میں تُو اور پیڑ
جب ہم روز ملا کرتے تھے
ہم کیا کیا باتیں کرتے تھے
وقت وہ کیسے بدل گیا ہے
تُو بھی کتنا جھوٹا نکلا
میں بھی کتنا جھوٹا نکلا
تُو نے بھی سب جھوٹ کہا تھا
میں نے بھی سب جھوٹ کہا تھا
ہم جس پیڑ کے نیچے بیٹھے
دنیا کو جھوٹا کہتے تھے
میں اک روز وہاں سے گزرا
پیڑ بھی وہ حیران کھڑا تھا
ہر اک ٹہنی ٹوٹ چکی تھی
پتّا پتّا خشک ہوا تھا
میں کتنا حیران ہوا تھا
A combination of military coups with irregular intervals and failed democratic governments has underpinned Pakistan’s chronic instability. This paper explores the impediments in the path of democracy in Pakistan caused by the entanglement of institutions. The basic democratic principles, on which the movement for the creation of Pakistan was launched and succeeded, were lost within the first decade of independence. Several scholars hold that the people of Pakistan got liberated from the British and Hindu majority to be enslaved by socio-political and military elite. The failure of politicians in devising a viable political system resulted in the bureaucratic-military nexus as they made every effort to curb parliamentary politics. Musical chair game of power became the norm of the day which resulted in the decay of democracy and other institutions. Unlike its counterpart, Indian National Congress, Muslim League due to weak and loose political organization, failed miserably in areas constituting Pakistan which prevented it in playing a consolidating role. Moreover, the threats from India and Afghanistan forced the political leadership to invest heavily in security to deter Indian and Afghan threats. In fact, it was the imbalance between the civil and military components of the state, which became the key reason behind the political chaos in Pakistan during its first decade. The Army emerged as an overwhelming force overpowering all other institutions in the country. Democratic ideals such as rule of people through their representatives, fair representation and provincial autonomy, pronounced in the 1940 Lahore Resolution, were soon forgotten. Weak democratic forces could not compete with the skilled bureaucracy and a powerful army. Such chaotic conditions proved instrumental in leading to the proclamation of the first Martial Law in Pakistan
This study aims to develop an understanding about how formative assessment can be used to develop students' conceptual understanding in the selected concepts of science at Grade 6. The study utilized the action research method within qualitative paradigm. It was conducted in an English medium Girls High school in Karachi. The school had been using formative assessment rather than summative assessment to assess students' learning from grade 3-6. Hence, it was decided to explore how formative assessment can be used to develop students' conceptual understanding in this school as it would develop my understanding about usage of formative assessment. It would also support the school's effort to implement FA in this grade in science. Data was mainly collected from observations and teaching by using various formative assessment tools such as peer group assessment, Think-Pair-Share activity and classroom questioning. Findings of the study demonstrated that it is vital for a teacher to diagnose the prior understanding of the students regarding any science concept to ensure their conceptual understanding. It also revealed that group-work, peer-assessment and Think- Pair-Share activities are more likely to help students in developing their conceptual understanding. It further showed that teachers need to analyze the assessment data on an ongoing basis to gain insight into the needs of students and to modify teaching instructions accordingly. It also indicated that timely feedback given by teachers and peers supported students' learning and developed their conceptual understanding. However, strict time frameworks of schools and heavy syllabus hinder the effective implementation of formative assessment in real classroom context. This study concludes by recommending that for effective implementation of formative assessment, teachers needs support in terms of time and space from the school management and they must be encouraged to analyze the assessment data to inform their teaching practice. Therefore, the study ca11s for the change in teaching and assessment practices in schools. Key words: Formative assessment, conceptual understanding, summative assessment.