Mirza Abdul Aleem Baig

EDUCATION IS a fundamental human right and a major driver of human and economic development of any country. It not only strengthens personal integrity but also shapes the society in which we live. Every country builds universities and institutes for higher education. The universities have become the engines of progress for knowledge-driven economy in the age of rapid globalization. Higher education requires much more than just building structures and calling them universities and institutes. In Pakistan, the number of universities has increased enormously from summing like two dozens 10 or 15 years ago; there are more than two hundred now. That is commendable but there is a down side of unexpected raise in terms of academic corruption. Although hard to prove, but the academic corruption in Pakistan’s higher education institutions is not only escalating but also the quality of education in the public sector is plummeting and the entire education system is facing institutional decay....

HISTORICALLY, foreign policy can be assumed to have emerged when contacts between the earliest human societies took place. It refers to the actions sovereign states take towards each other. It is significant to note that these actions generally are not taken as ends in themselves but are joined in some way to larger principle from long run aspirations to more immediate aims that national leaders hope to achieve in their dealings with other countries. Sometimes the two terms, foreign policy and diplomacy create confusion. The most appropriate way to distinguish between the two terms is to consider foreign policy as the legislative and diplomacy as the executive phase of the foreign relations of a country. It is believed, foreign policy is an extension of internal or domestic policy and is planned to defend and promote national interests of whom domestic policy is a fundamental part. Often domestic policies have to be made deferential to foreign policy for the reason that without suc...

“The ‘War on Terror’ is one of the most critical national security efforts in our history” – Sue Kelly. In the past few years, it became evident that there exits close connection between ICT and national security, which plays a significant role in securing the necessary level of national safety and defense of the nation. The notion ‘security’ is defined as status of defense of the life-important interests of the personality, the society and the state against internal and external dangers. Whereas, according to Oxford Dictionary, “security is the degree of protection to safeguard a nation, union of nations; person or persons against danger, damage, loss and crime”. Information and communication technology is defined as technology that facilitates communication and the processing and transition of information by electronic means. ICT is an umbrella that involves any communication application or device, such as television, radio, satellite system, cellular phones, computer hardware and s...

“Bringing together communities that traditionally did not collaborate to fight corruption – activists, IT experts and musicians – hit the nerve of a young generation that wants to engage to define their countries future” – Boris Weber The internet, cell phones and associated technologies are deeply affecting social, economic and political institutions worldwide, primarily in new and emerging democracies. Governments all over the world have started resorting to the newly originate information and communication technology (ICT) to establish a citizen-centric, more transparent and more accountable government mechanism. Existing ICT infrastructures together with government’s willingness to implement e-government have already brought success in e-government initiatives across the industrialized world. As a least developed but emerging economy, Pakistan has been struggling to improve its government structure. Spoiled by corruption, political division, inefficient bureaucratic practices...

The origin of the theory of “Good Governance” can be traced back to the Ancient Greek period if we catch the essence of Aristotle’s fundamental statement “the state came into existence for the sake of mere life, but continued for the sake of good life”. If we look into the term “Good Life” we can trace out the components of good governance which we converse in modern times. The political philosophers like Hobbs, Lock and Rousseau also stated the stipulation of the good governance through their social contract theories of the origin of the state. As said by John Lock, governments shall govern as long as they protect the interest of the people or the trust of the people has placed in them. This is how the concept of democracy rule by consent and good governance came into existence in the theory and practice of the governments. The World Bank defines: “Good Governance is epitomized by predictable and enlightened policy making; a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos; an execu...

Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development: Kofi Annan It is not complicated for people in developed countries to envisage a situation in which all interaction with government could be done through one counter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without waiting in lines. Conversely, to achieve this same level of efficiency and flexibility for developing countries is going to be far more complicated. Experience in developed countries confirms that this would be feasible if governments are willing to decentralize responsibilities and processes, and if they start using electronic means. Each citizen could then contact the government through a website where all forms, legislation, news and other information available. The use of electronic means (ICTs) in government procedures facilitates speedy, transparent, accountable, efficient and effective interaction with the public, citizens, business and the other agencies. Good ...