Pakistan is faced with both extremism and terrorism for quite long. It has affected political stability, economy, social cohesion and the unity required for peace and prosperity, besides  colossal  loss of lives of both civilians and army personnel.

Sectarian extremism and violence is, however, most deadly of these as it eats up a society from within. Both the sects were living peacefully despite doctrinal differences. The factor of difference in religious believers of Syeda Hoor Shumail

Illiteracy means the state of a person not knowing how to read or write. It also states the background and the whole set-up of society. Those people who are well-informed in modes of life are called educated. But illiterate are those who cannot read a paragraph in any language with - understanding. The difference between literacy and education is clear; In common understanding the educated people are those who have received formal education in educational institutions.

In other words we also can say that Literacy is essential and helpful the people of a nation to observe critical nature of world. In this way, a nation will be able to communicate with other world and share their emotions. Literacy play important role in development of a country. Pakistan is on progressing now a day. Illiteracy is, in fact, a great curse for a country. In developing countries, the literacy rate is low. After partition, Pakistan has to face scarcity of resources.

Literacy is a very effective and important parameter of measuring social development of a society. It is also the ground reason for many other social problems such as crime rate, political unawareness and terrorism etc. There are countless reasons of illiteracy. The country is facing acute shortage of services in all field of life. The population of the country is increasing day by day at a neck break pace. The institutions are not growing according to the needs. Thus, people are deprived of many blessings which are their basic right. Then the country is poor. The wealth of the country is dispersed unequally among some hands. The poor are usually deprived of the basic needs of life. So we can say that poverty, unemployment and mismanagement are some of the main causes of illiteracy.

Facts and figures show that most of the advanced countries have the highest literacy rate while the developing nations have a low literacy rate. Thus the difference in literacy rate directly affects the positive and negative attitudes across the world. As we all know that there are numerous reasons of illiteracy let’s talk over some major issue that must be eradicated as soon as possible.

POVERTY: Poverty is the major reason of illiteracy in Pakistan. Millions of children do not even go to school due to financial difficulties, as they can not afford expenses of education. Since the start of 21st century, Pakistan is trying hard to decrease the poverty rate.

LACK OF FACILITIES: Poor infrastructure and lack of facilities directly lead to illiteracy.  There are no proper facilities available in villages, as there are issues of roads, transports and health facilities in rural areas. The unavailability of these facilities are the reasons behind illiteracy in Pakistan.

ILLITERATE PARENTS: As literacy rate of Pakistan is increasing since the start of 21st century. However, a majority of the parents in Pakistan is illiterate. Hence, a great number of children cannot get support from parents. It may be considered a major cause of illiteracy in Pakistan.

LACK OF AWEARNESS: There are many backward areas in Pakistan where there is no awareness among the people about the prominence of education. A large number of people don’t know the real worth and power of education in development of nations.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOW INCOME: Due to poor financial situation thousands of people lost businesses and jobs. Very low wages, unemployment directly lead to illiteracy because people can’t afford the quality education. Recently Covid-19 made the situation worse. As people who have no work, can’t send their children to school.

CHILD LABOUR: Child Labor is highly practiced in Pakistan. Poor families use their children as a source of income. They don’t send children in schools.

NEGLECTING WOMEN EDUCATION: The constitution of Pakistan & universal declaration of human rights both highly emphasize and advocates for the female education. Some girls cannot girl early education due to unavailability of schools in the nearby areas; schools are very far from their home. Similarly some families don’t allow girls to go to school in remote and hard areas. A large number of girls are deprived of education due to transport issues.

CULTURE: The most common cause of illiteracy is our traditional culture based on pure agricultural, profession in which education is not considered to be a foundation of life. 

CONSERVATIVE APPROACH: Illiteracy rate is higher among women than men. It is evident from the fact that most of the women are illiterate in rural areas. The people of rural areas dislike women to be employed in any government or private office.

ANCESTRAL PROFESSION: Another important factor is that people are attached with these ancestral profession for a long period of life and a son is expected to follow the same professional activities which his father is doing. . It means professional activities are handed down from generation to generation and it is considered to be a cultural tradition of the family.

BACKWARDNESS: Illiteracy cerates backwardness among the people. Illiterates are unable to understand and its solution.

Illiteracy is a social problem and in order to prosper the country as a nation in the world, the government must take some immediate steps to overcome this problem. As we have discussed about the causes of illiteracy in Pakistan let talk about some of the solution that should be taken into consideration.

LITERACY PROGRAMS: The literacy program includes teaching the basic Subject i the language of the people, English, Urdu or whatever they like. This work can be done by other educated young men of the rural area on voluntary basis. 

FREE EDUCATIONAL ITEMS: Those people who attend to this literacy program can be provided stationary and books free of cost. The time of teaching and learning can be fixed in the evening of the completion of their work.

CHANGE THE MINDSET:  It is the mind, which changes first and then it brings changes in the total of social life. Change of mind is the change of general social life.  Education is the injection of change and progress. The use of radio, television”, newspapers and the mass media of. Communication are the aiding sources for the acceptance of education for progress. 

AWARENESS ABOUT PROBLEM:

To bring these illiterate people into the lines of progress, advancement and change it is necessary to aware them about problems and consequences of illiteracy as their problem. 

INCREASE THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION: The people who are illiterate say that, what the use of literacy and education for us is because we are in the last stage of our age. Our argument is based on the fact that their literacy will be helpful to educate their children. They will feel importance of education and will educate their children at any cost.

Facts and figures show that most of the advanced countries have the highest literacy rate while the developing nations have a low literacy rate. Thus the difference in literacy rate directly affects the positive and negative attitudes across the world.

The government and the private sector are no doubt doing their best to literate the nation but illiteracy cannot be wipe out altogether. The government should allocate more funds for education projects. It should set up more educational institutions at grass root level. It should plan to improve poverty from society so that people can afford to get their children educated. It should seek the advice of experts in this regard. It should also seek help and supervision from the international community to get the nation hundred percent literate. Only then the country will be free of so many evils and problems which have bad effects on the whole society. and Shia is not a new factor. These differences are there for centuries which remained within the limits and under surface. Sadly this difference of believes has surfaced fiercely and turned into militancy. Though there are ulterior motives of foreign hands to stoke schism yet there is something wrong with us as well.

Till 1980 both the sects were living amicably. Unfortunately some internal and external developments that occurred almost simultaneously aggravated the situation. Zia-ul -Haq’s  Islamization programme, Iranian Revolution and Pakistan’s implication in Afghan war against Russian aggression there, had their cumulative perturbing  impacts that turned the differences into violence.

Zia ul Haq announced implementation of Sharia. Though it was very sensitive and delicate issue, which  required to take all the stakeholders in confidence and lot of home work, but Zia being obsessed with it get going. Though some Sunni sub -sects were also opposed to it but Shia community got hostile. Angry voices were raised and emotionally charged protests were held.           Sunni groups close to Zia were also charged. Overall situation in the country was volatile.

in this background revolutionary forces in Iran ousted Shah and Iranian Revolution succeeded and with that  clergy regime settled in. with the  implementation  Fiqah-e-Jafria Iran was declared Shia state.Then Irani emotionally charged leadership intended to export it to neighbouring  Gulf Arab states. Sectarian uprisings in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and even in Saudi Arabia were seen, though crushed by force.

 The Gulf Arab states were panicked and deeply concerned with the probable political and sectarian spillover. They naturally wanted to ward off the danger. The situation made Iran and Gulf Arab countries openly hostile. This hostility crossed into Pakistan. The perceived danger and fear engaged both Iran and Arabs states, Particularly Saudi Arabia, in a proxy war for political and religious clout and influence in Pakistan.

Both the parties started encouraging, motivating and funding their respective following and parties.  With well substantial motivation ,funding,  training and  proper networking  these sectarian groups  were set  for open show down.

 This foreign intervention aggravated the sectarian situation to worst. Both the sectarian groups resorted to terrorism. Bomb blasts became almost routine. Even mosques and Imambargahs were blasted. This frenzy did not even spare children. Clerics of each sect were targeted to kill .Professionals from each side were killed. This zealotry took thousands of lives and damaged the economy badly.

Despite all violence and killings and attempts to create and widen the gulf between these sects it is much relieving to see that majority of both the sects still hold cordial relations socially and individually. Violence is carried out by a handful of zealots but the majority is in right mindset.

Saner elements of the society must rise to the occasion and do their best to reduce the gulf between the two. Basic cause of the problem is the sentimentality of unenlightened clerics. These clerics on both the sides seem not properly to have grasped the spirit of Islam, for their own pride and benefits are exploiting their followers. It is imperative to discourage rather disown such prejudiced clerics.

It is certain that no sect is going to quit its deeply entrenched believes because of pressures and violence. Allah ordains not to impose one’s believes on others by force and not to denounce others believes. Allah says to even His prophet Hazrat Muhammad that he is only a messenger  who is to just deliver the message of Allah to people and leave one alone who does not accept it and let it be with him and Allah.

 Unfortunately our emotional narrow minded elements are condemning and calling names to each other. This negative mentality has to be discarded and preaching for peaceful co-existence, remaining within the limits of our believes, is required most. Allah emphatically sanctifies human lives. He says killing of one innocent person is killing the entire humanity and saving the life one is saving the lives of humanity, what a surprise we the believers of Islam ignore Orders of Allah and resort to fratricide. The dilemma is our clerics have assumed the position of Vice-regents of Allah and declare one and other Kafir. The prophet of Allah has so clearly stated that one who hurts a Muslim by his words and deeds is not a Muslim, how come our clerics can violate orders of Allah and His prophet.

Saner elements on both the sides will now have to accept the hard realities and realize the futility of zealotry. It is undeniable fact that both Sunnis and Shias in Pakistan have the same destiny and have to live together. Neither of the sect can force the other to change believes, nor can exterminate or push the other sect out of the boundaries of Pakistan. We are bound to have tolerance and accommodation for each other.

WHO IS KAFIR AND WHO NOT WILL BE KNOWN ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT AND HOW ALLAH WILL DEAL WITH US IS KNOWN ONLY TO HIM.

LET US REALIZE THAT ONLY WAY WE HAVE IS LIVE AND LET OTHERS LIVE

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 27 2023

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