Muhammad Rabnawaz Awan
In my earlier career at the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), I was deeply engaged in corporate governance and regulatory reform. During those years, I authored a series of articles in esteemed newspapers like The News, Business Recorder, and The Express Tribune, where I consistently advocated for a balanced approach to regulation. I argued that while rules are necessary, they are never enough. Ethics, integrity, and a sense of personal accountability must accompany legal compliance for any governance structure to be truly effective. spokesman
Among those pieces were:
– “Reassessing the Regulatory Balance Between Ethics and Rules” (The News, March 23, 2014)
– “Time for Reforming the Architecture of Regulation” (The News, May 20, 2014)
– “Opportunity and Limitations of the Enforcement” (The News, May 25, 2014)
– “Pursuing Self-Serving Disputes with Vigour” (Business Recorder, July 13, 2014)
– “Corporate Governance and Accountability” (The Express Tribune, December 29, 2014)
Each article centered around the same theme: awareness, values, and inner reform must supplement external controls. Regulation alone cannot create a just system unless the regulated also embrace a moral compass.
Today, years later, I find myself in a completely different field—education. Yet the core philosophy that once drove my work in corporate governance continues to guide me here. As an educationist, I advocate for a model that goes beyond test scores and academic outcomes. I believe that nurturing the soul is as important as educating the mind.
Unfortunately, much of our current education system focuses on rote learning, superficial discipline, and quantifiable success. But what we need is something deeper: an education that embeds honesty, empathy, civic sense, and ethical thinking at its heart. As I often tell my colleagues, “Without character, knowledge becomes cunning; without compassion, intelligence turns cold.”spokesman
In my present role, I have been actively persuading fellow educators to adopt a more holistic philosophy. Schools, I believe, should not merely produce professionals but principled citizens. We must teach our students not just how to make a living but how to live.
This continuity between my past and present is not accidental. Whether in boardrooms or classrooms, the fundamental need remains the same: an internal transformation. True progress begins not with enforcement from above but with awareness from within.
My journey from compliance to conscience is far from over. But if there is one lesson I have learned, it is this: any reform—be it corporate or educational—must begin with values. Only then can we hope to build institutions that are not just successful but truly civilised.spokesman
Writer is a former Media Coordinator of the SECP and contributor to national dailies on regulatory and governance issues. He currently serves in the public education sector, promoting values-driven teaching practices. He can be reached at [email protected]
