Ayoob; The rise and fall of Pakistani music band

 Needs some fine tuning and also contribution of each group (means what unique and new thing) every group introduced

Ayoob Rajpar
Roll no. 2k14/MC/130
Article:
The rise and fall of Pakistani music band

A short introduction of famous Pakistani music groups. From the last three decades, Pakistan music industry has achieved a great place in the world of music. Pakistani singers have get to offer to show their talent and get a more opportunities to work in industry. Pakistan has produced the number of bands in last three decades which are very popular in the region of South Asia, but unfortunately most of those bands could not ran together while everyone have admitted their outclass music compositions and heart touching songs. I am going to elaborate the rise and fall of Pakistani bands which raised in 1980s. A very loveable appreciable and beautiful band formed and renowned as Vital Sign.
The Signs emerged in 1987 as a project of reclusive TV producer, Shoaib Mansoor. Rohail Hayat (synthesisers), Nusrat Hussain (guitar), Shahzad Hassan (bass) and Junaid Jamshed (vocals) were in this band. The band had already made a bit of a name for itself in the time’s ‘college functions’ circuit before it was picked up by Mansoor to record a patriotic song and video in 1987. The song was Dil Dil Pakistan, penned by Mansoor and composed by Nusrat Hussain and Junaid Jamshed. The lyrics express an unabashed love of the country, portraying it as a kind of heaven on earth. Vital signs made a number of rocking and lovely songs including aankho ko aankho ne jo sapna and na tu aaegi na he chain aaega. But time is not affectionate always so far band could not survived more and dismissed their structure and went in box forever. After that, the band raised with the impassioned sign and get fast fame in a heart of public .it was Junoon. It was based on the Trinity structure.
Junoon was first introduced by Salman Ahmed (A formal guitarist) Ali Azmat (vocalist) and Brain (base guitarist). Junoon songs liberally incorporated elements from rock and hard-rock genres and did not shy away from expressing political and social statements. The band’s first album was a commercial flop. Its raunchier sound was still too novel for a nascent pop scene. Junoon’s music increasingly fused riff-friendly rock chops with funky renditions of Punjabi folk and traditional Sufi music; and the lyrics occasionally ventured into commenting on the state of the country and society.

This gradually began to gather a steady and passionate cult following for the band. The group’s growing reputation as a crackling live act helped too, especially when bassist Brian O’Connell came in for Nusrat and veteran drummer, Malcom Gomes, became a mainstay in the band. Junoon responded with Inquilaab in 1996 (the band’s third album). It was another energetic package of catchy off-the-wall riffs and racy vocals weaved around rudiments of Punjabi folk and bhangra music genres. To round off the album, the band (as if on a whim), decided to also record and add a pop anthem to the album – a style that was still popular after the initial release of Dil Dil Pakistan in 1987. So, out came Jazba Junoon, a song that musically sounded like one of those upbeat Latino songs of early Santana, and punctuated with patriotic and uplifting lyrics inspired by the writings of South Asian philosopher and poet, Mohammad Iqbal. 2004 was the last and final period for Junoon. Each member left the band and worked individually in their fields.

Another Pakistani classical musical band is fusion. It is a Sufi rock band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan formed in 2001. The name was derived from fusion, as the former vocalist Shafqat Amanat Ali describes the band as a fusion of Hindustani classical and modern soft rock music blended with the Sufi Style of singing. The Fuzön art insists on setting feelings above mere technique and creating an individualistic genre of mold-breaking music. Fuzön encompasses hybrid styles of exquisite melodies and everlasting pop or rock instrumentation. Fusion won the hearts of people not only on the domestic level but beyond the border lines. A great problem which fusion faced was, the changing of vocalist. First, Shafqat was honour of this band and lead vocalist but then he left the band and worked individually. It was a huge shock which damaged fusion's structure.
Then Shafqat was replaced by the Rameez Mukhtiar, a professional vocalist and multi instrumental player. Rameez and his fellows (the band) made an album journey which was so impressive. Neend na aaey, the famous song of that album which was on aired on television and fm the most. After 2011, Rameez left fusion and focused on his single projects. After Rameez, Khurram Iqbal joined the band and he is working with the band still but they did not gave any great album yet as Shafqat did.

Now, I am coming to talk on the most famous and heart winner Pakistani rock band which one is known as Jal. Soon afterwards, the band started to gain popularity in Lahore's underground music scene and gained a large cult following due to the success of their song "Aadat".

The band, then went on to release the music video for the song, directed by Umer Anwar, through ARY Digital and The Musik channel, in December 2003. The video was soon rated as the fourth best video of the year 2003 by ARY The Muzik, within days of its release. However, by the end of December, in 2003, Atif parted ways with the band due musical differences, with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Goher recruit musicians Farhan Saeed on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar. Farhan was suggested by Sultan Raja, bassist of Call, who introduced him to Goher and thus joining the band as its vocalist. By this time the band, with a new line-up, re-did the song "Aadat" as its video was already being aired on local music channels with the former lead vocalist, Atif Aslam’s voice. But in nutshell Atif Aslam was replaced by the Farhan Saeed in 2003.

Jal's performance was fabulous. But after some years Farhan left the band and Gohar Mumtaz ran the band himself. It was the short introduction of the famous Pakistani music bands which got the success on peak but not survived more.

Practical work was carried under supervision of Sir Sohail Sangi
Department of Media and Communication Studies, University of Sindh 

#AyoobRajpar, #PakistaniMusic, #MusicBand, #GoharMumtaz, #AamirSheraz,  #RohailHayat, 

article by Mahira. trends of sindhi dramas

Article by Mahira Majid Ali
Roll No. 2k14/MC/155
Trends of Sindhi Dramas


There was a time, when Sindhi media, especially dramas were jam-packed with a number of talented producers, directors, writers, as well as, actors. Many talented entities opened their eyes here. Sindhi dramas proved to have an intense effect on the viewers from the very beginning. But now, slowly and gradually this impact is drifting off.

Before partition, a huge number of Sindhi stage dramas took place. Mirza Qaleech Baig’s dramas like, Enquiry Officer, Zeenat, Khurshed and Gulan Wari Chokri, Khanchand Daryani’s drama, Zamindari Zulm and Mohammad Usman Diplai’s drama, Shadi, are some of the prominent stage dramas and writers of that time.


After partition, Sindhi people continued stage dramas, in which they showed their grief and nuisance. They sustained the trend of open-air theatres. The stage dramas were presented in Besant hall and Zubaida Girls College hall Hyderabad. Open-air theatres were commonly in practice, in the rural areas of Sindh. People say, "The beauty of open-air theatre is that, it attracts a large audience for entertainment and helps convey a critical message in the local language of the people”. In a region, where the majority of the rural population is illiterate, theatre is an effective way to communicate new ideas. The dramas of that time, were not so stretched but, their sole aim was to give information on subjects including message of peace, humanity, love and were frequently on the reality of society.

There is not a precise history of Sindhi stage dramas. But, they were typically based on Sindhi traditions and literature. The era of revolution of media aroused, when Pakistan Television (PTV) started to catch the eye of viewers and introduced a strategy to show programs in every province in their mother tongue. It was an effective way to keep endurance of provinces and their languages. Many dramas like, Marvi (a modern version of Sindhi folk tale), Amar Jaleel’s, Mitti Ja Marhun (real face of the society and the reality faced by poor people from feudal lords), Hafiz Kumbhar’s, Hathen Gul Mehandi, a good piece of Sindhi culture, beside these, Morr Udanra Morr, Aaino, Natak Rang, Abdul Qadir Junejo’s, Rani Ji Kahani and Khan Sahib, Hayat Ali Shah’s, Khuwab Aeen Khwahishun and Jinni Kanr Jiyas, Razaq Mehar’s, Jyapo, and especially "Dangea Manjh Darya" scripted by Ali Baba, produced by Haroon Rind, from PTV also achieved an award in German festival.

Other than these, dramas of Rashid Sabir, Shamsher Hydri, Shaukat Shoro, and Agha Rafique produced by Abdul Kareem Baloch, Sultana Siddiqui, Haroon Rind, Nawab Mehdi, Hamid Halepoto, Faiz Bughiyo, Mohammad Bux Samejo, Naeem Baloch and many others, were launched, through which viewers learned a lot. PTV used to present quality programs with vital importance of moral lessons. PTV dramas were very much bountiful that, in Poona institute, Indians used to get trained in acting by watching them.

After 2004, many private channels like KTN, Kashish TV, Sindh TV, Mehran TV and Dharti TV emerged and Sindhi media became one of the largest media society. There are around more than 20 private Sindhi media channels, which are on-air in Pakistan. Presently, these channels are presenting dramas like, Mama Laalu, Pathar Dunya, and Dunya Dardan Ji. The usual and all-inclusive theme of these dramas is tight-fisted and based on feudalism, sub-standard comedy, vulgarity, terrorism, and immoral dialogues like kutr kutr kare chadendo saeen and khairaan jay sir jo khair hujy, all the more so, drama Dunya Dardan Ji is dubbed version of Indian drama.

According to some writers, such spectacular exhibition of feudalism lifestyle is actually creating antagonism and severe fissures between social classes, whereby entirely obliterating chances of inspiring any positive change. The prime focus should be themes that the general viewership can relate to. Nowadays, merely 10% dramas of these private channels are promoting Sindhi culture, while others are representing Sindhi people as orthodox and obscurantist. Reality is that, interest and investment are two main pillars, through which any business can make progress and while it comes to Sindhi private media channels, no one invests, even actors are not given proper wages. Consideration of new script in Sindhi media, seems like a castle in Spain. Because, skilled writers like, Abdul Qadir Junejo, Shaukat Shoro and Ali Baba are not given chance to write. The producers and directors of the private channels are not well-trained and qualified like, PTV directors and producers that is why they are lacking quality programs.

The core reality is that, the emergence of these private channels, internationalization and commercialization has induced diminishing or no interest in Sindhis towards their mother tongue and their culture by showing this type of programs. Legends like Shafi Muhammad Shah, Qurban Jeelani, Ghazala Rafeeq, Noor Muhammad Lashari, A.R Baloch and Mansoor Baloch are hard to find. There is not any comparison between the golden age of Pakistani entertainment programming and today’s dramas (especially Sindhi). What is being consumed by the people today? Sindhi dramas should educate the masses, yet the only education most of them provide is on how the illiterate people of interior live, dress, eat, and socialise. Well-trained and educated writers, producers, directors should be given a chance to work for the revival and triumph of our Sindhi dramas.

This practical work was carried under supervision of Sir Sohail Sangi, Department of Media and Communication Studies, University of Sindh 

#MahiraMajid, #SindhiDrama, #Hyderabad, Shafi Muhammad Shah, Qurban Jeelani, Ghazala Rafeeq, Noor Muhammad Lashari, A.R Baloch, Mansoor Baloch 

Unemployment in Pakistan by Fatima Mustafa

Spelling mistakes. 
Does not give real picture of unemployment. 
What is new in it? What is exact reason? population growth, wrong economic and political policies, failure of governance , no industrialisation etc
ARTICLE

UNEMPLOYMENT IN PAKISTAN

  BY FATIMA MUSTAFA

2K14 /MC /27

Unemployment is major problem of our country nowadays.  Every person you see around you who is educated and looking for jobs but he didn't find any job.  Reason?  There are many kinds of unemploye person in our country.  The person who has ability to do work but he doesn't want to do job because in our country there is no justice .  The person who  didn't know how to do work but they are on good position like engineers,  doctors, teachers,  government employees etc they only study for degrees or only for earn money .  All this is because of corruption  in our country.

 The biggest reason of unemployment in Pakistan is backwards of education  system. In our country more than 3 million people are unemployed  and ratio of unemployment is increasing rapidly due to lack of sources and when unemployment takes place so many crimes are automatically be created in the pakistan. Unemployment rate in pakistan is about  12%.

We are not provided our fundamental rights here and some duties   are lying on us that we do not take efforts  for change for betterment .  Why  our  education is going to backward because the latest machineries and technologies have decreases the demand of unemployment in our country.  Industrial  is the largest sector of our economy and contributes 19% to national income.   This sector should employ a large number of labours but due to backwardness it is employing a small number of people. There is a huge difference between the demand and supply for labour. The absence of such kind of planning to produce doctors, engineers, scientists etc, should be done according to the need of different sectors of the economy. The government is not taking interest they only lookafter urban areas but what about the education of rural areas peoples?  They are not priority they are used by wadaras and jagidars. 

The government should give out incentives to join such academic programmes. In Pakistan the education system is defective and there is no educational planning. This system is producing graduates but they either do not want to stay in the country or are not paid properly which results in loss of technical staff. In addition, lack of technical and vocational institutions also adds to the growing misery.

If we go in our past we can see how unemployment rate was increased in Musharafs administration it was upto 8.3 %.  During the Zardari Administration, the unemployment rate rose by only 1% 2008 to  2013. Then in the Nawaz Sharef administration the rate increase by twice than it was in the early. Unemployment Rate in Pakistan remained unchanged  2014 thas was about  6 percent. Unemployment Rate in Pakistan is  averaged 5.45 percent from 1985 until 2014. Millions of people in Pakistan are poverty stricken and these people are overburdened with expenditures and their savings are very low.  

It is indeed great delight  an immense pleasure for me to express my views on the point of unemployment in our country pakistan.  I go through my experience that the main reason of unemployment is uneducated system which is created by lack  of interest by ruling parties, Moreover  our system is totally failed to provide  facilities to end the unemployment in our society.  I do hereby clear that if we go through the advanced countries they use  to consume 50% of its budget. To develop  the education system but very sorry to say in our country only fix amount for education not in %. The only country can reduce the unemployment whose education system is strong. 

life of overseas Pakistanis by Rebecca

Article

Rebecca Ursani
BS-III Roll number: 2K14/MC/81


Life of Pakistanis after shifting abroad.

Shifting becomes difficult when it is done only from one city to another. One has to start a new life with a new beginning and get prepared to face the new challenges of life. However, migrating to a new country, leaving behind your hometown, adapting a different lifestyle, adjusting in a very new society and most importantly living within another community requires alot of efforts and it is one of the hardest decisions to settle far away from your country and its old rituals.

  There are so many Pakistanis that leave behind their birthplace and shift aborad followed by a number of reasons. Mostly citizens of Pakistan prefer migrating abroad in order to get rid of their tribal wars or running after the economy which is better in some of the foreign countries than Pakistan or for leading a contented and a successful life. According to the Pakistani Government, there are around eight million Pakistani people most of them living in Middle East.


Reasons for shifting abroad
Economical issues:
Many people think the economy of other countries is better than Pakistan’s. For example, America is mostly considered suitable for better economy. The value of Pakistani rupee is decreasing in international market so the earning of a Pakistani is reducing too. The scope of earning dollars, Europe’s pound and Kuwait’s dinar is on the peak in the world. This has become the only reason for people to migrate in the better economical nations. The skilled and professional people are getting much comfort in abroad than in their own nation.

Political issues: Some people migrate to get rid of the poor government here and to live a better and peaceful life in a secure environment like Germany, Canada and Australia. 

Jobs and vacancies: The unemployed people of Pakistan prefer countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai to earn their livelihood. Though, Saudi Arabia offers fewer opportunities but they can manage anywhere. The jobs that are available in Saudi Arabia are working in oil fields, as a labor in industries and in Dubai, taxi drivers are mostly found Pathans belonging to Pakistan.

Social issues: When people think that our Pakistani society is way backward than the society of other countries, they plan to move from Pakistan. People often think they want a broad minded society where anyone can do anything they want but in certain limitations. In short, they want no huge restrictions and want to work liberally.
Education issues: Education in Pakistan is considered lower than the other countries’ educational systems so majority of the people want to set future of their children and for that they take their family and kids to have good education and good future.

Marriage issues: It is also seen that Pakistani people often move to any other country after their spouse(s) because their spouse who is already in foreign country is the source of their husband or wife to shift to another country through green card.


 Problems faced by Pakistanis.
Skilled and unskilled people.
 The people are divided into two groups, the skilled and unskilled ones. In USA, settling becomes easy for those who have got some skills to earn, to survive in the foreign society. Those who are some sort of degree holders and more or less educated about anything, do not find any difficulty in adjusting themselves in their respective fields. They easily find the jobs. While, the unskilled ones, who are uneducated, have to face challenges to accommodate in new environment. The ones who are uneducated either have to open their medical or departmental stores or work on petrol pumps or work as waiters on cafes and hotels.

Financial problems.

In USA, economy is better than Pakistan, this is one of the reasons Pakistanis shift there. But at times living becomes hard there. If there is a big family then at least two of the family members have to work to feed their children and family. Also, if the children are small and one has to go on work then the parents have to leave their children in daycares and the daycares cost really expensive. But if there is only one small kid then both the parents do not need to work, only one income is enough.

Culture shock.

When Pakistani people shift abroad, the foremost problem they face is culture shock. There is a lot of difference between our Pakistani culture and the western culture. It takes time for people who settle abroad but do not prepare themselves mentally for the environment they are going to survive in. Culture counts the education system as well. Western kids are educated in a very open environment where they are free to do whatever they want, roam around, have fun and not taking regular classes. This is the reason the new children migrants find difficulty in adjusting themselves in a modern atmosphere.

If Pakistani people make up their mind for the adjustments and challenges they are further going to face, they will easily cope up with the problems because problems are the part of life and cannot be skiped.

( Pix are used for purely academic purpose)

 

Creativity crossed borders.

Name: Zain Hyder Shah.
Article
Roll Number: 2K14 MC 104
Creativity crossed borders.
Two Students from Laar Campus Badin won 3rd Position in tax justice youth Film Festival

Innovation is the attribute and dwells in extraordinary minds. Sometimes the ideologies create magic and those ideas delivers can be an individual or group of creative people. In December 2015, two students from Laar campus Badin won 3rd Position in National Tax justice Youth Film festival in Islamabad with the borrowed handy cam. The festival was held in Pakistan National Council of the Arts, Islamabad. The main sponsor of this event was Oxfam International which is working in Pakistan since 1973. They work with government authorities and support local partners to provide better livelihoods to those living in poverty, and provide humanitarian assistance to those who are affected by any kind of natural disaster. Jawad Ahmed, a leading vocalist and singer is an ambassador of tax justice campaign. The selection criteria was based on sending the documentary short films of maximum five minutes and in those five minutes the students had to deliver the message of tax injustice in Pakistan.

The Students of Kinnaird College, Islamic International University of Islamabad, Arid Agriculture University, Bahuddin Zakariya University, Lahore College of Arts, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Mardan University, Laar Campus Badin and several students of other universities participated. As many as 50 films were shortlisted from fifteen universities all across Pakistan to participate in a festival. The reason was to involve youth in awareness of the major issue of tax unjustness in Pakistan. The videos contained varieties of theme. Creativity was overwhelming some feature problem faced by students due to taxes, others showed the suffering of poor labors and farmers. They also highlighted rich is not giving appropriate taxes.
Passion is very much necessary for success. Successful person contains an immense level of passion. Big achievers e.g. Prof. Abdul Salam, Dr. John Nash, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and many others always carried/carrying the passion. It’s very necessary to highlight the main aspect before coming to the real story. So, M. Yaqob and Rabia Iqbal of Badin Laar campus had no new technology in their bags. It was just an idea in their minds and passion in their hearts and that is the reason of their glowing achievement. M. Yaqob borrowed a camera from a friend and made a short film of 90 seconds. Rabia Iqbal, already an achiever of essay writing competition, wrote poetry to enhance the video and without any help they successfully made a video and sent it. They were competing with the leading creative institutes of nation and achieved 3rd position.
In the path of creativity one has to go through some sort of processes of practice. Creativity lies in the small towns of Pakistan, not only in megalopolitan cities. Every student and learner has got some unique skills. The only facts are the students of big cities have variety of technologies that they maintained their high rate in scales of creativity, almost in every field. The people dwelling in small towns have to be hard working that they can be able to avail the modern technologies. In rare cases it happens that somebody who already belongs to good financial background push their back to bring those people into the world of opportunities, but it happens once in a blue moon. Mostly hard working students facilitate their financial situation by simultaneously working and keep studying. According to psychologists, a person’s creativity kills if he works and study at the same time. Focus diverts in many dimensions. Only, a very much genius and extraordinary student have guts to reach at his or her destination, others kill and sacrifice their dreams for the sake of parents’ will and financial crises.
The Population of Badin district is approximately 1.137 million. Among them few learners experienced to show their creativity in arts or in technology to nation and in globe. Despite of the fact that the under development city Badin is lacking the modern technology, these two students got chance to show their capability in understanding the serious and not much highlighted issue of tax injustice. The film is based on 90 seconds and rotates around the life of a carpenter who works from morning to evening at the time of going home, he stops at store to buy wheat and vegetables for his family, but he doesn’t have much money to buy all at once. The situation brought options, either to buy rice or wheat or vegetables. This film succeeded in the competition. How hard the competition is, if you realize that you are competing with the best colleges of nation such as National College of Arts and Centre of Excellence in Art and Design. The success is no doubt a very beautiful feeling but achieving it when you have the best opponents is an amazing feeling.
Creativity has no limits. The region which is under development in Pakistan, also contains many innovative people in every field. The students of small towns have a barrier in between creativity and success, less technologies and high level of stress are major elements behind killing of their innovative minds. Mostly, students face the financial crises and in case they do not have financial crises then creativity dies on the moment when they come to know that they have to follow the dreams of their parents to live a life according to the family rituals by joining family business.
Here, career counselling is very important and awareness is very much necessary. The technologies should be available in the small regions as well. The regional educational sectors of Government and NGOs have to play the important role regarding this issue. The tradition of motivating only the students of big cities had to cross the boundary to move some miles. So, the creation of innovative people will never stop at a point. By giving the primary needs to the students, it will motivate them and it will grow the spirit in them to work hard and remain focused on one goal. America, Europe, China, Japan are considered to be the best lands of creative people. It happened just because their primary focus is education.
Pakistan can also be enlisted in the categories of most innovative countries. If once the education will become the first priority for the citizens and government as well. The students like M. Yaqoub and Rabia Iqbal dwell in every small town of our nation. Only they need to be polished and focused. This can only happen if once they get complete motivation and awareness to use their ideas by having the modern technology available in their institutes.

Single parent

Article

Anam Shaikh 

                   Single parent

About 16% of children’s world widely are single parent. Single parenting is less common among Indians i.e. only 10%, Bangladeshis 12%, Pakistanis 13%, Chinese 15% and white people 22%. The 1980's United States census reported that 19.5% were single parent households. From 1980 to 2008, the percentage of lone parent increased to 29.5%. 14% of all Australian households are single parent families and 17.8% of New Zealand. In United Kingdom, about one out of four families with dependent children are single parent families.

A single parent is a parent without his partner. Death of a partner is the major reason of single parenting or it can also be the result of the parents that never marry each other, separation or divorce of a couple is also the reason of it.
   The mother is considered as a primary nourisher of her child, that is why nine out of ten single parent families are headed by mothers only. Commonly fathers are less primary caregivers. The reason is that the father is working all the day resulting in less bonding with their children. In the absence, mother is considered more suitable for a child's care. The other reason is that most of the fathers remarry and restart their life.
  The main problem faced by single parents across the world is financial constraints. In a country like Pakistan, where jobs are hard to get, money issues can be a real problem. The burden of financial instability is not only limited to single mothers, but many fathers also worry to fulfill the children's needs in similar situations.
 In many countries, there is social structures that support single parenting and offer financial assistance to those who are doing it. In US, there are government programs like HUD which is a national government agency that specializes in helping single mothers by providing their household needs. While in Pakistan, there are no such government policies for the welfare or support of single parents. Here every single parent has to do self-help to live.
  There is also single parenting appeared in rural Sindh in which both the parents live under the same roof. Fathers have only one target in life that is just to take rest and mothers have to do all the work and earn money to feed their children.
  Research has shown that lone parents suffer from the feelings of self-reproach for the deficiency of a complete father or mother figure in their children's lives. To overcome such guilty, a single parent plays both the role, the role of a father and role of a mother as well which leads the things to become more difficult. A single parent has to have four arms, four legs, two hearts and double the patience and love. There is nothing about single parent.
 In this world to live as a single parent specially a single mother is quite difficult as compared to other societies. Here a single mother not only has to raise the child alone but she also has to face taunting comments of people. People criticize her as, she is the apple of all the discards. 
  A single mother spends her life for her children. Her children become her first priority. She places herself on number two, sacrifices all the feelings and tries to fulfill the needs of her children at any cost. She fights for them, bears all the problems alone and in return she just wants her children to respect her and understand that how tough her life is with all the hardships and troubles.

------------------------------------------------------
   Madam Shamim, a retired teacher, separated from her husband due to some clashes between them. She says 'life has its ups and downs, no matter where we stand. All we have to do is to stay firm, set our targets and stick to them unless we achieve by neglecting all the hurdles which come in our path. Most important thing is to create a bond between you and your child'.
 Rukhsana Qureshi, a widow with a son who lives in a joint family of her brother. She says “Though I live in my brother's house but still I have to deal with negativity. I did not have to face financial problems. I am a self-made person. I provide all the facilities to my son who is a teenager and this stage of life hangs between maturity and immaturity. I have to deal with him patiently and sometimes aggressively. Yes, it is a really difficult time but I know God is with me and He will help me to get through this. One day my son will be an example for all to see'. She added single parents should make their children realize that family with both the parents is not always a happy one. His feelings hurt whenever he sees his cousins spending quality time with their fathers and women with their husband. What else, we can do other than just living the life and facing the challenges of it.”
  There are so many single parents living a miserable yet a strong life is to keep their children happy and make them live a contented life. Instead of criticizing them, our society should encourage and consider them the equally as a part of our society. 

Anam Shaikh  BS-III Roll number: 2K14/MC/07

Edited by Rajesh Kumar

----------------------------- 
Revised version  Article
Anam Shaikh
BS-III Roll number: 2K14/MC/07
                  
                                          Single parent
A single parent or a lone parent is a parent not with a spouse. Death of a partner is the major reason of single parenting or it can also be the result of either separation or divorce of a couple or it can result from the parents that never marry each other.
  About 16% of children worldwide are brought by single parent. Single parent are less common among Indians i.e. only 10%, Bangladeshis 12%, Pakistanis 13%, Chinese 15% and white people 22%. The 1980's United States census reported that 19.5% were single parent households. From 1980 to 2008, the percentage of lone parent households jumped to 29.5%. The jump was caused by an increase in births to unmarried women and by the increasing ratio of divorces among couples. 14% of all Australian households are single parent families and 17.8% of Newzealand. In United Kingdom, about one out of four families with dependent children are single parent families.
   The mother is considered as a primary caregiver of her child, that is why nine out of ten single parent families are headed by mothers only. Fathers are less commonly primary caregivers. The reason is that the father is working all the day resulting in less bonding with their children. While the father works, the mother is considered more suitable for a child's care. The other reason is that most of the fathers remarry and restart their life.
  The main problem faced by single parents across the world is financial constraints. In a country like Pakistan, where jobs are hard to come by, money issues can be a real problem. The burden of financial instability is not only limited to single mothers, infact, many fathers also worry to fulfil the children's needs in similar situations.
 In many countries, there exist social structures that support single parenting and offer financial assistance to those who are doing it. In US, there are government programs like HUD which is a national government agency that specializes in helping single mothers by providing their household needs. While in Pakistan, there are no such government policies for the welfare or support of single parents. Here every single parent has to do self help to dwell.
  There is another type of single parenting appeared in rural Sindh in which both the parents live under the same roof yet living as strangers to each other. Fathers mostly have only one target in life that is just to take rest and mothers have to do all the works and earn money to feed their children.
  Researches have shown that lone parents suffer from the feelings of self-reproach  for the deficiency of a complete father/mother figure in their children's lives. To overcome such guilt, a single parent plays both the role, the role of a father and role of a mother as well which leads the things to become twice difficult. A single parent has to have four arms, four legs, two hearts and double the patience and love. There is nothing single about single parent.
 In our part of world to live as a single parent specially a single mother is quite difficult as compared to other societies. Here a single mother not only has to raise the child alone but she also has to face taunting comments of people. People criticise the single mother as if she is the apple of all the discards.
  A single mother devotes her life for her children. Her children become her first priority. She places herself on number two, sacrifices all her feelings and try to fulfil the needs of her children at any cost. She fights for them, bears all the problems alone and in return she just wants her children to respect her and understand that how tough her life is with all the hardships and troubles.
   Madam Shamim, a retired teacher, separated from her husband due to some clashes between them. She says 'life has its ups and downs no matter where we stand. All we have to do is to stay firm, set our targets and stick to them unless we achieve by neglecting all the hurdles which come in our path. Most important thing is to create a bond between you and your child'.
 Rukhsana Qureshi, a widow with a son who lives in a joint family of her brother. She says 'Though I live in my brother's house but still I have to deal with negativity. I did not have to face financial problems. I am a self made person. I provide all the facilities to my son who is a teenager and this stage of life hangs between maturity and immaturity. I have to deal with him patiently and sometimes aggressively.Yes, it is a really difficult time but I know God is with me and He will help me to get through this. One day my son will be an example for all to see'. She adds 'single parents should make their children realize that family with both the parents is not always a happy one. His feelings hurt whenever he sees his cousins spending quality time with their fathers and so do mine whenever I see women with their husband. What else we can do other than just living the life and facing its challenge.'
  There are so many single parents living a miserable yet a strong life to keep their children happy and make them live a contented life. Instead of crticizing them, our society should encourage them and consider them the equally as a part of our society.