It was, indeed, refreshing to hear Mian Shahbaz Sharif make an unequivocal statement that the vision of Allama Iqbal and the Quaid-i-Azam could only become a reality if the country were to adopt the principle of self-reliance. The observation is especially pertinent in the present context, when our leaderships penchant for begging for foreign help at the drop of a hat, has landed Pakistan in a veritable debt trap, with suffocating conditionalities. However, should self-reliance become a household word in Pakistan in the real sense, there is absolutely no doubt that, with its plentiful assets in the form of human as well as natural resources, it would be able to turn the corner in a surprisingly short span of time. But at the present moment, we stand in an unfortunate position. It is not only the government but also the people at large who take pride in living beyond their means. That trend has to be reversed, and even the rich classes have to shun a lavish life-style, and form the habit of saving. Having a population of nearly 180 million - more than half the component below the age of 25, hardworking and intelligent - Pakistan has the potential of producing a whole range of scientists, technical experts, subject specialists and a useful workforce. All that is needed is to prioritise education and allocate substantial sums of money to this sector. The present reality sadly speaks quite differently. There is an urgent need for Mian Shahbaz, therefore, to look into this aspect and redress the discrepancy by reallocating non-development funds to the education sector. The Punjab Chief Minister, who was addressing the 10th annual prize distribution ceremony of Nazariati Summer School at Aiwan-e-Karkunan Tehrik-e-Pakistan, Lahore, urged the students to use their energies towards such fruitful ends. He also promised to give priority to the promotion of Pakistan ideology when he was called upon to include the Two-Nation Theory as a subject in the curricula of educational institutions of the province. The Chief Minister also assured the audience that the PML-N was a firm believer in the freedom of the media and would never compromise on this principle. He praised the free media, a sine qua non of a democratic order, for exposing the wrongs of the government, thus serving as its watchdog. The passage of an anti-media resolution by the Punjab Assembly, though it was followed by another resolution upholding the freedom of the media, had raised a big question mark about the policies of the PML-N led government towards the freedom of the press. One hopes that the government sticks to the promise of self-reliance and a free media.