb 24 to Sunday, Feb 26. The event kicked off by the 12th
Annual Inter-Collegiate Bilingual Declamation for the Chief Executive’s
Trophy was followed by a parliamentary style English debating
championship. The third event was an impromptu debating contest known as
the Orators Challenge. The idea behind BLKC was to give an opportunity to
potential rhetoricians to practice all sorts of debating styles and to
enhance public speaking itself. The event started with the 12th annual inter-collegiate bilingual declamation contest in which each team comprised of two speakers, one speaking in English and the other in Urdu. A total of 17 teams from various renowned schools and colleges such as Lahore Grammar School and Government College University participated and contested for the top three positions. Participants spoke over topics like “Believe you can and you are halfway there” and the same topic in Urdu with great vigor and enthusiasm. Chief guest Hassan Nisar announced the winners (Sarah Mehmood from SISA ranked 1st, Aamir Khan from LGS JT stood 2nd and Anoushe Zahoor from LGS 1A1 3rd in the English category) while GCU lifted the team trophy. The second phase ‘The parliamentary debates’ started with greater exhilaration and ambition. “I don’t remember working as hard and tirelessly as my management team and I did for these three days. Particularly, it would not have been possible without people such as Meher Mehtab and Mehrunissa Khan who helped us stage an event such as BLKC,” said Rania Sohail, the event organizer, in an interview with TNS. Twenty five teams from different institutes participated. After three very tough preliminary rounds Aitchison A, Aitchison B, SICAS and SISA made it to the top four teams. Following a hot contest in the Semi Finals, Aitchison A and Aitchison B qualified for the finals. Both the teams presented their views on the topic. “This house would
allow politicians with dual nationalities to contest for election”.
Aitchison B proposing the topic supported their view by putting forward
arguments about how the status quo needs to be revised and discrimination
against foreign graduates with dual nationalities, who are patriots and
want to be part of the political system in order to revitalise the system,
needs to end. However, after some very interesting and impressive arguments on Pakistani politics, Aitchison B managed to convince the panel of five esteemed judges and won the tournament. The third phase of the mega event was the orator’s challenge which is a very rare form of public speaking and not very commonly practiced. It had three rounds each judging the speaker’s confidence, logic, analysis and intellectual abilities. First, was the absurd philosophy round in which speaker had to answer various questions on the spot. Second, was the motivational speech round in which the speakers were given two minutes to prepare on different and very amusing situations, while third, was the interview round. Ali Chatha from Beaconhouse Defence campus ranked 1st. Mr. Najam Sethi and Mrs. Nasreen Kasuri honoured BLKC with their presence and presented their views about the political system of Pakistan and the capabilities of Pakistan’s youth before awarding the winners with the trophies. BLKC 2012’s success proved that ‘Eloquence is nothing short of magic’.
Another
gallery in the city ‘My work is a simple
reflection of my inspirations; derived from my observations while
traveling to various destinations worldwide. Nature is so complex and
diverse yet so beautiful and my job as a painter is to simplify the
complexity and share my feelings with the rest of the world through my
work,’ says the artist Raja Najam-ul Hassan. He takes immense pride in
being an untaught artist from Chakwal along with many other senior and
professionals who have found their way into the newly launched Art Gallery
in the city. ‘Art Lounge’ in Model Town is a brainchild or one would say Zehra’s Aslam’s new found passion that has opened its door to the lovers of art in the cultural capital. Lahore famous for its historical landmarks, the diverse cultural trends and the rustic charm of narrow inner city roads that people fall in love with and the mouth-watering culinary delights that one can’t simply resist. It is probably the only city where art is exceptionally represented. “I aim to contribute towards the promotion of art in the country as I believe that my little effort in paying homage to artists will go a long way for the recognition of their work and also the plus point of having a share in the appreciation of arts of the country,” an exuberant Zehra Aslam shared her vision for her newly established gallery. Some of the artists whose work is displayed are renowned names like A Q Arif, Mashkoor, M Irshad, Sabiha Nasruddin, Naila Kareem, Saba Rasheed, Wajid Yaqub and Ilyas Rana. Her gallery also exhibits some beautiful water colour paintings by Salman Ahmad and collection of tile work and Allah’s 99 names by Dabeer and Iftikhar. Mrs Sorraya Anwar who did the opening appreciated the efforts of Zehra Aslam who is also a BFA from Punjab University and has put up some of her work which is not on sale. A floral designer and an event planner by profession, Zehra Aslam’s labour of love gets thumbs up after having been in the field of an aesthetic world for over a decade now, she has now arrived on the art scene. Oil works of distinguished artists like that of AQ Arif and Mashkoor are carefully selected for their unique concept and visualisation and seem more like narratives. The attempt to frame the tile work of Dabeer and Iftikhar of God’s 99 names explores the depiction and symbolism of Islamic work. It’s an extension of their creative souls’ insightful observations; progressing through new directions and a direct result of the rich experience collected in the field. A minimalist approach is taken to create the progression of the artist as he incorporates the various facets of elements for the right effect. The collection also contains calligraphic works that come in sets of four paintings and is reasonably priced. —
Rubia Moghees
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They
argued that they should be given a chance because they deserve that
opportunity and are qualified enough. The sort of education and exposure
they possess is what is required to lead the country and to move towards
prosperity. Aitchison A while opposing the topic argued against the topic
and talked about how the exposure which is deemed vital for Pakistan’s
stable politics can be achieved without being a dual national. Being
foreign qualified is appreciated and encouraged however, there’s a
difference between the two. They argued that there is no need to have dual
nationality to be a good politician. Instead, it proves detrimental for
the country itself when you pledge your loyalty towards another country;
the politicians with dual nationalities do not deserve to contest
elections.
