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Late in the 80s, I had just returned from the prestigious King’s College London after working with Dr. Jack Botting and my external examiner Professor Dr. Sir John Vane (Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1982) to teach Pharmacology at Karachi University on their request. I was amazed to see a colleague performing animal trials without the use of carbon dioxide in (vivo) animal studies. They had no idea as to what IRB certification stands for in research methods, nor would know protocols in research studies. Then I came across another colleague who would work on first generation antibiotics using references 40 years backdated and putting fictitious numbers on the trial chart. Such procedure in research methods may result in the expulsion of a candidate from a doctoral program in the United States. Furthermore, a friend who was decorated a Presidential award recently was guilty of plagiarism using the research contents of his own student. A friend of mine, a Brigadier in the military was admiring a man holding a top public office for his contribution in higher education in Pakistan was asked to provide supporting evidence to the claim. I am afraid, there was nothing to substantiate the whimsical statement. Late Dr. Saleemuz Zaman Siddiqui was asked number of times to become the Vice Chancellor of the University during my tenure as the General Secretary Karachi University Students Union 1976-78. He would never take up a permanent administrative position of the Vice Chancellor fearing his loss of commitment in academic and research activity. Most scientists and researcher would not compromise their research engagements by taking up administrative positions in the United States, whereas all so-called scientists of Pakistan are in the lust for power attempting to secure administrative positions. To understand the entire discussion, these are the checklists: 1. How many Pakistani Ph.D. degree holders qualify to secure faculty positions in the U.S. with Pakistani education? 2. How the U.S. educational evaluators evaluate Pakistani degrees? 3. Does a Pakistani Judge meet educational requirements to practice law in the United States, if not why not? 4. Does a Pakistani Professor of Medicine with Pakistani FCPS qualify to practice in the U.S. or U.K.? 5. Does a Pakistani ISSB qualified cadet meet the educational requirement to join OCS (Officer Candidate School) of the U.S. military? These are few of the intriguing questions, and a bitter truth, however it constitutes a reality, which needs to be addressed in order to improve the educational standards in Pakistan. THE FACTS The United States Census shows that 3% of the U.S. population holds doctoral degrees (http://www.scimagojr.com/countryrank.php, 2015); whereas a Pakistani report on Pakistan says that there are 0.00004% of the Pakistani population with doctoral degrees (http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-136296-Total-number-of-PhDs-reaches-8142-in-Pakistan, 2012). The United States is ranked # 1 with 8,626,193 research publications, India is # 9 with 998, 544 publications, Saudi Arabia is ranked # 44 with 91,460 publications, and Pakistan is ranked # 46 with 81,612 research publications each year. CONCLUSION: In contrast to those figures, the Pakistani diaspora stands at the top 10% in education across the United States, yet Pakistan as a nation lags behind, why? REASON: The potential to grow, or excel in education amongst Pakistani youth is very much there, but the missing element is the medium that helps the youth to grow in the current mayhem. The overseas Pakistani diaspora constitutes 5 million of the 186 million Pakistani populations, yet this tiny population earns almost half of Pakistan’s budget, while the Pakistani political thugs remain actively involved in money extortions, money laundering, multiple marriages and excessive drinking habits. This has damaged the very character of the new generation destined to stay out of Iqbal and Jinnah’s Pakistan while building a Naya Pakistan of burger youths. RESOLUTION: A new leadership to avert cultural trauma is desperately needed to salvage Pakistan.
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