Letter to Editor: Plagiarism on Pamir Times
by Sher Baz Khan
Dear Editor, I want to draw your attention to a serious matter regarding articles and contributions in Pamir Times.
Well, Pamir Times is the only serious forum of expression of people of the region. It has gained a considerable readership as well as authenticity among the readers. Specially for the peopel who are away from their origin find it as a connecting plateform with thier origin.
Unfortunately, some of the contributors, ofcourse with fake identities, attribute writings to themselves which are actually the work of authorities on the subject. The particular article I want to draw your attention towards is “The Walking Economist” by some one Sher Bahadur. Who ever is he, has violated all the norms of writing and research. This is an article actually written in “Economic Survey”. You can cross check it on web pages : www.economicsforeveryone.com/files/uploads/Economics_for_Everyone_Chap1.pdf . The gentleman has associated it to himself not bothering even to parapharasing it, leave aside citation.
This kind of act is more than plagiarism. IT IS DISHONESTY. Please check the reliabilty of writer before publishing it. It will save Pamir Times from many hindrances.
Editor’s note: Dear Sher Baz Khan, Thank you for identifying this serious issue. I apologize for not being able to check originality of the article. I regret to agree with you that indeed there are dishonest people out there who still think that they can cheat the search engines and the rest of us. I hope that our contributors become conscious of the alert readers, if not their conscience.
Noor_.
It is indeed sadenning to note that some people have tried to indulge themselves in intellectually dishonest activities. This behaviour represents the cut and paste mentality of cheating, deceit, and irresponsibility that permeates in some segements of of the society. This is very dangerous and can potentially leads us to depths of darkness form which we will never be able to reach our desrved curriosity for enlightenment.
Well! Most of us learn through reading books, articles, essays and also by participating in debates, talks and dialogues. Our critical faculties and capacity for sound reasoning is awakened through a rigorous but original process of engagement with the opinions, ideas and thoughts of others. It must be noted that no one is really born with ideas and knowledge but it is through an honest process of intellectual engagement that people acquire superior skills of disputation and argumentation that leads to creation of knowledge. These facts of pedgagogy must be unashmedly accepted by all of us, but indeed not at the cost of claiming someone else’s efforts as our own.
Pamir Times is indeed an outstanding platform for open but critical disucssion about issues faced by us in Giligit-Baltistan. I think the highly laudable efforts of PT volunteer team has brought us togahter to analyse, dissect and tear apart myths and untested assumptions about our social, political and economic conditions in Giligit-Baltistan. If the poeple who contribute their opinions, essays, etc do not do so in an honest manner then we will be damaging our own cause and we will never be able to seek credible solutions to our own problems of political marginalisation, economic dependency and social exclusion form the wider Pakistani society. In the final analysis it will also tarnish the image of Pamir Times itslef as a serious online blog, as courageously noted by Sher baz sahip.
I strongly agree with the opinions of Sherbaz and thank him to point out the intellectual theft and dishonesty. The addition of comments by Al-Hakim further explains the intellectual process of gaining and transferring knowledge which needed to be paid a high regard. It is quite amazing to note that person who falsely claimed to have written the article ‘Walking Economist’ has not only defamed his own name also two other institutions, most importantly Karakuram International University (KIU) . KIU is supposed to impart the genuine intellectual growth and development in Gilgit-Baltistan, the intentions of the person could b harming this mother institution, he also claims to be a member of Karakuram Students Organization (KSO), this is all simply a matter of shame.
Pamir Times is a marvelous endeavor of its voluntary editorial team who are putting their best efforts to keep all of us connected with our beloved homeland and PT’s genuine efforts are worth tremendous appreciations. The heinous acts of deceitful and dishonest people may undermine the credibility and value of this sacred initiative of an honorable purpose, so such as Sher Baz Khan every one of us need to keep an open eye and without any regard must tear of any think like this in future.