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The crisis of Pakistan railways: unveiling the nexus of competence and corruption
Full text linkPakistan Railways is facing a crisis marked by a need for more operational locomotives essential for its functioning. This study endeavours to uncover the root causes of lack of success and explore avenues for enhancing operational efficiency and effectiveness. The study draws out some parameters and resolutions about competence and corruption issues in Pakistan railways. It examines and provides possibilities for improving performance and increasing capacity by highlighting different problem areas. The well-grounded qualitative approach was used to design the research methodology. Analysis of in-depth face-to-face interviews with senior officials helped identify the significant factors of competence and corruption contributing to the decline of Pakistan railways. The study delineates key parameters and proposes resolutions to address these challenges, aiming to enhance the organisation\u27s performance and capacity by identifying and addressing critical problem areas. The research analysis identifies the principal factors contributing to the Pakistan Railway\u27s decline in competence and corruption. NVivo 14 was utilised to discover richer insights from the interviews, enhancing the rigour and reliability of the findings. The study offers several recommendations to concerned authorities to elevate the competence levels within Pakistan railways and steer them towards recovery and efficiency
Pakistan-US relations: examining sustainable bilateral cooperation via civil society collaboration
Full text linkPakistan and the United States (US) have struggled to form mutually beneficial foreign policies that withstand volatile political phases. In the current global context, there is an urgent need for innovative and practical approaches to enrich the field of international relations, allowing policymakers to overcome diplomatic deadlocks. This research examines the potential role of a sustainable development approach with civil society organisations (CSOs) as the implementing instrument of foreign policies. Through case studies of successful CSO initiatives across economic, social, and environmental pillars, specifically covering SDGs 3, 8, 13 and 17, the study observes and empirically examines the multisectoral operations of US-based civil society in Pakistan, highlighting its comprehensive impact on the people as well as uncovering the resilient nature of civil society-led cooperation between states. The research finds that integrating civil society into foreign policy can create resilient and sustainable development-oriented bilateral relations, offering a practical strategy for enhancing collaboration and achieving sustainability. This model presents a pathway for countries to transcend transactional ties and establish lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships. The study also opens doors for further research in IR to welcome the sustainable development paradigm in bilateral studies
Understanding the pavement project failures in Pakistan: identifying causes and solutions
Full text linkPavement deterioration is a major issue in Pakistan\u27s road and highway infrastructure. The current study attempts to clarify the most important factors of road degradation in Pakistan using a questionnaire prepared and distributed to engineers, contractors, architects, surveyors, and project managers involved in road development and upkeep. The study had 147 replies. This data was collected from employees from various road construction sectors in Pakistan. Convenience sampling, a sort of non-probability sampling, is used for data gathering due to time and resource constraints. The data were analysed through SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The responses were gathered using a 10-point Likert scale. The standard (inadequate density in surface or sub-base) has the maximum rank of 9.1, while the lowest factor (use of naturally smooth uncrushed aggregate) is 2.0. Furthermore, the causes of deterioration were reorganised into eight consistent groups of pertinent causes. The first group (effect of traffic load and volume) has a severity level of 6.5, while the last group (effect of bond between layers) ranks 3.22 in group comparison. The study is helpful in identifying the causes of road deterioration in Pakistan and avoiding or mitigating their effects during design, construction, and maintenance through operation
The biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Synadenium grantii latex: characterisation and evaluation of their antimicrobial activities
Full text linkThe steadily rising incidences of microbial and infectious diseases pose a direct threat to both human and animal sustainability. Over the previous 20 years, the expectations for eco-friendly nanoparticles application as contemporary medicinal agents have grown. This is why, as opposed to using hazardous chemicals, researchers have recently concentrated on simple, green, sustainable, and affordable ways to create nanoparticles. This research aimed to use the latex of Synadenium grantii to synthesize ZnO NPs (zinc oxide nanoparticles) using a simple and environmentally friendly technique. The observation of the maximum wavelength at 365 nm using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry signified the formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles. The FT-IR (Fourier transform-infrared) spectrometry indicated the bands of various biomolecules (mainly polyphenols at 1541 cm-1 wavenumber) involved in reducing and capping zinc oxide nanoparticles. The XRD spectrum demonstrated the wurtzite phases of ZnO nanoparticles of 24 nm in size. The synthesized ZnO NPs demonstrated great anti-microbial potency compared to the positive control (ampicillin) as tested on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The study confirmed the presence of various chemical compounds in latex of Synadenium grantii responsible for the synthesis of ZnO NPs with enhanced anti-bacterial effects in comparison to the latex extract
Exploring the fundamental properties and MGF of a 3-component mixture of power distributions: a simulation study
Full text linkThis paper estimates the parameters of the 3-component mixture of power distributions. The expressions of fundamental properties of the said distribution are presented, and for judgment, the numerical results of mean, median, variance, mode and skewness are evaluated. The closed-form expressions of the reliability properties, the statistical properties and necessary inequality measures are discussed. The trend of reliability measures is shown with the help of numerical results and graphs by taking different values of parameters and proportion parameters. The mathematical expressions of certain related statistical functions are derived from the reliability functions, the moment generating function, the characteristics function, the probability generating function, and the factorial moment generating function. The expressions of essential entropies, Shannon’s entropy, the B-entropy and Renyi’s entropy, are derived. The mathematical expressions of inequality indexes, the Gini index, the Lorenz curve, the Bonferroni curve, the Zinga index, the Atkinson index and the generalized entropy index are also analysed. The RF, the HRF, the CHR, the RHR, the MRL, and the MWT functions are derived in reliability analysis. The numerical values and graphs for different parameters and proportion components are discussed to judge the behaviour of reliability properties
Women agency and provincial autonomy: a study of post-18th Amendment local government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Full text linkThe 18th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, a significant milestone in the country\u27s political landscape, granted the provinces certain political and fiscal powers. This included the right to pass local government legislation and hold local government elections. In the 2015 local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a remarkable number of women were elected to local councils on gender quota seats (33%). This was a clear testament to the empowering potential of the 18th Amendment. However, despite this progress, the underrepresentation of women in decision-making processes remains a pressing issue. This paper aims to answer how provincial autonomy has contributed to the autonomy and agency of women councillors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study collected data from purposively selected districts, Nowshera, Haripur, and Kohat, through individual interviews using qualitative approaches. The paper strongly advocates that the participation of women councillors in local government necessitates more stringent policy reforms to make the local councils more inclusive towards women as representatives. This stance is crucial and imperative for women\u27s political autonomy and empowerment
The pronunciation constraints of syllable stress-coloration in Pakistani English
Full text linkPakistani English speakers struggle with pronunciation issues due to unfamiliarity with the morphological and phonological aspects of the English language. The challenging aspect of teaching English pronunciation in an ESL environment in Pakistan is pronunciation. The study looks at Pakistani ESL students\u27 pronunciation problems and aims to pinpoint Pakistani English speakers’ pronunciation issues in an ESL setting. This is a descriptive study, and information from ten ESL students is acquired through recording. The study uses the PRAAT as a framework for data analysis and points to the syllable break and stress marking in PE. Based on L1, the speakers were chosen, and only Kashmiri speakers of Pakistani English were included. The study concludes that studying English helps ESL students speak effectively with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, promoting intercultural understanding and fostering international collaboration. The lack of excitement, self-doubt, willingness, shyness, and language proficiency are the main causes of pronunciation problems. L1 also affects English pronunciation. According to the study, students’ L1 influences lead them to struggle with stress marking, syllabification, and transcription of English words. Additionally, epenthesis, the insertion of a short vowel at the beginning, and improper stress marking were prevalent issues
The effects of military expenditure and inflation on the unemployment in Pakistan
Full text linkThis study examines the effect of inflation and military expenditure on unemployment in the case of Pakistan. This study used the data set from 1972-2021 and, based on the behaviour of the data, employed the ARDL procedure for assessment. This study found that FDI, GDP, inflation, military expenditure, gross capital formation, and human capital have adverse and noteworthy effects on unemployment over a long period. However, the FDI, GDP, military expenditure, gross capital formation, and human capital have an inconsequential impact on the unemployment rate. However, inflation has an adverse and noteworthy effect on unemployment in a short period. Furthermore, there exists a bi-directional causality between military expenditure and unemployment, while there exists no causality between inflation and unemployment, and military expenditure and inflation. This study concluded that the rise in military expenditure and inflation inversely influence unemployment in Pakistan. This study supported the Philips theory in Pakistan that inflation and unemployment have an adverse link. Based on these findings, this study recommended that the government increase military expenditure to maintain peace in Pakistan and minimise inflation and unemployment
AI as an active inhabitant of postmodern life: exploring hyperreality and paranoia in the film 2047 Virtual Revolution
Full text linkThe postmodern age is characterised by extreme paranoia in which we are deceived by artificial intelligence. Digitalisation is a central trope of this age, and hyperreality hinders our view of reality. People live in a simulation world where reality and fiction are no longer distinct. Images have become a reality for them. This research analyses the film 2047: Virtual Revolution in relation to Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality and its connection to paranoia. It further sheds light on the continuous surveillance of artificial intelligence in people\u27s lives. The film reveals that governments, corporations, and artificial intelligence are collaborating to create simulations for people in the form of virtual games. This simulation can also lead to paranoia when people struggle to adjust to the real world and are unable to distinguish between reality and fiction. AI continuously surveils characters in movies. Their locations, IP addresses, and devices, such as phones, are easily traceable. AI plays a significant role in movies, serving as a powerful and all-knowing character. This study presents a future scenario that warrants further investigation by future researchers from a new perspective. It creates awareness among the masses to be critical of the virtual world in which they are living
International drug trafficking: a case study of the South Asian region
Full text linkThe complex dynamics of international drug trafficking in South Asia, a region characterized by diverse cultures, socioeconomic difficulties, and complex geopolitical landscapes, are examined in this paper. Due to its physical proximity to the Golden Crescent, South Asian nations have emerged as a significant hub for the production and transportation of a variety of illegal substances, most notably opiates. The study evaluates how drug trafficking and regional instability interact, with a particular emphasis on how corruption, poverty, and insurgency support the drug trade. Analyses with adjacent regions show varying regulation strategies and enforcement capacities, while case studies from Afghanistan highlight the effects of drugs on local economies and governments. Additionally, the study investigates how drug trafficking affects the region\u27s socioeconomic development, public health, and security. Along with evaluating the efficacy of present policies and initiatives, the involvement of bilateral and international agencies in the fight against drug trafficking is also evaluated. Lastly, the results highlight the necessity of a thorough, multifaceted strategy to address the underlying causes of drug trafficking in South Asia, focusing on cooperation between regional governments and foreign partners to promote long-term solutions and improve security