| November 24, 2002 | Sunday | Ramazan 18, 1423 |
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PTV and US company
IT training programme
Performance of Musharraf government
Corporal punishment in schools
Judges’ age of retirement
Children and books
Poverty in India
SMC funds
Rising prices of fruits
Global fight against terrorism
Dr Abdus Salam remembered
I WELCOME Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on board the country’s democratic plane as prime minister. We have seen many changes during the past three years when we did not have an elected government.
I would not like Mr Jamali to tell the nation that his government has inherited a bundle of problems, being faced by the common man, from the previous governments.
We have been hearing such excuses from his predecessors and would now expect him to solve these problems instead of seeking refuge behind a lame excuse.
We hope that, in his first speech after assuming powers as chief executive of Pakistan, he would come up with concrete plans for the uplift of the poor. He should also announce policies to eradicate poverty and provide jobs to millions of youths in the country.
There are lots of other questions that we would want him to answer in his first speech.
How does he propose to revive over 4,000 sick industries? Would sanitation, better roads, clean water for drinking, health care and harmony among different factions be among his top priorities?
What steps does he intend to take for the improvement of the law and order situation? Would he, too, like to work on the agenda of the IMF and the World Bank? Would he also keep on boasting about the rising reserves of the central bank while the poor in the country continue to die for want of nutrition?
SYEDA FARAH MATEEN
Karachi
THE election of Zafarullah Khan Jamali as PM has undoubtedly been made possible through some wheeling and dealing by the military government. However, this ought not to diminish the sense of relief that everyone interested in the progress and well-being of Pakistan should feel at the success in keeping the mullahs at bay.
At this critical stage, Pakistan’s first priority ought to be the protection of its interests rather than supporting the indefensible actions of Muslim extremists from other lands who have already caused us so much grief and embarrassment.
Supporting US actions against terrorism, even when it offends the nationalistic sensibilities of Pakistanis, is a rational approach that is likely to yield positive results in the form of better law and order situation in the country.
Let us hope that the new government will vigorously pursue this objective.
M. HAIDER
New Jersey, USA
THE news that an American company is bent upon usurping PTV’s over one million dollars is alarming. According to the news item, “PTV may file suit against US company” (Nov 7), the company, placing reliance on “misinterpretation” of the agreement executed between the two parties, has taken the stand that it is not liable to make any payment to PTV for the supply of software and news and current affair programmes for relaying in the USA.
Seemingly, the company must be taking shelter behind some weak and ambiguously-worded provisions that might have escaped PTV’s notice at the preparation and scrutiny level of the agreement.
It is believed, PTV’s resorting to the course of litigation for the recovery of the dues might have become inevitable after it quoted in its effort to resolve the matter through arbitration by a neutral body, a normally recognized and accepted mode followed in such a situation. Hopefully an appropriate provision to this effect exists in the agreement.
One wonders if it is prudent that the PTV should continue enlarging the outstanding receivables from the company with each passing day, which might have by now reached the threshold of 1.5 million dollars. And, is litigation with the American company likely to yield result favourable to the PTV which itself apparently, to some extent, stands responsible for the faux pas?
These aspects of the matter are required to be taken into account by the concerned authorities. As the news item says that the information secretary has already reported the matter to the President. Accordingly, the government, particularly the ministry of finance, whose additional secretary (budget) is included among the members of the PTV board of directors, is expected to initiate appropriate action so as to save the national exchequer from the impending loss of foreign exchange.
HAFIZ SULTAN AHMAD
Islamabad
DURING the last three years, there has been a lot of publicity about information technology but, unfortunately, at least in Karachi, a majority of training institutes gradually experienced a very low student intake and a high dropout rate with the result that they are unable to function. Many institutes have closed down and the remaining ones are on their way out.
The reason is that students are now totally disillusioned because after training most of them do not get jobs. Even the much-publicised training programmes conducted under MoST, in partnership with COMSATS, and implemented through various institutes were disorganized, having absolutely no linkage with the industry.
A lot of money has been pumped into the high-profile Virtual University project. It is hoped it would meet its objectives of providing quality and trained manpower to the much-starved software houses and serve all segments of society. There is a dire need to adopt a more comprehensive and meaningful IT training programme.
AFTAB MUHAMMAD KHAN
Karachi
HAZRAT UMAR once said that he would feel that he had not fulfilled his responsibility even if one dog remained hungry in his caliphate.
But our beloved President Gen Pervez Musharraf waxed eloquent on the so-called achievements of his government during his recent address to the nation.
Not only is this an affront to the intelligence of the down-trodden, who cannot express their feelings through hours’ long speeches on the state-controlled television, it also reflects on the honesty of our leaders.
The President has not fulfilled a single promise he made after taking over power three years ago. Even the recent general election and the formation of the government do not drop a hint that he intends to transfer powers to the representatives of the people.
KHWAJA SHAMAASH
Lahore
IF we compare the last two democratic governments and their performances with the regime of Pervez Musharraf, anyone with some common sense would give greater weight to Musharraf’s achievements.
Almost every segment of society is at ease and economic progress is on the way. The law and order situation has greatly improved. Corruption at the higher levels has been almost eliminated. What else can be expected within a period of only three years?
Let Gen Musharraf work for the prosperity of the country. The constitutional changes and its pitfalls should be tolerated for the sake of the larger interests of the country. The democratic process has begun and all the parties in parliament should pool their efforts together to work for the solution of the problems faced by the common man, instead of satisfying egos of their own.
MAKHDOOM N. HUSSAIN
Lahore
TWO prominent news stories on corporal punishment in our schools, published on Nov 20, prompt me to share my views with Dawn readers. The issue of corporal punishment in schools is not only a public health issue but it has serious implications for the education sector as well in the long run.
Our nation has suffered immensely for long as our policymakers have accorded a low priority to education over the past four decades. What we do today would benefit our next generations. The harm done to the present generation is complete and virtually irrevocable.
It is heartening to note that things have started inching forward in the right direction over the past few years, but we have to take note of the realities on the ground.
Last week I visited a newly-established literacy centre in the Union Council, Jhangra, near Sehwan. The centre provides formal education to impoverished children living in remote villages. I was appalled to find a stick there.
The teacher assured me that the stick would never be used to punish children, but when I was told that the attendance of the school was declining, I quickly identified its cause and got the ominous tool removed from there. The village notables agreed with me that children required to be taught with love.
I am also aware that the government policy is totally against this obsolete practice and I am sure that the drastic action taken by our popular former minister for education against a school that humiliated one of its students must have been appreciated by all sane individuals in our society.
But probably many such incidents occur daily in all parts of our country and a collective effort by communities, rather than the state, is needed to bring about a behavioural change in this regard. Until that time comes, all our attempts for enhancing our phenomenally low literacy rate are doomed to fail.
DR GHULAM NABI KAZI
WHO Operations Officer for Sindh,
Karachi
ON the night between Oct 9 and 10, the government extended the retirement age of the High Court judges from 62 to 65 years and that of the Supreme Court judges from 65 to 68 years.
In America, there is no retirement age for a judge. However, conventionally judges in the US cease to function after attaining the age of 70. When I told my friend that only one American judge served beyond 70, his spontaneous reaction was that one must confirm if his mother was of Pakistani origin!
Could anyone confirm my friend’s remarks?
HAFEEZ AKHTAR
Lahore
I ALWAYS go through your Books and Authors section every week. This time I found it all the more interesting as it highlighted the fact that our children are either not reading enough or not reading at all.
Books have always been a companion of mine. They are a source of inspiration and enlightenment for me. Since my childhood to date, I have needed them because I am the only child of my parents and, in lonely hours, books give me company just as my brothers and sisters would have done, if there had been any.
I personally feel that the habit of reading in our country suffers because parents do not encourage children to read books other than the text books. Perhaps some parents cannot afford to purchase books, but I am sure they can take out some amount for this purpose from the entertainment budget as books are entertainment as well.
My favourite gift for my friends, of course those who share my passion for books, are books. Now being a mother, I gift books to my baby. It is not that my baby does not like toys or does not have any toys. In fact, like other children, she always wants to have more toys whenever we go to a shopping mall. But I try to divert her attention from the toy shop and take her to the bookstore where she gets attracted by the colourful picture books or books showing the popular cartoon characters.
In introducing books to children, parents come first. After them, it is the responsibility of close relatives like grandparents and finally teachers at school.
A child’s brain is like a sponge which would soak everything in which it is placed. Books provide the material that a child would need in future to make his/her life successful and purposeful. We must, therefore, help him in developing the habit of storing in our children’s minds the knowledge and ideas that books provide.
JULIE DCRUZ
Karachi
PTV showed a documentary, “India Today”, in its late-night transmission on Nov 16. It was shocking to see people eating leaves and roots to keep themselves alive. The sight of the frail, emaciated human beings dying helplessly was just appalling.
However, India is still spending large amounts of money in committing atrocities through its army in the occupied Kashmir. The Indian government should have instead focused its attention on the improvement of conditions prevailing in parts of that country where people are compelled to part with their kidneys to get some money to buy food and other essentials for themselves.
Despite India’s hostility towards Muslims, as evidenced in the occupied Kashmir and Gujarat, let us consider offering help to the famine-stricken areas of India because human life is more precious than anything else.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
THE government of Sindh has recently granted Rs452 million to SMCs (school management committees) in its drive against illiteracy under the “Education for all” programme.
It is, however, astonishing that the SMCs have been asked to purchase articles from particular firms though it is known that they are selling to the SMCs a simple wooden chair, worth Rs300 in the local market at Rs800. So the following questions arise:
Were the SMCs given this huge amount before they had properly been institutionalized?
Why are the SMCs asked to purchase articles from certain firms?
How if the fund had been released when the SMCs would have been in a position to take decisions on their own with a mere technical facilitation and guidance by the education department?
I request the concerned authorities to look into the matter and do the needful.
SHOAIB JAGIRANI
Sehwan Sharif
THIS is very sad that fruit sellers begin charging consumers exorbitant prices with the advent of the holy month of Ramazan.
Fruit merchants are one of the major groups that always exploit excessive demands in this month. Fruit sellers are charging consumers more than 100 per cent higher than fixed rates. This is happening all over the country. It is difficult for the middle class, let alone the poor, to buy fruits, specially in Ramazan.
The concerned authorities have not taken any action against the profiteers. I hope that the new government will order a crackdown on these profiteers before any further delay.
SIDRA RAUF
Karachi
THE global fight against terrorism cannot succeed if the world’s richest countries continue to ignore poverty and war-racked Africa. This observation was made by all the African leaders at a summit held in Paris on Feb 8, 2002. This indeed is the root-cause of the menace of terrorism.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who represented his country at the summit of 13 African nations, was of the view that if countries continued to hold back on investment in Africa, the war against terrorism would become a true international war.
There was also a consensus of opinion among the African leaders that if poverty was not handled judiciously, the war against terrorism would become a permanent feature of the world and no country would be spared. Poverty is also the greatest terror in many Asian countries that have become casualties in the so-called war on terror. The developed countries, led by the United States, have been attacking poor countries in the name of fighting terrorism in order to keep their arms factories running.
Eradicating poverty, I believe, is the biggest challenge the world is facing today. Unless the menace of poverty is eliminated, world security and peace will remain a dream.
SULTAN AHMED CHOWDHRY
Lahore
AMONG great scientists in history, Prof (Dr) Abdus Salam occupies a unique position. Few have discovered a universal law of nature, still fewer have founded an institute, not for the privileged but for the underprivileged. Prof Salam accomplished both.
He outgrew his accomplishments in physics and became a statesman, whose name is familiar to physicists from Seoul to Sao Paulo. He founded an institution that has benefited tens of thousands of the most underprivileged physicists, who kept open a channel to the West to physicists from behind the Iron Curtain when no one else would have them.
Prof Salam has laid many of the foundations of the present theory of particle physics, the physics of what lies at the heart of matter.
He, with his colleagues, searched for a unity among the seemingly disparate forces of nature — in the tradition of Newton, Maxwell and Einstein — and formulated the unified theory in its final form in 1967 for which he shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics with two Harvard physicists.
The crowning achievement was the creation (in 1964) and subsequent development of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics at Trieste (now rightly named after him), which has touched the lives of so many physicists the world over.
Prof Salam was an effective communicator, too, and could use arguments as a weapon to achieve a purpose. Yet he failed in one of his lifelong goals, perhaps the one closest to his heart. Near the end of his life, Prof Salam lamented: “Countries like Turkey, Egypt and my own country, Pakistan, have no science communities geared to development because we do not want such communities. We suffer from a lack of ambition towards acquiring science, a feeling ... bordering sometimes even on hostility.”
He was perhaps the most decorated scientist of the world winning awards after awards from countries from the East, West, North and South; visitors to the ICTP Library, where these awards are exhibited, can see for themselves.
This month six years ago, Prof Salam passed into history alongside other great physicists and, as a crusader, consumed by a desire to promote science and technology in the Third World. He passionately believed that “the widening gap in economics and influence between the nations of the South and the North is basically the science gap. It is a political decision on the part of those (principally from the South) who decide on the destiny of developing humanity if they will take steps to let the less miserable create, master and utilize modern science and technology” for their betterment. Has this political decision been made in Pakistan? I leave the answer to the readers.
RIAZUDDIN
Islamabad
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