Daily Times

The criterion set forth by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to appoint a professor at a university requires a Ph.D. degree from an HEC-recognized Institution, 15 years of teaching/research experience in an HEC-recognized university, and 15 research publications.

The scholars give their sweat, blood and tears to secure the prestigious title of Professor. However, Pakistan’s politics is so exotic that one, spending less than fifteen years of his/her life in a deluxe prison can claim that he/she could do wonders if he becomes Prime Minister, Minister for Education, Finance, Foreign, Health and Defence etc. does not matter whether he/she has ever seen the university gate or not.

Furthermore, he/she would be considered a seasoned politician, and market value may increase if his/her profile has a seal of Adalia or any other jail in Pakistan.

Pakistanis, being the slaves of Englishmen, feel proud to make carbon copies of their certain spheres of life. Most political elites also like to enjoy their leisure time in the West.

‘If you (people) have any problem with them, then why do you even cast a single ballot in favor of them.’

But they do not copy them when it comes to the competence and professional capabilities of the English political elite serving in a competent and inclusive environment. For instance, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, UK is a graduate of Oxford University where he took a first-class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree while studying economics, politics, and philosophy.

Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury of Global Sherriff – the US ? went on to earn her Ph.D. at Yale University. She was an assistant professor at Harvard until 1976. She is Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley. Our elite has just simple concerns including what they are wearing, how they live their lives, and what and how they eat. In fact, they are far more away than where we are.

The Constitutional script was very much clear on the conduct of general polls after the dissolution of the assembly (by Shehbaz Sharif led-PDM government) but one reputable politician mocked the constitution being silent on the unconstitutional delay in the elections, duly formulated by his father-in-law, claiming that he had studied numerous books on the economy, which enabled him to raise the foreign exchange reserves to $100 billion. Nowadays, he is holding the top constitutional office yet we are expecting to reap the fruits of his profound experience.

If we get so, it would be a wonder and favour for the poor and illiterate people of Pakistan and may be counted as the 8th wonder of the world. Actually, we the people are responsible for these sneering political statements. Once a top official said in a meeting, “If you (people) have any problem with them, then why do you even cast a single ballot in favor of them?”

Meanwhile, a squeezed politician maligned that official to the extent that Pakistan stands forced to witness the Black Day of May 9, 2023.

We lag in terms of political awareness and comprehension and the value of vote to elect our representative. If we still adopt the same course, it will be our destiny to hear and face so-called politicians, populist leaders and a putrid political system.

The writer is a student of Strategic Studies at National Defence University, Islamabad. He tweets @afnanwasif