| August 25, 2002 | Sunday | Jamadi-us-Saani 15, 1423 |
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Superstition and pragmatism
Troublesome air-travel
Remembering ‘black days’
Persistent power failures
Privatization and common man
Cricket: lack of resilience
Double vote right for minorities
Non-Muslims’ rights
Railway booking
Parking near seaside
Constitutional Experimentalism
Rashdi’s book
Caring for senior citizens
THIS refers to the editorial ‘Another leap in the dark?’ It is sad that the Constitution, which is the most sacrosanct of the institutions of a nation, has always been trivialized by the power-grabbers in Pakistan.
When the editorial points out that “Pakistan was created by a political genius immersed in the art of law and Constitution. His entire struggle for the creation of this country relied fully and exclusively on legal and constitutional methods”, I am reminded of two such incidents in the course of freedom struggle and creation of this country.
In 1920 when Mr Gandhi became President of the Home Rule League, he, through a simple majority, changed the objective of the League from self-government to Swaraj, i.e. total freedom. Further, for the attainment of freedom the words “by constitutional means” were substituted by “by peaceful and legitimate means”.
Mr Jinnah objected on a matter of principle that the Home Rule League’s constitution could only be changed by a three-fourth majority. He also feared that ‘unconstitutional means’ would lead to violence. But he was overruled by Mr Gandhi. Unhappy, Mr Jinnah left the Home Rule League along with 19 members. The same year, he also resigned from the Congress.
In 1946 when the Muslim League had accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan, Jawaharlal Nehru, the President of the Congress, said at a press conference in Bombay that Congress would enter the Constituent Assembly “completely unfettered by agreement and free to meet all situations as they arose.”
On further inquiry, he said emphatically that the Congress regarded itself free to change or modify the Cabinet Mission Plan. According to Abul Kalam Azad (India Wins Freedom), this was “one of those unfortunate events which changed the course of history.”
Distrusting the sincerity of the Congress, Mr Jinnah called a meeting of the Muslim League, which passed a resolution on July 29, 1946 revoking League’s acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
In another resolution, the Working Committee was asked to draw up a plan for direct action and asked all members of the League to renounce the titles conferred by the British government.
According to V.P. Menon Transfer of Power, Mr Jinnah, back to the wall, said after that: “What we have done today is the most historic act in our history. Never have we in the whole history of the League done anything except by constitutional methods and by constitutionalism. But now we are obliged and forced into this position. This day we bid goodbye to constitutional methods.”
What an irony! Almost all successors of Mr Jinnah seemed to have treated the Constitution of Pakistan as an object of scorn.
SYED OSMAN SHER
Toronto, Canada
HAFIZUR Rahman says in his article (Aug 21): “....the Muslim population of Pakistan, from the top brass to the common man, is firm in its credo: let’s not make any effort but just pray for things to happen our way....God is supposed to help us even if we do not lift one little finger to help ourselves.....the will of God is something that can be manipulated,....” All this serious soul-searching.
If we consider the present condition of the Muslim community as a whole, it is obvious that wherever it is — whether in an independent sovereign state or as a minority in any other country — it is backward, dependent upon others, downtrodden and lagging behind in science and technology.
Mr Hafizur Rehman has clearly pointed out the root-cause of this malaise: we strictly believe in divine blessings without doing anything practical. It reminds me of a personal incident.
Once I went to see a friend and he welcomed me whole-heartedly while holding a rosary in his hand. During the course of our conversation, I asked him why he was holding the rosary. He told me that if someone recited such and such verses of the Holy Quran, one hundred thousand-times once in life, he would definitely go to paradise.
Here lies the difference between us as a people and other nations. They believe in action whereas we merely believe in divine help so much so that we aspire for paradise by mere lip-service and not by virtue of good deeds and service to humanity.
It would not be out of place to recall here the well-known story according to which two of our top brass had gone to a ‘Baba ji’ near Abbottabad who administered some strokes to their backs to enhance their tenure in office. But nature did not favour them and both of them had to leave office prematurely.
When our top brass believes in superstitions, how can we expect pragmatism from the common man?
ATAUL HAQ SUBHANI
Faisalabad
MY recent travel on July 28 from London to Abu Dhabi by flight-004 and from Abu Dhabi to Lahore by flight-760 on Aug 16 was the most harrowing experiences a passenger could face while travelling with his wife on a wheelchair.
The seats on flight-004 were so cramped that there was no space to even tie your shoelaces while sitting. One could not even get up from the seat when the passenger immediately ahead, had his seat in a reclining position. There were only four toilets for over 250 passengers with a lot of inconvenience for everyone.
While travelling by flight-760 to Lahore, there was no toilet in the departure lounge for passengers who were supposed to go down by lift to a lower floor which was quite difficult for a wheelchair passenger.
We were allotted a window and an aisle seat but surprisingly there was no window near the seat with a closed wall on the side. It appeared as if we were put in a cargo section closed on the sides. The concerned airline ought to improve their service for economy class passengers who are herded like sardines in their planes.
DR M YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
I PITY the common man, myself included, who spearheaded the freedom movement. If feel sorry for him if his lot is not ameliorated, if he is denied basic rights and if he is exploited and fleeced by the government and the businessmen.
In addition to the independence day, the following important events haunt me and need to be remembered:
The day Ghulam Muhammad dismissed the Constituent Assembly; the day Maulvi Tameezuddin lost his case in the Supreme Court; the day the first Constitution was promulgated; the dates and days of all martial laws imposed on this country; the date the first session of the National Assembly scheduled to be held in Dhaka was postponed; and the day Dhaka fell.
All Pakistanis must seriously think over the above events which took place after independence.
M AMIN MIRZA
Lahore
THIS refers to the Aug 14 report about Wapda and power supply.
The residents of Omer Colony, Madina Street and Infantry Road, Lahore, have been suffering much due to the long breakdowns of electricity in addition to short shutdowns daily between 5 and 8pm and sometimes the whole night in such a sultry weather. The electricity department is in the habit of doing so every day.
Wapda is paying no attention to this problem because of which all localities in the city are facing great inconvenience.
Prompt remedial action by Wapda will be highly appreciated.
MOHAMMED LATIF
Lahore
THESE days private sector is expanding whereas the public sector is shrinking rapidly.
The governments are surrendering their burden and handing over the public service departments to private organizations. This trend is evident in both the developed and developing countries.
No doubt, the world has entered the phase of deregulation, denationalization and privatization and under the umbrella of globalization we cannot shut our eyes to all this.
Yet our government should also consider the result of this policy, which concerns the fate of the weak and the poor who form the majority of our nation. In Pakistan, many public service departments have been denationalized. But nothing has been done to regulate the terms and conditions of jobs in the private sector. The employees suffer.
Education and health are the two fields where services are being provided both at governmental and private levels. The charges for services and results thereof in the two sectors are quite different.
Privately-controlled educational institutions and hospitals charge higher fees and give better results. But things can much improve for the common man if proper attention is paid to government institutions, which serve the majority of the population.
NASIR ALI SYED
Toba Tek Singh
AFTER an unusually successful Australian tour, it was hoped that the Pakistan cricket team would win the Morocco Cup quite easily. This, however, did not happen and we lost the last three matches in a row. The team, as we know was without Shoaib, the ace fast bowler.
I am not a cricketer but what was noticeable in the ‘exit’ match for Pakistan was the lack of resilience. In fact, fortunes had swayed a little too much and with the Pakistani ace bowlers’ performance being what it was the team took victory for granted. But in spite of this exuberance, they lost and as a whole it appeared that the team was a listless lot.
I am not quite sure as to why two changes were made. At any rate, the changes brought out that the bearded Saeed Anwar was a better performer than Shoaib Malik.
Malik could only bowl just one over in which he conceded more than a dozen runs when the South Africans were facing a drought of runs.
I think the team lacked a certain amount of discipline and resilience which is a prerequisite for serious cricket.
EAS BOKHARI
Lalamusa
IT has recently been announced that the minorities in Pakistan will have the right of double vote — one under joint electorate for any candidate in any constituency they happen to live in and the other to choose any member of their own community for the Provincial and the National Assembly.
This step is quite in keeping with the 1973 Constitution. I am of the opinion that the 1973 Constitution, without its later amendments, is the best for our country.
It is, therefore, the need of the hour that all discriminatory laws, particularly those against the minorities, were rescinded forthwith because they have not only destroyed our national unity but have also earned Pakistan a bad name.
We can never achieve permanent peace unless these wicked amendments, which were never the demand of our nation, are revoked.
This double vote for the minorities has relieved their anxiety to a great extent and it will certainly create a very good impression abroad.
It is necessary because the minorities are living in far-flung small pockets all over Pakistan. In no one constituency can any minority win any seat in any assembly by itself. As such, this is a very wise step taken quite in time before the general elections.
MOHAMMAD ISHAQUE SOOFI
Rabwah
THE letter of Monica Kamran Dost captioned ‘Non-Muslim students’ was quite perturbing. Every educational institution in India has a majority of Hindu students. In the early 1960s, I was studying at the Osmania University’s Government College for Women. In a class of 17 students, I was the only Muslim.
For my BA (1st year), I opted for Islamic Philosophy. Naturally, the rest of students studied Hindu Philosophy. But, when principal Dr Shri Devi learnt about it, she asked Dr Qamarunnissa, a lecturer in General Philosophy, to teach me the subject.
Even when this lecturer took long leave, I was not left to study on my own. The psychology lecturer took her place.
Books were also available on all such subjects in our college library. Big public libraries were also a treasure-trove for students.
Our institutions of higher learning should provide similar facilities to minority students. They should not be neglected. It would be a blot on our educational institutions. Religion binds Muslims to take maximum care of non-Muslims.
SHAMEEM DALLAZY
Karachi
PREVIOUSLY, anyone intending to undertake a train journey had to book a seat 15 days in advance. Instead of reducing it to seven days, Pakistan Railways has increased it to 30 days.
Nowhere in the world, is one required to book a seat one month before the journey is to start. One seldom plans a journey much in advance. Moreover, in case of cancellation, one has to lose 50 per cent of the ticket amount. Isn’t it too much? Nobody knows what adversity awaits him over the next few days.
Most of those who travel by train belong to middle and lower-middle classes and cannot afford such a heavy deduction.
During the last two years, the fare of AC sleeper for Karachi-Rawalpindi journey has been increased from Rs1,800 to Rs2,600, parking fees at Karachi Cantt has been doubled and a single platform ticket now costs Rs5 instead of Rs2.
Though, a slight improvement in railways services have been noticed, people still find it cheaper and better to travel by bus.
TAHIR MAQBUL ZUBERI
Karachi
I LIVE near the seaside and I see that there are hardly any cars parked in the parking zone. Those who visit the seaside park their cars on the main road.
The reason for this is just to avoid paying five rupees as the parking fee on the service road.
By doing this, people are not only avoiding to participate in the development of the seaside but are also creating traffic problems, especially on weekends when there is a rush to the seaside.
SHMAILA FAROOQ
Karachi
ON the basis of the articles contributed by Brig A.R. Siddiqi to Dawn, I had formed a fairly high opinion of his analytical ability, especially the piece written on the death of ex- Iranian Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan is still fresh in my mind.
It was, however, shocking to note that the writer, in his comment captioned ‘Constitutional experimentalism’ (Aug 17) maintained that the Oct 12, 1999 takeover by Gen Musharraf was a “coup d’grace” rather than a “coup d’etat”. Both the expressions when looked up in the dictionary mean:
Coup d’etat: a sudden or violent stroke of state policy, as that by which Louis Napoleon subverted the Constitution (Dec 2, 1851)
Coup d’grace: A finishing blow by which a tortured man is put out of pain, a decisive stroke generally.
I am unable to understand whether Brig Siddiqi was being gracious to the institution he once served or was he trying to emphasize Gen Musharraf’s own interpretation of calling his Napoleonic action a ‘counter-coup’ and not a coup.
WAQIF LAHORI
Lahore
THIS refers to a review of Pir Ali Muhammad Rashdi’s book, Roodad-i-Chaman (Books and Authors, Aug 18) in which it is stated that the author regrets that Khuhro was persecuted under the PRODA.
Now, I know Rashdi intimately and the fact is that it was he who drafted the PRODA to indict Khuhro despite the fact that he was at the time editing the latter’s newspaper. However, I have many fond memories of Rashdi as well.
ASHFAQUE NAQVI
Lahore
WHILE thanking President Musharraf on behalf of the senior citizens of Pakistan for withdrawing the unconscionable General Sales Tax (GST) on medicines (Aug 23), I appeal to the government to ensure implementation of this order by the pharmaceutical companies and chemist forthwith.
The government-appointed Committee on Medicines should carefully examine the reasons for the steep rise in medicine prices in the past two years and initiate corrective measures.
The GST on medicines was particularly hurting children and the elderly who are more vulnerable to infections and ailments. We gratefully recall Dawn’s forceful editorial (March 23) in which it demanded the immediate withdrawal of the GST on medicines.
It now transpires that the IMF and the World Bank had not ordered the slapping of GST on medicines, being aware of the disease and poverty levels in Pakistan. It is significant that the scrapping of GST on medicines has come nearly six weeks before the national polls due on October 10.
As President Musharraf’s government seems to be in a benevolent mood in respect of the citizens’ welfare, the more than 10 million senior citizens in Pakistan will be most grateful to him if he orders the implementation forthwith of the package of reliefs and benefits for the elderly announced in Islamabad on Oct 1, 1999 by the then Prime Minister.
In 2000 A.D. the senior citizens had a lollipop from the then federal social welfare minister Dr Atiya Inayatullah, that they would get a better package of benefits and a Task Force was appointed for the purpose.
With her exit from the federal cabinet, her promise has apparently gone into limbo. With the national exchequer now burgeoning with money from foreign donors for poverty alleviation programmes, senior citizens (many of them are hard-hit by the slashing of profits from the government’s National Savings Schemes) the implementation of the Oct 1999 package of benefits for the elderly will not be an onerous burden on our present government. By all tokens, the inflation rate in Pakistan is much higher than the puny figure claimed by the government spokesmen.
Most banks have lowered their profit rates for the small investors but their lending interest rates continue to be high. The levy of Withholding Tax on NSS profits should be scrapped.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
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