| September 14, 2002 | Saturday | Rajab 6, 1423 |
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Bridging the polarity
Dismissal of 15 KBCA officers
Secularism in south India
World attitude towards US
Religious parties and unity
Short-cut to power corridors
Mangla dam project
Minimum balance penalty
Income tax on charities
The dirty game and statesmen
THIS is in response to Dr Javaid A. Khan’s letter ‘Doctors and tuberculosis treatment’ (Sept 9). There is no doubt that one of the most important reasons for the increase in tuberculosis in Pakistan is the poor treatment of patients with active TB.
At present, as mentioned by Dr Khan, most of our doctors are not able to write a proper prescription for a TB patient. How could this situation be changed? Changing the curriculum to improve teaching about tuberculosis is one answer but how much change do we need and will it solve the whole problem?
The survey about the knowledge of doctors about TB and review of the TB prescription have shown major gaps and errors but if we could do the same surveys about other diseases like angina, hypertension, asthma or malaria, the results are likely to be similar. So do we need to change the curricula or change our methods of teaching and training?
The Pakistan Chest Society, which represents chest and TB specialists, has already published the national guidelines for the treatment of tuberculosis. In the Punjab, almost every medical college has a department of tuberculosis and chest diseases which is now called the Department of Pulmonology. In the medical college where I work, this department has been allocated at least five lectures each for the fourth and fifth year medical students. The fourth year medical students also spend a period of about 14 days in the Pulmonology Ward for practical training. There is a similar schedule in other medical colleges.
However, this has not been producing the desired results. If we could use structured teaching, using small groups’ interactive learning modules, practical case scenarios and practice in making diagnosis and writing a prescription for tuberculosis, then this is likely to improve the treatment of tuberculosis.
Our students are traditionally passive learners who listen to their teachers most of the time. The teachers mostly rely on lectures which continue even in the wards. However, if the students could work along with the house officers and the residents, doing practical things like admitting patients and writing case notes, then they would become better doctors with practical understanding of diseases like tuberculosis.
While developing the curriculum for the under-graduates, the common and important diseases should have a structured curricula and every student should go through it.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease which, if treated badly, affects the health of other people living in the community. Therefore, to prevent the spread of TB, it is important that it should be treated properly and according to the recommended guidelines.
As the present situation of tuberculosis in Pakistan is alarming, it is important that TB should be treated by the TB specialist wherever available. General physicians should refer all newly diagnosed TB patients to their local TB specialist for confirmation of diagnosis as well as the decision for the regimen for TB treatment. This will reduce the errors of prescription and result in better treatment.
DR ZUBAIR SHAHEEN
Nishter Medical College
Multan
IN his article ‘Bridging the polarity’ (Sept 10), Shahid Javed Burki has tried to analyze reasons for the repeated interference by the army in the political domain as an institutional economist.
He bases his observations on the fact that the institutional superiority of our military is due to its interlocking and reaching into all aspects of life, like schools, academies, well-stocked libraries, colleges and think-tanks giving information and knowledge about the world to the army; publish journals with wide circulation; invite speakers from outside the military to impart their knowledge; hold periodic meetings among the commanders and principal staff officers where important decisions are reached by consensus; and, of course, the holding of bara khanas.
I am astonished by the information disclosed by Mr Burki about the institutional superiority of our armed forces over the civil and political institutions. It seems that the writer has only specialized on institutions of our armed forces thus being confined to the boundaries of Pakistan.
I suggest that Mr Burki should cross the border and try to find out the shortcomings of the military institutions of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and even Bangladesh where it seems that the civilian and political institutions prevail over the military. What is wrong with the military institutions there? Don’t they have interlocking institutions reaching into all aspects of life as our armed forces have been able to create?
Mr Burki informs us that due to lack of respect of institutionalized thinking of the civil and political institutions, the armed forces do not have confidence in the former. But he must be aware that when Field Marshal Ayub Khan created the civilian institution under his direct guidance, he could not maintain the total confidence of the armed forces and had to hand over the government and destroy the entire infrastructure and the institutions created by him and which totally collapsed in 1969.
SAJID SALIM
Rawalpindi
IT was shocking to know that one of the 15 “to be terminated officers” of the Karachi Building Control Authority has been given full powers to run the affairs of KBCA. If I am not wrong Ardeshir Cowasjee in his article ‘Monumental proof’ (Dawn, May 21, 1999) and Kaniz Zehara in The Star (dated Nov 25, 1999) have also written a lot about the KBCA’s 15 officers.
In August 1996, when illegal construction activity in the city was going on in full swing, the then government took stern action, sealed 260 unauthorized structures and suspended 29 KBCA officers for their alleged involvement in illegal constructions.
Noor Ahmed Shah, the then secretary of the Local Government Department, was appointed the inquiry officer, who exonerated 14 officers. However, 15 officers were served with final show cause notices leading to their removal from service.
On Jan 27, 1997, these 15 officers obtained an ad interim stay order and also persuaded the then minister for housing and town planning to reinstate them temporarily pending finalization of the matter in the court.
On June 15, 2000, the Sindh High Court dismissed their case with directives that the court did not have jurisdiction for entertaining and trying the suit in the presence of section 3-E and 4 of the Sindh Services Tribunal Act, 1973. These officers went to higher courts instead of the services tribunal. Finally, the case was rejected by the Supreme Court and the KDA was free to take action, but all in vain, as no action has so far been taken.
Earlier, in March 2000, Mr Daudpota then governor of Sindh, visited the KDA and during a briefing ordered the removal of the 15 officers from their posts at once. The KDA director-general followed his instructions and suspended eight officers.
It is surprising to note that despite the clear order issued by the governor, action against higher grade officers has been pending for reasons best known to the Sindh government.
SHAHZAD
Karachi
I REFER to the letter ‘Pakistan-India co-existence’ (Sept 8) by M. W. Z. Adeni regarding south Indians.
The author says that south Indians are more kind-hearted towards Muslims and are more secular. His views on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam need some correction.
It was the atheistic Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in its early days which wanted all religion and religious activities to be terminated. It believed in atheism. Its leader E.V. Ramaswami Naicker openly insulted religious beliefs and religious leaders. He took out processions with pictures of Hindu Gods and other holy personalities and threw dung at them.
He arranged with his hoodlums beating of drums at the entrance of mosques when the prayer call was given.
He said that the ‘noise’ of the prayer call must sink in the drum beats. Further his idea was that all should be equal in India in all matters. And he said Muslims should not have any special treatment like separate Islamic laws. He called upon the govt to ban polygamy by Muslims in India.
Ultimately, only after the death of E.V. Ramaswami Naicker did south India regain its lost stature as a gentle and cultured society.
Every right-thinking person regretted the birth of E.V. Ramaswami Naicker and felt that henceforth no such personalities should emerge so that the secular character of the country could be preserved.
S. VENKATASUBRAMANIAM
Kerala, India
THIS refers to Mr Muhammad Yusuf’s letter ‘World attitude towards US’ (Sept 4). He ends his thesis by saying: “All this explains why there is hatred for US.” This assertion needs to be challenged because it automatically casts the ‘haters’ in a negative image.
Even President Bush has repeatedly echoed this: “Why do they hate us?
To me, the word ‘America’ represents a noble and glorious dream, where all the downtrodden and wretched of the world can find shelter, comfort and solace.
It is a great society built on some great principles, guaranteeing the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
It is a God-fearing society. We don’t hate America. We love America, but as true friends, we must point out to them where their policies have gone astray from their own declared principles.
And those policies at the moment are being challenged by the whole world. It is these policies that are the object of our condemnation and not ‘America’. Poor America, being swept along into a new war by a few hawks and the media hype, needs our sympathy and love, not hatred.
ABDUS SALAM KHAN
VA, USA
IN his letter headlined ‘Political and religious leaders’ (Sept 9) Engr. B.A. Malik says that the religious leaders’ way of showing unity was an American way and that where these leaders rejected everything American, they used an American way in this regard.
This is a very dubious point to be made use of in taunting religious leaders. No one would have ever noticed that.
Thousands of people use the same gesture. How does anyone know that it originated from America?
AISHA QADIR
Islamabad
DURING a press conference on Aug 21, President Musharraf stated that in the course of his tenure as the chief of army staff, he was approached by some politicians who, referring to the state of affairs in the country and the political scenario, had asked him: “What is going on in the country? Why don’t you do something about it?”
In fact, the repeatedly imposed martial law in the country had been the result of the intrigues of those unsuccessful politicians who wanted to grab power quickly.
Instead of waiting for their turn, they tried short-cut methods to gain authority but ultimately they damaged their own as well as their party’s political credibility. I only hope that they have learnt a lesson.
In actuality, there is no short-cut to success and even if there is one, it is short-lived. This is an unpleasant but inescapable truth of life.
If one looks around, one will come to the painful conclusion that this article of belief — short-cut to success — has crept into the very fabric of our society, may it be a student studying for an examination; or an officer working in a government or semi-government institution and desirous of promotion; or a candidate appearing in a competitive examination for a particular post.
Many of them indulge in intrigue, sifarish and sycophancy to achieve their objectives. But they should know that even if they do temporarily succeed through these methods, they would ultimately fail as they don’t possess those abilities which are required for the post.
PROF ASLAM PIRACHA
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to your editorial “Disquiet over Mangla” (Sept 11). The government is once again determined to solve the water storage problem. The opponents of the project argue that several thousand people would be displaced as a result of the raising of the height of the Mangla Dam.
We have the example of the Ghazi Barotha project before us. When it was to start, the government and Wapda told with confidence that the plan was of vital national importance and it would greatly help solving the water problem faced by the country. The people of the area were given assurances that they would be duly compensated. Then we saw that there was not only a big loss in the costly plan but also that the affected people are still striving to get their due right.
It is, therefore, advisable not to make a haste. A strong consensus must be developed before taking any important step.
WASEEM KHALIQDAD
Islamabad
I HOLD accounts in various banks in Karachi and Islamabad. During the month of June 2002, I was surprised to see my statement of accounts with one of the banks which showed a zero balance. Going into details, I found that the bank had been deducting Rs 100 per month as minimum balance penalty.
I remembered very clearly to have read some time back a news item informing all customers that no bank can charge minimum balance penalty from PLS deposit account-holders.
The State Bank of Pakistan once again clarified to me the same and I quote:
“Bank may only recover cost of the maintenance of the remunerative accounts while calculating the profit declared on such accounts after duly notifying the BSD Circular No. 12 dated March 17, 2001 and BSD Circular letter No. 24 dated October 5, 2001.
“Banks are therefore advised to refund any service charges deducted from the accounts of all such complainants under advise to SBP.”
Customers can view and note the above mentioned Prudential Regulation No. XIII on State Bank’s website. It further says that violation of the instructions shall be subject to fine equivalent to not less than the sum deducted from the depositor’s account.
In view of the above, the bank where I had maintained that account refunded me the deductions made from it, but closed my account as a penalty from their side.
HABIBULLAH KHAN
Karachi
I WRITE this with reference to the advertisement issued by the Commissioner of Income Tax, Companies Zone V (Sept 5), requiring Nonprofit Organisations (NPOs) including religious and charitable institutions, to get fresh approval and renewal of their registration as the previous approvals/renewals stood withdrawn and also to the reaction to it aired by M. Aslam Khan in his letter (Sept 10).
The problem is that in the new Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, there is no provision for the continuity of the repealed 1979 Ordinance and the Rules thereunder, beyond June 30, 2002.
Aslam Khan’s suggestion is absolutely logical that such NPOs as were already registered on June 30, 2002, under section 14 and 47 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 1979, should have been allowed to retain their status and on its expiry, such NPOs should naturally have been required to have their status renewed under sections 2, 53, 80 and the rules framed as part of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
M. AHMAD
Karachi
ARDESHIR Cowasjee’s article, ‘The dirty game’ (Sept 8), rightly concludes that it is Iman that counts. Not constitutional amendments.
I found it interesting. He has really touched some important issues, not saying I fully agree or disagree with his goodself. However, the time one spends reading and trying to understand the issues discussed in the said article is not wasted. Sartre has elaborated almost the same thing at the end of his masterpiece Being and Nothingness: “All these questions, which refer us to a pure and not an accessory reflection, can find their reply only on the ethical plane.”
Much has already been said about the dirty game of our politicians and undesired interference by the powers that be, as claimed by our politicians. What prompted me to write a few words on the subject is Sartre’s concept of ‘bad faith’. Students of modern philosophy know very well what it means to be in a state of ‘bad faith’. To Sartre, it is a sort of intellectual deception, and we find so many people around us who are victim to it.
I might be mistaken but this is my honest observation and perception that even our most respectable and honourable politicians are also infected by the same disease. We find around us so many examples. The said concept is pretty much described in the books of existentialism, and one can find several references on the issue in the books of literature, philosophy and history.
In precise words, such people allow themselves to be misled into deceptive thinking that they are doing their job very honestly, so nobody should feel worried about the end-results. It is all because of their failure that life has become ‘a series of poor alternatives’.
They have always side-tracked the actual issues of our social life. As to their failure, they have always extended one simple argument that their noble prescriptions and proscriptions have always been invalidated and foiled by the powers that be. One question could be raised to them as to why they have accepted the ‘compulsion’ to become members of the impersonal flock, having fled from themselves into self-deception. Because they are not sincere towards the masses and their actual problems.
So they simply rely on dirty tricks with intentions as to how the common people could be deceived in interpretations to become a flock of dumb, deaf and blind people.
This precise state of affairs is not a happy situation and it does require existential psychoanalysis, and I suppose that more would be found if the task is ensured and accomplished with the help of certain experts in this particular school of thought.
PROF AMIR ALI KADRI
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, SAU,
Tando Jam
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