Latest news with #Quaid-i-AzamUniversity
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Beyond the numbers
Listen to article The recent release of the QS World University Rankings 2026 has yet again underscored the troubling reality of higher education in Pakistan. This year, as in previous years, no university from Pakistan was ranked among the top 350 institutions globally. The country's top-ranked institution, Quaid-i-Azam University, stands at 354 a, placement that, rather than celebrating, should prompt deep reflection and concern across policymaking and academic circles. As a faculty member at a public sector university for more than two decades, I find it increasingly difficult to receive such news with indifference. These rankings are not mere numbers on a chart; they are symptomatic of a more serious institutional decline. They speak volumes about the erosion of quality, imagination and purpose within our higher education system. The problem, however, is not simply that our universities have failed to climb the global ladder of prestige. The real tragedy lies in our collective refusal to ask why this continues to be the case. The answer is not elusive. It is visible in our classrooms, administrative corridors and research labs. It is heard in the silence that surrounds uncomfortable questions. It is evident in the indifference toward innovation, critical thinking and merit-based academic culture. We continue to operate in an environment where reforms are cosmetic and vision is short-term. Our curricula lag behind contemporary global standards, our research output is minimal and often disconnected from societal needs, and our institutional governance remains riddled with bureaucratic inertia and politicisation. Faculty development, international collaboration and performance-based evaluation systems remain underdeveloped or absent. Despite repeated policy promises, implementation remains elusive. This is not a commentary on the abilities of our students or the commitment of all faculty members. On the contrary, I have witnessed extraordinary potential in both. What we lack is the ecosystem that nurtures and channels that potential. Instead of rewarding originality, we have created systems that promote compliance. Faculty is often discouraged from interdisciplinary exploration because it "doesn't fit the format". Promotion criteria still favour quantity over quality. Student unions remain banned in practice, depriving young people of the space to debate, organise and lead. We are raising a generation that is intellectually cautious — not due to a lack of ideas, but because questioning and dissent are increasingly unwelcome on our campuses. As I argued in one of my op-eds in these columns titled, "Campuses without questions" (July 17, 2025) fear, bureaucracy and shrinking academic freedom are stifling inquiry. I've seen promising research dismissed as "too sensitive", young faculty disillusioned early, and students afraid to ask questions for fear of being labeled disruptive. This climate breeds silence, not scholarship; it rewards compliance, not creativity. If left unchallenged, it will hollow out the very purpose of higher education. Universities are not factories for degree distribution; they are engines of national imagination and ethical leadership. Their purpose is not merely to produce employable graduates but to shape inquisitive, responsible citizens who are equipped to think deeply, speak thoughtfully and act courageously. When our institutions begin to fear these very qualities, it is not only the university that suffers but the entire nation bears the consequences. Global rankings, for all their limitations, offer us a mirror. They show us how much we have neglected research, inquiry and creativity. They measure how well (or poorly) we have positioned ourselves in a rapidly evolving global knowledge economy. It is time we moved past defensive rhetoric. The question is no longer whether rankings matter, but whether we do. If we wish to reclaim a respectable place in the world of ideas, we must commit to structural transformation. That means investment in faculty, autonomy in governance, seriousness in research, and the revival of intellectual freedom on our campuses. Until then, our absence from the global stage will remain a reflection of choices made and opportunities lost.
Express Tribune
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
IHC upholds QAU's autonomy
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday dismissed a petition filed by students challenging Quaid-i-Azam University's decision to cancel the summer session and vacate hostels, declaring the petition non-maintainable. In the written order issued by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, the court stated that under the Quaid-i-Azam University Act, 1973, the university is a legally empowered and autonomous institution. The decision in question was made by the university's Syndicate through a resolution, and universities, as autonomous bodies, have the authority to formulate their own disciplinary, administrative, and academic policies. The court held that matters related to the summer session and hostel accommodation fall within the internal administrative domain of the university and are thus part of its autonomous functioning. The petitioners failed to demonstrate any violation of a fundamental right or legal provision that would justify the court's intervention under Article 199 of the Constitution. The QAU's Registrar clarified that the directives were issued in compliance with decisions taken at a Syndicate meeting. The court observed that the matter pertains to a dispute between the university administration and certain students and is entirely related to internal governance and administrative affairs.
Express Tribune
12-05-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Rethinking scientific legacy
As someone who has spent years teaching physics to university students, I often encounter a familiar anxiety in their eyes - an uncertainty about the future, a quiet disillusionment with the state of science in our country, and the nagging question: Does pursuing science in Pakistan even matter anymore? To them, I offer a powerful answer - not in lecture form, but in the shape of a book: Memoirs of Riazuddin: A Physicist's Journey. It is a book that should be on every student's reading list, not merely for its academic insights, but for the moral and intellectual clarity it offers about the role of science - and scientists - in Pakistan's history. Dr Riazuddin was one of Pakistan's most distinguished theoretical physicists, known for his profound contributions to high-energy physics and his pivotal role in the country's nuclear and scientific development. A student of Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam, he combined academic brilliance with a deep sense of national service. Beyond his groundbreaking research, he played a crucial role in building scientific institutions. Quiet, principled and humble, Dr Riazuddin embodied the ideal of a scientist devoted to knowledge, integrity and the betterment of society. This memoir, compiled by Dr Fayyazuddin and Dr M Jamil Aslam, is more than a biography - it is a tribute to what a principled scientist can accomplish against the odds. Dr Fayyazuddin, a distinguished particle physicist and twin brother of Dr Riazuddin, has long been associated with Quaid-i-Azam University and was awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz. Dr Jamil Aslam, also a theoretical physicist at QAU, focuses on flavour physics. Together, they trace Riazuddin's journey from modest beginnings in Sahiwal to advanced studies at Cambridge and US institutions, and finally, to nation-building efforts at home - helping establish PINSTECH, developing the Physics Department at Quaid-i-Azam University (Islamabad), and mentoring generations of scientists. What stands out most in the book is the honest, firsthand account of Pakistan's shift from peaceful nuclear ambitions to a militarised programme - particularly after the now-infamous 1972 meeting convened by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The memoir does not dramatise this shift but presents it with the clarity of a scientist bearing witness. Riazuddin and his twin brother Fayyazuddin were present - not as political actors, but as scientists caught between duty to country and duty to science. It is equally important to acknowledge how the book rehabilitates the name of Dr Abdus Salam, often left out of our national narratives despite being a key figure in launching Pakistan's scientific infrastructure. Salam's mentorship nurtured a generation of Pakistani physicists, including Riazuddin, and helped establish the intellectual backbone of institutions like the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP). His vision was not of destruction, but of energy, development and enlightenment. For my students nearing graduation and wondering whether their efforts will ever make a difference, this book provides both consolation and challenge. It offers the comfort of knowing that others before them faced similar doubts and persisted. And it presents the challenge of continuing the mission - to contribute to a scientific culture that values knowledge, critical thinking and integrity, regardless of recognition. As a teacher, I cannot promise my students fame, fortune or immediate validation. But I can say with conviction that their work matters. Their experiments, papers and projects are part of a much larger story - a story that scientists like Dr Riazuddin helped begin. That story is not over. Let this be your reminder: the research you do today, the questions you ask, the curiosity you nurture - these are seeds. They may not bloom instantly, but one day, they could become the quiet revolution Pakistan's future so desperately needs.
The Irish Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
More than 100 Indian & Pakistani fighter jets ‘battled in massive dogfight in one biggest battles in modern warfare'
MORE than 100 Indian and Pakistani fighter jets reportedly clashed in a ferocious dogfight, marking one of the biggest aerial battles since World War Two. The hour-long showdown in the skies on Wednesday saw advanced Chinese and Western weapons go head-to-head for the first time. 11 Pakistani and Indian jets had a fierce clash in the skies on Wednesday Credit: AFP 11 The hour-long dogfight was one of the biggest aerial battles since World War Two Credit: AFP 11 People inspect the damage from an Indian missile attack in Muzaffarabad, Kashmir Credit: Rex 11 The high-stakes engagement reportedly involved a staggering 125 warplanes as both sides hurled long-range missiles at each other from within their own airspace, according to Pakistani officials claimed five Indian jets were shot down using Chinese-made PL-15 missiles — though New Delhi has yet to confirm any losses. Salman Ali Bettani, an international relations scholar at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, told CNN: '(It) is now being characterized as the most intense air-to-air combat engagement between two nuclear-armed nations. 'The engagement represented a milestone in the operational use of advanced Chinese-origin systems.' Read more on India Pakistan If verified, the Pakistan reportedly deployed its Chinese-built J-10C jets, boasting that they had downed Indian Rafale fighters, while Indian pilots made repeated passes at targets. Neither side crossed the border, apparently wary of triggering a repeat of the 2019 incident where an Indian pilot was captured and paraded on Pakistani TV. But the fight is only part of a spiralling conflict between the two nations following a massacre in the Indian resort town of Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were gunned down last month. Most read in The Sun India blames Pakistan for the attack — a charge Islamabad denies. In response, India 'launches airstrikes on Pakistan' in escalation between countries Among them was the headquarters of terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), where 'India has killed the brutal terrorist assassin Abdul Rauf Azhar, whose psychopathic beheading of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 we all remember,' said former US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. 'Justice has been served.' Pakistan has yet to confirm his death. 11 Damage left behind after Pakistani shelling in Uri sector of North Kashmir Credit: Rex 11 An elderly man sits inside a damaged house after shelling from the Pakistan side following the Indian Army's 'Operation Sindoor' Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Meanwhile, India accused Pakistan of using civilian planes as 'shields' during its air assault. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said: 'Pakistan launched an unprovoked aerial assault, targeting Indian territory with drones and missiles. 'But Pakistan did not close its civilian airspace, so that commercial flights would become shields against any counterstrike.' Indian officials also say they 'repulsed' a wave of Pakistani drone attacks overnight, and blasts were reported in Jammu as air raid sirens blared in several cities. Pakistan's army Why are India and Pakistan enemies? DISPUTES between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir date back decades. The Muslim-majority territory was fought over in the aftermath of both countries' independence following the partition of India in 1947. War between India and Pakistan would break out again in 1965 - which ended in a ceasefire. Kashmir's control remains divided to this day, and tensions frequently flare up over the region. India also fought Pakistan wars in 1971 and 1999 - with the conflict in the 70s resulting the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. And the current conflict stems from how the region was split up as the two countries were gaining independence. Indian troops took two-thirds of Kashmir, while Pakistan seized the northern third. Since then, the row has developed into one of the most intense geopolitical rivalries on earth. There are about 16 million people in Kashmir, split between the Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled zones. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed revenge, saying: 'I promise that we will take revenge for every drop of blood of these victims.' The Pakistani Defence Minister also issued a chilling nuclear warning: 'If they aggravate this then if a chance of war arises in which there is a sign of nuclear option being used on both sides, then the responsibility for that will be on India.' India struck back diplomatically, 11 A woman and a girl walk past Indian security forces standing guard Credit: Rex 11 India launched Operation Sindoor on Wednesday Credit: X/CLASH REPORT 11 Locals pick through a damaged building near Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir Credit: AP 11 Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said: 'I don't need to remind the audience where bin Laden was found.' The aerial battle has sparked alarm across the globe. US President Donald Trump said he is prepared to do 'anything to help,' while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged 'urgent dialogue' to avoid catastrophe. 'This isn't just a bilateral clash anymore; it's a glimpse of how Chinese defense exports are reshaping regional deterrence,' said Craig Singleton of the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Chinese defence stocks have surged since the battle, with shares in AVIC Chengdu Aircraft—maker of the J-10C—up 40% this week. Beijing, which supplies the bulk of Pakistan's weapons, has so far stayed quiet, saying only that it is 'not familiar with the situation.' Colonel Philip Ingram, a former British Army commander, previously told The Sun: 'Western intelligence in particular will be focused on the readiness and the outloading of nuclear stocks inside both Pakistan and India and monitoring what's happening to them very closely indeed.' The dogfight is now being compared to the most historic air battles in military history — drawing parallels with the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Kursk, and the 1973 Battle of El Mansoura. But with both sides boasting nuclear stockpiles — estimated at around 170 warheads each — the stakes today are infinitely higher. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said it is 'gravely concerned' by the escalation. Experts warn that if nuclear war erupts, it could kill as many as 125 million people. How nuclear war could kill 125 million? By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter INDIA and Pakistan are being urged to step back from armageddon as a nuclear war between the two rivals could kill 125million people. The fighting neighbours traded rocket and artillery attacks in an overnight blitz leaving dozens dead and fears of all-out conflict. Now, fears are abound that fighting could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons and kill tens of millions. Peace campaigners like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons are "gravely concerned" and have called for the two sides to step back from the brink. And Colonel Philip Ingram, a former British Army commander, said the West will be particularly nervous about a nuclear conflict. Ingram told The Sun: "Western intelligence in particular will be focused on the readiness and the outloading of nuclear stocks inside both Pakistan and India and monitoring what's happening to them very closely indeed. "The worrying thing about these two nations is that the tensions are very real. "The nuclear weapons are not there to protect them against attack from China or Russia or anyone else. It's focused purely on each other." Ingram said escalation to using nuclear weapons could happen rapidly and powers like the US would step in to try and prevent their use. He said: "The US Secretary of State, flying into India and Pakistan, would carry out shuttle diplomacy between the two." But that might not be enough to overcome the animosity between the two enemies and their desire to escalate the conflict. Xiaodon Liang, a Senior Policy Analyst, Nuclear Weapons Policy and Disarmament, at Arms Control Association also said the primary concern should be the possibility of a battlefield use escalating to "strategic nuclear exchanges". Liang said: "Pakistan has made very clear that it will use nuclear weapons to prevent a full-scale Indian invasion of its territory, and the potential for uncontrollable escalation is part of what makes every crisis between India and Pakistan particularly dangerous."
