THE COMMISSION onScience and Technology forSustainable Development inthe South (COMSATS) is anI n t e r - g o v e r n m e n t a lOrganization (IGO) with itspermanent Secretariat inIslamabad. The organization

was established in 1994 as arealization of the vision of Prof.Dr. Abdus Salam (NobelLaureate), who firmly believedthat the S&T capacity is anessential pre-requisite for anation�s progress. The 21Member States of COMSATS

are spread over threecontinents and include aspectrum of countries at widelydif ferent levels of S&Tcapac i ty. The Membercountries are Bangladesh;China; Colombia; Egypt;Ghana; Iran; Jamaica; Jordan;

Kazakhstan; N. Korea; Nigeria;Pakistan; the Philippines;Senegal; Sri Lanka; the Sudan;Syria; Tanzania; Tunisia;Uganda and Zimbabwe. ANetwork of 17 InternationalScience and TechnologyCentres of Excellence indifferent developing countriesis affiliated with COMSATSand plays an important role inCOMSATS� programmes andactivities based on South-Southand North-South cooperation.COMSATS� endeavors at bothregional and internationallevels are driven by itscommitment to the socio-economic uplift of its MemberStates and its activities aredesigned and planned on thebasis of their developmentalneeds. These activities aremostly in the f ields ofi n f o r m a t i o n a n dcommunication technologies,biotechnology, renewableenergy technologies, andhealthcare. Education andtraining in scientific areas alsoconstitute a major part ofCOMSATS� strategy for S&Tcapacity building.Right from its early years,COMSATS has been workingout ways and means to bringthe benefits of science to thecommon people in Pakistan.Two institutions were set-upby COMSATS to get thecountry ready for the presentinformation age. Started in1996, the COMSATS InternetServices (CIS) was the pioneerof high-quality Internet access,while in 1998, an I.T. trainingCentre was launched underthe name of COMSATSInstitute of InformationTechnology (CIIT). The latteris now a public sector degree-awarding institute with around20,000 enrolled students, and2,100 faculty members, morethan 450 of which have Ph.Ddegrees. The Institute isoffering 72 degree programmesspread in seven Campusesacross Pakistan. The quality ofeducation can be judged by itsranking as the top-mostinstitution of the country inthe field of I.T. education,according to a report issued in2012 by the Higher EducationCommission of Pakistan. CISis operating successfullyalthough a multitude ofInternet service providers haveentered the f ie ld with

INDEPENDENCE DAYTHEMATIC EDITION

ABC CERTIFIED

THE INDEPENDENCEDay of Pakistan is anopportune occasion to reflecton the vicissitudes of ourjourney towards building astrong and prosperous nation,during the course of last 65years. Gaining independenceagainst heavy odds was a greatachievement and should beduly ce lebra ted . Al so ,preserving independence andmaking substantial progresswith respect to what wasinherited by Pakistan as a Statein 1947, is reason enough forp r ide and jub i l a t i on .Nevertheless, the enormouspotential of Pakistan to becomea progressive and vibrantnat ion remains large lyunfulfilled. This should be acause for concern and amotivation to mend our fences.

Many other countries, whichgained independence at thesame time or later as comparedto Pakistan, have overtaken usin the quest for achievingeconomic growth and socialstability. In 60s, the economiesof both Pakistan and South

Korea were identical, with eachcountry having a GDP of aboutUS$ 4 billion. Fifty years on,the GDP of South Korea roseto US$ 1 trillion, while that ofPakistan is still trailing below200 billion dollar mark. Themost conspicuous differencebetween the countries thatrapidly progressed and thosethat did not is the level ofinvestment in education andscientific research. South Koreaspends more than 3% of itsGDP on R&D every year,through public and privatesectors. This is a staggeringfigure that is more thanPakistan�s total annual budget,of which only 0.5% is spent forR&D across all relevant sectors.Under these conditions, it isinconceivable that the twocountries can have comparableeconomic performance, even ifall other socio-politicaldifferences are ignored.

COMSATS has beenpersistently impressing upon allits Member States to accordcentral role to S&T in theirdevelopment agendas. This callencompasses both financial andsocial dimensions. Money alonecannot ensure the culturaltransformation that is necessaryfor S&T to thrive in a society.The history of nations showsthat science flourishes wherethe society is liberal andacquiring knowledge isconsidered as the mostvenerable activity. In moderntimes, the role of State inb u i l d i n g n e c e s s a r yinfrastructure, training required

Dr. Imtinan Elahi QureshiExecutive Director of COMSATS

P A K I S T A N G O Tindependence on August 14,1947 after a lot of sacrifices byour forefathers to achieve aseparate country where Muslimsof the sub-continent Indo-Pakistan could lead their livesaccording to their religion andreap fruits of their labour.Pakistanis celebrate August 14as Independence Day every yearto review their commitmentand pledge to make all outefforts for progress anddevelopment of our motherlandas envisioned by our Founderof the Nation Quaid-e-AzamMuhammad Ali Jinnah.

Since its inception in 1973,Pakistan Science Foundation(PSF) is striving for promotionof science and technology inthe country to build leading-edge human capital andscience knowledge capital aswithout it no country canthink of a high standard ofliving and providing nationalsecurity for its citizens. Toachieve this objective, PSFactivities and programmes areespecially focusing on youth

and children who are born truescient ists because theyspontaneously experiment andexperience and re-experienceagain. The Foundationprogrammes are not aimed atteaching youth and childrenanything but only to help themdiscover it by themselves. Someof these programmes includeInqu i r y -Ba s ed Sc i enceLearning through training ofscience teachers, national andi n t e r n a t i o n a l s c i e n c eexhibitions and sciencecompetitions etc. PSF alsoencourages youth by awardingprizes to them under itsInvention and InnovationProgramme and helps youthin their participation ininternational science eventsand forums to provide theman opportunity of broadeningtheir exposure about differentthings. On PSF initiative, agroup of four students� twomales and two females� firstt ime f rom Pakist an i sparticipating in LondonInternational Youth ScienceForum 2012 (LIYSF-2012) tobe held at Imperial Collegefrom 16-31 August this year.

As Chairman of PakistanSc i ence Founda t ion Icongratulate my fe l lowcountrymen, women youthand children and thank AllahAlmighty Who blessed us withsuch a marvelous country thatis not only enriched withnatural resources but anintelligent and hardworkinghuman capital. In addition tocelebrate our Independence

Dr. Manzoor H. SoomroChairman PSF

COMSATS � a Pakistan-based IGO facilitatingscience-led progress of developing countries

Continued on page II

PAKISTAN CAME intobeing on 14th August, 1947 asa separate homeland for theMuslims of Sub ContinentIndo Pakistan after a greatstruggle and lot of sacrifices byour forefathers. Pakistan wasachieved as separate countryfor the Muslims of sub-continent where they couldlead their lives according to theteaching of Islam. The wholenation is celebrating 66thIndependence Day withenthusiasm, zeal, honor andwith the commitment to doour work honestly andcollectively for Unity, Peace,Prosperity and Long life of ourcountry.

Since its creation in 1973,under the aegis of PakistanScience Foundation, PakistanScientific and TechnologicalInformation Centre (PASTIC)has been cast into the role ofa Scientific & TechnologicalInformation agency at nationallevel for the benefit of workingsc i ent i s t s , re sea rcher s ,entrepreneurs Technocrats,Industrialists, business and

trade community of Pakistan.PASTIC is striving fortechnological development ofthe country which is supportedby dissemination of essentialinformation on latest progressin science & technology. Thespectrum of S&T informationis widening in accordance withthe needs and advancement ofsc ience & technology,therefore over the yearsPASTIC has adopted themodern techniques o finformation handling anddissemination for providingspeedy access to all types ofscientific and technologicalinformation which has broughta significant impact onpromotion and developmentof science & technology forachieving socio-economicdevelopment of the country bychannelizing all the resourcesfor fulfilling the informationneeds of scientific community.

As Director GeneralPASTIC, I congratulate mycountry fellows on 66thIndependence Day with thedesire to continue our strugglefor making Pakistan a morevibrant, a more progressingand economically strongercountry. On this occasionPAS TIC re i t e r a t e s i t scommitment to be a part ofs c i e n t i f i c s e a r ch a n ddevelopment and pledge tokeep supporting the S&Tcommunity in the years tocome according to their needsby improving the informationd i s s e m i n a t i o n s y s t e m ,introducing new services &products for socio-economicdevelopment of the country.

Dr. Khalil Ahmed IbupotoDirector General PASTIC

Continued on page II

Reasons to be aproud PakistaniBy Parvez Jamil

IT IS rejuvenating onIndependence Day to shareinformation regarding thelaurels our youth has earnedinternationally.Whether it is education,innovations in science, arts,sports, quizzes, generalknowledge, etc., our childrencontinue to shine over theworld horizon from time totime.

IoBM honoured in Europe(2012)Syed Rehan Ahmed of theI n s t i t u t e o f B u s i n e s sManagement (IoBM) hasrecently been distinguishedamong �Top 99 BusinessA d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n dManagement Students of the

world� at a largely and keenlycontested internationalcompetition for businessinstitutions organised byN y e n r o d e Un i v e r s i t y ,Straatweg, Breukelen in TheNether lands . NyenrodeUniversity, rated among topmanagement universities ofEurope, held a g lobalcompetition to rank the topbusiness administration andmanagement students of theworld. Well done Rehan!

Pakistani student scalesAfrica�s highest peak (2012)Tanzania-based 18-year-oldPakistani student Alveena hasbrought laurels for the countryby scaling Africa�s highest peak,5895-metre Kilimanjaro.Student of Agha Khan School

Continued on page II

Continued on page II

Darussalam (Tanzania) ,A l ve e n a l e f t fo r t h eKilimanjaro summit on May19 and succeeded in scaling iton May 24. Alveena has beeng iven a ce r t i f i ca te o fappreciation for this by theTanzanian government.

Mathematics wiz (2012)Pakistani student Moosa Ferozegot first position in theInternational World Math�sDay Competition held inSydney, Australia. Studentsfrom more than 200 countriesparticipated in this competition.some 5.5 million students of52,805 schools participated inthis competition and MoosaFeroze stood 1st in the 11-13year old age group.

Fixing the environment(2012)A Pakistani student has wonsilver medal in an internationalcompetition on environmentalissues, held at State Universityof New York (SUNY), atOswego.Students from 40 countriespresented 657 projects in theGenius Olympiad, where theShadab Rasool Buriro fromKhairpur, Sindh, stood secondto win silver medal. AnotherPakistani student, Abdul Daimfrom Har ipur, KhyberPakhtoonkhwa, was awardedwith honourable mentioncertificate.Shadab Rasool and AbdulDiam, both students of Pak-Turk Schools presented theirproject, �Removal of pollutantsfrom industrial waste water byusage of tea waste�, in thecontest.

Sword of Honour atSandhurst (2012)A young Pakistani cadet won

the prestigious �Sword ofHonour� for overseas cadets atthe annual Sovereign�s Paradeat the Royal Military Academy,Sandhurst.Officer Cadet MuhammadTalha Zahid from PakistanArmy attended the academyduring 2011/12, along withcadets from well over 30countries.

Shining at Special Olympics(2011)Pakistani contingent returnedwith a staggering tally of 56medals at Special Olympics, inAthens, last July. Four yearsago, in the same event,Pakistani athletes won 43medals in Shanghai.As always, the contingentcomprised mentally challengedathletes who showcased theirtalents by competing 7500other athletes from 180countries.

Winners at the Intel ScienceFair (2012)Three Pakistani students wereawarded US$ 500 for theirinnovative project entitled�Energy square for cattle�, atIntel International Science andEngineering Fair (ISEF) 2012.Shiza Gulab, Bushra Shahedand Mahnoor Hassan from theInstitute of Computer andManagement Science ofPeshawar, were the winners ofa fourth place grand award inthe �Animal Sciences� categoryat ISEF, held from May 13-18at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,US.

Self-taught Pakistani artistexcels in EuropeHanif Abdul, the self-taughtartist of Pakistani origin,work ing in Frankfur t ,Germany, originally hails from

Rawalpindi where he, as ayoung boy, initially learnedfrom local signboard artists butlater moved to Germany as afull-time artist. He exhibits hiswork in mainstream galleriesthroughout Germany andother European countries witha considerable facility in oil,acrylics and mix media work.

Minhaj makes the difference(2011)A team of Minhaj Youth, wonthe First Lego League (FLL)Champions trophy and becamethe FLL Champions. Thissecured the team a place in the

Scandinavian final where theystood second among 12,000participants. Minhaj-ul-Quran�steam participated in the world�slargest knowledge contest, FLL,which was held in 50 countries.FLL is an international roboticstournament for childrenbetween eight and 16 years ofage.

Pakistani student breaks worldrecord (2009)Although it has been a fewyears now, but we just can�tstop talking about Ali

Nawazish, from Rawalpindi,who broke a world recordwhen he passed 23 A-levels insubjects. The 18-year-oldreceived 21 As, one B and oneC and became a part of theGuinness Book of WorldRecords.

Straight As in O levels (2011)A whopping 23 straight �A�grades in CIE O-level examsset Beaconhouse Schoolstudent Ibrahim Shahid at thetop of the academic arena inPakistan! Ibrahim has madePakistan proud by producedan amazing record of �A�grades. He sat for 24 CIE O-level examinations in 24

different subjects and scoredan incredible 23 straight �A�grades.

Sitara shines in O-levels(2011)A resident of Chiniot, SitaraAkbar, at 11, set a world recordby passing O-level English,m a t h e m a t i c s , p hy s i c s ,chemistry and biology papers.She had passed O-levelchemistry exam at the age ofnine! In addition to thishonour, Sitara also holds thetitle of being the youngest

Pakistani candidate of theI n t e r n a t i o n a l E n g l i s hLanguage Testing System(IELTS) and scoring 7.5 out of9 in the testing system.

Solar car (2011-2012)�Solar car� is the brainchild ofTeam CLAPTRIX, a group ofstudents from NED Universityo f E n g i n e e r i n g a n dTechnology. They representedPakistan at the �Shell EcoMarathon Asia , 2011� ,Malaysia, in July 2011. Theymade a solar-powered car withefficient fuel consumption andan eco-friendly drive. Theyagain projected Pakistan�spositive image in the Solar CarChallenge 2012 in Cyprus,Europe.

Environmentalists parexcellenceMehwish Ghafoor andAmbreen Bibi won a GrandPrize in environmental scienceat the International Scienceand Engineering Fair (ISEF),United States. Each received$1,000 for developing atreatment that ut i l i sesnanotechnology to makepolluted water drinkable.

Youngest Microsoft CertifiedProfessionalLast, but not the least, the lateArfa Karim made Pakistan soproud when, in 2004 at theage of nine years, she becamethe then youngest MicrosoftCertified Professional (MCP).There are countless others whohave contributed towards thepromotion of Pakistan�spositive image. They prove tothe world that the youth ofPakistan has a lot of promise,potential and capabilities tomake it among the brightestin the world. The superstarslisted above are enough reasonsto be a proud Pakistani.

AS MANY as 30 Pakistaniscientists working at CERNmade visible contribution inthe research that has finally ledto discovery of the Higgsboson, also nicknamed the�God particle� that travelsfaster than light.

According to the workingmechanism, 15 Pakistaniscientists used to work at themain laboratory in CERN,developed in the northwestsuburbs of Geneva on theFranco-Swiss border in 1954,while remaining 15 wereengaged in carrying outresearch work simultaneouslyin line with the directions givenby a team of senior CERNscientists using 8 MV PelletronTandem accelerator facilitybased on sophist icatedtechnology at National Centrefor Physics (NCP).

NCP�s Director General,

Hamid Saleem, told thiscorrespondent that in all, 15physicists, ten engineers andfive lasers and opto-electronicsexperts contributed in theresearch that led to thediscover y being widelyconsidered as one of thegreatest achievements in thefield of science.included Dr Hafiz Hoorani,Dr Jamila Bashir Butt, HassanShahzad, Taimoor Khursheed,S a l e h M u h a m m a d ,Muhammad Ahmad, WajidAli Khan, Adilur RehmanZafar, Ishtiaq Hussain, WaqarAhmad, Shamoona FawadQazi, Imran Malik, Zia Aftaband Muhammad Shariq Khan.

He said that a grid having500 computers was set up inNCP and the Pakistanisc i ent i s t s have so fa rcontributed in numerous waysi n c l u d i n g d e t e c t o r

construction, simulation,phy s i c s ana l y s i s , g r id

computing, computationalsoftware development andmanufacturing of mechanicalequipment.

The data provided by NCPstated that Pakistan has madea material contribution to the

tune of 10 million dollars. Italso signed an agreement withCERN that doubled thePakistani contribution fromone to two million Swiss francs.With this new agreementPakistan started constructionof the resistive plate chambersrequired for the CMS muonsystem. While more recently,a protocol has been signedenhancing Pakistan�s totalcontribution to 10 milliondollars.

Hamid Saleem said thePakistani scientists were alsoamong those proud fellowswho were wildly applaudingthe most ambitious experimentheld at CERN with protonsbeing fired in 27-km tunnel inan attempt to unlock thesecrets of the universe.

He said they prepared CMSdetec tor cons i s t ing o fassembling and testing of 288

Resistive Plate Chambers,helped in fabrication ofmechanical pieces at the costmuch less than the Europeancost and designed trackeralignment and other opto-electronic related work.

It is also pertinent tomention here that CERN hasgiven best supplier award toHeavy Mechanical Complex inrecognition of its services inproviding necessary equipmentin the preparatory phases ofthe experiment.

Hamid Saleem said thatNCP is offering basic facilitiesto conduct research in variousfields including centrifuge,accelerator, fission and fusion,coating and metallization,medical and pharmaceutical,semi-conductor, solar, livestock, plasma sterilization, foodprocessing and packaging.

corporate investment, offeringservices on highly competitiverates.COMSATS is also the pioneerof Tele-health services inPakistan. Since the initiationof the services in 2001,thousands of patients havebenefited from the specialisttele-consultations providedthrough COMSATS Tele-h e a l t h s e r v i c e s . T h eorganization also launchedseveral other pioneering

projects, which were later takenup by other organizations.Apar t from suppor t ingresearch projects in its Centresof Excellence, InternationalThematic Research Groupswere created by COMSATS in

key scientific areas, with anobjective to achieve South-South coopera t ion byundertaking well-definedresearch jointly undertaken byresearchers and scientistsbe longing to d i f ferentinstitutions from COMSATS�member countries. The keyfocus areas for collaborationand joint work for these groupsinclude: Information andCommunication Technologies( I C T s ) ; A g r i c u l t u r e

Biotechnology ; NaturalProduct Sciences; ClimateChange and EnvironmentalProtection; Materials Science;Mathematical Modeling;Construction Materials; andSpace Technology and its

Applications. Three suchgroups have already beenlaunched, whereas others arein the planning stages.COMSATS is being generouslysupported by the host country,Pakistan, in line with Pakistan�sp o l i c y o f p r o m o t i n gdevelopmental programmesthat contribute towardsinternational cooperation.D e s p i t e i t s f i n a n c i a llimitations, the organizationhas instituted a number ofmechanisms to boost itsfunding requirements. Firstand fo remost in th i sconnection is the policy oforganizing internationalcapacity-building programmesin partnership with otherinternational organizations,such as UNESCO, ISESCO,NAM S&T Centre, andTWAS, in order to gainmaximum benefits withlimited monetary input. So far,COMSATS has organized andco-organized over 160 scientificcapacity -building events.Al l member countr ies ,especially the host country ofCOMSATS Secret ar ia t ,Pakistan, have to be lauded fortheir support to COMSATS�mission of supporting S&Tcooperation among thecountries of the South.

Continued from Pg 1: COMSATS � A Pakistan-based IGO .....

Day with zeal and fervor wemust pledge to make Pakistana country that is self sustaining,independent in true sense andbe a role model for other

developing nations in respectof development in the field ofscience and technology,economic progress, peace andprosperity. And I strongly

believe in and look at ouryouth for a technologicallyadvanced, economically soundand peaceful Pakistan, foryouth is future!

Continued message of Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro, Chairman PSF

manpower and facilitatingR&D endeavours by public andprivate enterprises is a must forattaining respectable S&Tcapacity. Pakistan has sufficienthuman and material resources

for achieving that, providedthere is enough political will totake required steps.

On behalf of COMSATS, Ifelicitate the nation onIndependence Day and re-

a f f i r m C O M S A T S �commitment to support socio-economic progress of its 21Member Countries, throughvarious projects of educationand S&T capacity-building.

Continued message of Dr. Imtinan Elahi Qureshi, Executive Director of COMSATS

THE IDEA of NationalYoung Academies (NYAs) isnot new and first youngacademy was established inGermany with the name DieJunge Akademie (the YoungAcademy) in the year 2000.After this, several othercountr i e s rea l i z ed theimportance of NYAs andstarted this setup in theirrespective countries. On NAYS2nd Birthday I wrote an articlethat how we came with idea toestablish National Academy ofYoung Scientists (NAYS)Pakistan with the minimumresources. Now this time, I willnot go in that detail rather willfocus on the role that NAYSplayed to promote science andscience culture in Pakistan.NAYS Pakistan started seriesof projects and tried to engagemaximum young researchersin many ways. Realizing theimportance, there is a greatneed to develop skills in ouryoung researchers in differentareas like article writing,research project writing,proposal writing, C.V. andpersonal statement writing,how to get a fore ignscholarship? entrepreneurshipand so on. We started series ofworkshops in different citiesof Pakistan and conducted foursuccessful workshops inIslamabad, Lahore, Peshawarand recently in Karachi. Morethan 300 young researchersfrom different universities and

disciplines participated in eachworkshop enthusiastically andlearned these important skillsthat I mentioned above. Wegot very good feedback andresearchers emphasized thatthese sort of programs shouldbe more regular.

In order to keep ouryoung researchers up-to-date on latest discoveries,research, scholarships, jobs,admissions and muchmore, we started NAYSe.bulletin and publishingit on more regular basis.Keeping in mind theimpor tance of sc ienceeduca t i on and c a re e rcounseling at school andcollege level, we started Sciencefor youth program (S4Y) andasked the young researchersfrom various universities andresearch institutes to go to theirlocal area schools/colleges togive short lectures andparticipate in dif ferentscientific activities. In this way,our youth could be more awareabout multi-domains of scienceand could have more rational

approach to solve problems.NAYS give awards to best

young scientist each year. This

year awards will be given toyo u n g s c i e n t i s t s w h op e r f o r m e d b e s t i n

interdisciplinary sciences.NAYS Community educationand awareness program(CEAP) is working to celebratea l l in ternat iona l days 'observance and whole team isworking with full dedicationto make our community moreaware and educated. NAYSpublished and distributed3000 booklets on Hepatitis B

and C for free all over thecountry and many booklets arein process.

Team e.newlsetter i spublishing diverse andimportant research articles,biographies of eminent andyoung researchers and muchmore on regular basis. NAYSsurvey team conducted many

surveys on diverse andimportant issues, bothmanually and online andpreparing precise reportsso we could give to thepolicy makers. NAYSGlobal is project of NAYSto establish NAYS chapterin different advanced

countr ies to developpartnership between the

young researchers workingabroad and in Pakistan. Wealso recently started NAYSinternational office to provideguidance to those foreignresearchers who want to comeand study in Pakistan. Theresearchers who are workingabroad in advanced countriesare requested to take part indifferent scientific activities ontheir return to Pakistan underMobility and migration project.

This is just a short glimpseof activities that we areperforming and at presentmany of our activities arecarrying out on regular basis.So far NAYS has more than3,000 registered members andover 200 officials from all overthe country. All the officialsare working on volunteer basisto ser ve their belovedhomeland. NAYS also gotregistered with Government ofPakistan under societyregistration act 1860 which isalso a big success for NAYSPakistan.

I myself participated inseveral international events andtold different people andorganizations (GYA, IAP,

TWAS, ENSF etc.) about thework that NAYS is doing inPakistan. They were reallysurprised to know about all theactivities of NAYS andwondered that how NAYS isdoing all this with limitedresources. I always used to saythat the young researchers ofPakistan are really motivatedto do something and they onlyneeded a reliable platform toexplore their spirits. Andsuccessfully we have providedt h e m a t r u s t w o r t h yorganization. The youth is notonly want to serve Pakistan butthey are working for humanity.NAYS Pakistan was alsopresented as Model youngorganization in Islamic WorldAcademy of Sciences in Dohaand AAAS meeting in Tunisialast year, which is a great honorfor NAYS and Pakistan.

I being the president greatlyappreciate the effort of NAYSteam which is working day andnight to promote science andscience culture in Pakistan. Weare also greatly thankful toProf. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomrofor his help and guidance andPakistan Science Foundationfor sponsoring and patronizingmany NAYS projects and

Aftab Ahmad

Role of NAYS in promotion of science and science culture in Pakistan

Continued from Page I: Reasons to be a proud Pakistani

THEMATIC EDITION - INDEPENDENCE DAYII

30 Pak scientists make contribution toHiggs boson recovery

activities. Prof. Dr. AnwarNasim being the patron oforganization really need greatappreciation for his help and

guidance and wonderfulengagement with youth.

We got very good responsefrom our youth and youngresearchers so far and we dohope that it will be much morein future. In Pakistan we don�tlack talent; we only lack properdirection and guidance.InshaAllah NAYS will play itsbest possible role to polish thetalent, nurture our youth andmake our youth moreknowledgeable and skillful.

We a re work ing incollaboration with several otherGovernment and Non-Government organization andwould love to ex tend

collaboration with other

organizations in future also. In

just 3 years NAYS Pakistan

made tremendous progress and

we do hope its scope and

impact will be much bigger in

future InshAllah.

Long live Pakistan, Long

l i v e N AY S � H a p p y

independence day.

The author is serving as President

of National Academy of Young

Scientists (NAYS) Pakistan. He is

also Chairman of Islamic World

Young Scientists Academy (IYSA)

and Member of Global Young

Academy (GYA).

From Wikipedia

IN PAKISTAN, science andtechnology served as animportant part of nationalpolitics, practices, and extremenational identities. From 1960still the present, both sciencea n d t e ch n o l o g y we r eimmediately linked to thenational ideology and practicalfunctioning of Pakistan,notably the Pakistan ArmedForces, while science andtechnology is a growing andflourishing field in Pakistan.Many scientists, who workedin India and United Kingdom(like, e.g. Razi Siddiqui andSalim Siddiqui), migrated toPakistan and helped give birthto science in Pakistan. Sinceits independence from GreatBritain in 1947, the newly-found nation of Pakistan hasseen a large influx of scientists,engineers, doctors, andtechnicians assuming an activerole in its fields of science andtechnology. Liaquat Ali-Khan

(office: 14 August 1947 � 16October 1951), the first Primeminister, invited hundreds ofscientists from India and madevarious reforms to initiateimprovement in highereducation and scientificresearch.

Marked by highly developedpure sciences and innovationa t t h e o r e t i c a l l e v e l ,interpretation and applicationfell short. Physics (theoretical,nuclear, particle, laser, andQuantum physics), Materials c i e n c e , M e t a l l u r g y(Engineer ing) , Biology,Chemistry (Organic), andMathematics, are the fields in

which Pakistan citizensexcelled. During the 1960s tillthe present, the Pakistangovernment made thedevelopment and advancementof science a national priorityand showered top scientistswith honours. With thegovernment making efforts tomake science a part of nationalpolitics, there are severalexamples of budget cuts in thescience funds where corruptionremains a vital part of Pakistanpolitics. In the most notoriouscase, the government dissolvedthe Higher Educa t ionC o m m i s s i o n � a nadministrative body thatsupervised research in science� in 2011. Mega scienceprojects such as Black-GardenDam, Thar Coal programme,and the Reko Dique gold mineprogramme were severelyundermined by the politicalforces in Pakistan whichcontributed to the halt ofscientific research in thecountry.

Pakistani scientists wonacclaim in several fields. Theywere at the cutting edge ofscience in fields such asmathematics and in severalbranches of physical science,notably theoretical and nuclearphysics, chemistr y, andastronomy. Professor AbdusSalam, a theoretical physicist,was the first and the onlyPakistan citizen to have wonthe prestigious Nobel Prize in1979. Furthermore, technologyis mostly high developed in thefields of nuclear physics andexplosives engineering, wherethe arms race with the Indiaconvinced policy makers to set

aside sufficient resources forresearch. Due to a crashprogramme directed by MunirAhmad Khan and the PakistanAtomic Energy Commission(PAEC), Pakistan is the seventhnation to have developed anatomic bomb, which the globalintel l igence communitybelieves it had done in 1983(see Kirana-I), nine years afterthe India (see Pokhran-I).Pakistan first publicly tested itsdevices (see Chagai-I andChagai-II) on 28 and 30 May1998, a mere two weeks afterthe Republic of India carriedout its own tests(See Pokhran-II). Space exploration washastily developed in 1990Pakistan launched Badr-Ifollowed by Badr-II in 2001.Since the 1980s, the spaceprogramme dedicated itself tomilitary technologies (Spaceweapons programme andIntegrated missile systems), andmaintains a strong programmedeveloped for mi l i t ar yapplications.

State controlled scienceUnlike some Western

countries, the majority of theresearch programmes areconducted not a t thei n s t i t u t i o n s ( s u ch a suniversities) but at the speciallyset up research facilities andinstitutes. These institutes arep e r fo r m e d u n d e r t h egovernment's Ministry ofScience that overlooks thedevelopment and promotionof science in the country, whileothers are performed underthe Pakistan Academy ofSciences, other specializedacademies and even theresearch arms of variousgovernment ministries. At first,the core of fundamentalscience was the PakistanAcademy of Sciences, originallyset up in 1953 and moved fromKarachi to Islamabad in 1964.The Pakistan Academy ofSciences has a large percentageof researchers in the naturalsciences, particularly physics.From 1947 to 1971, theresearch was being conductedindependently with nogovernment in f luence .

T h e H i g h Te n s i o nLaboratories (HTL) at the GCUwas established by R.M.Chaudhrie with funds given bythe British government in1950s. In 1967, Prof. Abdus

Salam led the foundation ofthe Institute of TheoreticalPhysics (ITP) at the Quaid-e-Azam University, and theestablishment of the Instituteof Nuclear Science andTechnology and the Centre forNuclear Studies; all wereindependently established byPakistan's academic scientistswith financial assistanceprovided by Europeancountries. However, afterZulfikar Ali Bhutto becamePresident, he took over thecontrol of scientific research in1972 as part of his intensifiedsocialist reforms and policies.With advice taken from Dr.Mubashir Hassan, Bhuttoestablished the Ministry ofScience with Ishrat HussainUsmani, a bureaucrat with adoctorate in atomic physics.

During 1950s and 1960s,both West Pakistan and EastPakistan had their ownacademies of science, with theEast Pakistan relying on WestPakistan to allot the funds.Medical research is coordinatedand funded by the HealthMinistry and agriculturalresearch is led by AgricultureMinistry and likewise, theresearch on environmentalsciences is headed by theEnvironment Minist r y.

An aftermath of the 1971Indo-Pakistan Winter War wasthat Bhutto funded aroundmore than 200% funding ofscience, dedicated to militaryresearch and development.Bhutto, with the help of hisScience Adviser Dr. Salam,gathered hundreds of scientistsworking abroad to developwhat became an atom bomb.This crash programme wasdirected at first by Dr. AbdusSalam until 1974 and thendirected and led by MunirAhmad Khan from 1974 until1991. For the first time aneffort was made by thegovernment when Pakistan'scitizens made advancementsin nuclear physics, theoreticalphysics and mathematics. In1980s, General Zia-ul-Haqradicalized the science byenforcing pseudoscience - byhis Muslim fundamentalists asadministrators - in Pakistan'sschools and universities. Oneof the premiers were MazharMahmood Qurashi, a physicisteducated in the United

Kingdom, and Su l t anBashiruddin Mahmood, anuclear engineer, also educatedin the United Kingdom. Theyplayed a major role inradicalizing the science inPakistan. General Zia-ul-Haqlater promoted Dr. AbdulQadeer Khan to export thesensitive industrial (military)technologies to Libya, Iran,and North Korea.

Because of governmentcontrol, academic research inPakistan remains highlyclassified and unknown to theinternat ional sc ient i f iccommunity. There have beenseveral failed attempts made byforeign powers to infiltrate thecountry's research facilities tolearn how much research has

progressed and how muchclandestine knowledge hasbeen gained by Pakistan'sscientific community. One ofthe notable cases was in the1970s, when the Libyani n t e l l i g e n c e m a d e a nunsuccessful attempt to gainknowledge on critical aspectsof nuclear physics, and crucialmathematical calculations intheoretical physics, but wasthwarted by the ISI Directorate

for Joint Intelligence Technical.From the 1980s and

onward, both the Russianintelligence and the CentralIntelligence Agency madeseveral attempts to accessPakistan's research but becauseof the ISI, they were unable togain any information. Fromthe period 1980 to 2004,research in science fell shortuntil General Pervez Mushrrafestabl ished the Higher

Education Commission (HEC)which he ightened thecontribution of science andtechnology in Pakistan. Majorresearch was undertaken byPakistan's institutes in the fieldof natural sciences. However,wi th the unfavourablesituations, research declined.In 2011, the governmentdissolved the HEC and thecontrol of education was takenby governmental ministries.

By Rizwan Asghar Bhatti

AGRICULTURE IS a sectoron which almost wholeeconomy of Pakistan relies. Itis quite impossible to pushaside the significance ofagriculture as this is theindustry which drives all otherindustries. Despite this, it is aneglecting, under developedrealm possessing a lot ofpotential for growth. To callthis most ancient professionof humankind as integral foreven existence of humankindis absolutely justif iable.

No doubt, meliorationstook place in PakistaniA g r i c u l t u r e s i n c eindependence, but these don o t c o p e w i t h t h ea c c o m p l i s h m e n t s o fcontemporary world and withthe present and future eraneeds. A mess of departments& institutions at provincial andfederal level exist in our countryfor research and development,a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y t odisseminate the research resultsin the form of innovations tothe farming community. But aless attention is paid on thecapital requirement needed toadopt such innovations byfarmers. Financial institutionslike banks are not playing theirrole as ef fect ively andappropriately in this context asrequired. Though State Bankof Pakistan has directed allbanks to have agriculture credit,yet a lot more is needed toexecute to eliminate loop holesand to meet the challenges.Central Bank has to take somemore steps towards makingavailability of timely andadequate credit facilities tofarmers.

W h i l e d i s b u r s i n gagricultural credit, commercialbanks have motives to earnprofits rather than to developthe sector. In order to achievesuch motives, banks make theperspective and potentialclients deprive of creditfacilities. Commercial banksrarely cater the needs of smallland holders. After selectionof intending borrowers, bankstake too much time inprocessing of loan applicationsthat cause inordinate delay inproviding inputs to crops thatultimately results into reducedproduction. As agriculture ismuch different business thanother businesses, so there is aneed to treat it in a separate,

special and dynamic way. SBPshould make certain to makeavailable the cheap credit onsoft conditions to every farmerat any time irrespective of hisor her land holdings. Besides,banks should focus more onunconventional forms ofagriculture like dairy, poultry,f ish farming etc. Loanprocessing and executionshould be simple. There is alsoa need to ensure the properutilization of funds by farmers.Our farmers are mostlyilliterate, and are in a practiceto spend money borrowedfrom banks on purposes otherthan productive. At the sametime, banks must be cautious

to save their precious fundsfrom going into the hands ofmalicious borrowers andhabitual defaulters who aremostly influential and wellrenowned.

Of all the banks, therecitation of Zarai TaraqiatiBank Limited having soleobjective of development inagriculture rather than makingprofits makes the sense here.ZTBL played emphatic role inpast by inducing farmmechanization and cateringthe needs of particularly small

farmers on subsidized markuprates. It could deliver more ifhad escaped from politicalinterference. Redundantpolitical interventions havedecelerated the journeytowards success by harming theefficacy of organization. If onlyZTBL is allowed to play its roleeffectively, it can bringrevolution in agriculture. Onlythe need is of a qualified,honest, dedicated competentmanagement which remainsconfined only towards itsobjectives of improvingagriculture. Likewise oldunqualified staff lacking skillsis necessary to be replaced withyoung meritorious skilled staff

to g e t f i n a l i z i n g t h ecomputerization and to refinethe current tarnished image ofthe organization.

Now last but not the least,unrealistic targets allocated tobanks by SBP involve theminto a race of dissembling. Tohave less but actual work is farbetter than magnified butfictitious work. Therefore, anyassigned targets must becompatible with groundrealities in order to curbfabrication in outcomes.

THEMATIC EDITION - INDEPENDENCE DAY III

Pakistan�s higher education miracleBy Muhammad Naeem Khan

PAKISTAN HAS always beena knowledge and talentpowerhouse of the Muslimworld. It has produced gold-winning Olympians, a NobelLaureate, an Oscar winner,wor ld c l a s s s c i ent i s t s ,professionals, authors, poetsand artists. Pakistanis haveespecially excelled in the fieldof education and learning. Ourgraduates have ranked amongthe best in universities andeducational institutionsaround the globe. Dr. AbdusSalam was a Pakistanitheoretical physicist whosework won him a Nobel Prizein 1979, and according to arecent New York Times article,paved the way for the discoveryof the Higgs boson particle,announced on July 4 this year.

Salam is part of a Pakistanitradition of immense talentand educational excellence. OnFebruary 2, 1995, Arfa Karima nine-year-old girl from a smallvillage in Pakistan became aM i c r o s o f t C e r t i f i e dProfessional (MCP), theyoungest in the world, and wasinvited by Bill Gates to visitMicrosoft Headquarters in theUS. Today, Pakistan has the7th largest pool of scientists inthe world. It is the 9th largestEnglish-speaking nation in theworld. It is the world�s 9thleading nation in telecomusage and 15th in internetusage.

Lately, the government ofPakistan has made concertedefforts to raise the quality ofhigher education infrastructurein the country to internationalstandards. Today, we have thesatisfaction of having severalworld class educationalinstitutions. According to theQuality Standard WorldUniversity Rankings 2010,there were two Pakistaniuniversities among top 200Technology Universities of theWorld. In addition, sixPakistani universities areamong the top As ianuniversities according to the2012 QS Rankings. These areNational University of Scienceand Technology (108), KarachiUniversity (191), Aga Khan

University (201), LahoreUniversity of ManagementSciences (251) and LahoreUniversity (251).

Over the past decade, twomajor revolutions have takenplace in Pakistan - one in theI n f o r m a t i o n a n dCommunication Technologyand the other in HigherEducation. Tele-density inPakistan has increased to 69percent. The mobile phonemarket has grown 22-fold andinternet users have grown 138-fold. These revolutions havetransformed the knowledgelandscape in Pakistan andmade knowledge creation,assimilation and disseminationexponentially better. This has

gone a long way in providinggreater impetus to the progressbeing made in the highereducation sector of thecountry. Today, Pakistan has146 universities registered withthe Higher Educa t ionCommission alone. Apartfrom these, there are manyprivate universities developedby various bodies and societies.University enrollment inPakistan tripled from 276,274in the year 2002 to 803,507.

Today, Pakistan produces morethan 10,000 computer sciencegraduates every year.

The government of Pakistanhas invested heavily in highereducation sector. This can begauged from the fact that some4,874 PhD scholarships havebeen awarded for studiesdomestically. In addition,about 5,000 PhD scholarshipshave been awarded for studyin the best universities in theworld. With joint fundingfrom the Higher EducationCommission and the USAID,the world�s largest FulbrightScholarship program (worth$150 mi l l ion ) i s a l sosuccessfully functioning inPakistan.

A substantial part of qualityeducation pertains to easyaccess to sufficient quality andquantity of books, researchpapers and journals. To achievethis objective, the HigherEducation Commission hasestablished its own DigitalLibrary in Pakistan which cancompete with the bestacademic libraries in the world.The Digital Library enablesevery student in every publicsector university across the

length and breadth of Pakistanto access 45,000 textbooksresearch monographs from 220international publishers as wellas 25,000 internationalresearch journals free of cost.Thi s has enab led theuniversities in Pakistan tofunction in a truly cutting edgefashion.

The provision of such state-of-the-art facilities has resultedin the flowering of a researchculture in the academicinstitutions in Pakistan. As aresult, the publication ofresearch papers got expandedmanifold in the last few yearsin Pakistani universities.According to one survey, 4,300research papers were published

by Pakistani scholars in 2008alone. Needless to say, thetrend has grown since then.

The significant advancesmade by Pakistan havegenera ted pra i se f rominternational institutions andexperts. The United NationsCommission on Science andTechnology, having closelymonitored these developmentsin Pakistan in the past years,came to the conclusion thatPakist an�s per formance

constituted a �best-practice�example for developingcountries in building humanresources and establishing aninnovative, technology-basedeconomy. A USAID reportremarked, �we are impressedwith the breadth, scope, anddepth o f the re formsimplemented by the HECsince 2002. No otherdeveloping country we knowhas made such spectacularprogress.� Pakistan also wonfour international awards forthe revolutionary changes inthe higher education sector.Nature, the leading sciencejournal noted the progressmade by Pakistan in a numberof editorials and articles.

The advances made byPakistan in the areas ofeducation, science andtechnology have benefited theArab world for many decades.By developing linkages andsynergies for a win-winsituation, the Gulf countrieshave taken advantage of theexistence of a large pool ofPakistani professionals andused Pakistan�s surplus talentto meet the increasingrequirements of the boomingeconomies of the Gulf. Theresult has been a win-win forboth Pakistan and the Gulfcountries.

With the emphasis in theGulf on the process ofindigenization, another way totake advantage of Pakistan�sprogress would be to sendstudents to Pakistan for higherstudies. Pakistan presentsunique attractions in this area.Its centuries old linguistic,cultural and historical linksmake it highly suited to Arabstudents. Pakistanis love theArabs and have an especialreverence for Saudi Arabia, theHoly Land. Likewise, the Saudiinvestment and Pakistaniexpertise can combine todevelop world class educationalinstitutions, in Pakistan or theGulf, which are in highdemand in the region. With abooming Gulf economy andPakistani education sector intop gear, now is the right timeto think innovatively and investin these sectors.

Over the past decade, two major revolutions have takenplace in Pakistan - one in the ICT and the other in highereducation. Tele-density in the country has increased to

69 per cent. The mobile phone market has grown 22-fold and internet users have grown 138-fold. This has

gone a long way in providing greater impetus to theprogress being made in the higher education sector of

the country

Science and technology in Pakistan

Pakistani scientists won acclaim in

several fields. They were at the

cutting edge of science in fields such

as mathematics and in several

branches of physical science, notably

theoretical and nuclear physics,

chemistry, and astronomy. Professor

Abdus Salam, a theoretical physicist,

was the first and the only Pakistan

citizen to have won the prestigious

Nobel Prize in 1979

Role of banks indevelopment of

agriculture in Pakistan

Commercial banks rarely cater theneeds of small land holders. Afterselection of intending borrowers,

banks take too much time inprocessing of loan applications thatcause inordinate delay in providing

inputs to crops that ultimately resultsinto reduced production. As

agriculture is much different businessthan other businesses, so there is a

need to treat it in a separate, specialand dynamic way

A PAKISTANI scientist DrAurangzeb Hafi has earned agreat honor for the country byd e ve l o p i n g � M a g n e t o -Agricultural DevelopmentModel and Sectorial MagneticModel� for the first time in theworld that will vivid far-lookingand long lasting effects onagriculture, environmental andmedical sciences, space biology,m a g n e t o b o t a n i c s ,magnetohydrodynamics andmultidisciplinary sciences.

Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi isthe first South Asian, whosename has been inscribed inthe Roll of Honor in The

Sovereign Royal Order of TheKnights of Peace and Justice,

and has been honored andknighted in the category of �de

jure�. His contribution inTsunami relief work�.Read.

Dr Aurangzeb Hafi is oneof the six scientists shortlistedout of 1,376 from 900universities in 60 countries bythe International ScientificCouncil, headquartered inBritain. The shortlistedcontestants in addition to ProfDr Hafi are; Prof Dr J.A.Walker, Dr I.J. Richards (UK),Prof Dr Okada (Japan), Dr J.F.Larson (Denmark) and Dr S.Nevelli (India).

Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi isa world renowned authority onBiomagnetism. By profession

he is a bio-formulations andm a g n e t o - a g r o - f o r e s t r yconsultant with a potentialcommercial dynamism. Bycomposition and dispositionhe is an unusual eastern eclecticof rare combinations i.e. abrilliant scientist and aluminous philanthropist, asuperb inventor and arevolutionary theorist, aforward-looking commercialfood-tech advisor and a super-charged corporate communalconsultant, an orientalisticphilosopher and a dynamicinnovatory thinker at the sametime, rolled in one person.

TERADATA CORP joins thenation in celebrating 65thIndependence Day of Pakistan.Mark ing th i s day fo rcelebration is a reminder forthe vision shared in 1940 andrealized by a nation in the mostadver se c i rcumst ances .

Since its spin-off from NCRin 2007, Teradata haspartnered with telecom,financial, travel, retail and

many other sectors in Pakistanto grow their businesses andgive them a high Return onInvestment (ROI). Being theworld's largest companyfocused on integrated datawarehousing, big data analyticsand business applications, ourpowerful solutions portfolioand da t abase a re thefoundation for our leadershipp o s i t i o n i n b u s i n e s sintelligence and are designedto address any business ortechnology need for companiesof all sizes.

Only Teradata gives you theability to integrate yourorganization�s data andoptimize your businessprocesses, generating newinsights like never before. Thepower unleashed from yourdata inspires leaders to thinkboldly and act promptly for thebest decisions possible. Learnmore at teradata.com.

Te r a d a t a h a s b e e nrecognized by analysts ,publications and think-tankgroups for its leadership in datawarehousing, enterpriseanalytics, integrated marketing,and the �big data� marketplace.Teradata is positioned as aleader by three internationalIT analyst firms:l Data Warehouse DBMS

Magic Quadrant issued byGartner, 2012

l Information DifferenceS t u d y o n D a t aWarehousing, 2012

l Forrester WAVE for DataWarehousing, 2011Other recognitions and

awards for the year 2012 are:n Teradata Labs Wins

NetApp Innovation Awardfor Visionary Leadership

n Teradata Honored as theFirst Winner for DataManagement in TheBanker�s Innovation in

Bank ing Techno logyAwards

n Teradata Virtual Storage aFinalist in the AmericanTechnology Awards

n Te r a d a t a M a g a z i n eplatinum award winner atHermes Creative Awards

n Teradata Named One of theWorld�s Most EthicalCompanies for ThirdConsecutive YearTeradata Cares � a corporate

social responsibility arm ofTeradata, is a program designedto build strong and vibrantcommunities, improve qualityof life and make a positivedifference where we live andwork. In 2011 alone, throughTeradata Cares in Pakistan PKR1.46 million were spent inv a r i o u s c o m m u n i t ydevelopment programs.

Teradata stands committedand believes in the future ofPakistan.

Khurram RahatMD, Teradata Pakistan

ON THE AUSPICIOUSo c c a s i o n o f 6 5 t hIndependence Day, let usreaffirm the commitment tomove forward to overcome thecurrent challenges and makeour country a progressive state.

Pakistan is undergoing acrisis situation in all aspects of

its political and economicspheres. The current situationshould compel us to takeaction and move forwardtogether to rectify the state ofaffairs and find pooledsolutions for progression in allwalks of life.

We all should pursue thespirit of independence and playour part in whatever way wecan to bring about a positivechange in our environmentand work relentlessly withdedication and determination,to contribute towards thesuccess of our nation.

Over the years, Pakistan haswitnessed tremendous growthi n t h e I C T m a r k e t ,strengthening and acceleratingthe country�s social andeconomic growth. TheTelecom sector, acting as an

imperative and vital driver ofPakistan�s economy, has shownremarkable development andhas lead us towards an eraw h i ch e n t a i l s ro b u s tc o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n dprogression through bridgingdistances. Thus, we shouldc o m m e m o r a t e o u rachievements on this nationalday and collaborate and adjoinour efforts in a positivedirection towards the newhopes , cha l l enges andopportunities this countryfaces.

Relacom is providingservices for installation, testing,and commissioning operationsmaintenance for telecom / ITindustry across Pakistan withthe services of Professionalengineers, and works withmajor telecom operators

around the globe. Relacom iscelebrating connectivity with65th Independence Day bymoving forward to connectingwith great enthusiasm and torenewed commitment to makePakistan strong progressive andprosperous. Relacom wishesthe nation a very happyIndependence Day.

Our contribution to thesociety should not be restrictedonly to the unfortunate eventslike Tsunami. Our canvassshould be wider to includepoverty alleviation, education,health, food security, digitaldivide you name it. The bigorganizations can afford toallocate resources for the upliftof the society and they must.That�s the least the industrycan do for the society it earnsits livelihood from.

Abbas Ali MirzaCountry GM, Relacom

WHETHER IT leads tofruition or not, a constant flowof breaking news to the massesevery now does validate anaysayer according to whom,Pakistanis can never sit idle.The statement seems eventruer when evaluated withregards to the ongoing shiftswith the government sector.On the ICT front, this year hasopened with a mix of news,b o t h g o o d a n d b a d .Welcoming the IndependenceDay this year, the local ICTIndustry has come a long way,not only with regards to global

recognition, but also areorganization of major players.

With regards to thereorganization, two governmentbodies that drive the ICTIndustry of Pakistan have beenin the news since the beginningof the year and have gonethrough interesting changes only.Namely, it is the PakistanTelecom Authority (PTA) thathas recently had a change ofchairmanship being headed atpresent by Mr. Farooq AhmedAwan, and the Ministry ofInformation Technology (MoIT)that has elected Amir Malik asthe CEO of Pak Datacom. Boththe institutional changes wereintroduced to ensure a regulatoryinfrastructure that is globallycompetitive. Therefore, it wouldbe valid to state that the newsgenerated on the home frontwas geared to project acompetitive face of the ICTSector.

On the global font, Pakistanprojected a dual-face as far asIT Readiness is concerned.According to the GlobalInformation Technology Report

(GITR) 2012, Pakistan has beendowngraded 14 points from theoutgoing year by the editorialteam of INSEAD and WEF,and holds 102th position onthe chart. On the contrary, thelargest number of companiesthat won placement within thePakistan�s Fast Growth 100 ofthe All World Network 2012belonged to the IT Sector. Ifintelligence could proof this,Pakistan would fare well. As pera Global Intelligence Surveyorganized and conducted by theInstitute of European BusinessAdministrat ion in 125countries this year, Pakistaniswere ranked 4th most intelligentpeople across the world.

From what can be derivedfurther, Pakistan is guaranteedto have a better future if successis measured by the level ofsmart work a nation is capableof producing. The WorldEconomic Forum begs todiffer, which is exactly wherethe discrepancy lies. Due tothis, InfoTech believes that therole of the industry holds aparamount significance in

making sure, that the 4th mostintelligent nation, as honoredby the Institute of EuropeanBusiness Administration, cantranslate the same into apositive recognition on the�achievement indices� such asthe GITR.

Regulatory changes on thelocal front have only beenreassuring, indicating awillingness within the publicsector to reform itself .Represent ing the localindustry, InfoTech, a leadingSystem Integrator has beenquite active towards the same,working closely with publicsector in bringing innovationsto their processes andimproving the way technologyis used in public sector tofacilitate the citizens

A forerunner of theindustry, InfoTech commitsitself on Independence Daythis year to playing its part asa facilitator, an implementerand a initiator of progressiveinnovation that would ensurePakistan ranks in the top tierof all competitive indices.

Naseer AkhtarCEO & President, Infotech Group

THEMATIC EDITION - INDEPENDENCE DAYIV

ON THIS 65th Independence

Day, I take great pride ins t a t i n g t h a t , S i l i c o nTechnologies continues toextend reach in providing ITser v ices and so lut ionsenhancements in Pakistan.

Silicon Technologies has ahistory of responsible businessconduct. We strongly believethat real business success is notjust about profits measured innumber s but a l so , a simportantly, about how thosenumbers are achieved. Wecommenced the business witha vision to grow and have made

constant endeavors to supportour valued customers in orderto fulfill their needs. Providingefficient and prompt servicesis our forte and we have alwayssuccessfully performed thechallenging tasks given to usby our customers countrywide.

Today we have presence inall major cities of the countryand offering high qualityinformation technologysolutions with wide range ofproducts and services. Themarket we serve, have stronggrowth potential, and we are

committed to reinforcing ourleadership pos i t ion bycontinuing to offer �BestSolutions�.

With an excellent trackrecord to back us up, I canconfidently claim that SiliconTechnologies will continue toset new standards in fulfillingneeds of our customers byp r o v i d i n g l a t e s t I Tinfrastructure and solutionsand always take initiative toserve IT Services to our belovedCount r y �PAKIS TAN��Happy Independence Day�.

Mobeen ul HaqCOO, Silicon Technologies

ON THE eve of 65th�Independence Day� of Pakistan

we should rededicate ourselvesto uphold the principles forwhich Pakistan was created.Pakistan was envisaged by itsfounding fathers to be ahomeland for the Muslims ofSouth Asia where democracy,constitutionalism and respectof human rights would reignsupreme.

We should endeavour to givehope to the people through ourhard work, devotion andhonesty with our profession.

GSN Pakistan is emergingas a leading IT company havingits head office in Islamabad

and a regional office in Lahore.The core competency of thecompany is in the field ofComputer Networks; Webbased Applications andComputer Acces sor ie s .

GSN Pakistan believes inan efficient and prompt aftersale service and is steadfast toits belief. Presently, we areproviding services, whichinclude Network Installation,Computer Inst a l la t ion,Maintenance, Repairs, DataCommunications, ServicesC o n t r a c t s , S o f t w a r eDevelopment Support and

Customer training to a vastcustomer base.

Let us uphold the spirit ofhope and confidence thatcomplements the momentumof change in our time.

The day is a tribute to theleadership of our great leaderQuaid-i-Azam Muhammad AliJinnah, who inspired thena t ion to a ch ieve aninsurmountable task.

The whole nation should beadhered to the principles of�Unity, Faith and Discipline�and human rights to banish theextremism from our homeland.

Asghar GondalCEO, GSN

Pakistani scientist Dr Aurangzeb Hafian icon of pride for homeland