A delegation of scholars, academics, and humanitarian workers visited IPS on July 14, 2023, to interact with the Institute’s team and identify the potential areas of cooperation.
The visitors, who were associated with different academic and philanthropic organizations, particularly the Fiqh Academy, Karachi and Fateh Foundation, were led by Mufti Owais Pasha Qarni, head of Fiqh Academy, Karachi.
General Manager Operations Naufil Shahrukh and Research Fellow Syed Nadeem Farhat welcomed the delegation and informed them of the role of IPS as a think tank. They were apprised of the IPS programs aimed at collaborating with educational institutes and organizations and engaging with scholars to help build knowledge in numerous policy-oriented areas. The delegates took keen interest in the working model and thematic contributions of the Institute.
It was observed during the discussion that the policy environment in the country needs to be molded to cater to the local requirements and ambitions with a people-centric approach. The Euro-centric narratives and solutions have not been able to address the socio-economic issues that are deeply entrenched in the peculiar circumstances, history, and culture of Pakistan.
Muslim nations have a lot to share among them to develop narratives and offer solutions that emanate from their universal vision of humanity. There is limited access to Muslim literature but there is also a dearth of Islamic perspectives on contemporary themes such as gender issues, agnostic trends, education, etc.
It was also suggested that think tanks and academic institutions must play their role through a synergized effort to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This may be brought about by identifying areas where new Islamic literature can be developed and performing gap analysis for contemporary subject matters that concern Muslim societies and the people at large.
