| September 8, 2002 | Sunday | Jamadi-us-Saani29,1423 |
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US move against Iraq
Marriage hall at Islamic Centre
Pakistan-India co-existence
Causes of anti-US feelings
Sindhis on merit
Indians, quit Kashmir
Image of a general
Investment abroad
Frustration
Violating laws
What is blasphemy?
GST on drugs
Campaign against Benazir
THE LFO-2002 has created a furore in the country. But it is actually the clause about the formation of the National Security Council that is drawing the most flak.
There can be no question that the crisis at present gripping the country is unprecedented in our history. The situation, therefore, calls for a hard, honest, objective and unbiased look at all issues eschewing emotion. Only by facing up to reality and admitting the truth, howsoever painful, can we exorcise the ghosts of our past sins. To shy away from the truth would never do. We have followed this course all these 55 years and look at where it has landed us.
Let us, therefore, proceed by admitting that the ‘fault’ for which Pakistan has remained steeped in a state of perpetual crisis, confusion and conflict, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. All of us — generals, politicians and the people — have jointly contributed to the country’s misfortunes. It was the people’s representatives, who acquiesced in Tamizuddin Khan’s dismissal. Later, they danced to Iskander Mirza’s tune and supported Ayub Khan.
Although the army voluntarily abdicated power in favour of an elected PM in 1971, the political leaders with one voice appealed to generals in 1977 to overthrow him. During Nawaz Sharif’s second term, they again sent similar signals through their public speeches.
Over the years, therefore, a role for the military in political affairs had become an established tradition, with the politicians’ active consent. Meanwhile, increasing clandestine contacts between the politicians and the generals posed a threat to the very edifice of Pakistan’s defence. The festering sore needed immediate surgery.
That is what the National Security Council is proposed to do. By brining the players from behind the wings into full view, it aims to end the tradition of conspiracies forever. Henceforth, every move will be open and transparent for everyone to witness.
Moreover, in its final shape, the NSC is going to be fairly representative, with a total strength of 12. Even under Gen Musharraf, there will be six each of military and civilian members; under a civilian president, the balance will tilt in favour of the civilians in seven to five ratio.
Therefore, only a biased mind could disagree with Gen Musharraf’s statement to the BBC: “If I was to take power for myself, as a person, I would not make the National Security Council. I would just remove the 13th amendment and I would have the power to dismiss the assembly. Why would I want 12 people to sit with me and decide that?”
SYED JAWAID IQBAL
Karachi
SADDAM was given a wink and nod by the American ambassador to annex Kuwait which resulted in American military presence in the Middle East.
Now action has got under way to oust Saddam. The bulk of Iraq’s oil revenue for the next 10 years will be used to maintaining ‘democracy’ in that country.
Control of worldwide oil prices will come as a well-planned bonus. A trillions dollar lawsuit has already been filed on behalf of WTC victims to keep Saudi Arabian oil production in line during the interim period till ‘democratic’ Iraq oil exports become viable.
The attack on Afghanistan was planned during Bill Clinton’s tenure. If the World Trade Centre was not attacked, some other justification for attack would have been manufactured. The CIA with a billions dollar budget ‘allowed’ it to happen. It was planned in advance to tap huge oil reserves of Afghanistan’s neighbours and pump it through a pipeline via Afghanistan and Pakistan to warm waters.
Russia had the same objectives in over-running Afghanistan. Then Jihad in Afghanistan was holy as it served American purpose but now it is evil as it is against American interests.
When Saddam was fighting Iran, he was America’s champion and was allowed to develop and use weapons of mass destruction. But now for the same supposedly ‘WMD’, Iraq is being targeted. Soon, Britain and the US will fabricate and present evidence of Iraq’s WMD to gather world opinion.
In the mean time, laser-guided bombs arsenal depleted by use in Afghanistan will be replenished. American forces are present in the region. It is cheaper to finish off Iraq job while they are there.
IMTIAZ HUSSAIN MAHMOOD
Rothwell, UK
WE, the students of Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre, University of Karachi, draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the very unfortunate situation created by the administration of the Centre.
The Centre had been established with the cooperation of the UAE to promote Islamic education with the support of computer technology. However, the administration had placed an advertisement in newspapers inviting tender offers for the construction of a marriage hall within the premises of the Centre.
The move was strongly opposed by the students but rejecting the protest, the director of the Centre held a meeting with the interested parties on Sept 3. The Mobaina police and Rangers were called in to keep the protesting students away from the venue of the meeting and prevent any disturbance.
Since then, the director has been warning the students of police action if they continued to raise their voice against his commercial venture.
The relevant authorities are requested to look into the matter.
CONCERNED STUDENTS
Karachi
THE killing of Muslims in Ahmedabad and the martyrdom of 60,000 innocent freedom fighters in held Kashmir justify the creation of Pakistan.
India’s secularism exists only in the South, where the Hindus are kind-hearted, merciful, and God-fearing.
In Madras the non-Brahmins are united with the Muslims as members of Dravida Muttetra Kazhagam to achieve what they call ‘Dravidastan’.
In Hyderabad Deccan, the Telegu Desam chief, the late N.T. Rama Rao, offered Eid prayers with the Muslims.
In Kerala Muslims lead a peaceful life. The Moplas are a martial race, and had revolted against the British. The real secularism prevails only in the Kerala state where Muslims are given jobs and are encouraged in business.
Sheikh Abdullah, who was an idealist, on his visit to Pakistan many decades ago, suggested a confederation of India and Pakistan to solve their problems. This was an impossibility in the face of the hatred of the Hindus towards Muslims. His idealism sent him to jail several times in India.
If the Hindus open a new chapter, and give the Muslims their rightful place, solve the Kashmir problem in accordance with the Security Council resolutions and practice real secularism, there is no reason why peaceful co-existence cannot became a reality in the subcontinent.
M.W.Z. ADENI
Karachi
FOLLOWING the 9/11 event, the Bush administration has been handling all the affairs with other nations unilaterally. It hardly pays any heed to the voices raised even by its long time allies, like the European Union, against its reckless adventurism.
The US-led war on terrorism has ended up in spawning terrorism instead of containing it. The hawks in the Bush administration have overpowered the doves. All the decent ideas like those of democracy and freedom of expression have been abandoned.
In this bleak scenario, a voice of some sanity was heard on Aug 29 when Robert Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said in a briefing that the US government had decided to organize a conference “to explore the causes of growing anti-Americanism around the world; what it means to us and how we can tackle it.”
The rest of the world hopes that the conference will not be just a ‘discussion’ but result in some practical measures that must be taken to prevent the US administration from indulging in the unilateral adventurism at places of its choice.
AMANAT ALl CHAUDHRY
Okara
RECENTLY, while replying to the observations of Sindhi leaders — Mr Palejo and others — President General Pervez Musharraf remarked that under-representation of the Sindhis in the civil and military bureaucracy was perhaps because they lacked the required merit. He certainly implied that there was no other factor blocking their entry.
He is a true gentleman and believes in his noble intentions, but does he take pains to check the alibi?
The ground reality is an affront not only to his statement, but to all buzz words — ‘good governance, transparency and merit’.
I am a Sindhi. I competed with 12 other candidates (one retired secretary, two grade-21, many grade-20 officers) against a post of Project Director (MP 11), Project Management Unit (ADB-funded project for the impact assessment on labour and poverty in the wake of KESC privatization), Ministry of Finance, Islamabad. Only I qualified for the post and the summary for the approval of the Chief Executive/President was moved by the relevant ministry in April.
After a long wait when the summary returned, it did not bear my name. The candidate (with a different ethnic background) who was selected for a lower position of M-3 was upgraded and approved for the position that only I had qualified for.
Members of the selection committee headed by the then Finance Secretary will bear me out.
So that is how the merit of a Sindhi matters.
G. HAIDER BHURGRI
Islamabad
INDIA now needs be told by the Kashmiri people in clear words, ‘Indians, quit Kashmir’.
Because of this demand, the new generations of Indians will come to know a different story from Kashmiris than the facts distorted and given to them by the Indian government. They will think about the ‘undue occupation of India over Kashmir’ maintained with the help of Indian forces stationed there killing 10 to 20 Kashmiri freedom fighters every day.
The word ‘Quit’ is well known to Indians of all ages with reference to Gandhi who used the slogan, ‘Quit India’ against the British rulers.
Therefore the word ‘quit’ is well understood in India in a positive sense. Once the Indians start hearing from Kashmiris ‘Indians, quit Kashmir’, they will know that their country has been keeping Kashmir by of force and that is unjustified. In course of time, public opinion in India will change against their government’s policy on Kashmir.
M.M. Khan
Karachi
THE approach of the writer of the letter, ‘Image of a general’ (Sept 4), is essentially flawed. He writes, “Even if any land was ever sold at lower rates that was solely to benefit the poor”. That being so, every holder of public office or any individual entrusted with a position of responsibility by the state or a trust may start disposing of entrusted assets at his will for a philanthropic or benevolent cause. One wonders where that may push the country or an organization.
Believably, no government or even a semi government organization guidebook allows a ‘committed, devout or practising Muslim’ to transcend beyond vested authority and fritter away the entrusted holdings even for a worthy cause.
It is understood that EPTB functions under laid down policy guidelines. Any violation of this set of laws, regardless of how laudable the intention may be, is an infringement and, therefore, cannot be condoned.
Regardless of his illustrious career, one needs to view the issue in the light of two aspects. First and foremost is that whether he exceeded the conferred authority and the second is that if he has committed a breach of trust. I think the answer in both cases is, yes he did.
M. AZAM KHAN
Lahore
PRESIDENT Musharraf has been trying his best to persuade foreign businessmen to invest in Pakistan by depicting a conducive investment situation in the country.
But strangely enough, the government has dispatched a team of experts to the UAE to explore possibilities of profitable investment out of the US$7 billion accumulated through fortuitous circumstances.
If the government itself considers Pakistan not favourable for its won investment, how does it expect that foreign investors will give due credence to the President’s words.
Or, is it another subtle trick of international lenders to wreck Pakistan’s economy?
S.M.F. HASAN
Lahore
THE other day I happened to meet two young promising but very dejected boys who had passed their intermediate exams with good grades.
They were frustrated after being declared ineligible for admission to the BE programme in any government or private university because they had studied computer science instead of chemistry in their intermediate course.
And as per the rules of the Pakistan Engineering Council, no student can pursue his studies in engineering if he has not studied chemistry at the intermediate level.
At present, thousands of students are facing this unfortunate situation.
Can’t this illogical condition be clearly mentioned in the admission forms for intermediate classes to avoid such a frustration only at a later stage?
RAIHAN A.K. LODHI
Karachi
AT the international departure lounge at Karachi Airport, the law enforcing agencies ask the people to drop passengers and drive away their vehicles to the parking lounge.
They also constantly announce that vehicles bearing government number plates or belonging to some government agency are also not permitted to stay on after dropping passengers.
I was utterly astonished to see that the FIA not only allowed some cars to be parked there but also posted some of its constables to protect them. This happened on Aug 31. I hope that the concerned minister will find out such violations of laws by the law enforcing agency.
RIZWAN BASHIR
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the article by Ayaz Amir, “What is blasphemy?” (Aug 30). It was encouraging to read an article which at least shows the kind of diseased society we have developed into.
Being a member of the medical profession, I know that the treatment for a disease starts the moment the patient accepts that a disease does exist. All of us Pakistanis, barring a few learned souls here and there, have blinkers placed around our eyes the moment we are born, and the field of our vision gets narrower and narrower as we grow up.
For this state of affairs, who is to be blamed? Let us be truthful for once and accept that it is us and us alone who should be blamed. We have let a clergy develop in our pristine religion even though there is no concept of any such thing in Islam. Every Muslim household in our country can boast of a copy of the Holy Quran but very few can actually understand what is written in it.
We just don’t bother ourselves to understand what Allah has sent down in the Holy Book and look to these self- acclaimed Maulanas and Maulvis to decipher what is written in the Quran. Now, that is blasphemy. For a people of the Book to be ignorant of the teachings of the Quran is blasphemy of the worst type.
RAJA SOHAIL ABBAS Greenbelt,
USA
THE decision to withdraw GST on medicines is a positive move. However, chemists have still been charging the tax ignoring the government’s order for an ‘immediate’ withdrawal.
The chemists maintain that the manufacturers are not refunding the GST which they have already paid on the stocks in hand while the government has also refused to refund the tax to the manufacturers.
All this has created a miserable chaos and, as usual, the sufferers are the poor patients.
DR HASAN THARANI
Karachi
IN her letter ‘Campaign against Benazir’ (Sept 6), Ms Fauzia Wahab defends her leader and claims that all charges against her are false and untenable. If this is really the case, she must contest them according to the procedure laid down in law.
To issue statements claiming innocence and to pleading not guilty at press conferences is acceptable neither to the people nor the government or courts.
Thousands of people are charged with violation of law and they defend themselves. As the records of the courts indicate most of the people prosecuted are acquitted by the trial or appellate courts.
Benazir Bhutto did not opt to contest the charges and opted to abscond which in itself is a violation of law.
In one case, she was allowed by the trial court to travel out of the country following an undertaking by her that she would come back to answer the charges.
She left the country with the permission of the court but never returned. The court was not at fault when it found her guilty of absconding and awarding her jail term. In two other cases, too, she was declared an absconder.
To be held guilty for absconding is not a political campaign against her. In one case, guilty verdict against her was set aside by the Supreme Court which is an ample proof of the fact that the courts of law are impartial and do not receive dictation from the government in giving decisions.
Fauzia Wahab contends that Benazir was elected by the people despite the charges of corruption which, according to her, is a proof of her innocence.
A simple answer to this is that those people voted for her who did not know the details of the corruption she was engaged in. Criminal charges are not proved or disproved by voting for or against anyone.
All of us accept the powers of the courts to dispense justice and there cannot be a separate law for an individual under indictment.
I would advise Ms Fauzia Wahab to refrain from making claims about matters that are subjudice. Perhaps she is not aware that such claims amount to contempt of court.
PROF MUKHTAR A.NAQVI
Orlando, USA
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