| October 7, 2002 | Monday | Rajab 29, 1423 |
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‘Blasphemy law essential’
Courage to compromise
Plight of PIA crew
Telephone exchange
Our saviours & their shibboleths
Smuggled medicines
Chevening scholarship
Passport form
Welfare of senior citizens
Separate voter list
Building large dams
Encroachments
‘Modiland versus Gandhiland’
THESE few lines are about the existing customs duty (CD) structure and how it can be improved to protect the environment and friendly power-generation. As far as I am concerned, I am an environment engineer and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (USA) which is the most authentic standards’ association on automobiles.
CD on vehicles: Petrol and diesel engine cars are different in their role and accordingly the CD on them should also be different because of the following engineering reasons:
Modern petrol engines are 30-50 per cent more powerful than diesel engines i.e. a 1300cc petrol engine will produce the same power as a normal 2000cc diesel engine. There is no stronger proof than a commercial example i.e. the base model of Corolla comes in 1300cc petrol engine, whereas the same Corolla in diesel engine comes as 2000cc because a 13000cc diesel engine will not be able to move the car with the same vigour as a petrol engine, so engineers designed the 2000cc diesel.
The CD structure doesn’t consider this fact and places a duty regardless of being petrol or diesel and only considers the engine displacement in cc (cubic centimetres). This system is old and not in line with the engineering logic. Following are some of the revised CD structures:
(a) keep the same CD on cars with petrol engine;
(b) CD be revised to 100 per cent for diesel engine cars with engine capacity not exceeding 2100cc. (presently it is 200 per cent for cars above 1500cc)
(c) CD be revised up to 75 per cent for diesel engine cars with engine capacity not exceeding 1500cc. (presently it is 100 per cent for cars between 1000 and 1500cc).
Tax rebate: To ensure that only clean diesel engines get encouraged, provide a tax rebate of 20 per cent on all diesel engine vehicles that are equipped with “diesel particulate filter”. This will drastically reduce environmental pollution being caused due to carcinogenic diesel smoke.
Similarly, to reduce environmental pollution, provide an additional tax rebate of 20 per cent on vehicles that meet the euro-4 emissions standard. Vehicles that meet this standard emit emissions that are almost 90 per cent less than that of an ordinary car. Vehicles that have fuel economy of 20 km/liter or more should have a tax rebate of 20 per cent.
Cars with above-mentioned technologies are much more expensive and this rebate will offset the financial impact and encourage use of cleaner automobiles, which will reduce the environmental pollution, fuel consumption and improve the quality of environment besides providing a relief to the national exchequer. A lesser rebate will be useless.
CD on power generation: For electricity generating equipment, under the existing CD, alternate power producing technologies are also being levied with CD from 5 per cent to 10 per cent.
Now that the entire world is crying for sustainable development and renewable energy sources, this CD structure is the last thing that we need. It is recommended that all duties whatsoever must be removed from the import of items which generate energy from renewable energy sources e.g. wind, solar, tidal, geo thermal, etc.
These methods of energy generation are already very expensive and to have any duties on their import will ensure that they don’t prosper.
CD on electrical equipment: CD on the import of CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) commonly known as “energy saver bulbs” should be reduced to half. Food for thought - the CFL uses 80 per cent less energy than a regular bulb, just imagine the savings in the usage of electricity if the CFLs were widely used. This logic should be applied to all energy efficient equipment. Air conditioners which have EER (energy efficiency ratio) of 11 or more should have half the CD of normal air conditioners.
These are all steps to provide incentives to the people to use energy efficient equipment and thus save energy on a national level.
MUHAMMAD AMER KHAN
Jubail-31961, Saudi Arabia
DR ABDUR Razzak Sikander, (‘Blasphemy law essential’ (Oct 4), in arguing in defence of the retention and implementation of the current blasphemy law, states that “even in England — mother of all democracies — it remains on the statute book.”
England does have a blasphemy law but Pakistan is unique in the world insofar as the existence of the death penalty in its blasphemy law PPC-295C goes. In England, it has been a very long time since anyone was even sentenced to jail for blasphemy. And death or de facto life imprisonment is not punishments for blasphemy in England today, unlike Pakistan.
Trial court judges routinely hand out the death penalty on the basis of insufficient evidence and under pressure from the mob and have even been forced to hold court proceedings on jail premises on occasion.
This is why ‘exponents’ of human rights and freedom of speech protest this law in Pakistan and not in England.
It was 600 years ago in England, that the statute ‘De Haretico Comburendo’ was passed. Literally translated, it means, ‘Burn the Heretics’. People were burned at the stake for their beliefs.
Freedom of conscience did not exist then as an individual human right.
Sentencing blasphemers or alleged heretics to death is state practice in Pakistan today. It is in violation of fundamental individual human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of conscience. If Pakistan wants to have laws that properly belong 600 years ago, then we must all write off the ideal of the modern state Mr M. A. Jinnah foresaw. This law belongs in the dark ages and only in a functioning theocracy which Pakistan has become by virtue of Ziaul Haq, not in a modern constitutional democracy.
Only a class of bigoted human beings would publicly demand a person should be put to death merely for what he is alleged to have said, in this day and age, regardless of the content of either his speech or writings.
There is no reason why the laws of a civilized and modern state should satisfy this blood-lust any longer. It is ridiculous to argue that the state must sentence blasphemers to death because they would otherwise be killed by people taking the law into their own hands.
The law must either be repealed entirely or, as a first step to repeal, the punishment must be reduced drastically to no more than two years in prison as stipulated by the original Blasphemy Law IPC-295 and IPC-295A, inherited from the British at partition.
SHAMIM MIRZA
New York, USA
MR AMIN Lakhani’s article, ‘Courage to compromise’ (Sept 26), was a welcome piece of introspection. However, he ought to know that, for the problems identified by him, like people’s political rights, education, health, poverty, ethnicity, sectarianism, plight of women and minorities, the state of Pakistan cannot offer any solutions. These problems came to exist in their current form and intensity after the inception of the state.
Pakistan became possible when the landed aristocracy in the Punjab decided to back the idea of partition. The quid pro quo for that support was the perennial security of their class interests, which implied maintenance of the social status quo. Pakistan’s problems of today are, therefore, indicative of the success of vested class interests.
This class forced down the concept of parity to foreclose the possibility of Bengal’s progressive forces from ever taking over political direction of the country. They encouraged General Ayub to take over to thwart the political process in its formative stage.
When Bengali opposition to domination by West Pakistan became uncontainable, East Pakistan was got rid of under a plan and if in the process, the Pakistan Army got humiliated just bad luck.
It was the same class that brought Bhutto to power through General Yahya for protection of the rights of Western Wing but when the forces of change unleashed by PPP’s tactical adoption of social agenda gathered momentum, had him sent to gallows through General Zia.
Please mark that of the numerous disputes with India, only one has been resolved — the dispute over the waters of River Indus.
Remember the huge engineering works that followed the Indus Basin Waters Treaty were ‘replacement’ and not ‘development’ structures. Development of agriculture in Sindh and lower Punjab actually brought in the era of water shortage.
So do not expect any compromises. Pakistan will continue to be ruled in regimes of managed tensions at home and abroad so that in that ambience, people can be denied their right to progress and prosperity.
Now about the role of the army. Army commanders have moved into the political arena on a cue. As an institution made up of lower middle classes its capability for governing is limited. The concept of ‘bringing them in to keep them out’ makes a big presumption that the army can govern without support from real rulers of the land.
M. ZAFAR
Karachi
IT is a fact which can be easily verified that even before the last agreement between PIA and its employees was unilaterally suspended in 1995, the deck and cabin crew of PIA were already drawing half the salary being received by their counterparts in other national airlines of the region such as Air Lanka, Bangladesh Biman and Air India.
And now, after seven long years, the average PIA pilot is drawing only 70 per cent and the cabin crew 50 per cent of what they were getting in 1995.
On the other hand, the directors and the general managers of the PIA have recently given themselves a substantial increase in both, the salary and perks. The known increases include a 50 to 75 per cent enhancement in house-rent and brand new Honda City cars for all the directors and general managers.
To make matters worse still, the working conditions of the pilots and the cabin crew have been made difficult. Duty hours of the cabin crew, in particular, have been increased unjustifiably. The engineers, who maintain the aircraft in an operationally good condition, are the third group of employees receiving a step-motherly treatment. The profit that the airline claims to have been making is in fact being generated by depriving these three cadres of employees of their rightful benefits.
SHEHZAD ASIF
Karachi
TILL recently the Alipur Chattha telephone exchange in Gujranwala was non-digital. The subscribers had a lot of complaints as most of the telephones used to remain dead for months. The exchange has now become digital but the complaints continue as in the past.
The PTCL staff say that the reason why the faults persist is that, though the equipment inside the exchange is new, everything out side it, such as the wires, cables, junction boxes etc., is old. The new equipment in the exchange is unable to give a satisfactory performance in combination with that old set-up.
Another problem is that while the phones remain dead for long periods of time, inflated bills are received by the subscribers.
The higher authorities are requested to take remedial steps urgently.
SHAHZAD ALI ALVI
Gujranwala
MR AYAZ Amir is a unique name in politics and journalism. Nobody can explain the word somersault better than him. According to his latest column, ‘Our Saviours and their shibboleths’, no national level leaders tramp across the country. Meaning Sharif and Bhutto. Without them, their lieutenants at home lack the fire of leadership. If 140 million people of Pakistan, with all their talents, can produce only these two jokers, and these are the best the two main political parties can present, then we deserve what we got.
When the Nazims were elected, every political party claimed how many of their candidates won election. But all of a sudden they became Musharraf’s representative. May be, if some of them supported Mr Amir, then it would have been just fine.
But the icing on the cake in his column is when he shows his true colours, and I commend him for his brutal honesty, when he writes, “...what gives an election a keen edge is not the language of manifestos — who reads them, in any case - but the question of power. An election is about power, it’s retention or capture, or it’s about nothing. But where the question of power is already decided, zest disappears from the exercise. If a football match is not about winning and losing, what is it then about.”
Wow! I didn’t know democracy was a football match. As long as this thinking prevails in the politics of Pakistan, which is so nicely articulated by Mr Amir, a true Pakistani politician and a pseudo intellectual, military dictators will keep coming in Pakistan.
The day the politicians of Pakistan realize that winning election is about serving the people, not grabbing power, the day military intervention will vanish. Until then the people of Pakistan are happy, and grateful, that Musharraf is around.
M. JAFAR SADIQ
Pittsburgh, USA
I HAVE observed that these days a number of life-saving smuggled drugs are available in the market. These medicines have been smuggled not only from India and Iran but also from far away Indonesia and New Zealand. Since these smuggled medicines are comparatively cheap, patients prefer to buy these.
However, these smuggled drugs are carried and stored in an environment not in accordance with the necessary requirements. These medicines are, therefore, likely to produce undesirable effects after its use. I would suggest that patients should avoid using them.
SARDAR ALI SHAH
Tando Agha
THIS is with reference to the advertisement for the grant of Chevening scholarship (Sept 15).
As required, I sent a self-addressed envelope to the British Council, Karachi, on Sept 16. This was received back by me with a Standard Application Form enclosed in it, on Sept 29, that is, two days after the last date for submitting the completed application form. This speaks volumes of the transparent manner in which these scholarships are granted.
I request the British Council not to advertise such scholarships if they are not actually sincere about granting it. It would save time, money and energy of the people who apply for availing it.
AZHAR NADEEM
Hyderabad
I GOT an application form for a new passport from the reception at the Passport Office, Saddar, Karachi.
I filled in the form, deposited the fee and then went back to submit it. It was at that stage that I was told to enclose with the application two extra copies of the photograph and also of the ID card.
Would it not be a more civilized way to have complete instructions printed on the application form so that the applicant wouldn’t have to make a number of trips to that God forsaken place?
SYED QAISER ALI
Karachi
WE the senior citizens are in ‘good luck’ and we celebrated October 1 as the Senior Citizens’ Day.
In February, 2001, I came to know that ‘highly qualified’ people were at the drawing board to chalk out a short-term and long-term programme for our welfare. A result-oriented ‘task force’ has been set up whose report would be widely circulated for public debate. Obviously, Islamabad is the only city where debates can be held.
I have the following suggestions to make and questions to ask:
a) Let us have the names of the members of the ‘task force’ as representatives of senior citizens and retired government officials.
b) Declare the short-term programme that was envisaged, the long-term programme may take too long, many of us may not be around when it sees the light of day.
c) When and how will the report of the task force be circulated? Would it be displayed in the print and on the electronic media?
d) What is the package that the ministry of social welfare is ‘actively working on’?
e) There is no need for an eyewash such as coloured ID cards. We have got them and we accept them as they are. We do not want the concession of a few odd rupees as and when we do go to parks, museums, etc.
f) If the government is keen to help the pensioners, then it should remove the discrimination between old and new retired people.
g) It appears that once again there would be speeches and walks in Islamabad and the rest of the country. We would watch this activity on TV and read about it in the papers.
Senior citizens don’t entertain false hopes. We have seen enough of such dramas being repeatedly played on the media. Senior citizens are the ‘ground realities’, who are not very happy with things stand today. Good luck to the celebrations but senior citizens are advised to fend for themselves.
KHAN AFZAL AFRIDI
Abbottabad
I FULLY endorse the views expressed by Mr Maqbool A. Mubashar (Sept 24) regarding the discriminatory treatment meted out to the Ahmadiya community.
In the name of justice and fairplay, I appeal to the Election Commission to clarify and justify its action of publishing the Ahmadi voters list separately from the mainstream, or at least educate us on what is ‘joint electorate’.
It is time we corrected the wrong now before it leaves yet another black mark on our history.
IBNE LATIF
Lahore
THE National Geographic issue of September, 2002, carries an article on the Earth’s fresh water resource, which is under pressure. It has shown a map of a thirsty planet which indicates that fresh sweet water of the globe is 2.5 per cent while salt water comprises 97.5 per cent. Out of the 2.5 per cent sweet water, 68.7 per cent is in glaciers and 30.1 per cent as ground water bulk of which is not accessible.
Another 0.8 per cent is in permafrost and only 0.4 per cent is surface and atmospheric water. Out of this 0.4 per cent, 67.4 per cent is in fresh water lakes, 12.2 per cent in soil moisture, 9.5 per cent in the atmosphere, 8.5 per cent in wetlands, 0.8 per cent in biota and only 1.6 per cent in the rivers.
The above distribution ought to teach us a few lessons. Rainfall being scarce, while most of groundwater is not accessible, we have to ultimately fall back on 1.6 per cent available river water which we are fortunate in having in abundance but only when the glacier-fed rivers are in flood for 70 days a year.
This shows the dire need of storing our river water in large dams to maximize the utilization of our share of 2.5 per cent sweet water of the world which is, in fact, ‘Zakat’ paid by the sea that is provided by a divine plan.
We in Pakistan would be the most ungrateful nation in the world if we did not build large dams soon to satisfy the needs of a large nation and continued to think in terms of small dams that would not save us from a dismal future of water and energy starvation.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
MOST of the shopkeepers along main roads of Karachi’s middle class localities have encroached upon footpaths and even on some portions of the roads compelling the pedestrians to walk on the roads and thus exposing them to the dangers of the fast-moving traffic.
Is there no authority in the city to control and punish these greedy shopkeepers who are doing their business by endangering the lives of pedestrians?
S. ATHAR
Karachi
THIS refers to Mr Kuldip Nayer’s article, ‘Modiland versus Gandhiland’ (Sept 28). The writer has tried to defend the Indian slogan of secularism but a review of facts does not support the idea of India practising secularism.
Is India a secular state? Was Congress a secular party in its nature? No matter which party rules India, its minorities, specially Muslims, are not accepted as Indians. Anti-Muslim riots are the history of India, which can take place at a tiny issue of local cricket match, resulting in killing of hundreds of Muslims. The Gujarat incident is the minor example of the killings of innocent Muslims (as there are reports that the train compartment was fired internally in Godhra incident).
Only BJP, the head of many Hindu terrorist organizations, cannot be blamed, it is the Hindu mindset which has encrusted it secularist to deceive the out world.
Secular Congress was ruling when Babri Mosque was demolished, it was V. P. Singh a Sikh prime minister who was not allowed to complete his term. Before partition, the Congress labelled itself as secular, because, firstly it was founded by an English man, secondly to win the hearts of the Muslims and other minorities, that is why Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had asked Muslims not to join that. Those who joined had to leave it after knowing its ambitions; a Muslim leader had to leave it because he was not allowed to say prayers. Does secularism interfere in personal religious affairs?
In 1916, it was Congress which accepted the Lucknow Pact defining the separate electorate for Muslims. How a secular mind can accept the division on religion basis? Was there secularism?
Now turning to Hinduism. The agenda of VHP, RSS and many other parties is to repeat the history of Spain and these were the followers of Congress who, right after the independence, went to Spain to share their experience.
Keeping Muslims in camps is one of its episodes because one Hindu party has termed the Gujarat incident ‘a great success’.
Mr Nayer expresses his views beautifully but Hindu mindset dominates him. First he writes: “Even the compensation has not been paid to more than 20 per cent of the victims. And what has been paid is a pittance-from Rs50 to Rs500.”
Then he writes, “Some Muslims cannot return to their homes because Hindus do not want them. Or they want them on conditions which the Muslims find too humiliating.”
Secondly, he blames Pakistan for the destruction of India’s secular credentials like Advani who always points the finger at Pakistan for every happening in India. It was not Pakistani military ruler or fundamentalists who made BJP. Look into your history and find the creators of VHP and RSS.
We are fighting our problems internally and India should do the same. India is running on the path which we have left two years ago.
MUSTANSAR KHURSHID
Lahore
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