Tragedy of the commons.

The tragedy of the commons is a circumstance where there is over consumption of a specific item/ service in light of the fact that normal individual choices lead to a result that is harming to the general social welfare.

The tragedy of the commons hypothesis expect that when deciding, individuals make the course of move that boosts their own particular utility. Be that as it may, if numerous individuals look to do this, the net impact may be to exhaust an asset exacerbating everybody off over the long haul.

The tragedy of the commons was initially seen in a range of common grazing area. Villagers all took their cows to this regular eating area, however this prompted overgrazing and a loss of the asset.

A more advanced sample is that of over-fishing. Singular angler have an impetus to catch as many fish as could be possible. Be that as it may, if numerous angler have this same rationale, then it can prompt fish stocks being exhausted as fish are gotten at a quicker rate than they are renewed.

Last Blog

Being a Management student, I had absolutely no idea about what pol sci even encompassed. I had every conviction that this course would be one of those feared ones where you just sit through class, your head crouched, counting the seconds and avoiding eye contact with the teacher just so he wouldn't ask you a question you couldn't answer. Or one in which you just marvel at how terribly boring someone can get. But well, things turned out different. And not just different, very very different. This wasn't a course, it was an experience. I am sure that even if it was primordial history, this class would have been fun. I mean, we did of course learn about Pol Sci, but we learnt something grander. We learned how to think. How to not take anything for given. How to revisit every belief we hold. How to look at the world from an eye unaware of bias and preset notions. And in that, we learned how things really work. In that, we learned about ourselves. About people. And that is the greatest lesson we could learn.
Also, as much as Sir Naush has treated us with his energetic voice and radical perspectives, this class couldn't have been near as fun as it was if it weren't for each and every student. Everyone was so engaging and interactive. Thank you all for being so wonderful. And thank you all for teaching me about life.
Finally, I was thanking Sir Naush for giving us an experience we would have never expected here at LUMS. But also  NOT thanking him for this experience, because we will find none like this here, and every will land below our high expectations now. 

Last Blog!

I am very happy when writing this blog. I did not know the semester would pass so fast. We learnt so much from this semester. This course increase our political awareness which will helpful in coming life. Sir has  been given us knowledge about political ideologies and systems of government. which will give us better understanding of our system, laws and policies of government. Specially, Sir method will never forget. His style of comparative studies gave us chance to study all aspects of incident or any theory.
    I am also glad to say that Sir Nasuherwan was blessing for all of us. He has try to change our radical theories and extreme point of views that may harm us in future. 

Final Blog- Pol 100

The reason I switched my major and the reason for taking Pol 100 was solely based on my infatuation with a political science instructor I took a course with last semester. Unfortunately and fortunately she left and Sir Nausherwan Hafeez(NH) was given this section. 

As this course comes to an end I would like to repeat, if I have not often done this enough, that this truly was a blessing in disguise. NH is a teacher who brings new methods of teaching to the classroom, unique and new perspectives to light and a very humbling and active class experience. Taking this course with him made me realize that political science is a very diverse, encompassing and rich subject which needs to be studied for itself and not because of influence from a single personality. 

Moreover, I have noticed that this class and weekly blog submissions helped me question, challenge and reevaluate the indoctrinated principles I have been taught and force-fed by family, friends and media. For instance, I had always been taught and consequently had the image of Pakistani army soldiers in the 1970 war between West and East Pakistan as brave, determined, just and patriotic. The literature and stories of the systematic genocide and organised rape had never crossed me before and it is baffling and saddening to come to terms with myriad war crimes. The martyrs and war soldiers were decorated with titles, rewards and honors with no accountability of humanitarian crimes they committed. This is a classic case of preaching nationalism. 

All in all I am glad I had this opportunity. I just feel bad for the freshmen who had an amazing teacher in their first year and who unfortunately is here for only a semester; they will be hoping for a similar experience but that might just be impossible. 

Last Blog: Changes This Class Brought in Me

I took this course because I had to, in order be able to complete my POL cores by the end of this semester. I had no concern which instructor I will get as I did not really care, I knew POL can never be my thing. I just had NO interest in it. As I got notified that my instructor is being changed to a visiting faculty I was a bit more hopeful. Guessing from my past experience of studying from a visiting faculty I knew these people have a teaching style which students like me need. A style which not only develops interest in the course but also makes you want to attend classes.

As with the timeline of the course I started watching news with more curiosity, first difference. I was more interested in something I watched only to keep myself updated about topics which hosted heated discussion among my common peers. I started listening to these political discussions and started pitching in my input as well.

I realized that a teacher can actually make you doubt what you want to do I life. A teacher can make you think of careers you thought you will never take and make you a person you never thought you will be.

As I am getting done with this course and soon will say goodbyes to Sir Nausherwan Hafeez, one thing I can never thank him enough for will be that he made me develop my interest in this field of study, as I have an unintended major of Econ & Pol, I always worried about how will I pass through all the fatal PolSci courses, but now I’m very hopeful.

Final Blog Post – What POL100 Brought To The Table of Intellect.

POL 100 has been unarguably the most enlightening experience I have had in my two years at LUMS. The reason: it has been atypical. Unlike most other courses at LUMS, it offered a chance to interact with knowledge instead of periodic preparation of certain parts of the reading material. It has been an experience wherein knowledge was absorbed, processed, contextualized and created. Unlike most other facilitators, POL100’s spearhead, Nausherwan Hafeez, has played the role of an educator instead of a mere instructor; he has been a teacher instead of a tutor. This course provided, and sometimes forcefully ensured, an interaction with uncomfortable ideas. Most importantly, it provided a classroom brimming with energy and a knowledge space whose stakeholders were engrossed in its ownership. The students in this course have been sincerely committed to knowledge in addition to the security of a letter grade. All this has collectively made POL100 my most valuable and treasured academic experience at LUMS so far and my most intellectually exciting endeavor in a society where ideas are considered either irrelevant, dangerous or reserved for people beyond their youth. For that I am grateful to everybody who has been a small yet significant part of creating this dynamic that has honestly led to a development of my ability to process stimuli and understand complexity. 

Session 24: Tragedy of The Un-Commons.

Globally, it is witnessed that there is a large segment of the world’s population that, due to inaccessibility to education and exposure, remains bereft of attaining their potential. That is established in fact and, to a certain extent, accepted as an unchanging truth of global disparities. Individuals, due to insufficient exposure to ideas and under par development of critical thinking abilities, are severely challenged in processing complex stimuli and reaching meaningful conclusions that add to, or make sense of, the discourse around them. However, that is not the real tragedy.

The real tragedy of our country, Pakistan, is quite different, and significantly more depressing. Individuals who have access to such opportunities and do not suffer from a lack of resources that inhibit their ability to attain above mentioned skills fail to make use of these opportunities. That is the real tragedy. The tragedy of the uncommons. Families with access to education fail to inculcate a culture that utilizes it. Individuals that do undergo the education process fail to make use of it due to their laziness. We are a country plagued by unreasonable dogma. A country that views the world and its issues in binaries. We are a country where even the uncommons possess an inability to decode complex stimuli to reach meaningful and complex conclusions, not because of a lack of intelligence but because of an inability to commit themselves to the challenge.

That is the tragedy of the uncommons that is so much more discomforting than the inability of those without these resources or opportunities to meet the same objectives. 

- A Reflection.

There is prevalent discourse, especially amongst educated liberal circles, regarding the greater role women must be granted in society through involvement in extra-household activities. I don’t intend on debating that view; rather, I will seek to address one of its implications in this piece. The side of the argument that calls for a greater role of the female population in business, social activism and politics often carries a tendency to condescend upon women who choose not to, or on families who make a different collective choice for their women. I have observed in multiple conversations notions where ‘home-makers’ are viewed as weak, lacking ambition and playing no positive role in the progress of their nation/people. This is far from the truth. The degree to which an individual chooses to exert themselves in and beyond their family and the priorities they choose to structure their life around are a choice that must not be judged, even if for its lack of liberty. Furthermore, it must be recognized that when an individual chooses to whole heartedly dedicate their life to their household and the upbringing of their children, all it does is elevate their status and their contribution to society. They are then the means through which the direction of the next generation of society is determined. The values a nation has is the result of the priorities of its mothers of thirty years ago. That is in no way a job that deserves any less respect or value than a female corporate executive, lawyer, activist or politician. 

Last blog : Sectarian conflict in Pakistan.

 This contention has been pervasive among the two organizations Shia and Sunni principally. It is concur that these outfits have been made in response to treachery of the primitive framework principally in lower Punjab and other such territories, where this medieval framework has its slant toward Ahl-e-Tashee organization (Shia). In response to this foul play and illegitimate utilization of force against the lower class activist associations have risen to oppose the dominion of unduly overwhelming factions of the adversary bunch. The savage responses by both groups against one another however have additionally been condemned as socially ruinous.

Communal-ism, religious intolerance and the sectarian violence are scourge of any general public and offensive to the teachings of Islam. The word Islam implies peace and amicability and prohibits bias and religious obsession. It shows liberality and resistance even to the devotees of alternate religions.

Lamentably, Pakistan has never possessed the capacity to manufacture a genuine country. Thus the vast majority of the individuals who took more prominent pride in their ethnicity as opposed to national personality now see themselves as fitting in with a faction before being a Pakistani and have no doubts about disguising the sectarian clashes on show somewhere else on the planet.

Last Blog-THis course-pol 100

This course offered introduction to the concepts, terms, theories, and methods used in the discipline of political science. Being an economics major, I did not know much about all the political science concepts but this course allowed me to understand these concepts in a very interesting manner that now I am able to apply these concepts to the international news I may come across.

It has helped me to express my views by linking them to different theoretical concepts. I enjoyed writing blogs though we had to write them before every class. Also I am enjoying the last bit of work we have to do in this course that is writing the final paper, because I like the topic I have chosen as it links my major to this course.

Session 24 - An Idea

I still remember that day when I was unable to find myself a suitable course for the spring semester because the enrollment had ended for all the other courses that I intended to take. Frustrated and worried by the scenario, I was sitting at the famous qhoka when one of my friend, who is a soph, asked me to take Pol Science. Though I did not like the term pol science but I searched for it anyways and took the course.

My first class turned out to be way beyond my expectations. It was awesome. I liked Sir. Nausherwan's teaching style, and since he seemed sharp and friendly, I for the first time felt comfortable in discussing political issues with someone. With time, my interest grew, and I started to think over the political concepts and ideologies that we were taught in class. We talked and debated about different Ideas (which are contagious :p), like freedom of speech. We talked about the dynamics of power, the many 'ism's', the Great U.N, and what not? We also talked about the many atrocities existent around us; like the situation in Yemen, also did we shed some light upon the unjust killing of Sabeen Mahmood. To this, I am grateful to Sir. Nausherwan.

The one thing I would like to add over here is that we have so far discussed many ideas and ridiculed many atrocities. But that's all we did. We did not come up solutions to most of the issues discussed, and I think we cannot. But this attitude of ours eats me up because one day it might be one of us who will become a prey to such cruelty. Therefore we need to get out of our bubbles and do something about Sabeen Mahmood. I am not implying to openly protest and be killed, but we must at the very least, enlighten others..

Last post - For the likes of Sabeen

She may be looking at us mourning, with her restless soul wishing for one more chance to do something that was left to be done, to fulfill one more purpose, to initiate the little change that might cause the fire of awareness to spread. While Sabeen Mehmud may be doing just this, I hope that resting in power, she remains aware of the fact that while people die when killed, ideas rise when suppressed. 

And we stand together, united not on the grounds of political or religious reasons, but on one common factor, Hope. It is the hope, that the likes of Sabeen existing in our society will not be afraid to break the unjust shackles which we are bounded by, which allows us to believe in the existence of a future which proves that the efforts and sacrifices of people like Sabeen Mehmud did not go to waste. 

Seldom does one get the opportunity to rid oneself from constant suffering. Revolutions are rare, but they do come, bit  by bit, eventually leading to a storm of repressed emotions finally unleashed. What is hoped is that we consider these bits important enough to stir in our conscience a wave of realization. 

And if today we fail to realize what our society has lost, we might never get to see the dawn of a day where we do realize it. If today we side with those who believe in silencing the cries of those suffering, soon we shall either become one of the sufferers or the ones silencing them. 

Last Blog Post ; Bittersweet times

As this semester draws to a close and with it Sir Nausherwan's tenure at Lums , we can all safely say that this class was one of the most memorable experiences Period. From day one Sir’s enthusiasm was contagious and his unconventional approach to teaching was something that will stay with us forever. 

Sadly the recent events which have greatly reduced the scope of freedom of expression in this country have soured the atmosphere. With every passing day it is becoming increasingly hard to maintain hope and optimism about the future of this  country. 

The space for liberal thought is slowly and systematically shrinking in this country and we are but powerless onlookers. The military has had a very dubious role in Pakistan’s history and it continues to nurture that legacy. After the death Sabeen, we could see a lot of emotional rhetoric about how the establishment cannot silence us and how we will continue Sabeen’s mission. 

Well sorry to break it to you but the establishment has silenced us and it has been doing it for most of our history. So unless radical change occurs we are condemned to the gallows. 

The state that was supposed to be the bastion of liberal values is slowly sinking into oblivion and we can only stand and stare! 

Session 24 - Self Interest.

I believe one of the biggest reasons as to why international conflict is a recurring element in the world of today is due to the existence of uncountable national identities. National identities are comprised of a culture, a history, a language, religion etc. Today the world is not in a state of nature. People depend on one another for their survival. Countries depend on each other for trade, for economic survival and what not. The world is undoubtedly globalized and in a globalized world, interaction and communication is necessary and essential. This i believe provides a reason for an identity to show its superiority. 

Liberal nationalism argues for self determination of a nation and a right for other nations to do so aswell but that i believe is not possible because of the existence of realism. I believe it is rightly referred to as realism as the world itself suggest that suggests a notion of “reality” to it. That in “reality” a nation will always choose itself over another and its interests will only show to be altruistic if implicitly there is much to gain. China’s 40+bn deal with Pakistan does seem to give us the better end of the stick but what do we know about Chinese self interests. You invest for a return and you do not invest altruistically. 

Last blog

After the killing of Sabeen Mahmud, a social rights activit, the role of intelligence agencies has again become a hot topic for debate. Immediately after her death, sections of the society began to point figures at the ISI, accusing the agency for her death. What is surprising is that these accusations have been made without an iota of evidence, people accusing the agency also fail to take into account the current law and order situation in Karachi. The metropolis is home to a variety of armed gangs, from militant wings of political parties to the Taliban. Anyone of these groups could have been involved in her murder, but this is hardly taken into account. It is also relevant to mention that her killing took place in the wake of military operations in Karachi and North Waziristan, any group being targeted in these operations could have had a hand in Sabeen Mahmuds killing in order to divert the attention of the media and discredit the agencies.  

Last Blog : Clash of the Titans

One of the most intensely debated topics over the past three weeks, one that everyone in LUMS has heard about; why did the ISI cancel Mama Qadeers talk and violate LUMS's right to freedom of expression? Not only is this issue incredibly complex, it is also excessively controversial. I'll start by pointing out that I'm not defending what the ISI did, I believe it was wrong, but I also believe it  was somewhat justifiable.

I've heard the words 'freedom of speech' one too many times over the past few days, protesters are constantly chanting about their constitutional right to freedom of speech, half of which have not even seen let alone read the constitution. The constitution does, in fact, safeguard an individuals right to freedom of speech with the state withholding a right to impose restrictions in case the "integrity, security or defense" of the state and its institutions is harmed. Now one might question, how are we to determine whether the integrity of Pakistan would get damaged in light of the talk. Just a brief examination of the panel put together for the talk concludes that the discussion was indeed going to portray a point of view intensely biased against the Army, one of the most prestigious institutions of the state of Pakistan. If you're harming the integrity of a state institution, you're harming the integrity of the state, and so it can be argued that authorities had the constitutional right to cancel the talk. A better way to go about it could have been inviting a more diverse panel with conflicting points of view to provide for a more intellectually stimulating debate. 

Secondly, freedom of speech shouldn't  have double standards. LUMS has consistently gone on and on about the ISI banning the discussion, it has plastered social media, campus news and campusmail with posts and articles  aimed directly at state agencies for censoring any point of view that is not coherent with their own. But not only was calling a biased panel and not letting the other party present its view a form of censorship in itself, it bought me no surprise that there was nothing but a single paragraph long 'apology' by LUMS when it cancelled Asad Umars talk last semester. Their justification was that they want to refrain from engaging in politics and did not want to represent one single view to their students, I don't see how Mama Qadeer's talk was any different though. People argue that the talk was going to be about the army, basically against the army, but was not going to be political. But isn't that what is conveyed in almost every Political Science and Pakistan Studies lecture in LUMS, the army's ever-increasing role in Pakistan's political sphere? Therefore, I think LUMS is being a little hypocritical in this situation. 

I want to talk about the controversy regarding Mama Qadeer and his sons identity and their alleged affiliations with terrorist organisations and them being agents of RAW and/or the CIA and all the other narratives going about, but this is getting a little long and that is an even more controversial debate, so I'm going to conclude by saying every relationship is a two way sweet. You cannot expect other individuals to do what you do not do yourself, and since Lums has cancelled various talks in the past providing baseless justifications, they do not have the right to point fingers at the ISI.

While LUMS hides behind walls, more brave institutions such as T2F come out and explicitly voice their opinions and their beliefs. The founder paid her life for it, not only that but also put her mother in jepordy, but isn't that the point, to even die for what you believe in? It adds all the more weight to her message, and this just goes back to the social contract theory; would we even know of Socrates today had he not sacrificed himself for what he believed in? With that said, I believe intellectual freedom died with Sabeen Mahmud, it died Imtiaz Ali and Muhammad Raza, it dies every day we do not speak for what we believe in. 

The Last Blog: Acknowledging Atrocities of the Past

The subject which I’ll talk about in my last blog post is the need to acknowledge atrocities of the past, no matter how hard it may seem. The mass genocide in Bangladesh, committed by the Pakistani army, is a matter which has also been emphasized in other courses I have this semester. The first time it was mulled over was in my Pakistan Studies class, and needless to say, it was something  I found extremely hard to wrap my head around. The words of Beauty’s mother were even read out in that class, and it was appalling to learn the extent of deception exercised in order to hide these facts from the people of Pakistan.

What’s essential to learn from this is that one can never feel satisfied at the extent to which one has learnt the truth. History is seldom ever provided to us in an unbiased manner.  So the most we can do is not give up our attempts at learning, and not restrict ourselves to the perspectives of a given end. Also important is the fact that though we can’t be expected to remain deeply saddened about the fact that atrocities have been committed by various people, we need to acknowledge them, analyze why exactly they do occur, and also understand the measures required to never repeat them. The people of Bangladesh have clearly never received an apology from our end, and it’s is just this which represents a manner of thinking that still needs help. I feel like the concept of nationalism would help one to understand why it is that this information is hardly ever shown to us. When we want to comment on the atrocities committed by the Indians during partition, we never fail to go on a rant, but the atrocities committed by our very people, are matters we can’t deem important enough to talk about.

Session 24: Pakistan's Enemy

Media; perhaps the only enemy Pakistan cannot defeat with the threat of nuking. Pakistan is a culturally rich state, drowning in nationalism, but attacked by the media. Call me an optimist, but despite the never ending adversities Pakistan has been through, there will come a time when Pakistan will be a proud prosperous state. The only way, however, it can become its long awaited esteemed self is by altering the way the media portrays Pakistan. 

Be it the Pakistani media, or the international one; Pakistan is represented by its unfortunate natural disasters, territorial conflicts, failed government representations, and terrorism; Pakistan needs not a pity party, but an awakening and recognition of its potential. This can only be achieved through the media; which never seems to be optimistic about Pakistan's conditions, taking away any hope that its nationalists have of it. This can be explained through the The "Magic Bullet" theory; which graphically assumes that the media's message is a bullet fired from the "media gun" into the viewer's "head". It suggests that the media injects its messages straight into the passive audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. The public essentially cannot escape from the media's influence, and is therefore considered a "sitting duck". Models suggest that the public is vulnerable to the messages shot at them because of the limited communication tools and the studies of the media's effects on the masses at the time. It means the media explores information in such a way that it injects in the mind of audiences as bullets.

This theory accurately represents the state of the Pakistani optimism throughout the world. Whatever the media tells the people, they believe, and rather allow it to become their reality. What needs to be done is that the people of Pakistan need to understand this, and change it. Once the influence of the media is demolished and rather replaced by a more positive portrayal, Pakistan will flourish into the state that it was always destined to become. 

Last Blog! :D : The tragedy of tragedy of the commons

It is notable that this topic was a part of Political science, simple because this accentuates the dire issue of misused common resources. Be it the ozone layer or the oceans, fresh water, population growth, fish stocks or the grazing of land, with countries acting like individual agents each driven independently to behave according to their self interests, collectively amount to actions contrary to the best interests of the world by depleting these common resources. The lack of formal regulation can produce no other results but the exhaustion of natural and other important resources necessary for human existence.

I view the international arena as a "common" unregulated good. With almost free access and unrestricted demand for the finite resource of power, the earth ends up being over exploited with its benefits accruing to limited groups such as superpower nations motivated to maximize the use of  economic progress bleeding the earth dry, militarization and war wrenching the earth with its unlimited corpses, and nuclear development defecating the air, In the quest for power, each nation acts as it deems best while the costs of exploitation are borne by the lesser powerful nations to whom the resources of power are unavailable.

The depletion of any common depends upon primarily three factors: the number of users demanding it(every nation wants world domination), the competitiveness of their uses(each nation has jumped into the quest for power maximization therefore extremely competitive) and lastly, the relative robustness of the common. The earth as a common has shown tremendous resilience so far in persisting despite its exploitative uses by each country yet if the quest for power accelerates to the point of more world wars with the use of nuclear weaponry destroying entire nations, this common may not last long to provide any further benefits to the people.

The need for regulation in the international arena is therefore essential if we are to prevent the murder of human life by our own hands . By regulating the actions of nations, war and other harmful actions to the earth can be prevented and the common can be protected to live a longer and more beneficial life. It is interesting that the tragedy of commons was the first actual proven theory that isn't debatable in the subject so far. In fact its highly relate-able as well since in LUMS itself. With so many restaurants and none claiming ownership of the place to dine, the state of REC is highly deplorable. It is indeed a tragedy of the commons since whoever comes further pollutes it and no central body regulates the cleanliness and state of affairs there.

This topic brings me back to the initial classes; the debate between universal altruism and individual egoism. As individuals we work in the interests best suited to us yet in a family structure a particular altruism operates as we put aside our interests and work for the best of its members but at a greater level of civil society we again bow down to universal egoism by placing our own intersts above others. States, in an idealist approach are considered to be a community underpinned by mutual sympathy by placing the interests of its citizens first. Yet when nations work in the international arena they again work solely as egoistic agents. Therefore the levels of egoism and altruism coexist, explaining why the tragedy is so prevalent in the world, yet also why the earth hasn't ended in 2012 like the Mayans predicted.

Last Blog! Session: 24 Future of our Children

Garrett Hardin discusses that we only focuses on the technical solution of a problem even if these technical solutions make situation worst and no one never demands any change in human’s values or ideas of morality. A change in these is more important than the one brought through science, strategies or even by economics. He did an argument on the freedom to “breed” on the basis of morality though it is always regarded as a very paradoxical argument. A very realistic and truthful premise has been taken that the population is growing exponentially but on the other hand the resources are very limited and finite. This deduces that how much a person is dependent on the motherland for its survival and the augmentation of generations here on planet earth. The application of the rule of common argues that the use of the breeding rights is a common good and those who are overusing it are propelling us towards the extinction.  If people recognize and understand about the conscience of gene pool and also the morality about the responsibility of not to use the commons as a consequence of it only large breeder families will be left on the motherland. Therefore, the solution to this enigma is to acknowledge and accept that “breeding” is not to be considered as a freedom or a right. It is similar to the case if a society decides that robbery is not a right, we all become more free; similarly, using the powers of government administration, it will be easy to regulate individual family decisions and it will make us all more free.   

Taking it into account from economic point of view leaving morality grounds aside, the most glaring error he made was that laissez faire economics does not apply to this situation and also does not give the incentive towards smaller families. By 1970s, urban families started bearing less number of children as compare to rural areas. The reason behind it was that parents in developed areas and countries chose fewer kids because for them kids are a very expensive investment whereas for rural children are a very beneficial investment in terms of work and running a family. So does it mean Hardin is wrong in the perspective of overpopulation with respect to economics?   

Last blog post: Freedom

In the previous class, we discussed the issue of Balochistan and how time and again people in this country are silenced when they speak of something that the state ultimately disapproves of. However, it makes one ponder whether silencing one voice can stop all dissent? And when will the Pakistani state realize that allowing people the freedom to express their dissent is vital for the survival of the nation?

It may seem ironic that allowing people to express the problems they have with the nation will actually help it prosper. However, if different opinions are expressed, there is room for understanding, understanding varying view points. In my opinion, what our country lacks more than ever is tolerance - most people are unwilling to tolerate any voice that contradicts their own, so much so that they are willing to commit murder to silence that voice. I am deeply saddened by the intolerance of this nation; intolerance that has cost us countless precious lives. If one thinks about it truly than one can conclude that more than anything, Pakistanis require freedom - the freedom to think, the freedom to speak and at the very least be able to express an opinion which contradicts the vast majority without fearing for their life. 

Last Blog - Why are intellectuals targetted?

There was a very elaborate discussion in class in regard to why intellectuals are always targeted in a conflict. The answer was simple: Intellectuals carry the most dangerous weapon; knowledge. And knowledge is power. It has the power to change the discourse.
History shows that most protests against unfair governments or dictators have been led by country's intellectuals. Be it protests against Ayub Khan or in East Pakistan before 1971, intellectuals have had a pivotal role in determining the future of the state.
The killing of a Professor of Karachi University yesterday shows that the State identifies the power of individuals who are aware of what happens, and those who can speak their mind.
But one thing we must learn from all this is that we can not back down; we need to speak up for what we believe in.
After all, ideas are bulletproof, you can kill a man, but not his ideas or thoughts.

Here's a cartoon:
http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Nonsuit%20-%20timeout_162990

On a different note, this semester is already ending! This has been one of the best courses I've taken so far. I cherish the friends I've made, the very riveting discussions we've had, and of course, Sir Nausherwan's inspiring self. It feels so odd to having remember the difference between a State and a Government without ever giving an exam on it. Thank you for the wonderful experience :)

Session 24 :Another Untold Story

After reading this letter by JogendraNath Mandal, a leader of the Hindu Scheduled Caste members I was appalled. While Pakistan has not done such a great job at hiding its atrocities with the Bengali’s, it has done so with these Scheduled Caste members.
This story follows the same tragic sequence. We allied with them before the 1947 partition, called them our brothers and sisters, and then soon after gaining independence, what did we do?
We murdered 10,000 of them. We raped their women. We deprived them of their livelihood and their homes until they fled.
It is tragic, but the term ‘tragedy’ implies a state of events occurred without any input from us. It implicates a sense that an event occurred beyond our control. Therefore, we are not responsible for it.
However, even government officials at the top layer stood by and watched as people committed these crimes. Some even partook in them. Some led the civilians to burn the Hindu caste members’ homes.
Why is this story repeating itself again with the Shia’s, the Balochi’s, the Christians and with the intellectuals?
The answer is because we stand by and we watch and we let others decide for us. If I have learned anything from this class, it is to question opinions even if that results in making all my previous knowledge futile. We must learn to criticize the norm and form our own opinions. We must strive to take the road less taken and to look for information that we have been made blind to, because now, the unspoken tales speak to me the most.


To read this letter, please visit this link
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Resignation_letter_of_Jogendra_Nath_Mandal

Session 24

A discourse on morals was fairly due. When religion is brought into the fight, a discourse on morals is due. And since one of the direst problem the world faces is terrorism, which now has a direct link with religion, a discourse on morals is due. However, to assign a humanistic trait such as morality to states, seems like the same hollow rhetoric that corporations use to make more money. Morality should be left to humans who can later be accounted for it. So when the reading portrays the invasion of Iraq by the US as a question of morality on the Arabs and Americans behalf, it only feels like the same endless rhetoric which gave birth to the axis of evil and made wars into Armageddon.  

Session 24

The United Nations is criticized by many for various reasons, the most recurring one being, the veto-power held by the five permanent members of the Security Council, namely the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. These members can block any resolution from being passed if it is not in their nation’s interest. In the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US made us of its power many times so as to protect Israel’s interests and in turn protect its own interests. Palestine was denied statehood on many occasions which is a fundamental right (i.e the right to self-determination) which has led many to question whether the UN has any real power. The Security Council has able to resolve up to 50% of the conflicts it has dealt with in the past and has significantly changed things in the international arena, however, it has limited power. For power lies with the ‘big players’, players who can easily change the game and for this reason, the UN is not a 100% effective. 

Session 24

Humans are on their way to develop this world, modernize it and make this world a global village. But in the attempt to do that, we have lost a lot. There are so many things that we are losing as a result of our thoughtless behavior. We are working towards improving the lives of our current generations, forgetting that there are so many to follow after us. The environment is a mess, our ozone layer is almost nonexistent, the clean seas and other water sources are dumped with all sorts of toxins, animals and fisheries are becoming extinct and the list goes on.

The strange thing is not that these things are happening but that these facts are not being understood as a threat. Also, there is anything that is being done to tackle this situation. This earth is the only known homeland to humans and strangely, mankind itself is being the bane of its own existence. If certain steps are not taken to solve the issue of pollution, extinction of the human race will become inevitable. 

Last blog

The content and teaching methodologies employed in this course weren't quite what I had in mind when I absentmindedly put it in my proverbial cart as a 100 level Pol course and simply hoped for an extremely short list of easy to regurgitate readings and an equally easily earned good grade at the end of it all.

Instead, this class turned out to be the most rewarding ones at this semester, and might even be one of the best courses taught at LUMS so far with regards to content and outcomes. This class has been an amazing learning experience, covering every aspect of international and domestic politics in detail, with an emphasis on real life application.

The class also allowed most of us an insight into the psyche of the state, the common folk, the general cross section of the people present in the class and perhaps, most interestingly, that of Sir Nausherwan himself. 

Session 24: Is state  our protector?

In political science, state defined as an organization aims to wok for the well being of the commons with proper implementation of laws. But the question arises that does state really cares about the prosperity and the protection of society?

The main objective of the state is to promote freedom of speech .  However, in reality, state restricts this freedom  by secretly silencing the people like in case of Pakistan. Although, Paksitan’s constitution allows freedom of speech but in reality people are not allowed to talk on certain issues like on Baluchistan crises. Our media and judiciary are silenced on this critical problem and people are not allowed to talk or hear the Baluchi nationalists views and any attempts leads to dearth of the person like Sabeen Mahmud’s death. Sabeen held a talk on unsilencing the Baluchistan, which was censored from LUMS by some anonymous state actors and she was shot to death right after the talk. Death of Sabeen  gave indirect message to others about the restriction of ideas and freedom of speech.

State is also responsible for the safety of life but the systematic genocide and dreadful cases of massacre and rapes in 1971,  realized me that state is not our protector and just wants to maintain its power and authority by hook or crook.

Why We Shouldn't Judge a Country By Its GDP

Michael Green, Why We Shouldn't Judge a Country By Its GDP, Ted, 4-22-15
http://ideas.ted.com/why-we-shouldnt-judge-a-country-by-its-gdp/

Interactive: Karachi's Killing Fields

Asad Hashmi, Interactive: Karachi's Killing Fields, English Al Jazeera, 9-6-12
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2012/08/2012822102920951929.html

No Strings Attached

Since childhood, we usually use to hear about the different aids which other countries were giving to Pakistan as a form of gift and help to prosper economic development and encourage development. I usually thought that these countries must be very good and caring due to which they wanted to go for collective development and they care for all other less developed countries. Until a couple of years ago when actually I realized that not a single penny was given to other countries as a pure form of aid, there were always some sort of “strings attached”.

Countless examples can be seen in the 65 year history of Pakistan where it has received aid from relatively developed countries. No matter in what from it might be in, money, loans, food, arms, ammunition, etc. All these so called charities had some sort of conditions attached to them. A specific trend that has been seen in the past is that as soon as Pakistan has a military dictator as its leader, aid from USA increases significantly. No matter if it is the regime of Ayub Khan, where a lot of funds were allocated towards the economy of Pakistan, just to get its support or the regime of Zia ul haq, where again huge sums of money were poured into Pakistan’s economy, in order to get support against the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Regime of Pervez Musharraf was also not different from the other two, when Pakistani land was used by USA to continue its war on terror in return for a huge sum of money.

My basic concern is not the fact that all these aids have some sorts of strings attached to them, but the main aim of the developed countries behind giving all these aid’s. Most of our leaders have been quite famous for their short term plans which indeed proved to be blunders in the long run. Location of Pakistan on the world map makes it extremely important in a strategic point of view. What I am afraid of are the intentions of the most rapidly developing country of the world; China. The recent agreement between China and Pakistan, resulted in an allocation of funds of around 28 billion dollars in Pakistan, which will indeed help a lot for the economic development of Pakistan, but I have my doubts over the “ over friendly” intentions of China and what it wants to achieve in the long run. 

KU professor shot dead in Karachi

Imtiaz Ali and Mohammad Raza, KU professor shot dead in Karachi, 4-29-15, Dawn
http://www.dawn.com/news/1178894/ku-professor-shot-dead-in-karachi

Adios Amigos! Final blog

This has been a roller coaster ride of learning. From the day first when I remember I asked sir about the definition of politics. He answered in detail and summary was basically the inter relation between people and the course of connecting with them is defined as politics. We started with in class discussions and then talking about the power politics and lately about the power of ideas. All these sessions have been very informative, proactive and developed a culture where feasible alternatives to the established system were suggested, where difference of opinion was respected and created debates that had productive outcomes.

So I am grateful to all of my class mates for bearing with me a good semester. Sometimes it may have little gone out of the way with discussion or jokes so pardon me. But it was really good to have you all as class mates. Finally Sir Nausherwan I would like to thank you for showing us the world of politics and enlightening us with all the concepts in a creative and interactive manner. It was beautiful the whole ride.

Session 23: Conflict types

Ethnic conflicts usually emerge between groups that are not in agreement with each other .They are more about how one group dominate the other. Sometimes these ethnic conflicts can turn into sectarian conflicts. They are usually armed struggle and in contrast to civil war where one nation from within is in conflict mostly with state. Sectarian conflict emerges between two sects of the the ideology or religion.

Ethnic conflicts emerge between two ethnic groups with different culture, tradition. Sectarian conflict is between two groups with same umbrella ideology but with little differences. These differences cause conflicts that damage the peace and stability of the nation. IN our country we have areas with such conflicts in Parachinar that is in Kurram Agency between Shiites and Sunnis. It has continued for long the people have evacuated, families lost their loved ones and mutual destruction occurred.That is why the idea of secular state is entertained where state and church is separate and state draw strict lines for making sure such conflicts do not erupt.

Last Blog Post: Pakistan and its non state actors

Pakistan has had a curious history of bedding the most unsavoury of geopolitical actors. From Afghan Taliban to the Kashmiri mujahideen, Pakistani ISI has supported them all. While, in today's environment, that strategy seems self defeating, this was not always the case.

In its effort to avoid following Afghanistan into a Soviet bearhug, Pakistan went all-in in its effort to remove the soviet footprint from Afghanistan. To do that it supported a host of nonstate actors who had a bone to pick with the Soviets. This strategy yielded benefits in 1988, when the soviets bowed out of Afghanistan. Now, Pakistan had a problem. The monster it had created, no longer had a purpose. To avoid a backlash in its own territory, Pakistan unleashed this monster in Indian Kashmir in its bid to "bleed India through a thousand cuts." Again this strategy worked as India was forced to move its troops from the Pakistani border to tackle this monster.

Only when this strategy was revered in 2002 (after Indian parliament attacks), did Pakistan suffer. This monster now found a new purpose and a new enemy. Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of its own Frankenstein.                 

Last blog post: To think or not to think?

Thinking is important. It is also highly underrated. In our cataclysmic routines, where do we draw the line? Where do we pause and, for an instance, merely ponder?
The war for our minds is real. To think critically in the current status quo is nothing less than brilliance.
It really is easier to to not put in the effort, and to let our weaknesses control our ambitions. There is comfort in mediocrity, and in monotony. Going beyond what is required does not hold much incentive. Or at least that is what the world would have you think.
Having questions is irking, and having perspectives is infelicitous.
There is a mutual understanding between the world and the individual. An understanding which entails ignorance and apathy. This is not an aberration, for we are conditioned this way. Since kindergarten till college. But, sometimes, extremely rarely, we are made to think. Not necessarily to understand, yet only to just think for the sake of it.
Change is hard. The results even harder to see. However, what is learned cannot be unlearned. Be that as it may.
Breaking out and seeing the light is unbearable, yet not impossible.
Expect hate, and welcome it. 

Session 23 - Pakistani Involvement in Yemen Crisis

A few weeks back the Pakistani parliament respectively declined the Saudi request to join its coalition against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Although, the Pakistani parliament reiterated its pledge to defend the Saudi sovereignty against any aggressor, the Arabs were not pleased. Immediately after the parliamentary decision, the UAE's Foreign Minister lashed out at Pakistan's decision and promised severe consequences.

Amongst a myriad of terrible foreign policy decisions, the Pakistani position was a sensible one. For one of the few times in its history, Pakistan debunked the impression that its military was for hire by the highest bidder. By refusing assistance, Pakistan also showed to the Iranians that its interests did not always coincide with those of Arabs. In doing that, Pakistan also diffused any chances of Sunni-Shia sectarian conflict from being played out in Pakistani cities. However, the most important benefit from staying aloof was that Pakistan showed to the world that it was above taking sides in intra-muslim disputes. This precedent, if followed upon, could improve Pakistan's image all over the world.  
  

Last Blog Post- The Power couple: Military and Bureaucracy

 For as long as Pakistan has existed, the military and the bureaucracy have controlled the governance of the nation and old the reins of power over every 'elected' government. The very strength and might of these organizations have discouraged many popular leaders from standing up against them, for the risk associated with that would result in one losing their entire political careers. With all this unchecked power with these two entities, they have been given a free leash to do and will as they please. They mold the future of Pakistan as they deem fit and there will be no one there to question it.

One of the main reasons the military and bureaucracy go unchecked is because, it is with their support that almost all political leaders reach the peak of their careers. Nawaz Sharif worked under the wing of the military and was "their" man in the election that followed the death of then President, Zia Ul Haq.

Most people in Pakistan do not realize the full extent of the power these two forces possess. The power couple have used the facade of democracy to cover up their activities. They used democracy to provide the people the "mantle of legitimacy"- thus keeping the masses happy.

For Pakistan to grow, the power this couple holds needs to be broken down. There needs to be accountability and there needs to be checks and balances in place. If this keeps happening, then Pakistan will never grow out of this rut it is in now and will permanently be stuck in this vicious cycle. 

Violence against women 'most rampant' in Punjab

Xari Jalil, Violence against women 'most rampant' in Punjab, Dawn, 2-13-15
http://www.dawn.com/news/1163308/violence-against-women-most-rampant-in-punjab

Depressing quote:
"The NGO recorded that six women were kidnapped, four raped, three committed suicide and six were murdered every single day in Pakistan, in the same year."

Session 23: Sovereignty vs Security.

The reading spoke of sovereignty, an inherent right of each state that protects it from foreign interference in domestic matters, as the primary principle in international relations and the study of war and conflict. The chapter studied for our previous discussion, when discussing collective security, mentioned the perceived role of the international community to step in when a state is seen to have ‘failed’ and is considered a threat through becoming a haven for illegal activities.

I often write about dilemmas. In this scenario, we face another case of conflicting priorities, each of whom potentially compromises the other. In certain scenarios, to ensure the collective security of the international system, to avoid an armed conflict (war) or to attempt to secure closure of a previously contested war, state sovereignty must be violated. An example of this was the American operation in Abbotabad in May 2011.

In the scope of international relations, the superbly high stakes in scenarios of international conflict (whether they are armed, economic or a war of ideas) mean that decision makers bear immense responsibilities on their shoulders. Decisions made impact the course of history and millions of lives. And in that endeavor, there are dilemmas. There are conflicting options and choices to be made between multiple positive objectives, with some needing to be compromised for the sake of others. There are priorities that must be set. One such example is the trade-off between sovereignty and collective security, a prime example of which, as mentioned above, was the elimination of Osama Bin Laden.    

Session 23: Do we need conflict?

Conflicts of ideas and interest are the main reason why violence prevails. States tend to be aggressive for what they believe in, and thrust their ideas onto other states. Interference of other countries in others' affairs is common for the world to see, however, to say that countries like the USA involve themselves in other countries' affairs without any motive would be ignorant.

The involvement of the United States on international affairs has been exemplary. No other democracy, claiming to stand what it stands for, has been involved in such a number of conflicts, be it Afghanistan or Middle Eastern countries.

However, the point to be noted is that the US has always had its interests involved in these matters. For instance, in Afghanistan, the involvement of USSR put America's power into question. If USSR had been victorious, it would have been established as the super power. America, tactfully, through a proxy war emerged as the super power.

However, economic interests are imperative in influencing foreign policy. The military-industrial complex in the USA has a strong influence. Put simple, America needs war. Millions of individuals employed to “look for terrorists” would be jobless if they did. Moreover, lobbyists maintain pressure on politicians by framing every budget in "tough on terror" versus "soft on terror" terms. They have the perfect products that are designed to destroy themselves and be replaced in an ever-lasting war on terror.

Thus, personal interests come into play and the new military-industrial complex is fuelled by a conveniently ambiguous and unseen enemy: the terrorist.

"In January 1961, US President Dwight D Eisenhower used his farewell address to warn the nation of what he viewed as one of its greatest threats: the military-industrial complex composed of military contractors and lobbyists perpetuating war."

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/01/big-money-behind-war-military-industrial-complex-20141473026736533.html

Final Blog Post: Way Forward For Pakistan

Throughout our course we have discussed various political ideologies and concepts. Simultaneously we have tried to apply these theories to the real world, particularly in the context of our beloved nation, Pakistan. Solutions to Pakistan's problems discussed in class have varied from idealistic liberal to outright radical.
One of the most debated topics however has been the way forward for Pakistan, whether we should continue in our pursuit to deploy a perfect form of democratic government or should we abandon democracy as a whole and seek towards other alternatives, that might fit better in the context of a third world country. I personally believe that democracy is the best option for Pakistan, however I do not believe that it is a practical option. Through the years, Pakistan has repeatedly attempted to deploy a working democratic system and has failed again ad again due to either government intervention or so-called widespread 'dhandli'.
Considering the situation the Pakistani stats finds itself in today, I believe even more strongly then I did at the start of this course that Pakistan should look towards technocracy as a solution to many of its problems. Efficiency will be increased and for once considerable power will be put into the hands of people who have considerable know-how regarding various issues. There have been various examples of nations which have adopted a technocratic form of government and have found it to be quite successful, such as Singapore. Therefore, I believe that Pakistan too should look towards technocracy, at least for the coming years. 

Final Blog Post: The Independent Judiciary?

The independence of judiciary is a topic, which is widely discussed since the long march to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry. The courts themselves have highlighted the importance of the independence of judiciary in a number of judgments and have argued that there could be no enforcement of the fundamental rights without the independence of judiciary.

            In Pakistan the notion of independence of Judiciary is restricted to lack of political interference where as in reality, it is a wider term that includes concepts such as protection of judges in law from threats of both state as well as non-state actors. Hence in Pakistan, the independence of courts seems to be at a risk and this independence is often infringed. Not only this, but the biasness of certain judges is also questioned in the Pakistani courts. This mostly happens in the cases of blasphemy.

            Judges who are involved in the cases of blasphemy have received death threats for not convicting suspects of have been accused of blasphemy. The state has failed to provide protection to these judges and this has infringed the independence of judiciary. In 1997, Justice Arif Iqbal Bhatti, a judge of the Lahore high court was killed within his chambers for acquitting two Christians accused of blasphemy.  Moreover, Justice Pervez Ali Shah had to flee the country after he convicted Mumtaz Qadri, because of the threats he has received.

            The independence and biasness of judiciary, specially is blasphemy cases is also called into question when certain judges while presiding the case tend to act as the wronged party instead of acting as a neutral body. Such behavior of judges directly go against article 10 of the constitution, which states that every citizen of the state has a right to a fair trial. By failing to act as neutral bodies and favoring the prosecution, the judges are biased and assume that the defendant is already guilty.  The failure of the of the judiciary to ensure a fair trial for those who have been accused for blasphemy under the “independent courts”.