Faisalabad is connected by rail and road with Lahore and Multan and by air with Karachi and Lahore. Faisalabad has been fed with modern motorways from Lahore and Rawalpindi. The Faisalabad International Airport is situated approximately 10 kms from the centre of the city that is the Clock Tower. This airport caters to both domestic and international flights.

Important industries include textiles, food, synthetics and chemicals. The West Pakistan Agricultural University founded in 1909 is located at Faisalabad. The other important educational institution of fame is the Punjab Medical College. The Punjab Institute of Nuclear Medicine and the very famous National Textile University are located here too.

The places of interest in and around Faisalabad are the Clock Tower, the Victoria Memorial Chowk, Jinnah Garden, The Allama Iqbal stadium etc. Other Buildings of the colonial era are The General Post Office and the Old General Bus Stand. The Faisalabad Hockey Stadium, The Gumti Water Fountain, Sindbad, Rex City are places which will also interest a newcomer to the city.

The City offers accommodation to travellers with varied budgets. The Faisalabad Serena Hotel is a star hotel and is located at Club Road. The other hotels of repute are the East Inn Hotel at Sheikhupura Road. Budget hotels worth mentioning are Rays, Prime, National, Rex and Grace Hotel.

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related: Pakistan | Faisalabad | Punjab

Formerly this city was known as Lyallpur till 1979, on Sir Charles James Lyall, the erstwhile British Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, who founded this city in 1890. The name Faisalabad was given in honour of king Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Faisalabad is also known as the Manchester of Pakistan. This is because it is famed for its textile mills.

The main market area of Faisalabad is called the Ghanta Ghar. This is actually the Clock Tower and was built in 1895. It has eight roads leading from it into eight market areas and has been designed on the Union Jack. Each of these markets sells different types of commodities. D Ground is the second most important market area of Faisalabad after Ghanta Ghar.

Faisalabad is affected by extreme climatic conditions. Temperatures range from 4 degrees centigrade in winter to 48 degrees in summer. It is basically very dry and rainfall is very scanty. The monsoons are from July to September. Sometimes during winter, there is rainfall in this district.

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related: Pakistan | Faisalabad | Punjab

There should be recommendations for improving education in Pakistan's remote places.

(A) Low literacy rate low standard of education: Due to lack of resources and lack of awareness of importance of education in Pakistan literacy rate is very low. People could not give education to their kids because of low income and on lowest school fees they send their children to below standard school that is why standard of education is also very low.

(B) Absurdity of curricula and pedagogy are lacking to set goals in many disciplines furthermore, there is no built-in system in which one step leads to the next, to enable a student to develop a truly sound base for the discipline he or she is interested in.
Moreover each higher levels of education, there is no mechanism worth its name to help a student in gauging his or her potential or in deciding on a suitable academic career.

(C) Multiple of educational systems: There are many systems are working here, resulting is not synergy, but social division and conflicts. For example: - We have English medium schools, Urdu medium schools and religious madarsas. Student coming out of English especially good private sector schools, have little or no awareness of their religion and culture. Where as those passing out from Urdu medium schools are usually destined to work in clerical and lower level positions.
Religious madarsas churn out yet another class that are usually unaware of the world outside their own and, with their strong sectarian prejudice and little or no training in modern disciplines, are usually ill-equipped to inter act meaning fully with the larger society and are also historic at times in spreading sectarianism.

There should be improved training and educational opportunities for a student is in rural and remote areas.
Primary education must be free and compulsory for all boys and girls. Programs and services should be organized for their education.

1. Comprehensive Education

Cultural and Linguistic diversity, community access schools, supportive school environment , policies and frame works on education learning difficulties all these features understanding and their implementation can bring about many changes in our country. Then the rush for leaving the village or remote places and joining the nearest town and cities would slow down and improve their way of life. Remote education may enable Pakistan to accelerate the pace of progress and get rid of all the wavering and hesitation prevailed in the country for the last 10 - 15 years. This will smoother up Pakistan's entrance and substance in the new millennium.

Samer Iqbal, Educationist

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Pakistan has played the fence with both the United States and Islamic militants for years and is now forced to make a decision that will dictate the future of the country. Considered one of the most dangerous places in the world it is home of significant senior al Qaeda officials, possibly including Osama bin Laden and the former Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Recently, Danielle Pletka, Vice-President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute characterized Pakistan as a Nation that "has teetered between quasi-democracy and autocracy for decades, is home to a significant stock of nuclear weapons, has gone to war three times with its nuclear armed neighbor, and has a small but committed minority of extremists bent on killing the Pakistani President and taking over the country." If the United States continues to ignore Pakistan's failure to make significant political and social reforms then Pakistan could quite easily dissolve into civil war - making it much easier for militants to cease even more territory, support, weapons and stability.

The U.S. must take a harder stance on how Pakistan disburses the financial aid we supply in order to ensure that these reforms are met. This includes insuring that free elections are held this year and that the recommendations set by the 9/11 commission report regarding education reform are instituted. We should as well demand that either Pakistan begins a campaign to rid the militants from its borders or allow U.S. troops to operate within its territory to do so. With the growing militant and civil unrest in Pakistan as well as an uncertain future with Iran that could include U.S. military action at some point, Pakistan remains a vital component in the war on terrorism. Although some experts feel that we should not pressure Pakistan by issuing demands for reform which may decrease Musharrafs ability to wage war, I believe this is a mistake. Success in the region hinges upon empowering the civilian base as well as empowering the army at the same time. We must enter into a long-term, broader working relationship with Pakistan to ensure that it remains an ally or risk the possibility of nuclear armed militants.

Bryan Daugherty is a resident journalist at the Evolution of Thought Institute. The Evolution of Thought Institute is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that was established for the betterment of mankind. All posted information is derived from individuals with a vast spectrum of knowledge from around the globe. Members, Fellows and Scholars of E.T.I. are able to collaborate on various projects and debates together to bring forth a better tomorrow.

related: Pakistan | financial aid | military aid | United States

These new developments have offered a respite to President and Military Chief Pervez Musharraf who has been under pressure by pro-democracy movements to renounce his army post and allow fair and free balloting. Some now believe the Musharraf may put off elections scheduled for this year and declare a state of emergency. But the respite from political pressures has now placed Musharraf in the line of fire of militants and tensions are quickly heating up to what could become a large scale civil war. In an analysis over the weekend, Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation argued that "if President Musharraf is to succeed in liquidating extremism, he would need U.S. support. U.S. officials should make it clear, that eliminating terrorism requires that the Pakistan army resumes its offensive in the Tribal Areas."

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