The Financial Daily

Masooma-e-Sindh (SA) Shrine construction nears completion after legal, administrative hurdles

Webmaster — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 21:25:06 +0000

AGHAM KOT: The construction of the shrine complex of Masooma-e-Sindh, Syeda Khadija Maham, daughter of Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.), is progressing rapidly and has reached near its final stages after passing through a series of administrative and legal proceedings, according to a statement issued by the Zaireen Khidmat Committee, Agham Kot, Sindh.
Giving details of the project’s history, the committee said that the Sindh Auqaf Department, through Notification No. 543 dated April 7, 2021, took under its administrative control the shrine along with 74 acres and 24 ghuntas of land at Agham Kot. The step was taken following sustained efforts and applications submitted by Zaireen Khidmat Committee leaders Mukhtiar Ahmed Soomro and Zawar Abdul Sattar Dars.
Subsequently, efforts were intensified to translate the proposed development of the shrine into a formal construction project. Zaireen Khidmat Committee representatives Syed Manzar Naqvi, Zawar Abdul Sattar Dars, Mubasher Mir and Niaz Hussain Laghari remained in continuous contact with officials of the Sindh Auqaf Department through meetings, representations and formal requests.
As a result of these efforts, then Sindh Secretary Auqaf Munawar Ali Mahesar moved forward the approval process for the construction project in early 2024. The foundation stone of the shrine complex was formally laid on February 28, 2024, marking the commencement of construction work.
However, some time after construction activities began, certain local individuals filed Constitutional

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Family seeks impartial probe into newborn’s death at JPMC

Webmaster — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:58:48 +0000

Imran Zakir

KARACHI: The family of a 23-year-old woman, Misbah Hamza, has demanded an independent and impartial inquiry into the death of her newborn at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), alleging medical negligence and mistreatment by hospital staff.
The demand was made at a press conference attended by Human Rights Council of Pakistan (HRCP) General Secretary Ayaz Mughal, Soch Aurat Sindh President Javeria, HRCP Sindh legal adviser Advocate Kamran and members of the affected family.
According to medical documents shared with the HRCP, Ms Hamza was admitted to JPMC’s gynaecology department in an emergency condition on Sept 11. The records mention placenta previa, high blood pressure, a surgical procedure, a complicated delivery and hysterectomy.
The newborn’s death certificate cites Grade III hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), abruptio placenta and cardiopulmonary arrest as causes of death.
The family alleged that despite repeated complaints about the patient’s deteriorating condition and blood pressure reportedly exceeding 200, timely medical attention was not provided, after which she allegedly suffered a stroke. It further alleged that the patient and her attendants were mistreated and subjected to coercion and violence before being expelled from the hospital.
Mr Mughal said such incidents could not simply be dismissed as medical complications, but stressed that no doctor or health worker should be held responsible without a transparent investigation based on complete medical records and expert opinion.
He also said any violence or harassment against doctors, nurses and other health workers was unacceptable and should be dealt with according to law if established.
The family demanded that the Sindh government and health department constitute an independent inquiry board comprising a gynaecologist, neonatologist, neurologist and medico-legal experts. It also called for immediate preservation of operation notes, nursing charts, blood-pressure records, medication details, laboratory reports, CCTV footage and complete NICU records.
The inquiry, it said, should determine whether diagnosis and treatment were provided in accordance with established protocols after the onset of severe hypertension and neurological symptoms.
The JPMC spokesperson, Dr Waqas, was contacted repeatedly for the hospital’s version but did not respond to queries.

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World Maritime Day: Celebrated or Observed?

Webmaster — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:54:57 +0000

World Maritime Day was marked yesterday, September 24. The speeches have been delivered, the statements issued, and the phrase “blue economy” has once again featured in official remarks. Now that the banners are down and the ceremonies over, it is worth asking a harder question: did Pakistan celebrate the day, or merely observe it?

The distinction matters. To observe a day is to acknowledge it: a seminar, a press release, a photograph beside a banner. To celebrate it is to give it substance through policies that change how a nation treats its seas, investments that create livelihoods, and education that prepares the next generation to work with the ocean rather than simply look at it.

A Maritime Nation in Waiting

Pakistan’s geography is generous. The country has a coastline of roughly 1,000 km along the Arabian Sea and an Exclusive Economic Zone of about 240,000 square km, enlarged further by the extended continental shelf recognized in 2015. The vast majority of Pakistan’s trade by volume moves by sea through Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar. Millions of people, from fishing communities in Sindh and Balochistan to dock workers, seafarers and shipping agents, depend on the coast for their livelihoods. Yet the sea contributes far less to national prosperity than it could. Fisheries remain dominated by small-scale, low-value harvests, with limited cold-chain infrastructure and weak value addition. Much of Pakistan’s cargo travels on foreign-flagged vessels, and the national fleet is small. Mangroves in the Indus Delta, which shield the coast and nurture marine life, have suffered decades of degradation. Untreated municipal and industrial waste continues to flow into coastal waters. These are symptoms of a country that speaks of its maritime potential more often than it acts on it.

What the blue economy actually demands?

The blue economy is not a slogan. It means the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, better livelihoods and healthy marine ecosystems. It spans fisheries and aquaculture, shipping and ports, shipbuilding and repair, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, offshore energy and coastal protection. Done well, it creates jobs without exhausting the resources on which it depends. For Pakistan, real celebration begins with policy. A coherent national blue economy framework, with clear targets, defined institutional roles and measurable timelines, is essential. Maritime governance is spread across federal and provincial bodies, and coordination has too often been the weakest link. Laws on marine pollution, fisheries management and port operations must be modernized and, above all, enforced. Policy that exists only on paper is not policy; it is decoration.

Investment that Reaches the Coast

Policy sets the direction, but capital moves the boat. The test of any blue economy strategy is simple: does investment reach the fisherman at the jetty, the woman sorting the catch, the young graduate seeking a maritime career? Too often, funding is announced at the level of ports and headline projects while the coastal village remains unchanged. The starting point is value. A large share of Pakistan’s fish catch loses worth between the boat and the buyer because of inadequate landing facilities, ice, cold storage and transport. Modern fish harbors, hygienic auction halls, processing units and a reliable cold chain would cut post-harvest losses, raise export quality and put more income directly in fishing households. Meeting international food safety standards would open higher-value markets that are currently out of reach.

Sustainable aquaculture deserves equal attention. Well-regulated cage farming, shrimp and mud crab culture and seaweed cultivation can add to coastal incomes while easing pressure on overfished stocks, particularly for communities that have few other options. In parallel, restoring mangroves is not charity but infrastructure: they protect the coast from storms, sustain fish nurseries and can open the door to blue carbon financing. Shipping and ports also need a longer horizon. Greater port efficiency, expanded ship repair and shipbuilding capacity, and a stronger national merchant fleet would reduce the outflow of foreign exchange on freight and keep more value at home. Responsible coastal tourism can complement this, provided it is planned with the community and protects the beaches and ecosystems on which it depends. None of this will happen through public budgets alone. Pakistan should look seriously at public-private partnerships, blended finance and the growing family of blue bonds and green financing instruments, which countries such as Seychelles have already used to fund marine conservation and sustainable fisheries. Small loans, insurance and technical training for fishing communities matter just as much as large transactions. Investors, in turn, need predictability: transparent licensing, secure tenure, one-window facilitation and consistent rules across federal and provincial authorities. Capital follows confidence, and confidence follows clarity.

Blue Education: the Overlooked Foundation

No maritime strategy will succeed without people trained to carry it out. Pakistan needs more marine scientists, oceanographers, naval architects, port managers, maritime lawyers and skilled seafarers. Institutions such as the Pakistan Marine Academy and university marine science departments deserve stronger funding, updated curricula and closer links with industry. Global demand for trained seafarers is substantial, and Pakistan could turn it into dependable employment and remittances. Education must also begin much earlier. A child in Lahore or Peshawar may never see the sea, yet the sea shapes the price of the food on her table and the fuel in her family’s vehicle. Introducing ocean literacy into school curricula would nurture a generation that understands why coastal ecosystems matter and why marine protection is a national interest, not merely a coastal concern.

Awareness and Accountability

Awareness is the third pillar. Beach clean-ups, mangrove plantation drives, campaigns against plastic pollution and training for fishermen in sustainable practices all help, but they are most effective when it has continuity rather than confined to a single date in September, Media, universities and civil society must keep maritime issues in public conversation throughout the year. Accountability completes the picture. If World Maritime Day is to mean anything, each year should be measured against the last. How many mangroves were restored? How many young Pakistanis were trained for maritime careers? How much investment reached coastal communities? What progress was made on pollution control and safer shipping?

Time to think

With the day now behind us, this is the right moment for reflection. Observing World Maritime Day costs little. Celebrating it costs more: political will, sustained funding and patience. But the returns, in jobs, food security, trade competitiveness and environmental resilience, are far greater. The experience of maritime nations shows that a blue economy is built neither by a single project nor a single year. It grows from steady coordination between institutions, from communities treated as partners rather than beneficiaries, and from the discipline to protect the ocean’s health while drawing prosperity from it. An ocean that is degraded cannot sustain an economy; an economy that ignores its ocean will not last. Prosperity and ownership are not competing goals but the same goal, viewed across time.

Pakistan lives beside a sea that carries trade, food and opportunity, yet we have too often admired it from the shore instead of building on it. The true measure of a maritime nation is not how well it speaks on one day in September, but how steadily it works on the other 364. The question before us is simple will World Maritime Day continue to be observed, or will it finally be celebrated? A day is observed when it is marked with speeches and ceremonies. It is celebrated when its promise can be seen in the lives of people may be if fishing families earn a fair income, when ports competing with the best in the region, when young Pakistanis training for careers at sea, and an ocean protected for future generations. Let next year’s World Maritime Day be judged not by the speeches given in halls, but by the change visible in our harbors, coastal villages and classrooms. The tide waits for no one, but it rewards those who are ready. Pakistan has the coast, the people and the potential. What remains is the will to act.

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Trump’s UN address puts Cuba, Iran at centre of global attention

Webmaster — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:50:15 +0000

KARACHI: US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to deliver a forceful message on America’s global priorities, directing particularly tough remarks at Cuba and Iran while presenting Washington as prepared for diplomacy but equally willing to use its power to protect American interests.
Trump’s comments on Cuba triggered one of the most visible moments of protest during the session as the Cuban delegation walked out of the General Assembly hall in response to his remarks.
The US president sharply criticised the Cuban government and described the country as a failed state, while speaking of political change and a different future for the Cuban people. His remarks reflected Washington’s continuing confrontation with Havana despite indications that diplomatic contacts remain possible.
The walkout underlined the deep divisions between Washington and Havana, whose relations have remained strained for decades over US sanctions, Cuba’s political system, human rights and broader ideological differences.
Trump’s address, however, carried even greater significance in relation to Iran, where the stakes extend well beyond bilateral relations and involve the security of the entire Middle East.
The US president combined the possibility of negotiations and a future settlement with strong warnings over Tehran’s nuclear and regional policies. His remarks again raised the crucial question of whether Washington’s ultimate objective is to reach a negotiated agreement with Iran or maintain the option of further military confrontation if diplomacy fails.
Trump indicated that Iran could have an opportunity for reconstruction, economic development and prosperity if an agreement could be achieved. At the same time, he made clear that Washington remained prepared to respond forcefully if Tehran refused to meet American demands.
The contrasting messages – an opening for negotiations alongside warnings of potentially devastating consequences – highlighted the delicate stage of relations between the two countries.
Iran’s nuclear programme remains at the heart of the dispute. Washington and its allies have demanded verifiable assurances regarding Tehran’s nuclear activities, while Iran has repeatedly maintained that its nuclear programme serves peaceful purposes and has called for an end to US sanctions and pressure.
The wider implications of any renewed confrontation are considerable. An escalation involving Iran could affect Gulf security, international shipping routes, global energy supplies and oil prices, while also creating serious consequences for neighbouring states.
For Pakistan, stability between Iran and the United States carries particular importance. Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and has repeatedly supported diplomatic engagement and regional stability. Any major conflict involving Tehran could create security and economic challenges across the region and place additional pressure on countries already facing the consequences of prolonged instability in the Middle East.
Trump has repeatedly presented his foreign policy as one based on achieving peace through American strength. His UN address reflected that approach, combining calls for settlements with warnings that the United States would not hesitate to defend its interests.
The address nevertheless highlighted the challenge facing Washington: converting pressure into sustainable diplomatic outcomes.
The United Nations, established in the aftermath of the Second World War, remains the principal international forum where adversaries can confront their differences through dialogue rather than armed conflict. The Cuban delegation’s walkout demonstrated how quickly diplomatic exchanges can turn into open confrontation when rhetoric becomes particularly sharp.
Attention will now focus on whether the tough language heard at the General Assembly is followed by intensified diplomacy, particularly between Washington and Tehran.
With the Middle East already carrying the burden of years of conflict and instability, another major confrontation involving Iran could have consequences far beyond the region.
Trump’s UN appearance therefore delivered two messages simultaneously: America remains prepared to negotiate, but it is also prepared to exert substantial pressure if negotiations fail.
The critical question following his address is whether diplomacy will ultimately prevail over confrontation – particularly in dealing with Iran, where the difference between the two could determine not only the future of US-Iran relations but also the stability of the wider Middle East.

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Pakistan’s exports rise 9.2% as manufacturing activity gains momentum

Webmaster — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:47:41 +0000

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has released economic data.
According to the Ministry, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth stood at 3.7 percent, and per capita income rose to $1,900.
State Bank foreign exchange reserves reached $21.4 billion, while remittances totaling $7.3 billion were recorded during July and August.
Large-scale manufacturing registered a 3 percent year-on-year increase. Production and export sectors have regained momentum. Three percent year-on-year growth recorded in Large-Scale Manufacturing.
Manufacturing output rose by 9.5 percent compared to June. Merchandise exports stood at $5.4 billion during July-August. Total exports of goods and services reached $7.3 billion.
Exports increased by 9.2 percent compared to the previous year. Service exports in the digital economy grew by 29 percent.
ICT exports saw a 17.5 percent year-on-year increase and ICT exports reached $811 million. -NNI

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Tarique Rahman gains by skipping BRICS, but Bangladesh pays the price

Webmaster — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:44:41 +0000

It cannot be said that all those who attended the BRICS summit in Delhi enjoy complete mutual friendship. No state ever enjoys an entirely friendly relationship with another. Relations between states are built on a mixture of problems and friendship. In reality, what states call friendship is a matter of necessity.

Bangladesh needs each of the countries represented at BRICS, to varying degrees. For instance, Bangladesh currently needs substantial financial assistance from China. Although Bangladesh’s prime minister used an NGO conference as the occasion to undertake a long train journey and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, China has yet to translate its promises of financial assistance into any concrete commitment on paper. Bangladesh needs to pursue the matter repeatedly with China. Since a shortage of funds has forced Bangladesh to hold back the pace of development, there is nothing to conceal about this, either at home or abroad. Yet securing an audience with China’s president, or even its senior officials, is by no means easy for the head or senior representatives of Bangladesh’s present government, which is weak and not genuinely representative of the people.

It therefore cannot be said that, had Bangladesh’s prime minister attended BRICS, he would necessarily have met the Chinese president or secured time for a meeting. At the G20 summit in Delhi, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak came over to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, knelt beside her chair and spoke to her with a son’s respectful demeanour. Yet even a prime minister as well known as Sheikh Hasina could obtain no time with the American president beyond taking a selfie and exchanging a few words as their paths crossed.

Others in Sheikh Hasina’s delegation, however, did speak with important figures accompanying the American president, and the people of Bangladesh soon saw evidence of that. A few days later, Sheikh Hasina went to Washington and held a lengthy meeting with Jake Sullivan.

Judging by Xi’s schedule at BRICS, there may have been little prospect of a separate selfie opportunity for Bangladesh’s current prime minister. But senior members of the Bangladesh government would have had an opportunity to speak with other important Chinese figures.

We have seen Tarique Rahman playing cricket on a day of hartal. How well he sings, however, I do not know. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, on the other hand, enlivened the gathering at BRICS with a Kishore Kumar song. There would therefore have been an opportunity to join Anwar Ibrahim in song, and perhaps a meeting could have taken place as well. After all, only a short while ago, Anwar Ibrahim jokingly called Tarique Rahman his “magician friend” when he welcomed him on Malaysian soil.

A meeting between the prime ministers of Malaysia and Bangladesh was much needed. When thousands of people are losing their jobs every day at home, and one factory or another is closing each day, even if some of these unfortunate unemployed people could find work in Malaysia’s palm plantations to support their families, despite the intense heat, it would be like having the moon placed in their hands. At this moment, even that modest gain would mean a great deal to Bangladesh.

Even when heads of government find themselves in danger, opportunities arise for them to work for their countries. Bangladesh’s former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, faced an aviation emergency on her way to Hungary. As a result, her aircraft made an emergency landing in Azerbaijan, and she was escorted off the plane. Azerbaijan’s head of government and several ministers welcomed her and spoke with her for more than an hour in the airport lounge. It later emerged that, as a result of their conversation with Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals gained an opportunity to enter that country’s market.

Bangladesh’s exports are currently declining. Its markets are contracting. Any state may face such a situation from time to time. Declining exports do not mean that exports will decline forever. Contracting markets do not mean that new markets cannot be found. Just as Sheikh Hasina sought a market for her country’s pharmaceutical exports in Azerbaijan even while caught in an emergency, had Tarique Rahman attended BRICS, South African leaders would surely have met someone representing the Bangladesh government, or Tarique Rahman himself. Perhaps a high-level meeting with a South African leader could also have taken place on the sidelines. And it is certainly true that Africa is the next destination for the world economy. Introducing a new product into any African market, or securing a somewhat larger market for an existing product, therefore means gradually expanding across that continent.

Even meeting and speaking with Iran’s leaders would have been important. Nothing in politics or diplomacy is permanent. Iran may be under American sanctions today, but that does not mean those sanctions will remain tomorrow. The possibility of an American president visiting Tehran tomorrow is by no means unthinkable. The same applies to Russia. And both Iran and Russia are energy-exporting countries. Whether at a low price or a high one, Bangladesh will have to import energy. It would be wrong to take a fixed view of these countries’ future political and diplomatic standing solely on the basis of the present. Tarique Rahman, of all people, should understand this truth. Could he have imagined, three years ago, the support he has received and continues to receive from India in this phase of his political career?

By any calculation of practical politics and diplomacy, therefore, the decision to disregard the invitation Bangladesh’s prime minister received to attend the BRICS summit as chair of BIMSTEC is truly difficult to understand and deeply puzzling!

One interpretation is that Tarique Rahman has adopted his present anti-India stance to maintain his anti-India credentials in his rivalry with Jamaat.

This does not seem particularly convincing. A political analyst or journalist may write that Tarique Rahman is competing with Jamaat in Bangladesh. But Tarique Rahman himself knows very well that he still has to compete with the banned Awami League and Sheikh Hasina, who is absent from Bangladesh. And in this contest, Jamaat remains his trusted friend, just as it was before. Someone inexperienced in politics may think that Sheikh Hasina’s political activities from Delhi make it difficult for Tarique Rahman to go there. But Tarique Rahman himself is not as politically inexperienced as they are. He, too, conducted his politics from London for 17 years. In politics and diplomacy, everyone gathers fallen mangoes while the storm is still raging. No one waits for it to pass.

In any event, Tarique Rahman may travel to India on a bilateral visit in the near future. India’s prime minister may also visit Bangladesh at his invitation. He could have arranged this earlier as well. But opportunities to attend summits such as BRICS and the G20 do not come repeatedly to a small country like Bangladesh. Participation in such summits does more than enhance a country’s image; it also creates a range of opportunities, including economic ones. Bangladesh has missed that opportunity.

Even if we accept, then, that Jamaat and Sheikh Hasina were the reasons Tarique Rahman did not attend BRICS, do these arguments really carry enough weight to be accepted in the world of practical politics and diplomacy? A more significant possibility is that Tarique Rahman has some other political and diplomatic calculation in mind. What matters is to identify that calculation.

Whatever the reason for boycotting BRICS, the net result is that, by his own calculations, Tarique Rahman has gained. Bangladesh, however, has lost overall.

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MIRE OF MEMORIES

Webmaster — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:37:30 +0000

From the drawers an album,

Long forgotten and lost,

To discover I was glad,

The recall of events sad.

Removed years of dust,

Gathered layer upon layer,

Just like wrinkles of time,

Ravaged, beauty and shine.

The good times stun,

Of all frolic and fun,

The air is filled of hope,

Memories held by a weak rope.

Pictures clad in colours,

Of shades like sky blue

Now too they seem true,

Each of distinct flavour.

Denuded stands my resolve,

Surrendered is my firmness,

The pride of steadfastness,

In ruins, in tatters, a wreck.

Yield, I did to thy game,

You never ever were same,

Unwilling was me, to play

You weren’t meant to stay.

Flooded is my mind,

Of beauteous moments

Spent upon thy tresses,

Like a serpent coiled.

From thy eyes the dews shed,

Flowing straight into my veins,

Igniting flames of passion,

Untold, unheard, unbelievable.

Will the pictures from the album,

Step out to relive, regain, reposses,

Will the time tunnel open for me,

To sieze, now and forever, thee.

Bloody memory that rains,

Upon the parched lands of ,

The desolate heart,hearken thee,

To step out of the album, and hugs…..

Sirajuddin Aziz

Karachi

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Meezab Group Pakistan Receives Prestigious Mubadir Award in Saudi Arabia

Webmaster — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:14:44 +0000

JEDDAH: Meezab Group Pakistan has earned a prestigious international distinction after being honoured with the Mubadir Awardat a ceremony organised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah at Hyatt Park Hotel in Jeddah.
The ceremony was graced by Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah as the chief guest and brought together selected organisations and personalities associated with Hajj and Umrah services from around the world.
The Mubadir Award was presented in recognition of organisations that have demonstrated outstandingperformance in serving Umrah pilgrims, providing efficient arrangements and facilitating a large number of pilgrims in their journey to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
Meezab Group Pakistan was among the organisations selected for this prestigious honour. Director of Meezab Group Chaudhry Imtiaz-ur-Rehman specially travelled from Lahore to Jeddah to attend the ceremony.
During the event, Chaudhry Imtiaz-ur-Rehman also met Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah. The Saudi minister congratulated him on his recent success in the HOAP elections and expressed the hope that, in his capacity as Chairman of HOAP, he would continue to play an active role in serving Pakistani Hajj pilgrims.
Later, Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, Head of Umrah Affairs at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah**, presented the Mubadir Award shield to Meezab Group in recognition of its outstanding services. The award was jointly received by Meezab Group Director Chaudhry Imtiaz-ur-Rehman and the Group’s Saudi Arabia Coordinator Muhammad Safiullah.
The honour is a source of pride and encouragement for the entire Meezab Group team, whose members regard serving the guests of Allah as both a privilege and a sacred responsibility and continue to perform their duties with dedication.
Expressing gratitude to Almighty Allah for the recognition, Meezab Group prayed:
O Allah, accept our efforts, make us devoted servants of Your guests, bless us in this service, and grant us greater sincerity and trustworthiness.
The Group further prayed for the strength to continue serving pilgrims with sincerity, compassion and integrity and for its efforts to become a source of blessings in this world and the Hereafter.
Meezab Group Pakistan – Serving the Guests of Allah is our honour and privilege. -PR

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ELT: Fake native accent vs. effective communication

Webmaster — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:10:23 +0000

Yesterday, some of my students who had travelled to Britain after years of English-language training, with special focus on developing “Native Accent”, returned with a question that was both tickling and challenging: “Sir, which native accent were Pakistani English teachers talking about?” They had discovered that London did not sound like Manchester, Manchester did not sound like Liverpool, Scottish English sounded different again, and Irish English presented yet another variety. Within the same country, and sometimes even within the same city, they encountered people whose English sounded remarkably different from the model they had spent years trying to imitate. Their innocent question exposed a much larger problem in English Language Teaching culture in South Asia, in general, and Pakistan, in particular; this approach to language teaching and learning has its roots in colonisation of this region and the resultant slavish psyche. Otherwise, many nations proudly and comfortably use English language for global communication with their respective regional accents.

Factually speaking, English is no longer merely the language of England, nor is international English communication confined to conversations between British or American native speakers. English is now used by people from India, Pakistan, China, Singapore, Africa, the Arab world, Europe, Japan, Korea and almost every other part of the globe. A Pakistani may speak English with Pakistani linguistic influence; an Indian may speak Indian English; a Singaporean may speak Singapore English; a Nigerian may speak Nigerian English; a Chinese speaker may speak English influenced by Mandarin. Their accents may reveal something about where they come from, but an accent in itself does not establish whether their English is good or bad, effective or ineffective. The more important question is whether they can communicate clearly while maintaining a neutral accent—one that is not negatively affected by mother-tongue influence.

This is where English-language teaching needs to distinguish between accent and pronunciation. They are related, but they are not the same thing. Pronunciation deserves serious attention because unclear pronunciation can cause confusion, ambiguity, misunderstanding and unnecessary effort for the listener. A learner should certainly be helped to pronounce sounds clearly, place stress appropriately, use rhythm and intonation effectively. But that is fundamentally different from forcing the learner to sound as though he or she was born in London, New York or Sydney.

The central principle should therefore be simple: Do not eliminate accent; eliminate communication barriers. If a Pakistani learner speaks English with a recognisably Pakistani accent but communicates clearly with people from different linguistic backgrounds, why should that accent itself be treated as a defect? If a particular feature of Pakistani pronunciation causes another person to misunderstand a word, then that feature deserves attention. The educational target should be the removal of the communication problem, not the removal of the learner’s linguistic identity.

This distinction is not merely a personal preference. It is firmly connected with an important body of research in second-language pronunciation. John M. Levis of Iowa State University has described two competing approaches as the Nativeness Principle and the Intelligibility Principle. The former treats native-like pronunciation as the ultimate goal, whereas the latter prioritises successful communication. In his 2022 review, Levis argues that the native-pronunciation goal is “unlikely to be achieved and unnecessary for effective communication in the L2.” That observation goes to the heart of the matter. If native-like pronunciation is exceptionally difficult for adult foreign-language learners to achieve and is not necessary for effective communication, why should it consume such a disproportionate amount of their educational time and effort?

The work of Murray Munro and Tracey Derwing has also been highly influential in separating the concepts of foreign accent, comprehensibility and intelligibility. Their research showed that foreign-accented speech can sometimes require greater processing time, but importantly, the degree of perceived accent was not itself a reliable measure of processing difficulty; speech that was less comprehensible tended to require more time to process. In other words, the existence of an accent and the existence of a communication problem are not synonymous. A speaker may sound noticeably foreign and still be easy to understand.

Jennifer Jenkins, another major scholar in English as an International Language, took the argument directly into ELT. In her influential 1998 article in the ELT Journal, she wrote that “the acquisition of a native-like accent is no longer the ultimate objective of the majority of learners” of English as an international language. She pointed out that many learners need English primarily to communicate with other non-native speakers from different linguistic backgrounds. Her later work proposed a pronunciation approach for English as an International Language in which intelligibility among non-native speakers is the primary concern rather than conformity to Received Pronunciation or General American.

As mentioned above, the irony is that even native English speakers themselves do not possess a single universal accent. If they live comfortably with such diversity, why should foreign learners be told that their English is incomplete until they have erased the evidence of their own linguistic background?

There is an even more fundamental question: What exactly does “native speaker” mean in an international language? A Pakistani university professor who has never been to England or USA and has taught English for twenty-five years does not become a British native speaker simply because he has trained himself, with much efforts and repeated copying exercise, to reproduce a British accent. So, to be or t teach somebody to be a fake or mock native speaker is highly unethical and absurd in terms of sacred observes of teaching and learning. Accent imitation can alter pronunciation; it cannot rewrite a person’s linguistic history.

Norm Chomsky’s interview is also relevant here. Asked about the notion of a standard language, he said: “The notion of ‘standard language’ is not a linguistic notion.” He associated the concept instead with “structures of power and authority.” That does not mean that every pronunciation standard is meaningless or that pronunciation should not be taught. It does, however, invite us to ask whether some pronunciation models acquire prestige because they are genuinely necessary for communication or because they have become associated with social status and authority.

This question deserves particular attention in South Asian societies, where English has sometimes become much more than a language. It can become a marker of education, class, employment, social mobility and prestige. Consequently, a British or American accent may sometimes be admired not simply because it facilitates communication but because it is perceived as sophisticated or superior. That is where pronunciation teaching can quietly turn into accent worship. A useful educational exercise can become a social performance: the student is no longer being taught merely to communicate in English but to sound like someone from another society.

The world’s major English proficiency examinations also offer an important reality check. IELTS does not require candidates to sound British or American. Its official Speaking assessment evaluates pronunciation as one of four equally weighted criteria, alongside fluency and coherence, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. IELTS defines pronunciation in terms of producing comprehensible utterances and using pronunciation features to communicate meaning. Its official Band 6 descriptor, for example, says that a candidate can generally be understood throughout without much effort even though individual words or phonemes may sometimes be mispronounced.

Indeed, IELTS itself has addressed the myth directly. An official IELTS article titled “IELTS Speaking Tips: Common myths and how to overcome them” states that candidates do not need a British or American accent and explains that pronunciation includes features such as intonation, sentence stress and individual sounds that help speakers to be clearly understood. Its conclusion is remarkably straightforward: “Any accent is acceptable as long as test takers are intelligible.”

Besides, this raises a serious educational question about the resources devoted to accent training. Students have limited time, limited money and limited energy. Teachers also have limited classroom time. Those hours might instead be used to expand vocabulary, improve grammar, develop listening comprehension, practise spontaneous speech, strengthen academic writing, improve presentation skills, develop critical thinking, learn professional communication and build the confidence required to participate in genuine international conversations.

The issue is therefore not whether pronunciation training is important. It is. The issue is what kind of pronunciation training is educationally justified. If a pronunciation feature repeatedly causes misunderstanding, do teach it. English is an international language and is being taught as an international language, then what does the term “native speaker” have to do with it? The whole global community is using it as a native speaker.

Moreover, research increasingly recognises that listeners adapt to unfamiliar accents. A study involving German, Spanish and Singaporean listeners found that Dutch-accented English was understood as well as standard British and American English in the contexts examined, and the researchers concluded that accent training aimed at achieving an L1 English accent may not always be necessary when learners are expected to interact mainly with other L2 English speakers.

What, then, should the modern ELT classroom aim to produce? Not millions of artificial British or American speakers. It should produce confident, articulate and internationally intelligible users of English. Students should learn pronunciation carefully enough to prevent confusion and misunderstanding, but they should also learn that English can be spoken with many legitimate accents. They should hear different Englishes, communicate with different speakers, develop listening flexibility and learn to accommodate differences in pronunciation.

A Pakistani can speak English and remain Pakistani. His English can be clear, sophisticated, educated, professional and internationally effective without becoming an imitation or a fake copy of another nation’s identity. The purpose of learning an international language should ultimately be to enlarge the learner’s world, not to erase the learner’s identity. English should give people access to knowledge, education, science, literature, employment and international communication. It should enable them to express their ideas and understand the ideas of others.

So perhaps the question we should ask in every ELT classroom is no longer, “Do you sound British?” or “Do you sound American?” The better questions are: “Can we understand you? Can you understand us? Can you express your ideas precisely? Can you participate confidently in an international conversation? Can you communicate without confusion, ambiguity, miscommunication or unnecessary misunderstanding?” If the answer is yes, then the language has achieved its purpose.

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Security of Haram, test for Muslim Ummah

Webmaster — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:07:11 +0000

The Kaaba, Masjid al-Haram, Maqam Ibrahim, and Safa and Marwa are sacred places where the voices of Labbaik, Allahu Akbar, and SubhanAllah can be heard at every moment. For Muslims, these are not merely historical sites but an integral part of their faith and devotion. I have come to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah with my brother Ikhtiar Baig and family, and I am writing this column from Makkah. From the window of my hotel room, I have a breathtaking view of the Holy Kaaba right before my eyes, where people are passionately engaged in performing Tawaf. Yesterday, when Saudi authorities issued a security alert about a drone approaching Makkah, we were performing Tawaf at the time. When news spread that a drone had entered the restricted airspace of Makkah, this news had not slightest effect on the millions of people performing Tawaf. Those who sent the drone may have been under the impression that they would succeed in spreading fear and panic among the millions of pilgrims in Masjid al-Haram, and that the visitors would flee the House of Allah out of fear. However, I felt immense happiness and pride to see that there was not the slightest sign of panic on the faces of those performing Tawaf around the Kaaba. Rather, the pilgrims continued their Tawaf with devotion, and the atmosphere of Masjid al-Haram continued to echo with the voices of Labbaik and SubhanAllah.

Later, Saudi authorities announced that the drone had been destroyed before it could enter the restricted airspace of Makkah. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is currently facing one of the most serious challenges to its national security. One of the greatest setbacks for Saudi Arabia has come from the conduct of its ally, United States, which assured the Houthi group that it would remain stay away from the Saudi-Houthi conflict. In this way, the United States reached an understanding with the Houthis and paved the way for its own shipping routes in the Red Sea. Following the American assurance, the Houthis intensified their drone and missile attacks against Saudi Arabia. Even before the recent drone incident, Houthi attacks had reportedly damaged Saudi oil facilities. The country’s eastern and western oil pipelines were shut down, oil shipments from Yanbu were suspended, and consequently, most shipments bound for Europe were cancelled. Shipping in the Red Sea has remained under continuous attack, while an attack on Khalid Air Base reportedly caused damage to infrastructure. The Houthis have also claimed to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet, although no confirmation of this claim has emerged so far.

The recent drone incident involving Makkah is also being viewed as a test of the Makkah defence agreement between Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia. The threat is no longer confined to Saudi Arabia’s borders; it has now reached the sacred city of Makkah. In such circumstances, the Pakistan Army adopted an unusually firm position, making it clear that Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia and that the Pakistan Army is present to protect the two Holy Mosques. It also expressed the resolve that Pakistan can go to any extent to safeguard the sacred sites. This response is not merely diplomatic language; it reflects the sentiments of the people of Pakistan.

The recent incident has nevertheless raised a fundamental question: the city that Muslims regard as a symbol of peace, worship, and divine mercy should never be exposed even to the shadow of weapons of war. Makkah is the city where millions of Muslims come before their Lord with nothing but empty hands. Here, no one takes pride in worldly power. Kings raise their hands in prayer just as ordinary people do. Rich and poor, Black and white, Arab and non-Arab all stand and prostrate themselves before their Lord as equals. Therefore, any threat towards this sacred city is not merely a matter of one country’s security. It is connected to the emotions, faith, and spiritual attachment of Muslims around the world. No one should be permitted to endanger sacred places or the safety of people engaged in worship as part of any military conflict. This principle applies not only to Muslims; it is also recognized internationally with regard to the sacred places of every religion. For Muslims in Pakistan and around the world, Makkah and Madinah represent a red line that no one should be allowed to cross. And if an enemy ever dares to cross that red line, then millions of Muslims in Pakistan and around the world will set out to protect these sacred places, wearing shrouds instead of ihram. This is part of our faith.

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