| November 16, 2002 | Saturday | Ramazan 10, 1423 |
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Murder in the name of honour
Road repairs in Karachi
Restoring Indo-Pakistan travel links
PIA’s performance
Importance of discipline
Public image of police
Home-coming
CSS exam subjects
Suspension of students
Discrepancy in merit list
Friedman’s strange ‘analysis’
THIS refers to the clarification by the PRO, ministry of petroleum (Nov 12). The fact is that this 10-year contract, which is worth about $500 million, has been manoeuvred at double market rates for the transportation of crude oil.
The PRO maintains that the contract given to the PNSC is linked to the rates of AFRA. However, market rates for crude oil transportation are between 30 and 35 per cent lower than the AFRA rates in every region of the world.
If the AFRA rate for transporting crude oil from the Persian Gulf to Karachi is six dollars per MT, ships are available to carry it for $3.5 per MT. However, the PNSC, at the AFRA rate, would charge eight dollars for the same service.
What happens is that the PNSC, which does not have tankers to carry crude oil, charters foreign vessels at market rates of $3.5 and charges us eight dollars. Where this $4.5 goes can be anybody’s guess. This also explains why electricity is so expensive in Pakistan.
Pakistan imports approximately eight million tons of crude oil and 12 million tons of refined petroleum. Oil marketing companies retail the refined products while crude oil is supplied to government-owned refineries.
Since the oil marketing companies keep a close watch on costs at all stages, they would never permit the PNSC to charge more than the market rates. That is why the PNSC has never tried to transport this most essential cargo to Pakistan.
The refined products are value-added and of higher strategic importance but, somehow, those in the ministry of petroleum and the PNSC have been able to make policy-makers believe that crude oil is of greater strategic importance.
This is just like treating iron ore as of greater strategic importance against the steel billets. And it is on the basis of this wrong impression that the PNSC has been given the exclusive right to transport crude oil to Pakistan.
The PNSC owns only one tanker, M. V. Jauhar, which can carry a maximum of two million tons of crude oil per year. But even this tanker is not used to its full capacity. The mafia ensures that most of the crude oil is transported on foreign chartered ships so that they might enjoy the maximum of kick-backs.
The contract was signed on Oct 23, 2002, for 10 years. The intention was to present this situation as a fait accompli to the new government.
MOHAMMED SAEED JAVED
Karachi
THIS refers to the editorial: “In the name of ‘honour’” (Nov 10). It has been rightly pointed out that “the murder of three young women in Mianwali by their own uncles in the name of so-called honour is yet another grim reminder of how a mishmash of primitive tribal and feudal customs continues to play havoc with our society.”
The facts surrounding the killing of the three young women by their own family sent a shiver down my spine and I felt saddened to think about the millions of women still living under oppression and fear in our country.
What was noticeable was that no other newspaper or article reported the incident, not in a prominent fashion at least. The press is full of reports of political games that are now being played at the highest level in the wake of the recent general election. Every day we hear statements from politicians about how they will fix Pakistan’s problems if they are allowed to form a new government.
Although I am generally suspicious of all political parties in our beloved homeland, I was somewhat encouraged by the large support that was gained by the religious parties in the election. I mean when the other options are those who have already been tested through the years and failed — the PPP and the PML — it was a little encouraging to know that now the religious parties might bring the much-needed “enlightened moral” direction to our national policy-making process.
But not one single statement was issued by the leaders of these religious parties in sympathy for the victims of the Mianwali murders.
An overwhelming grief enveloped me because religious leaders, who have been given a considerable mandate by our citizens, seem to have no interest in the burning social issues that face our dear Pakistan in this age. They very conveniently turned a blind eye to the screams and cries of these young women. No one raised a finger.
What else can one think in such circumstances other than that these new faces in future parliament are nothing but the same breed of political entrepreneurs pushing their own personal agenda towards coming to power, with no care for the plight of the poor?
I hope that the killers of the three women are apprehended and given an exemplary punishment under the law. I ask the leaders of the parties that have been recently put forth in the race to form a new government to see to it that the culprits of this heinous crime are severely punished.
MOHAMMAD ALI SYED
Washington DC, USA
THIS refers to Nizamuddin Siddiqui’s report, “Simultaneous construction of roads irks commuters” (Nov 12). This process, taken up without any planning, is undoubtedly more than irksome to all road users.
Looking at the dug up roads from one end of Karachi to another, one could be fooled to assume that a momentous development programme is under way. This deception is reinforced by various signboards announcing that it is another “Khushal Pakistan Development” project.
In fact, these projects disrupt the already chaotic daily routine. The first sign of chaos appears when roads are dug up and left in that state with all the rubble piled up, gathering more rubbish. In the second stage, we see crushed stones thrown around as another challenge for all road users to cope with. Though this is the least skillful part of road building, it would be around for days and weeks to cause maximum damage to cars and delays to commuters.
The finishing stage where technical skills are required for levelling, allowing for gutters, carpeting, etc., is steamrolled in the shortest possible time. That results in manholes without covers and obstructed
with tree trunks and sundry rubbish hurriedly buried under the tarmac. Such examples of road construction are all too evident in most parts of the city.
It was, therefore, not surprising that as banners at the cross-section of Tipu Sultan Road and Jauhar Road went up singing praises for the local administration, the portion of a newly-built road around the corner caved in, and a large pothole sprang up restricting the traffic to a crawl. The three-lane road going towards Shaheed-i-Millat Road can hardly be used even in a single lane.
If the cost of repairs of the cars damaged by under-construction roads is estimated, it would be astronomical. And the frustration and losses due to delays caused by it are in addition to it.
The city of Karachi needs good roads, a working sewage system and clean water from taps, not tankers. The city also needs to be saved from incompetent engineers, greedy developers, clueless administrators and opportunist politicians.
OWAIS HASIN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter, “Restoring Indo-Pakistan travel links” (Nov 7), by Justice Salahuddin Mirza (retired), supporting the demand made by Fakhar Zaman, chairman of the World Punjabi Congress, for the restoration of travel links between the two countries.
Both of them have maintained that these links should be restored for two reasons:
(a) There are thousands of divided families living on both sides of the political divide, and (b) writers, social workers and intellectuals, who are endeavouring for peace in the region, are unable to achieve their objective because of these restrictions.
I, being a member of the post-partition generation, see this issue from a different angle. Leave aside the divided families or a small number of peace activists.
What about a large number of young people in Pakistan who wish to see Taj Mahal, spend some days in the London of the East and enjoy a holiday at Simla? Similarly, there must be many Indians who want to see the vibrant city of Lahore and would love to enjoy the beauties of Northern Areas of Pakistan.
Isn’t it regrettable that citizens of both the countries can visit the British Museum, climb up the Eiffel Tower and go to the Niagara Falls, but are unable to see the mausoleums of Ghalib and Iqbal just a few hundred miles on the other side of the border?
Let us hope for the day when free travel for common people would become possible between India and Pakistan.
WAQIF LAHORI
Lahore
THIS refers to the letter, “PIA’s performance” (Oct 24), by the “frequent traveller”.
The writer complained that the baggage on (PK 788/LON-ISB) on Aug 11, 2002, had arrived 90 minutes after the arrival of the flight at Islamabad airport.
This complaint is a gross exaggeration, according to an inquiry conducted into the matter. It has been found that the flight arrived at Islamabad airport, with a couple of other PIA flights (PK 224 from Dubai and PK 754 from Riyadh) simultaneously, which created congestion, causing some delay in baggage delivery.
The process of delivery of all baggage (from the first to the last piece on PK 788/LON-ISB) took no more than 55 minutes, whereas the complainant incorrectly stated that it had taken 90 minutes.
The complainant also alleged that jewellery had been stolen from the baggage. PIA reiterates that it is mandatory, under IATA rules and regulations, not to deposit any “gold ornaments, currency notes and important document in the hold baggage” as the airline would not be held responsible for the safety/security of the same.
In case a traveller does deposit any of these articles in his/her suitcase, he or she is then required to open and check the baggage before leaving the premises.
According to the international rules, any complaints lodged after the departure of a passenger from the arrival lounge would not be entertained by the airline concerned.
However, PIA deplores the unpleasant experience that one of its valued customers had to undergo, and hopes that his or her future association with PIA will be satisfactory.
MRS FARHAT JAMAL
Manager, Public Affairs
WE ARE grateful to Dawn for the column, “50 years ago today”, which appears daily.
In its edition of Oct 21, 1952, there was news that the province of Punjab started a “Queue Week” on Oct 20.
In Lahore the day started with sermons at places of worship emphasizing the necessity of discipline in daily life. The morning radio carried a 10-minute speech in Urdu explaining the significance of queuing for a well-disciplined life. Attractive posters were also displayed.
Now 50 years have elapsed and still we do not believe in the utility of queuing for any public service. We, in fact, take pride in going ahead of others.
With effective electronic media coverage, we can educate the people about the importance of discipline in life, telling them that the first step in this regard would be to follow a queue system. I am sure our Ulema can also say a few words on discipline in life in their Friday sermons.
AKBER D. VAZIR
Karachi
I HOLD the same view about police as many others do: policemen are rude and are not helpful at all. A recent experience, however, came as a pleasant surprise to me.
One day, while I was standing at a traffic signal near the American consulate, a policeman stopped a motorcyclist. I thought that the motorcyclist must have been intercepted for interrogation or body search, which is very common in Karachi these days, but the policeman, instead, called an elderly person standing nearby and asked the motorcyclist to drop him where the old man wanted to go. The policeman then helped the old man sit on the motorbike.
It was a small act of sympathy and kindness, but it really made me feel happy. I am sure that a little change in the attitude of policemen would work wonders in improving their public image.
AYESHA MALIK
Karachi
HOME-coming is usually a very happy occasion. When I went back to my home in Peshawar recently, there was a special reason to be happy: the encroachments with which the town had lived for the last 55 years had been done away with.
However, there were some leftovers that marred my happiness to some extent. There was a maze of electric wires and telephone cables that made me wonder as to how linemen of either department would make out ‘who is who’, or rather ‘what is what’, should there be a fault.
The encroachments were reportedly removed for widening roads, but electric poles, erected decades ago, stood where they were before and are, indeed, a traffic hazard. However, it was a home-coming and best left at that.
HAPPY CITIZEN
Rawalpindi
I WONDER what policy the FPSC follows about the CSS examinations. Some of my friends have already qualified and others are preparing for the coming examinations. This is what they say:
Punjabi as a subject has been discouraged for the last three years and will be discouraged for another two years.
Constitutional law as a subject was discouraged for the 2001 examination and the trend is expected to continue for four more years, so many have wisely dropped it. American history is always a low-scoring subject. Political Science, Arabic, Persian, International Relations, European History and Indian History are being promoted by the commission, hence they are high-scoring subjects.
A CSP’s job requirement demands that he should have adequate knowledge of public administration, sociology, law (including constitutional law), history (including that of the USA) and even subjects like agriculture and forestry in our agrarian set-up.
But then I feel comfort by rationalizing that in a country where the Constitution is suspended, held in abeyance, amended at will by a single individual and carries no value in the eyes of the ruling elite, opting for constitutional law as an optional subject in the CSS examinations might have been the biggest mistake.
MASOOD AHMED
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to the letter, “Suspension of students” (Nov 14).
I endorse the views of Rukiya Ashraf. I know a girl who has also been suspended. These students were just expressing their views on an imminent war against Iraq, the situation in Palestine and the detention of Dr Amir Aziz. They did it after school hours and most of them were not even in their school uniforms.
It is unjust to suspend these students on this account. It is hoped that the school would take its decision back.
MADIHA NOORANI
Karachi
MY son, Syed Muhammad Hasan, was certified to have secured 81.67 per cent (equivalence percentage) marks in GCE ‘A’ level by the registrar of the NED University.
In the data record on HSC marks notified by the university, my son (Registered No. 5068) was placed at Sl. No. 3 and Sana Frahim (R/4407) was shown at Sl. No. 5.
To my utter surprise, however, in the provisional merit list notified on Nov 9, 2002, my son has been relegated to merit-4 and admitted to CE, whereas Sana Frahim has been shown at merit-3 and admitted to EE, causing injustice to my son.
In the name of justice and fair play I request that my son should be admitted to EE.
MUHAMMAD ASGHAR
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Raza Naeem’s letter, “Friedman’s strange ‘analysis’ (Nov 9).
Thomas Friedman is an amazing writer and his columns are read by many people. He is regarded an authority on foreign policy issues, specially on the Middle East, by many important people in the Beltway area. And rightly so, for he is highly qualified and has had professional experience in the region.
His articles are also translated and published in Arabic, Chinese and Spanish. I admire the recipient of seven Pulitzer prizes, however, only when he does not go overboard and when he is not writing with an agenda to take advantage of his influence on the Beltway boys.
But I basically agree with his contention somewhat that one of the reasons that there is rise in Islamic fundamentalism is that, generally, the youth in Arab and Muslim countries despise their dictators, who are supported by the United States, and so their hatred towards their rulers translates into hatred towards America.
Moreover, when they see stagnation in their own countries in terms of political and economic progress, and when they compare it with the economic conditions in Israel and the West, they find discrepancies between what they perceive should have been and the reality. This subsequently translates into hatred towards America.
However, Mr Friedman does indeed undermine the fact that much of the hatred comes from the unconditional support that the United States offers to Israel. As to why he does so is conceivable.
Mr Friedman is also exceptionally biased towards Pakistan, and he has overtly criticized Pakistan during his recent visit to India. All his articles, written during his visit there, were about Pakistan and, surprisingly, all the facts that he put forth in his articles were wrong, some of them proved so by articles published in New York Times in subsequent editions.
As for Mr Kritsoff, he also wrote a biased and manipulative series of articles on Pakistan when he visited Pakistan and decided to stay in the remotest of all places, perceiving those areas to be the ‘real Pakistan’ and not the hustling and bustling Western-like cities.
As for Charles Krauthammer, I have never read or heard from a man more eloquent in his speech and writing than he is, and yet so clever in manipulating facts to serve the interests of Israel in the Western media. Mr Krauthammer is blatantly anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian state, anti-Muslim and anti-Islam. Yet he is a syndicated writer of repute, who has been published in all the major newspapers of the United States and has also been a recipient of the Pulitzer award.
Mr Kristoff and William Safire are moderates, and I hope the boys in the Beltway area, if they are smart enough to be there, are also smart enough to understand the reason why all these writers manipulate facts to raise and subdue certain issues.
AMIR QURESHI
Lahore
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