We need a leader with telescopic visions and navigational capabilities.

Education is very vital for the development, prosperity and sovereignty of a country. It is important not only for individual development, earnings and employment but also for the country’s prosperity, economic stability, creativity & innovation, harmony & peace and for social stability. Educational system in Pakistan is not only out dated but also we are far behind from the rest of the surrounding world. Economically, Pakistan is at the 153rd position out of 174 countries and is included in ten countries with worst educational system. Many poorer countries have better literacy rate as compared to Pakistan. Low literacy rate not only decelerates economy growth but also impedes human development, skills, creativity and self-efficacy.
We are witnessing technological revolutions, drastic and swift changes all around us and receiving revolutions to impact lives, societies and global human interactions. Due to digital advancement, the world is changing at a very high pace. So, it is the time to make ourselves compatible with the pace. Pakistan is already facing many crises, economically, politically, nationally and internationally. The only solution to all these is quality education. We cannot predict future but if we couldn’t pace our quality education, we will face digital divide and gap nationally and internationally with a catastrophic end. Are we ready for these emerging challenges in education and society along with existing issues?. For this, we need a leader with telescopic visions and navigational capabilities.
To meet the new demands of tech world and to take countermeasures for technological challenges, Education 4.0 is a contemporary slogan among the educational reformers. The role of education is becoming more vivacious to address disruption, divide and to meet skills requirement with the rapid technological advancement. So, we have to understand Education 4.0 with the context of Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0 and we have to be vigilant about future challenges.

Late in the 18th century, the first Industrial Revolution 1.0 occurred with generation of water and steam engines for mass and quality production in industry. Its impact appeared in the form of urbanization, boosted economy, massive transportation and industrialization. The introduction of paper-making machine, mechanical printing and type-writers unwrapped new integrations in Education 1.0 for limited fortunate societies only. However, the teacher remained the center of education in this era. The 20th century emerged on the calendar with Industrial Revolution 2.0. Water and steam engine were replaced by oil and electrical energy, mass production and industrialization emerged with low cost. Fertilizers, engines and aerodynamic industries are the product of IR2.0. However, Education 2.0 corresponded itself with IR 2.0 by introducing electronic devices such as computer, multimedia and printers etc. Mass education, standardization, large classes and open & new universities were constructed during this era. The role of teacher shifted from transmitter to facilitator. Computers, transistors and automation has reduced the efforts, costs & work-load and has introduced swiftness & global supply chain in industry by the end of the 20th century, with the immergence of Industrial Revolution 3.0. In Education 3.0, Semantic web, smart mobile devices and internet services were introduced. Students became more conscious about learning styles. Now their role shifted from passive listener to active and participative learner in the classroom. Teacher’s role shifted as collaborator and facilitator. Online and mobile learning became the area of interest for researcher, educator and students as well. However, personalized learning remained wrapped.
The concepts of digitization, globalization and mass production were coined during the Industrial Revolutions 1.0 to 3.0. However, IR 4.0 is diversified from all previous revolutions. The notion of Industrial Revolution 4.0 was propelled by Germany in 2011. It is a blend of Virtual/Augmented reality, Artificial Intelligence, robots, 3D printing, Internet of things, Simulation, Cyber security, material science, System integration, bio and nanotechnology, quantum computing, big data and cloud computing. Humans are being replaced by machines and distorted lines have been drawn between digital, biological and physical worlds. Societies, cultures, industries and economies are being intermingled with each other. So in response to IR 4.0, the term Education 4.0 emerged to align dents of disruption and to fill digital gaps among and within the societies. Societies, economies cultures, living and working standards are being transformed by the Industrial Revolution 4.0. So, it is vital to acclimate the educational system with the emerging issues and requirements of the new societies. Education 4.0 is interlinked with IR 4.0, focusing on the future education of technology and automation. Education 4.0 is addressing all the requirements of IR 4.0 by using technologies. Learning and teaching styles have been changed to ensure the future needs of the workforce and skills. It is a system that transmits quality education along with skills in a self-paced modus as per learner’s needs and capabilities. It is providing quality of information from the globe to teachers and students in a non-traditional way. The concept of Massive Open online Course (MOOCs), Flipped Classroom, smart learning, Open & online learning, self-paced & skill based learning, personalized learning and integration of modern technologies are embraced by Education 4.0. Creativity, Critical thinking and problem solving skills are fundamentals of Education 4.0.
The globe is being changed in all aspects: economically, socially and emotionally with the rapid advancement of technology. Systems are being revolutionized, multi-disciplinary approaches are being adopted. New earnings opportunities are emerging in developed and educated world. Nonetheless, digital divide, disruption, social inequality, cyber security, industrial destruction and ethical issues will become fortune for developing and under developing economies like Pakistan along with existing issues.
Nations with strong economy and high literacy rate have potentials to acclimatize with advancements linked Industrial Revolution 4.0. They have capabilities to take counter measures against emerging issues as digital divide, disruption, unemployment, cyber security industrial destruction and skills gap.
Pakistan’s education system is not only out dated but also has many flaws to meet emerging demands. Our educational system is still focusing on outdated instructional techniques and learning styles. Learning is still confined to physical building school and decelerating the literacy. Examination system is still a measuring inventory of memorization. It is the time to announce education emergency as emergencies have been implemented for natural disasters in 2005 and now 2022. It is the time to revive the whole educational system. Education is the only tool to accelerate economic development and social stability. This can be achieved by making education a priority and budgeting wisely for education. Although budgeting is a foremost impedance for adaption of Education 4.0. However, to embrace minimal features of Education 4.0, at initial stage with available resources, we have to invest in three areas: teacher training, curriculum and pace of learning. Teachers and educators can play a pivotal role for prompt and optimistic revolution in education. So, we have to invest in perpetuation of teacher’s dignity first and then in pre-service and in-service teachers training. Our curriculum is antediluvian and we have to revise our curriculum on futuristic approach as far as we can, to prepare our future generation for IR 4.0 skills and to enable them for contribution in global citizenship. To pace up learning efficiency and effectiveness, we have to augment the use of digital technology in education.
It is a soft precautionary call before disaster. We have to invest in transformation of
Education 4.0. We have to rethink, reimagine, revalue and revive the education. Otherwise, we have to keep in mind “Are our all stakeholders (Leaders, Teachers and parents etc) ready for accumulation of forthcoming challenges of IR 4.0 into prevailing ones or we can say for catastrophic end?”
“We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society (Schwab, 2016, p. 1).”

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Muhammad Waseem
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By Qamar Bashir

Our country, which is currently experiencing the worst period of its troubled history, is besieged by perils, difficulties, and hardships which unfortunately do not apply to the politicians, judiciary, civil and military bureaucracy, who on the one hand enjoy fat salaries and massive perks and perquisites while amassing filthy wealth through the use or misuse of their authorities and usurpation of state resources through legal and illegal means at their disposal. These hardships are for the unfortunate people of Pakistan who, while providing these monsters with their blood and sweat, are humiliated, tortured, and mercilessly fleeced of their wealth, right to live with dignity and honor, and subjected to the worst forms of slavery in one form or another. As a result, while they enjoy every privilege under the sun, half of school-aged children are unable to attend, more than 40% are stunted, women are reduced to domestic animals, millions are jobless, the death rate is among the highest in the world and the the region, and yet all elements of power, whether politicians, civil or military bureaucracy, parliamentarians, or the judiciary, are fighting tooth and nail to seize as much kinetic power as possible. Despite the dire financial and economic situation, bureaucrats succeeded in squeezing executive allowances one and a half times of their basic salaries, while judges succeeded in getting exorbitant salary raise even though their monthly salaries are invariably more than one million rupees, not to mention their perks and perquisites, which are in the millions. They argue that it is difficult for them to run their kitchen due to hyperinflation and price hike and that in order to make ends meet, they desperately need salary increases. But how long this looting and plunder will last is anyone’s guess. In the current extreme political polarization, the people of Pakistan will be the ultimate losers, while all rulers will walk away with even more booty than they could in normal times.

Given the country’s worst political polarization and economic and financial hardships, our political parties have shown no signs of slowing down their rhetoric and pledging to annihilate each other. Each of them refers to the opposition party’s leaders as fascists and their party as a fascist party. In almost every public speech, press conference, or media interview, Maryam Nawaz refers to Imran Khan as a fascist leader and a fitna, and expresses her desire to completely demolish both Imran and his party. Mr. Sanahullah, who is also our interior minister, is the custodian of law and order in the country and is obligated to treat every political party or its leader on an equal footing, vowing to eliminate and exterminate Imran Khan to whom he affectionately called fitnah and fascist from the country’s politics. Recently, Mr. Ehsan Iqbal, who, unlike all other Muslim League leaders, seemed to have little bit of sanity left in him joined the bandwagon and labeled Imran Khan a dangerous phenomenon, a fascist leader who poses an imminent threat to the country and must be eliminated and uprooted as soon as possible. The game of blaming does not end here. At one point or another, all political parties, certain members of the judiciary, and the media have labeled the establishment or the deep state as fascist, claiming that it is using brute state kinetic power to abduct, arrest, torture, humiliate, and harrass all those it deems appropriate, whether politicians, judges, media persons, political activists, businessmen, or any other person or institution that they perceive as a threat to their vested interests. But who, in reality, is a fascist? It is Maryam who does not hold any government portfolio but wields all state power and has elevated herself above all state institutions. Is it Imran Khan who is attempting to save his dear life from perceived threats to life, having been named in over 90 FIRs and expected to appear in courts of different parts of the country at the same time, or is his party Fascist who allegedly, is fighting tooth and nail to protect their leader from threats to his life posed by the government and state institutions?

The term “fascist” is a highly charged and politically loaded term, and its definition varies depending on the context and speaker’s perspective. Fascism is a far-right political ideology that is distinguished by authoritarianism, nationalism, and totalitarianism. Fascists believe in the supremacy of the state over the individual and frequently use violence and propaganda to achieve their objectives. Fascism as a political system appeared in Europe in the early twentieth century, characterized by a centralized government, a dictator, and a corporate economy. Fascists emphasize extreme nationalism and frequently use the military force and suppress individual liberties for the greater good. Fascists frequently rely on fear and propaganda to gain support and oppose democracy, liberalism, and other forms of pluralism. It emphasizes hierarchy, order, and discipline and believes that society should be organized around a strong leader with the authority to make decisions on the people’s behalf. Benito Mussolini, the Italian fascist leader who ruled as Prime Minister from 1922 to 1943, Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party in Germany, who ruled as Chancellor and then as dictator from 1933 until his death in 1945, Francisco Franco, the leader of the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War, who ruled Spain as a fascist dictatorship from 1939 until his death in 1975, National Front in France, a far-right political party founded in 1972 that espouses nationalist and anti-immigrant views are the few examples of fascists parties and leaders.

Fascist movements often have charismatic leaders who are able to mobilize large numbers of supporters through their rhetoric, charisma, and propaganda whereas Fascist governments are characterized by highly centralized and authoritarian, with power concentrated in the hands of a single leader who uses force, propaganda, and intimidation to maintain their grip on power. They may use surveillance, censorship, and indoctrination to maintain social control and suppress dissent, reject democratic principles and values, such as individual rights, free speech, and the rule of law and suppress opposition parties and restrict freedom of the press.

According to the definitions and explanations, the majority of our political parties and civilian leaders except by sheer dint of definition, TLP and Jamat Islami being far right parties fall under this definition whereas as all other leaders have streaks of fascism in their makeup, behavior or acts. In our system, the military establishment is an important part of national discourse which however, by virtue of its DNA is authoritarian, totalitarian and autocratic and therefore the constitution exclusively assigned it the role of defense of the motherland against foreign aggression. Its training and education is meant to control, guide and lead a disciplined force which are modeled to accept and obey orders of their command without asking questions or showing any hesitation. Moreover, military bureaucracy operates under military law and is subject to different standards of conduct and discipline than civilian officials. That is why the military disciplines are strictly forbidden to involve in civilian affairs. Once however, the military, willingly or unwillingly, is dragged into civilian affairs it acts as per their DNA, expect all civilian disciplines to obey their command and in doing so set aside democratic values, human rights and civilian liberties and act like a fascist force which should not be a surprise. One should only be naive to expect any other behavior other than this. Throughout my 30 years of service and having the opportunity to work closely with many ministers, prime ministers, and two Presidents, invariably each one of them at times complained about their helplessness in making sometimes minor and most of the time major decisions in every sector of statehood. It is widely assumed, rightly or wrongly, that the civilian leadership, both political and bureaucratic, is subservient to the deep state, which enjoys total hegemony as the final and ultimate force to approve or disapprove the civilian leadership’s decisions or impose them on them certain decisions, armed twist them to own them, accept the responsibility for their failure whereas it things goes right give credit to the establishment. The most recent example of vetoing civilian government’s decision was witnessed when former Army Chief Qamar Javaid Bajwa, disregarding stated national policy, condemned Russian evasion with total impunity in one of his speeches.

Even now the helplessness and powerlessness of the government and the political leaders is manifested in their different speeches and statements. Ministers in the cabinets in their various speeches and statements have been bickering openly that their hands are tied to take any major decision. Imran Khan refuses to talk to politicians of the country but is willing to talk with the new army chief to discuss wayforward for holding the next general election as according to him it is where decisions are made while terming the government as a stooge. Maryam Nawaz who by virtue of her own merit and also being a daughter of the PML(N) supremo, although is enjoying full powers but still is demanding the establishment in her various speeches to create a level playing field for everyone and only then would she give her consent for holding early general elections. This reflects where it is perceived rests the power base in the country.

During our informal talks with colleagues, journalists and politicians, we always discussed the difference between civilian and military bureaucracy. A civilian bureaucrat is vulnerable for arm twisting both by the politicians and establishment, while the military bureaucracy remains out of the purview of the civilian government. Each civil servant needs clearance from the agencies specially ISI for every posting and every promotion and they can be removed or installed in any posting by the government without even having the right to protest or agitate. On the other hand, the army is over and above any law of the land. They are governed by Army Act 1958 which makes them immune from any government influence. They themselves are responsible for reward and punishment without any say of the civilian government in their posting or transfer or promotion. None of the civilian departments is involved in vetting of their credentials or qualification and therefore they are totally out of government control except in the case of appointment of armed forces chiefs.

The prime responsibility of Pakistan’s government and leaders is to lead the people and country out of its current quagmire, but the million dollar question is how. The solution is to adopt universal values such as operating within the framework of the law, upholding the principles of fairness and justice, and ensuring that laws are applied fairly and consistently to all citizens, regardless of background or social status. Protect its citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms, such as freedom of expression, religion, and assembly, and

the right to a fair trial, privacy, and due process. It should be transparent and open in its operations, open to criticism and feedback from the public, and responsive to the needs and concerns of its people. They should also ensure that elections are free and fair, that citizens have equal access to the political process, and that election results are respected. They must respect the diversity of their citizens, work to promote inclusivity and equality, be sensitive to the needs and concerns of various groups, and work to ensure that all citizens can participate fully in society.

Of course, democracy is not a perfect system, and democratic government takes many forms. However, it is frequently viewed as the polar opposite of fascism because it promotes values such as individual freedom, equality, and tolerance, which are opposed to fascism’s authoritarian, nationalist, and anti-democratic values. Are our politicians prepared to usher in true democracy in our country?

Perhaps now is the time for politicians to seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by the army’s pledge to stay out of politics. They should play politics within universally accepted principles, treat each other with respect and civility, even if they disagree on policy or ideology, as this is necessary for the functioning of a democratic system as well as healthy debate and the exchange of ideas. They must respect the rule of law, refrain from illegal or unethical behavior, engage in civil discourse, avoid personal attacks or character assassination, and present their arguments in a respectful and constructive manner. They should compete fairly and openly, collaborate and cooperate when it is in the best interests of the country, and work together to address common challenges and find solutions to complex problems. They should respect election results, accept people’s will and refrain from undermining the legitimacy of the electoral process.. Fascism is not a solution, but rather a part of the problem; democracy, while not perfect, is the only solution.

The writer is the Former Press Secretary to the President

Former Press Minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France