| January 30, 2002 | Wednesday | Ziqa’ad 15, 1422 |
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Quaid’s pronouncements
Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
Improving system of education
Joint electorate
Quality of education
Pension dues
Dog-bite cases
Tax refund
PIA baggage allowance
Wrong date
Israeli terrorism
Exposing the corrupt
Dangerous electricity poles
Letter sent back
Afghan carpet town schemes
THIS refers to the report of “Differences surface between India and US” (Jan 24). India’s test firing of Agni has further exposed its true intentions. It is a fact that the present Indian government represents mainly the Hindu extremist elements. Since Sept 11 it has been desperately trying to invent events with a view to maligning Pakistan on one pretext or the other.
Indian stance on Kashmir is totally unethical and undemocratic as it has denied the Kashmiris their human and democratic rights. India claims to be the biggest democracy in the world. But it conveniently violates with brute force the right of self-determination of the hapless Kashmiris which was promised by it in the United Nations itself.
If India was a democratic polity it would have followed the example of Canada which allowed the right of self-determination to its French-speaking province of Quebec in 1999. When the people of Quebec were demanding independence from the federal union, the government of Canada did not send half a million troops to terrorise and brutally suppress them as India has done in Kashmir.
India has been drumming up the so-called cross-border terrorism which in actual fact is the independence movement of the Kashmirs. In addition to killing about 75000 Kashmiris, the Indian forces have destroyed more than 18000 Kashmiri houses and shops. One elderly Kashmiri pilgrim in Saudi Arabia tearfully told me that when Indian forces in Kashmir suspect the presence of a freedom fighter in a house they open tank fire on the house. Many innocent men, women and children are also killed in the process.
I wish the young generation of India put pressure on their government to allow democratic and human rights to Kashmiris and stop blaming Pakistan unnecessarily.
FEROZ SHAH GILANI
Karachi
THIS is in response to the letter by Mr Malik. Jinnah may or may not have said categorically that Pakistan would be a secular state but all his pronouncements especially the August 11th speech clearly lead to one inescapable conclusion — it was not supposed to be a theocracy. It is inconceivable that the Quaid-i-Azam, a thorough secularist would have acquiesced in the implementation of the Shariat law.
The battle cry for Pakistan was for the ‘creation of a homeland for Muslims’ which is not synonymous with an Islamic state. Furthermore, if Pakistan was supposed to be a theocracy why did Maulana Maudoodi and other religious leaders fight its creation tooth and nail?
Actually, the real status of the Pakistan government except for the subversive aberrations of the regimes of Zia ul Haque and of his creation Nawaz Sharif, has been in the middle position between a secular and theocratic state.
In earlier times, non-Muslims of great eminence such as Jamsheed Marker and many others served in positions of influence without any hue and cry from any quarters.
It is high time the religious right in Pakistan realized that the attempts to force theocracy on people will never work except in a setting of totalitarianism and even then the effects will last only as long as the totalitarian regime lasts.
The example of the policies of Zia ul Haque is proof enough. Rather than indulge in this endless and futile debate, let the electorate decide what law they want.
M. HAIDER
New Jersey, US
IT is indeed most depressing to see the way Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees have been kept at the US Navy base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A number of human rights organizations and the people world over are persistently criticizing America for the inhuman treatment meted out to these detainees but the champions of human rights have outrightly rejected these allegations.
It is also a source of great concern for us as there are a number of Pakistanis among the detainees as disclosed by Mr Ansar Burney, a human rights activist, in an interview to ARY TV network. It would be justified to ask our government to make it public as to how many Pakistanis are being held in these detention camps and what effort, if any, has been made to sound the American administration about the negative impact it may have in the country.
BRIG ZAHIR SUHRWARDY (R) Karachi
A well-developed and properly implemented education system is the corner-stone of a country’s development. In this regard, I have some suggestions to make:
Primary education must be made mandatory for all children.
Educational achievement of a child depends on the economic circumstances of the parents. The poor cannot afford to send their children to schools, even the parents belonging to Pakistan’s middle class find it difficult to afford the high tuition fees and other related expenditure. The solution of this problem is that the government should offer some kind of financial assistance to parents as an incentive to send their children to school. Every child of primary school age be offered a monthly stipend and the government should also establish book banks so that parents do not have to buy expensive books.
A teacher’s field training programme be introduced in all institutions to enable the teachers to become familiar with the increasing demands of new technology, teaching methods and techniques. Teachers should also get higher salary.
Financial aid be given to poor students for purchasing computers.
In the educational institutions there should be good laboratories and libraries, better hostel accommodation and free Internet facility.
In this century the educational system will be greatly influenced by two major factors, technological changes and the creation of knowledge-based economy.
This new economy will rely on continuing advancement of technology and require a more highly skilled and informed workforce. Education holds the key to the solution of many problems — be it economic revival, or sowing the seeds of true democracy, abolition of feudalism, or preparing the skilled workforce for this century.
MUHAMMED KHAN MEMON
Jamshoro
THE recent decision by President Musharraf to restore joint electorates in the forthcoming general election is a step which was long overdue. Separate electorates were a stigma on the fair name of the country which has now been removed and we are now able to hold our heads high in the comity of nations.
With this bold decision the minorities’ status as full fledged citizens of Pakistan has now been restored in accordance with the wishes of the founder of our country. What is now urgently required is to rescind and abrogate all those discriminatory laws which were enacted against the minorities. All government forms in which any applicant is required to state his or her religion must be recalled now. In no government service should there be any ceiling beyond which no minority member can go. Everything should be available to every Pakistani on the basis of merit alone.
MOHAMMAD ISHAQUE SOOFI
Rabwah
THE government’s proposal to increase the number of years of study required before the grant of any degree of a baccalaureate is very ill-advised. It might increase the income of colleges, but fewer students could afford to pay. It is not the number of years spent in studying that really matters, but the quality and kind of education imparted and absorbed particularly at High School level, that is the determining factor.
Way back in 1947, while introducing me as a new lecturer in the Punjab University, the famous educationist, Dr Omar Hayat Mallick, had this to say to my 3rd year students — “it is not the number of years that you spend here that will determine your success in the future. That will depend on the quality of education you receive and even more so on your willingness and your ability to absorb and use it in life as you go along.”
That advice is as sound today as it ever was.
S. ASIF MAJEED
Karachi
I retired as Principal, Government Degree College, Naushahro Feroze, in Grade 19, on Aug 15, 1986. My service towards superannuation pension was counted from Aug 31, 1972, the date when the private institutions were taken over by the government. The actual service in my case comes to 29 years and 4 months, from April 1, 1957 whence I joined the profession of teaching, and the pension is to be calculated accordingly.
The service rendered by me prior to nationalization was from April 1, 1957 to Aug 31, 1972 i.e. 15 years and four months. The pension calculated would be nearly double to what I am drawing at present.
It is learnt it had been decided long back to give benefit of the past service and count the entire service towards pension, etc. So why the delay when the case is genuine?
I hope the concerned authorities will take notice and resolve a matter which has been pending for almost two decades.
M.S. SAYYED
Karachi
Dog-bite cases are on the rise in Karachi. In the last two months there have been 12 such cases.
Unfortunately, our hospitals do not have the needed vaccines to prevent rabies. On the other hand, municipal dog-catchers have not been seen for many years.
The concerned authorities must take immediate steps to protect the public from dog bites.
RAFIQUE KASSIM
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Mr I. Hasan’s letter (Jan 21). He is not the only tax payer whose tax refund has not been paid by the tax authorities. There are thousands of tax assessees who have received approved tax refunds in their Assessment Orders, some of which are five to seven-years-old, yet the tax authorities refuse to pay the same under the excuse that funds are not available.
Several hundred assessees have died, yet their heirs are not being paid the due refunds.
There is now a Tax Ombudsman and it is his duty to take up the matter with the Income Tax department and order them to clear the dues. He should also find out the reasons for non-payment. Every one knows that refunds are paid only if you are willing to part with 40 to 60 per cent of the amount to the ITOs.
The CBR should be taken to task as they know what is happening and yet they have
not taken any action or devised a system by which the refunds could be automatically sent to the tax payers along with their assessment forms,
as is done in the US and
the UK.
Only recently, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) exposed the corruption in the CBR and of their spending billions of rupees in an irregular way during 1999-2000.
It was further revealed that the CBR even exploited
the advertising agencies by forcing them to get their ads printed without paying them a penny.
The government must remember that a dishonest government breeds dishonest citizens.
A. REHMAN
Hyderabad
The Pakistan International Airlines issued a memo on Jan 24 to all its agents in Canada to change the baggage allowance on Toronto-bound flights and withdraw the two piece baggage allowance.
This policy should have been applicable to passengers who bought the ticket after this date but PIA is putting this restriction on those passengers also who bought the tickets earlier.
Those passengers who travelled to Pakistan with two bag are now returning after their vacations, and the PIA is insisting on baggage. This attitude reflects the poor management in the PIA.
ZULFIQAR AHMED
Ottawa, Canada
SINDH Text Book Board (STBB), in their class IXth textbooks of English and Sindhi, stated that Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai died in 1752 and 1753, respectively. Two different dates by the same institute creates confusion in the minds of the students. Shah Latif passed away in 1752, as has been mentioned by almost all scholars and writers.
The STBB authorities are requested to correct the date in the new textbooks.
AGHA ATTAULLAH KHAN
Ghotki
Israel has effectively paralysed the Palestinian authorities by confining Yasser Arafat to his office, taking over towns and destroying infrastructure in occupied territories such as the airport and displacing civilians who are now living in poverty.
Yet Israel is asking Yasser Arafat to rein in the Hamas and suicide bombers who are killing Israeli civilians. On the other hand, Israel is killing the Hamas leadership. A whole society is being destroyed in the name of national security and self-defence.
SHABBIR H. SHAH
Silver Spring, USA
One reason that corruption in the United States is under control is an effective media. Every newspaper, TV network or any other media outlet has what is called “investigative reporters.” They receive tips from the public and then start their own investigation; and thus expose the corrupt individuals. Pakistani media seems to lack this.
It is also the responsibility of the media to evaluate the candidates for political office, check their backgrounds and inform the public. The public can then decide who to vote for and why. Corrupt and incompetent individuals keep getting elected again and again, because voters know very little about their background.
The media also needs to educate the public about the value of their vote, and how important it is not to vote for corrupt and incompetent individuals.
ABDUL HAMID
Denver, USA
A few months back, while returning from a domestic trip, I noticed that the 80 feet lighting pole on the corner of the road linking the airport with Sharea Faisal had been hit by some vehicle and was tilted in a very dangerous position. I was expecting that it would be attended to promptly, keeping in view the danger it posed to the general public and also its location. But even after three months no action has been taken.
I request the concerned authorities to take immediate measures to avoid a major accident. It is a huge structure with quite a high centre of gravity. The mechanical damage to the structure has created a very weak point at the point of the collision. It is quite possible that it can fall down on the main Sharea Faisal on some moving vehicle, causing causalities.
There are some other such electricity poles in the city extending similar threats. One of them, still more dangerous, is in the SITE area on the main road from Sher Shah to Gul Bai.
Will we act only after a serious accident has taken place?
ENGR DILAWAR HUSAIN
Karachi
I HAD posted an Eid greetings card to my daughter at an address in the US on December 6 last and affixed Rs. 36 worth of stamps on the envelope. However, to my surprise, the letter was sent back to my address in Lahore on January 3. The US postal department is perhaps scared of anthrax which has been created by elements within the Unites States.
At least the US postal department ought to refund my 60 cents (Rs 36) in postal charges as they have not fulfilled their part of the responsibility.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
AFGHAN carpet dealers have started transferring capital from Pakistan to Afghanistan, suspending work on the multi-million rupees carpet town scheme at Chamkani on the outskirts of Peshawar for producing hand-knotted carpets.
The NWFP government had leased out some 90 acres of land to Afghan carpet dealers at Chamkani to set up carpet weaving units. Besides, 75 acres of land was allotted to the Afghan investors at Khurasan camp, Pesahwar, for setting up another carpet town to boost carpet and rugs export. However, on the fall of the Taliban government and return of the skilled artisans to Afghanistan, the sponsors do not appear inclined to further invest in Pakistan. The carpet unit owners have reportedly been given one-month notice to start work otherwise the authorities would be left with no other option but to dispose of the project.
Chamkani carpet town DMD reportedly said that according to the pact the provincial government was bound to provide gas, electricity, telephone and road facilities to the proposed carpet town by October 2001, but the commitments had not been fulfilled. He was further quoted as having said that they were committed to revive the project if the government provided facilities.
The NWFP government, I am sure, must have provided land and other facilities to the carpet dealers as a special gesture for our Afghan brethren. In view of the special relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the NWFP government is urged to sympathetically look into the matter pointed out by the Chamkani carpet town official and provide the necessary facilities so that this important project becomes operational at the earliest.
Extension in the one-month notice time may also be considered so that the carpet dealers are in a position to start making carpets and provide much-needed employment to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan recently sent a delegation headed by the chairman, SECP to attract foreign investors to Pakistan. In this context, a two-day ICC Regional FDI conference is also scheduled to start on Feb 17 in Karachi. This conference will be a big event and may possibly be inaugurated by the President.
This shows the importance the government accords to facilitating foreign investment in Pakistan. The government functionaries at the operation level are urged to make the FDI scheme successful by providing full support and facilities on timely basis to the investors implementing and operating their projects in Pakistan. This is important for all of us.
MUHAMMAD BASHIR CHAUDHRY
Karachi
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