| May 17, 2002 | Friday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1423 |
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Manners of the well-bred
Monstrous speed-breakers
Karachi builders’ mafia
Muslim genocide
Overhauling the intelligence outfit
Federal board exams
Sales tax or consumer tax?
Uncarpeted road
Contradictory remarks
Immigration harassment at airports
Written in despair
Behaving like an ostrich
Wapda’s generation capacity
PRESIDENT Musharraf pleads that at times when no answer was available to a political crisis, the then PM or president would call the army chief for help and reconciliation, so why not give a permanent role to the army as a power broker? On the contrary, the failed politicians claim that the army did not allow them a smooth sail, hence incomplete tenures.
The political history of Pakistan is also skeptical about the unwarranted role of the armed forces. But it is equally true that our incompetent and shortsighted politicians, instead of solving political issues politically, resorted to dragging the army into the power game. The latter also happily meddled in the mess instead of directing the politicians to seek advice from the judiciary or the constitutional experts.
To block the entry of incompetent and corrupt politicians, and to facilitate competent, educated and well-groomed politicians in reaching the highest rung of political ladder, necessary amendments may be made in the constitution. A strong media and senate, with professionally qualified technocrats, intellectuals and legal and constitutional experts, may provide proper feedback through thorough discussions and analysis on important national issues.
A think-tank comprising strategists of various disciplines including defence, may also provide the necessary guidance.
The political role of the armed forces, however, is highly undesirable, as it will erode the army’s professional skills and develop cracks in their ranks.
There are no two opinions that only democracy, real and unadulterated, coupled with good governance, rule of law, across-the-board accountability, freedom of expression, equality and respect for human rights, can ensure economic development and self-reliance.
I, therefore, suggest that President Musharraf should opt for the Malaysian political system and the economic policies followed by Mahathir Mohamad, to salvage our economy and transform Pakistan into a democratic, developed, progressive, civilized, and strong Muslim nation, proud of its identity and Islamic values.
RAFIUDDIN AHMAD
Karachi
THERE is a debate going on that the English newspaper reading public is well-bred and educated, and does not need lessons in manners and etiquette.
I have already written about the abysmal road manners of ‘educated and well-bred’ people. Rank impatience, no consideration for others on the road, no queuing habit, indecent haste to get ahead, no concept of ‘give way’, dangerous lane hopping, blaring horns, full headlights, corner-cutting, no concept of main road or side road, hogging parking space, honking at the first sign of yellow light, speeding up at speed-breakers, complete oblivion of Zebra crossings... one could go on.
Does this sound like people who are well-mannered and etiquette-conscious? Elsewhere there is a similar lapse of any consideration for the less fortunate — ostentatious lifestyle, gross consumerism, creeping permissiveness, food piled up on plates at wedding receptions (left half-eaten), a nation of litter bugs (empty ice cream cups flung out of cars), honking of horns at gates (rousing neighbours at unearthly hours), letting pet dogs howl all night.
The higher the status the more blatant the violations of residential bye-laws — bypassing power meters, water pumps directly on water mains, excessive porch heights, rooms built over porches, two one-kanal plots converted into one two-kanal plot (gaining 800 square feet of covered area), trashing the surface drainage system .... one could go on.
Just compare this complete lack of civic sense with the civilized mores and manners of the western society. A majority of our people shows little or no after-effects of the so-called good upbringing or proper education.
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
THERE are two gigantic speed-breakers located on Britto Road in front of the Jama’atkhana which are extremely dangerous to motorists and their vehicles.
I witnessed a car, moving barely at 30-35 km/h, literally take off with all four wheels in the air and then slam the road so hard that both of its front wheels tore away from the axle and the car skidded on its belly for several meters. The front-end suspension and transmission of the were totally destroyed and the old gentleman driving it was in severe back pain and could hardly stand.
Since these two illegal structures have been constructed on a public road at a point where there is a slight curve, it is usually too late for anyone to take any preventive action to avoid a heavy impact. I can very well imagine the plight of motorcyclists.
People have become so selfish these days that they think only in terms of their own safety and well-being, without any consideration of the cost that others have to pay.
These two monstrous speed-breakers should be removed immediately and the name/s of the individual/s or the organization responsible for its construction be disclosed so that those affected may be able to claim damages.
MUHAMMAD ALI
Karachi
THERE are thousands of investors who are suffering at the hands of the powerful builders’ mafia of Karachi. Apartments under various projects, launched eight to ten years ago, have not been handed over to the allottees as yet.
It is normal for these builders to collect the money in instalments from the unsuspecting investors and siphon out 90 per cent of it for deposits abroad, earning interest in dollars. A little work is kept in progress at the site to give the impression that the project has not been abandoned. After some time, they demand escalation money from the allottees under the threat of cancellation of the allotment.
The government should take serious notice of these activities of the builders’ mafia and introduce strict control to protect the interests of the citizens, among whom are many widows and elderly people.
Enquiries should also be conducted against the Building Control Authority, which seems to be hand in glove with the builders.
SHEHRIAR
Karachi
THERE is an appalling lack of a sense of brotherhood among the world Muslims, which is one of the causes of their overall degradation. According to the teachings of Islam, (a) all Muslims are brothers; (b) all Muslims are limbs of the same body and if one limb is affected by any malady, the other limbs also feel the pain; (c) the ummah is like a building and all Muslims are its stones which support it and are a source of strength to each other and (d) the Arabs have no superiority over non-Arabs and vice-versa.
In Islam, nobility lies in piety. Israel has become an arrogant power. Thanks to the unflinching massive support and policies of its patron and to the calculated inaction of the UN. The Muslims all over the world are deeply anguished and agitated at the genocide of the Palestinians by the Israelis.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the attitude of our many Arab brothers regarding the genocide of Indian and Kashmiri Muslims by fanatical Hindus and government forces.
The press, intellectuals and men in authority are unconcerned and apathetic. One is disappointed to go through the newspapers of Cairo, Jeddah, Gulf States and other places. If the Muslims shun Islamic teachings and revert to pre-Islamic notions of race, colour, language, etc, they will be doomed in the new western world order.
KHWAJA MUHAMMAD BASHIR BUTT
Bahawalnagar
HARDLY had the government announced that they had ‘nabbed’ seven terrorist groups responsible for the recent killings in Karachi, one well-known religious scholar, Dr Ghulam Murtaza Malik, was gunned down at Lahore, and the next day, 14 people, including 11 Frenchmen, were killed in a suicide bombing attack in the central area of Karachi.
According to a conservative estimate, most of the amount used or abused by the intelligence people in the domestic theatre is being spent on the monitoring of politicians and political parties, raising ‘new groups’ with the help of so-called ‘political manipulators’ and giving tons of money to political informers and their ‘political outfits’. There is absolutely no audit or record of it.
The need is to pinpoint the terrorist group/ groups involved in the killings of French technicians, MQM legislators and Daniel Pearl and the bombing of Islamabad’s church. In my opinion, all have been committed by a single outfit. Blaming this foreign agency or that foreign agency would not help. Besides, it would further encourage the real perpetrators to act more boldly because of our lack of information. The situation demands a complete overhaul of our outdated and colonial intelligence system.
It is honestly argued that the suicide bombing attack on the naval bus carrying French technicians in the heart of the city is in fact our 9/11. Are we incapable of dealing with this new brand of catastrophic terrorism? The answer should be found by those who are running the country’s affairs.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
EXAMINATIONS held by the Federal Board of Education, Islamabad, have begun.
All papers start at 2:30 pm. Just imagine, the candidates will have to leave their homes in the scorching heat at about 1:00 pm when the temperature is at its highest, touching 45 degrees Centigrade. Most of the students do not have their own transport and they have to use public vehicles, which are usually overcrowded at that time.
How exhausted one would become upon reaching the examination centre, and the quality of his/her performance under these circumstances can be well imagined.
Is there anyone in this country to think of these problems? Perhaps none.
A PARENT
Lahore
ONCE I went to a fast food restaurant in the city. The signboard outside said: ‘Food package, Rs750 only.’
I went in and availed that package. When the waiter brought the bill, it showed food for Rs750 and sales tax of Rs112.5. The total bill was for Rs862.5.
Thus, the tax is actually paid not by the seller of the goods but by the consumer. This method is being applied to most commodities such as medicines, biscuits, beverages, etc. So, why call it Sales Tax? It should be named as Consumer Tax.
It is a different matter though that the consumer or the common man is already exhausted with the burden of income tax, excise duty, property tax, road tax and a variety of surcharges and extra surcharges.
ENGR ZULFIQAR AHMED SHAIKH
Karachi
THE 40-feet wide road in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 5, having residences A-161 to A-168 and A-138 to A-145, is in shambles. The rooms in these houses facing the road require dusting three to four times a day.
In fact, this road has not been carpeted for the last 10 years or so, while the volume of vehicular traffic on this road has been increasing day by day.
Someone must help get the road carpeted at the earliest as the rainy season would further worsen the situation.
SYED ABRAR HUSSAINI
Karachi
THIS refers to Ariel’s Literary notes titled ‘Malice for nothing’ (May 8).
The columnist, on the one hand, says that the government’s literary awards are based on merit, while, on the other hand, he remarks that “I have myself believed that some of the recipients of the Pride of Performance have used all the tricks of the trade” and that “no one could get the award — even the posthumous one — if his namaz-i-janaza was not offered by some influential who may have been touched by the complaints about the neglect meted out to the marhoom (the late) or marhooma writer”.
Aren’t his remarks contradictory?
SYED SARWARUZZAMAN
Karachi
I RECENTLY went on a tour of some European countries. At the airports, I observed that the travellers who were citizens of that particular country did not have to wait in the long immigration queue. They just showed their passports and were out of the airport in a flash.
On the contrary, in Pakistan a national of this country has to wait in a long queue for an endless period of time. When one finally reaches the immigration counter, one is admonished and told to stand straight so that a picture could be taken for some security agency. This makes one feel like a criminal or a terrorist.
Can those who run the show display more courage by revamping the whole immigration process so as to eliminate such disgraceful checking while, at the same time, ensure that national security is not compromised?
TAYYAB RAFIQ BALAGAMWALA
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the article by Mr Roedad Khan (May 13). His feelings reflect those of the majority of the educated people of this country.
Mr Khan was closely associated with most of the civil and military governments and he has been rightly disillusioned. I have read his book Pakistan, a dream gone sour. May I say that the dream has now turned into a nightmare. The best intentions of our generals apart, military rule is no solution to our problems.
The army rule has not done any good anywhere. Look at Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, Chile, Columbia, Iraq and, of course, Pakistan.
If we look at the brief history of our country, we will realise that our generals have failed in their primary duty of defending the country. If they could not discharge their primary function, how can we expect them to succeed in civil administration?
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter ‘An unpleasant experience’ from a professor (May 10).
I am sure the incidence must have been very disturbing for the professor who was trying to perform his duties honestly.
People have always been saying this, but I have never agreed with them that this country has become a ‘Police State’. But how long can I continue to behave like an ostrich.
ZUBAIR YUSUFZAI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news report ‘Wapda fails to utilize generation capacity’ (May 4). The report indicates lack of relevant engineering knowledge and adequate statistical information.
The primary objective of Wapda’s main hydel generation sources viz Tarbela and Mangla projects is to meet the irrigation demands of the country. The water released from these reservoirs is regulated according to the irrigation indents fixed by the Irsa keeping in view the provincial water quota and demands of the integrated canal network.
Power generation from Tarbela and Mangla is, therefore, dependent on the water releases criterion fixed by the Irsa and not according to the power demand of Wapda system. However, every drop of water allowed to be released from these reservoirs is genuinely utilized by the Wapda for power generation.
The hydel power stations owned by the Wapda are in excellent condition due to proper and timely preventive maintenance. The plants have high availability factors (more than 90 per cent) and the only reasons of their less utilization is shortage of water/ restricted releases.
The writer of the report based his analysis on a portion of data published in Wapda’s Annual Report, 2000-2001. The figures of water releases from Tarbela and Mangla used by the writer of the report for comparison of energy generation in different years are in fact ‘storage releases, MAF’ and not the actual ‘water outflows’ which are passed through turbines for power generation. The storage releases are the quantity of water released from the water reservoir, which have no direct relation with the units generated from total releases.
The impression of less generation compared with water releases as given in the subject report is misleading. As a matter of fact other than high water season when some extra water is released through spillway all releases pass through the power station for generation of power.
If at all any relation is to be developed between water releases and power generation it has to be between total outflow and generation and not storage releases vs generation, as storage releases (given in the report) are far less than the actual releases.
As regards less generation from Wapda’s own thermal, it is to be clarified that there is a special computer programme which daily works out economic dispatch order for Wapda’s own thermal and IPPs’ thermal power stations.
Keeping in view the demand of the day (less the availability of hydel power), an economic dispatch order is prepared in the order of cost of energy generation at each thermal station and transmission loss associated with it and as the load increases during the day the stations are brought on line one after the other from cheapest to the costlier units. It is a complex technical system where a lot of factors are to be kept in view and the writer has over-simplified the issue.
It is not correct to say that maintenance of thermal stations has been affected because the officers have been stripped of their powers by the army management. The factual position is that Wapda’s Book of Delegation of Financial Powers was updated in 1995 (prior to army induction) and since then no change has been made.
RAZA UL HAQ SIDDIQUI
Deputy Director, Wapda Public Relations,
Lahore
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