| April 30, 2002 | Tuesday | Safar 16, 1423 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Women as PAF pilots
Another banana republic
Stoning to death
Car-washers’ nuisance
Problems of Kausar Town
Rangers at KU
God save us
Doctors charged with mutiny
Stop giving free gifts
Return of Pakistani prisoners
PIA woes
Wanted
Zahir Shah: putting the past behind
DR ZAWWAR Hussain Zaidi, the editor of Jinnah Papers, once commented that: “Most contemporary writers have been less fair to the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah... His friends, admirers and detractors alike have woven myths around Jinnah, as a man and a leader, for reasons better known to them but apparent no less to a discerning observer.”
The Congress wanted to discredit Mr Jinnah by branding him a ‘communalist’ for its own political interests. The Muslim League, in the post-independence period, just used his name combined with Islam to avoid the real issues of good governance and reforms suggested by the Quaid in his historic speech on Aug 11, 1947.
The same speech was actually a manifesto for the new-born state and a forthright and unambiguous declaration of secularism.
Mr Jinnah, ‘the communalist’ for the Hindus, the Quaid-i-Azam of many Muslims, and ‘the maulana’ for the few got too unfair a treatment from friends as well as foes. An ‘ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity’ was pushed to become ‘the sole spokesman’ of the Muslims of the subcontinent.
A disciple of Gokhale, W.C. Bonnerjee and Dadabhai Nooroji, he became the proponent of Muslim nationalism. During this evolution of his personality, he responded to the circumstances around him, as all leaders do; yet he remained committed to the constitutional, democratic and secular nature of polity. It was reflected in his historic speech to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947.
The message of the Quaid was revived by President Musharraf on Jan 12, 2002. It has triggered a debate in the press as to what was the vision of Jinnah about Pakistan.
The most controversial point has been Islamic versus secular nature of the polity. To seek legitimacy all kinds of claims are made in the name of Jinnah.
According to Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi, almost every early ruler of Pakistan had found a ‘stolen diary’ of Jinnah to seek justification for his or her own political adventures. Resultantly the life and ideas of the Quaid have been subjected to the whims and wishes of the groups having stakes in the politics of Pakistan. During the process of this contentious debate, we have lost the real Jinnah in the self-created and self-serving-myths. Is it a tribute to the founding father? Let us rediscover the Quaid-i-Azam, dispassionately and without prejudice.
Instead of nation-building according to the advice of the founding father, we resorted to religious rhetoric. Thus, we, unknowingly, reinforced the ‘communalist’ image of Jinnah. The situation was well exploited by the religious parties who had opposed the creation of Pakistan on the ground that the idea of nationalism had no place in Islamic polity.
Jinnah did not see any “dichotomy between Islam and a modern democratic state”. He always referred to Islam as an egalitarian, democratic, and progressive force.
This interpretation of Islam does not have any conflict with the secular polity. Yet it certainly invites troubles from the clergy, and it leaves little room for them to play god to the people.
This is the reason they cannot reconcile with the real Jinnah. So they have “invented” an imagined Jinnah, a clean-shaved ‘maulana’, to suit their ideological prescription (notwithstanding the fact that the Quaid himself had ‘resented’ being called ‘maulana’ by a crowd in Karachi).
SHAHID ANWAR
Karachi
THIS is with reference to two letters on ‘Women in PAF’, one from Mr Zia Habib (April 17) and the other from Ms Nasreen Talat (April 20).
Mr Habib thinks that women have no role in flying in the PAF. His logic is based upon nothing else but male chauvinism. He has tried to justify his beliefs and apprehensions in the name of religion.
This is a typical approach used by those who realize the lack of merit in their arguments, whether it is a mullah, a politician or anyone else. May I ask, from where did he get the “medically proven” facts that show that “females find difficulty in decision-making under critical situations”?
War is no longer a fight of muscles and shoulders as it used to be centuries ago. It is now a matter of mental alertness and the ability to press the right button that invokes a particular technology. He implies that all women lack this ability. How wrong can one get? History is full of capable and successful women and completely incompetent men and vice versa. It all depends on an individual’s ability to utilize natural talents to the fullest. It has nothing to do with gender, race, religion or any other differences of such nature.
His comment about the cases of assault against women pilots in the air forces of the USA and Israel, is as lopsided as the rest of his arguments. These are pretty advanced and dynamic societies and they take a serious note of any unprofessional behaviour at the work place, hence the statistics on the subject.
As far as the matter of women’s harassment by their male colleagues is concerned, it is a social ill that must be cured. Meanwhile, the possibility of something adverse happening should not be the reason to stop doing a right thing. In every neighbourhood, there is always a possibility of a theft or burglary taking place. Does this mean we should give up our home and all our belongings and go to live in a shrine?
The rebuttal from Ms Talat is full of deeply incisive arguments. I would like to quote from the last paragraph of her letter: “As far as the treatment of a woman POW is concerned, such a captured woman will have at least one satisfaction — that she was assaulted by an enemy and not killed by a father or a brother in the name of honour, that too, to either get off easily for their own crimes or to usurp her rights”.
Comparing the sharpness of her arguments with the dullness and irrelevance of his points, I will feel much more reassured if she was a pilot in the PAF rather than Mr Habib. I am not being biased; I just wanted to make the point that mental alertness is not the sole domain of a particular gender and these two letters have proved it.
SIDDIQUE MALIK
Louisville, US
THIS has reference to Air-Cdr (Retd) A. Wajid Salim’s letter, ‘Fooling the customers’ (April 19). Having lived 74 years, the only worthwhile thing that I have learnt is that ‘befooling’ is a way of life in banana republics all over the world.
A classic example is that of the banana republic, which is both Islamic and democratic, and which is being befooled for the fourth time, with the active support of all state institutions and the public at large, at the expense of the people.
K. A. WAHID BUTT
Lahore
IT appears that Zafran Bibi was sentenced to death for Zina while two male accused were acquitted (April 21). Does this mean that the learned judge thought that Zafran Bibi committed the act by herself?
How can a person be convicted of any crime without positive evidence? In this case, the witness would be the other partner, and his evidence proves his own crime. Then one needs to establish if the lady was a victim of force.
The laws of God must be applied with due care. May Allah guide us and have mercy on us.
DR N.M. AHMED
Ottawa, Canada
STONING to death a poor woman who has been raped and allowing her tormentors to go free! We should collectively hang our heads in shame for allowing such an atrocious law to exist on the statute books.
Is Zia’s Hudood Ordinance, 1979, so sacrosanct that it can not be dumped into the trash where it belongs?
DR A. A. KAMAL
Karachi
THIS is with reference to a news item ‘Car-washers pollute streams’ (April 23). The reporter has not mentioned that some car-washers cause traffic hazards also.
I would like to point out that the car-washers on Shahrae Suhrawardy (G-6/4) are a big traffic hazard, with cars, coaches and even trucks being washed along the main road. The footpath is completely blocked by these car-washers creating problems for pedestrians, especially women.
I once asked one of the car-washers not to block the footpath, to which he said that he was paying the CDA for this.
A. H. SHAHBAZ
Islamabad
THE Pak Kausar Town, Malir Extension, comprises about 1,200 houses. The state of its water supply, sewerage and conservancy is such that the residents of this area are not supplied water by the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board because water supply lines have ‘not’ been laid out in this society and no water connection has been provided to any house. Every house in the locality pays Rs600 to Rs800 per month to the water tankers for the purchase of water.
Ever since the establishment of the society, the KW&SB has not made any effort to attend to the sewerage problems of the area. Every house had dug up its own well for this purpose. More than 10 years have passed now and these wells are no longer of any service. As a result, the residents have been compelled to dig up other wells, mostly in the centre of streets just outside their houses for lack of appropriate space.
Further, this society has never had any sort of conservancy. No sweeper has ever been seen here. There are no waste disposal areas, therefore vacant plots have become garbage dumps, creating unhealthy environment for the residents.
In spite of this lack of basic facilities, the KW&SB has been sending related bills every year, claiming arrears for the last many years as well.
The residents feel that this act of the KW&SB is unjustified. The concerned authority is requested to look into the matter at its earliest.
MOHAMMAD ANWAR
Karachi
DURING my past three semesters at the University of Karachi, I have witnessed at least three clashes between various groups of students.
It is said that the rangers become helpless in front of the students’ fury. What I have observed is quite contrary to this. If at all the rangers interfere at such occasions, they do it with more aggression than the students themselves. They think baton-charging as the only way to handle most issues. In cases where they do not interfere, they just stand in a corner and ‘enjoy’ the situation.
I fail to understand the reason for their presence at the campus if they are unable to resolve any dispute sensibly.
SABEIN FATIMA
Karachi
RECENTLY, a well-known singer announced that he was going to hang up his guitar and start preaching, as if there is any real shortage of mullahs in Pakistan.
When it comes to teaching, a person first spends many years mastering that particular subject or art form. Only after that he goes into teaching. But when it comes to Islam, there seems to be no need for first spending time and effort in learning about this religion. It is more like ‘learn as you go along’, and it really doesn’t matter how many are misguided along the way.
The only prerequisite for becoming a mullah in Pakistan seems to be growing a beard and wearing shalwar six inches above the ankle.
Almighty Allah save us from these mullahs and grant us the wisdom and courage to ignore them.
MUHAMMAD ALI
Karachi
I WAS shocked and distressed to learn that 30 doctors of the 21st MBBS course of Army Medical College (AMC) were placed under ‘close arrest’ while four were dismissed from service on charges of mutiny. In fact, these doctors protested against the ‘inhuman’ treatment meted out to them at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul.
It is felt that it would be appropriate if the case is reopened and examined in the light of the following facts.
According to the army rules, AMC cadets are commissioned as Captains on the successful completion of the medical professional course. Denial of the commission is a serious violation of these rules.
Instead of commissioning, the qualified doctors were sent to the PMA, Kakul, and placed under the command of cadets who were junior in length of service and comparatively immature in age and conduct. It’s a violation of the time-honoured concept of seniority in service, in the armed forces.
Doctors undergo ragging as junior entrants in the Army Medical College. It was unwise to expect them to undergo the same treatment again at the PMA, Kakul, after qualifying for the rank of Captain.
GUL MUHAMMAD KHAN
Nowshera
IT has been observed that in order to lure kids, the local snack brands often put tiny whistles as ‘free gifts’ in their packs.
Seemingly small and harmless, these whistles can choke a child to death if swallowed mistakenly. The number of such cases in the Jinnah Hospital, Karachi, is in hundreds per year.
Such companies are, therefore, requested to stop packing whistles along with eatables and refrain from playing with innocent lives.
S. FATIMA
Karachi
ONE must appreciate the efforts of the government for the return of Pakistani prisoners from Afghanistan. By the TV footage and pictures in the newspapers, it is quite evident that the prisoners returned in the first phase, were mostly in the age bracket of above 50 or so, and a few of them could hardly walk without assistance.
It is hard to believe that these aged men had gone there to participate in a war against a super power. Can they be called prisoners of war?
These prisoners were naturally a burden on the Afghan government and it was much pleased to arrange for their release. The question that should be raised is what about the young Pakistanis who may still be in Afghan jails? Many students of the various madaris are still reportedly missing and causing nightmares to their parents.
Hopefully, the remaining prisoners will also be returned by the Afghan government shortly, ending the anxiety and fears of all.
SYED ABRAR HUSSAINI
Karachi
PIA is not allowing passengers related to and entitled to travel on account of the rules allowing employees and their relatives, like old parents, to travel by the airline; instead PIA is completing the permissible ballast by taking cargo to earn money.
This has been going on for months and is in gross contravention of the IATA rules and the convention of airlines that give travel preference to its employees.
Hundreds wait in the lounge and return everyday because they are not given seats.
AN AFFECTTEE
Karachi
FOR one of the finest fighting forces in the world, a full-time COAS, who has no preference for politics nor does he harbour any ambitions to become the president of the country by a referendum or otherwise.
BARRISTER BAACHAA
Peshawar
THE wheel of fortune turned full circle for Afghanistan’s former king Zahir Shah as he returned home a few weeks ago with a throbbing heart and tearful eyes “to breathe his native air in his own ground”. Nine-and-twenty years ago he was deposed and banished. Today, the 87-year-old former ruler is beseeched to return, given the red carpet treatment and escorted by the head of interim government, Hamid Karzai.
Of course, not as a king. A return to monarchy is out of the question. The country has travelled far since those old days. Even otherwise, for the octogenarian, the stress of an active role would be physically impossible to sustain. The country lies prostrate, almost pulverized. The social fabric lies in tatters. Poverty is acute; bitterness among various tribes, chronic. The war against terror goes on. Foreign troops continue to hunt for Taliban and Al-Qaeda men and monitor law and order. And bombs still rain at intervals. Reconstructing Afghanistan would be a task of forbidding magnitude for even the strongest.
Zahir Shah knows his own limitations as well as the situation in his country so he lives under high security protected by a 15-man strong band of elite Italian carabinieri. He is well aware that any attempt to revert to the past would be perilous. He has already begun receiving threats to his life. The ex-king has, therefore, quite wisely, offered to serve the people in whatever capacity they want him to. He is perceived as a patriarch and a unifying influence among the warring factions. And that is the function he might yet adequately perform if allowed to.
The ostensible purpose of the octogenarian ex-king’s return is to preside over the Loya Jirga in June that will determine the composition of Afghanistan’s future government. But suspicions have already begun to spawn. It is apprehended that the Northern Alliance might influence the decisions of the Loya Jirga because it controls the most important departments of the government — defence, home and foreign affairs.
The perceived intention of the organizers of the jirga to sideline the religious groups and the Taliban is another factor that threatens its success. Ex-president Rabbani has already warned that any such move would be fraught with disastrous consequences and plunge the country back into chaos.
Hopefully today Zahir Shah would prove to be a different person, much profound after nearly three decades of banishment. His role might be particularly useful in cementing relations with Afghanistan’s neighbours, because he would be better equipped to pick up the threads from the past and make up for previous misconceptions. For instance, it was under his rule that Afghanistan had opposed Pakistan’s entry into the United Nations — the only country to do so.
In this context, Pakistan’s offer of its fullest cooperation to the Afghan interim government and its unstinted support to Zahir Shah personally, should not fail to register. The message is clear: Pakistan has put the past behind. Would Afghanistan reciprocate?
S. JAWAID IQBAL
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address:
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.