| December 27, 2002 | Friday | Shawwal 22, 1423 |
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‘Land mafia — in all shades’
US policies and the Muslims
Sui gas employees’ grievances
Political manoeuvring in Sindh
More buses for Karachi
Aziz Bhatti Park
Ibex hunting
Rangers’ highhandedness
KBCA’s performance
Water bills
Unjust decision
Breaking law
Achieving financial stability
AT the very first meeting of the federal cabinet, Jamali’s government decided that every MNA would be given development funds to the tune of Rs10 million annually. The Punjab government followed suit and announced that every MPA would get five million rupees every year for development works in their areas.
When the Senate comes into existence, its 100 members will also be given similar amounts in the name of development funds. Thus, billions of rupees will be put at the disposal of the members of the National Assembly, the provincial assemblies and the Senate. This money of taxpayers is likely to be misappropriated by legislators.
The question is, why should legislators be given development funds? Their main job is to legislate and initiate policies for the benefit of the people. Executing policies, both development or otherwise, is the responsibility of civic agencies. Providing huge amounts to lawmakers in the name of development is only a method of bribing them.
What about the Musharraf government’s tall claims about good governance? This step will corrupt the entire political wing of the new government. The prime minister or the president will then have no moral authority to ask other officials to abstain from graft, nepotism or misappropriation of public funds.
This decision is also contrary to the spirit of the devolution of power plan under which we have city and local governments in place. Local bodies’ representatives are well aware of the problems and needs of the common man as they are constantly in touch with the people. They ought to be given more funds to carry out development works in their constituencies.
Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo was the initiator of this method of allocating development funds to lawmakers. His main purpose of introducing this arrangement was to bind together assembly members following the non-party election of 1985. But we had a party-based general election in October and the Jamali government is unjustified in allocating funds to MNAs and MPAs.
Will the prime minister reconsider this decision in the cabinet for its withdrawal?
HAMID H. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
THIS bears reference to Kunwar Khalid Younus’s letter, ‘Land mafia — in all shades’ (Dec 20).
This is very unfortunate that, despite having full knowledge of the case of land under Karachi’s North Nazimabad bridge and after holding two meetings on the matter, Mr Younus has dubbed me a land grabber.
I am a legal attorney for a piece of land beneath the North Nazimabad bridge situated on survey No. 73, Deh Khari Lakhi, Block B. The possession of the land surrounded by a wall is not new. I had an office over there for a long time.
To set the record straight, I would clarify the following:
1. During the installation of a gate and repair of four walls (in the aftermath of a fire at the Teen Hatti bridge), Mr Younus called my father and me and, consequently, we had two meetings with him. He fully scrutinized our documents and kept one set with him.
2. This land has been in our possession for a long time and we had a favourable verdict by a lower court in the case (No. 699/88).
3. We submitted the case to the KDA in 1997 for an NOC and another case is still pending there without mentioning anything negative in our title of land.
4. There still exists an entry in record of right of the board of revenue in the name of Mr Ilyas and heirs who legally appointed me their attorney.
5. This land is still under litigation in the Sindh High Court in a case (No. 993/2002) filed by me.
6. Apart from it, I would welcome any move and am ready to show my documents to anybody at any forum and to the media. I request the concerned authorities to help us get justice.
Last but not least, my family has been in construction business for a long time and if we had the blessing of any minister, we would not have been deprived of justice by the KDA.
SALMAN FAIZULLAH GHOURY
Karachi
FOR a decade or so, anti-American feelings have been rising among Muslims for three reasons.
First, such feelings are generated by annual American support of five billion dollars and supply of military hardware to Israel, aimed at strengthening it against unarmed Palestinians. Added to this is the fact that the US condemns Palestinians as terrorists although they are striving for their right to self-determination.
Second, it is the American yearning for a war against Iraq to topple Saddam’s regime that has annoyed the Muslims. Despite Muslim countries’ reiteration that Saddam Hussein is not a threat to peace in the Middle East and that they will not throw their support behind the US in its war against Iraq, the Bush administration is threatening to take pre-emptive action against Iraq.
Third, the inclusion of citizens of a large number of Muslim countries in the “registration category” in the US, notwithstanding the unstinting support of the former to the latter in its fight against international terrorism. Nationals of these countries aspiring to visit the US will have to go through the tedious process of investigation that will include photography, fingerprinting and answering of certain questions.
These US policies clearly discriminate against the Muslims. In the interest of world peace, the US must review and revise its attitude towards the Muslims.
BILAL HASSAN
Okara
DURING the government of Nawaz Sharif, at least 4,000 employees, including engineers, managers, meter readers and clerks, of the Sui Southern Gas Company were retrenched and rendered jobless on the pretext that they were recruited on a contract basis by the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.
The sacked employees knocked at the door of a court, which ordered their reinstatement on a regular basis with effect from April 1998. This verdict was upheld in a review petition by the Supreme Court.
The affected employees were reinstated and though the company initially agreed to pay their arrears, payment of the dues was later withheld for the reason that there was “some mistake somewhere”.
Since their reinstatement eight months ago, the employees have not been given any duties, nor have they received their dues.
We appeal to the prime minister to look into this matter and direct the company to make proper postings and pay the dues of the employees.
ABDUL SAMAD ANSARI
Hyderabad
IT was too shocking to look at a picture (Dec 15) showing the arrest by policemen of an MPA on the Sindh Assembly premises.
It seems that any wrongdoing is permissible since the formation of the new government at the centre. The PPP, which emerged victorious as a single party in the Sindh Assembly with 67 seats, just short of 18 seats in the house of 168 members, was not asked to form a government in the province.
Just a day before the inaugural session of the Sindh Assembly, PML(Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, with powerful offstage players, landed in Karachi, and manoeuvred their party and allies into positions of power in Sindh.
Another illegal political manoeuvring was witnessed when, for the post of deputy speaker, the Sindh Assembly secretary received only the form of MMA and PPP candidate Abdul Raheem Rajput till the expiry of the time at 12 noon on Dec 13. The Jamali government managed to get the time extended till 3pm. The nomination paper of government-backed candidate Raheela Tiwana was accepted after the expiry of the deadline.
President Musharraf who has stuck to his promise of holding Election 2002 on time as per the directive of the Supreme Court should have been the one to see that this glaring injustice was not done to the people who voted for the PPP in large numbers.
I request the chief justice of the Sindh High Court to act swiftly as some petitions are pending in the court for his orders. Orders for relief and redress of grievances should be issued so that the common man and the province of Sindh can march on the path of progress and prosperity.
ZIA PASHA
Karachi
WHEN there was news in newspapers some days back about the arrival of 32 big buses to run on Karachi roads, it was received as good news. The fact that the buses were high-tech and comfortable and, at the same time, provided with many safety features was not all.
We were also informed that the buses would be run by qualified and trained drivers and conductors who were at present undergoing training. Also bus stops were to be constructed by the organization preparing to run the buses, thus making pick-up and drop of commuters more orderly.
It is, therefore, very difficult for me to understand the comments made by A. B. S. Jafri in his column of Dec 16. The argument that Karachi roads will be choked by the addition of the buses is naive at best. There is nothing wrong with the width of roads in the city. It is the encroachment and lack of discipline by the yellow monstrosities that leads to congestion, traffic jams and accidents on roads of the metropolitan city. These are the very problems that the induction of a new system is expected to remove.
I wonder why Mr Jafri tends to juxtapose this desirable development with the KCR scheme. The buses are going to be needed even when the KCR is again a reality.
The claim, without a shred of evidence put forward, that some vested interests are behind this idea is in bad taste. Let us show more responsibility in making accusations like these, for God’s sake.
WAJID NAEEMUDDIN
Karachi
WHEN one enters Aziz Bhatti Park in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi, a foul smell welcomes him. This smell comes from stagnant water in the lake of the park, which is overgrown with weeds.
Mosquitoes and bugs are in abundance in the park and disturb visitors, specially near the running track which is broken at many places. Visitors sitting on the grass, too, cannot have some moments of comfort, specially in the evening, because of mosquitoes.
As if it were not enough, toilets in the park are without doors and in a very dirty condition.
TANVIR AHMED
Karachi
IBEX hunting has generated a heated debate in these columns. It is not just ibex whose existence is being threatened in Pakistan, all forms of wildlife, ecological system and environment are being mutilated with impunity.
Those who have been paid for and tasked with protecting the wildlife are themselves responsible for this sorry state of affairs.
The state of forests in Sindh, too, is very tragic. Hardly any forest exists in its proper form owing to illegal occupation of forest lands. What amazes me is that the provincial forest department has become a silent spectator for reasons best known to it.
On the one hand leasing out of forest lands is strictly prohibited, but on the other, vast pieces of forest lands are in private occupation. This means that one can take possession of a forest land free of cost, but not if one wants to pay for it.
It is now clear that protection of forests is beyond the capabilities of the forest department or even of the Sindh government. Under such circumstances, privatization of these forests seems to be the only viable solution to the problem.
Forests should be leased out to only those who are interested in preserving ecological system and are not dependent on wood cutting for their livelihood. Such people should be allowed to cultivate one third or one fourth of a forest to raise the maintenance cost. The rest of the forest should be protected and developed in a professional manner by the forest department itself.
To me, this seems the best way out unless someone has a better idea. The government is said to be considering taking such steps, but if it is true, it must hurry before it is too late.
SARDAR MUMTAZ ALI BHUTTO
Karachi
I AM a high-risk heart patient of 60 years of age and have undergone two bypass surgeries. So, I am unable to walk much. At about 1.30pm on Dec 20, I stopped a cab on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road opposite Jinnah Courts in Karachi (now being used as Sachal Rangers Headquarters).
I had already waited for about 10 minutes and wanted to rush home to catch the Friday prayer. As I stopped a taxi, a rangers sepoy ordered the taxi driver to move on. I was still negotiating the fare and it hardly took me two/three minutes when some rangers men ran across the road, abused the taxi driver, turned a gun on the driver and ordered him to move.
I had by then put one foot in the cab and the other was on the road when the cab started moving.
Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road is a major thoroughfare of the city and, according to traffic rules, a citizen cannot be stopped from hiring a taxi.
The Sachal Rangers have taken upon themselves the task of managing the traffic at this spot.
Sindh still gives the look of a police state with the presence of rangers, who move around in armoured-personnel carriers and open vans, pointing guns towards citizens, consuming millions of litres of petrol, drawing salaries from taxpayers’ money, insulting them at will but doing virtually nothing.
The Sachal Rangers who have already taken control of Karachi’s water supply and occupied college and school buildings or other buildings of their choice must now be reined in.
PRO BONO PUBLICO
Karachi
THIS is with reference to letters appearing in these columns about the performance of the Karachi Building Control Authority.
I am a KBCA client and have availed of the opportunity of Ordinance-2002 for regularization of my wrongly-sealed property.
To my pleasant surprise, my so-called irregular building was regularized within a week without any under-the-table deal. This change in the KBCA from once a hostile and corrupt organization into a friendly public department is worth praising.
Husnain Lotia’s assertion that Ardeshir Cowasjee identifies corrupt people is, therefore, totally misplaced and prejudiced.
SALIM REHMATULLAH
Karachi
WE, the shopkeepers in Memon Arcade, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block-13/B, Karachi, have been receiving water bills, despite the fact that no water connection has been provided to us.
The issuance of bills without supplying water to us is not understandable. We request the KWSB authorities to save us from this unnecessary burden.
MOHAMMAD IQBQAL
Karachi
I condemn the decision given by an Indian court to execute three alleged accomplices of those who attacked the Indian parliament on Dec 13 last year.
I think it is unfair to execute them on the charge that they helped the attackers who were shot dead during the attack.
UZAIR MEHDI LAKHANI
Karachi
CARS with MNA plates have appeared in Islamabad. Maybe, these can be seen in other cities as well. One such car was recently seen parked in a no-parking area in the federal capital.
Three cheers for lawmakers who break the law themselves.
H. U. HASNAIN
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to the editorial, ‘Continuity with caution’ (Dec 9), advising the prime minister’s adviser on finance and economic affairs “to adjust his policies to the changed environment, from the parade ground to parliament, without compromising on the essential direction.”
Investment in reproductive projects provides employment. A reproductive project is one which not only bears the cost of interest on capital employed on it but also contributes towards the amortization of capital. Employment reduces the incidence of poverty.
The rising poverty is the outcome of unemployment. The unemployment is the result of wasting away of borrowed money into losses. The losses are due to not honouring the mandate of the constitution.
The above loss which is a great threat to the socio -economic development of Pakistan was due to the acceptance of conditionalities imposed by the IMF. These conditionalities were in contravention of the provisions of the constitution.
The essential direction with regard to the borrowing of loans and their repayment are enshrined in the constitution as under:
(i) The issue value of the rupee equal to the weight measuring 0.268601 grams of fine gold for one rupee as fixed under Section (2) of Article 30 of the State Bank of Pakistan Act, 1956, cannot be devalued. (Article 25).
(ii) The exercise of the borrowing powers as conferred by the constitution originates from the recommendations of the National Finance Commission. (Article 160(2)(c).
(iii) Borrowing domestic loans upon the security of the federal consolidated fund is subject to an act of parliament. (Article 73(2)(b) read with Article 166).
(iv) The term borrow does not include the printing of money on the security of treasury bills. (Article 260).
(v) Foreign loans and foreign aid do not form part of the federal consolidated fund. (Item 10 to Part-I, Federal Legislative List).
(vi) The liability in respect of interest on debt, as well as the repayment of loan, shall have to be discharged from the income earned from the employment of said loan on concrete assets of material character. (Article 81(c)).
(vii) Loans raised on the security of the federal consolidated fund cannot be on-lent to corporations, provinces, autonomous bodies and to others, (Article 80(2)(b) read with Article 167(2)).
(viii) Old loans cannot be paid from the proceeds of new loans. (Article 81 (c)).
(ix) Interest on debt cannot be paid from tax revenue as well as from loans. (Article 81 (c)).
Therefore, in order to achieve financial stability and economic progress, policies should be formulated in conformity with the provisions of the constitution.
GHULAM RASUL
Lahore
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