| June 27, 2002 | Thursday | Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1423 |
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Registration of madaris
GIKI and Dr Khan’s portraits
Let the nation decide
Religious declaration
The travails of a non-PhD
Cyprus: the Turkish view
Under NAB’s very nose
Numbers don’t count
Joke or harassment?
A request
The ‘blessing’ of digitalization
THE tirade of secretary Agriculture Punjab against the building of 11 spurs on the bank of Chenab River (Dawn, Lahore, May 28) is not based on facts.
The ground realities are different. These spurs proved very useful and saved more than two dozens villages along with about 10,000 acres of agricultural fertile lands from being swallowed by the Chenab River. If these spurs had not been built, thousands of poor villagers would have lost their small holdings of land, houses, wells/ tube wells, mosques and even their ancestral graves.
The well-off people sitting in cities cannot imagine the misery of villagers who lose everything and become landless, houseless, penniless and jobless overnight when rivers change their directions and swallow large tracks of land in a short time.
Prior to the constructions of these 11 spurs more than two dozen villages had been washed away by Chenab and now form the river bed.
It is a matter of record that the Flood Protection Programme was conceived and developed by highly qualified Pakistani engineers of international repute after detailed study and survey of the area on ground and through actual models built at the irrigation research station, Nandipur District, Gujranwala. The construction of spurs was approved by the experts of Asian Development Bank.
As regards damage to the city of Wazirabad, it is an entirely different issue. The danger of damage is not at all due to the building of spurs. The width of Chenab River from Wazirabad to Mirala is at present more than twice what was three decades ago, due to change of direction on its right bank.
There is now an urgent need to repair and modify the spurs. The spur number 9 which saved the village Chak Panior is being badly damaged due to water incursion. If this spur and similar others are not repaired immediately, the nearby villages will be washed away causing damage worth billions of rupees to the government as well as to the residents of the area. The National Accountability Bureau should immediately release the funds for urgent repairs.
As regards the role of politicians in building these spurs, let us give the devil its due. Without their initiative and interest these spurs would never have been built.
MUSHTAQ AHMAD
Lahore Cantt
THE ordinance on registration of madaris was overdue. If we were wise enough in the past to adopt this policy, by this time Pakistan would have joined the ranks of countries with one hundred per cent literacy and consequently become a model Islamic-democratic-welfare-state. Sectarian hatred, intolerance and killings would not have become the order of the day.
Is it not a fact that Europe, America, Australia, Canada and in fact the whole of the western world have benefited by Christian missionary schools, colleges or universities for mass literacy? Private missionary institutions outnumbered those run by the state in the west.
Even in British India, the Christian missionary schools and colleges were known for their high standard of education.
Among Muslims, it was only after the formation of the Muslim Education Conference in the later part of the 19th century and the personal efforts of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan that Islamia high schools, colleges and Aligarh Muslim University came into being, which became the fountain head of Islamic-oriented-modern-educational institutions in the subcontinent.
One has to dig out the reasons and motives behind the establishment of madaris imparting only religious education and that too on sectarian basis. Not only in Pakistan but also in the present-day India there are innumerable madaris that are imparting sectarian-hate-oriented teachings to young and innocent minds who mostly belong to the poor strata of Muslim society.
The presence of such madaris during the British rule and in the so-called secular India is understandable but their establishment and promotion in an Islamic country is the antithesis of unity among Muslims, and the sooner they are controlled and brought under the umbrella of one single education system, the better for the country.
Imagine the sea change that the new system would bring in the outlook of the masses. By imparting knowledge of science and technology to the students of madaris, one would be laying the foundation of a system of modern education together with Islamic teachings for progress and prosperity.
The government is urged not to yield to any opposition to the ordinance. The people do not want violence anymore.
S.M. ZAKERYA KAZMI
Karachi
IN the news item titled ‘GIKI seeks Rs300 billion to get out of crisis’ (June 19), the high-ups of the institute have made a crude attempt to justify the removal of the portraits of Dr A.Q. Khan on the ground that it will pave the way for assistance from western countries.
I want to remind the authorities that financial aid and equipment from western countries, particularly from the government of France, was given to the institute when the name of Dr Khan was fully associated with GIKI. No foreign government objected to this as, through their own sources and personal visits to the institute, they had come to the conclusion that Dr Khan’s association with the institute was only in the field of academics and that the institute was not engaged in any objectionable activity.
The assertion in the news item that the photographs were removed soon after the 1998 nuclear explosion is not true.
The portraits were removed only a few months back when it became known that Dr Khan had asked the government not to give financial assistance to the institute till such time that a thorough reorganization had been carried out including the appointment of a resident, full-time and well-qualified rector instead of the present incumbent, who is a full-time politician and only a courtesy rector.
Needless to say that the attempt to malign the name of one of the greatest benefactors of the institute has angered the numerous well-wishers of GIKI.
RAHMATULLAH
Topi
THIS refers to Ahsan Iqbal’s article ‘Let the nation decide’ (June 17), which was in response to some of the ‘allegations’ made by General Musharraf in one of his speeches during the referendum. The article refreshed some of the bitter truths that the writer had ignored.
Export of sugar to India: even the common man knows the truth of exporting sugar to India. The writer just picked out facts to suit his argument. After the ‘transparent’ export of sugar to India, there occurred an acute shortage of sugar in the country. Sugar was imported from the same country to meet our requirement. In the short time, the price of sugar mounted to Rs17/kg from Rs13/kg. People suffered due to the unwise decision of the government.
Motorway project: it is interesting to note that writer admitted that “the project was cancelled, revised and later restored, causing costly delay and almost doubling the cost of the project”. But there can be no words to console the people who are still paying for the white elephant. The idea to develop a dry Suez is ridiculous keeping in mind the state of Afghanistan in those days. When there was no understanding among the three parties (Pakistan, Afghanistan and CAR), why was this costly project initiated?
Let the nation decide is a good piece of advice to a military man, but one that is ignored by democratic governments.
SOHAIL KHALID
Toba Tek Singh
LEADERS of various religious parties on the Mutahidda Majlis Amal platform gave a deadline for the reintroduction of a religious declaration by all Muslim voters. The threat worked and the very next day, the reintroduction of the religious form was announced by the government.
Now, every Muslim voter has to sign a form in which abusive language is used against the Ahmadiya sect and its founder. And if any citizen of Pakistan does not submit this religious declaration, he will not be regarded a Muslim and his name will be included in the non-Muslim list of voters.
Apart from this, Maulana Fazlur Rahman of the MMA has also called upon his followers to send him the names of Qadianis occupying ‘key posts’, so that he could get them removed. One may ask the Maulana Sahib as to what he means by ‘key posts’. Even a chowkidar can be said to be holding a sensitive post because no ‘sahib bahadur’ can enter his office unless his peon/ chowkidar unlocks the door/ gate with the keys in his possession.
Let Maulana Sahib know that unlike his ancestors, the Ahmadiyia community had voted for the creation of a Muslim-majority independent Pakistan and since then not a single instance can be cited in which an Ahmadi was given a job on the basis of his sect or faith.
Let it also be known that ever since the Ahmadi/ Qadiani citizens were constitutionally declared ‘non-Muslims for the purposes of law’, not a single Ahmadi resident of Rabwah has been given any job in its town committee. Rabwah town has more than 50,000 residents, of which 95 per cent are Ahmadis, but their daily life is put to hardships of various kinds by the maulvis of other towns.
M. KHALIL SHEIKH
Rabwah
I WANT to draw public attention to the miserable condition of our educational institutions and the suffering of students like me.
I had applied a for PhD in entomology and animal diversity in the Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore. According to the schedule, tests were to be held from May 20 to 25, 2002. Just two days before the test, on inquiring from the department office, I was informed that the PhD in this specialized field had been withdrawn from the test schedule.
When I insisted that I had applied in entomology, they allowed me to appear in any other specialization.
So, I decided to appear in the test for developmental biology that was to be held on May 30. When I reached the university on that day, the professor of developmental biology was not there to take the test at the scheduled time. When he came later, he refused to give me any test and claimed that he could not admit any more students.
I requested the chairman of the department for help. But the professor also ignored the advice of the chairman to test me. I had no other option except to return home.
One could well imagine the trouble I had to face in this process and wasted my time and money in travelling from Rahimyar Khan to Lahore twice in a week. Now, I have no courage left to become highly qualified.
MUHAMMAD TAHIR SALEEM
Rahimyar Khan
THIS refers to the article by Eric S. Margolis, ‘Back on the old trail?” (June 24). Even though the author tries to project a balanced and impartial approach to the Cyprus question by admitting the Greek Cypriot atrocities against the Turkish Cypriots, still it is clear that he carries certain misconceptions and biases.
The status of the Turkish Cypriots has never been that of a ‘minority’ on the island as alleged by the article. In fact, Turkish Cypriots were one of the equal co-founders of the 1960 partnership Republic of Cyprus. The relationship between the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot people is not of a majority and minority, but one of political equality of two people sharing a common homeland.
Secondly, the Turkish Peace Operation of 1974 was not an ‘invasion’ as alleged by the article but a full legal intervention that was carried out in accordance with Turkey’s rights and obligations under Article 4 of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee. Turkey’s timely intervention not only saved the Turkish Cypriot people from the genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the Greek Cypriots but also prevented the illegal annexation of Cyprus by Greece, in other words Enosis.
As to the allegation that “thirty thousand Turkish troops reinforced this week by a new brigade”, I would like to point out that this is nothing but a baseless allegation deliberately created by the Greek Cypriot authorities as part of their defamation campaign against Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
In reality, this is a normal replacement of soldiers who have completed their military service in accordance with the system of enlistment of the Turkish armed forces.
M. KEMAL GOKERI
Representative, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,
Islamabad
DAWN’s bureau report from Peshawar titled ‘US refused ex-CM’s extradition: NAB’ (June 21) amounts to a complaint by the NAB chairman that he was facing difficulty in arresting some absconders like former chief minister Abdullah Shah.
Yet, quite oddly, the news report also mentions that present in the gathering was a former president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sarwar Mohammad, who asked the chairman a couple of loaded questions.
Incidentally, this is the same gentleman who is accused of complicity in the murder of his own daughter in the office and presence of human rights campaigner Ms Hina Jillani.
Why does the chairman NAB look so ruefully across the oceans to arrest criminals when he cannot, and dare not, take action against those under his nose?
ASHTAR AZIZ KHAN
Gujranwala
WHILE stopping at a traffic signal, I saw that the vehicle ahead of me had prominently displayed a PAF sticker on its rear screen. It read: ‘Sleep tight, the PAF is awake.’ The shooting down of an Indo-Israeli RPV sufficiently goes to prove it.
The PAF crew at midnight was alert and wide awake with a highly quick reaction response. Those who have had a wide exposure to air operations will highly appreciate the skill of that lone air observer remotely located by the side of a graveyard or a tubewell in the countryside, vigilantly watching the night skies.
He made no mistake and initiated the first information report. The air defence radars and its crew at night promptly reported an extremely slow speed and low radar cross-sectional area target. The highly trained radar combat controller and the fighter pilot then combined to shoot it down.
It may be of interest for readers to know that for the fighter pilot at night the situation is no different from shooting an aero model which he might have seen schoolboys flying in open playgrounds and also at night. The fighters are employed on a single-ship basis. It is a one-man show at night. Suffice it to say that the precise positioning by the air defence controller and skillfully shooting it down by the fighter pilot amply proves that numbers do not mean anything to the PAF. The more the enemy employs, the more he bleeds.
ISHTIAQ AHMAD KHAN
Chaillianwala
A WEEK back, I went to a nearby tandoor to buy roti. The size of the tandoor premises was 6x5 feet with a low roof being under stairs.
The tandoorwala had no place to live, so a veterinary doctor had been kind enough to allow him to sleep at night at his clinic in the same building.
While I was waiting for my turn, a messenger of the tax department delivered a printed notice to the tandoorwala directing him to attend the office of the special officer, Income/ Wealth Tax, Islamabad, with income tax returns for the last five years.
Was that a joke or harassment?
IFTIKHAR AJMAL BHOPAL
Islamabad
THROUGH this esteem newspaper I request the KESC authorities to make sure there is no power breakdown on the day of the final World Cup Football match.
The bitter memories of last world cup final, when power shut down during the crucial match, are still alive.
AZHER ALAM
Karachi
ON April 20, 2002, the PTCL ‘blessed’ my non-digital telephone No. 62-8167 with the kiss of digitalization and a PTCL staffer phoned me to say that my new digitalized phone number would henceforth be 660-8167.
When I remonstrated with him that I should have been warned beforehand that my old number would be changed so that I could inform my friends and relatives about it, he said PTCL had the right to do so without any prior warning to the subscriber.
My digitalized phone number was not even communicated to the Telephone Inquiry at 17 or Telephone Complaints number. The result was that my friends and relatives in Pakistan and abroad were in a quandary as to what had happened to me or my phone.
I learnt that more than 12,000 non-digital telephone subscribers in Karachi had suffered the same fate when, without any prior notice, their phones were suddenly digitalized. Two weeks after PTCL ‘blessed’ me with digitalization, my new telephone 660-8167 went dead for three days in a row because drainage water had seeped into a pit in which the digitalized cables were harboured. My daily visits to the Nazimabad telephone exchange and customer service centre brought me relief after three days and my telephone began functioning again.
In May 2002, I received a bill for my dead non-digital phone number 62-8167 for Rs880 (flat rate) which was paid within the due date. A telephone staffer asked me to check with the Nazimabad customer centre whether billing for the digitalized phone No. 660-8167 had begun.
Indeed, it had begun and I was given the duplicate of a bill issued on May 10 for Rs350; it bore the phone number but no name or address. When I objected, the telephone staff said I should pay it which I promptly did.
During June 2002, I got the monthly May bill for my dead non-digital phone 62-8167 for Rs960 which I immediately paid. But I was also asked to pay the monthly bill for the in-use digitalized phone 660-8167 amounting to Rs1,390, showing an inflated number of phone calls and no name and address on the bill. I paid the bill at once, without my name and address on it.
PTCL is making billions of rupees in profit from its subscribers. Why can’t it improve its billing system? It should have taken my prior consent before ‘blessing’ me with a digital phone that has brought me more woes than comforts.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
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