The Politics of Energy Trade Between Iran and Pakistan

Pakistan and Iran are neighboring countries that have longstanding historical ties. However, there is little research available about Pakistan-Iran energy trade relations, especially with respect to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. This research is based on primary data collected through qualitative interviews with key policymakers, academicians, and social activists, from Australia, India, Pakistan, and the United States. Based on the analysis of the data, this paper argues that there are risks involved for Pakistan in either honoring United States’ sanctions on Iran or bypassing them. In the former, Pakistan is incurring a huge cost in terms of delayed energy import from Iran while in the latter Pakistan, its officials, and its relevant organizations may face heavy sanctions by the United States. The study concludes that Pakistan must adopt a safer policy to pursue energy import from Iran while conducting good relations with both U.S. And Iran. The participation of India in the Iran-Pakistan energy project can increase the likelihood of its success.

Development of Listening and Speaking Skills in English for Grade 6 Teachers

This project report presents the processes and the outcomes of the development project which was conducted at A.C. School, Karachi, as a requirement of my Master of Education (M.Ed.) program. The selection and planning of the project was done in three phases. In the first phase, a situation analysis was conducted at the school. As a result, of gaps in the teaching of English and Social Studies emerged. For the teaching of English, a need assessment survey was further conducted. In the second phase, interviews of the teachers and students, both verbally and through questionnaires, were carried out, and observational studies were made in the classroom. In the third phase, based upon observations of the English classes and analysis of information collected, it was discovered that in the teaching and learning of listening and speaking skills, proper methods were not being utilized. Bridging of this gap was selected as the project and Grade 6 selected for its implementation. The project goal that emerged was ‘Development of listening and speaking skills in English for Grade 6 teachers'. The project was planned, and two workshops were conducted on two alternate days. The first workshop was aimed at orientation of the teachers towards the importance and the conceptual understanding of the development of listening and speaking skills. The second workshop was activity-based and designed to educate the teachers on how to plan and implement lesson plans to improve the listening and speaking ability of students. Feedback on what they had learnt in the workshops was obtained through discussions, evaluation forms and questionnaires. On the third day, observation of the teaching by one of the teacher in the classroom was carried out, and some gaps were discovered in her understanding of what had been discussed in the workshops. To fill the gap, the following week; a class was conducted by me to demonstrate how the lessons should be conducted. The day after, the other teacher was observed conducting a class. After the class, both the teachers were provided critical feedback on their teaching style and methods. Finally, based on what they had understood, discussions were held with them on how to conduct lessons through poem and role-play. The teachers were asked to reflect upon and discuss what they had learnt during the project. The outcomes revealed that the teachers' conceptual understanding of the effective use of strategies of story telling, poetry, and role-play increased,