True enlightenment

Since the Holy Quran repeatedly asks the faithful to ponder, reflect and acquire knowledge that would bring them closer to God's creation, Muslim rulers in the early Islamic period insisted that every Muslim child acquire learning and they themselves gave considerable support to institutions and learning in general.
This contributed greatly to make elementary education almost universal amongst Muslims and was one of the potent causes of the rapid growth of the Islamic civilisation. I guess this was the yardstick to measure progress, enlightenment or civilization, not by the number of shopping malls or restaurants or designer stores as is the trend nowadays.
True progress as history bears witness is when learning, research and a spirit of inquiry flourished. Civilisations, such as the Greek, Chinese, Persian, European or Islamic, flourished when learning and the spirit of pursuit of truth and inquiry held pre-eminence-this spirit also fuelled the Renaissance.
The characteristics of these societies is the level of intellectual activity, the discoveries, scientists produced or scholars thinkers etc. No country can ever hope to achieve progress without its own bedrock of thinkers, scientists etc to fuel its growth.
Take the case of China, which is forging ahead because on its reliance on its own scientists and engineers and producers rather than on foreign based concerns, and investment. To survive into the next century as a civilised society Pakistan needs an education with moral and civic sense, not just information gathering as in the trend in most educational institutes and offices nowadays.