| October 27, 2002 | Sunday | Sha’aban 20,1423 |
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Dual nationality for Pakistanis
Boycott of US goods
Postponement of KU convocation
Deduction of Zakat
PPP should stay in the opposition
Standard of education
Pensioners’ personal allowance
Drive against encroachment
Shades of the crusades
‘Mausiqar’
Defence and security
Cricket: what has gone wrong?
In the past few days a barrage of truly woeful letters lamenting the electoral gains made by the MMA has been seen in this space. It was painful to me to see seemingly educated and enlightened people make such naive comments.
People have written everything from suggesting emigration to some obscure country to analyzing the behavioural traits of the MMA leadership and finding similarities between alliance leaders and the Taliban. But they must not lose courage. This great nation has survived everyone from benevolent dictators to rascals painted in democratic colours and it will surely survive the bearded ones too. But one must give them a chance before condemning them.
If we take a look at the global scenario, rightwing conservative leadership have been taking over power all the world over. Some examples are Bush and his Republicans in the US, the BJP in our eastern neighbouring country and the Likud of Israel.
A rightwing, fascist government like Sharon’s takes over in Israel and the world accepts it, but if the maulvis win a popular mandate through the right of adult franchise in Pakistan, our own secular and Westernized elite starts throwing hissy fits. It is this elite class, living in glass palaces and receiving their divine guidance from abroad or the armchair intellectuals, which is the most disturbed by the MMA’s success. The common man either does not care or welcomes the change.
For this elite class, democracy is fine only to the extent where candidates with the same thinking as theirs win. The moment the opposing viewpoint begins to gain acceptance, the soldiers of democracy scream bloody murder.
AL-MUNTAZIR
Karachi
I have been watching a lot of hue and cry being made over the success of the Muttahida Majlis-Amal in the recent election. There have been sarcastic remarks and even threats of leaving the country. But I cannot find a bit of sense in all this.
What are all they doing? Weren’t they holding up the democracy slogans in their drawing rooms? Wasn’t the ‘people’s will’ considered by them the only solution to all ills?
They are yelling now because the results do not suit them. But instead of crying over the spilt milk, they should go and find out people who support their point of view. If you can manage a majority, you can have the system of your choice, but if you cannot find a mob to buy your ideas, you had better calm down and not make any noises.
Good or bad, but this is what democracy happens to be.
FAISAL
Karachi
A REPORT based on the statements of some MMA leaders indicates that after assuming power they will be following similar, if not the same, policies as pursued by the Taliban. Most of these leaders have a very narrow view of Islam and show no tolerance towards other sects. They simply will not approve of the right to freedom of choice and expression.
The start is that there will be no co-education schools (so more students can be enrolled in madaris) and men are expected to keep beard and women are expected to wear burqa. The chances are that this dress code for women will be enforced by the mullahs.
We should not forget that some of the groups in the MMA were against the Quaid-i-Azam and the creation of Pakistan. These are the very people who issued fatwas in the early years of the Kashmiri freedom struggle that anyone dying in Kashmir war was not a martyr.
NASIR KHAN
London, UK
THE decision to allow a dual nationality to Americans of Pakistani origin was reported in the press on Aug 31, 2002. However, when I recently called the Pakistan embassy in Washington to find out the details of the procedure to be followed, I was told that the embassy had no information about it.
In its issue of Oct 11, Pakistan Link, published locally, quoted the visiting Nadra chief as calling upon the US citizens of Pakistani origin intending to visit Pakistan to acquire various identity cards such as the ‘POC’ and the ‘NICOP’ each one of which carries a substantial amount as its fee.
The paper also quoted the counsel general of Pakistan in Los Angeles as saying that “the days of five-year multiple visa for Pakistan are over, so do not knock at my door with such requests”.
I again called the Pakistan embassy in Washington to get some information on these cards, but was told that nothing had been finalized. What apparently has been finalized and implemented is the withdrawal of five-year multiple entry visa. This has been done without providing any alternate facility to the expatriates.
The facility of having a dual nationality is already enjoyed by persons of Pakistani origin in Britain and Canada and no complications have been experienced.
What then prevents the concerned authority to issue the necessary instructions to the Pakistani diplomatic missions in the US to implement a decision taken about two months back?
M. AHMAD
Los Angeles, US
EVERY DAY we hear stories of Palestinians being killed by the Israeli army. Their houses are being demolished and children shot dead. But people taking up arms against this fascist state are called terrorists.
We all know that all this would not have been possible without the full support of the United States, which doles out billions of dollars to Israel and supplies sophisticated military hardware.
Under these circumstances I think the least we can do is to boycott all United States goods and services. This means, for example, not buying US cosmetics, foodstuffs, soft drinks, electronics and machines. It also means not patronizing American fast-food chains. Let not our money help finance state terror against the Palestinians.
MOEEN FARUQI
Karachi
THIS refers to the decision of the Karachi University to postpone its convocation which was to be held on Nov 4. This decision was taken after the KU authorities received a letter from the Governor House stating that the Sindh governor, who is also the chancellor of the university, will not be able to attend the convocation because he would be busy in the formation of the new provincial government.
According to a report, 509 Masters and Honours graduates, 23 PhDs and 17 MPhils had registered themselves to attend the much- awaited convocation.
A good number of these have now joined the workforce and had to come to the university from far-flung areas. They have spent time and money to get the registration, convocation costume etc. for an event which has been postponed unnecessarily.
It is beyond my understanding as to why the chancellor could not spare two or three hours from his ‘busy’ schedule for awarding merit certificates and gold medals to
outstanding students of one of the prestigious institutions of higher learning in our country.
This simply shows the low priority that is given to education by those in authority in this country.
SANAM NOOR PECHUHO
Karachi
JUST after the Zakat Ordinance, 1980, had been promulgated by Gen Ziaul Haq, Maulana Mufti Mahmood, a former chief minister of the NWFP and a qualified Mufti of the Darul Uloom Deoband, issued a “fatwah” against deduction of Zakat from money kept in bank accounts.
He gave three reasons for this ruling: (a) the niyyah (intention) of the person from whose bank account Zakat was being deducted had not been ascertained; (b) the amount kept in the bank account was not the total property of the account holder and (c) the banks were holding money on behalf of their customers as “Amins” and Zakat cannot be collected from Amin.
Unfortunately, no notice of this ‘fatwah’ was taken then. But since now a good number of qualified religious scholars, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the son of Mufti Mahmood, have been elected to parliament, it is suggested that the matter be reviewed by parliament in the light of Islamic laws.
ANWAR KHALIL SHEIKH
Lahore
THIS is with reference to Mr Ikram ul Haque’s letter, “PPP should stay in the opposition” (Oct 22). He has exhorted the PPP to concentrate on organizing the party and re-establishing its contact with the masses instead of running after power.
I found the letter amazing. How is it that the writer is unaware of the fact that the first priority of a politician in this country is to grab power? How can a politician who has spent millions of rupees on his election campaign be expected to live merely on the salary and facilities provided to an MNA? And to make things worse, they know from experience that a government might not last for its full term. Therefore, they are in a hurry to mint as much money as they can in the shortest period of time.
As for compromising its principles, one must not forget that most of the PPP lawmakers are from the feudal class that hardly has any regard for principles.
ANIL KHAN
Karachi
WITH reference to the interview of Prof Atta-ur-Rahman by Dr Shahid Siddiqui (Oct 20), I want to say that reforms cannot be introduced in the public sector schools and colleges located in the villages. For this purpose, apart from establishing some more training centres for teachers, remuneration of teachers will have to be increased. Only then will it be possible to attract the right people towards the teaching profession.
Besides, adult literacy programmes may also be started so that people can learn to read, write and speak and develop an urge to improve their quality of life.
The role of technical and vocational centres is important for the less-privileged class of the society. Such centres will make people self-supporting and they will not demand government jobs.
For improving education at the higher level, PhD holders may be re-hired for five years (as has already been done in Bangladesh and India) as a short-term programme. They may be asked to teach improved and up-dated courses at universities, besides attending to research activities. Junior teachers may be asked to attend refresher courses in their respective areas so that the quality of teaching is improved.
Finally, the teaching profession must be made attractive to persuade talented people to choose it as their profession.
PROF DR AKHLAQ AHMED
Chicago, USA
This is with reference to a report, ‘Pensioners will get personal allowance’ (July 26). The report related to the judgment passed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the inclusion of personal allowance in the pension for those federal government employees who retired between June 16, 1994, and May 23, 1996.
The beneficiaries of the judgment were obviously very excited. However, the judgment still remains unimplemented as the office of the AGPR is waiting for a green signal from the ministry of finance. The ministry has not even acknowledged the letters that have been written for clarification in this regard.
It is requested that the ministry’s interpretation of the decision may kindly be published immediately for clarification.
M. SHAMSI
Islamabad
THE people of Peshawar welcome the anti-encroachment drive launched by the city administration. But strangely, the authorities have overlooked the areas where such action was required the most; the interior parts of the city.
In many busy markets, including Khyber Bazaar, Railway Road, Kissa Khwani Bazaar, Chowk Yadgar and Namak Mandi Road, one finds that it is difficult for even a pedestrian to find his way through the encroachments, what to speak of motorists. The campaign can be successful if the business community, the media and religious scholars are also involved in it.
It is suggested that a firm action be taken in these parts of the city.
TOUQEER AHMAD
Peshawar
THIS is with reference to Anwar Syed’s article “Shades of the Crusades” (Oct 13). The writer has raised some valid points about the growing religious extremism in Muslim countries, particularly in Pakistan.
It is a fact that the small number of Christians living in our country poses no threat to any extremist group. The extremist elements cannot defeat or harm the United States, the sole superpower, by killing innocent civilians in our neighbourhood. Rather they are creating problems for the Muslims the world over. A growing “Islamphobia” in Western countries is a case in point.
Killing no-combatant civilians in Churches, at their workplaces and creating harassment among some people is sheer terrorism.
It’s common knowledge that extremist organizations are against the US presence in Afghanistan, its bases in some Arab countries and its ceaseless support to Israel.
The main objective of the anti-American elements should be to create a situation in which the US finds itself compelled to leave the Muslim countries and adopt an even-handed policy viz-a-viz the Middle East. But the means they have employed to achieve this are flawed and misdirected.
The reality is that the US is going to stay in Afghanistan for a long time. Moreover, the threat of war against Iraq has given an excuse to the US to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East while Israel continues to hound the Palestinians.
It is a lose-lose situation for all those extremist elements and their sympathizers. What kind of service are they doing to the Muslims or to their own cause by killing innocent civilians in their own countries?
MUHAMMAD FAISAL
Sukkur
MR Waqif Lahori’s letter (Oct 22) enquiring about the address and the phone number of Mausiqar, an NGO, fills us with hope that there are lovers of music who would help promote our genres of music — classical, semi-classical, ghazal and folk.
We are based in Karachi and would be happy to help form similar oganizations, sharing our aims and objectives, anywhere in Pakistan.
Mr Lahori can contact the NGO at (021) 5854324 and 5845356 or he can email us at amineajam@hotmail.com.
MAUSIQAR
Karachi
THIS has reference to Lt-Col Mukhtar Ahmed’s letter, “Defence and Security” (Oct 8).
The writer has offered justification for the hefty budgetary provision for defence spending, accusing India of imposing on us the compulsion of excessive spending on defence since the inception of Pakistan. He has gone further to put the blame on India’s naked aggression which resulted in the break-up of Pakistan.
In my view, the order of the 1971 military action in the eastern wing by Gen Yahya Khan was a sheer act of folly. It was a sinful act which finds no parallel in history. It was an uprising of the former East Pakistanis who invited Indian intervention with a view to achieving independence from a dictatorial ruler who was deaf to all sane advice for an equitable political solution.
On his visit to Bangladesh, President Gen Pervez Musharraf not only deplored the happenings of 1971 but he also visited the national monument raised to honour those who had laid down their lives for independence.
K. A. WAHID BUTT
Lahore
RECENT dismal performance of our national cricket team has drawn a lot of criticism from everyone who has the slightest of interest in the game. Every Pakistani has been taken aback and wonders as to what has gone wrong.
This is a modern world where only the advanced nations rule and the rest follow them. The world of sports is no more an activity to keep fit or to have fun and good time. It is an industry like any other and is run and managed by qualified people who plan and organize the game with absolute precision. It is very competitive and result-oriented industry where a lot of money is at stake and only the brilliant and the cleverest brains can survives. In today’s world to organize sports to compete at the international levels, one needs plenty of resources and trained managers.
In Pakistan, we do not believe in management skills, coaching and tactics. There is a general misconception that anyone who has been heading any kind of organization will be able to run the PCB. Just look at the long list of people who have been at the helm of affairs of cricket in Pakistan. They were mostly generals, lawyers, and politicians.
There is no doubt Pakistanis are natural gifted players. They have excelled in almost all sports on the strength of their raw talent, but I am afraid things have changed. They will find it very difficult to compete at the highest level. I have a fear that the present performance of our cricket team may become more of a permanent nature. I wish I were wrong.
TARIQ MASUD
London, UK
A FEW Pakistani coaches have been unceremoniously sacked by the PCB in the recent years.
The reason has always been performance under par by the cricket team, even though the coach has had nothing to do with the debacles. Case in point: Muddasir Nazar, who was summoned to Lahore and sacked just because we did
not do well in a few one-day series.
So now with a foreign coach who is taking a ton of money and contributing nothing but a laptop and his analysis to the team, shall we do the same? After all, it is under him that we lost the World Cup 1999 and have been routed by Australia in a recent Test series.
If the local coaches got the boot, then why should a foreigner be an exception?
ARSALAAN AHMED SIDDIQI
Karachi
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