| May 7, 2002 | Tuesday | Safar 23, 1423 |
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Analyzing the analyzer
Restoring Karachi’s glory
Gujarat riots
Some facts about jute industry
Referendum blues
Democracy needs time to flourish
Unscathed?
Promise not fulfilled
Withholding tax on NSS
The army
Another blow to pensioners
Farewell to music
IT is ironic and sad that our rulers or their strategists don’t have the wisdom or the vision to learn any lesson from our chequered history. Unfortunately, we have very few examples that we can be proud of.
But the sad and frustrating point is that the entire state machinery miscalculated and went for the ‘overkill’ to achieve positive results. No one in this real world of rapid communication and information technology will ever believe that 70 per cent of the electorate went to cast their votes.
There are scores of stories from interior of Sindh, Punjab and rest of the country giving evidence that the polling stations remained deserted and even distressed people visiting their dear ones in government hospitals were not spared and were forced to cast a ‘yes’ vote. An anonymous letter from a civil judge, published in the English press is a clear reflection of a dubious and fraudulent exercise carried out on a massive scale. Whom are we trying to hoodwink? The strategists and planners of this government have miserably failed to hoodwink the people and the international community in this colossal exercise, which involved billions of rupees from the national exchequer.
My heart is aching, alongside millions of those who still care for their dear motherland. It is mainly due to the bitter fact that our rulers, whether they are so-called elected, or have decided to impose themselves to rule, have not learnt even an iota of lesson from history.
Can’t they see a similar fate for themselves, like their predecessors? Doesn’t it sound like deja vu from 1984-85? The ordinary people (our silent majority) are overwhelmed by price hikes, poverty, unemployment and political uncertainty, and have a right to question the utility of this exercise.
The exercise of referendum has badly tarnished the clean image that our respected General had cultivated for himself since October 1999. In this futile exercise, the whole government machinery came to a virtual halt for several weeks until April 30th to deliver positive results. All the organs and resources of our poor nation were mobilized with full might to appease the wishes of one man.
DR SAFIULLAH AFGHAN
Coventry, UK
I HAVE been reading Dawn since the late Niaz Mir used to write a column of harmonious satire. I regularly read Cowasjee and appreciate him for being indiscriminate in analyzing his subjects/characters, but I had never read Mr Ayaz Amir before April 26.
What I read under the caption ‘Military pretensions & middle class illusions’ was not only shocking but also unbelievable, that Dawn would permit such venomous writing against a sitting government and the head of state.
I find the writing of Mr Ayaz Amir truly repulsive. Therefore, I cannot remain indifferent in raising a voice of protest against such biased writings. I wish to begin asking Mr Ayaz Amir what he meant by “Every time a strutting Napoleon comes on the Pakistani stage there is no shortage of people who applaud him. Not only the usual flatterers who pay homage to power no matter what its colour”.
Focusing on the word ‘colour’, what did he mean by it? If Mr Ayaz Amir has any moral courage let him reply to charges that naturally come on him from this venomous writing: that he meant to (1) create feelings of disintegration in military ranks in particular and in the country in general of provincialism, more precisely Punjabi and non-Punjabi controversy; (2) what other name did he have in mind, other than that of Gen Pervaiz Musharraf, while using the word ‘colour’; and (3) the word generally used in writing is ‘colour and creed’, why then did he choose to use the word ‘colour’ only? What was it that he wanted to communicate to his readers?
Pending his explanations, my views about his writing are that of an unfairly-supported amateur writer who cannot keep balance in his own writing and who uses quite a heavy topping of intentional prejudice against Gen Musharraf, and in the process makes himself a sub-class writer.
There are many who have been reading Dawn since long and they do not wish to see it degenerate into being used as a platform for personal vendetta, as Mr Ayaz Amir succeeded in using it against Gen Musharraf and his government.
M. M. KHAN
Karachi
SPEAKING at his last public meeting before the referendum, President Musharraf talked of restoring Karachi’s glory.
Karachi is not only the birth and resting place of the Quaid-i-Azam but it is also the place from where the youthful general, Muhammad bin Qasim, brought Islam to this part of the world.
Talking on the occasion of the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency in 1935, the late Aga Khan had suggested that a very large mosque be constructed in Karachi and be named after Muhammad bin Qasim. Though a committee was formed to implement this proposal, somehow the idea could not materialize.
I feel that the best way to commemorate the young general now, which would also add to the glory of this city, is to establish an excellent University of Science and Technology on 200 acres of land near Karachi, and to name it after Muhammad bin Qasim.
SHERALI ALIDINA
Karachi
PRESIDENT Musharraf announced in Karachi during his referendum campaign that law and order was among his highest priorities.
But unfortunately, within a week of this declaration, the city of Karachi witnessed cars, tyres and rickshaws being burnt on the streets.
Shop-owners and transporters were threatened by the same armed gangs who had been collecting ‘bhattas’ in the past, of dire consequences if they did not observe the strike.
Will Mr President step in and show the people that he was serious about tackling the law and order situation in Karachi and that it was not just a referendum slogan.
Please, Mr President, do not betray the silent majority who voted for you, and has high hopes from you.
MUHAMMAD AHMAD
Karachi
NEW York-based Human Rights Watch and British officials in India both have concluded in their findings that the massacre of Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat was state-sponsored.
These new indictments confirm the worst fears that the state government was an accomplice in recent communal violence and failed to protect the lives and properties of its minority Muslim citizens.
In view of these developments, it is hoped that President Musharraf would remind Mr Vajpayee of India’s obligations under the Liaquat-Nehru Pact. Under the same bilateral agreement, it is further hoped that the Musharraf administration would demand monetary compensation and rehabilitation of the affected families and the prosecution of the culprits.
SAAD A. WAQAS
Cary, USA
THE sources informing the media about the plight of the jute industry are once again crying of apocalypse. So let me put some facts straight:
The jute industry is no more by far the 3rd largest organized industry in Pakistan.
It does not employ 20,000 workers anymore but less than 10,000 and that too mostly on contract.
The idea of polypropylene bags not being suitable has become an old saying as you only have to see the T/V and the AID wheat bags used all over the world. Its unstorable problem as claimed is childishly repeated every year while we all see otherwise daily.
Jute bags have their own uses but the manufacturers must develop and invest in technology.
Africa can be a future market as claimed but then why have the mills in Sindh been closed down except one, making over 6,000 workers unemployed.
These mills were within 10 miles of the port and since all raw jute is imported, its manufacture and export should have been far less and competitive, if ever.
The government has always been kind to the jute industry like paying Rs54/55 per bag, which in the ‘90s came to US$ 1.1 per bag, or near about, an unheard payment in the jute industry ever. Huge profits were made but no development in technology took place.
An industry can only export with imported raw material if it has very advanced and sophisticated technology, be competitive, has demand or some sort of arranged monopoly of exchange. Just by claiming a network of sales outlet in Europe and elsewhere is going to cost the Pakistan government to subsidize yet another export but this time with imported raw material and a technology that was never allowed to take off.
The aim now is to move out of organized mills sector, Balkanize it totally, force the government to keep purchasing, as jute bags would still be required along with polypropylene.
What we are now seeing is the same merchant mentality of yesteryear, and we hope that the government will this time ask for more answers than give handouts and rewards which benefit only a few in an industry that is spiralling down fast.
M.K. SHIRAZI
Karachi
IN the 22 years of my life, I voted for the first time on April 30. Sadly, it turned out to be a farce and I don’t think my vote counted for much at all. Many of my friends who voted negatively were openly questioned by the polling station attendants. Were they not aware that voting is a private matter and they had no right whatsoever to challenge the decision of the voters? In addition, several people voted several times without any questioning or difficulty.
Overwhelming support for the referendum had been pledged well in advance. There was never any doubt in my mind, or in anybody else’s, that the General would not win. Then, why the need for this rigging?
As a Pakistani citizen, I found the whole process shocking and totally depressing.
MARYLOU ANDREW
Karachi
WE have seen in the recent past a number of countries going through serious political turmoil. Have any one of them gone to the extreme of the military taking over the reins of the country in the name of restoring real democracy?
This country has been ruled by the military directly and indirectly for a little too long. It is highly debatable if they have been able to do more good than bad. We just cannot afford to allow anymore interference from the military in running of the affairs of the government.
If they want to introduce democracy, they have to let the process run for at least five terms for it to develop into something credible. We should look at history and see that world democracies were not created overnight, in fact it took them generations of legislation and political process to get where they are.
President Musharraf should finish the task that was handed to him by the Supreme Court to conduct free and fair elections by October, 2002. The military should not get involved in politics. It is the job of politicians. Whoever wants to become a politician is welcome as long as he or she is a civilian.
RAHEEL ZUBERI
Karachi
THIS has reference to a front page heading ‘BJP emerges unscathed over Gujarat killings’ (May 2).
This smells of the shady side of democracy where a show of hands can justify killings of thousands of citizens of their own country, because the hands that went up had their own vested agenda.
The BJP may have emerged unscathed, but has India and its conscience emerged unscathed? This question has to be answered not only by India itself but by the entire comity of nations, irrespective of its religious beliefs.
S. Z. FARUQUI
Lahore
THE President has been claiming that he keeps all his promises and never says what he cannot do.
I would like to remind him that he had announced in April 2001 that the PhD allowance would be increased from Rs1,500 to Rs5,000 per month.
The Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, also said so about a year ago. However, even after more than 12 months, there has been no raise in the PhD allowance.
If this one decision could not get implemented during the last 12 months, how can the people of Pakistan believe that other promises made at the highest level would be fulfilled?
BAJI
Rawalpindi
IN the budget for the financial year 2001-2002, the government of Pakistan imposed a Withholding Tax at the rate of 10 per cent on investments above Rs300,000 on all National Savings Schemes, effective July 1, 2001. These savings schemes are mostly availed of by the aged, retired pensioners, widows, orphans and the disabled.
In this same budget, the annual income upto Rs60,000 has been exempted from income tax for all the citizens of Pakistan. However, people investing in Special Savings Certificates would enjoy tax-free income only upto Rs36,600 (present rate of profit on SSC being 12.2 per cent) on an investment of Rs300,000, as any amount exceeding this limit would be liable to Withholding Tax.
It may also be recalled that the rate of profit on SSC has been drastically reduced from 16 per cent to 12.2 per cent. Further, this anomaly in taxation policy has become an unbearable burden on this deprived classes who are finding it almost impossible to overcome their financial problems.
ZEHRA GHANI
Karachi
I REMEMBER that one of Gen Pervez Musharraf’s main criticisms of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was that he was following the path of politicizing the army. That was a mere two years or so ago. Can the same not be said today about Gen Pervez Musharraf himself?
M. M. QURESHI
London, UK
IT may be recalled that the retired/ retiring government employees were recently deprived of the benefit of the restoration of the commuted part of their pension after the passage of the prescribed limit of time.
Next, the rate of interest on their provident fund was decreased and the ceiling value of their commuted pension was also brought down.
Now the facility of encashment of their unavailed earned leave for six months, on the eve of their retirement, has also been withdrawn in a zeal to brim the depleted treasury of the country. On the other hand, the monthly salaries of the president, the Chief Justice and the governors, has been almost doubled or even tripled despite an ‘empty’ national treasury.
I request the custodians of the national exchequer to kindly rescue the helpless pensioners, the monthly pension of a majority of whom is less than Rs1,000 a month.
MIRZA GHULAM HAIDER
Multan
THE recent ban on the holding of musical functions in educational institutions by the government must be lauded as a step in the right direction. This follows in the footsteps of the ban on all theatre performances and plays.
I would now suggest that a complete ban on all kinds of merriment must be ordered by the enlightened government. Music is a very bad thing and gives rise to all kinds of non-serious feelings. And we are a very serious nation. For example we are very serious about education, as can be gauged from our rate of literacy and the type of education being imparted in our madressahs.
We are also very serious about cleanliness and public sanitation, examples of which are obvious on all our streets, in the hospitals and in all localities. Everybody knows that we are very serious about widening the roads. And if such inconsequential things as trees and old Mughal hydraulic and drainage systems get in our way what better course than to uproot them?
I am glad that we are going back to the last days of the Mughal era when music was ordered to be buried so deep that it would never re-surface (in spite of the fact that a Muslim, Amir Khusro, was the doyen of Indian music composers earlier). We should invite any remnants of the Taliban to guide us in these weighty matters.
Of course, the religious parties are doing a good job but we need the real thing. The Taliban brought a lot of seriousness to Afghanistan and totally eliminated the scourge of laughter. We need the same. We will not offend anybody except Baba Bulleh Shah. But he is dead, so it will not be a problem.
Many years ago, I was a member of the Government College Musical Society. Now of course I know that all the old Principals of that time were not serious-minded at all and did not realize the inherent dangers of music. Unluckily the IJT was not there to point out the evils of happiness to them and to enforce seriousness.
Laughter and all displays of such frivolity must be made criminal offences and we should only be allowed to laugh with the permission of the religious parties who will definitely not give such permission because it encourages immorality. Dancing? Heaven forbid! We should not even think of such silly behaviour. It gives rise to God knows what kind of thoughts. And we are a pure nation.
A complete ban on TV and cinemas must be imposed. We do not need the food of the soul. We need food for the body only, with which we have no problem since we import it when we need it. Food gives us strength and we can produce many many children. What could be better than that?
And of course, we should pay no heed to the fact that we are the laughing stock of the world. That can be dealt with easily by forbidding the world to laugh at us by apprising it of the dangers of music and laughter. And if the world does not listen to us, we can always avoid the great danger posed by music, plays, laughter and any kind of merriment by locking ourselves up in our ‘char-divari’, wrapping ourselves in our chadars and staying locked up. Only in this way, can we remain ‘pure’.
But now this is getting confusing and I would now like the guidance of the ulema, particularly Dr Asrar, who gave such a learned discourse on the moral implications of rubbing the cricket ball by the bowlers a few years back.
SYED SALMAN KHALIQ
Lahore
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