| July 26, 2002 | Friday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15,1423 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Website against Islam
Mangrove park at Mai Kolachi
Classical music
Punjabi stage plays
KESC and power theft
Ali Imam, a cultural reference
Forgotten component of Meerwala
Population gold medal
Chairlift in Margalla
Clarification
Jobs in UAE
We never learn from history
IT professionals
Non-matric minister
Demolition of magnificent structure
QAZI Faes Isa in his article ‘Disfiguring the nation’s constitution’ (Dawn, July 23) has highlighted a very important and previously overlooked aspect of the entire exercise of constitutional amendments. The government functionaries have been loudly proclaiming this process to be in the spirit of democracy; with all the amendments, except a few, open to debate and revision.
The fact of the matter as pointed out by the writer is that the time allowed to the public for comment is too short. Also no official channel has been provided to the people to forward their comments and suggestions for serious consideration. It would seem that the government merely wants the critics of the proposed hanky panky to run out of steam and stamina thus giving them a free rein to tighten the noose when it deems fit. It follows from here that all this show of consultation is being carried out ‘after the fact’, while neither the political parties not the general public or the intelligentsia were consulted during the initial formulation of the proposed amendments.
And now that almost all of the above mentioned are crying themselves hoarse in opposition to the NSC and the drastic increase in the President’s discretionary powers, the NRB stalwarts are not willing to budge a single inch regarding these most controversial amendments. What minor changes they have shown the willingness to accept are irrelevant to the greater design of things envisioned by this grand council of great military minds.
NUSRAT BOKHARI
Islamabad
THE other day, I got an e-mail regarding an extremely anti-Islamic website. When I myself checked the contents of the site, I found it loaded with hatred against Muslims.
The site is www.stopislam.com. It seems that some people have deliberately misinterpreted the message of the Holy Quran to malign Islam. They have also written bad things about Allah Almighty and His Holy Prophet.
I request all the Muslim states to please do the needful to stop the dissemination of this poison against Islam as such sites can not only misinform the non-Muslims but can even misguide Muslims who do not possess sufficient knowledge about their religion.
JAMILA AZIZ
Karachi
IT has been stated by S.H. Zaidi in his letter (July 7) that the destruction of the mangroves in the Mai Kolachi area was primarily due to “sewerage contaminated with industrial waste”.
If one were to drive on the Bypass Road from Clifton to Queens Road, one would see that the mangrove growth on the right side of the road (which is exposed to “sewerage contaminated with industrial waste”) is flourishing, while the mangrove growth on the left of the road (which is exposed to unlawful land reclamation by the KPT Officers’ Housing Society) is sparse and dying.
This seems to negate Zaidi’s point of view.
ROLAND DESOUZA
Karachi
RECENTLY, I have come across various articles in the newspapers and heard many people showing concern about the decline of classical music in Pakistan. Looking at the current disseminating low standard programmes, it looks as if classical music has already died. Families of the musicians are turning their children into pop stars responding to the demand of their bellies. So, instead of improving and promoting the art in an elegant way, the story is rueful.
PNCA, Lok Virsa and provincial art councils, despite being discouraged by certain quarters, have to some degree shown their concern in this respect. The All Pakistan Musical Conference, Sibi Mela and Classical Musical Guild also deserve praise for having played a significant role in promoting classical music.
It is sad to mention the remarks of some classical singers/musicians, who owing to their destitution, were repenting that they had wasted so much of their time on this art. The younger generations of some of these gharanas have already switched over to pop music.
Previously, permanent staff artistes were hired by Radio Pakistan and all over the country not less than 30 artistes used to perform daily. Now the time allocated for classical music has been zipped. Central production unit has also been abandoned whose job was to record, preserve and forward the recordings to other stations. PTV has only about hundred minutes per month for classical music.
TAHIR MAHMOOD KHAN
Rawalpindi
IT has been observed that Punjabi stage dramas, which are also relayed regularly by cable television networks, have descended to the lowest depths of vulgarity and indecency.
In the past, we have had many renowned stage artists who had the talent to excite laughter without resorting to obscenity. But the so-called artists in these plays are doing no service to art and culture. These plays have no plot or characterization worth the name. Most of the jokes cracked desecrate sacred human relationships and invariably degrade womenkind. Is it right to let these people further lower the already scant respect paid to women in our society?
I feel that women’s rights organizations and the concerned authorities in the government should act to stop this display of perverted sense of humour.
AMIR SAEED
Lahore
KESC’s decision to raise its rate is not justified at all. I fail to understand as to why KESC wants to punish its loyal and sincere subscribers who pay their dues regularly, instead of getting hold of those who do not pay at all and use illegal power connections or underpay KESC?
The increase in rates would not affect the power thieves but would have a negative impact on the honest subscribers. If KESC eliminates power theft by cracking down on kundas, illegal connections and meter tampering, then the revenue generated from these dishonest users would probably be higher than the incremental revenue to be generated through an increase in the tariff rate.
Another point to be considered is that a lower per unit price will encourage subscribers to refrain from using illegal connections.
However, a high rate would only motivate some more people to join those who use illegal means to consume electricity. The concerned department should take a note of this.
ASIM SHAFIQ
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the programme, ‘Ali Imam, a cultural reference’, held at the Arts Council on July 13. The whole atmosphere was quite hotch potch. The following killed the spirit of the event:
a. The programme was arranged in the Exhibition Hall of the Arts Council. As this was the city of Ali Imam, PNCA could have used its imagination to use the walls of the exhibition hall as reference to Ali Imam’s paintings.
b. The director general of the Pakistan National Council of Arts was rude and disconcerted in his communication and there was no humility in his tone. It seemed as if the was taking a class of artists by ordering them to do this or not to do that — he seemed quite self-centered. We feared of the artist’s retaliation which could have occurred any time.
c. The DG, Changeze Sultan, did not realize the grace of his position.
d. On the top of it, at the end of the programme when the artists with heavy hearts were still in their seats and Mrs Ali Imam was receiving sympathies from them, the scenario changed in seconds. The DG from the same seat and the same stage became a ‘Quick Changing Artist’ and started awarding certificates and prizes to the participants of the PNCA workshop. What regard for Syed Ali Imam. It was a real shock to all who came for Ali Imam.
EIGHT SIGNATORIES
Karachi
THERE is an important but naive character in the dreadful Meerwala incident who has been completely ignored. She may be in need of protection from her own folks or perhaps in want of just some sympathy.
She is the 18-year-old girl of the Mastoi family who was allegedly having an affair with the 12-year-old Shakoor of Tattla clan over which the whole row started. The latter party contended that the Mastois had staged the drama of holding the panchayat to cover up the sodomy perpetrated on Shakoor.
This girl’s brothers, Khaliq and Allah Ditta, had led the revenge criminal assault on Shakoor’s sister and are now being prosecuted for it. However, her father Imam Bakhsh Mastoi is free and at large. Obviously, these cruel and barbaric people cannot be trusted to extend humane treatment to this unfortunate girl.
They may blame her for being the cause of the entire tragedy and may be putting her under severe chastisement. The police may do well to check whether she is being tormented or tortured and if so move her to safety.
S. ABRAR HUSSAIN
Lahore
HATS off to Ms Amiran Begum of Khanewal for giving birth to triplets while travelling in a bus from Lahore to Multan. On reaching Okara, she was taken to the nearest hospital from where she received the ‘all clear’ certificate for herself and the babies. According to a press report, she had already given birth to ten children in the past.
As per the international population chart, Pakistan ranks sixth in the world with the forecast of jumping to fifth place by 2025. It is the ‘consistent performance’ by such people, which is keeping Pakistan’s name among the top ten countries of the world. The lady deserves a gold medal, which I suggest, should be presented to her personally by our head of population planning, so that he gets a first hand account of his department’s achievement.
RAFI NASIM
Lahore
“WILL chairlift magnify the beauty of Margallas?”, reads a headline in the Metropolitan section of Dawn (July 19). As a resident of Islamabad, my answer is a loud ‘No’. Not only that it would not add to the beauty of the city, but it would also destroy the peace for which Islamabad is generally known.
Has anyone taken into account the traffic overload the chairlift will create in the city, particularly on the 7th Avenue and the Margalla Road? These are the two roads, which will be used mainly to reach the base camp of the chairlift, reportedly to be located near the zoo. Certain sections of these two roads already suffer from a severe traffic overload.
Try reaching the Blue Area from the 7th Avenue between 1 to 2 in the afternoon, the closing time of schools, and you would know what I am talking about.
Add to this the additional traffic load generated by the sightseeing public from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and elsewhere, and you will have another Barri Imam festival, with the only difference that Barri Imam happens once a year and this will happen everyday.
We do not know which interest groups are at work behind the proposed project, but we do know that the chairlift will not be in the interest of the residents of Islamabad. It will destroy the tranquillity of the town, denude some of the greenery of Margallas, destroy the wildlife and add to pollution.
AZIZ AHMED
Islamabad
DAWN’s Washington correspondents’ dispatch on the death of Mr M.M. Ahmad had some mistakes.
First, Mr Ahmad was 89 and not 97 years of age. Second, although he was a heart patient, he died of complications resulting from back ache.
Third, and more important, he wasn’t a consultant to the World Bank but its executive director representing a group of countries that included Pakistan.
Later he was deputy secretary of the World Bank-IMF Liaison Committee.
It would be appropriate to recall that Mr M.M. Ahmad along with Ghulam Ishaq Khan (both were finance secretary and deputy chairman planning commission in succession) assisted by young economists like Mahbub ul Haq and Sartaj Aziz dominated the policies of the decade of sixties (the Ayub era) which led to a sustained record economic growth.
M.A. KHAN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to a letter on this subject (July 22), wherein some exaggeration has been made.
I came to UAE in 1997 from London and found the place like a mini-Pakistan. The job market is certainly dominated by Indians and their presence is overwhelming, but there are valid reasons for that. And this includes their around six times larger population, better skills, a sound technical education and a better command over the language. Besides these, they have the ability to survive with lower remunerations.
There are three Urdu/Hindi radio stations. Out of these, Ch 106.4 plays Pakistani songs as well.
MUHAMMAD ALI NADEEM
Dubai, UAE
IN his column ‘We never learn from history’ (Dawn, July 21), Ardeshir Cowasjee, propelled as he frequently is by sensationalism rather than truth, repeats Kamran Khan’s allegation: ‘From there Rs6 crore was paid to President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s election cellmates (General Rafaqat, Roedad Khan, Ijlal Haider Zaidi, etc) and Rs8 crore transferred to the ISI account.’
Since the issue is subjudice, I do not wish to comment on the substance of the matter, but will do so at the appropriate time. But with the specific reference to Cowasjee’s comment quoted above, I wish to categorically assert that I have no knowledge of this alleged transaction and was never a party to any receipt or distribution of election funds.
Since my duties in that particular administration were concerned essentially with the pursuit of accountability, I was never involved, in any way, with the election process, and your columnist’s insinuation is therefore as incorrect as it is inexcusable. I deplore, and strongly repudiate, the false implications conveyed in the article.
ROEDAD KHAN
Islamabad
WITH reference to the letter captioned ‘IT professionals’ (Dawn, July 24) it is stated that the government is fully aware of the shortage of jobs for IT professionals and is working on many plans to overcome this problem.
One reason for the unemployment of IT professionals is unsatisfactory standard of education received by these professionals. The government has taken many steps to improve IT education standard. Funds have been provided to public sector universities to set up labs and to hire highly qualified faculty etc.
The government has also taken many steps to expand the job market for IT professionals. A sufficient number of projects launched at the federal and provincial levels for computerization of government departments and industrial automation projects will create a large number of jobs for IT professionals. The incentives given by the government for IT and Telecom business will expand the software and IT services market. However, the implementation of these schemes will take some time.
MAMOONA AMJED
Director Public relations, Ministry of Science and Technology,
Islamabad
THE present government has decided that only those who are at least graduates can contest parliamentary elections. The decision, which has been endorsed by the apex court, appears to be good though difficult for a country where hardly two per cent of the population meets this requirement.
Let me give just one example. One of the recently appointed provincial ministers in Sindh is not only a non-graduate but not even a matriculate. If almost an illiterate can be taken as a minister, how can the condition for graduation be justified for a parliamentarian?
KASHIF KHUWAJA
Thatta
I HAVE been a member of Iqbal Municipal Library, located on the Mall, Murree, for many years. The library remained closed for a considerable period of time for reconstruction and renovation work. It was recently opened to the public again.
I was shocked to see that this once magnificent building has been demolished and replaced with a hideously congested concrete cell that is completely devoid of any taste.
The original building was over a hundred years old. Its colonial architecture was not only aesthetically pleasing, but was also serving the public needs well.
There was a long series of windowpanes on the back that offered a beautiful panoramic view of the valley below, and also invited plenty of air and sunshine. In short, it was a lovely place where one could spend a few hours in the most enjoyable manner.
One fails to understand as to why it was demolished when it could have been preserved in its original form with little effort. The new monstrosity presents a sad picture devoid of any warmth.
The once elegant wooden floors and ceiling have been torn down and replaced with white marble. The ceiling has been painted an ugly mustard colour with designs that induce nausea.
More astonishingly, old windows that added to the place’s beauty have been sealed and the view has been walled off completely.
Whoever carried this out certainly had no love for the beautiful landscape or any interest in conserving energy (as artificial lights are being used to keep the place lit up even during daytime).
MRS RASHIDA SHAHID JAN
Murree
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.