The Planning Commission under the stewardship of its Deputy Chairman Engr Dr Muhammad Akram Sheikh (Hilal-i-Imtiaz) after prolonged deliberations produced the very valuable document titled Vision 2030. Its objective was defined as "developed, industrialised, just and prosperous Pakistan through rapid and sustainable development in a resource constrained economy by deploying knowledge inputs." Necessary inspiration and guidance was provided by the eminent scholar and former head of the ISI, who happens to be steering the national education policy as federal minister of this vital and fundamental key department. The foreword of vision 2030 was written by former PM Shaukat Aziz. He wrote: "The Planning Commission deserves to be complimented in preparing the roadmap for Pakistan in the 21st century - Vision 2030. This document reflects the aspirations and potential of our people in the context of a fast - changing world....We are confident that we will have laid down the foundations of a prosperous and harmonious society much before 2030" The then President of Pakistan, went a step further than his PM: "I am happy to learn that the Planning Commission has accomplished the task of formulating the Vision 2030 document....this national vision is based upon extensive consultations and discussions with hundreds of experts and visionaries spread over 18 months, drawn from across the country... have contributed to the formulation of this document. We are grateful to them for reflecting the hope, aspirations and determinations of our people to shape their collective destiny. It is for this reason that the consensus arrived at in the Vision 2030 document is of enduring significance in the process of nation building. "In sum, Vision 2030 sounds a clarion-call to the entire nation to unite and forge ahead with faith in our destiny; and discipline in all our undertakings and endeavours to make Pakistan an embodiment of peace, prosperity and progress." These hopes, expressed, almost 10 years ago, have proved a mirage. Idealism of any nature, at any level, must be combined with a sense of possible, in keeping with the aspirations and potential of our people, reflecting our "national power." Every time you put a military expert in charge of a hospital, an education institute or any such assignment, of which he has never received any training, and the end result will be the same. Yet we in Pakistan refuse to learn any lesson from out past blunders and keep repeating the same over and over again. At about the same time that we worked out Vision 2030, Pakistan also committed itself to another 'Vision 2015' at Dakkar in Senegal, under the title of Education for all signed by the federal and provincial education authorities, pledging that Pakistan would achieve 100 percent literacy by 2015. All most nine years have passed without this solemn national pledge making any headway. No miracle is likely to happen during the next 6 years i.e. by 2015. Since I'm involved pretty seriously in the promotion of literacy to the extent of dedicating the rest of my days for this mission, believing. I've been very concerned and perturbed over the slow speed of national efforts in this direction. We cannot achieve our goals, without adopting extraordinary measures on a war footing. Last Thursday. I ventured out to Islamabad in order to feel the pulse in the corridors of power. I've returned with a complete sense of satisfaction after meeting with the Federal Minister for Education Mir Bijarani whom I found fully conscious of the challenges ahead. He is working on a blue print to provide the necessary solution, without any further loss of time. The recommendations on the next education budget are on the anvil. I was assured by the Special Assistant to the PM on Social Welfare and in charge of the Higher Education Commission Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali that the whole ambit of education at all levels was under review which would be completed on war footing. I received similar good news from Dr Shaukat Hameed Khan of the Planning Commission. Everyone was in complete agreement on one basic truth that Pakistan will need to make the accumulation of knowledge and collective competence and firm resolve at national level, the major driver of its national power, economic growth, political stability, as well as adequate military strength to achieve the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. I shall end with Sura Al Ra'ad, Ayat 11 of the Holy Quran: "Allah will not change the state of a nation, unless they first bring about the change within themselves." The writer is the president of the Pakistan National Forum