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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Education: Rs4b for missing facilities in schools, Rs4b for laptops</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/391448/education-rs4b-for-missing-facilities-in-schools-rs4b-for-laptops</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/391448/education-rs4b-for-missing-facilities-in-schools-rs4b-for-laptops#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jun 12 02:23:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ali.usman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category><category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=391448</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rs1b to be spent on setting up Punjab Technology University.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Punjab government has allocated Rs4 billion for the provision of missing facilities in 2,000 primary schools – half of them girls’ schools – in the Annual Development Programme for 2012-2013.

Another Rs4.484 billion has been allocated for other new schemes for the Schools Education Department, which has been given a total development budget of Rs15 billion.

The new projects include Rs500 million for the rehabilitation of schools in 13 flood-affected districts; Rs519 million for the establishment of upgrading of girls middle schools to high schools in union councils; Rs500 million for the establishment or rehabilitation of schools in congested urban areas and housing societies in urban peripheries; Rs700 million for the conversion of high/higher secondary schools to model schools with enrolment of over 1,000 students in grades 8 to 10; and Rs400 million for the provision of furniture in schools.

Higher education 

The Punjab government allocated Rs1.463 billion for the establishment of new colleges in the Rs6.65 billion development budget for the Higher Education Department.

This includes a block allocation of Rs2.272 billion, which can be spent on any project at the chief minister’s discretion. Some Rs175.307 million has been allocated for the Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme.

About Rs300 million of the Rs700 million allocated for special education projects is a block allocation, while Rs254 million has been allocated for new schemes. A total of Rs44 million has been allocated for the provision of uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems or generators in special education institutions.

Literacy and non formal basic education has been allotted Rs915 million, with a block allocation of Rs548 million. Around Rs300 million is for new schemes and Rs67 million for ongoing schemes.

Daanish Schools and laptops

The government allocated Rs2 billion for the Daanish School System, Rs2 billion for the Punjab Education Endowment Fund and Rs6.5 billion for the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). Some Rs1 billion is to be spent on setting up the Punjab Technology University, and Rs1 billion on buses for girls’ colleges. The budget also includes Rs4 billion for the provision of laptops to bright students.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Distribution ceremony: 1,116 evening students get laptops</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/388849/distribution-ceremony-1116-evening-students-get-laptops</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/388849/distribution-ceremony-1116-evening-students-get-laptops#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jun 12 02:26:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=388849</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[VC urges student to avail new technology to enhance knowledge.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As many as 1,116 students of evening classes received laptops in a distribution ceremony at the Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) on Monday.


The event was presided over by GCUF Vice Chancellor Prof Zakir Hussain. MNA Begum Khalida Mansoor and MPA Khwaja Muhammad Islam were the chief guests.

In his address following the distribution, the vice chancellor urged the students to use the laptops to enhance their knowledge.

“Computers can help you call upon a complete library, bring revolutionary changes in your studies and knowledge and is essential to meet educational demands to excel in today’s world,” he said.

The vice chancellor expressed his confidence in the youth and said that they would make the country strong, invincible and self reliant for a progressive and welfare state. He said that the government was distributing laptops among talented students of the country on merit and without any quota or political consideration. It had been initiated to provide better and latest facilities to the students, he said.

Muhammad Asim, a postgraduate student and one of the recipients of a laptop said he had always wanted to buy a laptop but could not afford it.

He said getting a laptop was a “dream come true.”

“These laptops will help students stay in touch with the latest information and improve their knowledge,” Gul Jahan, another recipient of a laptop said.

Assistant Professor Abdul Haq said laptops and desktops had become an essential part of learning and teaching at colleges and universities.

He said the status gaps in the country had become clearer over the years. This, he said, was creating hurdles in boosting up the hidden qualities of the new generation.

“Chief minister’s decision to distribute laptops among the deserving students is a revolutionary step. It will help in improving the standard of education,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>My very first computer</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/375342/my-very-first-computer</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/375342/my-very-first-computer#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 12 18:15:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umar.saif]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=375342</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[With 125,000 brilliant students equipped with laptops, I hope they contribute positively towards education system.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In late 1990s, the University of California, Berkley was working on a pioneering wireless networking project that had a deceptively simple tagline: ‘Access is the killer application’. This simple tagline has stuck with me for over a decade. Whether it was my research and entrepreneurial life at MIT and LUMS for the past 10 years, or my recent role in public-sector IT initiatives, enabling access has been a pivotal theme of my work.

One of the most successful projects in my research group at LUMS is a BitTorrent client, called BitMate, which enables computers with a slow network connection to pool their bandwidth for downloading content faster. When we first built the BitMate system, I remember a journalist asking me about the usefulness of our system. My reply was simple: give people a way to access information, and they will surprise you with what they can do with it. BitMate is now used by over 35,000 users from 184 countries to download content like e-books and computer software. Shortly after we released the system for public use, I received an email from a student in Iran thanking me for making the software.

In my recent role at the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), I have found that the basic building block of e-governance initiatives is invariably access to information: access to data about the level of crime reported at different police stations, for better decision-making; access to patterns in which a disease like dengue may be spreading in the city, for better preventive measures; access to information about the level of service rendered by government hospitals, for better allocation of resources; access to information about one’s ownership of a land asset, to avoid fraudulent property transactions.

In the same vein, I hope that laptops awarded to the students in Punjab will facilitate better access to educational content and tools. Indeed, similar programmes worldwide, such as the MIT One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative and the Intel Classmate PC have had a huge impact. The MIT OLPC scheme, backed both by the World Economic Forum and the UNDP has resulted in over 2.5 million laptops being distributed to students in various countries.

Much like the philosophy of educational projects such as MIT OLPC, the Punjab government’s 125,000 laptops use a free, open-source Ubuntu operating system. Supporting open-source software at this scale, in a country with rampant use of proprietary and pirated software, is bold and laudable. Due to its flexibility, zero-cost and broad-based academic support, open-source software is the de facto standard for college and university students worldwide. This is the first time an initiative in Pakistan has promoted open-source software in a project of this scale. With an open-source operating system installed in the laptops, students can benefit from a wide range of free, open-source applications, instead of having to buy expensive proprietary applications or using illegal pirated versions.

With 125,000 brilliant students equipped with laptops, there is great opportunity for the government, IT industry and universities to develop an ecosystem that affords ubiquitous network accessibility, localised educational content and applications to make best use of these laptops in our higher education system.

I remember when my father gifted me my first computer on doing well in O-levels. This introduced me to the wonderful world of computers and eventually led me to become a computer science professor. Seventeen years later, I still have that computer displayed as a trophy in my study room. I hope the students who have received the laptops cherish this award the same way I did many years ago and go on to contribute positively towards our education system.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Forget laptops, Gujranwala school needs walls</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/374120/forget-laptops-gujranwala-school-needs-walls</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/374120/forget-laptops-gujranwala-school-needs-walls#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 12 16:48:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Ema Anis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=374120</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A 50-year-old elementary public school in Gujranwala has 350 students, but only two rooms to accommodate them.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A 50-year-old elementary public school in the Basiwala area of Gujranwala has 350 students, but only two rooms to accommodate them. 

Not only are the school premises insufficient to accommodate the large number of students, its dilapidated walls and ceilings may also cave in at any moment, a safety hazard.

On sunny days, the children have to sit under the scorching sun to study. During inclement weather, they have to sit among pools of stagnant rainwater mixed with sewerage.

The teachers of the school are equally affected by the conditions but remain helpless.

On the one hand, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been busy distributing advanced laptops among students of the province, while on the other, students of this school within his jurisdiction wait for the government to provide them with basic facilities.

According to a recent report, the budget of the laptop initiative is Rs4 billion, and so far thousands of students across the province have received the laptops.]]>
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			<title>Free laptops is not the answer. What is?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/371740/free-laptops-is-not-the-answer-what-is</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/371740/free-laptops-is-not-the-answer-what-is#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 12 15:08:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[pervez.hoodbhoy]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=371740</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A digital utopia cannot be constructed on a shaky educational base such as ours.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[To loud applause at a special distribution ceremony on Pakistan Day, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif declared: “We do not give weapons in the hands of youngsters, we give them laptops; we give them education.” The laptop scheme is the brainchild of kid brother Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab. He says that the Punjab government plans to distribute a further 300,000 laptops — in addition to the 100,000 already distributed — as a “weapon against poverty and ignorance”.

The Sharifs are surely to be commended for preferring computers over Kalashnikovs (some of their political rivals would want it the other way around). But laptops are not silver bullets that can transform Pakistan’s education. Cost is not the main issue. Of course, we do know that Dell laptops, purchased at Rs 37,700 apiece, are more expensive than the Rs2,200 indigenous product developed by Tata for use in India’s schools. Possible cuts and commissions by middlemen, and allegations of unfair distribution, also cannot be ruled out. But this too is a peripheral matter.

Instead, the central question is: how exactly are these laptops to combat poverty and ignorance, or improve education? The answer is not clear in any developing country but is even muddier in Pakistan. The purchased computers did not come loaded with school books, supplementary educational materials, or programmes like “Comic Life” which make math learning fun. There are no locally-developed programmes, and none in Urdu or any local language. Nor have schoolteachers been trained to deal with computers as a teaching tool. Of course, there will be some Google searching and perhaps some educational material will be downloaded. But overwhelmingly they will be used for chatting, surfing, or video games.

The false notion of technology as a magic wand has made our rulers euphoric from time to time. Few Pakistanis will remember the bulk purchase of Apple-II C computers for schools at the end of the 1980s. General Ziaul Haq’s minister of education, Dr Muhammad Afzal, (now deceased), was a progressive man in a religiously-charged government. Somehow he was seized with the notion that computers would revolutionise everything. In one of my occasional meetings with him, I unsuccessfully sought to persuade him that his idea was fundamentally flawed. Sadly, the warning turned out to be correct: it is likely that many machines were not even turned on before they were junked en masse 10-15 years later.

Earlier on, a still bigger revolution had been promised. Pakistan Television was founded on the premise that its core purpose would be education. At the invitation of the Pakistan government, a Unesco team visited Pakistan and met with the ministers of law, broadcasting, and education. In a subsequent report the team leaders, HR Cassirer and TS Duckmanton, wrote:

“We arrived in Lahore on October 10, 1960, where we were the guests of the Regional Director of Radio Pakistan, as well as the Provincial Department of Education. We pursued our consultations with officials concerned with the following: university and college education, primary and secondary education, vocational education, village aid, broadcasting, the Arts Council”. The report document does not even mention entertainment or news broadcasts, but has paragraphs on how telecourses should be conducted.

But PTV never made a sizeable contribution to education. For 50 years its broadcast content has been almost exclusively entertainment and news. In this period PTV has produced only two documentary serials that sought to popularise science for the general public, one in 1994 and the other in 2002. I can testify that these had the lowest priority accorded to any programme series; for months I was given the midnight shift and would work through on the editing until morning arrived, at which point I would go bleary-eyed to teach my classes at Quaid-e-Azam University.

These negative examples do not mean that technology is valueless for education. Far from it! Distance education, conveyed via laptops and notebooks, is clearly the future. Open Course Software (OCS) from the world’s best universities brings a wealth of knowledge to those who can absorb it; the clever instructional techniques of the Khan Academy helps millions of students across the world; and increasing interactive learning programmes are becoming more effective learning tools.

But students who benefit from internet resources already know what they are looking for; they have already achieved a certain level. A digital utopia cannot be constructed on a shaky educational base such as ours. Most Pakistani schools do not have the bare minimum infrastructure like blackboards, toilets, library, or wall posters. More importantly, they do not have competent teachers. Expectedly, the recently released Annual Status of Education Report paints a dismal picture of basic reading and writing skills. Laptops can do nothing to improve things here.

What about well-off city schools that do have reasonable infrastructure? Unfortunately here too, the laptop can presently play only a marginal role because, with some honourable exceptions, students mostly study for grades. If grades were awarded on the basis of real learning, it would be a different matter. But where money buys marks and cheating is rampant, the incentive for self-improvement diminishes. Moreover, exams test little beyond that contained in guidebooks or prescribed textbooks. They stress memorisation rather than internalisation of concepts. I think revamping the examination system will do more good than buying a million laptops.

Of course some good does come from merely connecting children to the internet. Nicholas Negroponte of MIT, who fathered the idea of one-child one-laptop, argues that children are naturally inquisitive and access to an internet-enabled computing device is sufficient to release their creative faculties. He says somehow they will “figure it out” and “learn to learn”. But this view is excessively optimistic.

Connectivity and access, already provided by cellphones, alone does not create a thinking mind. For example, consider Darul Ulum Haqqania at Akora Khattak. This ‘Harvard of madrassas’ has produced Mullah Omar as well as other such luminaries. It is awash in computers but, even in a hundred years from now, shall not have added an iota to the stock of human knowledge.

The bottom line: good education requires planning, organisation, integrity, resources and, above all, a mindset that is oriented towards the future and not the past. Techy hi-fi stuff has glitz, but it’s really the sub-stratum of thought that matters.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Bhoja crash commission ‘less judicial, more commission’: Shahbaz Sharif</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/369206/bhoja-crash-commission-%e2%80%98less-judicial-more-commission%e2%80%99-shahbaz-sharif</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/369206/bhoja-crash-commission-%e2%80%98less-judicial-more-commission%e2%80%99-shahbaz-sharif#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 12 07:23:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sidrah.moiz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=369206</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sharif says Pakistan was made to share grief, happiness with our 'provincial brothers'.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday said that the judicial commission which was constituted to probe into the Bhoja Air crash is “less judicial and more commission”. 

Speaking to the media at Allama Iqbal Degree College in Sialkot during a laptop distribution ceremony, Sharif said that Pakistan was made to share grief and happiness with “our brothers of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.”

“Today, I ask you a question and you have to find an answer with the help of these laptops given to you. Was Pakistan made for us to face these crises?”

He said that people left their homes in India in order to become a part of Pakistan and that Pakistan was a result of many efforts.

The Punjab chief minister said that the “black acts” of the federal government had become the fate of the nation.

He assured the “Shaheens” of Iqbal’s city that the “dark clouds” will fade away, making room for light.]]>
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			<title>Laptop scheme: Embracing ‘reward for hardwork’ with a little skepticism</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/367806/laptop-scheme-embracing-%e2%80%98reward-for-hardwork%e2%80%99-with-a-little-skepticism</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/367806/laptop-scheme-embracing-%e2%80%98reward-for-hardwork%e2%80%99-with-a-little-skepticism#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 12 23:25:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mavra.bari]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=367806</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Over 1,500 laptops distributed among students from all over the country.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Student who received laptops from the Punjab government on Friday, contemplated if it was an act of facilitating them or a plan to reel in votes for the ruling party. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif, in a ceremony at the Convention Centre, distributed over 1,500 laptops among students from all over the country.


The initiative is the first in many to come, said Sharif during his address. He shared that in total they are distributing 125,000 computers and plan to distribute 300,000 laptops next year.

He also spoke of his academic career and while some students could relate to his speech, Umar Saleem while talking to The Express Tribune, said “His comments on how his party has accomplished a lot in a short span of time were self-promotional.”

Hira Arshad, another student, said that the majority of students are supporters of PTI and this scheme was a technique of gathering the youth’s support. However, she said it was a great initiative to facilitate hard working and needy students.

Arshad added that she could afford to buy a laptop herself and has three computers now. “I’ll give this one to my younger sister,” she said.

Higher Education Secretary Kashif Faraz said the initiative aims to inculcate technology in the hands of bright youngsters. Responding to the students’ complaints of having to wait long hours to receive the laptops, he said transporting such a large quantity of laptops and registering students and verifying their IDs took a lot of time.

The budget for the initiative is Rs4 billion and due to bulk buying each laptop cost Rs37,750 instead of the regular Rs47,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Free laptops: Petitioner seeks inquiry into 'massive corruption'</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/365997/free-laptops-petitioner-seeks-inquiry-into-massive-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/365997/free-laptops-petitioner-seeks-inquiry-into-massive-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 12 14:58:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=365997</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Petitioner claims the laptop scheme will cause a loss of Rs1.70 billion to the national exchequer.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A writ petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking a judicial inquiry into the alleged massive corruption in the laptop scheme launched by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The petitioner, Mian Shahid Abbas, has made Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML) President Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif respondents.

Abbas has submitted that as per a report of Transparency International, the laptop scheme will cause a loss of Rs1.70 billion to the national exchequer.

He states that the Punjab government has purchased each laptop for Rs 35,000, but the actual price is Rs25,000.

Abbas states that the scheme is being used as a tool to carry out the political campaign of PML-N, further stating that pictures of Nawaz Sharif were being used in newspaper advertisements of Punjab government and that this was against the law.

The petition prays that the court order a judicial inquiry into the matter and get the embezzled money back.

The government of Punjab has been distributing free laptops to ‘talented’ students under the e-Youth Initiative program. The number of laptops distributed among the students has reached 85,000 out of the 125,000 laptops announced by the provincial government.

The laptops, priced at Rs37,700 each, are distributed among students in elaborate ceremonies under the program.

It has also been alleged that some laptops received by the students are being sold online and at markets in Lahore.

The LHC has also directed the convener of Youth Development Program to investigate whether the laptops being distributed at Government University College (GCU) were on the basis of personal liking.]]>
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			<title>PU laptops ceremony: Court questions use of city govt funds on ‘political drama’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363652/pu-laptops-ceremony-court-questions-use-of-city-govt-funds-on-%e2%80%98political-drama%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363652/pu-laptops-ceremony-court-questions-use-of-city-govt-funds-on-%e2%80%98political-drama%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 12 15:09:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=363652</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab law officer says city govt will reimburse university for Rs10.61m spent on event.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the city government to explain what law allowed it to reimburse Punjab University for the money it spent on a ceremony for the distribution of laptops last month.

On March 22, Justice Umar Ata Bandial had directed the university’s vice chancellor not to pay for the ceremony, after which the Punjab government announced that it would bear the cost. Nazir Ahmad, a citizen, had filed the petition asking the court to stop the university from paying.

On Thursday, a law officer representing the Punjab government told the court that the city government would reimburse the Rs10.61 million the university spent on the ceremony.

At this, petitioner's counsel Aftab Ahmad Bajwa raised an objection and asked how the city government could spend its money on an event that was meant to benefit one political party. He said the PML-Nawaz leaders at the event delivered political speeches. The university could have handed out the machines to the students “without the political drama,” he said.

Justice Bandial agreed and sought an explanation from the city government within two weeks justifying its paying for the laptop distribution ceremony.

The petitioner had submitted that the PU vice chancellor had arranged the event to curry favour with the Sharif family. He asked that the ceremony be declared a waste of public funds and that the court stop it from happening.

-----------------------------------------------------------

[poll id="718"]]]>
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			<title>Free laptops: Students optimistic about Punjab government scheme</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362487/free-laptops-students-optimistic-about-punjab-government-scheme</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362487/free-laptops-students-optimistic-about-punjab-government-scheme#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 12 12:04:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sidrah.moiz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=362487</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Students will concentrate more on their studies, I specially do, after receiving this laptop, says student.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Despite the criticism towards the Youth Initiative Programme, some students are optimistic about the scheme and feel that the laptops will help them work harder. 

Sameera Saleem, a student of MA English at Fatima Jinnah Girls College, thinks that contrary to what she had thought, the laptop she received from the government of Punjab is “very good” and assists her in the projects and case studies.

“This laptop is given to me as an incentive. This will inspire other students to work hard and earn themselves one.”

Like Saleem, other students also think that they concentrate on their studies more after receiving the laptop.

“This is a very good step,” says Sumama Habibullah. “Now students will concentrate more on their studies, I specially do, after receiving this laptop.”

The number of laptops distributed among the students has reached 85,000 out of the 125,000 laptops announced by the Government of Punjab.

The laptops, priced at Rs37,700 each, are distributed among students in elaborate ceremonies under the Shahbaz Sharif Youth Initiative.

Many students, who have received the laptops say that laptops have bridged the digital divide and has helped reducing reliance on crowded computer labs in their colleges and universities.

“The best thing about these laptops is that we don’t have to pay for the time we used to spend in internet cafes,” says Sana. “Now girls and boys will remain in their houses too.”]]>
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			<title>Gone away?: Punjab government moves to quash laptop sale rumours</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360935/gone-away-punjab-government-moves-to-quash-laptop-sale-rumours</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360935/gone-away-punjab-government-moves-to-quash-laptop-sale-rumours#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Apr 12 23:17:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahram.haq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=360935</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Market unions warned to refrain from dealing in these laptops.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Punjab government moved on Thursday to quash rumours that the laptops distributed among college and university students, were being sold by the recipients. 


Talking to The Express Tribune, Punjab government spokesman Senator Pervaiz Rasheed said no such complaint had been received so far. He said the Punjab government had made students sign an undertaking while receiving the laptops under which they cannot sell them. A student of Kinnaird College for Women confirmed signing the undertaking.

The Punjab government has now issued directions to shopkeepers and presidents of several market unions to refrain from dealing in these laptops. The government also directed the police to monitor computer markets in the city.

Second hand laptop and computer dealers in major computer markets admitted that students had made inquiries about the price of the laptops. However, they said they had not bought any. They said most of these students had come to their shops to install Windows operating system in their laptops.

A shopkeeper at Hafeez Centre, one of the biggest mobile phone and computer markets, said the market president had issued strict orders in this regard.  He said they were told that strict action would be taken against those who were found involved. The penalty might include registration of an FIR against the shopkeeper, he added.

He complained that after the government order the police had “literally” started following youth into the shops. This, he said, was frustrating for the shopkeepers.

Hafeez Centre market president Shahid Bhatti told The Express Tribune that 140 shops at the Centre dealt with laptops. He said none of them had been reported to have bought these laptops.

He said since Linux was not common in Pakistan, most of the students did not know how to operate it and therefore visited the market to install the Windows operating system.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>‘What are the minimum needs of quality education?’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360425/educating-children-%e2%80%98what-are-the-minimum-needs-of-quality-education%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360425/educating-children-%e2%80%98what-are-the-minimum-needs-of-quality-education%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 12 21:46:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[aroosa.shaukat]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=360425</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt’s laptop scheme comes under fire on final day of regional seminar.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[“For a deliverable education system, the purpose of imparting education has to be defined and the outcomes established,” said Pervez Hoodbhoy, on Thursday, speaking at the second and final day of the regional seminar, Quality Inequality Quandary.


Hoodbhoy, who teaches at Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) and the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), said the manner in which knowledge was transmitted had changed over the decades. He said the modern educational system allowed for “internalization” of knowledge, which he said was continuously being generated, as opposed to the older educational system in which “memorizing” was of the essence. Hoodbhoy termed the examination system ‘rotten’ as it had reinforced to students that examinations were all about memorizing information, other than understanding it.

He said the 2011 Annual Status on Education Report was ‘deeply depressing’. The report, he said, failed to include madrassas, adding that had they been included it would have reflected how their teaching practices had not changed or evolved at all.

He criticised textbooks in general for their ‘dullness’ and their failure to excite children to learn. He said the syllabus itself was ‘not so bad’. “Those are not the types of books that should be allowed to be taught.”

“At QAU I teach students Physics in Urdu while at LUMS I teach the same subject in English,” said Hoodbhoy, adding that subjects should be taught in the language which they could be understood. He wondered “how much good those 125,000 laptops will do,” referring to the Punjab government’s laptop scheme. Hoodbhoy said the nation should only strive for an “education revolution.”

StepUP Pakistan founder Ali Moeen Nawazish said the latest technology had not been incorporated in the educational system. “Education has been stigmatised by the word boring,” said Nawazish, who set a world record in 2009 for the highest number of A grades in the A-level exams, earning 22 A’s out of 23 exams. Nawazish said the education system could be vastly improved with the use of technology.

Nawazish urged the Punjab government to better utilise the laptop scheme. “The 125,000 laptops is a good step but more can be done to enhance the learning skills of a student.” Nawazish said the task of improving the educational system can be accomplished “but change does not come overnight.”

“Private schools are accused of creating a class divide in the educational system,” said the Beaconhouse School system CEO Kasim Kasuri.  Rejecting the notion of a standardised curriculum, Kasuri said there was confusion between standardisation of curricula and quality.  He said even in the private sector, schools operated at different levels. “There is a need to define the minimum requirements of a standard education.”

Kasuri said as the education system had not evolved as it should have, the curricula had also failed to evolve. “Teachers are still teaching the same lesson plan.” He said exam-based learning was the biggest flaw in the educational system.

Kasuri said schools were not relying on real life skills. He said teacher training only improved “professional practices,” and that it failed to improve the learning outcomes of a child unless it was coupled with school-based monitoring.

Schools Additional Secretary Mukhtar Noul said the government was working to facilitate teaching of science at an early stage in schools. Noul said the private sector had done a lot to bridge the gap in the educational system. He said that despite being better qualified and better paid than teachers at most private schools, government teaches performed worse. Noul said he hoped that in the next few years the educational system would be in a much better shape.

MNA Ahsan Iqbal said a majority of the public understood the necessity of quality education. “The ruling elite’s insensitivity towards education is where the problem lies.” He said the fundamental issue was the ‘outdated’ educational system under which students were being taught. Iqbal said quality standards should be established in accordance with global requirements. “Why can’t a student have the right to a quality teacher?”

The two-day seminar, which kicked off with students asking participants to sign a petition urging the government to take immediate steps to implement Article 25-A, ended with a resolve for better regional co-operation towards quality education. Singapore, Afghanistan, China, India and UAE also participated in the regional seminar.

Speaking with The Express Tribune ITA Right to Education Campaign programme manager Ayesha Bilal said that a campaign for one million signatures was launched in March under the ITA. “The aim is to create awareness regarding a child’s right to free education.”

ITA programme director Baela Raza Jamil said so far 270,000 signatures had been collected. The campaign will end on April 19, marking the second anniversary of the enactment of Article 25-A.

The seminar was organised by the South Asian Forum for Education Development (SAFED), Idarae Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) in collaboration with Education Testing Service (ETS) in a local hotel.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Laptops for free</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360172/laptops-for-free-2</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360172/laptops-for-free-2#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 12 20:17:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=360172</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Laptop scheme was totally flawed to begin with, provides insight into how government funded plans need to be planned.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[On one level, the report about students in Punjab selling the laptops they were given for free by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is good news since it shows that the spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and well among the youth of Pakistan. But it also reveals how totally flawed this laptop scheme was to begin with. According to a report, two billion rupees from the higher education budget has been diverted to this scheme which has now cost the taxpayer a total of four billion rupees. The first problem with the plan was that it did not target which students to hand out the laptops to and nor was income level taken into account. The result was that pricey colleges were now receiving a gift — thanks to taxpayers’ money — that they could already afford. It should come as no surprise, then, that some enterprising recipients are taking advantage of this largesse to make a bit of spare cash.

From the beginning it seemed as though the laptop scheme was more of a publicity stunt for the PML-N in the run-up to the elections. It did nothing to take into account the needs of the students. In a province where there are power outages for more than half-the-day, where a lot of students lack basic literacy skills and where there exists a shortage of qualified instructors, gifting students a laptop was not going to solve their need for a sound education. The chief minister would have been far wiser to spend these funds on improving facilities at schools and training more teachers.

Gifting laptops to students is like providing them with a high-speed sports car before they have learned how to drive. The point is not that they can’t find any use for the laptops; simply that there are more crucial tools they need to add to their educational arsenal first. The failure of this scheme provides insight into how government funded plans need to be well thought out and should be implemented keeping in mind the long-term interest of all those concerned instead of short-term glorification.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Punjab government to crack down on sale of free laptops</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360095/punjab-government-to-crack-down-on-sale-of-free-laptops</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/360095/punjab-government-to-crack-down-on-sale-of-free-laptops#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 12 13:37:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahram.haq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=360095</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lahore police ordered to keep an eye on markets dealing with laptops.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Punjab government has ordered different market unions to take concrete measures to stop the sale of laptops in open markets by the beneficiary students of Punjab chief minister’s Youth Initiative program.

It was earlier reported that the free laptops given to students as part of the youth program by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were being sold online as well as at Hafeez Centre in Lahore.

As a step to control the act, the Lahore police have been deployed in the markets known for the resale of free laptops. Hafeez Center, the biggest market for laptops in Lahore is also being monitored by the police.

Shopkeepers said that the police often follow the person who enters the market with a laptop of any brand.

A shopkeeper at Hafeez Center, dealing with laptop accessories, told The Express Tribune that he had been strictly told by the market president not to buy any laptop of the scheme in any case, and anyone found doing so would be dealt strictly with by the union and even an FIR might be registered against the shopkeeper.

“Since the intimation, no one is ready to purchase those laptops. However, students come here regularly for Windows installation as the laptops are given with Linux based operating system by default, which is not common here and no one knows how to operate the system with Linux,” he said.

He admitted that few free laptops were being purchased by different shopkeepers but the exchange happened in the very initial days and no one is ready to purchase the laptop now.

Police teams, he said, are visiting the market regularly to find any student or shopkeeper involved in the act. This has added fear and a wave of frustration among the shopkeepers as police teams often interrogate even if any student comes to reinstall Windows in their laptops, he said.

President of Hafeez Center Shahid Bhatti however showed his ignorance of any such order issued by the Punjab government or any other department. He said that out of the 140 shops in Hafeez center that deal in laptops, no one was reported to be involved in such activity.

He further said that several students visit the center daily to install Windows operating system and they often ask for the price of the laptop, but not a single laptop provided by the Punjab government has been purchased till date.

Punjab government spokesperson Senator Pervaiz Rasheed told The Express Tribune, “We have heard such news regarding the resale of laptops in different markets, however we haven’t receive any complaint through our own sources.”

Rasheed said he believes that students will never sell their laptop which was given to them in their honour.

“We also condemn such news in which this perception is being imaged that the Punjab government is trying to prove the students as thieves. The students have signed an affidavit of not selling the laptops in the open market, and we believe they will fulfill the commitment,” he added.

Rasheed, however, said that despite all such assurances, anyone who is found selling or purchasing the laptop of the scheme anywhere will be preceded in accordance with the law.]]>
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			<title>Free laptops for Punjab students, now sold online</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359585/free-laptops-for-punjab-students-now-sold-online</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359585/free-laptops-for-punjab-students-now-sold-online#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 12 09:23:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=359585</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sellers on OLX.com pitch their product saying it is from the Youth Initiative program.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As the Government of Punjab continues to distribute free laptops to ‘talented’ students in the province, it appears that some have taken to selling the gift online.

A report on the ProPakistani website has revealed that laptops handed out under the e-Youth Initiative program are now allegedly being sold on OLX.com.pk, a website used by buyers and sellers in Pakistan.

A quick search shows sellers pitching their wares stating that the laptop is from the Youth Initiative program and is being sold Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 lower than the market price. Users have also suggested that bargaining can bring the price down.

It has also been revealed that some machines are available at Hafeez Center in Lahore at a much lower price. Laptops are reportedly being sold for Rs20,000 and lower than market prices.

The provincial government has so far distributed thousands of laptops in different cities. Students have also complained that laptops are not being distributed on merit.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) recently directed the convener of the Youth Development Program investigate whether the laptops being distributed at Government University College (GCU) were on the basis of personal liking or merit.

Asghar Javed, a student of MPhil (Urdu) at GCU, filed a petition on Monday claiming that the laptops being distributed as a part of the program initiated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were not based on merit.]]>
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			<title>Laptops and merit: Petitioner referred to programme convener</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359259/laptops-and-merit-petitioner-referrred-to-programme-convener</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359259/laptops-and-merit-petitioner-referrred-to-programme-convener#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 12 22:00:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=359259</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Accord­ing to the criter­ion set by the govern­ment, studen­ts should have secure­d 60 per cent marks in annual exams.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the convener of the chief minister’s Youth Development Programme to investigate how Government College University shortlisted the students who received laptops from the government.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the order on the petition of Asghar Javed, an MPhil (Urdu) student at the university, who alleged that students were selected not on merit but on “political grounds”. The judge ordered the petitioner to approach the convener after seven days. The petition was then disposed of. Javed submitted that according to the criterion set by the government, students should have secured 60 per cent marks in annual exams or 70 per cent in case of semester system. He claimed he had 81.27 per cent marks two semesters. He said that he had been ignored and laptops had been given to three students who did not meet the criterion.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<image>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Merit or personal liking?: LHC orders investigation into laptop distribution program</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359168/merit-or-personal-liking-lhc-orders-investigation-into-laptop-distribution-program</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/359168/merit-or-personal-liking-lhc-orders-investigation-into-laptop-distribution-program#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 12 13:53:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=359168</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[University student filed petition saying that laptops were being distributed on personal liking instead of merit.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Hearing a petition filed by a university student, the Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the convener of Youth Development Program to investigate whether the laptops being distributed at Government University College (GCU) were on the basis of personal liking.

Asghar Javed, a student of MPhil (Urdu) at GCU, filed a petition on Monday claiming that the laptops being distributed as a part of the program initiated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were not based on merit.

Justice Umar Ata Bandyal, hearing the petition, ordered the convener of the program to investigate into the issue and also ordered the petitioner to approach the convener after seven days to resolve his grievance. The petition was disposed of after the orders were passed.

Javed, through his counsel Advocate Rana Ali Imran, had submitted that the laptops were being distributed on the basis of political and personal liking. According to the merit system, students deserving laptops should secure 60 per cent marks in annual exams and 70 per cent in semester system, he maintained.

He added that he had cleared two semesters and gained 81.27 per cent marks with 3.25 GPA, but was not given the laptop while three students of the GCU, who did not fulfill the criteria, were being given laptops.

Javed further said that three students, including Saira and Saman, are also working as lecturers at different educational institutions and also have GPAs lower than his but have received the laptops.

He requested the court to ensure merit in distribution of these laptops.]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Lavish ceremonies for laptops</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/357004/lavish-ceremonies-for-laptops</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/357004/lavish-ceremonies-for-laptops#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 12 17:56:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[letter.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=357004</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[I fail to understand the need for spending huge sums on the massive laptop-giving away ceremonies.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The distribution of free laptops among talented students of Punjab has been accompanied by lavish ceremonies and publicity campaigns involving the placing of banners on main roads, as well as advertisements on the print and electronic media. While credit must go the Punjab government for trying to empower the youth of the province with modern technology, I fail to understand the need for spending huge sums on the massive laptop-giving away ceremonies and the publicity campaigns.
In my opinion, the Punjab government is not doing anyone a favour by distributing laptops to students but is only fulfilling its responsibility. It is my humble request that the taxpayers’ money is not wasted in such frivolity and the laptops be distributed to the students without unnecessary fanfare.
Aslam Mumtaz
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Lahore College: Maryam Nawaz hands over 4,600 laptops</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/355655/lahore-college-maryam-nawaz-hands-over-4600-laptops</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/355655/lahore-college-maryam-nawaz-hands-over-4600-laptops#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Mar 12 21:47:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=355655</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[VC announces installation of WiFi facility on campus.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A WiFi system has been installed in the campus and students can connect their laptops to the internet round the clock, announced Sabiha Mansoor, the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) vice chancellor on Monday.


The announcement came minutes after 4,600 students were given laptops by Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif in a ceremony.

Students of graduate and post graduate programmes at the university were given laptops at the event, which was originally scheduled to be chaired by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, but could not make it due to other commitments.

The vice chancellor in her address said that the number of laptop recipients in the university reflected its high standards of education.

Welcoming Maryam Nawaz, an LCWU alumnus, the VC said that it was a moment of pride for the university to receive her as an “influential young politician.”

She said she could see Maryam Nawaz as the future prime minister of Pakistan.

Dr Mansoor congratulated the students who received laptops and said she hoped that the gift from the Punjab Government would help enhance their capabilities.

Speaking on the occasion Maryam Nawaz said that the Punjab government was focusing on promoting young talent for the improvement of education standards.

“The chief minister is determined to launch more programmes for the youth,” she said.

Maryam Nawaz said that women had an equally important role as men in bringing prosperity to the country. “That is why the Punjab government is investing in women’s education,” she said.

She said that the establishment of new women universities and introduction of special packages for them by the PML-N was the proof of the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment.

The main ground of the university was decorated for the ceremony attended by a large number of students and faculty. Students chanted slogans in favour of the chief guest saying: Maryam Nawaz is the future prime minister.

At the conclusion of the ceremonies students sang national songs and a Guard of Honour was presented by the Punjab Police.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Sharif to the youth: ‘You want real change?  Look up our record’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354267/sharif-to-the-youth-%e2%80%98you-want-real-change-look-up-our-record%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354267/sharif-to-the-youth-%e2%80%98you-want-real-change-look-up-our-record%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 24 Mar 12 01:32:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[abdul.manan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=354267</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nawaz and Shahbaz bring up corruption allegations in Pakistan Day speeches.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Nawaz Sharif said on Friday his PML-N will win the next election and solve all the problems the nation faces today.


Sharif was speaking at Punjab University at a laptop distribution ceremony.

President Zardari, his government and coalition partners were equally responsible for the corruption and problems the country was facing, said Nawaz Sharif. He said four years ago Zardari had “forced” his party to form coalition governments at the centre and in the Punjab. Sharif said when his party realised that Zardari was not going to mend his corrupt ways it immediately stopped supporting him and left the coalition.

He said dictatorship had been nurtured and promoted in the country for long. This had not only divided the country but also curbed the growth of democratic culture. He said former president Pervez Musharraf had arrested judges, abrogated the Constitution and plunged the country into its darkest era.

Sharif said when Quaid-i-Azam in 1940 addressed a public gathering at Minto Park, his audience did not indentify themselves as Bengalis, Sindhis or Punjabis. But dictatorship, he said, had led the Bengalis seceding. Now the Baloch were preparing to do the same. He said that Pakistan’s cricket victory against Bangladesh left him confused as to who he should congratulate on the occasion. Sharif said that once PML-N came into power, the people will come together as one nation. Sharif asked the youth not to be confused by slogans of change. If they wanted real change, he said, they should look up PML-N’s track record. He said only PML-N could bring about the desired change and recounted initiatives taken by the Punjab government. He said PML-N had an actual vision of change.

Shahbaz Sharif

Shahbaz Sharif spoke at a ceremony of Karkuran-i-Tehreek-i-Pakistan organised by the Nazria Pakistan Trust.

He said he had been asked not to say anything harsh about Zardari but he felt compelled to mention his corruption.

He said on December 16, 1971 drunken Army generals had caused the country to break into two parts. He said Pakistan’s cricket victory against Bangladesh had reminded the people about the role of those drunken generals. He said it was unfortunate that the US drone attacks continued.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Laptop distribution: PU told not to fund ceremony</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/353813/laptop-distribution-pu-told-not-to-fund-ceremony</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/353813/laptop-distribution-pu-told-not-to-fund-ceremony#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 12 21:30:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=353813</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ahmad Bajwa submitted that PU VC had sanctioned Rs30 million.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Punjab University (PU) was barred on Thursday by the Lahore High Court from using varsity funds to organise a function where the chief minister is to distribute laptops.


Notices were issued to the Punjab government and the PU vice chancellor for April 12. Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the orders on a plea filed by Chaudhry Nazir Ahmad, who has challenged the use of university funds for organising the event, scheduled for March 23 (today).

Petitioner’s counsel Aftab Ahmad Bajwa submitted that the PU VC had sanctioned Rs30 million, without getting approval of the syndicate, for the laptop distribution ceremony at the Quaid-i-Azam Campus.

He said that the VC was planning an elaborate event to please Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N president Nawaz Sharif. Bajwa said that the VC had chosen not to hold the function in a small hall because he wanted to express his gratitude to the chief minster for allowing him to continue as VC. He called the banners displayed at the university proof of the VC’s “malafide intentions”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Law and order: Protesting lawyers halt laptop distribution</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346717/irked-lawyers-storm-university-of-sargodha-over-cm%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98broken-promise%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/346717/irked-lawyers-storm-university-of-sargodha-over-cm%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98broken-promise%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 12 07:44:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=346717</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[End picketing after chief minister assures them of starting work on High Court bench in a week.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Dozens of lawyers on Wednesday broke on to University of Sargodha premises and took over a stage set up for a laptop distribution ceremony which was to be attended by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

They occupied the stage for over an hour and refused to leave until they were assured a meeting with the chief minister to discuss the establishment of a High Court bench in Sargodha would be arranged.

The ceremony began with a delay of over an hour after the chief minister had met and addressed the protesting lawyers and assured them that a summary for setting up a High Court bench in Sargodha would be approved by the cabinet in a week.

Earlier, Sharif had remained stranded at a Pakistan Air Force Base (PAF) after arriving in the city to attend the ceremony. Laptops were later distributed by the chief minister among 3,486 students of the university.

Some of the lawyers had entered the university campus by scaling the boundary walls. Others smashed the walk-through gates, compromising security arrangements in place for the ceremony. Witnesses said a security guard was beaten up for putting up resistance to the protesters. The lawyers also chanted slogans against the provincial government for failing to honour its promise about the establishment of the High Court bench.

Talking to The Express Tribune, District Bar Association president Shams Naveed Cheema said lawyers of Sargodha had been campaigning for the establishment of a High Court bench for over two years. He said the chief minister had yet to honour the commitment made to the lawyers in this matter during a visit ahead of by-elections in NA-68 two years ago. He justified the picketing by saying that the administration had been warned about it in advance. “We had told them that we will not let the chief minister leave Sargodha without meeting us,” he said.

Heated arguments and competitive chanting of slogans were also reported during the picketing between some lawyers and students who had gathered to attend the ceremony.

The lawyers refused to listen to requests by UoS Vice Chancellor Dr Akram Chaudhry who repeatedly requested them to end their demonstration at the campus and leave the university. Commissioner Shaukat Ali and Acting RPO Dr Rizwan also arrived at the scene and negotiated with the protesting lawyers.

A university spokesman told The Tribune that there was no plan to initiate any action in the matter. He said security arrangements would be stepped up for similar events in future to avoid untoward situations.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Laptop distribution: Shahbaz Sharif urges students to work hard for the country</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338373/laptop-distribution-shahbaz-sharif-urges-students-to-work-hard-for-the-country</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338373/laptop-distribution-shahbaz-sharif-urges-students-to-work-hard-for-the-country#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 12 17:44:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kashif Zafar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338373</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Shahbaz Sharif hands 7,400 laptops to students in Bahawalpur.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[After distributing yet another lot of laptops among students, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday, urged the youth to work hard and strengthen the country.

He expressed these views during his address at the laptop distribution ceremony at the Bahawalpur Stadium where he awarded 7,400 laptops to students of the Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, students of the DGKhan Medical College under study at QMC Bahawalpur, Government SE College Bahawalpur, Government Sadiq Girls Degree College, Bahawalpur and the 106 position holders of the Bahawalpur board of Intermediate and secondary education.

The Punjab Chief Minister advised the students to avail benefits of these laptops to improve their knowledge as the computers would help them call upon a complete library, bringing revolutionary changes in their studies and knowledge, essential to meet educational demands to excel in the world for national dignity.

He expressed complete confidence in the talent and potential of the young generation and said that they would make the country strong, invincible and self reliant for a progressive and welfare state fulfilling the dreams of Allama Iqbal and founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Punjab Chief Minister said that he had shunned foreign aid and had been carrying out development works through indigenous resources. He hoped that the new generation would soon set new trends through their hard work for national cause since they offered the hope of a bright future.

He said that the Punjab government had decided to distribute 125000 laptops among talented students of the country purely on merit without any quota or political involvement and it was only to provide better and latest facilities for education to the deserving students though we had been trying our best to provide all possible facilities to all the students for better education and bright future of the young generation and country.

He remarked that the establishment of the Daanish Schools in the province, including in Bahawalpur, was part of his dream of providing better education facilities to the children of the poor, and for the removal of a sense of depravation.]]>
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			<title>Laptops for free</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334039/laptops-for-free</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/334039/laptops-for-free#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 12 19:25:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=334039</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Is it wise to spend Rs12 billion on laptops? Investing this money in the education system will bear more fruits.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As per the scheme announced late last year — ironically, after the PTI came up with the same idea — the Punjab chief minister and the PML-N party chief, Nawaz Sharif have handed out 100,000 laptop computers to ‘talented’ students in public-sector institutions across the country. The criterion is based on marks secured in board examinations and is intended to facilitate college and university-level students. There can be little doubt that in theory, at least, the idea is a noble one; students in our country certainly need all the help they can get. We can only hope that the merit system which is the basis of this scheme is meticulously followed in the future as well and that the nepotism we see so often is not, and will not be employed.

The image of students tapping away on laptops is certainly a pleasant one. It suggests progress, modernisation and a desire to explore. But perhaps, we need to take a more holistic view of the situation. Is it really wise to spend Rs2 billion of the taxpayers money on laptops? Instead, shouldn’t we assess what our real educational priorities are, rather than opting for decisions that garner publicity and public perception. Perhaps, we should think about the situation in our primary school classrooms across the country, where children have no desks to sit on, no fans to keep the heat away and no clean water to drink. Teacher absenteeism makes things even worse. Only when our primary-level of learning improves will we be able to turn out truly educated men and women, who are able to compete with their counterparts across the world. Hence, investing this same amount of money in the education system will bear more fruits for the longer run.

Laptops handed out to top achievers in higher education cannot work on its own. The manner in which our money is spent must therefore be carefully considered. Only when the base of the pyramid is strong can there be hope for true success. Placing boulders, no matter how attractive, atop a shaky foundation will serve little purpose as far as the final analysis goes.

Correction: The amount of spending on laptops was incorrect in an earlier version of this article. The spending is Rs2 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Free Laptops: 78 shortlisted students miss out</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332037/free-laptops-78-shortlisted-students-miss-out</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332037/free-laptops-78-shortlisted-students-miss-out#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 22:57:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kashif Zafar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332037</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Of the 642 students of Sheikh Zayed Medical College shortlisted for the scheme, 564 were given laptops.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As many as 78 of the 900 Rahim Yar Khan students selected for receiving laptops under a provincial government scheme have yet to get laptops.


Of the 642 students of Sheikh Zayed Medical College shortlisted for the scheme, 564 were given laptops during Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s recent visit to the city, Sheikh Zayed Hospital focal person for media Dr Shabeer Waraich said on Saturday.

He said they were contacted by the government department concerned and told that the 78 students will get laptops in two to three weeks. Waraich said these students were earlier informed that their names had been selected among the 900 who will get laptops. However, he said, they were later informed that there had been a change of plan and now these students will be considered in the next phase. Several short-listed students, who requested not to be named, said they will not file any complaint against the issue as that might hurt their chances of getting a laptop during the next phase of the scheme.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Education Dept scrambles to buy extra 25,000 laptops</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/323779/education-dept-scrambles-to-buy-extra-25000-laptops</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/323779/education-dept-scrambles-to-buy-extra-25000-laptops#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 12 22:05:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=323779</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CM announces via Facebook to give top students 125,000 computers.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Education Department will have to re-advertise for a procurement order or rely on the chief minister to relax the rules, after Shahbaz Sharif announced that the government would hand out 125,000 free computers to the brightest students in the province.


Last year, the government had said 100,000 laptops would be distributed to students of public colleges and universities. But on January 10, Sharif announced on his official Facebook page that 125,000 laptops would be distributed.

The department invited expressions of interest in November for the purchase of 100,000 laptops in an open bid.

Three firms expressed an interest and the procurement order was awarded to Dell, which offered the computers at Rs37,700 each, with bags.

The government earmarked Rs2 billion in the 2011-12 budget for the laptops, though the cost of 100,000 laptops was agreed at Rs3.7 billion. The additional funds are to be provided by the Finance Department either as a supplementary grant or by diversion of funds reserved for other schemes.

On January 10, after receiving thousands of requests from students on his Facebook page, the chief minister announced that 125,000 laptops would be awarded. However, the Education Department has yet to receive formal instruction from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat regarding the increased order.

Joudat Ayaz, the additional project director, said the government planned to provide free laptops to the top students in 130 post-graduate colleges and universities. The delivery of laptops will start during the first week of February, he said, as Dell had pledged that the first consignment would arrive by then.

He said the department had two options regarding the increased number of laptops to be handed out. Under the Punjab Procurement Authority Rules, the department can increase a procurement order by 15 per cent. To increase the order by 25 per cent, as in this case, the chief minister would have to issue an order relaxing the rules or the department would have to re-advertise for bids for 125,000 laptops.

A potential cause for delay lies in the verification of credentials of applicants. The department has already received more than 3,000 complaints from applicants about mistakes in the information provided about them to the department by their colleges and universities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2012.]]>
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