ICEP

DAWN EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

ANALYSIS
Dated: 07 August, 2020

Our Policy

We provide you with best quality analysis of Dawn newspaper on daily basis. The reason
behind this endeavor is clear as our policy is to educate you. Knowing the current issues of
Pakistan_ domestic and external is imperative for Civil service aspirants. Unlike India, in
Pakistan no such digital platform or academic work is available for aspirants' ease of
preparation. So, follow these instructions: Read these editorials and Opinions carefully and
keenly. These are important for widening your knowledge base, improving language skills,
understanding key issues, etc. This section(Editorial/ Opinions) is very useful for English
Essay, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs – and sometimes Islamiat – papers as they emphasize
more on analysis than facts. (Icep Analyst)

💬 To The Point
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 CONTENTS TABLE
Page Title Section/Category
6 Welcome turnaround National Affairs
8 Economic recovery? National Affairs
9 Pakistan, India and the Gulf Global Affairs
10 Collapsing confidence Economic Affairs
26 Uniform education National Affairs
30 The Three ‘I’s’ of economic growth: Industry, Economic Affairs
Innovation and Infrastructure (part I)
32 The US-Iran disconnect Global Affairs

COLOURS Used:

Red for Difficult Vocab

Green for Important Figures and contents

Others colours used where necessary

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 DAWN+ EDITORIALS SECTION

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Note

Debunking a myth
Newspapers are not “designed” to help CSS aspirants in particular, rather they have their own
political stance and agendas. Dawn is not a CSS magazine nor it is cramming notes given by
any CSS academy. Same is true for other newspapers. Advisably saying, one have to extract
relevant material from it, matching his own taste of research and mindset.
Specifically, Editorials are aimed at highlighting the burning issues in the country and the world
alike. It could be a political scenario, any armed attack, statement of any politician or future
potential threat. Point in case is the issue of Locust threat, the newspaper Dawn highlighted the
issue in Editorials times and again.
Studying for CSS is subjective matter. Hundred percent chances are available for disagreeing
what (piece of news) you think is relevant to CSS and what I. Having said that, I would argue
not to take newspaper for granted. It is just a tiny part of your daily preparation. Newspaper
gives you relevant material, experts writing’s style, vocabulary, phrases, idioms, and many
more. You could learn how to develop argument, balanced opinion, sensible analytical writing,
presenting unbiased and unemotional expression regarding any given issue,etc.
In last, it can safely be reiterated that CSS preparation needs multiple resources to actually
utilize information for later use. Thanks. (Analysts)

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 Notes: Question-Answer Formation

Q: The measures to curb the spread of the virus have been successful, Discuss ?

NEARLY five months after the first Covid-19 cases were detected in Pakistan, all indicators
suggest that we have managed to prevent the all-out pandemic-induced healthcare calamity
that was feared. With cases consistently falling, the positivity ratio in decline and critical
care units designated for Covid-19 patients clearing out, it appears that the measures to curb
the spread of the virus have been successful.

Latest figures shared by the government are encouraging: 91pc of ventilators in the country
are lying unutilised and at present, although there are more than 20,000 active cases, only
1,300 or so are being treated at hospitals.

Q: Who deserve the credit for this encouraging development?

The PTI government, especially the National Command and Operation Centre, deserves
credit for this positive development. In this, the work of NCOC head Asad Umar, advisers
and provincial heads is notable, as they tenaciously worked together against a shared
national threat despite some bitter differences. After some foot-dragging and fumbling, the
authorities managed to get their act together and, under great pressure, formulated and
implemented a plan to contain the virus.

Q: Dawn Newspaper constantly criticized PTI Government on this issue, why ?

The Editorial board passively accept their harsh criticism. But, as being said it was done
justifiably as the the criticism against public officials was both necessary and valid, and this
helped to give the federal and provincial authorities the impetus to confront a grim reality
and act quickly.

Q: What were the potential threats for Pakistan during critical times of COVID-19 ?

Pakistan began grappling with Covid-19 a month or so after it wreaked havoc in other
countries, giving rise to fears of what the virus would do to a country of our size and
vulnerability.

▪ After all, Pakistan has a massive population,

▪ a fragile healthcare system and a weak economy.
▪ Millions of people live in closely packed homes with large families.
▪ A significant proportion of the population has underlying conditions such as diabetes.
▪ Many communities also face acute water shortages, which meant that both social
distancing and frequent handwashing were huge challenges.

All these factors made Pakistan especially susceptible to the fast-spreading, high-fatality
virus. Fortunately, that doomsday scenario was avoided.

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Welcome turnaround | Dawn Editorial
Happy Introduction:

NEARLY five months after the first Covid-19 cases were detected in Pakistan, all indicators
suggest that we have managed to prevent the all-out pandemic-induced healthcare calamity
that was feared. With cases consistently falling, the positivity ratio in decline and critical
care units designated for Covid-19 patients clearing out, it appears that the measures to curb
the spread of the virus have been successful.

▪ Latest figures shared by the government are encouraging: 91pc of ventilators in the
country are lying unutilised and at present, although there are more than 20,000 active
cases, only 1,300 or so are being treated at hospitals.

This is indeed a welcome development — and one that the government, especially the
National Command and Operation Centre, deserves credit for. In this, the work of NCOC
head Asad Umar, advisers and provincial heads is notable, as they tenaciously worked
together against a shared national threat despite some bitter differences. After some foot-
dragging and fumbling, the authorities managed to get their act together and, under great
pressure, formulated and implemented a plan to contain the virus.The criticism against
public officials was both necessary and valid, and gave the federal and provincial authorities
the impetus to confront a grim reality and act quickly.

Critical Analysis:

Pakistan began grappling with Covid-19 a month or so after it wreaked havoc in other
countries, giving rise to fears of what the virus would do to a country of our size and
vulnerability. After all, Pakistan has a massive population, a fragile healthcare system and a
weak economy. Millions of people live in closely packed homes with large families. A
significant proportion of the population has underlying conditions such as diabetes. Many
communities also face acute water shortages, which meant that both social distancing and
frequent handwashing were huge challenges. All these factors made Pakistan especially
susceptible to the fast-spreading, high-fatality virus. Fortunately, that doomsday scenario
was avoided.

Good Decisions by Govt:

Some good decisions were taken:

▪ the testing and quarantining of all international passengers,

▪ the track and trace system, closures and strict lockdowns in some cities and then smart
lockdowns in hotspots.
▪ While the prime minister’s initial messaging left a lot to be desired, in his more recent
statements about the virus he reinforced its lethality. All these actions were important
and have delivered results.

Way Forward: Now, as we follow other countries in moving forward, vigilance is of

utmost importance. Mask wearing and social distancing must be enforced. Testing, which
remained far lower than acceptable even at its peak, must be increased and made accessible.
With Pakistan entering something of a Covid-19 twilight zone, it is important to
acknowledge the very real and devastating consequences of the pandemic. Overburdened
healthcare workers, fatalities in the medical community and the death of over 6,000 people
are more than just sobering statistics of the gloom and doom unleashed by the pandemic.
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 VOCAB Description

all-out: using all available resources; "all-out war"; "a full-scale campaign.

tenaciously: persistently, resolutely, stubbornly.

foot-dragging: reluctance or deliberate delay concerning a decision or action.

fumbling: To touch something nervously.Waiting for the interview, he fumbled with

his tie.He fumbled the key into the lock.

impetus: the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly: the crisis
of the 1860s provided the original impetus for the settlements.

lethality: deadliness, quality of being fatal

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Economic recovery? | Dawn Editorial
Introduction:

IT is hard to weigh the signs of ‘early economic recovery’ seen in July against the
significant loss of business confidence as computed by a business organisation on the basis
of a half-yearly survey, and come up with an answer to the question: are we moving in the
right direction?

▪ The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry informs us that the
overall business sentiment has worsened because of the “huge scare caused by the
coronavirus pandemic”.

Reasons of Declining business confidence:

Even before the virus had reached Pakistan, business confidence was already declining
owing to a combination of factors including:

▪ massive currency devaluation,

▪ high interest rates,
▪ steep inflation
▪ and the IMF-mandated economic stabilisation policies.
▪ The Covid-19 lockdowns and uncertainty had only compounded economic woes with
businesses seeing sales slump and profits shrink as domestic and foreign demand
crashed, throwing tens of thousands of people out of work.

Critical Analysis:

The forecasts of a slower and painful recovery notwithstanding, July — the first month of
the fiscal year — saw a substantial surge in domestic demand, especially in the construction
and rural sectors.

▪ Cement sales have gone up sharply underscoring a recovery in the construction

business. Tractors, motorcycles and farm inputs too are in greater demand indicating
improved rural income levels.
▪ Carmakers expect their sales to recover over the next six to 12 months.
▪ Imports are rising.
▪ FBR tax collection has far surpassed the target for the month. Even exports have
increased, though only marginally.
▪ The stock market is bouncing back. And so on.

Based on this data, many are predicting a much quicker recovery going forward than what
was previously forecast. But the question remains: is this recovery sustainable given the fact
that much of it is caused by fiscal and monetary incentives given to mitigate the virus impact
on businesses and reboot construction activity? With infections apparently declining much
faster than expected, the government wants to completely reopen the economy in the next
few weeks. That will have a salutary impact on the economic activity and create
consumption-led growth in demand over the short term. Yet long-term economic recovery
requires sustained growth momentum. That largely depends on how the government deals
with the structural impediments to new investments in the manufacturing sector to boost
exports, and if it still has the appetite to implement policy reforms, including, but not limited
to, reorganisation of its tax system and energy sector, to improve the poor business
environment.
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Pakistan, India and the Gulf | Pakistan Today Editorial
The Myth of Muslim Ummah:

Pakistan’s influence in the Gulf has wanepd over time. Last year, India’s Foreign Minister
was invited as guest of honour to address the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting despite
Pakistan’s protests. Fifty years earlier India was denied entry in the OIC’s inaugural session
despite fierce lobbying because Pakistan had objected.

The Ignorance and materialistic mindset of Gulf Rulers:

India is seen by the Gulf rulers as a stable and industrially advanced country where their
investments would not only be safe but also bring high returns. The ruling families of Saudi
Arabia and UAE have preferred to stake billions in India. New Delhi has played upon the
Gulf rulers’ fears of internal dissent, equating it with terrorism. Four years back India’s
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman agreed to strengthen their
cooperation in fighting ‘terrorism’ and to facilitate investments. A similar understanding was
reached with the UAE. The Gulf rulers were told that Kashmiri freedom fighters were
terrorists. While even a section of the influential western media condemned atrocities in
Kashmir, the UAE Ambassador to India expressed hope that abrogating Article 370 would
help improve the social and economic conditions in Jammu and Kashmir.

The India’s diplomatic tactic is to weaken Pakistan's image in Gulf:

While India is seen in the Gulf as a dependable business partner, Pakistan is looked at as a
country perennially in need of credit and oil on deferred payments. Pakistan‘s rulers have
tried to develop personal relations with the visiting Gulf dignitaries by personally driving
them from place to place. They make fools of themselves when trying to act as mediators in
the Gulf disputes.

The Useless offer of Mediation:

Three days after Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke about mediation between Iran and Saudi
Arabia making progress, Foreign Minister Qureshi told the Saudi-led OIC to stop foot-
dragging on convening its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Kashmir. Mr Qureshi
even threatened to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with
Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris. Whatever the
incitement, the strong reaction cannot be helpful.

Way forward:

Instead of fiery reactions, there is a need for a robust but well-thought-out foreign policy.
The Gulf countries are among Pakistan’s oldest allies. The government must take Parliament
into confidence over the situation and the way it wants to change it to Pakistan’s favour.

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Collapsing confidence | The News Editorial
Introduction:

According to a survey conducted by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and

Industry, business confidence in Pakistan has been falling since August 2019.

▪ The survey says that this is due to factors which include high inflation and interest
rates, currency devaluation, the economic stabilization programme and then Covid-19
with the lockdown and uncertainty it has brought.
▪ The survey states that the overall Business Confidence Scope in Pakistan stands at a
negative 50 percent, a further drop by five percent since August 2019. This is a
reflection of pessimism across business sectors including manufacturing and services.
Most respondents said they have declining hope in the economy.

Consequences of declined economy:

This situation affects many people, including those not directly involved in business or
trade. High inflation has affected almost every household in the country and the
unemployment rate continues to rise – with companies forced to reduce the number of
employees, and smaller businesses such as restaurants shutting down.

▪ According to surveys, at present even those holding PhD degrees are unable to find
jobs.

The situation continues to worsen for white collar workers as more and more are laid off or
offered work on contract on a part-time basis. For labourers the problems began even before
Covid-19 due to the rise in inflation and the consequent collapse of many sectors as
uncertainty grew.

Critical Analysis: Reasons of declining economy

One of the issues is that there appears to be no clear-cut governmental policy to tackle the
problem. Prime Minister Imran Khan had asserted in the past that he wished to protect the
poor and avoid job losses. Before the elections of 2018 he had pledged a huge rise in
employment numbers. This has not happened.

▪ In addition, there are no signs of economic recovery and business continues to suffer
with buying power hitting an all-time low.
▪ The lack of clarity from the federal government on what it plans to do has created
further instability and lack of confidence that is shown up by the survey.
▪ The present instability will trigger a worsening situation for months to come. It is true
that this is part of a global economic crash. But even before Covid-19 hit the country
was struggling to manage its economy or build faith within the business and trading
community. Now, things are considerably worse.

Way forward:The government’s economic team is yet to put forward a plan to salvage the
situation, with experts warning that tax collection and other targets set in the budget will not
be met. This does not augur well for the future and will have an impact on almost every
sector in the country.

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 ENGLISH WRITING PRACTICE

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 Word of the day “euphemism”

Reference:
The word “euphemism” has been used in
the newspaper “Dawn” recently.

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 Learning Analytical Writing for CSS

Let’s try to understand analytical writing techniques through

example:

Topic
As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but
more complex and mysterious.

Brainstorming:
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the
statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting
your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true
and explain how these considerations shape your position. Strategies
A good starting point is to break down the statement and identify the assumptions it makes.
What is interesting to note in this particular case is the fact that the statement is counter
intuitive: it seems to contradict common sense. The nature of the statement makes it suitable
for philosophical and psychological arguments.
Statement breakdown
a) We – general we of humanity
b) Acquire more knowledge – knowledge is cumulative – how to quantify it? Is it “true”
knowledge? Is it “useful”?
c) Things – all encompassing term for the subject of knowledge; vague term: is it only
specific things that become less understandable?
d) Comprehensible – understandable; how do you gauge a person’s understanding?
Based on how ‘true’ it is, or how much it conforms to current scientific trend?
e) Complex and mysterious – suggest awe in the face of the vastness of the universe; is
it a feeling rather than fact-based speculation?
Assumptions
a) The universe cannot be fully known – the sum of all knowledge cannot be attained
b) Discovering something always opens up new avenues of research
c) Knowledge is measurable – walking in the direction of “true knowledge”
d) We are not ‘equipped’ to be able to grasp all knowledge
Pros and Cons
Pros
a) Knowledge is not linear – we also take steps back in our quest for truth
b) What is ‘true’ now will end up being proved wrong in the future, as our understanding
grows
c) Knowledge is influenced by society/ dominating paradigms
d) Each new question answered raises other questions

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e) More knowledge gained shows us just how complex things are (scientific models
always grow in complexity)
f) Our minds are not suitable for understanding the level of complexity of the universe
g) We can only perceive what our senses tell us

Cons
a) Knowledge is quantifiable
b) knowledge is attainable, step by step (knowledge building)
c) Not ‘understanding” is a feeling – psychological effect
d) Should not compare current knowledge with sum of all knowledge – but with how
little we knew in the past (progress measured by how far we have come, not how far we still
have to go)
e) People feel overwhelmed by how much there is still to discover/ the vastness of the
universe – it is a psychological effect (fallacy of insignificance)
f) A fully known universe is boring – and that is frightening
g) Average human intelligence has grown significantly
h) High level, complex knowledge is attained by the brilliant and then parsed down
i) We don’t only accumulate information but also know how to process and understand
it – we don’t gather information for information’s’ sake
Examples
a) Scientific discoveries can prove how much we know or do not know about the
universe
b) Psychology can show how our mind reacts to the universe, its vastness, and how
human minds are able to process knowledge and complex issues
c) Philosophy – the study of epistemology (understanding knowledge and how it is
acquired)
d) Researchers – what do the foremost minds involved in the knowledge gathering
process think about it
e) Biochemistry – abilities or limitations of the human mind
f) Books and movies that have explored the theme before

Lastly, spend a few minutes coming up with a roadmap. While at first it will slow you down,
once you become adept at outlining, your writing speed will increase, and your essay will
benefit from having a logical structure.

Sample Essay
The universe has always fascinated us – from the very dawn of civilization, when everything
seemed shrouded in mystery and the unexplainable was the realms of the gods. The curiosity
of the human nature is the driving force of our accelerated evolution and the reason why we
have developed methods of systematic study – so that we are better able to understand and
control our surroundings. As Sir Francis Bacon said - “knowledge is power”.
At the heart of knowledge is the search for truth; of the many ways people try to unravel the
mysteries of the universe, scientific research is deemed to be a more accurate understanding
of the world. That is because, in essence, scientific research is based on gathering observable
and measurable evidence by formulating and testing hypothesis in reproducible experiments.
Epistemology, the study of knowledge and how it is acquired, shows us that knowledge
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gathering is a cumulative process – new theories, no matter how revolutionary, have a basis
in previous theories.
Saying that things become more complex and mysterious as we acquire more knowledge
means operating under the false assumption that progress is measured by how much we have
yet to discover. When humanity is at the start of the line, in terms of understanding the
universe and its secrets, progress should be measured by how far we have come, not how far
we still have to go. We should not compare our current knowledge with the sum of all
knowledge, but rather with how little we knew in the past. Take, for instance, biology and
how much we have progressed from believing that human sickness is a result in the
imbalance of humors, to the current day advanced understanding of organs, tissues, cells –
down to the DNA level. The same can be said for the rudimentary notions of geography of
the past, namely the idea that the Earth was flat and that the Sun was orbiting around it.
Comparing these notions to the current understanding of tectonics, landscape formation and
astrophysics theories like the existence of dark mater, we can see how far our understanding
of the universe has progressed, one step at a time. And while we can in no way say that we
know everything that there is to know, we can certainly say that we are able to accomplish
so much more than in the past, all thanks to a better understanding of our environment.
As such, the amount of knowledge the average individual possesses, has been steadily
growing over the ages – the same can be said for our comprehension. What children learn
and are able to grasp in schools today would have been part of the mystery of the universe in
the past. This increase in knowledge was observed by Buckminster Fuller and named “the
Knowledge Doubling Curve”. He noticed that until 1900 human knowledge doubled
approximately every century and by the end of World War II knowledge was doubling every
25 years. If one were able to travel through time to a period like the Middle Ages, our
knowledge, technology, behaviors and speech would be seen as witchcraft. Like Arthur C.
Clarke said: 'Magic's just science that we don't understand yet.'
Part of the issue of thinking that the universe becomes progressively incomprehensible is our
wonder with the universe, which, while understandable, also inspires the idea that true
knowledge is somehow unattainable. People feel overwhelmed by the vastness and
complexity of the universe and hold the belief that our simple mind cannot comprehend it -
this psychological phenomenon is called the fallacy of insignificance. Colin Wilson in The
Stature of Man claims that this fallacy is an effect of modern day society that conditions
individuals to lack self-worth, as a mechanism of ensuring compliance – people want to
become part of the system, in order to escape their feelings on unimportance. People end up
operating on the idea that as an individual, they do not matter much in the grand scheme of
things, which is why they should belong to something greater that gives their existence
meaning.
Last, but not least, people want to believe that the universe maintains its shroud of mystery
because the idea of attaining full, complete knowledge is frightening – a fully known
universe is predictable and boring, like professor Farnsworth from Futurama stipulates: :
”And, now that I've found all the answers, I realize that what I was living for were the
questions!”

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 Most frequent Foreign Words used in English
Newspapers

Word/Phrase Language Meaning Comment or

Example
ad hoc Latin For a particular purpose.

ad infinitum Latin To infinity.

ad lib Latin Improvised. One of the most

common foreign words
used to describe actors
and politicians who
go off-piste.

addenda Latin A list of additions.

addenda Latin A list of additions.

ad nauseam Latin To the point of nausea, to Trevor talked ad

a sickening degree. nauseam about his
career.

aficionado Spanish 🇪🇸 An ardent fan.

agent provocateur French 🇫🇷 Agent who incites others Agent Provocateur is

to illegal action. also a luxury lingerie
brand name.

alcohol Arabic Originally “al-kuḥl” Alcoholic beverages

ancient Egyptian include beers, wines
eyeliner, later any fine and spirits.
powder or distilled spirit
or essence.

alfresco Italian 🇮🇹 Fresh air, outdoors.

alma mater Latin Former school (Latin My alma mater is the

“bountiful mother”). university of life, which
does not award degrees.

alter ego Latin Second self.

angst German 🇩🇪 Dread, anxiety.

ars gratia artis Latin Art for art’s sake. MGM’s Leo the lion’s
head is inside a garland

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 of film with the motto
“Ars Gratia Artis“.

au fait French 🇫🇷 Familiar with something

(French “to the point”).

au naturel French 🇫🇷 Natural state, naked.

avant-garde French 🇫🇷 Unorthodox,

experimental (French
“front guard”).

avatar Hindi Icon or representation of You can often change

a person online. your avatar on websites
and in computer games.

baksheesh Persian Tip (Persian “gift”).

ballet French 🇫🇷 Form of dance. From French is the language

earlier latin ballare “to of ballet, e.g. tutu and
dance”. ballerina.

bete noire French 🇫🇷 Personal annoyance,

bugbear (French “black
beast”).

blitzkrieg German 🇩🇪 Sudden overwhelming

attack (German
“lightning war”).

bon appétit French 🇫🇷 Enjoy your meal (French One of the most
“good appetite). common foreign words
in English, probably
because we don’t have
an English equivalent.

bon vivant French 🇫🇷 Lover of good life.

bon voyage French 🇫🇷 Have a nice trip. We wished Natasha bon

voyage as she left to go
traveling.

bona fide Latin In good faith, genuine. John’s doctor was

a bona fide expert in
dementia.

bravura Italian 🇮🇹 Performed with energy

and skill.

cafe French 🇫🇷 From coffee in many Cafés usually serve

languages, one of the coffee.
most common foreign
words.

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carpe diem Latin Seize the day. Made famous by Robin
Williams in the movie
Dead Poets Society.

carpe noctem Latin Seize the night (this is

not really in very
common usage, but we
loved the concept of
seizing the night instead
of the day!).

carte blanche French 🇫🇷 Complete freedom, Ron was given carte

unlimited authority blanche to choose a
(French “white card”). new truck.

caveat emptor Latin Let the buyer beware. Item sold as

seen, caveat emptor.

chow Chinese 🇨🇳 Food, “chow down” Many Chinese words

means to eat. used in English relate to
food.

chutzpah Yiddish Gall, audacity.

cojones Spanish 🇪🇸 Testicles, balls, guts.

cordon bleu French 🇫🇷 Food cooked to high

standard (French “blue
ribbon”).

corpus delecti Latin The evidence required to

prove a crime has been
committed.

coup de grace French 🇫🇷 A blow of mercy.

cul-de-sac French 🇫🇷 Dead end (French

“bottom of the sack”).

de facto French 🇫🇷 Actual.

de rigueur French 🇫🇷 Obligatory.

derrière French 🇫🇷 Behind, bum, bottom,

buttocks.

deus ex machine Latin God of the machine.

doppelgänger German 🇩🇪 Ghostly counterpart of a

living person (German
“double-goer”).

double entendre French 🇫🇷 Double meaning.

droit du seigneur French 🇫🇷 Excessive demands on

subordinate. Literally
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 “the lord’s right” to take
the virginity of a new
bride.

déjà vu French 🇫🇷 Sense of having already

experienced something
(French “already seen”).

en masse French 🇫🇷 In a large group. The crowd voted with

their feet and left en
masse.

enfant terrible French 🇫🇷 A bad child.

entrepreneur French 🇫🇷 Businessman. From 19th Steve Jobs, Bill Gates

century “entreprendre”, a and Oprah Winfrey are
director of a musical famous entrepreneurs.
institution.

ersatz German 🇩🇪 A substitute.

fait accompli French 🇫🇷 An established fact. Losing the vote for

president was a fait
accompli.

fata morgana Italian 🇮🇹 A striking mirage.

fatwa Arabic A legal opinion expressed

by Islamic leader.

faux pas French 🇫🇷 Breach of social Wearing a long white

etiquette, social blunder dress as a wedding
(French “false step”) or guest was a faux pas.
mistake.

femme fatale French 🇫🇷 Highly attractive woman

who means trouble.

fiasco Italian 🇮🇹 Disaster.

force de frappe French 🇫🇷 France’s nuclear

deterrent (French
“superiour force”).

prima facie Latin At first view.

pro bono Latin Donated or done without The lawyer took the
charge. case on a pro
bono basis.

pro forma Latin Done for the sake of

form.

pro rata Latin Proportionally according

to a factor.

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pro tempore Latin For the time being.

punch Hindi Originally “paantsch” an Punch is a popular party

alcoholic drink made of drink served from a
five ingredients; sugar, large punch bowl.
lemon, alcohol, water,
spices or tea.

pundit Hindi An expert, critic or Punditry, by pundits,

commentator on a analyze sports, express
specific subject. opinions in the media,
critique theater, food
etc.
quid pro quo Latin Something for something Ron gave me his candy
else, often a fair bar as quid pro quo for
exchange, sometimes my soft drink.
used in sexual
harassment cases.

quod erat Latin As demonstrated

demonstratum (“Q.E.D.”).

raison d’être French 🇫🇷 Reason for being.

rendezvous French 🇫🇷 Agree to meet, meeting.

safari Swahili A journey, expedition.

saffron Arabic A spice, originally from Saffron is the most

“za‘farān” then later old expensive spice and
french “safran”. food on Earth – but a
little goes a long way.

salaam Arabic Peace from (al)-salām. Salaam alei·kum “peace

be upon you” is a
greeting used by
Muslims.
sang froid French 🇫🇷 Cold blood.

savoir-faire French 🇫🇷 Knowledge of what to

do.

schadenfreude German 🇩🇪 Taking pleasure at

someone else’s
misfortune.

shampoo Hindi Massage, rub (Hindustani Humans, animals, cars

“chāmpo” to press). and furniture can all be
shampooed.

sine qua non Latin Indispensable (Latin

“without which not”).

smorgasbord Swedish 🇸🇪 Sandwich or buffet with See also moped and

variety of dishes or gauntlet.

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 situation with many
choices.

soupçon French 🇫🇷 Hint of (French

“suspicion”).

status quo Latin Existing state or Hannah didn’t like

condition. change and preferred to
maintain the status quo.
Also a famous rock
band.

sus belli Latin Pretext or reason that

justifies or allegedly
justifies an attack of war.

tempus fugit Latin Time flies.

tour de force French 🇫🇷 A feat of strength.

tsunami Japanese 🇯🇵 A large tidal wave More Japanese words

(Japanese “harbor used in English…
wave”).

tycoon Japanese 🇯🇵 Business leader (from The 72 year-old tycoon

Japanese “taikun” was one of America’s
meaning “high most generous
commander”). philanthropists.

tête-à-tête French 🇫🇷 A private conversation

(French “head to head”).

uber / über German 🇩🇪 Very, max, possessing

property to an extreme
(German “over”).

vendetta Italian 🇮🇹 Private revenge feud

among families of
murdered persons.

veni, vidi, vici Latin I came, I saw, I

conquered.

verboten German 🇩🇪 Forbidden.

vis-à-vis French 🇫🇷 As compared with

wunderkind German 🇩🇪 Boy wonder, someone

succeeding at an early
age (German “wonder
child”).

zeitgeist German 🇩🇪 Spirit of the times.

à la carte French 🇫🇷 From the menu.

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 élan French 🇫🇷 Flair.

Important Top Three Idioms of the day with detailed

explanation

A hot potato
Meaning
▪ any subject which several folks are talking about and which is frequently argued
▪ something that is hard or terrible to handle
▪ a problem or situation that is difficult to deal with and causes a lot of
disagreement
▪ an issue or question about which people have different opinions and feel very
strongly
▪ a controversial situation that is awkward to deal with
▪ a delicate or contentious matter which many people do not want to talk about

Example Sentences
1. The issue of gun control is a political hot potato in the United States.
2. The legality of abortion is a hot potato in many countries around the world.
3. I never discuss about anyone's religion, it can be a hot potato.
4. The party members are not speaking on this topic as it is a political hot potato.
5. The government's decision to curb benefits to some sections of society is like a
hot potato.

Origin

The term originated in the mid 1800s and is derived from the slightly older term "to drop like a
hot potato", meaning "to abandon something or someone quickly". It alludes to the fact that
cooked potatoes retain considerable heat because they contain a lot of water.

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goose egg
also, egg or duck egg (British)

Meaning | Synonyms
▪ zero
▪ nothing
▪ no score in a game
▪ lump appearing after a blow (usually on the head)
▪ swelling from being struck
▪ lay an egg

Example Sentences
1. We had a good game, but the score was goose egg.
2. He answered every question wrong in the quiz and got a goose egg.
3. The cricket ball hit him in the back of the head and an egg popped up
immediately.
4. The crowd were devastated that the game was a goose egg after 90 minutes.
5. He could still see the egg on his forehead even though he’d brushed his hair over
it.
6. Last month's revenue for the company was a big goose egg.
7. She was crying and replied that we had a goose egg in the project.
8. Lots of companies laid goose eggs in 2020 due to the pandemic.
9. My son scored 5 out of 10. Well, it's better than a goose egg.
10. The teacher has given a big goose egg to Mathew in the test result.
11. Is there anything you know when we search, and Google returns a goose egg?

Origin

The phrase is an American version of a British saying "duck egg" and it is widely used in
the sports world. The earliest record of the phrase goose egg was most likely to be in the
period between 1350 to 1400.
In the US (American English) this is a late 19th century, slang term for zero score in a
sporting event or game. A goose egg is the failure of a team to score any points or goals.
The phrase is derived from the shape of a goose egg looking like a zero. In a sentence it
replaces the word zero.Before that, the British used duck egg or just egg to describe a
lump or swelling that appears after a blow or hit, most often to the head. Any large lump
that has this shape is called an egg.

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shifting sands
Meaning
▪ Refers to something that is constantly changing, often making a person feel
uncertain
▪ something that is very unpredictable
▪ changes that happen with time

Example Sentences
1. My husband has had trouble maintaining a job in the shifting sands of the
economy.
2. Our friends have been a real rock in the shifting sands of our lives the last few
years.
3. It is difficult to keep up with the shifting sands of technology. As soon as I
understand one concept another is introduced.
4. The shifting sands of war have taken their toll on many countries. It is
impossible for their economy to recover until there is some stability.

Origin

Sand is a very fine substance that is made up of small particles of rock. It does not hold its shape and
shifts very easily. It is usually found near water such as rivers. The river easily moves the sand as it flows
over it. It is not a stable surface to build on.

The phrase can also be likened to the sand running through an hour glass. As the time goes by, more sand
runs through the hour glass. This indicates that everything changes with time.

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 DAWN+ OPINIONS SECTION

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Uniform education | Daily times

Important for Current Affairs and Essay

Introduction
Meanwhile the world uses literacy as a bridge to move from misery to hope, our education system
is disheveled(disordered) to its core followed by the latest episode of banning hundreds of
textbooks. One of the reasons, somewhat horrible, is reported that “instead of including
sayings of Quaid-e-Azam – Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, one of the
books carried sayings of Mahatma Ghandi and some unknown people”. It is highly unfortunate
that this episode of naïve behaviour was a brainchild of the MD of Punjab Curriculum and
Textbook board, Rai Manzoor Hussain, who along with many others proved to be the biggest
deterrent (obstruction) the curriculum reforms in Pakistan. Among the banned books, there is
“Know your world – Social studies” for grade 4, published by Oxford University Press, which is
merely used to stimulate the thinking skills of students ranging from economics, civics, culture.
Why would we not want them to ‘know their world’? [example used by the writer to support his
argument]

Right to Education hampered by defense needs :titled allocation of

annual budget
Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan requires the state to provide free and quality
education to children from 5 to 16 years of age. “The State shall provide free and compulsory
education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such a manner as may be
determined by law”. Pakistan came into being on 14 August, 1947 and since that day, our
successive governments focused on defence needs of the country as their first priority because
our eastern border was quite vulnerable to Indian aggression. So, it was the need of the hour to
raise a strong defence force to counter the nefarious (corrupt) designs of the enemy against our
dear motherland. Therefore, every government allocated huge funds from the budget to meet the
defence requirements of the country. As a result, from day one, the government was compelled
to shift its focus on the defence of the country neglecting the foremost need of the country to
adequately educate the people of the country.

Tri faceted Education system giving rise to inequality and disparity

In Pakistan, there are three education systems that run parallel to one another.

i. The first one is a government-run education system where children from the middle or
lower middle class are educated.
ii. Second is the private education system also known as English medium institutions where
children from upper-middle and elite class are educated.
iii. The third one is the madrassa education system where children from marginalized poor
classes are educated.

These three distinct education systems are producing students with different thinking and
ideologies which are to a great extent in clash with one another. For example, those who are
educated from elite or English medium institutions are characterised as liberals and agents of the
west while those who are educated from madrassas are dubbed as fundamentalists and extremists.
A country which has not a uniformed education policies and system will take the consequences in
the shape of rising tides of anarchy, chaos, fanaticism, sectarianism and extremism as is witnessed
in Pakistan on a daily basis.

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The families rejoice on festivals and greet each other with presents, spend immense amount of
wealth over material possessions but seem unbothered about a gift that they can open again and
again – books

Lessons from neighbouring countries

Despite idolising western models and its growth, rapid economic and human development in
neighbouring Bangladesh and Srilanka, our successive governments have failed to realise the
importance and power of an educated society which would automatically progress towards the
pinnacle (highest point) of success and glory.

On one hand, our state education is miserable – lack of experience and seriousness in the teaching
staff, outdated curriculum and poor infrastructure. On the other hand, lack of uniformity in the
education system has proved to be a catalyst in promoting feelings of ethnicity, racism and
provincialism.

Sadly speaking, our nation stands wandering in a dreadful direction. We are victimised by vested
interests. Our precious national resources are plundered by foreign powers while we have
turned a blind eye towards them due to prevailing Illiteracy and ignorance.

Critical Analysis
Lack of literacy is an never-ending blow to a perennially (continuously) struggling third world
country. The government should declare education emergency and allocate maximum resources for
educating the nation. Once we achieve a greater percentage of literacy rate, our economy and
defence will automatically be strengthened.

The writer is a Politics and International Relations graduate from Queen Mary University of
London.

Following article covers the same content. It can be read easily

Beyond the content | DAWN OPINION .

THERE has recently been much debate on the issue of the Single National Curriculum (SNC).
The debate is mostly focused on the content of the curriculum for each grade and what has been or
has not been added to the requirements that a child in a specific grade is expected to know. A lot of
the debate has been focused, predictably, on Islamiat. That debate is warranted, but we will come to
issues in the curriculum at another time.

In this article I want to focus on some of the larger issues that the SNC debate has revealed.
Purportedly(as stated) , the main aim of the SNC is to reduce and/or remove class distinctions in
Pakistan. It has been argued that children, especially those going to madressahs, do not have access
to mainstream subjects and a good curriculum in these subjects. The SNC remedies that, and with
agreement from madressahs, it mainstreams all madressah-going students. Now, supposedly, after
the implementation of the SNC, all students in a given grade and across the country will have the
same learning objectives.

Having equality of opportunity for all children and giving access to quality education to all children
are promises that we have made to all children in the Constitution. So, there is every reason to work
towards these goals and to applaud efforts that take us in that direction. But a single curriculum is
not a necessary condition for achieving this. More importantly, it is not even a sufficient condition
for achieving these goals.

If the goal is to provide quality access to education to all children in Pakistan, we should worry
about the more than 20 million five- to 16-year-olds who are out of school. Do these children
have no rights? Should we not strive to provide for them? Even though Article 25-A on the right to

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education was added in the Constitution as part of the 18th Amendment 10 years ago, successive
governments have done almost nothing to realise this universal right. How will the SNC help here?

Can the SNC really achieve its purported goal of reducing inequity in education?

It is estimated that some 10-12 per cent of children in any country have some form of
disability (physical, mental, or learning related). Will the state ensure that this SNC is tailored to
the needs of such children? Will these children also get the same rights, or will they remain
children of a lesser god? Again, scant effort has been made in the area of inclusive and/or special
education over the last few decades and the SNC is going to be of no help in this.

One could argue that the SNC is about children who are in educational institutions or who will be
in educational institutions later. But even here, the arguments for a single curriculum are not clear.
Madressah students should have access to quality mainstream education. Who can argue with that?
But this could have been done using the 2006 national curriculum too. Why do we need a SNC to
mainstream madressah students?

Some have argued that the SNC is a ‘floor’ and not a ceiling on what children are supposed to
know in a particular grade. If that is true then why call a floor a ‘single national curriculum’? Why
not call it a ‘minimum standards curriculum’, which sets the standard that every child in any
educational institution is supposed to meet? If some schools want to do more, so be it. It should be
clear that this is not just a semantic distinction. The government has purposefully chosen to call
this a single national curriculum and not a minimum standards curriculum.

If the objective is to reduce inequity, a guarantee of a minimum standard of education for all
children would be more effective than a SNC.

i. Differences in child achievement and progress are determined by many factors including
household income and home environment,
ii. ability-related factors,
iii. school environment,
iv. quality of teachers and teaching,
v. books, assessments and others.

The curriculum is a small part of the equation. To put pressure on a small variable to deliver a very
large result seems counterintuitive(contrary to common sense) . But it might be that the state
feels that it cannot do much in other areas and has more control over curriculum and so is trying to
do what it can.

The problem is that using the curriculum to reduce inequity, when other variables are not
being looked at, can have many other and some unintended consequences too. Is the SNC
debate a battle to take back some space from the provinces that was devolved to them through the
18th Amendment? Is this a move to centralise certain things again? One could argue that the
federation should have a voice in setting minimum learning standards for children across Pakistan,
and that this should not have been devolved in the first place. But if that is the case, this space
should be taken back through a constitutional amendment and not the SNC. More importantly, the
distinction between a minimum standards and single national curriculum should also be kept in
mind.

The state has always had a deep interest in managing the national narrative. This has usually been
done by using religion and nationalism to suppress alternative voices. These alternative voices
could be from an ideological (left), geographical (Balochistan, erstwhile Fata), gender based
(women), or other perspective. If they do not fit the religious/nationalistic frame that has been
forged by some elements of the state in Pakistan, they would be rejected. And education has been a
battlefield for this rejection. Will the SNC play into the same dynamic and allow these elements to
continue that game? There is a danger of that. Whether this is an intended or unintended
consequence, I leave it to readers to judge.

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There should be more discussion on the SNC. This is an invitation to that debate. We will come
back to some of the SNC’s content-related issues later. But larger SNC issues also need to be aired
and heard.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives, and an
associate professor of economics at Lums.

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The Three 'I's' of economic growth: Industry,
Innovation and Infrastructure (part I)

Important for Current Affairs and Essay

Topic : Innovation in Industry and upgradation of basic

industrial infrastructure hand-in-hand with Sustainable
Development Goals

Grappling with a battle against a virus, the economy of Pakistan is eclipsed with a
conjunctural(combination of circumstances) moment where it needs a revamping of the
paradigm of policies of economic growth. This statement can be supported by the fact that our
economy has not been able to sustain this multivariate (multifaceted) shock – in the form of a
pandemic. Our fiscal capacity as well as our informal economy was not able to absorb this
shock resulting in waves of unemployment and loss of economic output. While similar trends
have been witnessed worldwide, our country was already facing a slump(downturn) in our
‘industry’, non-existent ‘innovation’ and a poor state of ‘infrastructure’. These three ‘I’ can be
coined as sine qua non(essential) for economic growth – and relate to Sustainable Development
Goal number nine – which seeks to ‘build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation by 2030’. Industrialization has linkages
with both infrastructure and innovation. Without a sound infrastructure – access to markets, raw
materials and employment for industries becomes difficult. Additionally, for any industry to
develop, proper deployment of technology and innovations is a must to keep up with the
domestic and global market. These innovations may be in terms of product diversification,
financial management and/or even expanding operations and moving to global value chains.

Given the health of our economy, it is not surprising that according to the Pakistan Economic
Survey of 2019-20, our mining and quarrying sector has seen a negative growth of 8.82 percent

SDG 9 is a multifarious (diverse) goal and most of its indicators come under Tier 1, which relates
to data being regularly produced by countries. Even before Covid-19, Pakistan still faced a
sluggish performance with regards to a realization on SDG 9. Our economy has historically
remained a consumption oriented economy – this is closely linked to our low savings rate, which is

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the lowest in the region – with an artificially appreciated exchange rate; this results in a balance of
payments and trade crisis – falling exports and rising imports.

Our taxation system may work for larger corporations and uber-wealthy who own them but this
might not hold true for smaller businesses. All this may result in increased unemployment,
increased inequalities and lower income per capita for the population, which is
detrimental(harmful) for us considering our demographics of an increasing youth population.

Target 9.2 aims to ‘promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030,
significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with
national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries’.

In this lieu, ever since, Pakistan became a signatory of SDG in February 2016, the manufacturing
value added as a proportion of GDP witnessed an increase in 2019 to 12.46 percent after a decline
in 2017 but historically we also observed this ratio to be 14.79 percent in 2008. In the case of
China, this value was 27.16 percent in 2019. We can definitely look for ways to follow an
evidence-based growth strategy, as of China.

Given the health of our economy, it is not surprising that according to the Pakistan Economic
Survey of 2019-20, our mining and quarrying sector has seen a negative growth of 8.82
percent. Similarly, our large-scale manufacturing sector has witnessed a decline of 7.78 percent. In
particular, the following segregated sectors suffered a decline: textile by 2.57 percent, automobiles
by 36.50 percent and electronics by 13.54 percent. Nonetheless, some optimism can be seen with
respect to growth in few sectors such as fertilizers, leather and rubber products. That said, it is
difficult to ignore the quandary(dilemma) of low value addition in various industries – for which
the prime example can be the textile industry. With this corollary(outcome) , obviously lesser
profits and lesser economic growth transpires(take place.) . Yet at the same time – we have the
opportunity to divulge into increasing domains of higher value additions – by learning from
technological and R&D spill overs from advanced economies and their corporations.

Going forward, target 9.3 discusses ‘increasing the access of small-scale industrial and other
enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable
credit, and their integration into value chains and markets by 2030’. Small and Medium sized
enterprises (SMEs) have been described in the literature as ‘the backbone of the economies’.
However, in the context of Pakistan, much of our SMEs are undocumented and hence they
suffer from the problem of gaining access to financial services – such as bank loans. This can
be linked to our deeply entrenched ‘pertinacious(stubborn) incentive structure’ – which favours
trickle down. In 2018, the share of lending to SMEs was just merely PPKR 63 billion as compared
to the lending in the private sector amounting to PKR 923 billion. By this context, in November
2019, the current government announced its aim to enhance the share of private sector credit
for SMEs from 7.5 percent to 17 percent until 2023 – which will consequently increase the
financial outreach to SMEs. Some statistics are promising in this regard. For instance, The World
Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 Report classifies Pakistan in the top 10 economies that
improved the most after implementing regulatory reforms.

Dr Izza Aftab is the chairperson of the Economics Department at IT University, Lahore / Noor Ul
Islam is currently working as a Research Associate at the SDG Tech Lab established in
collaboration with IT University, Lahore

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The US-Iran disconnect
General Mirza Aslam Beg

Important for Current Affairs and International Relations

The dialectics of the “opposing will” define the logic of a conflict and not the weapon of war, as
The Post’s Diehl reports:

“Israel has apparently been conducting what amounts to a slow motion, semi-covert military
campaign against Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, and perhaps other industrial and
infrastructure targets as well. Mysterious explosions and fires have struck a key centrifuge
(apparatus) production facility, a military base where missiles are produced, as well as power
plants, aluminium and chemical factories, and a medical clinic. Last week, a fire erupted at the port
of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, destroying seven ships.” The Israelis were not particularly shy
about distancing themselves from these activities.”

It appears that, through such tricks, Israel is trying to ward-off(prevent) the threat. On the
contrary, they need to have a serious look at the February 2020 message of peace:

“In 2006, Israel was warned well in time about the threat from Hezbollah’s free-flight rockets, but
they did not care and suffered a shameful defeat.”

“Similarly, in February 2020, they were again warned about the new kind of asymmetric war
lurking over Israel, against which the Israeli army had no defence. In this case, the war would begin
with massive use of free flight rockets, missiles and drones from several directions to degrade the
iron-dome air defence system as well as the public morale, followed by explosive loaded vehicles
to breach the barrier at multiple places and the suicide bombers in thousands would rush forward
through the breaches to cause fear, panic and rout(retreat) to the enemy.”

Luckily, this warning created the desired effect and the forces of aggression pulled back, yet the
tricks being played now, will serve no purpose. Under such a situation, discretion (caution) is the
best part of valour.

India opted for the French Rafales to avenge the failed ‘surgical strike’ of February 2019 and
threatens Pakistan:

“If anyone should be worried about our critical new capability, it should be those who threaten our
territorial integrity.”

After the failed Balakot surgical strike, Modi had lamented: “I wish I had the Rafales, to punish
Pakistan.” Now, this tool is in his hands, yet to his bad luck, the Indian Armed Forces presently
suffer from serious combat weaknesses and are not able to give a shoulder to Modi’s ambitions.

Comparison of Pak-India defense capabilities in light of past events

i. For one, India is half way through modernising its armed forces and is passing through a
critical period of operational weakness. Pakistan completed this process during the period
1980-90, and its plans and projects are war-gamed and time-tested.

ii. Two; Pakistan developed its main battle tank, warships, submarines and multi-role fighter
aircrafts. India has none of these. The Rafales they have inducted, hardly match the Chinese
J-20.

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 iii. Three; it will take a long time for the Indian pilots to master the Rafales, for effective
combat missions.
iv. Four; about 30 percent of Indian combat infantry(ground soldiers) is stuck with the dozen
or so active insurgencies and the Kashmir freedom movement, which has reached a boiling
point. The army’s ability to hold ground and provide security to the main manoeuvres, thus
is limited.

v. Five; the brave Kashmiri youth, under their great leader, Syed Ali Gilani are sacrificing
their lives with the belief that it is the fire in their blood that would melt the chains of
tyranny, and not the protests and the resolutions. Allah is the great redeemer.

vi. Six; Indian armed forces suffer from acute shortage of officers, due to their caste system,
which is a serious weakness.

vii. Seven; the image of the Indian armed forces has been tarnished by the drubbing (defeat)
they got at the hands of Pakistan in their failed Balakot Surgical Strike of 2019 and the fatal
kicks and blows from Chinese soldiers at Ladakh borders.

viii. Eight; due to strained relations with almost all its

neighbours, India suffers from geo-political isolation,
which is a serious security concern.

Could there be any better time for Pakistan to test our

offensive defence strategy?

“It could start with breakthrough battles to create space for the
Strike Forces, to surge forward for deeper objectives, led by
the King of the Battle—Al-Khalid-1, having unmatched
speed, fire power, protection and the capability to dominate The Al-Khalid is a main battle tank
the combat zone.” jointly developed by Pakistan and China
during the 1990s, based on the Chinese
Our main battle tank Al-Khalid-1 started its triumphant Type 90-IIM tank. The original prototype
journey on August 17, 1988, when it out-classed the was developed by China North Industries
American Abraham M1A1. It was a prototype fitted with Corporation under the name MBT-2000,
the German Leopard II power pack, but under American and Norinco also offered the tank for
pressure, Germany stopped the supply of the engines. export.
Perforce(unavoidably) , we negotiated with the Ukrainians
for ‘their main battle tank engines’ and by the year 1996, over
400 Al-Khalid tanks were fielded along with 300 Ukrainian tanks. During this period, our entire
fleet of T-85, T-62 and T-59 was also upgraded. The versatile Al-Zarrar tank is one of these
series

Thus, our technicians and experts acquired the know-how and the expertise, and were able to
further upgrade the tank, named Al-Khalid-1—the king of battle, which makes a perfect land-
air-warfare combination of forces in support of our offensive defence strategy of
breakthrough battles and manoeuvres. If implemented, the roar of Al-Khalid and the thunder
of JF-17 could be heard as far away as Ambala, and far to the South, on the high seas, the pride of
the Indian Navy, INS Vikramaditya—the aircraft carrier, would be looking for safe distance from
the reach of our supersonic cruise missiles.

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What I have described is no conjecture(suspicion) . These are ground realities. Our die-hard, well
trained forces, one of the best in the world, are ready to deliver the fundamental blow, whereas they
have been tasked for such a mundane(ordinary) job in Karachi.

The writer is former COAS.

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