Testing times need right response

IN his interviews to Cable News Network and Pakistan Television, President General Pervez Musharraf had to take the hard line against India against the backdrop of Sep 11 incident and the American response in the form of attack against Afghanistan.

Giving up whatever diplomacy he has learnt in the last two years, President Musharraf had to use easy, clear words to tell India that its threat of attacking alleged “terrorist camps” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir would be met in the same coin. India was told that Pakistan was not looking towards America for its defence, as it was capable of thwarting any Indian adventurism.

It was too much for President Musharraf and he had to give a strong warning to India.

In these complicated and confused times, President Pervez Musharraf has displayed an uncanny quality of clear thinking. He wants the attack against Afghanistan to end early, especially before the holy month of Ramazan, though the American president sees it as a long campaign.

His outlook for any future Afghan set-up also makes Pakistan stand firm and clear. Though the Northern Alliance is waiting in the wings, Zahir Shah willing to head the interim government and India also eyeing its influence, Pakistan’s stand for a broad-based government, including moderate Taliban, has been sent out to world loud and clear.

On the internal front, the Musharraf government is facing a tough situation. Killing of civilians in Afghanistan in the American bombardment and the presence of American personnel in Pakistan are only angering the religious parties. Loss of innocent lives, no matter, in any part of world is a condemnable act.

Unfortunately, Pakistan’s efforts to avert an attack on Afghanistan by trying to convince the Taliban to hand over the prime suspect Osama bin Laden fell on deaf ears. Had that advice been given some thought, the crisis would have not come to this extent. Religious parties are forgetting a simple fact: our base is Pakistan. As we equate Pakistan’s creation in the name of Islam, Pakistan’s alignment with the rest of the world is not an un-Islamic act. Religious parties are also ignoring the fact that Pakistan has been the refuge of Afghans for the last 22 years. Our economy, our social outlook and way of life have changed since the arrival of Afghans which started in 1979. For better or worse, this country has given them sustenance and shelter.

Everyone has the right to oppose the government, but no one has the right to obstruct the state’s function. The line is thin but vital for the country. Pakistan’s respected and learned religious leaders have to identify this line and must not cross it in the best interest of the country. Fear of polarization is real. But is it only the government’s responsibility to tackle this problem? No. Responsibility also lies with the political, religious and social leaders of Pakistan.

REHAN ISPAHANI

Karachi

Court cases against builders

THE City Nazim, Mr Naimatullah Khan, speaking at a seminar held recently, said ( Oct 21) that he did not agree with the view that a large number of poor people, particularly widows and orphans, who had booked flats in various apartment buildings were suffering as construction had stopped due to court cases instituted by the NGO, Shehri.

I would like to invite the attention of the City Nazim to the fact that a large number of letters have already been published in Dawn written by those who are running from pillar to post to take their money back from the builders whose cases have been taken to the courts.

Unfortunately, Shehri has always taken such cases to the courts when prospective buyers have already invested considerable amount of money in the project. They should file the cases earlier or, at least, warn the prospective buyers of the illegality of the project through the press well in time to hold them back from investing their money in it.

If the City Nazim wants to know the actual position in this respect, he should initiate an open kutchery for those affected by these court cases, in one of the Hyde Parks in Karachi recently announced by the city government. Only then would he be able to realize the miseries of those who are suffering on account of these court cases and for no fault of their own.

The City Nazim, who is himself an advocate, must be fully aware of the fact that normally the courts take a long time to give any decision.

I, therefore, appeal to the City Nazim, whose duty it is to solve the problems of the citizens, to ask the government to institute special courts for deciding cases of this nature and transfer all such cases to them for a speedy disposal.

SYED A. MATEEN

Karachi

Use of CNG in vehicles

THIS refers to Sobia Zareen’s letter, captioned “CNG use in vehicles” (Oct 24). It is really heartening to see that people are becoming more and more aware of the environmental problems and share their ideas to control wide spread air pollution.

CNG has been promoted as clean fuel that helps in reducing air pollution caused by toxic exhaust emissions of petrol driven engines (as most of us know it). But if you do some research and study CNG in detail the so called ‘clean fuel’ doesn’t appear to be so “clean”. The exhaust gases that are emitted during combustion process of an engine can be significantly lowered if the combustion is complete. Unfortunately the fuel is not completely burned and if the engine is not properly tuned, the improper combustion increases the density of emissions.

Now if you use CNG in place of petrol, the gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc are significantly reduced, but a far more dangerous emission is released due to presence of methane in the CNG. Methane, ethane, propane and butane all present in the CNG, cause much less pollution then petrol but gas powered engines emit ultra fine particles that penetrate deep into the human body and cause respiratory diseases and can also instigate cancer. An editorial published in Dawn (Aug 9, 2000) captioned ‘CNG dangers’ has all these details.

Another commonly ignored danger of CNG is the possibility of explosion. CNG is stored at very high pressure of around 3200psi in cylinders. These cylinders can easily explode in a collision or by a spark near a leaking cylinder. So it’s like carrying a bomb with you on the road. The claims by cylinder manufacturers can’t be justified as the strength of these cylinders is measured in controlled lab conditions that don’t even come close to the actual incidents on the road.

CNG is very explosive. It’s a poor man’s bomb. CNG is safe in a non-spark and non-collision world, but if is released and allowed to mix with air, and at the same time there is a spark, the sub-zero temperature suddenly increases and the volume expands 1000 times and such a sudden increase in pressure bursts even the strongest container and huge fireball results. The government should take very firm steps to check this CNG gimmick, which can result in an uncontrollable security problem in future.

CNG is also harmful for engines not designed for this fuel. Common cars like we have in Pakistan are designed to run on leaded fuel. These cars need special fuel conditioners to run on unleaded or low lead fuel and the introduction of CNG, which is a dry fuel, damages the engines specially the valves seats. This process of valve seat recession takes sometime during which a consumer thinks that the savings through use of CNG are substantial and when the engine breaks down the cause is unknown and blamed on something else and the poor user continues using CNG not knowing the same thing will be repeated very soon.

It is advisable that conversion to any alternate fuel should be done very carefully.

ZAHEER A. MALIK

Karachi

Graduates from dental colleges

AT present there are seven dental colleges in Karachi and at least 15 in Pakistan. Every year, this country produces hundreds of dentists. But where do fresh graduates of dental surgery go?

After completing their house job, most dentists do not see a very bright future ahead. The chances of post-graduation in Pakistan are very slim. The College of Physicians and Surgeons has done away with MCPS in dentistry. There are hardly any training posts available for FCPS Part II training. In fact the number of training posts available are negligible when compared to the number of dentists graduating each year.

How many dentists can afford the high cost of post-graduate education abroad? So what does a dentist do after completing his house job? Does the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) have an answer?

I request the PMDC not to allow any more new dental colleges in the country. Instead, the PMDC should concentrate upon improving the standard of dental education and on providing more opportunities for post-graduate training.

DR Z. AHMAD

Karachi

Distortion of facts by Western media

RECENTLY, a consistent anti-Pakistan propaganda, portraying a distorted picture of what is happening in Pakistan, is being carried by CNN, BBC and other Western media. It needs to be countered at both, the government and the public levels.

It is true that some rallies were taken out in some areas, particularly those bordering on Afghanistan. But those participating in them hardly represented even 5 per cent of the general population of Pakistan. The “silent” majority does not harbour any ill will against the US or the West. They condemn what happened on Sept 11 in the US.

However the repeated telecasting of these protest rallies, sometimes using the same footage for a number of days, is portraying a totally incorrect picture of the general population of Pakistan. I wonder why our government is not acting to check this distorted representation of facts.

Another misconception in the Western media is that medressahs are training grounds for future terrorists. In fact, most of them are imparting religious teaching only and are also providing, in some cases, free lodging and boarding to the children.

CONCERNED PAKISTANI

Karachi

Kidney transplants

I have been working in a medical institute in the UAE for the last nine months. During this period, I have come across at least seven cases where local patients went to Rawalpindi, to get kidney transplants at a private transplant centre.

Nearly all those patients went through post transplant complications. At least a couple of them required trips to the operation theatre because of life-threatening situations. However, all of them were discharged from the transplant centre in Rawalpindi right after the surgery and sent back to the UAE for further treatment.

NAZIA JUNEJO

Abu Dhabi

Massive bombing

US terrorism, by way of massive bombing unleashed over Afghanistan more than two weeks ago, has achieved virtually nothing, though it has caused immense misery to the children and the poor who were already having a hard time since the withdrawal of the invading Soviet forces.

The US-UK coalition, having spent several billions of US dollars in bombing targets worth nothing in Afghanistan, has reportedly launched special troops with a mission to kill Mulla Omar, Osama bin Laden and members of the Al Qaeda network. Is this the American concept of justice ?

The US looks like an elephant in rage who is, with the help of other wild animals, out to crush an ant. Ultimately, the angry elephant might put the whole jungle on fire in utter despair.

LT COL (R) SYED AHMED

Karach

Cutting down old trees

YET another large-scale cutting down of old trees has taken place at Mardan ( Oct 11). Century-old shisham, mulberry and eucalyptus trees were pulled down by government functionaries at Umur Khan Cannons Chowk to widen this and several other roundabouts.

The same news item adds that last year the then DC, Mardan, had ordered the cutting down of 20 shisham trees near the Circuit House, all of which were over a century old. These splendid old trees were a part of our past. Once destroyed, they cannot be replaced, ever!

Yet, every year old trees are cut down in large numbers to widen roads and chowks by the same government functionaries who urge the planting of trees accompanied by a fanfare of publicity during the ‘planting season’. What is alarming and unfortunate is that hardly a voice is ever raised from the public to protest against the felling of trees.

There is a need for creating awareness about the importance of preserving trees, among our people. Perhaps a beginning can be made at schools where the children should be told as to why it is necessary to protect the environment.

K.A. ABBASI

Karachi

War mentality

I AM just a book editor here in the US and it is very difficult for me to imagine what is going on there in Pakistan.

The one thing I do know is that it makes me uncomfortable in my gut.

There seems to be a war mentality pervading my country that makes me quite sad. Many of my friends seem to have put their critical thought on hold. I hope your country isn’t ruined because of this. That was rather simplistic, but that’s what I feel.

CHARLIE VAUGHN

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Route numbers on buses

TRAFFIC authorities should make sure that at night the route numbers of coaches, minibuses and other public transport should be made visible enough so that people waiting at bus stops are able to read them easily.

It is often observed that these vehicles stop for just a short while so that one cannot catch what the conductor is calling. The aged commuters, specially, find it extremely difficult to read the route numbers and can do so only when they come very close.

I request the authorities concerned to take necessary action in this regard.

SYED NEHAL ALVI

Karachi

Fine on ‘paan’ spitting

ACCORDING to the rules and regulations at the Mazar-i-Quaid, paan spitting, littering and using chewing gum are not allowed within the Mazar complex. Any violation of these rules leads to the imposition of a fine.

Paan spitting not only destroys the beauty of the environment but it also indicates that the people here are uncivilized. In many countries, littering and spitting are banned.

It is painful to note that inside the public transport too, some people take to chewing paan and spitting outside the window without caring about the passerby. Many pedestrians often stain their clothes because of this.

It is requested that the imposition of fines on paan spitting and littering should not be restricted only to the Mazar-e-Quaid, but it should be extended to all public places throughout the country.

MUMTAZ

Karachi

US bombing on Afghanistan

AFTER dropping bombs on a hospital in Herat the Americans should convert their current phrase “Minimum collateral damage” to “Maximum collateral destruction”.

They have yet to develop technology, which can guide their bombs and missiles to differentiate between military target and civilian installations and residential areas.

BRIG (R) SALAHUDDIN

Karachi

Killings of civilians

DOES anyone watch the TV reports about what is going on in Afghanistan? Even the BBC shows the massacre of civilians. Has no one seen innocent, lovely, but famished Afghan children on the mini-screen? What has happened to the conscience of the world?

ASHFAQUE NAQVI

Lahore

Ignoring real problems

IT is one of those sad facts of life that sex and alcohol are the only crimes of consequence in our great republic. Everything else collects dust.

So was it with the second meeting (reported on Oct 21) of those whom Karachi is blessed to have rule over it. At a meeting that finished early, “owing to lack of quorum,” the only consequential matters for these who have been selected for us was that the “sale of liquor should be banned,” because it would give birth to more anti-social activities. Logically following on this noble theme was concern over the alleged promotion of vulgarity and obscenity.

Every year in Karachi alone there are many targeted Shaukat Mirzas, for whom, incidentally, every near insolvent public sector company has squandered public funds in eulogizing; tens of young Shakirs are cut off in their prime by avaricious, vengeful or sexual psychopaths; hundreds of loved ones are deliberately killed in the name of someone’s “honour”; thousands of people are victims of random, impersonal violence. All these are irrelevant meriting little more than passing reference, pursued and mourned only by those around them.

These are just one aspect that mirrors the degradation and polarization of our city. Consequent to the deliberate mischief of successive uncaring governments the city of lights and peace that once provided 70% of Pakistan’s revenue bears the brunt of the onslaughts of every religious, ethnic, political, refugee and plain sociopath group in the country. Seeking power though the bullet, what better place than Karachi where a seething, multi-cultural melting pot now waits to be tossed into another tempest of hate? Here maximum disruption requires minimum effort. If all else fails we blame the Indians! The real issues continue to fester.

In an excellent column on that meeting of our city rulers entitled “Our Taliban on the march,” (Oct 22) A.B.S. Jafri bears citing. “There was more of rumpus than debate. Did they talk of any of the killer problems and evils that beset life in Karachi? The answer is a resounding NO. They talked only of women’s clothes and the alcohol shops.”

As our state becomes increasingly atavistic in its perception of right and wrong and fails in its ability to administer and implement intelligent and equitable rule of law it falls back on dogma as the instant and gratifying placebo for all ills. In a nation that has nothing going for it, simple minds brainwashed and instigated by misogynistic bigots can readily relate to these tantalizing tangibles as the root causes of all their ills.

Many hundred years ago and in the glorious words of Shakespeare, Henry II of England said, “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” Cardinal Thomas Beckett was sped to Valhalla a few days later in the year 1170. Credited to him as dying words were, “had I served my God half as well as I served my king...” It would be salutary to consider what temporal kings our religious parties serve when they malign Islam in the blessed name of God.

Dr MERVYN HOSEIN

Karachi