Pakistan announces mandatory ethics and morality training program for citizens

Pakistan's government has developed a comprehensive initiative to provide ethical and moral education to its citizens. The program will offer character development courses targeting individuals between the ages of 10 and 45. Professional motivational speakers will conduct sessions on social etiquette and ethical behavior.

Rana Mashhood, Coordinator of the Prime Minister's Youth Program, states they aim to reshape the mindset of youth formed over the past 21 years to promote positive societal change.

The program is scheduled to begin in March 2025.

Ethical dilemma

In an interview with Nukta, Mashhood explained that the ethical training initiative aims to address the "decline in civility" that has occurred over the past two decades.

Without explicitly mentioning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he expressed concern about how recent developments have jeopardized opportunities for Pakistani youth abroad. He noted that "several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea, have expressed reservations about accepting Pakistani workers, citing concerns about professional conduct and workplace ethics".

"The UAE has indicated reluctance to recruit skilled workers from Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia has raised similar reservations," Ahmed explained. "Even countries like Japan and South Korea have reported challenges regarding the lack of professional etiquette in Pakistani workers."

Rana Mashhood referenced the recent incident involving former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in London to illustrate his point.

He questioned whether citizens of other countries behave in such a manner toward their officials abroad, specifically citing the incident where certain individuals harassed Chief Justice Isa. "When our delegations travel abroad, as in the case of the disrespectful behavior shown toward Qazi Faez Isa, do we ever witness citizens of other countries acting like this?" he asked.

He emphasized the importance of guiding Pakistan's younger generation toward success. "We must lead our youth along the right path and help them understand that when they go abroad, they serve as ambassadors of Pakistan," he explained.

"We will engage influencers in this program to instill moral values in young men and women," Rana added. "The goal is to foster positive thinking and eliminate the culture of disrespect and incivility."

Nationalism part of morality syllabus

The comprehensive training program will be launched in collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC). This initiative will integrate moral and ethical education into technical training programs for the youth.

According to additional information obtained by Nukta, the government plans to incorporate the promotion of "nationalism" into its curriculum.

Furthermore, the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment will require individuals planning to work abroad to complete a course on morality and ethics. This certification will be mandatory for obtaining their no-objection certificate (NOC).

These courses will be implemented across all educational institutions in Pakistan, including public and private schools, colleges, and universities. Participation in these courses will be mandatory for both the public and private sectors.

The government suggests that the hostile behavior of overseas Pakistanis toward government officials abroad stems from the PTI’s influence on its supporters.

Recent incidents in London have seen Pakistani citizens strongly protesting against several political figures, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Mian Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

PTI's response

PTI Senator Dr. Humayun Mohmand criticized the government's stance on ethics and morality. He told Nukta, "When they talk about cleaning up the mess of 21 years, they should instead address the problems created over the past 45 years," he stated.

He challenged their claims of being ethical and honest, pointing to Pakistan's economic decline. "There was a time when Pakistan's economy was stronger than India, China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Pakistan was 75 percent wealthier than Bangladesh. However, under these successive governments, by 2018, Pakistan had become the poorest among these nations, while Bangladesh had grown to become 40 percent wealthier than Pakistan."

"The significant deterioration began in 1985, though problems existed even before then. The situation continued to worsen in subsequent years. While the decline initially started in 1954, it accelerated dramatically under their leadership."

"They speak of morality," he continued, "but is buying political loyalty through bribes and kidnapping considered moral? They're labeling an entire political party's workers as terrorists just to maintain their power - is this ethical?"

He acknowledged that a few members of the ruling party PML-N, including Khurram Dastgir and Khawaja Saad Rafique, had demonstrated some degree of ethical behavior and grace. "However, the majority of them have no understanding of ethics or morality. They're simply plundering the nation's resources," he said.