| December 17, 2002 | Tuesday | Shawwal 12, 1423 |
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Facts about KBCA
Ibex hunting
Madame Noor Jehan
Bush’s friendly gesture
Confusion about gazetted holidays
Use of solar energy
MMA’s pledge
Impact of 9/11 attacks
Teachers’ agitation
Where are our libraries?
IN the wake of reports about nuclear-arms technology being allegedly exported by Pakistan to North Korea, some US Congressmen have started talking about reimposing sanctions on Pakistan.
These critics have emerged even before a probe into the allegations by any authorized investigatory body. The Pakistan government and the country’s embassy in Washington have denied the charges.
In fact, any such move or even a strong campaign inside Congress will undermine US credibility in the already volatile region of South Asia, specifically in Pakistan. We all remember that immediately after the USSR withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US took a volte-face and imposed sanctions on its long-time ally, Pakistan, under the Pressler amendment.
The Pakistanis also remember very well that they had to faced a civil war-like situation in their own country while fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, only to be betrayed by their American friends under pressure from the powerful Indian lobby in Washington. This sense of betrayal is now part of Pakistani folklore and shapes the people’s response towards the US.
The Pressler amendment failed to achieve any of its objectives. However, it destroyed the goodwill that existed for the US among the Pakistani people, media and institutions. Also, American influence in South Asia diminished and its ability to influence and shape developments in the region and in Afghanistan suffered very badly.
If it were not for the reduced influence of the United States and the rest of the Western world in the region, a monster like the Taliban would never have emerged; it certainly could not have grown to such proportions.
Some US Congressmen, in their self-serving fashion, have ignored the services and sacrifices Pakistan has rendered in the war against terrorism. They have ignored that not only these media reports are unsubstantiated but also Pakistan has strongly denied the existence of any such exchange.
Even if these allegations were true, they would relate to a time when there was no active cooperation between the US and Pakistan. This crisis proves that US disengagement may create new undesired alliances in the region, thus adversely affecting American interests.
Even the hint of any such sanctions will destroy the new trust, which we are in the process of building in the region, and will weaken the pro-American forces in Pakistan’s political spectrum.
Throughout the Muslim world the war against terrorism is increasingly being viewed as war against Islam. At this moment, if the United States turns its back on a moderate Islamic country that has always risked its interests and reputation to stand by the US side, it will send wrong signals to the Muslim world.
S. ASIF ALAM
New York, USA
The article, ‘Karachi — people should know’ (Dec 9), by Ardeshir Cowasjee, needs to be clarified. The Karachi Building Control Authority would like the readers to know the following facts.
When inducted as KBCA chief, Brig (retd) A. S. Nasir was directed to improve the performance of the department which, despite Ordinance 2002 on Amnesty for Regularization, was receiving Rs7.5 million only a month.
In three months only, the performance of the KBCA has improved significantly and the department has been turned into a “mini-stock exchange” from a sinking institution.
In November alone, it earned Rs110 million and is likely to do even better in the months to come.
In the past, the main reasons for the poor performance of the KBCA were corruption, negligence by staff, no promotions in the past eight years, pending inquiries and lack of security for the staff against a few self-proclaimed NGOs. Mr Cowasjee has denied that he was behind one of the NGOs but it was evident in his column that he was using his clout to help an NGO.
The KBCA, as of today, is a financially viable and professionally efficient organization and is determined to serve the people of Karachi.
The housing industry of Karachi and the industrial sector have been put back on track and are showing signs of recovery.
MIRZA YOUSUF ALI
Public Relations Officer, KBCA,
Karachi
THE letter, ‘KBCA: Cowasjee factor’ (Dec 14), by Muslehuddin Rizvi, was nebulous. His objective was to re-establish Mr Cowasjee and play down the performance of the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA).
Mr Cowasjee has been hitting at the roots of Pakistan and, as such, has become more controversial today. His readers find him readable when he picks on corrupt administrations, but his sweeping comments, specially on Karachi affairs, are misdirected and uncalculated. Readers are, therefore, advised to read him with care.
Mr Cowasjee has an agenda and a clientele. Surely, he is a red rag for the corrupt, who dare write no rejoinders.
Of late, the KBCA has emerged as an efficient, cooperative and imaginative organization. Recently, I have shared my views with a lot of KBCA clients who have rated the department as an excellent result-oriented public office, providing relief to Karachiites.
I. HUSSAIN
Karachi
APROPOS the letter, ‘Ibex hunting’ (Dec 12), by Haseeb Khan, I want to inform readers that ibex hunting or killing in any national park is criminal. If there is an excess, the best course is to translocate them in another area with similar topography and flora for them to subsist on.
But it is far too expensive for any of the national parks in Pakistan to undertake this responsibility because none has the money and equipment to do so. Safe translocation of shy, wild animals like the nervous Ibex is very risky, almost impossible, without properly tranquillizing every animal, before capturing one from the national park and during transport.
Shifting the excess to a zoological garden is not possible because no zoo in our country has the right habitat to keep them in healthy condition. They are very nervous herbivore and do not like human presence. That is why most zoological gardens do not exhibit them.
In Khirthar National Park many males are found dead every year after dominant males, in a mutual fight for taking over the harem, push them down from the mountain. As they grow old they lose the control of leadership, turn greyish-white and weak and are unable to impress she-goats with brute power of health and masculine superiority. A fight is the ritual performed every year when younger males, eager to lead the herd, throw a challenge to lead.
Every year in breeding season, the males gather into a herd while the females do likewise to raise young ones. The all-male herd shows fit and strong males in the lead while the older males with long horns follow them. They cannot transfer the genepool to the females and eat up natural fodder that must be now eaten up by the younger growing herd. Khirthar National Park is in the grip of four-year drought with sparse vegetation that is getting less every day. No one feeds them.
Domestic animals, too, graze in the same area and degenerate the habitat reserved for the wild ibex, wild sheep and gazelles. There is thus less fodder for ibex goats. If the overpopulated males are allowed to subsist on the same grazing area, they will finish the vegetation and starve every animal.
Culling is, therefore, a process of necessity, not of choice. It is one of the range management techniques taken as the last resort. Very old males will be pushed down to death in any case. So, why not reduce their misery?
It is cruel step but better for the survival of the herd and the national park.
DR A. A. QURAISHY
Environmentalist
MELODY Queen Madame Noor Jehan, who died on Dec 24, 2000 after a protracted illness, enjoyed a glittering career spanning over five decades. Her valuable services to the Pakistan film industry and to the nation as a whole will not be forgotten.
She made a flying start by stage shows and soon achieved an enduring success as a versatile singer. And at the same time, she made her appearance on the silver screen and left an indelible mark. She was truly an artist of multifarious characters. The melodious songs rendered by her during the war of 1965 is a significant contribution to our national values.
It is, however, disappointing to note that no tribute has been paid yet to this dedicated artist of the subcontinent in an honourable manner.
It will not be out of place to mention here that Pakistan Post Office swiftly issued a colourful stamp of two-rupee denomination in 1997 in the honour of the late Nusrat Fathe Ali Khan.
It should be appreciated that, by any yardstick, Noor Jehan was no less important an artist than Khan Saheb was. Why is there an element of discrimination between the two artists of high calibre?
Now, since the second death anniversary of Madame Noor Jehan is on Dec 24, it is an opportunity for Pakistan Post Office to pay a tribute to this legendary artist by issuing a beautiful commemorative postage stamp in her memory — as a mark to eulogize her services to the country.
It is hoped the authorities concerned in the PPO will take cognizance of this fact and will not disappoint the nation.
Z. A. ANSARI
Karachi
IT is good news that President Bush visited the Islamic centre in Washington to share Eid celebrations with local Muslims. During the visit, Mr Bush made a speech which was directly televised by major US television channels explaining Islamic principles to the Americans. He said Islam stood for tolerance and peace.
I highly appreciate his goodwill gesture but have to point out that still several thousand Muslims are suffering owing to stricter policies of the FBI and immigration officials.
After 9/11, Americans started reacting against innocent Muslims without any proof. If those terrorists were Muslims, it does not mean that the whole nation should start blaming a religion for that reason.
It seems that the US is trying to avoid such reactions in the future, but it needs a lot of things to do in this regard. The attitude towards Muslims will have to change.
Furthermore, if the United States wants better relations with the Muslim world, it should help resolve disputes like Kashmir.
SAYYED AAMIR ALI
Karachi
WOULD it be too much to ask the government to publish a list of gazetted holidays at the beginning of the year? Every year we are wondering till the last minute whether or not Shab-i-Mairaj is a holiday.
And what about Lailatul Qadr or, for that matter, Allama Iqbals’s birth or is it now his death anniversary? It would help to bring a modicum of organization into our otherwise chaotic lives.
And as to the suggestion that Friday be the weekly holiday, I have seldom encountered anything more self-defeating. If this is meant to encourage the Ummah to go for Friday prayers, well, let me tell you that it does not, in fact, the reverse happens.
If made, Friday would be the only holiday of the week and people would like to go out, as they do on Sundays, and would either miss or forget the Friday prayer. On the contrary, as a working day, people have a break for the Friday prayer and then carry on.
SAIRA HOTI
Karachi
THE solar energy technology should be promoted in Pakistan, but for this the government must allow the import of necessary equipment free from duties and taxes.
What a pity that we are burning our valuable gas reserves instead of obtaining energy through solar thermal vacuum in northern areas and polypropylene absorber in southern areas of Pakistan.
This new energy can relieve us from foreign debts, save our energy resources and also save us from pollution. It would also create opportunities for employment.
MANSOORALI SHALWANI
Texas, USA
HATS off to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leadership who have pledged recovery of plundered money from corrupt politicians and government officers of the past.
I, as a taxpayer, suggest that this noble and much-needed campaign should commence with the recovery of Rs8,200,000 from former Senate chairman Waseem Sajjad.
This amount is said to have been written off by the government to enable him to contest the forthcoming Senate election, despite the resistance put up by the auditor-general of Pakistan and other agencies concerned.
This write-off shows that we are still following a bad tradition, inherited from the previous governments.
AKIF NAQVI
Islamabad
THE impact of the 9/11 attacks has been highly adverse on industries in Pakistan. The trade turnover has been reduced to a great extent and many industrial units have been compelled to close down.
The worst-affected sector is the software industry. According to a recent survey, around 200 software houses have been closed down and 5,000 programmers and trainees have become unemployed since Sept 11, 2001.
Most of these software houses had been working for foreign concerns of information technology. They had made sizable commitments with foreign companies and had been given deadlines for the completion of their assignments, but the 9/11 incidents changed everything.
Successive governments have promised to bring down the unemployment figure but have never kept their words, thus letting the number of the jobless rise incessantly.
Unemployment can only be checked if our economy improves. And this can be possible if the law and order becomes conducive to enhanced activity on the economic front. The newly-elected government should take up this matter seriously.
ZIA UR REHMAN RAZWY
Karachi
SEVERAL months ago, the teacher community strongly resented the government decision to privatize educational institutions and appoint teachers on a contract basis.
As this decision created a deep sense of insecurity among the teachers, they held token strikes and brought out processions. The police baton-charged them, wounding many seriously.
Then the governor of Punjab agreed to withdraw the notification. But at the same time, he floated the idea of establishing a ‘board of governors’ in government institutions. This was merely a change of nomenclature. Actually, the government wanted to make educational institutions financially self-sufficient by charging students heavy fees and by reducing the number of teachers.
All teacher associations rejected the idea and continued their peaceful agitation. Now, the government has terminated the services of seven college teachers of Lahore. This action may add fuel to the fire and students might get involved in imminent strikes which may not be peaceful.
The prime minister and the chief minister of Punjab should tackle this issue carefully as the youth are at present very disappointed due to rampant unemployment and the economic depression in the country.
In these circumstances, it is necessary that the government should, as a gesture of goodwill, immediately reinstate all the dismissed teachers and call a meeting of the representatives of teachers, students and parents to find out an acceptable solution to the problem.
M. RAMZAN YAZDANI
Bahawalpur
WE cannot expect the number of libraries in Pakistan to rise, nor will any segment of society inclined to pursue higher learning expand if our national priorities, as perceived by both our policymakers and a large section of the population, lie elsewhere.
Many Pakistanis are interested in giving their children religious education only. They send them to madaris where they are educated only in subjects related to religion. These madaris hardly need books on modern aspects of learning.
Besides, when only 120,000 students, in a population of 140 million, can afford post-graduate education, it becomes clear that education is not our top priority. Policymakers, too, do not attach much importance to education. As a result, our national budget for education has remained very low for many years.
It is said that the country’s education budget is less than even the price of one F-16 fighter plane. A time was when Pakistan was trying to buy 70 such planes from the USA. So much for our national priorities.
Dr SHAHIDUL ISLAM
Toronto, Canada
THIS refers to Bashir A. Sayyed’s letter, ‘Where are our libraries? (Dec 12).
He was critical of the education system that we inherited from the British. He accused teachers of dictating notes to students, discouraging them from using their faculty of inquiry, thus minimizing the need for libraries. I think this is not true.
There is no denying the fact that in the early days following the partition, when we inherited this system of education, it was a normal practice in most of the government high schools to have a weekly hour, called as ‘library period’.
Students visited school libraries, though ill-stored and inadequately-stocked in most cases, to borrow a book or two of their choice, and returned them the next week.
This practice not only familiarized them with the procedure of borrowing books from the library but also provided them with a chance to be acquainted with a variety of books, some of them were also helpful for their curricular requirements.
It is regrettable that with a number of other beneficial aspects of our social and academic life, the library period, too, has ceased to exist in school timetables.
In the present deteriorating conditions, there is an urgent need to revive this practice. The education department ought to make it mandatory in all schools to have a weekly library period so that students could have a chance to establish their contact with books.
WAQIF LAHORI
Lahore
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