Sir: If one wants to solve the problems faced by Pakistan, the first step would be to control the rising illiteracy. According to an analysis conducted by the government of Pakistan and published on the website of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, poverty in our country during the past decade has increased roughly from 30 percent to 40 percent and is progressively inching up because of rising illiteracy. According to another analysis, the illiteracy rate in Pakistan is 50 percent. Illiteracy is the mother of all evils. Child labour, street crimes, terrorism and suicide bombers are products of an ignorant atmosphere that fails to provide for its citizens adequately. A number of studies were conducted when the war on terror began on the reasons for militant tendencies found in FATA. Lack of basic facilities and illiteracy were found to be the underlying reasons for people taking up arms to assuage their resentment toward the government as well as the system that had little to offer in term of necessities. I believe that Pakistan is not a poor country; it is a poorly managed country. MAHJABEEN Karachi