| January 25, 2002 | Friday | Ziqa’ad 10, 1422 |
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Talks on Kashmir
Welfare organization’s appeal
Apathy of the Railways
Remembering Patras Bokhari
Prices of food items
Kashmir Day
BOI consultant’s clarification
Illegal gratification
Graduation criterion
Sacrificial animals
‘Question Time India’
New property tax scheme
“GO to war”. This was the short reply given to the question I put two years ago to a Cambridge professor. The question was, “What would it take for the international community to do something about Kashmir?”
Of course, it wasn’t quite the answer I’d hoped for; in fact it shocked me considerably. On reflection, though he probably meant it half in jest, I had a feeling he was quite serious about the other half. Cynical as it is, nothing else would move the world so much as the prospect of two nuclear powers going to war.
At the time, I had put the question from the point of view of a Pakistani who wanted to see scarce funds being used for the benefit of Pakistanis instead of being absorbed by military expenditure. How very naive! Now I was supposed to wish for a war to achieve that objective. Since I could not bring myself to do that, the subject got shelved for a time.
Pakistan President Musharraf has put a most impressive display of statesmanship at the SAARC summit in Nepal. Managing to be both disarmingly conciliatory and firm at the same time, he has shown, not just India, but the rest of the world that Pakistan will not accept under pressure. He is prepared to be pragmatic and put relations with India on a new footing.
India must also respond in its own interest by developing a more well thought-out policy on Pakistan, dumping what is essentially a non-policy based on effecting maximum damage on Islamabad whenever the opportunity arises. Musharraf is also right in calling on India to work towards regional cooperation through SAARC on the European model instead of calling off the meetings when it suits its purposes. This combination of plain talk, vision and flexibility sends out the right signals from Pakistan, which is doing quite well in coping with its multiple crises.
The question is, will conflict or the threat of it prevail, or will India respond, proving that the subcontinent can still draw on its great traditions of peaceful coexistence for mutual benefit as an alternative? If not,I fear the professor will have been wholly right, even for the future.
PALVASHA VON HASSELL
Hamburg, Germany
AFTER the ‘War against terrorism’ in Afghanistan, the focus of the world is now on the heightened tension on the Indo-Pakistan borders. India thought it to be the most opportune moment to get Pakistan declared a terrorist state by involving it in the attack on their Parliament House on Dec 13, last year.
To their dismay the USA, instead, advised the leaders of both the countries to resolve the Kashmir dispute (which is the root cause of all the tension) by having a political dialogue. The visit of the British PM was followed by that of the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell. Both emphasized the need to find a solution through dialogue.
But what is surprising is that neither of the two mentioned the UNSC Resolutions on the Kashmir issue.
This, even though the two countries are signatories to the resolutions on the Kashmir dispute dated 5th Jan, 1949, where there is no room for a dialogue except for the discussion of the modalities of holding a plebiscite. And if that is to be discussed then the representatives of the three affected parties, that is, the Kashmiris, Pakistan and India should hold talks. At present, we are ignoring the representation of the Kashmiri people whose fate is to be decided.
I hope that the special envoys being sent to various countries and the recently formed Kashmir Committee, impress this point on the world leaders.
M. AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore
SOME people are trying to damage the reputation of a welfare organization (Thal Welfare Organization) and want it to stop the development projects undertaken by it in tehsil Karor, district Layyah.
Thal Welfare Organization (TWO) is a local NGO working for development in the rural areas of Karor. The aim of this organization is to uplift the status of women in society. It is imparting education and skill training to rural women in the villages.
TWO started its development and welfare activities in 1998 by opening 40 home-based schools in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s literacy commission (now Pakistan Literacy Commission). In the home-based schools girls are admitted to pass the primary class.
Boys up to the age of 12-13 years have also been admitted to these schools. By the grace of Allah, about 1500 students of 8-15 age group are studying in these schools. One skill centre had also been established by TWO in Chak No. 99/TDA in collaboration with TVO (Trust for Voluntary Organizations), where about 100 women were trained in income generating skills like tailoring, knitting and embroidery.
I want to bring this matter to the notice of Federal and Punjab Social Welfare Ministers, Federal and Punjab Education Ministers and Law Ministers. They are requested to extend their support to the Thal Welfare Organization so that it may continue its development work. They should ask the concerned government departments to inquire into the matter.
KHALID MAHMOOD
President of TWO Tehsil Karor, District
Layyah
THE photograph captioned “Spare tracks” (Jan 19) depicts the apathy of the Railways towards its valuable assets.
Such tracks have been lying unused at different sites all over Pakistan for ages but the authorities are not at all concerned.
Nobody knows what has happened to other assets such as locomotives of 1920 vintage, rolling and coaching stocks of commercially not viable sections rendered surplus and thousands of kilometres of track abandoned by Pakistan Railways.
Similarly, it is not known where are the massive steel sections of railway bridges over the rivers Indus, Chenab and others, which were replaced. Somebody must tell us.
Of late, a portion of the railway track at the Model Colony railway station in Karachi, has been removed. It is not known, what for and by whom?
LT COL SYED AHMED (RETD)
Karachi
THE article, “Pardon, your slip is showing” by F.A. Anvery, (Dec 30), takes my memory back to March, 1947. The late Prof Patras Bokhari was principal, Government College, Lahore. It was a time of tension. Prof Bokhari’s residence was surrounded by Hindus and Sikhs. Although Mr Bokhari was popular among all sects, he thought it prudent to flee.
He came to my uncle Maulana Abdul Majid Salik’s house in Muslim Town. The professor was wearing khaki shorts and a white jersey. After relaxing for an hour or two he started telling us different jokes.
My uncle told him that my marriage had to be solemnized on March 10, 1947, but had to be postponed. The professor addressed me by saying, “Don’t worry my boy, your marriage will take place very soon”. During his jokes and anecdotes, he copied Sardar Patel’s annoyance, saying, “I wonder who leaked the secret of my spending a paltry sum of Rs. 25,000 on the renovation of my house”. He was uttering these words again and again walking from one corner of the room to the other.
He stayed with us for a couple of days and his company washed all the tension prevailing in the house. As Controller of Broadcasting at Delhi, he coined the word AIR (All India Radio). During his service in the UN, he was very jolly and cheerful, but inwardly he was very sad. Since my uncle was his bosom pal, he used to mention his afflictions, miseries and ill health in his letters.
ZAFAR AFTAB
Lahore
ONE of the fundamental duties of the govern