| April 1, 2002 | Monday | Muharram 17, 1423 |
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Explaining the Quran
Hindrances to IT promotion
Empty stomachs and stability
The cost of an elected govt
Baldia Colony
An overhaul needed
Let the people decide
SOS for farmers
Unclear govt commitment
Retirement age of professors
Set apart tax recovery
‘Inefficiencies at PS’
Clarification
THIS is with reference to Ahmad Bux Ghoto’s letter (March 24) commenting on the article ‘Pakistani languages’ by Hafizur Rahman (March 20). Mr Ghoto has refuted the statement that Hindko is a variation of Punjabi. But the fact cannot be denied that about 80 per cent vocabulary of Punjabi and Hindko is similar.
I am not a linguist, but a scientist by profession. What is being written here is based on general observations during my service career in government and semi-government organizations. I had the opportunity to work in almost all those places where Punjabi, Hindko, Sindhi, Pushto and Saraiki are spoken. These days there is news telecast from PTV in regional languages. I have had several opportunity of watching news in Gojri, which also seems to resemble Punjabi and Hindko.
It is my observation that these languages share an almost 70 per cent common vocabulary. Etymology will show that even the remaining 20 per cent constitute derivatives of common origin leaving only 10 per cent newly acquired words that are different. This indicates that these languages have a common base. Migration and mixing of people with the passage of centuries gave rise to variations that ultimately got identified as dialects and separate languages synonymous with regions.
From a group of synonyms, some words were more frequently used to describe some thing or a situation in one area while other words of that group become popular in a different area. Similarly, the phonetic variations came in. This coupled with addition of new words from the locals and immigrants provided the basis for variations. Thus the difference between expressions in distant areas became discernible giving rise to dialects. With further distance came more variations, and with the passage of time the medium of communication became synonymous with that region and got identified as a separate language of a particular region. The origin of these languages is the same and the people who speak them are predominantly of the same origin with some addition of immigrants who were naturalized in the course of history.
Mr Ghoto says Hindko originated from Sindhi. If he claims that Punjabi came out of Sindhi, I accept with delight. According to him, even India originated from Sindh so should Punjab. This means Punjab also belongs to him and Punjabi is not alien to him. He may relax; there is no cause for alarm in what Mr Hafizur Rahman said. Let us be proud of our basic linkage rather than creating the differences that really do not exist.
NAIMAT ALI GILL
Lahore
RECENTLY, during my visit to the United States and in discussions with the intellectually inclined in our own country, I was quite disturbed to notice a profound trend of questioning the ‘correctness’ of the teachings of the Holy Quran. The specific areas of contention are:
1. Women’s rights and the Quranic version of men having supremacy over women. (Surah Al-Nissa, Ayat # 33-35)
2. The definition and division of property amongst men and women based on Quranic teachings. (Surah Al-Nissa)
3. The subject of shahadat where the evidence of two women is equal to the evidence of one man.
4. Alcohol consumption declared as haram. The new idea is that Quran has not prohibited the consumption of alcohol in its totality but only the consumption of alcohol in amounts that will be intoxicating.
5. Divorce: the idea that a man can divorce a woman but a woman cannot do that.
6. Punishments: punishments like whipping and amputation of limbs prescribed in Islam are considered ‘barbaric’.
I am no religious zealot. However, I firmly believe that if the Quran says something about any subject, there should be very little room for interpretation or obfuscation by Muslims, whether it seems politically correct to us or not.
I request that those amongst us who have a better knowledge of these subjects may shed some light. Even a direction towards some basic reference material would help understand these issues.
I and many other Muslims like myself will be obliged. Ideally speaking, it would be best if someone with knowledge in this areas can provide direction towards a final word on these issues arrived at unanimously by all the main sects in Islam.
SYED AZMAT ALI
Karachi
OUR learned Federal Minister for Information and Technology, Dr Ata-ur-Rahman, is no doubt making real efforts to do as much as he can for the promotion of IT. But do we have all that is required to make this nation the hub of IT professionals? I am afraid we are lacking in many aspects.
The first thing is that even our leading ISPs go almost dead at times. The speed, the bandwidth and the cost an individual has to bear to carry out his e-mail and genuine browsing activities are the main hindrances in getting the most out of this modern technology.
Much has been written on the issue of multimetering. Although all the ISPs deny this, the consumers are certain that their telephones are multimetered because previously the amount in their telephone bills was never as high as it is now. This puts considerable burden on the consumers’ household budgets.
Poor connectivity and slow speed, too, put a disadvantageous impact on our phone bills. Our visitors from the west get flabbergasted by the extremely slow speed of the Internet, whenever they come to visit us during the vacations. The idea of cable Internet, too, is not catching up in our country, may be due to opposition by the existing ISPs.
The mushroom growth of IT institutes is simply chaotic. A majority of them don’t even have qualified and competent instructors. This has been reported in the press time and again, but nothing has been done so far to stop such institutes from functioning.
It is the duty of the government to seal such institutes immediately because our young men and women spend a large amount of money to get a certificate or diploma from these institutes but since the instructions received by them there are not up to the standard, they fail to get a job and become frustrated and agitated.
S. NEHAL ALVI
Karachi
ACCORDING to press reports, a government spokesman claimed that the prices of utilities in Pakistan are still lower as compared to those in western countries. It makes no sense because the salaries and other emoluments in western countries are too high to be compared with ours.
In Pakistan, the common man is facing a very difficult situation. He is so heavily taxed that he is being squeezed to the last ounce of his blood. The utility bills alone are becoming unbearable. Increase in the prices of medicines by the imposition of the GST, would also prove deadly for the poor people.
The Secretary of Petroleum is reported to have said that those who cannot pay their bills, should not use gas. This statement reflects a heart that is completely devoid of any sympathy for the poor. How can these bureaucrats, who get free electricity, gas, telephones and water supply, realize the sufferings of the poor?
If the government pays no heed to their sufferings, then the people will take to the streets. Empty stomachs are the greatest threat to the stability of any government — be it civil or military.
S.A. KHOKHAR
Lahore
AYAZ Amir’s articles are always interesting to read. One objection that I have is that he overkills the person or some subject that he writes against. What he forgets is to include solutions to the problems or alternatives.
He is dead against General Musharraf and never tires of ridiculing him. Let me submit to his attention an example. No matter what the system, Hosni Mubarak is accepted as a democratically elected President of Egypt. He has provided to his country a vital stability.
Yes, we want institutions and elected governments but not at the cost of stability, good governance and accountability. That is exactly what our elected governments failed to give us during their rule.
JABBAR KAREEM
Rawalpindi
I WOULD like to draw the attention of the concerned health department to the grave health problems being faced by the residents of Baldia Colony, Hyderabad.
Baldia Colony is one of the three colonies located behind the Central Jail, Hyderabad. The population of these colonies is about 30,000. The cantonment board area also meets with the Baldia colony, and in between the cantonment area and the Baldia Colony there’s a huge dirty water pond which accumulates the city waste.
The pond full of hazardous matter is playing havoc with the lives of the inhabitants, causing serious physical and mental problems. The foul smell has made life miserable for the residents. Furthermore, in rainy season it’s a permanent breeding place for mosquitoes.
In spite of many reminders, the municipal authorities are least interested in solving this problem.
It is requested that the concerned authorities and health department take prompt and immediate action to save the inhabitants from further agony and pain.
QAZI ASIM
Karachi
PTV’s programmes fail to attract viewers because of its unimaginative and crude presentation. An overdose of religious programmes and the use of religious sayings and snippet as fillers do not positively impact on the viewers who either switch off the TV or change the channel. Providing quality entertainment, information and candid discussions covering the entire gamut of the social, political and economic issues confronting the nation should be the core objective of the PTV.
English pronunciation of some of the PTV newscasters and reporters is simply atrocious. The PTV reporters not only have extremely poor command of the language but also lack knowledge of the current issues and thus end up asking stupid questions to the dignitaries they interview. Some astute manager from the private sector should be picked up to head the PTV.
Similar is the story of the Ministry of Information which also lacks imagination, sophistication and the requisite propaganda skills to effectively influence both the local and global clientele in the context of our national interest.
In the recent past, the Ministry of Information and Media Development and the PTV have squandered at least three such opportunities: (i) the negative role played by extremist political and religious parties in the matters pertaining to Afghanistan, (ii) murder of Daniel Pearl which could have been used to promote moderation in our society, and (iii) the wanton and brutal massacre of Muslims in Gujarat by Hindu BJP government in India.
These are some of the opportunities which should have been effectively used to project and promote Pakistan’s image and its national interest.
I hope that the newly appointed minister would look into the affairs of the PTV and the Ministry of Information which need a major overhauling.
M.S. HASAN
Islamabad
THE present government is keen to establish genuine democracy and the task has been entrusted to the National Reconstruction Bureau to come up with the necessary amendments to the Constitution.
General Musharraf wants another five years to remain in office. It seems he has convinced himself that he knows what is good for Pakistan.
It is not new for a military ruler to assume what is best for the people. General Ayub declared democracy was not suitable. General Zia encouraged religious extremists. General Musharraf with all his sincerity to serve the country and make Pakistan a modern state should know what the people want.
The people of Pakistan want elections to choose their leaders. They don’t want the armed forces to be involved in politics. Military intervention on a long-term basis has not worked in the past and will not work in the future, rather it will create more problems for Pakistan.
ENGR S.T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
MOST of the farmers being illiterate or semi-educated are being exploited mercilessly. They don’t get proper prices for their produce because of bureaucratic inefficiencies, manipulation by the middlemen and nefarious interest of powerful cartels. This was clearly evident during the last cotton season.
A similar crisis may erupt during the present wheat-harvesting season, unless the government takes strong and efficient measures to help the farming community in getting proper prices for their produce without any delay. The Food Department and PASSCO must play their part to the full and purchase wheat at the declared price and not leave poor farmers at the mercy of middlemen and at the vagaries of the so-called market forces.
We request the Governor of Punjab to take measures safeguarding the farmers against market exploitation.
The government must increase the purchase target substantially, and establish an honest and efficient system for the purchase.
BRIG M. NASEEM KHAN
Multan
EFFECTIVE healthcare requires a judicious balance of preventive and curative services. A crucial and often deficient element in healthcare services is an adequate supply of appropriate medicines. Unfortunately, our government is not clear in its commitment to ensure the availability of medications for all people. The recently levied 15 per cent GST on all medications including life-saving drugs, is unjustifiable under the prevailing economic situation of the country.
The government must ensure the availability of essential drugs to all citizens. The government should also look into the drug use system in our country to identify potential deficiencies and rectify them to ensure best use of our limited resources.
One of the possible ways for this is the formation of multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals from the government as well as private sector and delegation of essential authority to such a team. The regulatory authorities could also ensure the safety, efficacy and quality of drugs, good prescribing and dispensing practices, and promote rational use of drugs by prescribers, dispensers and patients through provision of necessary training, education and information.
SYED SHAMIM RAZA
Karachi
PRESIDENT Pervez Musharraf has embarked upon reforms in almost all the walks of life, aimed at bringing about positive changes. University education has also been selected for such reforms.
I want to refer to an important issue, which may evade the attention of the high-ups bringing about these reforms. In our country, a government servant retires at the age of 60. But this is not correct for university professors, specially those holding PhD degrees. A teacher in his sixties is quite fit physically and it is highly unwise to send home this ‘treasure of knowledge’.
Almost all retired professors work in private or semi-government organizations even years after their retirement from the government. It shows that they are in perfect health to continue teaching, even after crossing the retirement age.
Furthermore, a PhD scholar usually completes his/her research work in late thirties. His/her retirement at the age of 60 means that we benefit from his/her scholarly efforts for only 20 years and then throw him/her away like a disposable item. It would be a great accomplishment of the president of Pakistan, if the retirement age for university professors is extended to 70. It is pertinent to note here that the retirement age for the Supreme Court judges is 65 years for similar reasons.
ZAHIRUDDIN
Chitral
SOME time back the government had introduced the system of Self Assessment Scheme (SAS) for recovery of tax from the assessees. Under the scheme an assessee was required to pay tax by increasing the last assessed tax by 10 per cent along with the I.T. Return in full discharge of tax liability. So the crux of SAS was that the assessee had to pay 10 per cent more of tax than paid in the previous assessment year and that the case would not be opened for usual assessment.
Later on, the spirit of the scheme was violated by the Income Tax authorities by introducing the ‘Total Audit’ system, which envisaged that 20 per cent of the total cases submitted under SAS will be picked up at random through computer ballot and all those cases will be opened for usual assessment.
This infringement in the original concept of SAS — which presupposed that since an assessee pays 10 per cent more tax, he/she is deemed to have been assessed — was not enough for the Income Tax authorities, hence the innovation of yet another novel method of harassing the assessee by opening some more cases for usual assessment under the garb of ‘Set-apart’ cases, beside the 20 per cent Total Audit cases. In other words more assessees are deprived of the true benefit of SAS. Again, the quota of the ‘Set-apart’ cases has not been defined, as it has been done in the case of Total Audit. The quota has been left to the whim of the IT authorities, thus prone to misuse of power.
It may be mentioned inter alia that in introducing the Self Assessment Scheme, apart from augmenting tax recovery, other factors taken into account were the inadequacy of tax-recovery staff to implement cent per cent cases of usual assessment, and also to curb corruption, which the department has been generally accused of. So by allowing modification in the original SAS through Total Audit and Set-apart provisos, the CBR has inadvertently negated the concept of minimizing corruption.
It seems that such modifications have been made by vested interests in the tax-recovery set up. This needs be probed and nipped.
The CBR and the Finance Ministry should look into the matter objectively and reinforce SAS in true spirit — without any provision of opening of any case — with which it was originally introduced. If 10 per cent increase over the last assessed tax is considered less, so as to warrant additional recovery through Total Audit and Set-apart methods, then the percentage may be increased to 15 per cent or even 20 per cent. But once a case has been made to file under SAS the same should under no circumstances be opened for usual assessment. Such a practice undermines the credence of government.
A.M. SAYIED
Karachi
The contents of the article, “Inefficiencies at Pakistan Steel” (EBR; 14-20 March, 2002) by M. Zafar reflect a bias against the management of the Pakistan Steel. In his last article,” New Management Model For Pakistan Steel” (EBR; 14-20 Jan., 2002) if his bias was wrapped in the reworded extracts of published material from the files of old newspapers, in the present stance he has made an effort to take advantage of the happening at Pakistan Steel on 31st January.
For him, every thing at the PS appears to be topsy-turvy. He finds the management neither having any direction, nor any plan for something he describes as a “strategic” turnaround. He has given this statement about a management which, with a clear objective of making PS economically viable, has carried out a well-planned restructuring of the organization, and has achieved a real turnaround in the last financial year, after many years of persistent losses in billions.
Pakistan Steel yielded a profit of Rs586 billion after paying Rs2.45 billion as an instalment of the loan along with mark-up to the banks (for the first time in the history of PS), besides financing the voluntary retirements of about 7000 regular employees from within its own resources.
Mr. M. Zafar had been an employee of the PS. He was dismissed from service on 31.8.1995 on the charges of serious irregularities which were detected by the Audit Department in the affairs of the Food Shop and the Law Department of which he was in-charge.
Later on,this dismissal was converted into retirement at the age of superannuation, just to allow him retirement benefits. However this matter is pending in the court.It appears that by writing the articles against the PS management Mr Zafar is trying to influence the proceeding of the case.
Alleging that the majority of trained craftsmen have been removed, he mentions daily wage workers with reference to the incident of 6th June, 2001 in a manner as if they were deployed in place of trained man-power. It may suffice to say in this regard that deployment of daily wage workers for manual help at the Bloom casting machine has been in practice from the very beginning, when the manpower was 24000 including the period when M. Zafar was on the roll of PS. Secondly, had the majority of trained manpower been removed, how could better production results, now on record, as compared to the past, could have been be obtained ?
The PS is also not seeking any tariff protection as alleged in the article. However what is being sought is the protection against the import of secondaries which are being imported under the guise of prime quality material. These secondaries described as 2nd choice, 3rd choice quality previously are now available upto 6th choice and 7th choice. How strange that on one hand, promotion of local industry and lowering of duty on the steel products is being advocated under the false plea that the PS is not in position to provide quality material at competitive prices, and on the other hand, junk steel is being imported in the name of “prime quality” material to damage the sales of the PS.. How can the secondaries help in high quality production of steel products in the country in making them competitive in the international market, can be best answered by the writer.
Moreover, if seeking tariff protection can be termed as supporting inefficiencies, what would one say about the 30 per cent duty imposed by the USA on the import of steel products under sections 201/203 of the US Trade Law and the proposed retaliatory action by the European Union countries, whereas in Pakistan some of the steel products are being imported against 20 per cent (in case of billets) and 10 per cent duty (in case of sheets).
By the yard stick of the writer, the Indian steel industry (annual capacity 22 million tons) which not only enjoys the benefits of economy of scales but also of cheaper labour, appears to be extremely inefficient as it has been enjoying a tariff protection of upto 63 per cent, although India is a member of the WTO. In spite of all these arrangements, the Steel Authority of India suffered a loss of Rs7,286.6 million in the last financial year ending March 2001 and the losses suffered for nine months of the current financial year i.e. upto December, 2001 amounted to Rs12,898.2 millions.
When viewed in this back drop how would one judge the PS with a meagre capacity of 1.1 million tones coming into profit under the present management for whom duty protection had been brought down from 70 per cent (in 1993-94) to 35 per cent and has been further brought down upto 10 per cent as mentioned above.
The factual position is that only the capital repairs of blast furnace No. 2 and along with it that of the oxygen plant, and some other units, have been deferred/delayed due to post 11th September, 2001 situation because of which the Russian contractors who were awarded the contract for repairs were not in a position to come to Pakistan to carry out their fob as per schedule.However the repair works that had to be carried out on the part of the PS engineers have been carried out very efficiently according to schedule, for which they need to be appreciated. The repairs of blast furnace No.2 and other concerned units are about to begin now that the situation is returning to normal.
M.ANWAR SHAHID KHAN
Manager, PS.
This refers to an article published in your esteemed paper on March 25, 2002 under the caption “Pakistan’s problematic ‘badla’ market”.
The author of the article has commented on the functioning of badla market purporting to give an impression that official ‘badla’ investment at the KSE underestimated and moreover ‘badla’ release figures are not distributed by the Exchange and a result thereof it is difficult to quantify the financing through this source. In this connection we would like to clarify that the aforesaid comments are not correct and borne out of the fact since the fact since the Karachi Stock Exchange has been releasing the ‘badla’ figures both in relation to unreleased and open market COT on daily basis through its website www.kse.com.pk since January this year which are available for the equity investors through internet service.
Needless to point out that the management of the Karachi Stock Exchange, as a matter of its policy, would continue its efforts to make the market operations more transparent, fair and efficient in order to provide a level playing field for all the investors. We shall appreciate if you will kindly publish the above clarification prominently in your newspaper at the earliest.
S.MUNWAR ALI,
KarACHI.
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