| August 27, 2002 | Tuesday | Jamadi-us-Saani 17,1423 |
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What the result shows
Polio-free Pakistan
Corruption and the ISI
The myth of judicial independence
Gas rates and SSG a/c
Encouraging importers
Writ of law established by govt
PTV long plays vs serials
Political culture
Doctors and TB patients
Emergencies and alert
Parking fee
Degrees for politicians
THE general now commanding US forces in Afghanistan is reported to have claimed that Osama and Mulla Umer are in Pakistan. The claim has been rejected at the highest level in Islamabad.
The cooperation extended by all those who matter, whether in the whole of Pakistan or in the tribal territories near the Afghan border, has been total because of the realization that Pakistan is the front line state in the ‘war against terrorism’. Yes, there can be individuals or groups who are sympathetic to Al Qaeda and the Taliban just as there are individuals or groups opposed to the policies of President Bush or Prime Minister Blair or President Chirac and other world leaders.
American officials seem to be too sure in every single intelligence report that reaches them. Maybe, they have forgotten that hell was let loose by the Japanese fleet on Dec 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbour because there must have been failures simultaneously at multiple points. Lesser tragedies may be many. A couple of the recent ones deserve mention here.
On the eve of India’s nuclear tests in May 1998, Washington was requested to restrain India. Perhaps, Washington’s own assessment differed. The US intelligence sleuths looked for ballistic missile tests at Bhubaneshwar on the east coast of India when New Delhi was due to test-explode its nuclear devices 1,400kms away in the west at Pokhran where the previous test was carried out in 1974.
Pakistan had to give its response. Thomas Simons, the then US Ambassador, offered a $35 million package to Islamabad to refrain from a response.
Due to the poor intelligence of its own, New Delhi was too sure that Pakistan had been bluffing about its progress in the nuclear field which is why it test-exploded its nuclear devices on May 11 and 13 in the first place and which is why L.K. Advani, the Home Minister, was going about threatening Pakistan with hot pursuit across the LoC in his speeches in Indian Occupied Kashmir after May 13.
Dr Simons had, on the basis of US intelligence, informed Islamabad that fears of attacks by Israel or India on Pakistan’s strategic nuclear and other sites were unfounded. He strongly urged Islamabad to refrain from N-tests.
When US looked for ballistic missile tests on the east coast of India instead of nuclear tests at Pokhran in Rajputana, how could Pakistan rely on Mr Simon’s assessment of the situation? When Pakistan went ahead with its N-tests on May 28 and 30, Advani rushed back from his war-mongering in held Kashmir.
During the last days in his office, President Clinton had ordered bombings on a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan on the basis of US intelligence reports that it was manufacturing substance for germicidal attacks against America.
In short, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to accept the word of a most reliable ally of America.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
THIS refers to the editorial ‘What the result shows’ (Aug 18). We are told that girls have outshone boys in the recently announced BA, BSc results. Moreover, it is surprising to note that no college in Lahore could secure the top six positions that were bagged by Faisalabad.
There is a valid reason for this — the famous colleges of Lahore which had been playing a major role in producing the best of graduates were given autonomy some three years ago.
Therefore, main colleges like the Government College, Kinnaird, and the Lahore College for Women are no more under the umbrella of the Punjab University which had played a major role in producing top-notchers.
The result is that no other college in Lahore has come up to pick up the gauntlet either in the presence of these institutions or in their absence.
Taking into account this aspect, there is need for improving the standard of education in these institutions by introducing special reforms in teaching and the student attendance system, so that the desired results can be achieved.
It is also to be considered that privatization is no solution because it offers no education for the poor and the middle classes. By doing so, we may once again make Lahore city a centre of top education under the Punjab University.
AZHAR NAZIR SULEHRI
Lahore
THIS is with reference to the advertisement (Aug 21) issued by National Institute of Health on forthcoming NlDs from 3rd to 5th September 2002, requesting the parents of children up to five years of age to keep them at home, so that visiting teams can administer polio drops to them.
I request the education ministers, both at the federal and provincial levels, to direct all primary schools, especially those in the private sector, to allow the teams to administer polio drops to children in their schools. Moreover, they should not insist on attendance during these days so that these children are available at home for polio drops.
I also appeal to the parents to extend their utmost cooperation to these visiting teams and make sure that the children are at home during these days. This would solve the problem of missed / leftover children.
Let us make Pakistan polio free.
DR PARDEEP KUMAR
Hyderabad
ARDESHIR Cowasjee’s column ‘We never learn from history’ shows that it was not only the politicians who plundered and destroyed this country but also the government-controlled agencies, like the ISI, which have played a significant role in its ruination.
As a citizen of this country, I would ask President Musharraf and the Chief Justice of Pakistan as to why not this case should not be proceeded with when the requisite proofs have already been submitted years ago? The Supreme Court verdict in this case would have an enormous impact on the politics and future governance in this country.
DR MUNEER BHURGRI
Badin
WHO is responsible for the political instability suffered by this country over the last five decades? The army or the politicians?
For half the period, the army remained the direct ruler while for the remaining half, it was the indirect ruler.
It is now no secret that the ISI, an army intelligence wing, paid millions of rupees to politicians to corrupt them.
A list of such politicians along with the amounts received by them, has already been published in the press.
And, therefore, the main responsibility for political instability in Pakistan lies with the army and not with the politicians.
I appeal to the President to order the immediate stoppage of ISI’s political activities in Pakistan.
KHAN BABA
Quetta
“YOUR memory is a monster; you forget it — it doesn’t. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you.” — John Irving.
The former bureaucrat, Roedad Khan, has taken a nice chronological account of the judicial history of this country.
Ever since 1947, we see a power struggle. A hazy early picture is a dying and helpless Father of the Nation lying in an ambulance which had gone out of order on the Mauripur Road and the first prime minister becoming a victim of power brokers.
After that, you can easily find the greedy civil and military bureaucrats not missing any opportunity to grab power and a judiciary validating their deeds. Not even once, they had the fortitude to challenge the authority of the day. Why so? What was wrong? Material for a doctorate thesis.
Pakistan needs only a couple of judgments, ethical and uncompromising. It is time they stood up.
AZFAR HUSSAIN
Karachi
KUDOS to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for reducing the price of gas supplied by the Sui Southern Gas by about 0.3 per cent or 32 paisa per thousand cubic feet.
After a detailed scrutiny of the SSG’s accounts, the Ogra found SSG’s revenue in surplus at Rs76 million as against Rs1.78 billion shortfall declared by the SSG.
It seems that the SSG is following in the footsteps of the US multinationals who have been manipulating their accounts. The shareholders demand an explanation from the SSG as to why accounts were falsified and what the auditors have to say for this.
Will the government or the SSG assure the shareholders that such accounting malpractices will not be repeated by the SSG?
A. REHMAN
Latifabad
THE Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) has been giving away export trophy awards to the exporters of different categories since 1976 in recognition to their excellent performance in different fields.
The award indeed encourages other exporters to do their level best in order to become one of the next year’s winners. This is a healthy sign and promotes a healthy competition among the exporters. It is evident that some of the award winners succeed in retaining their positions both at the competition and at the international market. Such exporters deserve further encouragement by our government.
On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee Trophy Awards ceremony, being held on Aug 27 at Convention Centre, Islamabad, I would like to give a suggestion to President Musharraf who will be the chief guest at the ceremony.
Volume of our exports depends on the importers’ interest in Pakistani products. In addition to maintaining quality of our products, retaining and enhancing the importers’ interest would ultimately give a boost to our exports.
I would suggest that civilian awards should be introduced for the leading importers and be given on Aug 14 every year.
This would not only encourage the leading importers but also attract those who do not import Pakistani products.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
I WOULD like to congratulate President Musharraf on a number of important firsts that have been scored during his rule. First, the perpetrators of gang rape and sexual violence are finally being prosecuted. Secondly, an SHO has been dismissed from service for negligence and abuse of power. And now we hear that the Federal Shariat Court has ruled to the effect that in cases of rape it will only be the rapist who will stand trial and be liable for punishment.
The man in the street is not concerned much about constitutional amendments and things of that type.
But the above mentioned developments affect the lives of average Pakistanis and that is what makes the steps taken so heartening. This also shows that the writ of the law is finally being established in Pakistan.
This brings us back to the long debate that has been raging inside and outside Pakistan about democracy. It is not necessarily democracy that makes a nation great or prosperous. It is perhaps the Rule of Law that works the magic. In this regard, there simply cannot be a better example than Dubai where there is absolutely no democracy but where peoples of all colours, religions and nationalities can enjoy ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ within a safe and secure environment.
If President Musharraf’s era lays the foundation for the establishment and enforcement of the Rule of Law in our country, then without any doubt he has rendered the greatest service to the people of Pakistan .
NAELA HASAN
Ontario, Canada
THE PTV has, for the past some time, abandoned the tradition of presenting long plays. Such plays used to keep the viewers spellbound.
These absorbing plays used to be telecast at weekends when the viewers could devote more time to the television because of the following holiday.
However, PTV is now presenting only serials. Unlike the long plays which usually dealt with some important social issue, these serials have unimpressive themes with disappointing performances by the artists.
The producers think that by showing a few glimpses of a foreign country, they can win the appreciation of the viewers. That is not so. Any play must have a good theme dealt with skillfully, to make it a real success.
A serial play also suffers from the drawback that if an episode has been missed, one often loses interest in the rest of the serial.
Since a long play is complete in itself, it has no such disadvantage.
S. U. KHAN
Peshawar
IN order to provide an opportunity to middle and lower classes’ educated people to become elected representatives of their respective classes, it is imperative to remove corrupt politicians from the scene and change the mindset of political parties.
Gen Musharraf’s efforts to ensure continuity of the democratic system and to introduce a system of checks and balances on the powers of the president, prime minister and the COAS will only succeed when the political culture is changed and the old guard is replaced by the new generation.
ENGR. S.T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
IN 1999, I had raised a question about TB in Pakistan and got a positive response from many doctors. Now I am raising this issue again as the situation is becoming serious regarding treatment of this disease. A few doctors are able to prescribe medicines for TB of different kinds.
Today, every doctor is ready to offer prescriptions as he knows about five basic medicines used to cure TB and that is the problem.
My cousin had a lymphnode TB in 1999 and I took him to an ENT as it was in his neck. After biopsy it was diagnosed to be tuberculosis. His doctor said he would treat his neck as he was not a TB specialist. He recommended treatment for six months with three drugs which are not meant for Pakistan but for some western countries.
Now after about three years, the patient’s TB of lymphnode has recurred. I went to the same doctor and he said: “Never mind, just start with the same three medicines for six months.”
Are not such doctors playing with the lives of human beings because if a patient is given the same medicine, he could be exposed to MDR tuberculosis?
Reactivated TB is even more difficult to treat. I request doctors to please refer TB patients to specialists and don’t just prescribe some of or all the five basic medicines as treatment.
A.N. RAZA
Lahore
TWO small ships had collided near the Karachi coast on Aug 14, causing spread of a foul smelling gas in a vast area.
Panicked people had no idea that what was actually wrong or what would happen next.
There was no official word on this incident. Consequently, people kept on checking all the gas pipelines in their houses and their neighbourhoods.
With anti-terrorism efforts going all around and people talking of biological warfare, it should have been made public promptly that what the affected people should do in case of such emergencies.
ALTAMASH J. LONE
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Faisal Shahzad Abbasi’s letter to the editor on the subject (Aug 22). I totally agree with what he has written. In my opinion, parking fee should be charged only if a proper place is provided for parking. Here, it is done on the roadside and at owner’s risk. No kind of service is provided by those charging the heavy fee.
It was first started by the CPLC. However, they used to charge only Rs. 5. Now, the fee has risen to Rs 25 a day. If any one has to go to four or five places in the city in a day, parking fee itself becomes an additional heavy burden.
Had the city government provided good parking plazas or a good public transport system enabling the commuters to avoid using their cars for going to the office, only then such a fee could have been justified. Now it is just another torture for the citizen and nothing else.
M. ARSHAD SIDDIQUI
Karachi
BAHAUDDIN Zakaria University has declared results of Begum Abida Hussain and Khakwani who have secured second division in the B.A. examinations. According to a news item (Aug 9), the University has declared in advance the results of nine politician candidates on payment of Rs. 3O,000 as fee, by each of them.
That reminds me of the case of a son of a friend residing in the Middle East. The boy had appeared this year in only one leftover subject. His result was expected in mid-August. In June, he got his admission papers for studying in the USA and applied for a visa. The US embassy admitted the visa application with the instruction that the applicant may arrange, latest by the end of July, either the result or a certificate from the concerned Board that according to their assessment the student will possibly pass the paper given.
The friend approached the Board through the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation which very kindly took up the matter with the Board. A written reply was received saying that “declaring of advance result was against the policy and was illegal”. The Board did not advise the applicant that the result could be obtained in advance on payment of some special fee.
This action of the Bahauddin Zakaria University has proved right the general belief that every thing is possible for a rich and influential person while the rules and the law become an unsurmountable barrier for the poor.
Also, this precedent might open the door for more enterprising people to adopt more innovative methods in the future. For example, some other university or educational institution might hold an exclusive examination for one single candidate after charging a special fee.
After all, there was a news circulating immediately after the announcement of the graduation condition that some of the affected politicians had approached certain universities with offers of large donations.
JAVED
Karachi
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