President’s discretionary powers

THE clause ‘a’ of para 81 of the package of proposed constitutional amendments summarizing the discretionary powers of the President is really the crux of the matter.

The President appoints the prime minister, without the latter first demonstrating the support of the majority of the members of the National Assembly. If we add to this the omission of the defection laws and the prospects of a hung parliament, we get the picture: the President will handpick the PM and the National Assembly will be very nearly defunct.

The President pre-approves the appointment and removal of the chief ministers, leaving the PM grossly outnumbered in the National Security Council. The President can relieve the PM of his/her duties within 48 hours of being advised by him for the dissolution of the assembly and can refer to the cabinet any advice to him by the PM for reconsideration. This would guarantee constant mistrust between the PM and both the parliament and his own cabinet leaving him alienated and very nearly non-functional. Would a caged and chained PM and a powerful President provide us with sustainable ‘true’ democracy?

The NSC, once it is formed, shall exercise much more than moral authority over the affairs of the state. There are plenty of ambiguous clauses in this package concerning the sovereignty, integrity and security of the state which are sure to warrant pressure tactics to force the PM into submission, when matters like the Ojhri Camp incident of 1988 come under discussion.

Constitutionalizing the role of the armed forces would deal a deathblow to the cause of federalism. The forces are dominated to a great extent by a single province, a situation likely to persist if we only consider the basic laws of statistics. This is only one of the virtually countless fallouts of politicizing the armed forces.

The proposed amendments or at least those concerning checks-and-balances, once promulgated, would wreak havoc with our existing framework of governance and replace it with nothing more than a Kemalist quasi democracy that is neither true to the ideals of a parliamentary democracy nor sustainable for any reasonable length of time.

NUSRAT BOKHARI

Islamabad

A state within the state

THE report of the stoning of a man to death in Faisalabad on a Pesh Imam’s call makes almost unbelievable and shocking news.

In the concluding part of a fairly detailed article ‘Islam, the blasphemy and zealots’ (Dawn, May 22, 1992), later reproduced in the book Compromise With Conciliation, I had recommended three basic considerations which should be kept in mind. The second of these was: “What constitutes blasphemy cannot be left to be decided by individuals or groups of individuals. Only the courts are competent to decide that, in consultation with the most learned and venerated of the ulema, of whom we have quite a few.”

It is not easy to understand how the government can allow any pesh imam or jirga to function as the judiciary and the executive of the state, independently of the state itself or as a state within the state. The mullahs, particularly the semi-literate ones, have started to believe, thanks to Ziaul Haq and his coterie, that they are the real state and what they say is law.

The government must enforce its authority with full strength and take to task the concerned imam and his obedient accomplices (and also the members of the jirga at Meerwala) for taking the law into their own hands.

S. IRTIZA HUSAIN

Karachi

THIS is with reference to the news item under the heading, ‘Villager stoned to death on Imam’s call’ (July 6). It was highly shocking.

Who on earth gave the imam the authority to decide as to who has the right to live and who doesn’t? A report should have been made to the police about the person alleged to have committed the crime, and subsequent action should have been taken under the laws of the state.

I seriously doubt the intentions of the imam who must have had some personal grudge against the killed person.

A CITIZEN

Karachi

Steps before elections

WHEN on Oct 12, 1999, General Pervez Musharraf took over, the people took a sigh of relief because of the large-scale corruption, mismanagement and nepotism prevalent in the country at that time.

But after more than two years of his rule, with prices soaring high, accountability only selective, law and order terrible, and religious extremism on the rise, the common man finds his living most difficult.

The nation was completely disillusioned at the way the referendum was conducted. There was no need for holding the referendum as general elections were at hand. The President should take the following steps:

He should declare the results of the referendum null and void.

Appoint a new Chief Election Commissioner.

Form an ad-hoc national government with non-controversial people to hold free, fair and transparent elections.

Hold elections as scheduled.

Let the constitution experts revise the 1973 Constitution which should be debated in the new National Assembly.

Retire from the army and hold only one office by appointing a new COAS.

MOHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA

Lahore

Police high-handedness

I ARRIVED in Karachi from New York on June 26, 2001. After attending my office, as I was taking a nap the same evening at my Gulshan-i-Iqbal residence, four people in plain clothes violently knocked, trying to break into my bedroom.

As I opened the door, one of them (later identified as a sub-inspector, then posted at Gulshan-i-Iqbal P.S.) repeatedly hit me behind my neck. The injury has resulted in imbalance in walking and permanent hearing impairment.

I later came to know that I was detained (section 151) under the cover of some family misunderstanding. I was taken to the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Police Station and locked up.

The next day I was released when family members told the (defunct) SDM about the real situation.

The incident was first reported to the then Inspector General of Police, Sindh. He (verbally) instructed a senior official to conduct an inquiry. After his transfer, the matter was reported to the present IG. An inquiry was conducted by the SSP (East) complaint centre.

But my complaints remain unattended even after the passage of one year. I appeal to the Sindh High Court to look into the matter and do the needful.

MOHAMMED MAHBOOB ALAM

Karachi

Expressway devastation

ALONG with some friends who are helping out the affected families, I visited the areas that have been demolished along the Lyari River to make room for the Expressway.

I was devastated at the devastation. No infrastructure project, however wonderful, can justify this barbarism carried out by our government with the help of the army and rangers. Over 200,000 people will be made homeless and jobless, and ancient settlements, such as the Hasan Auliya Village, will also be affected.

Weeping people showed us leased documents, electricity and water bills and begged for protection. The scene reminded me of TV coverage of the Jenin refugee camp but here the devastator is not an occupying power but our own government. I wonder if this devastation could have been possible on such a big scale if we had an elected government.

From your columns it is obvious that Expressway is a controversial project. Even if it were not why does the government not first learn to look after and use properly the existing infrastructures?

There are traffic problems because traffic is not managed, the roads are all broken and cannot be used for more than half their width, there are no footpaths, no bus stops, the circular railway track lies unused. The list is endless and we build an expressway that is duplicating the Northern Bypass!

So much for common sense. May be after the Lyari Expressway is damaged due to non-maintenance, we will abandon it to build its alternative thus continuing to make the corrupt rich, adding to their numbers and impoverishing our people.

NOOR JEHAN FAROOQUI

Karachi

The sleepy CBR

THE finance minister announced in the budget speech the abolition of withholding tax on cars that are more than 10 years old.

Today, I went to renew the registration of my car, which was registered in Islamabad over 19-years back. The post master demanded withholding tax saying that the post office department had not received any instructions from the CBR.

It is not understood why the computerized CBR is so slow in action.

IFTIKHAR AJMAL BHOPAL

Islamabad

Why are they silent?

AUTHORITIES in Pakistan have to bear part of the responsibility for what happened in Meerwala. It was not the first gang rape and authorities from top to bottom stand out by their inaction.

The police in all provinces seems to be more concerned with protecting culprits than catching them. In Meerwala, policemen watched the whole incident while in Karachi these so-called protectors of the law were themselves the gang-rapists. Throughout Pakistan criminals remain free. It appears as if no one in authority has heard or read of these criminal acts.

Political parties, including the flag bearers of Islam, ignore the issue completely. These parties have been calling out for strikes for every minor political irritant. However, these same politicians are tongue tied when it comes to human rights for the general public, especially women and minorities.

ZAFAR HUSSAIN

Ontario, Canada

Murder of Afghan VP

THE assassination of Haji Abdul Qadir comes as a real setback to the leaderless Pakhtoon population in Afghanistan. Qadir was the elder brother of the well-known Mujahideen commander, Abdul Haq, who was captured and hanged by the Taliban last year after he slipped into the country to organize resistance against the Taliban militia.

Qadir had always raised a voice for the rights of the Pashtoons in the transitional Afghan government. Storming out of the Bonn Conference complaining that ethnic Pashtoons were not being given a big enough role, is an example of his commitment to his people.

The killing of Qadir has shattered the cherished dream of bringing stability and tranquillity to war-torn Afghanistan. Now it is up to the Karzai-run transitional government to nab those who were involved in Qadir’s murder and also to see that more people from amongst the Pushtoons are not killed.

ABDUL QAHAR PASHTOON

Islamabad

Godhra incident

MR Vajpayee has been all along blaming Muslims for the Godhra incident and, as a consequence, for the communal riots in Gujarat. However, the findings of a forensic report have proved that the inflammatory liquid which burnt the train at Godhra was actually poured from inside. This points only in one direction: that the incident was engineered by Hindu activists travelling in the train.

Any Muslim would have now felt justified in asking for Mr Vajpayee’s resignation but for the fact it will only lead to Mr Advani’s ‘Pradhan Mantriship’. I feel sorry for the Muslims in India. They are caught between the devil and the deep sea.

NAELA HASAN

Oakville, Canada

Save the trees

THERE are two items before me and both are from Dawn. The first one (June 23) says that Gulberg Town Nazim is spending Rs2.7 million to ‘fell’ 60 trees as part of a beautification drive in the area. Rs2.7 million just to ‘fell’ 60 trees!

According to the other news item, the Punjab ombudsman, taking suo motu notice, has directed the Privatization Commission, and the forestry, wildlife, tourism and environment protection departments to ensure that after privatization of Faletti’s Hotel, Lahore, the trees therein remain undisturbed implying that the new owner must not cut them.

The first is depressing, the second kindles some hope. But the fact remains that in Pakistan we care little about environment or conservation even though the negative results of such neglect have started becoming visible. Karachi has seen a tremendous change in its climate.

In the 1950s and the 1960s, I have seen here a mild climate with both, sunshine and clouds during the days, and cool air in the evenings. With vanishing trees and growing pollution, today the day and the night temperatures are almost the same. Due to a diminished number of trees, rainfall has dropped considerably.

TABASAM

Karachi

High prices of cars

WHEN the automakers were coming to Pakistan to set up their plants to assemble, manufacture and then market their wonders, it was thought and also propagated that car prices would come down to a common man’s reach.

This was one of the many false promises made to the innocent people of this country. Car prices never got within the reach of the common man.

Unlike this country, our neighbour has almost all the major automakers within its boundaries and most certainly all those that are operating in Pakistan. The prices there are much lower and the quality on offer is also reported to be superior.

How is it so? Can any one explain?

LUQMAN REHMAN

Karachi

Bypass road

THE people of Muzaffargarh are thankful to the central and provincial governments for releasing Rs95 million for the construction of the circular bypass around my city.

I now request the district authorities to complete the southern segment of the bypass to rid the Alipur Road, on which are situated the district hospital and many schools and colleges, of heavy traffic. Moreover, the district authorities are requested not to divert these vital funds to any other projects, as has been happening in the past, but to utilize them for the specific purpose for which they are meant.

AZIZ HAMID KHAN

Muzaffargarh

Report on higher education

THERE are many plus and minus points in the task force’s report on higher education that need to be discussed by academic bodies, as well as by the media. PTV in its current affairs programmes can invite teachers, students, education administrators, retired professors, members of the task force and discuss the entire issue.

The task force has changed the entire governance of public sector universities. The senate/ syndicate are to be replaced by a governing board consisting of 15 members. A council, headed by the vice chancellor, will be formed to manage a university. Teachers will be appointed on contractual basis and their salaries will be de-linked from government basic pay scales. It has also been recommended that a higher education commission should replace the existing University Grants Commission.

The elected bodies of the public sector universities held meetings in this regard and circulated their views. Consensus prevails on major issues. Neither the members of the steering committee nor the vice chancellors opposed the present structure of the universities. The Karachi University Teachers’ Society, NED University and other universities of Punjab have unanimously rejected the recommendations of the task force and have demanded the implementation of their university acts. Surprisingly, some vice chancellors including that of Karachi, Sindh and Peshawar have welcomed the recommendations of the task force, though their teachers have rejected them.

In my opinion, some of the important factors responsible for the deterioration of educational standard are: less attention to the respect and welfare of the teachers, low staff salary, low enrolment of quality students, low financial allocation for teaching and research, more government involvement, loss of commitment and dedication for teaching and research, etc. It seems there is some mistrust that needs to be rectified. Teachers need to be encouraged and efforts made to improve their output in teaching and research by providing them with necessary facilities and incentives.

The point which is of utmost importance is the appointment of vice chancellors, who are normally inducted on political influences, personal likes and dislikes. The post must be advertized and the short-listed persons must be interviewed by a panel of experts consisting of academicians, judges, researchers and educational administrators. It has been observed that some of the vice chancellors cannot express themselves properly and are not presentable. The vice chancellor must be a person of integrity, an academician, a good administrator, who can command respect and one who believes in academic freedom.

I feel that the task force should not make the final recommendations in a hurry but rather float its ideas for more discussions, so that meaningful and quality education could be imparted to our youth.

PROF DR AKHLAQ AHMED

Karachi