Ijaz Hussain, Political and Legal Dimensions of Indus Water Treaty (Book Reviews)

Of the many issues that the partition of India in 1947 did not address in time, and were left to worsen the relations between India and Pakistan, the issue of riparian rights was only next in importance to the issue of Kashmir. In many respects the two issues have direct bearing on each other as well, as some important rivers emanate from Indian-held Kashmir. As the time passes more and more historians are coming to the conclusion that the massacre at the time of partition, the uprooting of more than 12 million people from their native homes, horrendous violence against women, burning and looting, etc, all owe mainly to the colonial administration that failed to ensure peaceful transition to two independent countries. No less than a person than a former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill, described the attitude of the then British government as the ‘biggest escape of human history’. In its urge to get rid of Indian responsibility, the government of Prime Minister Clement Atlee, showed extraordinary haste in relinquishing its responsibilities without ascertaining that the partition of a country of a subcontinental size would involve a huge amount of work. It required taking into consideration all administrative and security aspects so that the two countries could move along their independent journey as good neighbours. Unfortunately, the failure of the British government, both in London and, through its viceroy, in Delhi, left a number of issues unsettled, which the two independent countries have been trying to resolve for the last seven decades. Moreover, with the passage of time, new factors emerged which further complicated the original issues.

Leadership Approaches of Principals in Government and Private Schools: Teachers Perceptions

This study aimed at exploring teachers' perceptions of the actual and preferred leadership approaches of their principals in government and private schools in Karachi' Pakistan. The second aim was to compare whether teachers in government schools perceive leadership approaches (Actual and Preferred) of principals differently from teachers in Private schools or not. A survey tool Principal Leadership Approach Questionnaire (PLAQ) - developed by Pashiardis (1998), was adapted for this study. Questionnaires were sent to 450 teachers, randomly selected from government and private schools of three towns of Karachi. This sample teachers were asked to rate actual (PLAQ-A) and preferred (PLAQ-P) leadership approaches. Of 450 teachers, 333 completed the survey, providing a return rate of 74%. The results showed that the teachers perceived existing leadership approaches of principals as less democratic and less instructional than what they aspire for. The patterns remained consistent across systems of schools. However, the existing leadership approaches are perceived as more democratic in private schools than in their government counterparts. Further analysis revealed that teachers regardless of systems of schools perceived their principals as more efficient in the area of administration and fiscal management'. The government teachers wanted their headteachers to improve their leadership practices in the area of personnel management' and school leadership and management'. The private teachers wanted their principals to play a more active role in professional development in-service' and relations with parents and the community.' The study provides insight into an under-research area of teachers' perception about leadership approaches of principal in a developing country by using PLAQ, a questionnaire adapted for Pakistan as part of the current research. The results might prove useful to further the understanding of leadership and management practices in the context of the professional development of principals. The study also provides a foundation for further research and adds a measurement tool to the leadership and management literature.