Pakistan is on the verge of a revolutionary transition where everything requires drastic overhauling; the entire system of more than 50 years has become stale and rotten. Many institutions have become outdated and irrelevant. If we see through the lens of this ever-changing, ever-evolving world, our strategies for educational reforms, health sector improvement, gender equality, and online safety have proven to be obsolete. For a small exercise, let’s investigate how many scientists or scientific inventions the Ministry of Science and Technology has made during the last 10-15 years. After Dr Abdus Salam’s Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979, there has been only one scientific software invention in 1985 named BRAIN, by Basit and Amjad Alvi in Lahore in 1986.

There are 284 universities which are affiliated with HEC, and out of 284, only 18 universities have QS World University Rankings because only 1% of our GDP is being spent on the education sector. The reasons remain the same: corruption, lower faculty salaries, below-standard infrastructure, outdated curriculum, and last but not least, political instability. According to JCI (Joint Commission International) and WHO, only 3 hospitals in Pakistan have been accredited; the rest remain far below international standards because of underfunding, urban-rural gaps, workforce issues and quality and safety systems.

While Pakistan has made some progress on education despite nearly two decades of conflict, structural weaknesses persist and create space for radical messaging.

While Pakistan has made some progress on education despite nearly two decades of conflict, structural weaknesses persist and create space for radical messaging.

There has been legislation and popular slogans, but the implementation ratio has been very low. If we look at gender issues, children’s rights, energy crises, water, and sanitation issues, the situation is alarming.

But the biggest among all is terrorism and weaponised information. International journalists often ask why Pakistan imposes restrictions on media, particularly independent voices and digital platforms. The answer lies in the country’s prolonged exposure to terrorism and its unique geography. Pakistan has faced sustained militant campaigns for decades and is currently fighting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated groups operating with sanctuaries in Afghanistan, while simultaneously confronting the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other insurgent networks.

The human cost remains severe. According to........

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