Vision 21

A Company Registered under Section 42 of Companies Ordinance 1984. Corporate Universal Identification No. 0073421

Vision 21 is Pakistan based non-profit, non- partisan Socio-Political organisation. We work through research and advocacy. Our Focus is on Poverty and Misery Alleviation, Rights Awareness, Human Dignity, Women empowerment and Justice as a right and obligation.

We act and work side by side with the deprived and have-nots.

We invite you to join us in this mission. We welcome your help. We welcome your comments and suggestions. If you are interested in writing on Awaam, please contact us at: awaam@thevision21.org

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58 per cent children in the country cannot read a sentence in Urdu: Report

58 percent of the school going children, according to the report below, cannot read a sentence in Urdu. This simple fact has the most unfortunate implication for the future of the generations to come and for the future of this country. Only if the significance of it is realized.

Ikram Junaidi |
Dawn

As many as 58 per cent children in the country cannot read a sentence in Urdu or in their regional language. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: As many as 58 per cent children in the country cannot read a sentence in Urdu or in their regional language while 75 per cent are unable to read a sentence in English.

This was revealed in a survey report launched by South Asia Forum for Education Development managed by Idara Taleem-o-Aagahi in collaboration with the Foundation Open Society Institute, Department for International Development, National Commission for Human Development and Oxfam here on Thursday.

Maya Khan Aunty Brigade – Stay out of our parks

Cross Post from TeethMaestro

Subah Saveera with Maya Khan on Samaa TV actually chases people sitting in a park and asks them why are they sitting there. Firstly I believe it is NOT illegal for two people to sit [date] in a park, and secondly it was shocking to see the host and other women running and chasing after individuals sitting in the park to an extent of trying to trap them.

Waiting to receive pieces of daughter’s dead body

Shakeel Anjum
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

She was bitterly crying on phone begging for her life in the captivity, as she had seen her 16-year-old brother on a CD being slaughtered by kidnappers and pieces of his dead body were sent to her father by them some six years back.

Why are we corrupt?

 by Dr. Farrukh Saleem

The eleventh president of the Islami Jamhooria Pakistan is accused of having accumulated billions of dollars beyond his known sources of income. Down the food chain, our milkmen routinely adulterate their supplies with detergents, urea, boric acid, starch, hypochlorite and salts.

Are you a complete human being or merely a vote

By Dr. Khalil Ahmad
This MonoBlogue discusses the attitude of politicians towards the citizens and finds that they treat the citizens merely as vote, or voters, not as complete human beings. The MonoBlogue tries to bring home the point that no political party or a politician ever talks of the Fundamental Rights ensured in the Constitution, and there is no mention of these rights in their manifestos / programs either. The MonoBloguer exhorts the citizens to pressure the politicians to focus on the Fundamental Rights first, i.e. the bigger issues first, and then minor, though important, problems will get solved logically and gradually.

‘Failure’ was a word unknown to him

Ayesha Jalal

Mohammad Ali Jinnah envisaged Pakistan as a modern democratic state. Threatened by a deadly insurgency in the northwestern tribal areas linked to the American-led war in Afghanistan, and rent by conflict between and within the elected and non-elected institutions, Pakistan today could not be further away from its founder’s vision.

The disregard shown to the rule of law by successive governments, military and civil, is an unconscionable blot on the legacy of the great constitutionalist lawyer, whose memory is invoked with ritualistic fervour.

The 14 Biggest Lies of 2011

The big fibs that defined our year.

BY DAVID J. ROTHKOPF | DECEMBER 16, 2011

I live in Washington where lying is an art form. Actually, that suggests an artist’s intent and here in D.C., lying is more reflexive, like breathing or taking cash from fat cats.

But when you live in a place like this — if you can call it living — where somehow we have managed to train moral mice to produce the shit of bulls, you really get an appreciation for a fine lie. Some stand out for their subtlety — they almost feel true. (President Obama wants to get special interests out of American politics.) Some are noteworthy because of their audacity (Newt Gingrich brought down communism.) Some capture our attention because of the ability of their authors to deliver them with a straight face (Mitt Romney says he has deeply held political convictions).

History lessons from Karbala

By Hassan Abbas

The idea of defiance against tyranny and oppression owes a great deal to Hussain ibne Ali, the hero of the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. With just 72 valiant followers and family members, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad faced the military might of the Muslim empire ruled then by a despot, Yazid bin Mu‘awiya. Hussain refused to sanctify Yazid’s reign through baya’a (allegiance) and consequently, he and his small contingent were martyred in the most brutal of fashions. The accompanying women and children were imprisoned for months in the dark alleys of Damascus.

Veenagate – my thoughts- By Faisal Kapadia

PTH

A freelance columnist, Faisal Kapadia lives in Karachi, writes on everything and social media and misses the time when we could tell the good guys from the bad by the color of their light sabers. He tweets with the same name and sometimes answers emails at faiskap666@gmail.com

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I cant fault veena malik for “what” she has done to her life, If you think about it the only thing she has been known for so far is to pull off one stunt after another. She has been bold when she trashed her ex Asif, she has been provocative in big brother the reality show in India and after that she has been trying on different persona’s in tv shows fighting muftis and even spitting venom at fellow actresses all to stay in the public eye.What i have a real problem with is “how” she does it

STATE AND RELIGION IN PAKISTAN

PTH

By Shahnaz Khan

Will separation of state and religion contradict the spirit of the creation of Pakistan?  Does this division threaten Islam? Should the state regulate the religious beliefs and activities of ALL Muslims?  These questions are being hotly debated in Pakistan, with the primary focus on either the two nation theory or the vision of Jinnah.  It, perhaps, may be more productive to review historical data and some fundamental principles of Islam in resolving these issues. After all this controversy is neither unique to Pakistan or Islam.  It will also be helpful to define a secular state:  A state which is not hostile to religion but is neutral to the religious preference of its citizens.

Message to Americans

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Message-to-Americans.html?soid=1102973772540&aid=8vtB00b7TdY.

The women of Karbala

TRADITIONAL Muslim set-ups place many restrictions on women. They cannot even venture out of their homes; most are required to restrict themselves to performing household chores only. Few Muslim women take up public roles; fewer still participate in outdoor events.