| October 20, 2002 | Sunday | Sha'aban 13, 1423 |
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Post-election scenario
A commendable act
The next prime minister
Consensus government idea
Foreign policy change
Dental surgery graduates
Cricket analyst
Attitude towards voters
For the rights of young doctors
Spilling innocent blood
THIS is with reference to the news item ‘Parcel bombs: courier firm, PPO officials picked up’ (Oct 17) and another report by Mr S. Raza Hassan captioned: ‘Parcel bombs strike third time since 1993’ (Oct 18).
Once this trend of terrorizing people with letter/parcel bombs picks up, it will badly hit normal life as every person will feel insecure.
It is essential, therefore, to create awareness among people on how to ensure safety while handling mail.
The booklet on letter/parcel bomb referred to by Mr Raza Hassan in his report is not the only one on this subject. There are a number of other authentic books, e.g. Bomb Threat Management, Letter Bomb Detection and Prevention, etc. authored by the US and UK experts.
However, the characteristics of letter bombs mentioned in the report are common in all the books written in the past.
As a security educator, I also suggest certain preventive measures to counter the mail bombers.
All the mail should be checked visually before touching them and suspicious can be:
a) An unexpected foreign mail, envelope/parcel marked for special delivery to a specific individual or scribed as ‘confidential/personal, etc.
b) Excessive postage
c) Poor handwriting and/or misspelled common names and address
d) Incorrect titles or the parcels addressed to a title without the name
e) Stains on the envelope or postage (this may indicate leakage from explosives within
f) Absence of sender’s address
g) Excessively heavy for its size or an extremely rigid envelope
h) An inordinately or lopsided envelope/package
i) A metal object protruding from the envelope/package
j) An extreme amount of masking tape or string around the envelope package.
People handling mails in offices must be conversant with the established procedure to deal with the suspicious letter/parcel.
A parcel from an stranger should never be accepted.
Letter scanners should be made available where bulk mail is collected or sorted out.
The authorities should direct all the post offices and courier companies not to accept sealed letters/parcels from onward delivery.
Their contents must be checked and the staff should pack and seal them.
SQN-LDR (R) AUSAF
Karachi
MOST educated Pakistanis living in urban as well as some rural areas of Punjab and Sindh are in a state of shock over the victory of hardline parties in October 10 elections. This is quite embarrassing and has seriously damaged Pakistan’s image of being a moderate, liberal and ideological state. But there are some facts that we must not overlook and make them clear to the rest of the world also. They are:
1. The MMA’s victory does not indicate the majority of Pakistanis are extremist, pro-Taliban or pro-Osama. These so-called ‘religious’ leaders have been bashing America for the past 55 years and have never won more than one or two seats. Their anti-America policy has worked for the first time and that, too, only in the NWFP. This was for the simple fact that what happened after 9/11 provoked a fury in the northern areas of the country where Pakhtoons are in a majority.
When Americans attacked Afghanistan, the people living in border areas supported Taliban’s ‘Jihad’ and expressed their hate for America. People voted for them using less wisdom and more sentiments.
2. What followed after announcement of election results is merely media hype for these religious leaders and nothing more. They are being projected on TV and in print media as if they have become the single largest majority.
Rumours are being spread that major changes in foreign policy are to be made and strict laws against women will be enforced. There is also talk of stricter laws against press freedom and electronic media.
We have forgotten that PML(Q) has a big presence in Punjab, PPP Parliamentarians have majority in Sindh and the MMA does not have a clear majority in Balochistan. Even in the NA, the MMA has not achieved the top three majority positions.
And above all, the most encouraging fact for the educated, moderate, sensible and liberal Pakistanis is that General Musharraf, as President, will not let these hardline leaders play games with institutions. He will not allow anyone to harm his efforts in making Pakistan a moderate, liberal and progressing Islamic state.
Pakistan has remained and will remain a moderate Islamic state where people of all casts, creed and classes will continue to live their lives the way they like.
We are Muslims and want to live with peace and harmony with the world, including India.
HIRA ALI
Karachi
THIS refers to the photograph of Mr Asfandyar Wali Khan, ANP president, and his mother Mohtarama Nasim Wali Khan, the party’s provincial president, appearing in Dawn on Oct 12. Their expressions are full of humility, not least willing to shift the responsibility on to someone else. I salute both of them for gracefully accepting defeat of their party in the elections and announcing their resignations.
On the contrary, PPP’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto failing to win 170 National Assembly seats resorted to allegations of mass scale rigging. The leaders of PML(N) and MQM and a few other parties also blamed the government for pre-poll rigging. Some charged the MMA with rigging elections in the NWFP, Balochistan and Sindh and called for re-election.
If we assume the allegations are correct, how is that Mian Azhar, the President of PML(Q), and other heavyweights like Ilahi Bakhsh Soomro, Abida Hussain, and Fakhr Imam failed to win? The PML(Q) also could not get absolute majority in national and provincial assemblies.
According to a modest estimate, candidates and political parties have spent nearly Rs12 billion on electioneering and the government around Rs1 billion out of the tax-payers’ money. What is going to be the fate of the Sept 19 pledge to the people of Pakistan by the political leadership? They had pledged at the the Pakistan Chapter of Transparency International convention in Islamabad that an effective anti-corruption package will be implemented soon after the elections. They had also promised control on price hike and work for the betterment of the common man after returning to power.
However, no party has unfolded its modus operandi. Poverty has already risen as high as 40 per cent despite General Musharraf’s programme for poverty alleviation. If one considers rise in the bus fare alone, an ordinary man stands deprived of two simple Roti each day. The effect of drastic reduction in NSS profits, tremendous increase in the price of motor fuel, utilities, essential commodities and education will severely hit the common man.
LT-COL (R) SYED AHMED
Karachi
AFTER the elections, the whole nation is now waiting to see as to who becomes the prime minister of the country.
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has emerged unexpectedly as a new political force. Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been nominated by the MMA as their candidate for prime ministership. However, the election of the Maulana as the head of the new government in Pakistan would give a wrong message to the world, particularly to the West, because of his Taliban connection. Such an eventuality would be disastrous for the country, especially for its economy.
Mr Farooq Leghari is also looking forward to become the prime minister. But he would not be able to get along with the PPPP members of the National Assembly because of his action of dismissing the Benazir government in 1996, when he was the president of the country.
Chaudhry Shujaat of the PML(Q) is another aspirant for the top slot in the new government. But what is the guarantee that he would not change his loyalty once again and go back to the PML(N).
Zubaida Jalal, being a woman, would not be acceptable to the mullahs and, therefore, has little chance of success.
Imran Khan, whose party has won only one seat in the National Assembly, his own, does not carry any weight with him. Moreover, he does not seem to be capable of holding such a responsibility.
The candidate who appears to be, in my opinion, the most suitable for prime ministership, is Makhdoom Amin Faheem of the PPPP. He has a mature and balanced personality and can, therefore, be expected to deal with domestic and international issues successfully.
It must be realized that the future prime minister of Pakistan should not only be a capable person but also one acceptable to both, the Pakistani people and to the world at large.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
THE recent elections in the country have brought forth the results which give a majority to no party or political alliance for forming governments both at the centre and in the provinces. In this situation, two or more parties/groups may form a coalition government as has happened on various occasions in the past.
However, this time a strange idea has been floated. It is consensus government or national government of all parties without any opposition. This is really strange because such governments are formed only in times of emergencies and wars.
The political parties/groups which contested the recent elections gave different manifestos and agendas to the electorate. On that basis, the people made their choice. Thus if the government of all parties is formed, the people would feel betrayed as their vote was of no consequence in forming the government of their choice and implementing the promised agenda and manifesto. This will get more credence if the main slot is allotted to someone who has nothing more than his personal weight.
Moreover, the consensus among parties is made on some common point(s). At present no such common point of agreement has been presented. There is a general feeling that the common point among the parties and leaders seems to be power-sharing, as no one of them is ready to sit in the opposition.
Such a government would plunge itself into a crisis from the very first day, as too many cooks spoil the broth.
Therefore, it is in the interest of the country that instead of striving for power at any cost, the political parties make alliances on the basis of their policies and agenda. This is the only way of honouring the mandate of the people given to them.
RAUF NIZAMANI
Karachi
Information Minister Nisar A. Memon told a press conference on Oct 13, “I don’t see any change in foreign policy as far as the war on terrorism is concerned.” This means that Pakistan will continue to play its role in the US-led war against terrorism.
The hung parliament cannot come in the way, even though Bush’s war has been rejected throughout the country because people see no justification for continued American presence on Pakistani soil.
Because of the hung parliament, implementation of Islamic laws will become an unachievable objective. At best, people will feel Islamic laws can never be implemented. And at worst, when the existing secular system is given an Islamic tinge, some will start blaming Islam for the ills of the system.
Islamic laws will only be implemented completely and comprehensively through Islam’s own system — the Khilafat. Judging by the fact that around 80 per cent of the people did not vote, they are already awaiting a real alternative to the sham that is democracy.
DR ABDUL WAJID
Lahore
I WANT to draw the attention of the concerned authority towards the mushroom growth of dental graduates in the country. This has happened due to the establishment of a large number of institutes offering degree courses in dental surgery (BDS) in both, the private and the public sector.
Though unemployment and under-employment has hit the entire medical profession, this problem is all the more severe with the dental graduates. While many are unemployed, a large number of them are working free just to remain in touch with their field and in the hope of being absorbed some day as a salaried employee.
There is an urgent need to draw a strategy that would provide jobs for the existing dental graduates and would also limit their future production to actual requirement.
USMAN JAWAID
Karachi
IN addition to the spineless cricket team — and its force multiplier cavalcade — PCB has a cricket analyst who goes about with the team. I wonder if he was there while the cricket team was being demolished at Sharjah. It will be interesting to have his analysis in print.
I suppose very little analysis is really needed and the team’s performance at Sharjah hit rock bottom mainly due to total lack of application and fighting spirit. The heat and humidity notwithstanding, our team should have performed better under these somewhat favourable conditions. The Australians are much less used to such sultry weather.
The military handling of two major games — cricket and hockey — has been catastrophic. I suppose the best cricket analyst is always tongue-tied.
E. A. S. BOKHARI
Lalamusa
THE curtailment of minimum age limit to 18 years for voters was a great decision. We, being the ones who were going to cast their votes for the very first time, were overly excited and feeling proud that we were, too, going to be included in the decision-making process.
But all this enthusiasm faded as soon as we entered the polling station. I had only 10 women voters ahead of me and each one was taking 15 minutes. I saw the staff chatting with each other and making useless comments. At times, they were treating people harshly. It was hard to stand in such a suffocating atmosphere inside the polling station, especially for the elderly and the sick since there were no fans ‘for us’.
The reason given was that breeze from fans scattered papers. Ironically, the fans over the staff’s table, the very place where all papers were put, were running at full speed as the atmosphere was hot ‘for them’.
There was no female police member and I saw many women returning without casting their votes.
Many voters were not told how to fold the ballot paper so that the wet stamp might not get duplicated on the other side.
KEHKASHAN GHAZAL
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to the news item that the Punjab government has appointed an additional secretary to hold an inquiry against Dr Yasmin Rashid (Oct 17). The charge against her is that she led strikes and protests against the government.
It was after a long time that we had a doctor protesting against injustices meted out to her colleagues. Normally, the doctors community in Pakistan is a pathetic bunch who just take whatever the government hands out to them, without any whimper.
The salaries that young doctors get in the hospitals, if they are lucky enough to be paid at all, are lower than those of labourers. Working hours range from 100 to 120 in a week, and on top of that, the abysmal working conditions make it impossible for any self-respecting doctor to continue working. Is it any wonder then that there are more than 10,000 Pakistani doctors working here in the USA.
Have our governments ever given a thought to this alarming fact? No. They only hold inquiries against brave people who dare to stand for the rights of their colleagues. Having studied under Dr Yasmin Rashid, I can vouch for her integrity and honesty, both in dealing with patients and in taking care of her students. She may not remember my name but I can assure her that there are many of her former students who carry her words with them.
Keep the flame burning, Dr Yasmin.
DR RAJA SOHAIL ABBAS
Green Belt, US
PRIME Minister John Howard of Australia proved himself a fair man when he refused to lay the blame for the blast in Bali on Muslims until there was evidence to prove their involvement. He was right in saying, “there is nothing in the beliefs of Islam that invokes or warrants or calls upon the indiscriminate destruction of people.”
Such a way of thinking at a time when there is an eagerness on the part of many to lay on Islam the blame for all acts of violence anywhere in the world must be appreciated.
At the same time, in the interest of fairness, it must be admitted by us Muslims that some of our people have failed to understand the spirit of Islam even as much as Howard has. These people seem to believe that the way to serve our interests is to terrorize the people of the West. They are wrong on both counts.
Firstly, Islam does not permit harming innocent people. Secondly, such acts do not help either our community or our religion. Any cause that requires the death of innocent human beings, whose blood Allah has declared sacred, is not worth serving.
Such people are a minority. But because the majority remains silent, this minority has come to be taken as the authentic voice of the Muslim community. There is no point in blaming the West for getting its image of Islam from the words and deeds of these mad people. We have offered them no other source.
It is true that the Muslim community is suffering great injustices at the moment. It is also true that some Western nations share a great part of the responsibility for them. But that is not how Islam requires us to fashion our behaviour — not on the basis of what others do.
It is not our principle that we can do wrong if others do. What we are taught is that we must do what is right, only what is right, no matter how others behave.
It is wrong to treat Westerners in our countries as targets, as it is wrong for Westerners to treat Muslims among them as terrorists. The guests in our homes are not to be harmed, but to be honoured. Before we hold others to high standards, let’s hold ourselves to the same standards.
We owe it to ourselves, not to others, to say clearly and publicly that Islam or Muslims don’t need innocent blood on their hands. Many Muslim leaders have said so. They have to keep on saying it from every platform day in day out until every misguided member of our community knows that he dishonours Islam when he sheds innocent blood in its name.
The responsibility of fighting them and their misguided ideology is more on us than on others — because the harm they do to us is much more than the harm they do to others.
FAHAD ZAFAR
Lahore
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