| October 6, 2002 | Sunday | Rajab 28, 1423 |
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AIDS awareness
Nadra’s carelessness
Package for senior citizens
Beauty of Karachi
Lonely animals
Internet telephony
British visa applicants
Healthy political culture
NFC Award
Jobs in Qatar
Good human beings
Mahathir’s speech and our society
I RESPOND to a news item (Oct 2) which says that remittances from the United States have increased from $300 million to $900 million. This increase is neither the result of a sudden surge of patriotism in Pakistani Americans nor due to some favourable changes in the policies of the Pakistan government. It is one of the blessings of the ‘war on terrorism’ in which Pakistan is a participant.
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies in the US cracked down on agencies and individuals involved in money remittance business as they thought that money for financing terrorism was also being supplied through those channels.
Though this crackdown has almost entirely eliminated the ‘hundi’ system in the US, I am sure it is still functioning in the Middle East countries. So, if the government wants to see a continuation of the trend of making remittances to home only through the official channels and also seeks to extend it to countries other than the US as well, then the following suggestions should be considered seriously.
Pakistani banks should be directed to accept and cash upon presentation, the following negotiable instruments:
(a) International Cashiers Checks/Money Orders/Bank Drafts issued by any bank or financial institution in the country of origin,
(b) Money Orders issued by the Postal Services of USA, Britain, European and selected countries of the Middle East.
Mexican legal and illegal workers remit their earnings through the US Postal Service money orders which is amazingly inexpensive and convenient for both, the remitter and the receiver as it costs only $0.75. These money orders are cashed instantly by all the post offices and banks in Mexico. Perhaps there will be some costs associated with this service but the benefits would offset the costs.
Another incentive which I would like to suggest is that a premium of Rs 1 to 2 over and above the open market rates, should be offered when the remittance is made through the legal system.
ZAKI MALIK
Rowlett, USA
AN estimated 11.8 million people aged 15 to 24 are living with HIV/AIDS and about half of the new victims — approximately 7,000 every day — also are from the same age group.
They can be classified as a) those who have already be an infected by the disease and b) those who are prone to the disease while having an HIV/AIDS victim within their family members.
The chiefs of the seven largest national NGOs, representing almost 100 million youth in the world, offer help to the HIV/AIDS victims.
To combat the menace, young people must be given access to information, health services and appropriate care and support.
Young people should be involved in all decision-making and policy processes that determine the information and services meant for them. The HIV/AIDS programmes that involve youngsters in anti-AIDS campaigns are very likely to succeed.
Youngsters need a safe and supportive environment. This requires sensitive attitudes and norms at family, community and national levels. Youth organizations have a major role to play in providing such an environment where youngsters establish their own values based on peer education and experiential learning.
Through the youth organizations, youngsters can develop a personal set of values and learn how to adopt a responsible behaviour. They can arrange group learning and create a room for personal development training which will ultimately contribute to the general wellbeing the youngsters and their adolescence behaviour.
All the youngsters have the same basic needs — the ability to control their behaviour and their own development as independent, supportive, responsible and committed individuals.
The Basic Urban Rural Service And Training (BURST) endorses the work of the seven largest national NGOs in providing to the youth information and training in combating the menace of AIDS.
S. HAIDER ABBAS ZAIDI
Karachi
I USED to hear and read a lot about the mess and mismanagement at Nadra in the process of preparing and delivering the computerized NICs but I never believed it. However, when a mockery happened with me, I wondered how this department runs.
I had submitted forms of my family members one year back and inquired about the progress after seven months but no proper response was given.
After some time, I contacted a deputy director at Nadra who informed me that the cards were ready to be dispatched and that I should contact the postal department. When I approached the postal department, I came to know that the cards did not arrive there. I again contacted Nadra and the answer was an advice to have patience.
On my repeated reminders and queries, I was finally told by Nadra officials that the forms had gone missing and the computerized data was lost/corrupted.
Taking it as a routine government office happening, I again filled up the forms bearing all the pains of completing the formalities and submitted duly completed in all respect June 22 with great hope that this time Nadra will take extra care of my forms. But all my hopes dashed to the ground when I got a postcard from Nadra asking me therein to submit the forms again as ‘the data has been corrupted’.
I failed to understand the logic as even the data has once again been corrupted, Nadra must have been in possession the forms and the data can be fed into the computer again. If it is not possible for Nadra, it means Nadra has again misplaced my forms. What if they misplaced my forms for the third time if I go through the same pains again?
May I request the Director General of Nadra or some other relevant official to intervene and help me get the CNICs without any further loss of time?
MAQBOOL ALAM
Karachi
THIS refers to S. Khurshid Hasan’s letter ‘For senior citizens (Sept 27). The writer has focussed attention on the Senior Citizens’ Day (October 1).
Many special days, including the Senior Citizens Day, are observed throughout the world with extreme solemnity. In Pakistan, these are observed half-heartedly as rituals borrowed from abroad, which invite severe criticism from our religious leaders. The respect given to senior citizens in Europe and the United States is unimaginable compared to our country which happens to be both Islamic and democratic.
Successive governments in Pakistan, both military and civilian, including the present one, have treated their senior citizens as castaways left to die due to the lack of healthcare and financial constraints.
Before his ouster, a prime minister had announced a package which included ‘one rank-one pension’, travel concessions and many other benefits, for the senior citizens for the first time in Pakistan.
President Musharraf has not considered it fit to review this package which was offered by his adversary. However, the senior citizen’s misery has grown with every passing day. Could the President do some good for them?
K. A. WAHID BUTT
Lahore
THIS is with reference to the letter by Brig (r) A. S. Nasir, regarding the Karachi Building Control Authority’s decision to select well maintained ‘beautiful’ buildings and recognize well-maintained landscape of Karachi (Oct 3).
It appears that the Chief Controller has not learnt from the earlier ‘beautification’ attempts which had left Karachi uglier than before. It is also surprising that despite heading a civic body composed of professionals, the CCOB is oblivious of the fact that ‘beauty’ and its application have no professional basis, neither in architecture nor in town planning.
This city experienced a grand ‘beautification’ drive during the early 1990s. Roundabouts were chosen as the sites to initiate this fiasco. A committee of noted citizens, architects and planners was set up to finalize the designs proposed for a large number of roundabouts. Private sector parties were asked to finance the execution. In lieu, they were granted publicity rights. A range of monstrous structures sprang up along the traffic intersections. Some were not only ugly but also obstructive to the vision of motorists, causing accidents. The obscure structure at the Khalid Bin Waleed Road/Shaheed-i-Millat Road junction, is an example.
Aesthetic upliftment, which is the appropriate professional term, may be considered. This requires certain well-planned efforts. Removal of illegal sign boards and hoardings, maintaining boundary walls and protecting them from obscene wall chalking and publicity material, demolishing the illegal and abandoned police check posts and similar encroachments, removal of debris/rubble from the road and building frontages, ensuring the correct form of foliage along streets, are some of the steps that are appropriate to be taken by the KBCA. Besides, the KBCA must tie up its efforts with city and town governments as the roadside open spaces, traffic islands and landscapes fall under their jurisdiction.
The city of Karachi requires real efforts and not token fiddles to seek applause from the ignorant elite of this city. Recent history of this faceless city is full of such examples.
ABDUL RASHEED KHAN
Karachi
DURING a recent visit to the Karachi Zoo, I was happy to see the cleanliness and the pleasant atmosphere that the huge trees provided. But it was highly disappointing to see some of the animals in distress.
The reindeer, the elephant and the tiger were all alone in their cages. These poor animals seemed to be extremely depressed, living without partners. Crows were their only companions. The zoo officials have overlooked the fact that these animals like to live in groups and it is cruel to keep them alone. This is just imprisonment for life.
It is, therefore, suggested that the tiger, the elephant and the reindeer should each be provided with at least a mate. This would definitely make the zoo a better and happier place for the animals as well as the visitors.
RASHIDA ANJARWALA
Karachi
THE PTCL and the PTA intend to block internet telephony on the pretext that international telephone calls have got reduced from 16 million minutes in 1998 to 11 million minutes in 2001. I don’t have anyone to call overseas but some awareness with internet technology tells me that e-mail and internet chatting has more to do with that reduction rather than the internet telephony.
Perhaps the PTA and the PTCL should join hands with Pakistan Postal Services to block e-mail and chatting also. After all, the perks, privileges, and corruption enjoyed by the higher-ups of these organizations are more important than consumer facilitation and technical advances.
A. HAMID
Karachi
I REFER to Mr Jalaluddin Shad’s letter, ‘UK visa applicants’ (Oct 2). Mr Shad’s assertion that we receive a ‘very limited number of student applications’ is incorrect; demand is extremely high. Since we began accepting student applications on Aug 16 we have issued nearly 1,000 student visas. We aim to process all applications within 12 working days and we achieve this in the majority of cases.
The claim that applications are only sent to us weekly by Gerry’s Fed-Ex is incorrect. It is a daily service and we liaise fully and regularly with them about service standards.
Unfortunately, the Visa Section must remain closed to personal calls by members of the public because of the prevailing security situation. Therefore, all applications have to be decided on the basis of the supplied documents.
In some cases, where a fuller assessment is necessary, the applications have had to be returned until such time as we can resume an interviewing service. We appreciate that this is difficult for those affected. But in the difficult circumstances, in which it is now necessary to operate, the services now provided are not far below previous levels and, we think, compare well with others.
Meanwhile, we continue to adopt improvements, which are being introduced constantly. Further details about our visa services can be found at “www.britainonline.org.pk”.
RACHEL JAMIESON
Press Officer, British High Commission,
Islamabad
WHEN the people’s representatives fail to deliver, public frustration mounts and there is a desire for immediate change. The military intervenes and is welcomed by the people.
If we take a look at our political history, we find that instead of promoting the tradition of civilian supremacy, the rulers have often relied on the military and today when there is a talk of a permanent military role, no politician can have any justification for opposing it.
We have had different experiments in democracy during the last 55 years. Still it is difficult to decide which way to go. Which type of democracy can be workable? What we have achieved, what was the destination, where things went wrong and who is responsible are some of the questions. Do our politicians have the answer? Are not they responsible for all this?
Yes, they are because they claim to represent the people. Politicians should serve the people if they want to keep the military out of power.
Democracy will flourish when there is awareness in society. Without awareness, it is impossible to have a healthy political culture. Without effective public opinion, the system gives birth to ambitious and corrupt leaders.
SOHAIL KHALID
Toba Tek Singh
THE present government has decided to continue the distribution of resources through the NFC Award on the basis of population despite bitter objections from the public of the smaller provinces.
The so-called consensus among the four provinces on this issue is just a farce as the governors of the three smaller provinces, who are also running un-elected governments in their provinces, do not represent the people of their provinces and their wishes. In fact, they are interested only in sticking to their posts.
KHAN BABA
Quetta
I WANT to draw the government’s attention to the fact that job visas are not being issued to Pakistanis by the Qatar government.
Qatar is a growing industrial country with many job opportunities. In fact, there are a number of Pakistanis who have job offers from Qatar but they cannot avail the same because of an unexplained restriction on job visas.
It is requested that our government should take up this issue with Qatar which is known to be a country friendly to us.
REHAN AHMED
Karachi
BECAUSE of the graduate condition, most of the people have been barred from contesting assembly seats in the forthcoming general election. This step is not understandable as no other country has such a law.
Furthermore, considering the standard of education we have, what is the guarantee that these slightly educated people will be able to address the country’s problems in a better way?
Hence political training at the grassroots level, determination, honesty and patriotism should be the conditions for candidates, not a degree. Politicians may hold a degree, but more importantly they should be good human beings.
HINA ZAHEER
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to a very good article, ‘Mahathir’s speech and Pakistan Society’ by Mr Muhammad Ali Siddiqi (Sept 26). As an engineer, I had always wondered why and how we missed the industrial revolution which, Mr Mahathir, the most seasoned and respected politician, referred to in his speech. It is a difficult question and only an eminent scholar of history will be able to throw light on this.
However, in my opinion, the first reason as to why missed the industrial revolution is because of the ransacking of the Middle East by the Mongols in 1258 AD. The destruction of the centres of knowledge was so extensive and complete, physically and mentally, that we went into the ‘dark ages’ as was Europe at that time.
The second reason is that we did not wake up and go through a period of renaissance (1350-1600) as Europe did. Unfortunately, there was neither Harunur Rashid nor al-Mamoon to lead us.
In this period, arts and literature flourished in Europe with men like Leonards da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Thomas Moore, Francis Bacon, Columbus and Machiavelli rejuvenating Europe.
The third reason is that we did not participate in the scientific revolution and the age of enlightenment, which came after renaissance. During this period, the Mughals were in the subcontinent but they were merely building the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, etc. and producing poets and artistes.
The fourth reason is that we did not recognize and follow the teachings of Allama Iqbal whose works were urging a reawakening or renaissance of the Muslim world. Also, we did not heed Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who shook us into coming in the scientific and enlightenment age. Many others, such as these scholars of the time, prodded us to change but we didn’t.
Yet another reason is that we ignored all the messages of the Quaid-i-Azam of ‘Pakistan first’. Maulana Maudoodi produced the phenomenal tafseer for spiritual reawakening, but to no avail. The worst was not recognizing and shamelessly discarding, in the height of narrow-mindedness and intolerance, a Nobel laureate and one of the world’s greatest scientists/ physicists and a staunch Pakistani, Dr Abdus Salam.
What is the solution? I would suggest that we undergo a scientific revolution and enlightenment for a period of one generation, 25 years, and then lay a strong policy of industrial revolution. Let us motivate the public and recognize Dr Abdus Salam by awarding him posthumously Nishan-i-Pakistan and name institutions buildings, parks, etc. after him.
ENGR. A. Rahim
Michigan, USA
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