| October 13, 2002 | Sunday | Sha'aban 6, 1423 |
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Seafarers’ agony at foreign ports
Rights of consumers
Women’s behaviour
Population policy
Aptitude tests
Muslim economic union
Assembly rules
Correction
Advice from abroad
Anti-war rallies
Umra fare
UK student visa: mismanagement
I HAD the honour of experiencing the new welcome mat offered to Muslims (and the citizens of the ‘axis of evil’ countries) arriving in the United States. This mat has been hand-tailored by Mr Ashcroft to protect US citizens and demean people who are not.
The point is when we got the ‘are you with us, or against us?’ speech; we said ‘with you’, yet our citizens are being treated like we are enemies of the United States. Why is it that we, who are called ‘one of America’s closest allies in the war against terror’ are being treated like common criminals?
The US government keeps saying that the new policy was created to protect all parties and that it is not a racist policy. I have to say that I, a Pakistani citizen living in New York, recently got the humiliating ‘follow me sir’. I was finger-printed, photographed, and questioned as if I had committed some horrible crime. This process took two hours, causing me to miss my flight and be stuck in Canada for another day. I was specifically told that the Immigration Department had nothing to offer in the form of reimbursement for the extra night I had to stay in a hotel, the potential income lost because of meetings I missed the next day, and the embarrassment caused to my clients who I was flying with.
I pay my American taxes and I have saved an American life (a stranger’s nonetheless, and almost lost my own in the process), and yet I was made to feel like I am a Taliban foot soldier. I was visited by the Department of Justice and New York Police Department men at home, only to be asked if I was a terrorist.
If Pakistani citizens are being treated like this by the US, why haven’t we lodged a more formal and resentful complaint? We need to be proactive on this issue.
The Saudis have announced that they will subject all Americans to the same process of being photographed and finger-printed upon entry into the kingdom.
I suggest we follow suit, as should all other countries unfairly targeted by an administration that failed to protect its own civilians and is now punishing innocent foreigners for their lack of action before 9/11.
AMMAR HAMDANI
New York, USA
THIS is with reference to Mr Noor-ul-Qamar’s thought provoking letter, ‘Seafarers’ agony at foreign ports’ (Oct 8).
A running ship is an earning ship and, therefore, when a ship is detained at various ports just because it employs Pakistanis, the ship owner is losing money. Hence, why would any ship owner want to employ Pakistani seamen when it can just as easily employ Indians, Filipinos or other seafaring nationalities.
The Pakistani seafarer have proven time and again that they are second to none as professionals. However, with our shipping policy and now with all the restrictions imposed on Pakistanis, with perhaps much more to come, following the 9/11 hysteria, Pakistani seamen are steadily losing employment. Ship owners are now reluctant to have Pakistanis command their ships. And it would not be long before most ship-owners would cease to employ Pakistanis altogether, as a policy.
Furthermore, Pakistani national ships have been stopped and searched in the Persian Gulf by ‘our allies’ in the war against terrorism.
This begs some questions. What is our government doing about this? Do they even know what is happening to their nationals in general and their seamen in particular? Are we even protesting to any of the states?
The Government of Pakistan and the concerned ministry should sit up and take notice and act immediately to ease the situation for their nationals. If they remain oblivious to these facts then the immediate outlook for Pakistan is very bleak. Unemployment will rise, we will lose foreign exchange and the Pakistani seaman would become an extinct species.
NOMAN HYDER
Karachi
BEING a seafarer myself, the most significant change I have noticed after Sept 11, is the discriminatory attitude of many countries towards Pakistani seamen even though Pakistan has been a member of the world coalition against terrorism.
In the recent past, many countries have refused to issue visas to Pakistani nationals working on a ship. I am afraid that ship owners will soon start replacing Pakistani seafarers with those of other nationalities.
What is most depressing is the attitude of our brother Arab countries, whose behaviour with us is more degrading than that of Singapore and South Korea.
MUHAMMAD IMRAN
Islamabad
THIS with reference to the letter, ‘Rights of consumers’ by Mr Azfar Khan (Oct 10). We fully endorse his views and wish to add that due to the ‘silence of the lambs’, the consumers are being led to the slaughter house every day.
In the absence of any consumer protection law and the government’s failure to enforce the of existing food and drug laws, gullible citizens are being blatantly cheated by glossy misleading advertisements.
According to a survey, conducted by our organization, almost 40 per cent of consumer products in urban areas are substandard, adulterated or fake. This figure exceeds 60 per cent in rural areas.
The PSQCA, a government quality control department, had conducted tests of cooking oil and bottled water samples, drawn from market, and the reports showed that over 60 per cent of the samples did not conform to their quality and standards.
At the same time, out of the many brands of cooking oil and bottled water being marketed, only 35 oil and five water companies are registered with the relevant authority. Most of the manufacturers do not have testing labourites, which are mandatory. Any violation of the PSQCA/Food laws is punishable by fines and imprisonment, yet no action is being taken by the government.
Our organization has already launched an awareness campaign against the substandard products and involved ministers, elected representatives, government functionaries, manufacturers and citizens in debates and discussions on the issue.
A number of programmes highlighting the menace have been aired through PTV and more are to be telecast shortly.
However, the campaign cannot succeed without the active participation of consumers who have the right to reject the counterfeit, substandard and fake products in order to discourage the culprits.
We appeal to the newly-elected public representatives to pay more attention to the elimination of this menace.
CONSUMER PROTECTION COUNCIL, THT,
Karachi
THIS is in response to Naweed Ahmed’s letter ‘Women’s behaviour’ (Oct 9). His belief that women tend to become ‘rude’ in a position of authority is based on gender bias, to say the least.
Females constitute about 52 per cent of Pakistan’s population and they are already under-privileged when it comes to prestigious jobs, be it in the private or the public sector. I guess he and his likes do not mind women working in conventional roles as housemaids and brick kiln workers.
Wouldn’t it be a more pragmatic approach that instead of confining half of the country’s population to menial jobs, the gents of Pakistan be given a few lessons in GAD (gender and development) and equality of sexes?
It is not surprising that the decision of the interior minister to appoint ‘women only’ FIA staff at the airport immigration should have sent ripples of shock waves as it disturbs the status quo.
Women are generally more hardworking, honest and responsible than their male counterparts.
Let’s make a little bit of extra effort to make their work environment more conducive for their growth. It is high time to say farewell to the orthodox mindset and embrace the norms of the modern world with grace. This uphill task requires the cooperation of men; not their distrust.
SOBIA FAYYAZ
Toronto, Canada
ON the World Population Day in July this year, the government announced the new population policy. It has short-term as well as long-term objectives.
Considering the short-term objectives, the policy aims to reduce the population growth to 1.9 per cent per annum by the year 2004. As far as the long-term objectives are concerned the policy seeks to reduce population growth rate from 1.9 per cent per annum in 2004 to 1.3 per cent per annum by the year 2020. It also aims to reduce fertility through enhanced voluntary contraceptive adoption to 2.1 births per woman by 2020.
But there is a shortcoming: no incentive scheme for doctors, nurses and LHWs have been mentioned in the policy. The majority of people live in the rural areas, so there is a dire need for introducing incentive scheme for the staff members who will work in those areas.
The Planning Commission had allocated an amount of Rs 9.5 billion for the three-year Development Plan (2002-2005), an average of over three billion per annum. The population policy would require a financial input of Rs24 billion for the remaining eight years of Perspective Plan 2012 and subsequently another Rs16 billion at a declining rate of Rs2 billion per annum till the year 2020.
Hence a total of Rs49.5 billion requirements are estimated for achieving the fertility replacement perceived under the population policy by the year 2020.
The policy does not mention the funding sources of the remaining amount of Rs40.5 billion. The government has allocated only Rs9.5 billion for the policy and for the remaining amount it has to rely mainly on the international donors. But the government will have to satisfy the funding agencies regarding its population strategies.
So before implementing the current population policy, the government should keep this point in mind.
SYED MUHAMMAD ARIF
Islamabad
THIS refers to the upcoming aptitude tests of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology and Karachi University’s BS (CS) and BBA (Hons), which are to be held on the same day, Sunday, Oct 27.
Previously, it was announced that the Karachi University BBA (Hons) test would be held at 3pm while the SSUET BBA (Hons) test was scheduled at 10am. Thus, a number of candidates had made up their minds to appear at both of these tests and had also obtained the forms for the same. However, now the timing for the KU test has been changed to 10 am, making it impossible for a candidate to try his luck at both the institutions.
I request the concerned authorities to review the situation and either change the date of the test or switch back to the timing earlier announced for the KU’s BBA (Hons) test.
BENISH HUSSAIN
Karachi
DURING the past few decades, we have seen a global trend in which countries are working together to form unions that would help improve their economies. The European Union, North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) and ASEAN are just a few examples.
The Muslim world, which holds most of the oil reserves in the world, has not been able to organize itself on these lines. As a result, the Gulf states, which possess large oil reserves, are very wealthy while countries like Nigeria, Somalia, and others languish in poverty.
The wealthy states of the Gulf have strong trade relations with the EU and USA, and very little trading with the Muslim brotherly countries.
I think the OIC should help to promote a free-trade association between the Muslim countries, so that the wealth of the Gulf states is distributed among the Muslims, rather than flowing out to the western economies.
MIRZA JAHIZ BARLAS
Karachi
THE elected assembly will be in place shortly and to give it more decency and a civilized stature, I suggest that the Speaker of the House should make some rules as described below.
Parliamentarians should not bang the desk for an applause during the proceedings of the assembly. Instead, they should clap, enabling the viewers to evaluate the quality and level of their enthusiasm.
Hooting by way of making noises similar to donkey and/or any other non-language sound, should not be allowed. They must listen to others’ opinion and then support or oppose it by taking the floor. Critics who are not patient listeners may leave the house.
Dress should be strictly formal. A shalwar kamiz must have a fully buttoned jacket or Pakistani ‘koti’.
The proceedings of the national assembly should be made available daily on its website.
BILAL JAMIL
Karachi
IN my article ‘Today and tomorrow’ published on the Leader page on October 10 I had mentioned that the voter turnout in 1977 election was low. This was a typing error. I meant to say that the turnout was low in 1997 (not 1977).
ANWAR SYED
University of Massachusetts,
USA
NOT a single day passes when a letter does not appear in these columns written by an ‘intellectual’ of Pakistani origin now residing in the United States or Canada. These former Pakistanis are hell bent on giving us their valued opinion on all the problems faced by this poor country and its beleaguered population.
Whether it is the blasphemy laws, transport problems or the miserable state of education and health, they have an opinion and a solution for everything.
One may ask them that if they have so much love and concern for Pakistan and its people, then why did they choose to abandon it? Living in a foreign land as second class citizens seems to have somehow galvanized their brains and they are dying to put everything right in this country.
My humble request to them is that sitting thousands of miles away and merely giving sermons from there is not helpful.
I would suggest that they give up their petrol pumps, laundries, corner shops and mini-cab services and come back to Pakistan to bring a real change in this country.
DR SHAHAB JAVID
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Dr Khalid Butt’s letter, ‘Anti-war rallies’ (Oct 9).
I personally believe that the people of Pakistan should not be a part of rallies against the US intention to attack Iraq. Being an ally of the US, Pakistan and its people should be neutral in this respect and must measure their steps very carefully. We already have enough sanctions and other restrictions on us, an anti-war protest would make the situation even worse.
Dr Butt also talks about Pakistan being the next target. This might or might not be true but protesting against a US policy would only make them go against Pakistan. Pakistanis living in the United States know how bitter the people here feel on such issues. Most of them are like President Bush who had said, ‘Either you are with us, or you are against us.’
DANIYAL MUFTI
Houston, USA
THERE are rumours that the airfare for Umra is to be increased soon. This is a matter of great concern to those who intend to perform Umra during the coming Ramazan.
In many Arab countries and even in India, Umra fares are cut down by the airlines during Ramazan for the benefit of the intending pilgrims. However, with the PIA and the Saudi Airlines monopolizing these flights here, the Pakistani pilgrims never got any such concession. But they should at least not be made to face a hike in the fares right now.
I request the concerned authorities to look into the matter.
WAJIH ULLAH
Lahore
I WOULD like to bring to light how I will not be able to pursue a master’s degree in London this year, thanks to the mismanagement of the British Council and the British High Commission, Islamabad.
I was accepted to the MA programme in Human Rights and Social Change at the City University in London for the term starting this October. I went to the British Council in mid-August as I was informed that they were dealing with student visas because the High Commission is temporarily closed. I submitted the necessary documents (with the British Council’s handling charges of Rs6,500) by the first week of September and my application was sent to the HC on Sept 15.
On the Sept 25, a person from Fed/Ex came to my house saying that I should call them and that there was a problem with my visa fee bank draft. They, however, could not give me my draft back or tell me what exactly the problem was as I had applied through the British Council. I called the British Council and they had it picked up. It may be mentioned here that I had two interviews with the British Council and not once did they mention that I had to write ‘Pay the British High Commission’ and not ‘Pay the British High Commission on behalf of Aila Sohail’ on the bank draft).
I re-applied on Sept 26 and to date have been waiting for my visa to be issued. On Oct 10, I e-mailed the HC to check on the status of my visa and a woman responded through e-mail saying that they had not seen my application ever since it was returned on the Sept 17.
I called the British Council and was assured that the HC possessed my application. However, on Oct 11 the British Council informed me that the HC has indeed misplaced my application along with my documents and passport during a change in staff. The same day I was informed that the HC had located my passport but lost the application and duplicate documents.
In the evening, they informed me that they had sent my passport and bank draft back to the British Council as the latter wanted to see all my original documents. How absurd can this get!
The British Council has asked me if I wish to re-apply by submitting my original documents. It will take a minimum of 12 days for the HC to decide whether I qualify for a student visa, and by then my term would be well into the third week of classes.
I have written this letter because there is no other way I can be heard. I am very much disappointed at the mismanagement at the British missions in Pakistan.
AILA SOHAIL HAMEED
Islamabad
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