Centre for Policy Studies

03/01/2023

“Jinnah: The Modifier of World Map and History, the Creator of Islamic State”
CPS, CUI held a seminar titled “Jinnah: The Modifier of World Map and History, the Creator of Islamic State” on December 27th, 2022. Head CPS Dr. Ghulam Shabbir said that creation of Pakistan was the second foremost achievement of Muslims in Islam’s 14 centuries career after the establishment of an Islamic state of Madina. Iqbal dreamt Pakistan for the realization of Islam’s socio-political and economic ideals which Arab imperialism had forestalled. Though astonishingly swift conquests of early Islam expanded the political domain of Islam, still it was on the cost of democratization and economic organization of the community. He said the creation of Pakistan suits to both Muslims and Hindus. Whereas Muslims would able to remove the stamp of Arab imperialism from the Islam this very land would serve as a steel frame against any aggression from the North West corridor for India’s defense. Iqbal single handedly reoriented the apologetic, West-ridden, porcupine posture or at best serving the history of others attitude of Ali-Garh Movement and All India Muslim League with such a vigor and fervor that Islam became a rallying cry of Indian Muslims. His was a genuine restatement of Islam derived from the Quran and Sunna, Sufi metaphysics of Ghazali, Ibn Taimiyya, Sheikh Sirhindi and Shah Wali Allah. The Quixotism’s ridden and stricken community found in Jinnah an idealist-cum-realist leader in whom ideal and real coalesced and he with the core of heart capitalized on and harnessed currents and cross-currents of history with his combination of learning, character and commitment to emerge as an Architect of Pakistan, the Reality. However, the symbiosis of Civil-Military Bureaucracy, Feudalism, Mercantile and Conservative religious elites denied Pakistan its birth-right to become a genuine welfare Islamic state. Prof. Dr. Shehzad Qiasar, NUML high-lighted the organizational structure of Muslim league and an unbending, inflexible, unsellable attitude of Jinnah which won him Pakistan against the troika of British establishment, Hindu Congress and rivals from within. Senior journalist/Anchor-person Azhar Ali Abidi said the be-all-and-an-end-all of Pakistan was to establish a justice based society and present “elite capture” Pakistan is a far cry from what our forefathers envisioned and left indelible signs on the galaxies by achieving this beloved land.

30/06/2022

CPS, COMSATS University Islamabad organized a seminar on June 28th, 2022, titled “Pakistan’s being on the Cusp of South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East: Pearl, Perils and Pitfalls; crisis and Opportunities.” Head CPS Dr. Ghulam Shabbir, in his opening remarks said that Pakistan being the fulcrum of three grand regions has a wide potentials of integrating socio-economic and cultural strengths of these belts, yet as a community we are like those who forget way amidst shifting sand dunes of the desert. Former Naval Chief, Admiral (R) Zafar Mahmood Abbasi said Pakistan has become like a ship adrift amidst the stormy waves of sea. We must resurrect the vision of Iqbal and Jinnah to set the dimension afresh. Senior seasoned politician Syeda Abida Hussain said we have achieved several milestones, yet we need scientific and technological education more advanced and equal to the needs of the time. She said socio-economic disparities and class system is a great hurdle in the way of our progress and prosperity. Head CPS in his closing remarks said the major strength of communities lies in common aspirations, history and cultural values. The geography of Arabian Peninsula was such a valueless entity that the Persia and Byzantine never bothered to conquer them, but when they were united on the ideology of Islam within thirty years of their splendid career, they destroyed the corrupt socio-economic structure of both empires and assumed the wheel of history. Geographies are peaceful abodes of communities, but the recurrent pattern of history suggests when communities forget their history and ideology, their geographies forget them.

14/06/2022

Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), COMSATS University, Islamabad Held a seminar titled “Was Pakistan Means to an End or End Itself? What State Policy Portray?”. Head, CPS Dr. Ghulam Shabbir said Muhammad’s monotheism was organically linked to Humanism i.e. socio-economic Reforms. An essential human egalitarianism based on socio-economic equilibrium was be-all-and-an-end-all of Prophet’s concept of God’s Oneness. With the onset of Dictatorship in Islam this complete monotheism of the Quran and Muhammad (PBUH) get lost for the vested interests of dynastic rule. Even Ghazali, Ibn Taimiyya and Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi despite their great services for Islam missed the point. It was Shah Wali Allah who re-discovered the idea of complete monotheism by delivering a marvelous concept of Irtifaq (Socio-economic security) and Iqtirab (Spiritual evolution). On this premise Iqbal demanded a separate homeland to translate the socio-economic, political and cultural ideals of Islam into reality. Seasoned journalist Hamid Mir displayed a remarkable ingenuity of covering the history of Islam in sub-continent. He said our parliament is full of those who served British interests and are inimical to any genuine reforms in Pakistan. Prof. Dr. Anees Ahmad, Rector, Riphah International University presented a comprehensive and decisive outlook of Iqbal the Dreamer and Jinnah the Architect of Pakistan. We are grateful to our honorable guests and audience without whom it was not an easy feat.

10/06/2022

https://www.facebook.com/HamidMirPakistan/videos/436969411155587

07/06/2022

CPS Seminar of June 9, 2022

14/03/2022

Seminar on
“Iqbal and Jinnah’s Vision of national education and our education policy”
(March 10, 2022)
CPS organized a seminar titled “Iqbal and Jinnah’s Vision of National Education and our Education Policy” on 10th March 2022. The fundamental theme of the program was that Communities’ rise and fall is organically linked to their intellectual foundations i.e. vision of education. Iqbal, The Dreamer of Pakistan, in prose and poetry with sound rationale not only refuted the basis of madrassa education based on dumb heritage of medieval Islam but also termed the secular education system as poison due to its rivalry to transcendentalism and loss of moral values- definite anchoring point for stability, foundation, intention and purpose of a civilization. Jinnah, The Architect of Pakistan, in cognizance of the malaise soon after 16 August 1947 in a social function arranged for the members of Constituent Assembly, said to the educationists, “Now that we have got our own state, it is up to you to establish a viable, productive and sound system of education suited to our needs. It should reflect our history and our national ideals”. Further, the enormity and urgency of the task of education in the minds of the creators of Pakistan could be gauged from the fact that despite the largest migration and the greatest slaughter in known human history – the Pakistan government took a tremendous initiative to summon an Education Conference on 27 November 1947 where the minister of education, Fazlur Rahman stated: “ it is, therefore, a matter of profound satisfaction to me as it must be to you, that we have before us the opportunity of reorienting our entire educational policy to correspond closely with the needs of the times and to reflect the ideals for which Pakistan as an Islamic state stands. This is a great, indeed, a unique opportunity but even greater is the magnitude of the task which it imposes upon us.”
But soon after the early demise of its founder Jinnah and martyrdom of Liaqat Ali Khan this euphoria gives way to a merciless pragmatism on the part of political dispensation and national education policy proved the continuation of Lord Macaulay’s education policy. To address the malaise of educational policy two distinguished scholars of Pakistan Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik, former rector IIUI; and Professor Jalil Aali (Tamgha e Imtyaz), poet, adeeb and distinguished researcher delivered lectures.
Professor Jalil Aali remarked that while Iqbal was Dreamer of Pakistan, Jinnah was the Architect and Pakistan the Reality. Jinnah had categorically proclaimed that Iqbal nourished and developed his mind and he only materialized his vision of separate Muslim Polity. Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik condemned continuation of Macaulay’s education system in Pakistan quoting Iqbal’s verses that it is an acidic solution in which the personalities of the generation are dipped to soften then molded to suited goals. This is such a strong solution that can turn a Himalaya of Gold into a mound of dust.
Head CPS Dr. Ghulam Shabbir said in his closing remarks that remedy of our educational problems lies in an integration of the traditional and the modern education. Quoting George Sarton he said the decline of Greek civilization was that their rational philosophy failed to integrate morality in their political thought and institutions. Islam struck fusion between pure reason and revelation and spread like a prairie fire from Baghdad eastward to India, Transoxonia and further still and in the West to the very edge of the world. Today religion should be employed as a synthetic construct to combine metaphysics and social fact the great achievement of pristine Islam otherwise world stands on the threshold of utter annihilation. At the end head CPS presented souvenirs to honorable guests and thanked the participants for their valuable time.
____________

08/03/2022

CPS Seminar on Iqbal and Jinnah Vision of National Education and our Education Policy
Centre for Policy Studies, COMSATS University Islamabad is arranging a seminar on Iqbal and Jinnah Vision of National Education and our Education Policy on March 10, 2022, at E&CE Department Seminar Hall CUI, Islamabad from 11 Am to 1 Pm.
The Guest speakers include Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik, Former Rector, IIUI, Prof. Jalil Aali and Ms Wajeeha Akram, Parliamentary Secretary.
The Above-mentioned seminar is wide open for CUI Faculty, staff and students.

08/03/2022

CPS is organizing a Seminar on “Iqbal and Jinnah's Vision of national education and our education policy”. (for CUI Faculty, Staff and Students)

Thursday, March 10, 2022
11 am – 12:45 pm
Venue: Seminar Hall, Academic Block I, 4th Floor,
COMSATS University, Islamabad

24/12/2021

Centre for Policy Studies, COMSATS University Islamabad successfully organized a panel discussion on “Artificial Intelligence: applications and implications” on December 21, 2021. The aim of the activity was to highlight the significance of artificial intelligence and how it influences our social, political, and economic spheres of life.
Dr. Ahmed Raza Shahid, Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department, Dr. Tehseeen Zia, Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department, Dr. Imran Syed, Assistant professor, Centre for Policy Studies and Dr. Ghulam Shabbir, Head, Centre for Policy Studies were the resource persons for the panel discussion. Panel discussion was well attended by CUI students and faculty members of various departments. In the end, Head, CPS presented Vote of Thanks.
Conclusion: The conclusion of the seminar was that whereas science has brought unprecedented levels of human power or mastery of the nature, yet mastering that mastery is a great challenge of our age. We are standing on the threshold of nuclear war and climate hazards - possible catastrophes wrought by the hand of man himself.

18/12/2021

https://livescareers.com/eiffel-excellence-scholarships

Eiffel excellence scholarships are designed by the French Ministry of Europe to attract the global talent for French educational institution

18/12/2021

https://livescareers.com/lund-university-global-scholarship

Lund university global scholarship aim to reward such students with funds for their excellent academic career and the selection will purely