Pakistan is a tale of two countries.

PAKISTAN has been blessed with a number of spectacular exceptions. Out of eight highest peaks of the world, three exist in Pakistan. There is the highest highway of the world - the Silk Route, connecting Pakistan with China. The largest irrigation system of the world exists in Pakistan. All the four seasons in their full bloom, the sea, the desert, rocky, lush green and snow-covered mountains, rich agricultural land and unlimited natural resources exist in our country. We have the biggest deep seaport of South Asia and, above all, Pakistan is a nuclear power; in fact, the only nuclear power in the Muslim world.

In contrast, we have a struggling education, a crippled healthcare delivery system, and injustice in every possible way and at every possible tier. The most disgusting and ugly aspect of our existence as a country is the double standards - multiple standards, actually - that are seen in just about every field of life. It is no wonder that we behave more like a frenzied mob than a coherent nation.

Talking of education, not only the shape of schools is different for different classes of society, even the syllabus is different. The infrastructure, furniture, sanitation, teachers' qualification and salaries are different ... any other element imaginable is different.

Moreover, the system of education is different for both classes. There is the Cambridge system which was once considered the domain of the elite, but, today, even within the stream there are tiers that are reflective of one's social class. Then, of course, there is the matriculation system which has the same intra-stream divisions. And then there are state-run schools and seminaries. The only thing common to all of them is the tag of 'education' that provides the umbrella under which they all operate.

Double standards are also seen in the healthcare delivery system. The elite can get treatment from costly private hospitals in air-conditioned rooms, while the poor have to depend mainly on public-sector hospitals that are financially overburdened. More critically, they are administratively unhinged.

Previously, the treatment was free in public-sector...