| January 29, 2002 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 14, 1422 |
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Unified list of voters
Credit cards
Graduate legislators
PTV: setting the record straight
Bottled water
Petroleum prices
Monkeys with nuclear razor
Why are fathers ignored?
Dangerous road
Children looking after children
Savings scheme
Nuclear test?
PMDC
India’s baseless allegations
WITH the population now numbering nearly 150 million, Pakistan is today the eighth most populous country in the world and sixth in Asia.
It may be worthwhile to note that in 54 years of Pakistan coming into being its population has swelled about five times. At this rate, starting from the present base, in the next 50 years, the population may swell to 750 million. Even, if it swells four times i.e. up to 600 million, our resources in Pakistan will woefully fall short of meeting its requirements. Even the total areas of Pakistan may not be adequate for providing sleeping space to this huge size of population.
According to the UN Medium variant projection, Pakistan’s population is estimated at 345 million by the year 2050. It is doubtful if it will be possible for us to abide by this projection, because of our failure to abide by the earlier estimates and targets. We have been pursuing population welfare programme now for a very long period and have spent large sums of money on advertisements and setting up population welfare and health centres, without attaining any spectacular results. For future it is considered necessary to undertake close monitoring of increases in population and give wide publicity of the increases as frequently as possible.
The population explosion is acting as a big drag on the economy and is one of the biggest hurdles in moving it forward. It is estimated that half of our population is living below the poverty line. Leave alone, leading quality life, it is struggling to make both ends meet. At least 10% of Pakistan’s population is disabled i.e. about 15 million. The poor and the disabled will increase with the increase in population.
The problem of increase in population is therefore of serious magnitude. In fact, the urgency of monitoring it closely and tackling it cannot be stressed too strongly. The problem is compounded by the general belief that Islam favours having more children. In this connection, it may be relevant to mention that Bangladesh, which is also predominantly Muslim, has been able to bring increases in population within reasonable levels and it is understood that the Ulema there helped the government in this regard.
Increase in population tends to disturb equilibrium in society completely and needs attention of not only economists but also of religious scholars.
Considering the importance of the subject, it is suggested that a national debate be initiated for which opinions and comments should be sought from all segments of society, including the Ulema, so that carefully considered programmes can be chalked out to control increase in the population and to tackle this problem in all its forms and phases.
MOHAMMED ANWAR KHAN
Karachi
ABOUT a week ago, I had the occasion to see the application forms for employment in a private sector academic institution. For the first time in my life I saw information being demanded about not just the religion to which an applicant belonged, but also the sect he belonged to.
What could be the purpose of asking for such information? During the interviews, no one paid any attention to this item. However, such data have the potential of tainting the selection process and even the climate in the organization. I believe there should be a law against seeking information about one’s religion and sect for employment purposes.
Today the Election Commission of Pakistan has placed multi-page ads in the newspapers. The ads urge eligible citizens to get their names registered as voters. So far so good. But the ads contain two forms, one “for Muslims” and the other for “Non-Muslims”. The government has decided to hold elections on the basis of joint electorate; then what could be the use of the separate forms? Even if the existing voters’ lists are on Muslim/Non-Muslim basis, these have to be unified before elections. One form for all citizens desirous of registration should be sufficient. Size of the ad would be cut to half, saving a substantial amount of money - which is not the fundamental concern here.
The non-Muslim form also lists categories of non-Muslims which include “scheduled castes.” Whatever the original purposes of defining some Hindus as belonging to the scheduled caste, such catgorizations should be done away with wherever these are being used.
Finally, would the Election Commission explain why two forms were printed although elections are to be held on joint electorate system? It should also clarify if a unified list of voters would be prepared or there would be separate lists for the Muslims and the non-Muslims.
DANISHMAND
Karachi
Major credit cards, Visa and Master Card, issued by two leading multi-national banks, are exploiting their card holders in many ways.
Possessing both Visa and Master Card of these multi-national banks, I have been obliged to pay unnecessary charges. For instance, the requirement of these banks is a minimum payment of Rs 500 on the monthly statement, if the full amount charged is not paid by the card holder. In one month, the total amount payable by me was Rs 309.50. I sent a cheque of Rs 309 and was slapped with a penalty of Rs 300 as I did not send the minimum amount of Rs 500.
All my efforts with the bank failed to reverse this penalty. Why should any penalty be levied if the payable amount is less than the minimum threshold? Needless to mention these banks charge 30 to 36 per cent interest on unpaid balance.
It is high time that the State Bank of Pakistan reviews the credit card operations of these multi-national banks, particularly their exorbitant renewal fee, interest charges and other penalties.
NAZAR SHAIKH
Karachi
THIS refers to the news report, ‘Govt won’t waive graduation condition,’ (Jan 23). No doubt that educated public representatives in the assemblies would play a positive role in reforming the society but education is not inexpensive in this country. Given this, mostly the sons and daughters of vaderas, khans, sardars, businessmen and bureaucrats - rich and influential people - would be the first to get admission and finally to obtain degrees even without merit. And, therefore, they will continue to get into the assemblies.
We haven’t yet made education free and compulsory up to any level and perhaps cannot do so in the near future. If ‘matriculation’ and not ‘graduation’ is made mandatory, the rich candidates with purchased matriculation certificates will not have as free an election field as they would have with ‘graduation’ being a necessity, as quite a few middle class or even rich meritorious matriculates are likely to be in the run.
There will be, thus, a fairer mix of candidates for the voters to choose from, than if restricted to the choice from among the graduates only.
At any rate meritorious matriculates (rich, middle class or poor) are, in my opinion, better educated than the ones with purchased certificates or even degrees and will make better legislators than what we had so far in our assemblies.
EJAZ AHMED
Karachi
THIS letter is in reference to an article published in Dawn (Jan 21) under the title, “Lend him your ears, Mr President” in Lahori’s notebook.
In this article the author has elaborated on the contents of a letter written to the President of Pakistan by Shahid Mahmood Nadeem, focussing on the electronic media in general and Pakistan Television in particular.
Regarding other facts and details of Mr Nadeem’s letter as quoted by Lahori, I am not in a position to comment; however as General Manager, Lahore, there is one mis-statement that I am constrained to point out. Lahori writes, “His (Mr Shahid Mahmood Nadeem’s) name on the list of General Managers has been removed in Lahore, the only instance since the PTV’s inception in 1964”.
For the record I would like to state that this is a mis-statement and misrepresentation of facts.
The plaque on public display in the General Manager’s office at PTV, Lahore, does clearly carry the name of Mr Nadeem and dates of the period during which he held the charge of acting General Manager of the Lahore station.
Since the general manger’s office of PTV Centre, Lahore, is accessible to all visitors from the public, I would suggest that such facts be verified before publication.
MONEEZA HASHMI
General Manager, PTV,
Lahore
BOTTLED water has already become an inseparable part of life in this city, as the number of its users is increasing day by day. The reason for this is the fact that the water supplied by the KW&SB is no longer considered to be safe for human consumption unless boiled or purified otherwise.
The problem is compounded when the question of drinking it in a restaurant with poor hygienic standards arises. So the customers are left with only one option — buying a bottle of water at a none-too-reasonable price.
But recent reports indicate that the price paid for it often turns out to be a sheer wastage of money as the water contained in the bottle is not always safe for drinking.
A survey conducted by an environmental NGO established the truth beyond any doubt.
It revealed that most producers of bottled water were performing far below the required level. Neither the bottled water contains minerals,
nor hygienic conditions are maintained at the processing plants.
One may well ask what the authorities concerned are doing to prevent marketing of substandard bottled water, which can duly be termed a health hazard.
If the producers do not follow the rules, and profit-making becomes their only objective, it is difficult to say what they will serve in the name of bottled water.
The issue deserves immediate attention.
SYED HAIDER ABBAS ZAIDI
Karachi
THE prices of petroleum products are being fixed twice a month these days. All the outlets selling these products in Lahore at least, are arbitrarily charging nine paisa per litre by way of transportation expenses over and above the fixed rates. These outlets even display the new rates audaciously after adding nine paisa to the price.
It appears that the authorities concerned have tacitly allowed the distributors to extort the so-called transportation charges without any official permission.
The free hand given to the outlets is not only affecting the hard-pressed consumers adversely, but is also encroaching upon the power given by the government to the body entrusted with fixing the prices of these products.
It is high time the agencies concerned realised the gravity of the situation and came down heavily on the elements charging more than the prescribed rates or the transport charges may be added to the rates announced by the body vested with this authority.
NISHAT AFZA
Lahore
WITH reference to Ayaz Amir’s column ( Jan 25), I would like to remind him that there were not Dixits/Singhs and Sattars only but we had Gavaskars and Imrans also, on each other’s side.
The Indian cricket team toured Pakistan in the early eighties. It was a Test match at Hyderabad (Sindh) when Imran bowled out several Indian batsmen including Gavaskar, with his magical deliveries in quick succession. The same evening, Gavaskar and his team went to the Pakistan cricket team’s dressing room with a cake for Imran.
Tension blew off from the grounds of cricket. Praises from the Pakistani crowd for Gavaskar and his team rang high and loud to be heard anywhere on and off the grounds.
Gavaskar is still remembered and loved by cricket fans in Pakistan for his small gesture.
We need such gestures from the political leadership of both the countries to diffuse the mounting tension.
MOHAMMAD SHIBLI RAZA
Karachi
PTV is telecasting a weekly show focussing on the mother rightly portraying that there is nobody like a mother in the world. It would also be appropriate to extol the role of a father which is also unlike anyone else.
It appears that PTV is preoccupied with projecting only mothers while ignoring fathers who are essential to discipline the children who love their mothers while respect their fathers, as the psychologists say.
Recently, it was reported in an issue of the Economist that 25 million children in the US go wayward and get addicted to narcotics and take to crime due to lack of contact with fathers raised as they are by single mothers or those who only see their fathers, once a year.
It is about time PTV started portraying the role of fathers who is crucial in the character-building of children.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
THE only road between Zafarabad to Tehsil Kulachi is in a very bad condition. One side of the road which is in desrepair is being used for the two-way traffic. Furthermore most of the bridges on this road are about to collapse and can cause a fatal accident any time.
The road was constructed during PPP’s rule and since then complaints have been made by the residents of the Tehsil Kulachi against the officials concerned for using substandard material in the construction and causing loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.
I request the NWFP Governor to take strict action against the persons who looted the national kitty and issue orders for the repair of the road.
QUDRATULLAH GANDAPUR
Dera Ismail Khan
THERE was a time when affluent people hired women to tend their little children. They were not only paid wages, but were also given food and clothes and lived in the house. Thus it helped busy mothers and it provided grown-up instructive company to the little children.
But it is meaningless to employ boys and girls to look after babies. These boys and girls are themselves in the need of being looked after.
Recently I went to a wedding and saw a ten-year-old servant girl in charge of a two-year-old baby. The baby stuck to the girl most of the time as the mother had hardly any time to look after her baby.
The consequences can be well imagined. The baby is deprived of the necessary mothercare and the girl of the opportunity to grow up as a normal, useful citizen.
UZMA ABOYA
Karachi
I fully support the views of Herbert Fernandes expressed in his letter (Jan 22).
I would also like to bring another aspect to the notice of the concerned minister.
At the time of the maturity of SSCs, DSCs etc., many people present a renewal application with the request to re-invest the same for a further period.
But the banks, instead of treating it as re-investment, credit the proceeds of SSCs or DSCs to their accounts and repurchase it in the same names by debiting it to their accounts and treat it as a new investment. It is thus put in the taxable slot.
This practice should be stopped and clear instructions may be given to the banks in this respect.
JOSEPH C. PEREIRA
Karachi
THERE are speculations that the Indians may test a nuclear device of several hundred kiloton capacity. Good luck to them. We on our part should not respond by testing our own devices. Let the world know the real face of Hindu imperialism.
The last time when we did a tit for tat, the world came down upon us very hard and harsh sanctions were imposed.
ANJUM DADABHOY
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letters by the Chancellors of Baqai and Ziauddin Universities.
The deficiencies pointed out to us on Dec 30, 2001, meeting by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council were very minor, which we promised
to rectify within six weeks, which we have almost accomplished.
May I also point out that subsequently the PMDC has also approved our MBBS and BDS last held examinations.
DR K. ZAKI HASAN
Principal, Jinnah Medical and
Dental College, Karachi
THE shootout at the American Center in Kolkata on Jan 22 has not been categorized as a terrorist act against America by the US State Department.
However, as a habit, New Delhi wasted no time to blame Pakistan for links between the alleged killers of the four Indian policemen with the ISI. One minister acted irresponsibly by implying without pertinent evidence that Pakistan’s secret service was in cahoots with Herkatul Jehad Islami established 10 years ago in India’s eastern borders, in executing the Kolkata attack.
India’s impatience to malign Pakistan for every terrorist activity there is indicative of vicious designs of the government against its neighbour. In fact, such baseless allegations are aimed at asking the US to provide identical support to India as that in Afghanistan for fighting out international terrorism.
The Indian government, which is dominated by Hindu fundamentalists, is making the situation more volatile to grind its own axe and to overcome the general unrest amongst the public in India. However, the allegation of Pakistan’s involvement in the Kolkata attack has been dismissed as absurd by the world at large and the US in particular. India is all out to hoodwink the world to take away its attention from the state terrorism being perpetrated on innocent Kashmiris by the Indian armed forces.
It is too evident that if India and Pakistan, both nuclear armed, ever embarked on an all-out offensive against each other, millions of lives would be lost. It is high time India came to terms with Pakistan on a negotiating table to solve the Kashmir issue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions fulfilling the wishes of Kashmiris and desist from making threats against Pakistan.
The sooner the Indian government comprehends the hard facts of discussing and solving the disputes based on justice and fair play, the better it would be for both the countries.
LT. COL. (R) MUKHTAR AHMED
Karachi
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