 Pakistan’s Domestic Affairs

 Corruption:
 World Anti-Corruption Day – 9th Dec every year.
 9th Dec because it marks the UN Convention against Corruption in 2003.
o International cooperation for the global fight against corruption.
o Prevention, Investigation and Prosecution of offenders.
o Obliges countries to criminalize: Bribery, Embezzlement of Public funds,
Money Laundering, Overseas concealment of corruption money.
o Prevention campaign: Generating public awareness, remedial measures
with the help of NGOs and relevant parts of civil society.
 Major cause of "Poverty” and a barrier to overcoming it.
 World Bank Estimates: over $1 Trillion / year is paid in bribes.
(developed + developing countries)
 Foreign investment: LOW (where corruption is prevalent)
o Thwarts the chances of development and prosperity.
 Hampers economic growth, development.
 Capital flight from developing countries to other countries. (Money laundering)
 Corruption is not only Economic, but also Judicial and Political.
o Result in ‘political instability’, ‘distortions in judicial and electoral
processes’, ‘perverting the rule of law’ and ‘bureaucratic functions get
affected due to bribery’.
 Due to this, ‘Citizens lose trust in govt officials and national
institutions’, it undermines ‘Democracy’ and ‘Good Governance’.
o Elections and Legislative Bodies: reduces accountability, distorts
representation in policymaking.
o Judiciary: compromises rule of law.
o Public administration: unfair provision of services.
 Corruption erodes institutional capacity as procedures are disregarded,
resources siphoned off, public offices are bought and sold.
 Where corruption is galore, society at large suffers.
 In Pakistan:
o Quaid-e-Azam in his address to the Constituent Assembly (11th Aug 1947)
warned us against what he called the ‘evils’ of bribery, corruption, black-
marketing, nepotism and jobbery.
 He wanted the govt and assembly to curb these evils with an iron
hand. Sadly, the problem has become an integral part of our
society.
o NAB was established to combat corruption in our state system.
  It has a well-defined legal mandate and operational framework.
 failing governance, political compulsions and resource limitation.
 It has identified many causes as the genesis of corruption in Pak.
(these include problems inherited at the time of independence).
o Most common forms of corruption in Pakistan: abuse of public office,
patronage, graft, bribery, extortion, influence peddling, nepotism, fraud
and embezzlement.
 Exchange of favors and illegitimate perquisites are common.
o Elitist political system (dominated by politicians from feudal and affluent
business classes).
o No other country is familiar with the practice of forgiving as a matter of
rule the elite loan-defaulters and the known highly places plunderers of
the national exchequer.
 NRO.
o In Pakistan, privileged ones are above the law.
o In 2017 as well as 2018, the Transparency International’s Corruption
Perception Index (CPI) ranked Pakistan 117/180. In 2019, however, it has
slipped to 120/180 countries.
(Must check to stay updated)
o Pakistan must fight corruption, tax evasion, kleptocracy, abuse of power,
lavish governmental spending, VIP culture, violence and lawlessness to
improve its rating on TI’s CPI.

 Digital Media Laws (Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020):
 https://www.dawn.com/news/1539965/digital-dark-age
 Bureaucracy:
 https://www.dawn.com/news/1539962/civil-servants-in-the-dock
 Economy:
 https://www.dawn.com/news/1536203/are-we-ready-for-another-
cycle-of-disruption
 https://www.dawn.com/news/1540520/a-pandemic-of-fear
 Covid-19 (Coronavirus):

 Q1: -Disaster management of Pakistan’s role in containing the effect.

-Intro: When the whole world tries to contain the global pandemic-Covid-19, Pakistan
also find itself in a challenging situation. The authority in Pakistan for containing natural
disasters is National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The pandemic exposes
Pakistan to a series of challenges and puts the country in an unfamiliar situation which it
has not been experienced before. Since the virus entered the countries’ borders, NDMA
has faced challenges fulfilling the requirements of healthcare sector, saving people from
getting exposed to the virus as well as finding ways to slow down the surge of new cases
in the country.

-Matter:
-Providing medical equipment for the affected and personal protective equipment (PPE)
to the healthcare sector workers:
As the virus spread in the country, NDMA realized the risk of upcoming shortages
of necessary equipment for all the people as well as workers in the healthcare sector.
Along with other essential equipment, protective gear and ventilators were the top
priority. NDMA’s Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal initiated the contacts
to all the international sellers of the necessary equipment and also allowed the
domestic companies to manufacture the equipment as per their capacity. As per
NDMA’s official website, 410 ICU ventilators were ordered from global vendors. To
increase the testing capacity of the country, 61 testing machines and 6.4 million testing
kits were also ordered. For the protection of healthcare workers and other citizens, 5.2
million items were ordered which included masks, suits, gowns and other necessary
equipment for the protection of healthcare workers.

-Critical Analysis
-Conclusion
  Q2: -Life after covid-19 for Pakistan (How will/can Pakistan restore its Economy).

-Intro:
The deadly virus brings with it the fastest and deepest economic shock in history and sparks a
discourse on another global recession. Pakistan, like many other emerging market economies, are
predicted to face the effects of financial explosion. Even in the initial stages of the virus spread in March,
Pakistani Stock Market’s benchmark KSE-100 Index plunged by over 25 percent in March, and the rupee
by over 6 percent. With a population of nearly 220 million people seriously at risk from a looming health
disaster in an already constrained fiscal space, Pakistan’s regional and national administrations have
strived to tackle the challenge with scrupulous attention to relieve the suffering of the most vulnerable
sections of society and the business community. As the government found itself on a crossword where
they had to choose between pausing economy-containing the virus or continuing economy-saving
livelihoods, every decision had severe consequences on masses.

-Matter:

-The economic loss for Pakistan:

The federal government of Pakistan worked out the impact of losses of
pandemic COVID-19 virus on some sectors of the national economy and shared
the initial assessment that total losses stood at staggering figure of Rupees 2.5
trillion. Official estimates reveal that under moderate restrictions, employment loss
could be 20% of the employed labour force of the country. The total labour force in
the country stood at 60-65 million and moderate estimates calculated by the
Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), an affiliate of Planning
Commission, showed that the lingering pandemic could result into
unemployment ranging from 12 to 20 million. The government tried to lessen
the effect by deciding that it will provide Rs.4000 monthly stipend to expected
job losers.

Business loss for Pakistan: Initial estimates put a business loss amount over
Rs450 billion for the fourth quarter (April-June) period of the 2019-20 fiscal year.
The numbers were assessed through incurring losses of PIA, Pakistan Railways
and other public sector entities. The Security and Exchange Commission of
Pakistan (SECP) shared information that the stock market tumbled and it so far
caused losses to the tune of Rs200 to 250 billion. The government’s business loss
might escalate further because it did not include the overall losses on account of
 GDP growth and important sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and services
sectors amid halting economic activities in all sphere of lives.

Gradually kick starting the economy: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan,
asserted that the economy shall be restored gradually as the poor class of the
country could not afford a prolonged lockdown. The government started to chalk
down a comprehensive strategy for restoring activities of certain industries such
as the construction and textile industries. However, the lockdown was not
completely lifted. On the contrary, Pakistan extended its lockdown until May 9
while allowing exporting industries and some commercial activities to resume.
To prop up the faltering economy, which the IMF predicts will contract 1.5% this
fiscal year, the government approved a package to pay the utility bills of 350,000
small businesses. Officials also said they would negotiate for debt relief with
eleven countries, including the United States. The IMF has approved a $1.4
billion disbursement to Pakistan to offset the cost of its pandemic response.
Decreasing government's tax revenue: Federal board of revenue (FBR) could see a
decrease in revenue/cash outflow of around Rs600 billion alone in the fourth quarter
(April-June) period of the fiscal year 2019-20. FBR’s target revenue stood was Rs. 4.4
trillion. However, due to the extreme circumstances caused by the pandemic, it is
revised to Rs4.2 trillion. (Will check as it folds)

Effect on Trade Deficit: The Planning Commission’s estimates showed that there was an
expected sharp slowdown in imports of up to 60pc, exports could potentially go down
by up to 10% “Impact of trade contraction only on GDP could be up to 4.6% in the last
quarter if combined imports and exports go down by 20pc,” the official estimates
showed. This figure of 4.6% losses in GDP during the last quarter could be roughly
quantified around Rs700 to Rs800 billion losses in the April-June period of FY2020 if the
exchange rate in terms of the dollar versus rupee is estimated at Rs165 against the
dollar.

-Critical Analysis:
-Conclusion:
https://www.cfr.org/blog/coronavirus-south-asia-april-30-2020-india-pakistan-and-bangladesh-
begin-easing-restrictions
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1654711
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/638689-pandemic-losses-can-reach-rs2-5-trillion-experts?
_ga=2.194364205.1264882875.1588377187-131067345.1588377187
 Q3: -Situational analysis of health care system of Pakistan and way forwards.

-Intro:

Healthcare system of Pakistan consists of private and public sector. The private sector serves
nearly 70% of the population and 30% by the public sector. As per Pakistan constitution
provision of health is the responsibility of provincial governments except in federally
administered areas.

The pandemic of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has created havoc globally. While the effects
of the pandemic are being observed across the wide range of sectors, the disease in particular is
testing the nerves of healthcare systems across the globe. COVID-19 has posed huge challenges
to fragile states with an inadequate healthcare infrastructure and has also affected the health
systems of well-developed nations. This is primarily due to the lack of preparedness to deal with
such pandemic. With the confirmed cases in Pakistan around 14,000, with 281 lives lost (as of
27th April, 2020), healthcare system in Pakistan is stretched to its limits like other countries.
Pakistan healthcare system is faced with a mammoth task to respond to the disaster with a
weak infrastructure and funding constraints.

-Matter:

Historically, Pakistan’s healthcare system has been operating with very meager funding
allocation with a major share of funding going into staff’s salaries. Approved positions of
healthcare providers are often not filled due to budgetary constraints. As a result, most of
the Taluka Head Quarter Hospitals in the country are usually unable to offer their
services round the clock. The cracks in the weak health system became public when the
country received the shock of COVID-19 cases with severe respiratory problems
requiring ventilators and isolation facilities; which were simply non-existent particularly
at most of the district level hospitals.

The country has about 18,662 official cases (as of now) - likely a fraction of the true
figure. Pakistan has been preparing for an outbreak that could drive Pakistan’s fragile
health-care system to the breaking point if the rate of infections continue to grow.
Pakistan’s health expenditures, according to the World Health Organization, are just
2.9% of gross domestic product, significantly below neighboring India and less than half
the global average of around 10%. The country is one of only three with ongoing polio
transmission, and it’s struggled in recent years to contain AIDS and dengue outbreaks.

The major challenge for the healthcare system in Pakistan is capital funding. Health care
competes for scarce funds with the armed forces, which absorb a huge share of the
national budget. Ambulances are funded largely by charities, and even when hospitals do
have critical-care equipment, they may lack staff trained to operate it. Prime Minister
Imran Khan has tried to improve services, but the government has limited influence over
the provincial authorities that deliver much of the care after the 18th Amendment in the
constitution.

Pakistan’s other obstacles would be familiar to doctors elsewhere. Diagnostics are in

short supply: Fewer than 50,000 tests have been performed, compared with about 2
million in the U.S. The Aga Khan University Hospital, one of Karachi’s top medical
facilities, closed its doors to new coronavirus patients in late March after crowds
overwhelmed a screening clinic, potentially exposing staff to infection. Protective gear
for physicians is a problem that the workers have demanded from the government in
power. One of the first Pakistanis to die from Covid-19 was a 26-year-old doctor.

With such limited resources, keeping the disease under control will fall largely to regular
citizens. Jafri, now recovered, says he’s fearful that message isn’t getting through. After a
slow start, “the government is doing all it can,” he says. “The biggest problem are the
people who are not taking the virus seriously.”

Health care in Pakistan “continues to suffer from coordination challenges and an acute
shortage of resources,” says Arsalan Ali Faheem, a consultant at DAI, a Bethesda, Md.-
based company that advises on development and health projects. The COVID-19
pandemic has drawn attention to the need for inter-country coordination and support for
health systems strengthening through strategic action. One of the important areas of
investment is aimed at ensuring standard operating procedure for adopting infection
control measures not just for hospitals, but also for other sectors. Hospital leadership
across public and private sector is investing efforts in building the capacity of health care
providers in infection control protocol and ensuring the availability of personal protective
equipment for their staff. It will therefore be in high interest of patients and health care
providers if such investment is continued in post-coronavirus period also. As this will
allow patients under treatment with other infectious diseases and health care providers to
have safe environment. Also, as the government is taking action to equip hospitals to
manage COVID-19 cases, such initiatives are needed to be sustained in future too to
avoid delays in patient care treatment and reduce preventable deaths due to poorly
equipped healthcare infrastructure, especially in government managed hospitals in
Pakistan.

-Critical Analysis:

COVID-19 has very aggressively put public health and prevention at the center of all
actions to prevent the virus transmission. While management of the virus-affected
patients inside the hospitals require continuous care, its cure is indeed crucial to institute
strict public health measures in the communities. The focus on testing for COVID-19,
tracing contacts, quarantine and isolation procedures to reduce the transmission is most
essential, alongside reinforcement of preventive measures. With COVID-19 entering into
second phase of disease in some countries; the importance of putting in place strict public
health measures, while easing the lockdown is becoming pivotal. Likewise, seriousness in
adapting preventive measures from the general public will be needed more in Pakistan.
 During lockdown, some private health care organizations are switching to tele-consultation and
tele-health to maintain the ongoing package of services and even provide access to the
population living in rural areas. This initiative is yet to be witnessed across the wide range of
public and private healthcare organizations in the country, because people’s hardships in
accessing health care services for their illnesses are being reported due to the closure of health
services in few provinces. Tele-consultation for health care services such as “Sehat Kahani”
which offer consultations and health care services remotely are needed for the continuation of
health services. As predictions continue to come from every corner in the world about the post-
COVID-19 world order, it is therefore a golden opportunity for health systems in the country to
build its IT infrastructure, while becoming more resilient.

COVID-19 has mobilized lot of interest in research and development. Higher Education
Commission, Pakistan has set up research funds for academic institutions to investigate the
disease process. There is also an opportunity for public and private healthcare hospitals to
inquire how their own institutions are managing the pandemic with focus on identifying,
facilitating and impeding factors for future learning.

-Conclusion:
It is undoubtedly a challenge for countries around the world, especially for poor and low-
middle-income countries such as Pakistan to strengthen their capacity for absorbing such
shocks. Pakistan’s healthcare system is still not adequately prepared to deal with the surge of
very seriously infected patients. Multi-sectorial approach to collective public health is indeed the
way forward, alongside strengthening of health systems in the country.

https://dailytimes.com.pk/605039/covid-19-reflections-and-opportunities-for-health-systems-
strengthening-in-pakistan/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-08/pakistan-s-fragile-health-system-faces-
a-viral-catastrophe
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/01/08/pakistans-healthcare-system/
 Q5: -Covid-19 and gendered impact of it.

-Intro:
In view of past experiences of natural disasters and conflicts, it can be safely assumed
that this pandemic will also have a differential impact on people based on their class,
gender, age, religion and ethnicity. Women and girls will bear the disproportionate
burden of this situation now and in the post-coronavirus economic crisis. While the
entire world is being adversely affected by the novel coronavirus, serious concerns are
being raised over worsening of the already existing social and gender inequalities in
Pakistan. Policy Paper “Gendered Impact and Implications of Covid-19 in Pakistan” -
jointly released by the Ministry of Human Rights, UN Women Pakistan and National
Commission on the Status of Women (NSCW) states that the pandemic is likely to have
an adverse impact on the lives and livelihoods of women and vulnerable groups.
The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the specific vulnerabilities that women
and girls face because of the coronavirus with a focus on six key thematic areas
including education, health, labour force participation, time use and mobility, financial
empowerment, and gender-based violence (GBV), and presents broad policy
recommendations to mitigate immediate risks and prevent the exacerbation of existing
gender gaps.
The publication citing that most women in Pakistan are part of the informal low-wage
labour market and thus suffer from low-income security and a lack of access to safety
nets and social protection during the crisis, suggested certain measures including
building women’s economic resilience, targeted cash and loan programmes as well as
access to financial services. It further suggested the integration of gender-based
violence services into response efforts as essential services. “Women’s vulnerability
increases with lockdown as they often have to live with abusers and may find it difficult
to even call for help,” Minister for Human Right Shireen Mazari stated. She elaborated
that the Ministry of Human Rights has ensured that its helpline and women crisis
shelters remain operational during the crisis, with specific protocols in place to prevent
the spread of the virus. “We are also working towards ensuring that the police, health
workers, and social workers are responding to the specific and critical needs of women
during this time,” she added. Meanwhile, Federal Secretary Human Rights Rabiya Javeri
Agha urged stakeholders to adopt a gender-integrated approach to the Covid-19
response at multiple levels. She asserted that the policy brief and gender analysis should
serve as an essential resource document to guide stakeholders to effectively address
gender inequalities emerging in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan.

-Matter:
-Mortality rate high in men but women affected more by the virus:
Evidence from around the world shows that, while there is no gender differential in
contracting coronavirus, there is a gender gap in fatalities. More men are losing their
lives to Coronavirus as compared to women. According to the Global Health 50/50
Initiative, 64 percent of men died in China due to coronavirus as compared to 36
percent of women. Similarly 71 percent of the deaths in Italy were male, while in Spain
almost twice as many men as women have died.
Several biological and social explanations explain why men are hit hard by the
coronavirus. The virus is found to have an association with pre-medical conditions or
underlying health conditions that compromise the immune system. Men carry the
burden of these diseases more than women sometimes because of their lifestyle
choices. Smoking and drinking is more common amongst men than women worldwide,
and smokers made up about 26 percent of those that ended up in intensive care or died
of the disease.
Biology appears to play a role in the spread and impact of the virus too. There is a
growing body of evidence that shows women have stronger immune systems than men
due to genetic structure. Estrogen is found to boost the antiviral qualities of immune
cells. Experts found that the genes that control the immune system are encoded in the X
chromosome. While men have XY sex chromosomes, women have two Xs. Biological
differences in the immune systems between men and women impact their ability to
fight an infection.
While men are more vulnerable to the virus itself, women will be affected much more
from the indirect impact of the Pandemic due to their social positioning in society.
Gender norms associate women with the care economy within the family and in the
health sector. Women make up 70 percent of the workforce in the health sector in
Pakistan. Nurses are at the frontline to provide essential healthcare to Corona patients.
Nurses and paramedics have more direct physical contact with corona patients in
quarantine and isolation wards. But, despite their integral role in patient care, nurses
and paramedics are given less preference in providing personal protective gear that
makes them more vulnerable and exposed to virus contraction.
Furthermore, women are responsible for taking care of families, children and sick
relatives in their homes. Due to lockdown measures, closure of workplaces and schools,
family members are confined to their homes, which has increased domestic workload
on women and girls. This situation has also given rise to domestic violence. The global
spike in domestic violence had led UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to make an
appeal for peace in homes around the world and urged all governments to put
“women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic”.
Women also suffer adversely due to reduced access to sexual and reproductive
healthcare, as all services are being directed to essential medical needs. Lack of pre- and
postnatal healthcare may give rise to maternal mortality rate as was witnessed during
the Ebola pandemic. In 2015, the UNFPA projected the outbreak of Ebola would cause
120,000 preventable maternal deaths – more than 10 times the number killed by the
disease itself. Lack of access to contraceptives may result in unwanted pregnancies and
unsafe abortions that will put women’s physical safety at risk.
It also goes without saying that women will be hit harder by the economic crisis. The
majority of our female workforce is concentrated in the informal sector of the
economy in Pakistan. In the formal sector they are crowded in the service sector that is
affected the most by the lockdown. Women will bear the brunt of job losses. They are
excluded from salary compensation packages introduced by the government and
employers to the labour working in the formal sector of the economy. The financial bail-
out that is provided to the construction industry will not benefit women, as they are
not employed by large infrastructure projects.
Therefore, it is important for policymakers to understand and recognize that the
impact of Covid-19 is not gender neutral. Women are at the center of care and
response. The integration of a gender perspective is imperative for a holistic, inclusive
and non-discriminatory effective response to Covid-19.

-Critical Analysis:
-Conclusion:

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/04/13/coronavirus-to-worsen-gender-
inequality-in-pakistan-report/
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/642955-gender-and-the-virus
 Q4: -Political impacts (center-province, judiciary).
 Q6: -Covid-19 and how it transforming/changing/affecting education system.

-Intro:
In the words of Nelson Mandela “education is the most powerful weapon which you can
use to change the world”. The world is confronting a hazard in our era to global
education, a giant educational catastrophe in the sphere of health. The crisis crystallizes
the dilemma policymakers are facing between closing schools (reducing contact and
saving lives) and keeping them open (allowing workers to work and maintaining the
economy). The severe short-term disruption is felt by many families around the world:
home schooling is not only a massive shock to parents’ productivity, but also to
children’s social life and learning. The global pandemic, on the one hand, targets
humans’ lives – and so hits billions of candidates going to schools, colleges, universities,
and affiliated institutions.

-Matter:
Digital Divides in Pakistan:
In Pakistan, and in so many other parts of the world, we have already been dealing with
a learning crisis, as many students were in school but were not learning the essential
skills required for life. The World Bank’s “Learning Poverty” indicator – the percentage
of children who cannot read and understand at age 10 stood at 53% of children in low-
and middle-income countries. This was before the outbreak started. This pandemic has
the potential to exacerbate these consequences even more if we do not act rapidly.
Moreover, most countries have very unequal education systems, like Pakistan, and these
negative influences will be felt disproportionately by poor children. When it rains, it pours for
them. It will have more serious consequences in places where they learn two plus two makes
four by rote. Better-off countries are better equipped to move to online learning strategies,
although with a lot of effort and challenges for teachers and parents. In middle-income and
poorer countries like Pakistan, the situation is very mixed and if we do not act aptly. The vast
inequality of opportunities that exists – egregious and unacceptable to start with – will be
amplified. Many a candidate do not have a desk, books, internet connectivity, a laptop at home
or supportive parents. Others do. What we need to avoid – or minimize as much as possible – is
for those differences in opportunities to expand and cause the crisis to have an even larger
negative effect on poor children’s learning. After all, parents once concerned about their
children’s education are now worried for two meals a day. Unquestionably, we are seeing a
great deal of creativity in many countries. But we have already killed skill in Pakistan. Many
ministries of education around the world are worried that relying exclusively on online
strategies will imply reaching only candidates from better-off families. The appropriate approach
in Pakistan is to practice all possible delivery modes with the infrastructure that exists today.
There is a need to use online tools to ensure that lesson plans, videos, tutorials and other
resources are available for some students and probably, most teachers. But there is also a need
for podcasts and other resources that require less data usage. Working with telecommunication
companies to apply zero-rate policies can also facilitate learning material to be downloaded on a
smartphone, which more students are likely to have. Online learning via Learning Management
System (LMS) works in countries where they do not rely on learning by cramming. Countries like
Pakistan will encounter trouble, having always invested their hopes on notes, guides, synopses
and cramming.
Radio and TV are also very powerful tools. The advantage that we have today is that through
social networks, WhatsApp or SMS, ministries of education can communicate effectively with
parents and teachers and provide guidelines, instructions and structure to the learning process,
using content delivered by radio or TV. Remote learning is not only about online learning, but
about mixed media learning, with the objective of reaching as many students as possible.

Challenges:

Across the world, nearly two billion students are suddenly not in their formal educational
institutions. Shocked, the globe struggles with Zoom and Google Classroom to keep
children and young adults learning.
But there is a dark side to education access: students with little to no connectivity or even
the right hardware to receive a digital education, whether synchronously or not. In
Pakistan, a country accustomed to tens of millions of children being out of school all
year, the ways in which we think about education in Coronatime will have both short and
long-term implications for putting meaning back into our education system.
What are some currently acknowledged constraints? Only one-third of the Pakistani
population was reported to have a broadband subscription at the end of 2019. A similar
number was reported for 3G/4G subscriptions. How many people overlap in the two
subscriptions is not clear from publicly-available data through the Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority. But the question these figures raise is one of reliable,
stable, and universal access to online education for the country’s at least 50 million
children who are just in school education (whether public or private).
This is the cautious background against which we are reaching for solutions to distance
learning: diversify in digital; celebrate the edtech warriors hovering at the margins of
brick-and-mortar policy decisions; declare summer holidays. All of these suggest that the
Pakistani government wants to solve correctly for student learning in a time of
unprecedented uncertainty. But how will these options sit against the logistical
constraints noted above?
Consider the attempt at mass instruction: a dedicated national public TV channel to
broadcast Pakistani school lessons. How does effective assessment feature into this
model? More importantly, should it at this short-term stage of the response to Covid
shutdowns? We may have to adjust down the curriculum that gets covered this academic
year so that learning can be remediated once schools reopen. But when will they
realistically be safe to open?
In the interim, can radio, text and/or postal correspondence be blended with TV and
online tools to assess? Some of these methods have been attempted successfully in other
developing contexts. But Pakistan has one of the largest education populations in the
world at just the school level. Will tried-and-tested methods scale well?
Universities are different. They may resume semesters if equipped with appropriate
technological and digital learning resources, delaying assessment until campuses reopen.
Otherwise, they will have to become the learning community that academia should
already have been a long time ago: work with each other, and put Pakistan on the map for
successful transitions to remote learning at the earliest possible.
Amidst this seeming chaos, what is clear is that life has dealt us a hand within which
hides an opportunity: we are being compelled to rethink the purpose, design, delivery and
evaluation of our education system as a country. Because Covid-19 does not differentiate
by class, in shutting all of our schools and universities, it has reminded us to return to the
most essential fundamentals of planning: what do human beings need to learn in order to
live a good life?
This ethic may be one of our golden nuggets for redesigning how we do education policy.
Instead of following top-down approaches, now is a chance to learn to collaborate, test,
evaluate, and iterate practical solutions. Some will yield results faster than others, but all
of them will have a common feature: intense and repetitive creativity.
Think about two assumptions most university instructors had about digital education
when Covid-19 shutdowns began: it is an online equivalent of conventional instruction;
and the process is largely about technological deployment. These have quickly been
unlearned, as any Pakistani faculty member will testify.
If anything, the simplest part of going digital is identifying missing internet and
computing infrastructure and then deploying it. The real challenge is building solution
sets that remain responsive to multiple human needs of end users. What does motivation
look like in a transformed classroom setting; how is work-life balance redefined with
extensive hours at home; which platforms suit which kinds of students? These are all
questions that a typical user journey would try to map and a tech initiative like Digital
Pakistan can be the right body for the job.
Working through an agile and iterative process of data collection, organisation and
dissemination, Digital Pakistan can bring multiple voices together to restore a level of
calm through information symmetry in an excessively disrupted system. Bite-sized
infovideos in local languages can help students and instructors adapt more quickly to
digital learning systems.
It can also develop a shared platform that hosts national reports of responses to teaching
and learning in a Covid-19 environment. Pakistani educators and their students at school
and university levels can then exchange best practices in semi-real time. The HEC and its
affiliated universities can use this evidence to track Pakistan’s crisis management. It can
also share it with education researchers towards long-term democratised learning
solutions for Pakistani students.
At Vanderbilt, one of the world’s best universities for education policy, democratic
learning is already part of the curriculum. Service learning is a routine mechanism
through which students are academically credited for meeting learning goals through
community engagement. The implications of this are clear: learning is not about meeting
certain credits; credits are awarded for the fulfilment of a period of meaningful learning
and this can assume different forms in different circumstances.
Is there potential for the Pakistani federal government to tweak such models to reward
young students participating in different forms of the Corona relief efforts? This could
happen in the form of partial course credit, reduction in tuition fees or even – for
exceptional demonstrations of leadership – participation in actual youth policy and
delivery.
By formally instituting service towards communities and other responsive education
policies like the ones above, we can start reminding young Pakistanis what it really
means to have an education: empowerment to help others and oneself through an
intelligent and systematic plan.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), the regulatory body of universities, realizing the
gravity of the situation, immediately issued guidelines encouraging universities to move on to
online education while taking into account their respective capacities and available
infrastructure. The six pre-requisites for launching online classes by any university were:
availability of the Learning Management System (LMS), trained faculty for online teaching,
course readiness concerning the online mode of learning, availability of course material on the
web, technology readiness i.e. the platform through which the classes can be arranged and last
but not the least, students’ readiness to learn online. To resolve the technical issues in far-flung
areas of the country, options like arranging unified online teaching platform for universities,
negotiating taleem bundles, development of lectures in blended modes and establishing student
facilitation committees, were considered.
Students criticized the moves in the wake of the issues stemming from quality and connectivity
issues but just like any other transformation, developing the capacity of the institutions was
going to take time. As the end of the pandemic is still not in sight, the motive is to save the
education cycle from any disruption and this transition is worth struggling. Necessary steps are
also being taken by the HEC to address the quality-related concerns during the online classes.
Recently, a tele-education channel was launched by Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to
keep the students associated with their education through dedicated lectures for class I to XII.
This initiative took a lot of effort from the quarters and must be appreciated at all times as it will
have far-reaching implications in the times to come for the education of our young students.
To analyze the challenges for online learning in Pakistan, particularly during this pandemic, the
first step is to factor in all the stakeholders, which include students, faculty, education
institutions, regulatory bodies and the government. The challenges being faced by all of them
collectively are multi-faceted and can be broadly classified as societal, technical and regulatory.
Most of the challenges are related to our behaviors and societal limitations. To begin with, the
lack of acceptance for online education by students and the general suspicion of elders about
using gadgets for education and learning purposes are uncalled for. Similarly, lack of individual
space at homes in joint family systems i.e. for families where parents and children both need to
work and study from home respectively and the unfriendly atmosphere is a serious challenge.
Moreover, our non-disciplined lifestyle, and lack of focus during e-learning further the students
from taking online classes. While the less attention span for online learning is a reality, people’s
shyness from e-learning and being camera consciousness are also practical issues being faced by
both the students and teachers. Another important challenge is the lack of tolerance towards
technical issues and expressing rage on frequent connectivity disruption, interruptions etc. The
lack of awareness about digital learning ethics has worsened the situation.
The list of technical challenges is not long enough like its predecessor yet the first issue is the
unavailability of the internet in remote areas which makes the students living in those areas
unable to get benefit from online education. The bandwidth limitations across the country, with
only a few exceptions, when combined with the increased usage burden on feeble internet
infrastructure, add to the misery of most of the students. Another challenge is the expensive
high-speed internet.

Another set of challenges pertains to the government and the regulatory side. As the primary
responsibility of ensuring quality education lies on the shoulders of the government, the
absence of a pre-defined policy for online learning is the government’s fault. To exacerbate the
situation, the government and regulatory bodies do not seem to be on the same page. For
instance, the government ministry has issued the notification for the closure of universities
while the regulatory body is encouraging initiating online classes. This dilemma is causing
immense trouble for the students at large. Holistically, political and bureaucratic structures
based on traditional public management principles are hindering the acceptance of e-learning.
The dearth of clarity and paucity of reliable data for effective and timely policy decisions are a
few more challenges that should be looked into for the future

Maintaining the engagement of candidates, particularly young secondary school students, is

critical. Dropout rates are still very high in many countries, and a long period of disengagement
can result in a further increase. Going to school is not only about learning math and science, but
also about social relationships and peer-to-peer interactions. It is about learning to be a citizen
and developing social skills. That is why it is important to stay connected with the school by any
means necessary. For all students, this is also a time to develop social-emotional skills and learn
more about how to contribute to society as citizens. The role of parents and family, which has
always been extremely important, is critical in that task. So, a lot of the help that ministries of
education provide, working through mass media, should also go to parents. Radio, TV, SMS
messages can all be used to provide tips and advice to them on how to better support their
children.

-Critical Analysis:
The process of reopening of schools might be gradual, as authorities will want to reduce
agglomeration or the possibility of a second wave of the pandemic, which can affect
some countries. In that uncertain context, it might be better to make decisions assuming a
longer, rather than a shorter scenario. The good news is that many of the improvements,
initiatives and investments that school systems will have to make might have a positive
long-lasting effect. Some countries will be able to increase their teachers’ digital skills. Radio
and TV stations will recognize their key role in supporting national education goals – and
hopefully, improve the quality of their programming.
Parents will be more involved in their children’s education process and ministries of
education will have a much clearer understanding of the gaps and challenges (in
connectivity, hardware, integration of digital tools in the curriculum and teachers’
readiness) that exist in using technology – and be able to act upon them. All of this can
strengthen the future education system in a country.

-Conclusion: As there is always a silver lining in the clouds, it is high time to see
opportunities in these challenging times. For a paradigm shift from traditional teaching
towards inclusively effective and equitable e-learning, some of the recommendations
include the development of a standard and comprehensive policy for e-learning with the
consensus of all the stakeholders alike. The equitable provision of technical resources,
including computers, high-speed internet facility and online teaching platforms to
students and faculty of all the universities is imperative to ensure online learning.
Moreover, asynchronous learning modes based on smaller duration lectures with offline
viewing facilities, discussion forums and a redefined assessment method based on
cognitive learning are the need of the hour. Last but not the least, the training and skills
enhancement of the faculty is pivotal as they are the ones to steer this online education.
Otherwise, a simple compromise, delay or disruption in education can put the careers of
the future generations at risk. The mission of all education systems is the same. It is to
overcome the learning crisis we were already living and respond to the pandemic we are
all facing. The challenge today is to reduce as much as possible the negative impact this
pandemic will have on learning and schooling and build on this experience to get back
on a path of faster improvement in learning. As education systems cope with this crisis,
they must also be thinking of how they can recover stronger, with a renewed sense of
responsibility of all actors and with a better understanding and sense of urgency of the
need to close the gap in opportunities and assuring that all children have the same
chances for a quality education.

https://nayadaur.tv/2020/04/can-we-improve-education-systems-permanently-as-
we-deal-with-covid-19-challenges/

https://dailytimes.com.pk/600452/online-education-in-pakistan-in-covid-19-era/

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/645803-covid-19-education-response