| February 21, 2002 | Thursday | Zilhaj 8, 1422 |
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Tickets for minority candidates
It is a war for oil
Children of Kashmir and Palestine
Indian TV channels
NIC for overseas Pakistanis
Cattle grazing in the city
Supply of LPG in Northern Areas
PTA’s advertisement
Dead phone
Wrong forex policy
Injustice to a teacher
Sacrifice
Conservation of natural gas
NATIONAL elections, due to be held in October this year, are approaching fast. One hopes that all the political parties are busy giving final touches to their election manifestos.
From past experience, one can easily foresee that these manifestos would be general in nature and would hardly provide for any specific and concrete solutions to the grave problems being faced by the people of Pakistan. These manifestos are only meant to hoodwink the masses by presenting them a rosy picture of what the political party concerned would do when it comes into power.
Past experience also shows that most people vote because of their preference for a certain individual. It is high time that the people of Pakistan change their mental outlook and broaden their vision. They must cast votes to a party on the basis of its manifesto and not on the basis of its leadership’s personal popularity.
It is suggested that the Election Commission of Pakistan should make it compulsory for all the political parties contesting the elections, to publish their manifestos in at least one Urdu and one English widely circulated newspaper, before March 23, 2002. The political parties may then be invited on the television to elaborate as to what specific solutions or policies they shall adopt after coming into power.
The political parties should not only announce a clear-cut road map for addressing the current political, economic and social problems facing the country, but also highlight an ‘economic vision’ for Pakistan. This might include, among other measures, an assurance to the international investors about the continuity of the economic policies initiated by the present government. This is very important to remove any apprehension in the minds of the foreign investors that the present policies would not be changed by the incoming elected government in the post-October 2002 period.
The government and the Election Commission of Pakistan should also launch a political awareness campaign to educate the people and to impress upon them the importance of the manifesto of a political party. It goes without saying that our country cannot afford a failure of the political system or another derailment of democracy.
We pray and hope that our political parties will prepare their manifestos not in the drawing rooms, but after holding extensive consultations with the people from all walks of life.
SHAHID ANWAR
Karachi
THIS refers to Mr M.L Shahani’s letter (Jan 31).
I fully agree with him that the President of Pakistan and General Naqvi have brought the minorities of Pakistan in the mainstream. It is a fact that with separate electorates, the minorities did not feel that they were equal partners in the affairs of the country.
However, I have different views about the nomination of minority candidates in Sindh and Punjab, from certain districts which are supposed to have a large population belonging to the minority communities. I feel that the political parties may issue tickets to candidates from the minority communities for a constituency anywhere in Pakistan. The only thing is that they should keep a minimum percentage for such candidates.
The President of Pakistan has very kindly done what should have been done much earlier. Now it rests with the political parties to give tickets to the members of minority communities without any consideration whether or not sufficient number of minority voters are there in a particular constituency, to eliminate the feeling that tickets are given on the basis of religion.
In elections on party basis, the candidate is not as important as the party. I am sure all the parties will give due consideration to the inclusion of minority communities’ candidates in their ranks.
This would enhance the image of Pakistan as a tolerant society and will also give a sense of security and confidence to the members of the minority communities.
EDGAR VICTOR
Hyderabad
AMERICA’S bombing of already war-devastated and famine-stricken Afghanistan and killing civilians (about 8000 according to some reliable western newspapers), a large number of whom we children, women and old men and calling it a ‘war against terrorism’, reminds me of American history of the 18th and the larger part of the 19th century.
That was the time when criminals escaping justice in Europe and other rogue elements from there, started migrating to the USA. Till then, only the eastern and a very narrow part of the present day USA was inhabited by the white race. The western and the far-western lands, which the Americans called the Wild West, were inhabited by peaceful and peace loving Red Indians.
To get on to the western lands, these adventurists from Europe started calling the Red Indians, uncivilized and barbarians.
Later, they displaced the Red Indians and occupied their land by brute force. This continued till the Red Indians were reduced to a fraction of their population and were pushed into small settlements.
The present ‘war against terrorism’ in Afghanistan is actually a war for Central Asian oil.
GHULAM KIBRIA
Karachi
WE have read with pain and anguish the appeal by Ms Mariane Pearl, (Feb 16) for the release of her husband. The people of Pakistan, one and all, sympathize with her and pray or her and the longevity of her husband. She has appealed for the sake of her unborn son, as she is six months pregnant now. Our hearts go out to her.
At the same time, the Muslims all over the world shed silent tears over the fate of hundreds and thousands of unborn children in Kashmir and Palestine. Their expectant mothers live in horror waiting for the return of their husbands who in most cases do not return.
While we pray for the father of the unborn child Deniel Junior, we would suggest to his mother to use her influence with the members of the fourth estate to pressurize the world powers to feel and act for those children also who die in the streets of Palestine and Kashmir and the youths who are being killed by the bullets of Israel and India.
Terrorism is a detestable act and must be condemned. But people in Kashmir and Palestine are not terrorists, they are freedom-fighters and they must be treated and revered as such. If justice can be brought to the door of East Timorians, it can also be brought to the doors of Kashmiris and Palestinians.
We hope that Mrs Pearl will also move to put her weight on the side of children born and unborn in Kashmir and Palestine.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
THE decision to ban Indian channels on cable networks in Pakistan is unwise and was, perhaps, taken in haste.
In the prevailing atmosphere of hostility, it is very convenient to curb the right of the people to seek information, in the name of patriotism and national interest. But I, as a citizen, protest this usurpation of my basic right of getting information and entertainment.
By banning the Indian channels, our policy makers have accepted that we, the people of Pakistan, are not intelligent enough to differentiate between propaganda and truth. This is totally wrong and let it be said loudly that the people of this country are knowledgeable and mature enough, not to be misled by any propaganda stuff. Further, the fact that not all Indian channels are indulging in political propaganda against Pakistan, should also be taken note of. Most offer entertainment-based programmes.
This step does not help in promoting our image as a tolerant society and goes against the efforts of President Musharraf to project Pakistan as a progressive and moderate country.
I appeal to the concerned authorities that they should trust the people and their judgment and allow them to decide what is good and what is bad for them.
MUDASSAR SALIM FAROOQI
Peshawar
THIS is to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the problem of getting Nadra ID cards for Pakistanis in the UAE.
After contacting the embassy several times, I was told that the government has not yet sent ID card application forms to the embassy. The month of February is almost over now.
It is difficult to think that we would be able to get our ID cards by June this year, though the Pakistan government has announced that every Pakistani national must acquire the new ID cards by that time.
Even when the application forms would become available, the miseries of Pakistanis in the UAE in this respect, would not be over. I have seen the form in Pakistan and I feel that it is really a tedious job to fill up that mysterious form. I can foresee the problems of common Pakistanis here among whom the literacy rate is below 30 per cent.
In any case, I request the concerned authorities to make the application form available here at the earliest so that the process could start. For Pakistanis here, this problem is all the more urgent as their passports cannot be renewed without the new ID cards.
CONCERNED PAKISTANI
Abu Dhabi,
UAE
ALL of us have observed cattle freely roaming around in the city limits. The owners leave them loose so that they eat whatever is lying around. Unfortunately, these animals are eating out of garbage dumps! They drink water that is flowing on the road mixed with sewerage.
I request the concerned authorities, the city nazim and the medical community to take up this issue at the earliest. Laws must be framed that confine these animals to areas outside cities where their diet would be more natural and healthier.
ASAF MARUF ALI
Karachi
NORTHERN Areas is the most isolated part of Pakistan. Though it has amazing natural beauty, friendly people, and other factors for attracting domestic and foreign tourists, it remains a fact that winters are very harsh here. The temperature falls upto -20C in many areas.
The residents need to bring the room temperature to a reasonable warmth by using firewood. Consequently, there is widespread deforestation. The extreme cold in winter has forced the people to cut down even the fruit trees.
The LPG supply has been provided to the Northern Areas but this can be availed of only by the better off families due to its high cost as well as perpetual shortage of supply.
There is, therefore, a need to review the current situation and to make arrangements for an increased supply of the LPG in the area at a reasonably lower price.
AMJAD KARIM
Hunza
I WAS flabbergasted to see Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s advertisement in Dawn (Feb 15). At serial No. 4, the post of Deputy Director (Admin/General) has been advertised and the conditions of eligibility require that the candidate’s age should be 25 to 35 years. But, interestingly, he is also required to have 20 years experience in the relevant field!
Doesn’t it mean that such a candidate should have started working at the age of 5 to 15 years?
Can it be presumed that the PTA people are so carefree about what conditions appear in their ad because they know that they would be able to appoint whomsoever they want to, regardless of the qualifications and conditions mentioned in their ad?
HAIDER BHURGRI
Islamabad
I have been trying for the last one month to have my telephone (504 3068) restored without any success. The telephone was disconnected one month back for reasons not known to me.
I have contacted almost everyone in the telephone department but no one paid any heed to my complaint. Those who were contacted include:
Mr J (GM, SRT III, telephone No. 263 3244), Mr G (DE II, Landhi, 501 3344)), Mr B (AE II, 504 2679), Mr I (SDO, 503 0000), Mr Islam toll-free (0800-44544) and Col. H (Islamabad, PTCL. HQ, 051-922 531 922 5318).
I am now left with no alternative but to appeal to the authorities through these columns to make my telephone operational again. Here is my address: 6/9-36-B, Landhi, Karachi.
ANWAR ALI KHAN
Karachi
RECENTLY, I visited four different banks in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to open a forex account and to transfer back over US $ 90,000 which I had shifted to an overseas bank account in 1998, to save my hard earned money from being frozen.
However, I have been advised against this transfer, because the Economic Reforms Act 1992 has been amended through an ordinance, to empower the tax men to question the source of incoming forex. Obviously, this would lead to harassment and humiliation of the forex account holders.
I fail to understand as to why this amendment has been made which would only compel resident Pakistanis, mostly former expatriates, to keep their forex in overseas banks. Is it not against the interest of Pakistan?
Will Pakistani financial experts with no vested interest in the West, be kind enough to examine if the present forex policy of the government would not result in Pakistan being starved of forex and to remain financially dependent upon the IMF ?
SHAKEEL AKHTAR
Rawalpindi
WHEN I was diagnosed a heart patient, some eight years back, my industrialist employer terminated my services on a fifteen days’ notice to escape the treatment expenses and other liabilities.
My wife is depressed, mostly from the dishonest practices in her department that is making her a sick person. Neither of us can afford the medical expenses to stay healthy.
My wife is a teacher in a government girls’ school, where she teaches maths to a class of more than 100 students. Being an M.Ed with more than twenty year’s experience (close to retirement), she draws around Rs 7000 and her total balance in the provident fund is around Rs 10,000.
She is a bit unhappy too, because certain functionaries tend to deprive her of her legitimate dues.
She, along with other teachers, had to wait for hours to get the original office order that was deemed necessary to apply for the selection grade BSP, B-17. Now, she is advised to wait for the salary according to the new pay scale and the arrears thereof.
ONE CONCERNED
Karachi
THERE is extreme poverty, widespread disease and ignorance in the country. To combat all these grave ills, we need sacrifices from the people. If we fail to make such sacrifices, especially at this critical juncture, I am afraid that our formal sacrifice of animals may well go waste.
We must make a solemn pledge to God Almighty that, if need be, we shall be ready to sacrifice even our choicest belongings for our homeland.
MAZHAR ADEEB
Lahore
WHILE addressing a press conference in Lahore recently the managing director of SNGPL said that gas supply from Sui reserve had declined from 600 to 375 MMCFD and production would terminate by the year 2008. He further said that if there were no new discoveries, the gas might be imported by the year 2003 through projected pipelines from Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar.
In the same interview, he gave details for the construction of 565 km of transmission pipelines and compression system of SNGPL involving a total capital outlay of Rs 15.273 billion, including the foreign exchange component of Rs 3.453 billion, for carrying an additional 525 MMCFD of gas for power generation and for meeting the demand during the winter peak load. This according to him, will result in yearly saving of about $ 635 million, which otherwise would have been incurred on the import of furnace oil.
This gives rise to two questions. First, what is the rationale behind incurring such a huge amount on transmission pipelines and compression system when there is serious doubt about the availability of gas from the gas fields? The second and more important question is whether it is advisable to consume the indigenous gas for power generation. The national interest, in fact, will be better served if indigenous gas is conserved for the industry particularly for petrochemical and fertilizer, where gas serves as a raw material for producing the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.
The eventual use of imported gas when our indigenous resource is exhausted, will not only make our products non-competitive in the export market but with the induction of WTO regime/reduced import duty, even the local sales of gas-based fertilizers and chemicals could result in a serious setback to this industry and stunt its future growth.
It is proposed that the government should immediately review and revise its energy policy in this regard and the power generation units should be encouraged to switch over to coal, which is in their own interest. In any case, they will have to do it after a few years, when the gas resources are depleted. It is also proposed that till we find indigenous coal of suitable quality or the Thar coal could be commercially exploited by mining or gasification, the government should encourage import of good quality coal which could be blended with local coal.
It may be worthwhile to mention that among the fossil fuels, coal is the only fuel which has not undergone price escalation for the last two decades. On the basis of thermal value, cost of imported coal is half that of furnace oil. It is the cheapest source of energy after hydropower and contributes to the extent of 40% to the world’s energy requirement, in fact, most of the thermal plants operate on coal.
The above approach if adopted could result, on the one hand, in conservation of natural gas, the greatest gift of God to our country, and, on the other, in development of indigenous coal reserves.
S. MOHSIN ALI
Karachi
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