| April 3, 2002 | Wednesday | Muharram 19,1423 |
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Transporters’ strike
Manufacturing and expiry dates
Interest-free banking
CAA clarification
The Arab summit
Utility bills and banks
Favourite misquotation
Selective accountability
Competition
Apprenticeship and child labour
Arundhati on Indian Muslims
It’s our right
Heinous crimes in Jacobabad area
DAWN (Metropolitan) report of the meeting organized by the Irtiqa Institute may be slightly misleading. I did not just ‘quote’ Marx’s sentence saying: ‘Religion is the opium of the people’. What I pointed out was that it was a favourite misquotation, taken out of context.
It is worth recalling what young Marx actually said about religion. He wrote: “Religious distress is, at the same time, the expression of real distress and a protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people.”
THE recent imposition of GST on medicines will lead to a substantial increase in medicine prices, ultimately adding to patients’ miseries. The popularity of the government will be adversely affected if the decision is not rectified. There are other ways and means to raise revenue as suggested below and if the purpose is primarily documentation, then GST should not be more than 5 per cent ensuring no increase in medicine price, in view of the 4 per cent recent price increase and rebate in custom duty.
It is an open fact that our pharma industry contributes the minimum share to the government or to the academia as compared to that in other countries, despite the fact they get their products registered here with much ease at high prices. The registration of ‘me too’ drugs in most of the countries demands Bioequivalence studies costing US$1,000 to 8,000 each and clinical trials and/or Bioavailability studies on local population is required for new drugs, costing fortunes. These requirements are not strictly followed here which results in substantial savings to the industry. Some countries even force the multinationals for technology transfer in terms of local manufacturing of raw material, which make a huge impact on economy.
The registration fee in Pakistan is from Rs5,000 to 10,000, which is 5 to 40 times less than what is required in many other countries, resulting in overload of applications including some without seriousness in manufacturing, thus affecting efficiency of the Ministry of Health (MOH) adversely. Under such circumstances, a registration fee of Rs50,000 for a ‘me too drug’ and Rs200,000 for a new drug should not be a burden. Other fees, such as licensing and hearing cases can also be increased accordingly. If part of the revenue generated were given to the MOH, it would help to improve the working condition and efficiency of the MOH.
One can imagine the potential revenue from the number of drugs registered which was as high as 700 at the last monthly meeting of the Registration Board. Even more revenue can be generated if over-invoicing is checked. What is the justification for the difference of ten times in the price of raw materials imported if both sources are FDA approved?
The measure suggested will also ensure less money for unethical marketing, thus affecting the prescribing habits of our physicians positively. Drug-inspectors, traffic police and custom/tax collectors can return revenue beyond imagination if proper incentive is given to honest workers.
DR ANWAR-UL HASSAN GILANI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the strike observed by the transporters in Karachi on March 30. The main demand that the transporters had was that the Nazims and the NGOs or action committees for civic problems, should have nothing to do with them and that any interference would lead to dire consequences.
Such statements from transporters are tantamount to challenging the authority and the writ of the government that has delegated powers to the elected representatives of the people, the Nazims. This is indeed a reflection of the mafia-like role that transporters have adopted for themselves.
Transporters demand further that the murder case against the driver who killed two college girls and a motorcyclist and injured nine others, should be withdrawn. All this makes one feel that no one in this country wants to abide by the law. Small groups having a common interest, appear to have taken this country a hostage.
The question is, why should there be no murder case? Why should a person, who committed such a ghastly act, not be brought to justice? Our society has deteriorated to such an extent that only drastic steps and exemplary punishments can stem the rot. Bus drivers who have no regard for the law should be given the highest punishment possible. This will have a trickle-down effect whereby others will think twice before attempting to violate the rules.
Whenever the transporters observe a strike, business and the already struggling economy, are affected and daily wage earners lose their share of bread. Therefore, those who call for strikes and cause losses of billions of rupees to the national exchequer, should be brought to task and imprisoned for a substantial period of time in order to signal the beginning of a new era in law enforcement in this country.
TAYYAB BALAGAMWALA
Karachi
IT has been observed that the dates of manufacture and of expiry are not mentioned on most of the edible items produced and marketed in Pakistan. Even multinational organizations are no exception. Also, expiry date is never indicated on the tin or the bottle of vegetable ghee and oil.
However, while on a visit abroad I noticed with surprise that expiry dates were invariably written on the packets of spices packed in Pakistan. It led me to think that perhaps expired products are being sold to us in Pakistan.
Moreover, all edible items in the civilized world carry the ingredient data. This, too, is seldom done in Pakistan.
Will the concerned government department look into this matter and draw up legislation making it mandatory to indicate on the containers, the manufacturing date, the expiry date and the list of ingredients.
ABDUL QADIR
Karachi
ARDESHIR Cowasjee in his article on the above subject (March 31) states that “Jesus Christ threw the money lenders out of the temples in Jerusalem”, which is correct. In fact, Jesus was against capitalism altogether, as he states: “And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (St. Mathew 19, 24).
Cowasjee is not wholly correct when he states: “Exorbitant rates of interest is also prohibited by Judaism.” The Old Testament uses the word usury, and the relevant passage is: “Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” There is clearly a difference here as to how you treat a “stranger”, as compared to your “brother” which probably implies fellow Jews. The quotation is from Deuteronomy, 23:20.
VIQAR ZAMAN
Karachi
REFERENCE is made to a news item published on March 30, titled ‘Merit policy flouted in CAA’.
The CAA has elaborate rules and regulations governing the employment process. Vacancy position of each province is calculated strictly based on laid down government policy. The posts are advertised in newspapers and eligible applicants are called for written tests and interviews. Candidates are then selected purely on merit. The entire process is computerized and free from human error.
Since there is no restriction on the relatives of CAA employees, they can also apply for the posts advertized and if they qualify the tests and interviews they are also eligible for appointment like any other candidate. This is also the case with casual labourers working in CAA.
KHAWAJA AMER
Sr Public Relations Manager, CAA,
Karachi
THE first day of the recently concluded Arab Summit in Beirut and the subsequent incursion of the Israeli defence forces into the Palestinian lands are a window into the meekness of the Muslim world that continues to bow down to the policies of the western powers.
Factually speaking, except for Syria, Iraq, Iran and Malaysia, no other Muslim country has the spine to stand up for the social injustice being perpetuated on the Muslim world by the western powers. Of these four states, three are on the ‘axis of evil’ list while all possible efforts have been made to destroy the Malaysian economy and isolate it from the rest of the Muslim world.
Today the Muslim world stands disunited, disorganized, leaderless and in total disarray. Unfortunately, personal and national interests overcome the interests of the Ummah.
The price the Ummah is paying for the weaknesses and vested interests of their leaders comes in the form of blood flowing from innocent Palestinian men, women and children, by wounds inflicted by Zionist bullets.
On their own, the Muslim countries are incapable of ever uniting and taking a firm and joint action on any issue. The only reason they all got united and jumped on the anti-terrorist bandwagon was that Uncle Sam happened to be the wagon master.
It is high time that the Muslim leaders shed their differences, stand shoulder to shoulder, recognise their strengths, and show to the world that the Muslims will not accept social injustice in any form.
TARIQ B. SHAMSI
Abu Dhabi
RECENTLY, I visited the UBL, Sunset Boulevard branch, which is located in my immediate neighbourhood in the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, to make the payment for my KESC monthly bill. The cashier on duty asked me if I had an account with the branch. On receiving my reply in the negative, he graciously accepted the bill with a piece of advice, asking me not to come to the branch in future but to go to the post office for this purpose.
I was told that the UBL authorities have directed that bills from non-account holders may not be accepted.
Will the UBL authorities clarify and will the State Bank of Pakistan take note of this?
K.M. AMIN
Karachi
It has to be pointed out that in England of Marx’s time, opium was used by the upper classes as a remedy for pain (which the poor could not afford). Marx also pointed out that it was not enough to ease such pain. Its causes must be removed.
HAMZA ALVI
Karachi
THERE was a newspaper report the other day, according to which the former Nigerian leader Abacha had returned $1.2 billion and in return, the government had decided to pardon him only for the financial corruption/irregularities which he had committed. However, he would have to face legal proceedings in the criminal cases filed against him.
Coming back to our situation, NAB, until last week, was able to recover close to Rs2.5 billion (from corrupt officials and functionaries) after two-and-a-half years of intense struggle and effort. Those who got away with billions of dollars have either been ignored or they have made some other informal arrangements with the authorities.
It would not be out of place to mention here that only one person, the ‘honourable’ A.A. Zardari made at least something close to $3 billion. Not a single penny has been recovered from him yet. I wonder how and why Admiral Mansoor was caught and made to return some of the money ($7.5 million only) that he had looted. Otherwise, the armed forces are usually considered above the law and they are presumed to be extremely honest. If we continue to apply the law selectively and target only a few who are disliked, we won’t get anywhere with this nationwide drive against corruption.
M. NAVEED CHAUDHRY
Lahore
THIS is with reference to ‘TV review’ by Omar R. Quraishi. I am in total agreement with him regarding the ban on Indian channels and would like to add one more dimension to it: the demand by the local media companies for this ban.
The local media companies are playing the same role as was played by our film industry against the Indian films. Today, the Pakistani viewers have rejected television programming by these companies. The oft-beaten tracks in the stories, stereotypical characterization and poor treatment have caused the erosion of popularity, and hence business, of Pakistani channels, both the PTV and the private ones.
I think that the government should lift the ban on Indian channels and allow the competition to prevail, instead of pampering substandard stuff. The experiment done in the ‘50s has failed, as our film industry has gone from bad to worse.
SAADUDDIN
Karachi
THIS refers to a report (Dawn, March 30), headlined ‘Child Labour thriving in Islamabad’. I submit that a distinction must be made between child labour and child apprenticeship. Child labour should be discouraged in all civilized societies but in our society this form of training in skilled labour must be encouraged.
In the above report, the author himself elaborates that the children come from very poor and large families having eight to ten members. No one can deny the importance of education but if these children acquire a technical skill in a few years time, they will be much better off then a matriculate or for that matter even a graduate who can’t get a job. This apprenticeship must be controlled by certain laws that ensure that the children are above 12 years of age, as they have to work for a maximum of 10 hours to get a reasonable stipend.
If, in addition to this, the state can provide free primary education to them, it will be an added benefit to them.
DR BALIGHA ARIF
Lahore
ARUNDHATI ROY, the Booker Prize-winning author of The God of Small Things, had the following comments to make on cross-border tensions and the plight of Indian Muslims: “This whole thing also ties in with the rhetoric over Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan have used border tensions for their own internal ends.
“Gen Pervez Musharraf — the military dictator — is, at least officially, controlling his fundamentalists. Whereas India is encouraging them. It’s frightening.
“By demonizing Pakistan, the government achieves national unity and legitimizes hostility to Muslims. India must understand that, if not territorially, in our hearts and our souls Muslims are part of us and must be loved.”
There must be scores of enlightened people like Ms Roy in the subcontinent who feel the same way about protecting minorities in their respective countries. We need to embrace humanity — irrespective of cast, creed, colour, religion or sect.
JALAL AL-KARIMI
Karachi
The string of articles written by Mr Shahid Javed Burki leading upto ‘A new political structure’ (March 27) presents a very strange picture. In a clandestine way General Pervez Musharraf gives Mr Burki the right to give our homeland as a toy to Gen Musharraf with an open right to either play with it or break it if he is bored with the play. May I respectfully ask for a clarification from both of them. What about the rights of 140 million citizens of Pakistan who own this homeland?
MASUD MUFTI
Islamabad
THE abysmal law and order situation prevailing in my home district has jeopardized the safety and security of all law-abiding citizens, especially the weak, the vulnerable and the unprotected minority community.
Countless dacoities, motorcycle/tractor snatchings, kidnappings for ransom, brutal murders and violent tribal feuds have taken place recently, unleashing a reign of terror in the entire area. Three cold-blooded murders have been committed in Kandhkot city alone by police personnel themselves, during the last fortnight.
Regrettably, the unscrupulous, incompetent and ineffective police officers posted at key police stations are not only protecting the notorious criminals, but are even facilitating, aiding and abetting them in committing heinous crimes. Taking advantage of the naive DPO’s ignorance, his favourites are keeping him aloof from the local notables by ill-advising and misguiding him. They are also blackmailing him, by making him believe that only they can control the situation through their clandestine contacts, and if they are shifted the state of affairs will go completely out of control.
Unfortunately, Jacobabad is situated between Balochistan in the north and Kacha area in the south, both safe havens for the criminals. Kacha, because Sindh police and the law-enforcing agencies are completely helpless and ineffective to operate inside this territory, while Balochistan is out of bounds for them. The Balochistan police, being arrogantly oblivious of the law and order situation in Sindh, refuses to cooperate with the Sindh police, which is reluctant to cross the pat-feeder over into Balochistan during any hot pursuit.
The notorious criminals wanted by the Sindh police are assured by the Balochistan authorities that they will not be touched as long as they do not indulge in criminals activities within their jurisdiction.
The federal government must take cognizance of this serious situation and act immediately to protect the hapless citizens of Sindh, groaning under a reign of terror. Balochistan is not India or Afghanistan, but very much a part and parcel of the federation of Pakistan, whose law and authority must prevail effectively upon all its territories without any discrimination.
The innocent and downtrodden people of Jacobabad seek the protection of General Pervez Musharraf’s military government against a handful of criminals operating on either side of the district. I hope he will come to their rescue before it is too late.
MIR HAZAR KHAN BIJARANI
Former Federal Minister Karampur,
Jacobabad
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