| November 24, 2001 | Saturday | Ramazan 8, 1422 |
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Terrorism of another kind
Promotion of education
Problems of exporters
Karachi’s contribution
Privatization of govt college
Pakistan’s exports
Cambridge certificate
Price of medicines
Taliban rule
Exploiting the Northern Alliance
Kabul television
Lyari Expressway
WITH the Taliban fading away into the shadows, the US has backtracked on its promise to Pakistan that the Northern Alliance would not be allowed to enter and form the Government in Kabul. It may not prove to be an easy task to form a broad based multi-ethnic government in Kabul, but the elite forces of the US and UK who were waiting for the B-52 bombers to destroy the Taliban have now found it possible to land in Afghanistan.
Who will the special elite combat troops of the International coalition now fight? If the Taliban do not start a guerrilla resistance warfare from the mountains, the combat ready special elite forces may be disappointed as their services would be used for peace-keeping purposes to keep the Afghan warlords at bay and thus prevent the prize from slipping away into anarchy and chaos.
While the economic assistance to Pakistan from the US and Western countries; lifting of sanctions; enhancement of trade facilities; financial grants; loans and aid is appreciated in Pakistan there are much expectancy of better times in the hope that our huge external debt would be partly written off and the balance rescheduled. The word these days is re-profiling which may include a moratorium on payment coupled with lower interest rates, and the bonus would be a share in the re-construction and development of Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s support to the international coalition and its geographic strategic location has earned an interim dividend but dividends can continue to be earned for a long time with the interest the US and Europe has in Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics as Pakistan is the best option with a long border, trade routes and an outlet to the warm waters of the Gulf. This will suit future commercial policies of the US and western countries.
As for democracy and representative government, Pakistan advocates this for Kashmir and Afghanistan. Although the US, UK and Europe as the champions of democracy have temporarily removed this word from their dictionary and the US has embraced the doctrine of necessity by temporarily suspending its drive for democracy worldwide and giving up its judicial system for emergency military courts, it will not be long before these emergency measures are lifted and democracy once again becomes the name of the game to ensure a relationship with the US, UK and Europe.
In Pakistan, we are more consistent in our approach. Even our military leaders have always professed their ultimate faith in democracy, notwithstanding some deviations based on necessity. If we did not commit ourselves to democracy, it would be another deviation from Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan and the nation would not tolerate this.
As for rewarding Pakistan for standing with the international coalition against terror, our high expectations have come down to ground level, but much benefit can be derived by Pakistan, as the coalition has long term plans not only to combat terrorist networks in several countries but also to protect and preserve big business interests in gas and oil. Pakistan will almost certainly benefit from these ventures but only if we get our policies right, as the Russian President is already advocating the case for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan while President Bush is already talking of terrorism in Kashmir and elections in Pakistan, while India will do everything to derail Pakistan’s plans, escalating tension in Kashmir and raising the issue of cross-border terrorism and Pakistan nuclear capability.
This is the time to join hands and serve Pakistan interests as best we can. The President must bring political parties into the mainstream more particularly as October 2002 is not too far away.
LIAQUAT H. MERCHANT
Karachi
“NATIONS to freeze terrorist finances” (“The Toronto Star” Nov 18).
Yes! The finances of those who use violence against civilians should be frozen. But, justice demands that the funds belonging to the corrupt ruling classes of the impoverished countries of the developing world should also not be given safe haven in the British, Swiss and North American banks or in various off-shore banking centres. What is the difference between a person who kills another human being to promote his agenda and another who causes hunger and deprivation to millions of people to satisfy his lust for wealth?
Why are corrupt kings, dictators, army generals and bureaucrats of the third world who accumulate wealth by turning the daily lives of their own people into living hell are getting preferential treatment from western banks?
How is a small time African or Asian bureaucrat, drawing a salary of $500 per month, allowed to invest $10 million in a western bank with no question asked?
When these corrupt investors manage to run away from justice of their home country, they get refuge in the West to enjoy their loot and if they are caught, their western banks shield their tainted money behind banking secrecy laws and the poor countries end up fighting expensive legal battles for years.
Recently, an ambassador of one of the major oil exporting countries in the Middle East to the USA disclosed on the CNN that nationals of his country had investment of US$500 to 600 billion in the West. Is it not ironic that same country is running its budget in deficits and indebted to the West; meaning that its corrupt ruling class is making the West wealthier by depriving its own people?
While drawing protocols for freezing the funds of violent terrorists, these economic terrorists should also be given equally harsh treatment.
ANIS ZUBERI
Miss., ON, Canada
THE new Governor of Punjab has announced that he will take steps to promote education. This is most welcome.
In this connection, it may be pointed out that the distribution of institutions of higher learning in Punjab is skewed. The maximum concentration is found in Rawalpindi and its surroundings including the capital area, followed by Lahore. At times, universities were established for personal glory - for example an Arid Agriculture University on Murree Road whose location is not in either arid or agricultural area. It could have been better placed at Chakwal or Bhakkar. Faisalabad, the third big city in the country, has only one university (UAF), which is not meant for general education. In fact, UAF is more like a national R&D think tank serving beyond the local needs.
My humble suggestion to the Punjab Governor is that he should consider opening new universities keeping in view the geographic and demographic realities. The cities of Sargodha, Gujranwala and D.G. Khan are in urgent need of universities. There should be a general university in Faisalabad. The Arid Agriculture University should be renamed to reflect its true context and a new university for arid areas may be opened at an appropriate location.
The new universities should be mandated to focus their teaching and research programmes on the area of their location. For example, Sargodha is the prime locality for citrus research and education, which could be a priority issue for a university in that town.
DR IQRAR A. KHAN
Muscat, Oman
EXPORT performance in the last six months, despite what is being claimed as encouraging, has remained far from satisfactory.
The Collector Customs, Export, recently issued orders for continuation of customs examination and processing of export documents round the clock to avoid shut-out of cargo and help the exporters to get the shipments in a minimum possible time. This resulted in reasonable increase in the momentum of shipment.
However, the CBR has recently entered into an agreement with some private party and awarded the work for registration of shipping bills on computerised basis. The timings for registration of shipping bills are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. against payment of Rs 65 per shipping bill and up to 4 p.m. on payment of Rs 300 per shipping bill on all working days except Friday. On Friday, the registration of shipping bill is allowed up to 11 a.m. only on payment of Rs 65 and up to 12 noon on payment of Rs 300 per shipping bill. This they have done without knowing that processing and examination of shipping bill cannot be carried out without registration of S/Bill.
It is, therefore, requested that immediate amendment for timing of registration of shipping bills may be made as under:
Monday to Thursday & Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - against payment of Rs 65 per S/Bill; and up to 5 p.m. - against payment of Rs 300 per S/Bill.
Friday from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. - against payment of Rs. 65 per S/Bill; and up to 4 p.m. - against payment of Rs 300 per S/Bill.
A.E. MOTIWALA
Karachi
THIS refers to Hafizur Rahman’s column (Nov 21) in which reference has been made to the influx of refugees into Karachi in 1947.
Here it may be pointed out this large population (migrants) of “destitute, uneducated, and anti-social elements” worked hard and carved out positions for themselves in every sector without any help from the proverbial “connections”.
I also disagree with the remark that “this generation (the first immigrants to Karachi) will not be able to produce healthy, strong and useful citizens.”
Within twelve years of the Great Divide, Karachi became the biggest educational hub of Pakistan, thanks to the private educationists.
In all this process, the government contributed little, except nationalizing the educational institution opened by this community.
In spite of all this drawback, Karachi still stands foremost with the highest literacy rate among the men and women in Pakistan.
Controlling their private financial institutions and industries through nationalization was also another big blow.
I fail to understand why at this stage, when the country needs a lot of reconciliation and understanding, this unnecessary issue has been brought to the notice of readers.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
THE possible privatization of the Govt College of Commerce and Economics is a matter of great concern to students. Such a step will close the door to those who cannot afford the monthly fees.
Reportedly this step is being considered because of the falling standards of the college. However, the results of B.Com final 2000, indicate that the college secured the three top positions in commerce at the university level. Therefore the excuse of falling standards does not hold true for denationalization.
Hopefully, the authorities will re-think their decision.
CONCERNED STUDENT
Karachi
IN the aftermath of the tragic incidents of Sept 11, exports from Pakistan to the USA and Canada have suffered a lot. It has, in fact, come to a standstill. On the other hand, exports to the European sector and all other sectors is almost normal.
I don’t understand why most US and Canadian buyers have cancelled their orders with Pakistan when no such step has been taken by the others. It may be mentioned that the last three months are very crucial as far as the quota category exports are concerned.
The slump in exports has very wide effects as a large number of persons are attached to this field including those working in the factories, shipping companies and the clearing and forwarding firms.
It is the responsibility of our government, especially the Export Promotion Bureau, to clear any apprehensions that might have seized the foreign buyers, explaining to them that the situation in Pakistan is quite normal and the export orders are timely executed.
MANSOOR AHMED KHAN
Karachi
MR Abbas has missed quite an important point in his correspondence about Cambridge GCE examinations (letter Nov 15). We in the British Council manage these examinations in Pakistan for one central reason: because students and parents want us to. If there was no demand we would not do it.
Our object in charging a fee is to cover costs and to enable us to offer a premium service to candidates — an elementary rule of customer care. Costs are high because the quality of the service is high. But we do not send a single paisa of hard currency back to the UK — as our bank manager will tell you — we bring it into Pakistan from the UK regularly!
PETER ELLWOOD
Islamabad
RECENTLY I went to India on a private visit and I was surprised to find that while in Pakistan a packet of seven VIOXX 25 mg tablets is sold for Rs 560.00, the same medicine under the brand name of ‘TORREX 25 mg’ and in a packet of ten is sold for Rs. 39.50. If the two medicines are really the same then the pharmaceutical company in Pakistan is taking the Government of Pakistan for a ride.
What do the concerned departments and the Ministry of Health have to say about this?
SALAHUDDIN MIRZA
Karachi
THE rescued aid workers say the Taliban treated them like their sisters, gave them the best they had. Do I see any head bowed in shame for maligning these noble people?
From anarchy and chaos the Taliban brought law and order to Afghanistan. They were living according to their creed, based on the best principles of Islam. Only if they had been recognized and brought into the mainstream, the interaction would have softened some of their extreme orthodox views and perhaps we would have learned from them how to run a country minus corruption, minus crime, minus immorality and minus all other cancers of modern society.
There were many here who felt, when the corrupt and the privileged class were playing havoc with the country, that a Taliban-type government was perhaps what was needed in Pakistan. How else are we ever going to get rid of the dehumanizing VIP culture of the upper classes — political, bureaucratic, military, factory owning, feudal and what have you?
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
AT the news briefing by Secretary of Defence Donald H. Rumsfeld, on Nov 19, he was asked “Are Special Operations forces going to be used in cave-to-cave operations, or is it going to be left to Northern Alliance folks?”
Rumsfeld replied that the dual incentive of helping to free that country from a very repressive regime and to get the foreigners in the Al Qaeda out of there, coupled with substantial monetary rewards, would be incentive enough for a large number of people ‘to begin crawling through those tunnels and caves, looking for the bad folks’.
It is at best another proxy war in which the Northern Alliance will be good cannon fodder. And this will not end there. Other regimes and groups in the Muslim world, including those in south Philippines and Iraq, could see a repeat of this strategy any time soon.
AZIZ ULLAH
Rawalpindi
CONGRATULATIONS to the teenager, Mariam Shakebar, of Kabul television. With music on TV, she revived a new spirit among suffering people of her country. Womanpower will make substantive contribution to rebuild Afghanistan. Our full support to them.
MOHAN PANJABI
Delhi, India
IT was good to know from a news item in Dawn (Nov 19) that the Lyari Expressway is not a priority for the Sindh government for all the right reasons. However, one reason that was not expressed is perhaps the most important. Because of this reason the project will be a major environmental disaster. This reason needs to be explained.
The wholesale markets in the old city have expanded manifold over the last three decades. They have turned the old city and its neighbouring areas of Lyari, Chakiwara and Khadda into warehousing, cargo handling terminals and related manufacturing units such as garbage sorting and recycling. This has congested the city to an extent that much of this activity now takes place on footpaths and roads.
These activities, due to a lack of space, have also spilled over into the Lyari corridor and the demand for space for them is so great that within the corridor the cost of acquiring possession of land informally for these activities can be as high as Rs 15,000 per square yard. The building of the Expressway it is claimed will free 1.5 million square yards of land from encroachments and even legal ownerships (how one does not know!).
This land is supposed to be for the affectees of the project. Given the demand of the market, this land will be speculated upon and in no time it will be converted into storage, warehousing, manufacturing and related transport sector activities because the market is far stronger than Karachi’s civic agencies and stronger too than well-intentioned men in uniform, who in any case will not be there after October 2002. This reality has been demonstrated time and again in Karachi and needs no elaboration.
Thus the Lyari Expressway Project has to be seen in this larger Karachi context. The only solution for the city is not only the building of the Northern Bypass but also the development of infrastructure on it to relocate inner city wholesale markets, warehousing and cargo terminals. This will not only decongest the inner city but will provide for the future expansion of these important economic activities, for which at present no space except the Lyari Corridor is available. It must be noted that one of the major demands of the residents of Lyari is the shifting of warehousing, cargo handling and manufacturing from their settlements so that they can breathe. Once relocation of these activities to the Northern Bypass has taken place a rehabilitation project for the inner city has to be designed and implemented of which the Lyari Expressway may or may not be a component.
The building of the expressway without dealing with the causes of the degradation of the inner city and the Lyari settlements, and the removal of these causes, will congest an already congested inner city further and will turn the Lyari Corridor into a planned slum. And a planned slum unlike an unplanned one, is almost impossible to upgrade or relocate.
Similar considerations were expressed against the Lines Area Redevelopment Project in 1983 which were dismissed as irrelevant by the then military government, and the result is Karachi’s largest planned slum bang in the city centre. Let us not make the same mistake again.
ARIF HASAN
Karachi
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