| January 24, 2002 | Thursday | Ziqa’ad 9, 1422 |
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Demolition of houses
Canada’s stand on Kashmir
No brute force to achieve goals
Chiniot Chillagah
16 years for a degree
Theft at water pump station
Pension of retired teachers
Sahibzada Yaqub’s remarks
War against poverty
Population explosion
Revival of industrial units
IT is strange that the Population Welfare Department, which provides essential family planning services through its strong and viable infrastructure, has been neglected and its utilization underrated in the new district set-up.
The population welfare programme sponsored by the Ministry of Population Welfare executed in provinces through the respective population welfare departments has always been assigned top priority in terms of approved budget allocation. However, it is astounding to observe that the 13 departments operative in the existing provincial set-up are likely to continue in the district set-up but the importance of the population welfare programme has not been taken into account.
If the Population Welfare Department be allowed to enter the main stream of district-based set-up, the department will work more to check the population growth rate.
The policy of the present government to induct 33% female elected local councillors in the formulation of district assembly will further strengthen the case of Population Welfare Department as it is women-oriented. The network of family welfare centres is a core project where a female renders population welfare services in the capacity of incharge of population welfare centres. Likewise, all the reproductive health services centres and mobile service units are governed by female doctors. To corroborate the efforts, 2000 female village based family planning workers are busy in the provision of door-to-door services in remote areas.
If the services of the Population Welfare Department aimed at controlling the population explosion are not recognized in the district set-up all the efforts of the other 13 involved departments in the district government will go in vain.
MRS RASHIDA SAMDANI
Karachi
IN 1996, the government of Pakistan committed itself to Habitat II’s global plan of action that upholds the right to adequate housing, condemns forced evictions and expects humane dealing with poor squatter families. Our government was also one of the first to sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which ensures a decent shelter place for every child.
But in spite of this commitment, the authorities have started bulldozing some 25,000 homes spread over 46 low-income settlements on either side of the Lyari river, sheltering lakhs of people. Five kilometres have already been razed to the ground. Not only did the government violate citizens’ rights by throwing them into the streets with an arbitrary 3-day notice in which few can expect to find acceptable alternative shelter or to have enough funds for it, they threw Habitat II to the winds and violated Articles 6(1) and (2), 16 (1) and (2), 24 (1) and 27 (1) and (3) of the Child Rights Convention.
People living here are of modest means or are very poor. Most have spent their life’s savings or money in small amounts over several decades slowly improving their homes-cum-workplaces and obtaining utility connections and other additions ultimately totalling between 5 to 20 lakhs. But the authorities felt no compunction about promising (nothing in writing and no dates given) a paltry Rs. 50,000/-, which is one-tenth or less of the real value, and a valueless 80 sq.yds in a distant fringe of the city sans any services whatsoever. Is it legal or even moral to take away somebody’s property without permission or payment first?
Decision-makers insist on building the Lyari Expressway, although most urban planners, NGOs and CBOs opine that it is unnecessary as the Northern Bypass (the construction of which has already begun) is a far better option.
The affected have appealed to the President who they understand was made to believe that it would benefit them. (It will indeed benefit other well-known quarters, but certainly not them.) As their pleas may not reach until they have all been made homeless (demolition will be complete on 30th January or earlier) they are also appealing to good Samaritans - there must be some left - to come to their aid and help get a stay order.
NAJMA SADEQUE
Karachi
THE visiting deputy prime minister of Canada, Mr John Manley, did well by supporting the right of self-determination for the Kashmiris. His statement that “Canada did and does support the United Nations’ Security Council resolutions that a plebiscite in Kashmir should be held” has won the hearts of the people of Pakistan.
By lending its unequivocal support to Pakistan on the vital issue of Kashmir, Canda stands head and shoulders above many of our so-called friends who lack the courage to blame the UNSC for default and instead harp on the usual tune of “settling the issue by mutual negotiations.”
The responsibility for creating the Kashmir problem and giving India the liberty to consolidate its unlawful hold on Jammu and Kashmir lies squarely on the UN for failing to get its own resolutions implemented. With ever growing intransigence on the part of India, no amount of talks or negotiations will succeed in solving the complex issue of Kashmir.
I suggest that the Kashmir Committee constituted by the Pakistan government should exert its pressure on the UNSC to get its resolutions on Kahsmir implemented, also advocating for India’s expulsion from the world body for violating its resolutions. Pakistan’s foreign missions must also concentrate on gathering international support on the issue.
RAFI NASIM
Lahore
THIS refers to Dr Henry A. Kissinger’s article: “Anti terror coalition’s next difficult phase.” (Jan 15). The writer seems to be obsessed with the idea of expanding the war on terror into Iraq.
The country in question may have an unsavoury track record in terms of respecting international conventions, but these so-called conventions have the words “American Interests” stamped on them. This makes it all the more unjustifiable for the Americans to bomb Iraq.
Any unilateral action by the US precluding the UN is likely to draw sharp criticism from peoples who still prize justice.
More important, it would give the green signal for the use of force as an instrument of policy. Oppressive regimes around the world would readily crush the freedom movements [Kashmir and Palestine are cases in point] without provoking much criticism as they would only be emulating the authors of this policy.
The greatest victim of all this mania would be international law whose credibility to ensure fairplay would be permanently damaged.
It would also polarize the international coalition on terror, making it problematic for the Americans to sustain their drive against terrorists for any length of time.
National sovereignty is held sacred by the people of any country. Any attempt to trifle with the people’s sentiments could trigger a fierce reaction which may well easily snowball into unmanageable proportions.
The US, being the sole superpower, must not legitimize brute force as a means of achieving its goals. The UN should be democratized and allowed to grow out of the American shadow.
SHAHZAD AHMAD
Lahore
THIS refers to the picture of Chillagah of Hazrat Sharafuddin Bu-Ali Shah Qalandar (Jan 18).
Qalandar Bu-Ali Shah was a great saint. He was also a poet of eminence. Hazrat Ameer Khusrau, devotee of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, used to visit him in Panipat for the recital of his freshly composed poems before him and sought his advice.
Qalandar Bu-Ali Shah was visited by his renowned contemporary, Hazrat Usman Marwandi Lal Shahbaz Qalandar of Sehwan, 30 years before his death, at the age 130 years.
In the final years he remained in a state of mystical absorption for days on end.
There exist three shrines of this saint of Panipat. One at Karnal, the second at a village Buddhakher which is at some distance away from Pani-pat and the third one is at Pa