| November 29, 2001 | Thursday | Ramazan 13, 1422 |
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Definition of a liberal
Manto on Manto
Wapda’s deputation policy
Shortage of schoolteachers
US and war crimes
Travesty of justice
Siphoning off dollars
PAF housing scheme mosque
Prisoners in Eritrea
Accident in college lab
Smoking in public
LSE and proposed changes
THE objective of organizing a Coalition against Terrorism was to nab Osama bin Laden, destroy his Al-Qaeda organization and to destroy his hosts, the Taliban who gave him a sanctuary in Afghanistan. The leader of the coalition declared to all the countries of the world that they have only one choice, “either they are with us or against us”. Consequently, there ensued an unseemly haste by countries from far and near the proposed scene of battle to offer their unconditional support to America’s war on terrorism sanctified by the UN Security Council’s unanimous resolution.
The countries which bear the brunt of the active war are mainly Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iran is only affected because of the influx of refugees.
The Afghan civilians are suffering for their folly of participating in the Jihad against communism wholeheartedly, later on being abandoned to the mayhem, blood-letting and tyranny of avaricious warlords who have turned that country into a living hell. Now they are being bombarded from the air and on the ground and are caught in the cross-fire of a continued fight for territory by the self-same rapacious warlords of various hues and description with a single-minded pursuit of power and territory. Who is in control of the situation? Is it the UN or the coalition leaders, USA and UK? The answer presently is in the negative.
If after all their sufferings, the Afghans can get at an early date a broad-based multi-ethnic government recognized and supported by the world and all the countries are prepared to help in the re-construction of Afghanistan and rehabilitation of the Afghan people, than there may be light at the end of the tunnel. But this will not come about, if the powers that be play ‘favourites’ trying to foist them for the sake of convenience and expediency on the hapless Afghans. This at the moment, I am afraid looks more likely as the Northern Alliance (now calling itself National Front) having in its ranks unsavoury characters like Rashid Dostum, Faheem et al — taking advantage of the revulsion towards Taliban, wish to occupy centre stage.
This will turn the clock back to the early nineties before the advent of the Taliban. A horrible prospect! A sobering thought for Pakistanis, whose leadership seems to be in a self-congratulatory mood.
A peaceful and friendly neighbour in the west may be on top of our wish list but we are unfortunately not in a position to influence the outcome.
The assurances given to us by every Tom, Dick and Harry being mere verbiage will in the ultimate analysis be a casualty of realpolitik. So let us not order celebrations anytime too soon. All we can say with certainty is that we are a front-line state.
H.N. AKHTAR
Karachi
I AM an ardent reader of Ayaz Amir’s columns and usually find myself in agreement with his views. However, I failed to comprehend the bottom line of the message he was trying to convey in his column “The fantasies of Pakistani liberalism” (Nov 23).
I am in complete agreement with him when he observed that all the debacles of our history were brought upon us due to the derelictions of our westernized rulers. But they were no liberals. He ought to have made a distinction between the westernized and the liberal. It is unfair to circumscribe the definition of a liberal to the one whose only credo is an end of prohibition. A liberal is one who believes in democratic traditions, freedom of speech, freedom to hold a different points of view from his own, and above all, does not consider himself above the law — answerable to none. By this definition, none of our past rulers was a liberal with the exception of Jinnah and Liaquat.
Mr Amir also played down the calamities which visited our nation and continue to do so, through the transgressions of the obscurantists. Starting from 1949, when they forced our first prime minister into promulgating the “Objectives Resolution”, to this day, they have been responsible for religious bigotry, sectarian mayhem and wasting the energies of our nation by agitating non-issues.
It is ironic that, having thoroughly condemned the liberals for persecuting the “Beards”, he counselled the army to pursue a “Kemalist agenda”. The esteemed columnist needs to rehash his history to find out what kind of treatment did Kemal Attaturk mete out to the “Beards” of his own country.
SHAMIM AHMAD
Islamabad
I AM writing in reference to the views expressed in the article ‘Manto on Manto’ by Khalid Hasan (Dawn, Nov 19).
It certainly would have been better if Mr Sayyed Faizi had kept his reminisceness to himself, as they are pure fiction.
The rituals that he talks about are totally alien to our family. Even the claim about a leading Lahore publisher making payments directly to my mother are false. There was no such agreement with any publisher.
My mother’s sister, Zakia Hamid Jalal, went over to our neighbour’s house to call for an ambulance from the Mayo Hospital. I do not understand how Prof Asar could have called for the ambulance as he certainly was not present in our house at that particular moment.
One has not even heard that Mr Faizi Ahmed Rahi and Naseer Anwar were known friends. Naseer Anwar was a true friend and remained one for many years till his death.
Mr Faizi might be interested to know that one personal item of my father’s, a ‘sherwani’, still lies in the loving care of my sister, Nighat.
I wish people like Mr Asar and Mr Faizi would not invent stories and remember events that never took place.
NUSRAT MANTO
Lahore
ACCORDING to the new deputation policy issued by Wapda in October “the permissible period for Wapda employees to work abroad is reduced from 10 years to 5 years and no extension would be granted on the completion of five years. No employee will be allowed to work abroad for more than five years.”
It may be mentioned here that for the last three years the management of Wapda has been creating problems for the Wapda employees working abroad.
There is no justification for such a policy when we the Wapda employees working abroad are sending a large amount of foreign exchange to help restore the country’s economy.
Furthermore we are paying to Wapda 200 to 300 Saudi riyals individually in the form of pension contribution. In addition to that, 40 to 100 US dollars per month tax (as per scale) was imposed on us in the policy of May 2000. This additional dollar tax is also compounded over 10-20% per year for future.
It is more than double of the previous contribution a Wapda employee was making and no such precedent is found in other departments of Pakistan.
There has been no recruitment in Wapda for the last many years and thousands of unemployed engineers are looking for job. They can be employed on contract basis in the positions vacated by those sent abroad.
We request the Government of Pakistan to order withdrawal of the revised Wapda deputation policy issued in October 2001.
CONCERNED WAPDA EMPLOYEES
Saudi Electric Company
Saudi Arabia
A large number of students, the majority of them from science group, are suffering due to non-posting of teachers in newly upgraded high schools and higher secondary schools in Sanghar district for the year 2000-2001. The budget has also not been sanctioned.
Out of eleven newly opened high schools only one has a headmistress without salary since 1.7.2001.
All other heads have got themselves transferred from these schools due to non-payment of salaries for the year 2001-2002. Five higher secondary schools were opened in Sanghar district but they have no subject specialist and principal.
Due to the acute shortage of teachers the students of these 16 schools have not been able to complete the course. Some parents told me if this position continued they will withdraw their children from these high schools and higher secondary schools.
It is said that the Sindh Public Service Commission had selected teachers for this district last August but they have not been given appointment orders as yet by the Executive District Officer Education, Sanghar. They have moved the government in this regard.
Some high schools / higher secondary schools were given subject specialists and headmasters but they managed to get themselves transferred from these schools due to non-payment of salary.
Sindh’s Education Department is requested to look into the matter and do the needful.
ABDUL HAQUE SOOMRO
Sanghar
THERE is a fair likelihood that some individuals in the US government may be charged in the future for war crimes in Afghanistan.
It seems that they are not aware of their responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions relating to the prisoners of war.
It is a well known fact that the Northern Alliance troops are nothing but US hired and supported mercenaries who are doing what they are told by their masters. Washington cannot wash its hands off from the crimes, committed by such proxy soldiers.
This is not the first time that Pentagon has committed war crimes.
In the last Gulf war, they massacred thousands of re-treating Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait.
When in power, Yugoslavia’s Milosovich would never have even imagined that he would be tried on war crimes. Things move very fast in this fast changing world.
No one should be surprised if the future generation brings those responsible for the massacres in Afghanistan to justice.
KHUSHBAKHT MANZIL
Winnipeg, Canada
PRESIDENT George Bush has issued an executive order whereby foreign nationals suspected of terrorism would be tried by military courts through secret trials. This measure is against the democratic norms of justice.
The military courts without the provision of independent appellant forum would be nothing short of the ‘kangaroo courts’ which is a speciality of the Third World totalitarian regimes. This presidential order has tarnished the image of the US as it is against democracy and freedom and has the effect of clouding logic and morality.
About half a century ago, American professor David Fellman in his book ‘The Right of the Accused’ had written, “Our greatest security will be found in maintaining our freedom. We are not free because we are strong; on the contrary, we are strong because we are free”.
FEROZ SHAH GILANI,
ADVOCATE
Karachi
DID anyone notice that the bureaucrats have taken the first step to siphon off the dollars being received through foreign remittances and a grant of $600 million?
The maximum amount in dollars, which could be taken out of Pakistan, was $2,500 per trip. This ceiling has now been removed. So, the unscrupulous among the bureaucrats and other influentials, would now be able to siphon off all these dollars easily and deposit them safely in their foreign accounts.
The common man in Pakistan would, as usual, get nothing.
JAVED KHAN
Rawalpindi
WE would like to refer to Asad Rafi’s letter on the subject ( Nov 26).
It may be pointed out here that some security measures had to be adopted because, of late, a number of dacoities took place in a short span of time causing not only heavy financial losses, but also fear and anxiety among the residents.
Quite frequently non-residents enter the colony on the pretext of offering prayers but do not go to the mosque. In view of this and after much deliberation, it was decided with a heavy heart, that non-residents should not be allowed to avail this facility.
The security arrangements have caused some problems to the residents also as even their relatives cannot visit them without proper security checks. It may be appreciated that this colony was built for the residents and not for providing various facilities to the non-residents at the cost of their own security and peace of mind.
RESIDENTS OF AFHOS
Karachi
IT is very sad to read that eight members of the Tablighi Jamaat, who had gone to Eritrea, are languishing in jails for the past eight years. Two of them have already died in custody.
There are no charges against them and, therefore, their detention for such a long period is not understandable.
Tablighi Jamaat’s workers are sent all over the world and they carrying the message of Islam which is peace and love. From no corner in the world, have there been any reports of their misconduct or violation of the laws of the countries visited.
They hold yearly religious moot at Raiwind, which is attended by a number of delegations from all over the world.
The congregation is organized for three days, and there is complete peace and harmony.
It is requested that our Foreign Office should take up the matter through the diplomatic channel for their release and repatriation to Pakistan.
But they must move fast because so much time has already been wasted.
LT-COL (R) IRFAN HAIDER
Hyderabad
ON Wednesday, November 21, a 17-year-old badly burnt her face with concentrated sulphuric acid in the chemical laboratory of a prestigious college. The acid was too concentrated and the girls were not warned.
This is not the first of such accidents but definitely one of the worst.
There is no first-aid kit in the laboratory and no fire extinguishers.
The college doctor never shows up and there is no set standard to the concentration of the chemicals.
A little care could have saved the future of an intelligent young woman.
This carelessness should be checked before some more girls fall prey to a similar incidents.
ARMAGHAN ALVI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to K. Abbasi’s letter (Nov 21). I have seen people smoking in public buses and no one objects to it.
Perhaps this is because of the fact that most people are unaware that they too would be affected badly if someone sitting close, is smoking.
I believe that if awareness about the hazards of passive smoking is created among the general public, a great deal of the government’s work will be done.
ATIF ANWAR
Karachi
REFERENCE the news item about Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE) (Nov 25). Unfortunately, the reporter was content to carry the point of view of the “management” which had implied that the changes proposed to the LSE Articles of Association were in fact for the good but the majority of the members had rejected them.
Views of the members present in the General Body meeting were given no place in the news item. Dawn is the most respected newspaper of the country. It will be an injustice if it does not carry the views of those who had rejected the changes. The decision to reject the changes was not made lightly. All proposed changes in the Articles were circulated among the General Body 21 days before the day of the meeting. These were read, carefully studied, interpreted and debated for days. It was after a great deal of deliberation that the members of LSE had come to the General Body meeting. They, in their judgement, had considered the changes not to be good and had rejected them. It was their right that they had exercised.
All changes are not good. All changes are not “reforms”. The changes that were proposed would “deform” LSE rather than reform it. We have had massive reform programme implemented no longer than 2-1/2 years ago. It included structural reforms in line with the recommendation of the Asian Development Bank after a study carried out by NASDAQ of USA and Arthur Anderson of Canada. Some of the other reforms e.g. real time information dissemination establishment of CDC (dematerialization of share certificates), computerized trading, introduction of T+3 settlement system have been already implemented.
The establishment of a National Clearing and Settlement System is in its advanced stages of completion and shall become operational soon. It is important rather imperative that the reforms already launched be allowed to take root, their results observed and properly analyzed. Then and only then should any more changes be contemplated.
The changes should be made if justified by the need. Changes for the sake of changes or for the sake of claiming that “we were the first to do it” is merely juvenile. It will not work in a serious institution like LSE.
It may be of interest to point out that KSE has as many outside (non-member) directors as LSE. KSE also has one-year tenure for its elected office-holders and not more than two consecutive tenures in office. If they can function well, so can we at LSE.
We believe that there should be uniformity in the structure, rules and regulations of the stock exchanges of the country so that the investors of one geographic area have no advantage over those of another area, nor should they be constrained to learn different rules and regulations if they move from one area to another and conduct their business through a different exchange.
I believe that the changes were rejected for the right reasons and “they were not warranted”. It is a clear indication that the majority of the members are not in favour of the present board/chairman.
GP.CAPT. (R) NAEEM A. KHAN
Former Vice-Chairman, Lahore Stock Exchange,
Lahore.
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