| October 2, 2002 | Wednesday | Rajab 24, 1423 |
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IT refund and golden handshake
Suspending academic activities
Electing good representatives
Offensive remarks
UK visa applicants
‘War on terrorism’
Defence production projects
Image vs character
Troublesome journey
A shackled premier
Land mafia
‘Blackmailing by cricketers’
THIS is with reference to a news item headlined, ‘Investigators suspicious about survivor’s role’ (Sept 29) where it was reported that police performed a polygraph test on Robin Piran Ditta, the only survivor of Rimpa Plaza massacre, which showed that he was inconsistent in his statements and was trying to conceal some information deliberately.
It is satisfying that the police is now using new scientific methods (like ‘lie-detectors’) rather than torture to find out the truth. But this gadget does not deliver the truth. It only delivers when one knows how and when to use them.
I sympathize with Robin’s ordeal. It is made worse by the ignorance of the investigators who are reacting on the premise that he is hiding the truth. Poor Robin! The truth eludes him because every time he is asked the same question he fills the memory gaps by confabulations — a well known symptom.
Robin must be going through a mental state which medical science has recently recognized to be a diagnostic entity. It is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). According to the diagnostic criteria, DSM IV:
1) Acute Stress Disorder is ‘a condition where a person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following are present:
a) The person experienced, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or threat to the physical integrity of self or others.
b) The person’s response involved is intense fear, helplessness or horror.
2) Either, while experiencing or after experiencing the distressing event, the individual has at least three of the following dissociative symptoms:
a) A subjective sense of numbing.
b) A reduction in awareness of surrounding.
c) Derealization and depersonalization (sense of unreality of surrounding or self)
d) Dissociative amnesia i.e. ‘inability to recall an important aspect of trauma’ (and when unable to recall, it is filled by imaginary ideas).
This disturbance lasts a minimum of two days and maximum of four weeks (can occur any time within four weeks).
PROF S. HAROON AHMED
Institute of Behavioural Sciences,
Karachi
THE President had ordered the CBR and the income tax authorities to refund the amount charged on golden handshake incomes. However, income tax authorities are entertaining refund applications only in respect of amounts received in golden handshakes during 2000-2001. Employees of the Rice Export Corporation, the Cotton Export Corporation and others who were given golden handshakes during 1997 are not being refunded the amount of tax deducted from them.
In the RECP, the amount deducted as income tax on golden handshake from about one-third of the staff members had already been deposited with the income tax authorities when the Lahore High Court decided that no tax is to be deducted on golden handshake payments. The RECP management had, therefore, returned the remaining deducted amount to the concerned staff members. Thus, in the RECP, only that one third staff has suffered whose deductions had already been forwarded to the income tax authorities.
It is requested that the concerned authority may instruct the income tax department to give a uniform treatment to all golden handshake incomes.
AFFECTED
Karachi
EDUCATION is the most neglected sector in our country. The government is least concerned about it.
Preparations are underway for the Oct 10 elections and training of the polling staff is in progress. At Multan, training is being held in the Government College, Civil Lines. For the purpose, the entire college building has been put under the control of the election authorities.
The principal has been forced to suspend all academic activities till the elections are over. This way the precious time of more than 2,000 students is being wasted.
This is not happening for the first time. For general or the local bodies elections, the academic activities at the college have to be affected adversely. The polling material and ballot boxes are stored here long before the elections. Nobody bothers about the loss being caused to the students.
Cannot the arrangements for the training and the distribution of polling paraphernalia be made at some other place.
JAM MUKHTAR HUSSAIN
Multan
HAVING been an eligible voter for the past many years, I have realize that the election time once again somehow worries me. What exactly irks me in this regard I am unable to pinpoint but there is an uneasy feeling about the whole exercise. They say one should ‘learn from history’. Let us hope we make timely amends this time and the electoral process returns us to constitutional rule. But this definitely remains a worry.
Elections in more recent times have resulted in the establishment of political governments: twice by the PPP and twice by PML(N). But our dilemma today, breakdown of constitutional governance, results from the policies, deeds or misdeeds, real or perceived, pursued by these duly elected governments. The current state of flux on the political front suggests that no single political party is likely to emerge with enough parliamentary seats to form a government on its own. Hence, a certain worry due to the uncertainty.
Another feature of the current election process is the one point agenda adopted by many political parties: opposition to some of the policies of the present government.
In pursuance of that goal, parties are making alliances, seat adjustments and so on. One wonders if one wants to support party ‘x’ how can that party ‘x’ transfer or expect to transfer one’s vote to party ‘y’ through ‘alliances’, ‘seat adjustments’ etc. Does the voter count for nothing?
So if it is election time and past experiences are worrisome, what should be done? Firstly, let us all go out, vote and be counted for whatever our opinions. Secondly, let us not vote for blind choices. Carefully pick the party that in your opinion will serve the country best if voted to power.
Do not be discouraged even if few good choices are available. Try and make the best of what is on offer. Then carefully scrutinize the credentials of the candidate that your party of choice has put up. If he does not measure up to your expectations see if one of the other candidates is suitable.
This way let us all Pakistanis, the educated, the uneducated, the rural, the urban, the privileged, the not so privileged, the old and the young at least elect good representatives who would at the very minimum at least secure Pakistan’s future. But most importantly let us all together pray to the Almighty Allah to guide us on to the path of success. Aamin.
CODE (R) SAJJAD ELLAHI MALIK
Islamabad
THE other day I was surfing the cable when suddenly my mother started saying “go back to the previous channel, I want to see that programme”. It was some kind of interview-based programme related to marriages. I thought I might also join her for a change. While the interview was going on I heard a statement by the couple being interviewed which made me think about a very serious issue being faced by our society. The statement was “My son says: I’ll marry when I’ll find a suitable interesting woman.”
This in my opinion is the most mortifying thing ever said for the female gender and that also at the national channel. It really offended me. I just fail to understand what actually they mean by the ‘interesting woman’.
Our elders did not entertain the concept of finding the perfect interesting woman as a life partner. When one sees older couples together we can see the unseen but strongly-felt affection and warmth that they have for one another. The reason is that these couples grew along with one another after binding themselves in the holy matrimony. Nowadays many couples even having a love marriage and an unquestionable “understanding” end up parting their ways pretty early in the journey.
SARAH DAUD
Karachi
I INVITE the British High Commissioner’s attention to the appointment of Gerry’s Fed/Ex offices as authorized couriers to handle visa applications. Due to a very limited number of student visa applications, the couriers keep the applications pending for a certain period and thus wasting the students’ time. The applications are submitted to the High Commission in Islamabad once in a week.
After a long wait, all visa applications are returned by the HC the very next day with the HC’s remarks ‘interview required’ irrespective of the urgency of the cases. Then the applications are collected from the HC and delivered to the applicants after 17 days.
In this way, the applicants are dodged. I feel that the courier firm is concerned only with the collection fee i.e. Rs600 and the students who have got admission to the UK colleges/universities are simply robbed.
Will the High Commission kindly take note of this?
JALALUDDIN SHAD
Sialkot
THIS is with reference to the editorial ‘Targeting Christians’ (Sept 26).
Immediately after the tragedy of WTC, President Bush termed the war on terrorism as a ‘crusade’. This word sprang naturally from his heart, but being offensive diplomatically he withdrew it later. While addressing the German Parliament in May this year, he said: “The terrorists are defined by their hatred; they hate democracy, and tolerance, and free expression and women, and Jews, and Christians, and all Muslims who disagree with them...these enemies kill in the name of false religious purity, perverting the faith they claim to hold.”
He has thus defined that only the Muslims could be terrorists. It is his administration which has prescribed finger-printing of Muslims entering his territory. Only the Muslims who are overstaying their visa in the States, or working illegally there are being prosecuted and deported.
In the name of curbing terrorism, he has given a free hand to Sharon to kill innocent Palestinians and destroy their homes and infrastructure indiscriminately.
It is he who has invented the phrase ‘axis of evil’, and is bent upon destroying Iraq despite the opposition of the world community. Afghanistan is already humbled, and the next targets are likely to be Iran and Syria.
In spite of all this, the authorities in Pakistan must take special steps to protect the Christian community in the country.
SYED OSMAN SHER
Toronto, Canada
I CONGRATULATE all those who arranged and made possible the exhibition, IDEAS 2002. It is indeed a matter of great pleasure and relief to find that our defence production has reached a stage in some fields where we can export defence equipment.
However, it may be pointed out that there are so many spare parts and defence equipment which can be manufactured locally but are still imported against a very heavy foreign exchange expenditure. In this regard, I have a few suggestions to make which may be considered by the Defence Production Division and others concerned:
(i) There is an urgent need to constitute effective research and development teams consisting of highly educated, competent, creative and devoted engineers in all the three armed forces to pin point the equipment and spares which are imported from other countries but can be manufactured locally.
(ii) The technical universities and the Ministry of Science and Technology should be involved in defence research work and all such projects should be financed through the defence budget.
(iii) The private sector should also be invited to participate in defence production. Any project assigned to the private sector for development should not be delayed due to financial limitations of the private manufacturers. Defence Production Division should arrange at least partial payment, after ascertaining the capability of the manufacturer.
All the above can be made possible if there is a central control and coordination office under the Defence Production Division. This office, headed by a highly competent person, should have a team of devoted engineers which may scrutinize, process and finalize the projects for production. This coordination team may also review the progress of ongoing projects.
ENGR K. KARIM
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
THIS refers to the letter ‘Image vs character’ (Sept 28). The writer has tried to thrust his preconceived notions upon readers in the form of a judgement without mentioning the whys and wherefores for that — something which even a sitting justice would not do. In his letter, he announces all of a sudden that the “image of the general stands tarnished now.”
Just by his hollow letter?
I am not a spokesman of any sort (official or unofficial) for anyone. Likewise, I am not ‘gripped’ with the idea of defending the general. An above-board honesty needs not that. All that I have been doing is like just putting a shield in the way of unilateral mud-slinging on him. And that is my patriotic obligation as the general is one of those who let us sleep peacefully because we are sure that their watchful eyes are awake in the frozen air of Siachin as well as in the scorched desert of Cholistan.
M. WAQAR ASLAM
Dera Bugti
A SMALL size eight-seater minibus running between Sohrab Goth and Jauhar Square in Gulistan-i-Jauher, Karachi, is a real source of torture to the unfortunate commuters because it is the only one on this route.
After the seats are occupied, many sit on the floor, folding their bags and cursing their fate, in utter distress. An equal number of commuters stay on the footboard in precarious way, almost hanging with one foot in the air. The traffic inspectors ignore it. Will the city Nazim please take note of it?
A COMMUTER
Karachi
MR Zafar Iqbal’s article, ‘A shackled prime minister’ (Sept 27), gives a factual analysis of the genesis of many of our present problems.
It is too early to say “on which haunch the camel will squat” what with our internal problems and the global village era, making it a practical proposition for the developed world to act like the East India Company. This ensures that their markets are there to encourage employment in their own countries. The level-playing field is certainly there, but tilted against us.
The government says our macro/wholesaling/policy-making are highly successful. However, it is the micro/retailing/procedural end that ultimately matters. It is at this grass-roots level which concerns the common man where results have yet to trickle down.
Mr Zafar Iqbal’s advice on the need for the next prime minister to concentrate on good governance is absolutely correct. It is only through good governance, which we have never had, that it will be possible to move in the direction of democracy.
However, if we think good governance will emerge from a conventional approach, we are burying our head in the sand of dead habit where the clear stream of logic had dried up. Ijtehad through tireless striving to achieve improvement in the quality of life must be considered paramount.
I hope and pray those in command have the vision to move in this direction with a framework of transitional plan clearly defined with relevant milestones.
MASOOD HASAN
Lahore
THE Punjab governor has recently established a special cell to deal with criminals, Qabza groups, etc.
In fact, the government is trying its best to provide justice to the masses at their doorstep and in a minimum of time. The goal can be achieved very soon if all the departments concerned cooperate with it.
For example, if a patwari works honestly, the tehsildar checks him properly. The revenue officer decides the cases well in time and the Board of Revenue, Punjab, monitors the whole process. Complications in this sector, thus, can be redressed and the land mafias can be eliminated.
So, it is the revenue department which can help the government in getting rid of the Qabza groups and land mafias.
DR QAMAR ABBAS
Multan
THIS refers to Khwaja Fariduddin’s letter ‘Blackmailing by cricketers’ (Sept 21). I’m sure that the author doesn’t realize that our cricket team comprises human beings and that they, too, may be in need of a break at times.
Let’s take examples from other teams. Chris Cairns (undoubtedly New Zealand’s best player) has been on the injury list for quite a long time now. That doesn’t mean that when he’s fit and decides to come back and play, he will be shunned by the New Zealand cricket authorities. So why should Inzamam be dropped when he actually wants to cure a career-threatening injury so that he can play a few more years for his country?
Also, when Jonty Rhodes decided to retire from test cricket, he wasn’t also dropped from the one-day squad. So why should Wasim Akram be dropped from the one-day squad if he wants to concentrate on one-day cricket?
Unless I’m mistaken, it was Wasim Akram who bowled Adam Gilchrist out on the third ball of the innings in the Nairobi final; and it was again Wasim Akram who got rid of Kumar Sangakarra and got a 50-50 lbw appeal against Aravinda De Silva turned down against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy. Did any other of our bowlers take wickets in those matches? I think not.
I’m sure we’ve all had our fair share of bad days at work when nothing seems to go right. That’s exactly what cricket is for our players; it is their job and they can’t always perform par excellence. And of course, how can one completely ignore the fact that other cricket teams can play good cricket too?
Different versions of the same story appear in different newspapers. For example, according to Indian newspapers, it is Waqar Younis who wants the senior players (Wasim, Inzamam, Saeed, Youhana, and Rashid) out of the series with Australia. In fact, these papers have quoted Rashid as having said that he wants no break of any sort. Also the sudden appearance of Moin Khan shows that the PCB itself is not in any mood to try new young wicket-keepers.
I believe that instead of constantly making our cricketers the target of our frustrations, we should realize that they are also human beings and not objects for our entertainment.
We should realize that they can have the same types of problems that we encounter in our daily lives. So, please, just let them do their jobs.
KHALID IQBAL SIDDIQUI
Karachi
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