| February 10, 2002 | Sunday | Ziqa’ad 26, 1422 |
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Seedless fruit
Jihad for nation building
Anti-terrorism ordinance
Ruttie Jinnah grove
Improvement of Hill Park
CR’s enduring message
Khushhal programme funds
KU’s transport system
Credit card
Innocent refugees
Banana republic
PTV ad
Lyari Expressway
PROPOSALS relating to the coming elections to the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies were announced by the Chairman, National Reconstruction Bureau last month. There is no news about their approval by the National Security Council which is essential.
The next stage will be to give legal cover to the proposed changes. This matter is quite complex since the proposals cannot be put into effect without amending the Constitution. Increase in the number of seats of the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies can be provided legal cover by amending Articles 51(1) and 106(1) respectively. The said articles have fixed the strength of these bodies. Proposed reservation of seats for women and technocrats will need some addition to the constitutional provisions.
An abolition of separate electorate will necessitate scrapping the relevant article. The controversial proposal about the educational qualification of the legislators can be put into effect by amending Articles 62 or 62 and 13. The National Reconstruction Bureau chief has not given any indication whether the establishment plans to bring about amendments to the fundamental law or does it consider the issuance of merely an executive order by the Chief Executive sufficient?
The Supreme Court, in its judgment legitimizing the take-over by the military, had also said that the Chief Executive can amend the Constitution to achieve his declared objectives. We do not know how far the constitutional amendments fixing the increased number of legislators or prescribing educational qualification for them are relevant to his declared objectives.
The Supreme Court might consider them as irrelevant. To avoid such a situation the apex court should be consulted before amending the fundamental law. Increasing the numerical strength of the federal and provincial legislatures and to disqualify non-graduates from being elected is not as important as preserving the sanctity of the Constitution.
PROF MUKHTAR ALI NAQVI
Orlando, USA
AMONG the new developments in agriculture is the growth of seedless fruit like grapes, navel oranges and water melons. While we produce excellent large grapes, kinoos and water melons, these all contain unpleasant seeds. Seedless fruits could be developed by a trait called parthencarpy. Such fruit has advantages over seeded fruit: longer shelf life and greater consumer appeal.
Our moribund agriculture research institutes and universities ought to develop seedless fruit like that developed elsewhere in the world. What are we waiting for?
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
FOR a long time there had rightly been much concern in Pakistan and abroad about the activities of the Jihadis and so-called extremist organizations operating in this country. Last month the government finally initiated action against them in the manner it deemed fit.
However, I feel that instead of creating another rift within the already much splintered Pakistani society that is resulting from the manner of the action being taken, the services of the Jihadi organizations could be converted into nation-building activities.
After all if these organizations could motivate thousands of Pakistanis to sacrifice their lives in support of people of Kashmir and Afghanistan, I am sure when taken into proper confidence, the abilities of the Jihadi leaders to motivate people could be equally put to other uses that would bring benefit to the country and its people.
I hope the President and the Minister of Interior would be able to give consideration to this suggestion.
IQBAL F QUADIR
Karachi
THE promulgation of Anti-terrorism Ordinance 2002, wherein army colonels have been deputed alongside the Sessions Judge to preside over the trials, reminds me of an incident dating back to 1607. The English monarch of the time, King James I, had also developed the pretence that he alone could properly dispense justice in his own right without reliance on the judges.
The case of Prohibitions Del Roy ultimately ended up in the court, and Chief Justice Coke, in the resolution of judges, declared as follows:
“It was answered by me in the presence and with the clear consent of all the Judges of England and Barons of the Exchequer that the King in his own person cannot adjudge any case either criminal or betwixt party and party.
“His Majesty was not learned in the laws of his realm of England, and causes which concern the life or inheritance or goods or fortunes of his subjects are not to be decided by natural reason (which the King claimed) but by the artificial reason and judgement of the law, which law is an art which requires long study and experience, before that a man can attain to the cognizance of it.”
Similarly, our military, no matter how passionate it might feel about dispensing justice and curbing the menace of terrorism, should not attempt to put its own men on the bench purporting to translate these lofty ideals into fruition. After all, they are not masters in the laws of the land.
How on earth can a colonel, no matter how courageous and honest he might be, adjudicate upon the guilt or otherwise of the accused without any knowledge of the criminal procedure in vogue and the laws relating to evidence taken in the courts?
The whole exercise would not only amount to the mockery of the due process of law but also bring in to ridicule the entire judicial hierarchy of the country.
MASROOR SHAH
Islamabad
WITH reference to Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column “Back to Jinnah” (Feb 3), I would like to quote from the Memoirs of Isha’at Habibullah: “Do you realize,” said the Quaid to his lieutenant Raja Saheb of Mahmudabad, “that there are over seventy sects and differences of opinion regarding the Islamic faith. We shall not be an Islamic state, but a liberal democratic Muslim state.” Jinnah, therefore, desired a secular and not a theocratic Pakistan, for his people.
To translate Jinnah’s concept for a tolerant society, General Musharraf should instruct, the reallocation of Plot E, adjacent to the Quaid’s Mazar, for the proposed Ruttie Jinnah Grove (Tree Mazar-3: Dawn: July 30, 2000). This area for the Ruttie Jinnah Park was resumed but later shelved by the administration.
Donations for the work were arranged by Ardeshir Cowasjee, other members of the Parsi community and Muslims who desired to see the name of Ruttie Jinnah perpetuated. The government had second thoughts and the project of Ruttie Jinnah alcove was sidelined, because of the warped reasoning that Ruttie Jinnah, though a convert to Islam, was a non-practising Muslim.
February 20 marks the seventy-third death anniversary of Ruttie Jinnah. Jinnah’s junior, M.C. Chagla, describes the funeral scene, on the afternoon, of February 22, 1929. “That was the only time when I found Jinnah betraying shadow of human weakness: there were actually, tears in his eyes.”
MOHAMMAD AZIZ HAJI DOSSA
Karachi
I READ the letter from Waqar Ali Khan titled “Hill Park ducklings”. It was good to learn that regular walkers at Hill Park take so much interest in its maintenance. I am sure they must have noticed the improvement in cleanliness and sanitation of the park and the lake in the last 15 days.
Since I have been handed over the responsibility to improve the existing facilities and make the undeveloped sides of Hill Park green, I have been trying to consult the regular visitors of the park.
A major package for improvement of the park is under consideration and will be presented to the City Nazim in the near future. I request all those who are interested in the improvement of the park to contact me with their suggestions at my Union Council Office which is situated at the foot of Hill Park.
With the participation of the community, I am sure we can do a lot to make Hill Park a better recreation point.
ZAHID SAEED,
Nazim Union Council No 7,
Karachi
IN my student days my hobby was to collect autographs. Among the many well-known leaders of pre-Independence India, I obtained the autograph of a very prominent Congress leader, C. Rajagopalacharya.
The message from “CR”, written in his own hand in 1942 says, “Trust those who ask you to trust them. Do not mind the risk.”
If the present day leadership of India can learn from this message they would act differently in regarding their relations with Pakistan.
F.U. AHMAD
Karachi
A TENDER for Khushhal Pakistan Programme for Khairpur district has been published in Dawn ( Jan 30)
As a resident of Khairpur district, I was really shocked to see the taluka-wise distribution of funds. In the past it had been a practice to spend all the development funds in the towns and villages of the chief ministers and the ministers.
In the days of Syed Ghous Ali Shah, ex-chief minister who belonged to this district, huge sums of money were spent for the construction of wide roads in his village Garhi Mori, besides the construction of buildings and roads in the adjoining areas, just to please his voters.
Two powerful ministers from Kingri (Distt Khairpur), who remained in the cabinet for about eight years, spent huge sums of money for the construction of rest houses in Kingri, a sheer waste of public funds. They paid little attention to the development of Faiz Ganj, Mirwah and Nara talukas where they have a very large following.
It was hoped that the newly elected Nazim of Khairpur, who is foreign educated, will distribute the funds on merit. But it is surprising that she has broken all the past records.
Out of Rs 21.2 million for the whole district, she has awarded an amount of Rs 9 million her own taluka, Khairpur, and distributed the remaining amount as under: Kingri Rs 4.462 m Kotdiji Rs 2.350 m Gambat Rs 0.314 m Nara Rs 0.740 m Sobho Dero Rs 3.214 m Mirwah Rs 0.909 m Faizganj Nil
This government has introduced the devolution plan so that people’s problems are solved at their doorsteps. A taluka covering an area of 594 sq kms and having a population of 0.7 million has been completely neglected. Is this justice?
The Governor Sindh and the Minister for Local Government are requested to kindly intervene and direct the district Nazima to cancel the tender and distribute the funds judiciously and transparently.
PROF (R) A RAZAQ BANBHAN
Faiz Ganj
THE University of Karachi, the biggest in Pakistan, has an inefficient transport system. There are only 17 buses for 14,000 students. The donation of 3 buses by the City Nazim recently, has made little difference.
The buses are so overcrowded that there is always a danger of an accident. In fact, one student has already lost his life due to overcrowding in the University buses.
A large number of buses belonging to the University’s fleet, are lying out of order. These can be made operational after repairs.
There is also a need to revise the timetable of the buses to enable more students to avail of this facility without being late for their classes.
ALI JOHN
Karachi
I FULLY endorse the views expressed by Nazer Shaikh (Jan 29).
Recently I had to deal with a multinational bank regarding the credit card of my son who has gone abroad on employment. He had stopped his card transactions several months ago and had approached the bank through e-mail, but there was no response.
Instead, they put a non-debit lock on my account which has been with this bank for more than two decades.
The State Bank of Pakistan conveniently ignores all this highhandedness and bullying, perhaps because of a policy of appeasement.
DR ABDULLAH JAN PATHAN
Hyderabad
WITH reference to his letter “Time to send back Afghan refugees” (Feb 3), I would like to draw Mr Riaz A. Qureshi’s attention to the picture appearing on the front page of the paper the same day showing three young innocent Afghani children who lost their mental balance because of the deaths of the members of their family in a US-led bombing in Khairkhana district of Kabul on Feb 2.
I would ask whether it would be just to send any of such small and innocent refugees, our own Muslim children rather, as per the Islamic universal law of brotherhood, back to a country which is still in a state of turmoil?
I do agree that there has been a rise in the rate of crime in the city, but we should not single out Afghan refugees. There are others, too.
In this regard, I would appeal to the concerned authorities to set up some workhouses on the outskirts of the city and make the beggars and refugees work there and also make education a mandatory requirement for the minors. Education should be provided to them free of cost. This act can help in improving the economy of our country.
Those not willing to work may be sent back to their country, but let us give them a chance.
FARAZ AHMED QURESHI
Karachi
AFTER one thousand weekly Islamabad diaries, reeking with erudition, Ayaz Amir has finally discovered (Feb 1) that Pakistan is a banana republic. It is never too late to learn. Perhaps after another one thousand pieces he may learn that such outpourings by columnists do not make the slightest difference to the country or its leaders.
HAMIDULLAH
Islamabad
THREE cheers for the gentleman who drafted PTV’s advertisement to ask you to “Confer your opinion! Which time is appropriate for PTV khabarnama? 9:00 pm or 7 pm and 10:00 pm” and assuring you that “Your opinion will ameliorate our decision”. The Queen in England must learn the King’s English from PTV.
LATIF QURESHI
Lahore
DIFFERENCES between urban governance across South Asia are instructive for the substance, rather than mere rhetoric, of poverty alleviation and citizen rights. Consider Mumbai, where the suburban railway system is being expanded. Due to this scheme, many squatter families living along the railway line have to be evicted. The city administration has involved these communities and city NGO’s in developing and implementing resettlement and rehabilitation plans, including surveys of affectees.
In a committed division of responsibility, the city government is to provide alternative land to the affectees at a place near their former places of work; the railways will level and develop this new land; the municipality provides off-site infrastructure and allots the land to community cooperatives; cooperatives design, finance and construct houses; and the housing bank provides loans to the cooperatives.
Thus communities are not torn apart, workplaces remain accessible, children continue to go to school and so on. (In many other countries, eviction only takes place after the final examinations of schools so that the education of students is not disrupted).
In contrast we have Karachi and the Lyari Expressway. Let us ignore the fact that the Expressway itself is a dubious scheme for improving urban infrastructure.
People are being evicted, their homes and physical, social infrastructure destroyed without any rehabilitation plan being offered to them. Affectees are not even aware of the details of the expressway project.
Already, the commercial enterprises where many of them worked have been demolished without any compensation having been offered to them. For the residential units a mere Rs 50,000 is being offered as compensation and a plot in far-off Baldia where neither water, sewage, electricity, roads are available, and nor are there any jobs.
The Lyari Expressway is going to deeply deteriorate the lives of about 200,000 persons and the education of about 18,000 children.
Must Karachi remain so horribly misgoverned as to disguise unnecessary and uncaring displacement of the many in the name of the dubious development for the few?
KARAMAT ALI and A. ERCELAWN
Karachi
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