| January 27, 2003 | Monday | Ziqa’ad 23,1423 |
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The future of OIC
Violence in Gujarat
America & Saddam
Dawn of hydrogen economy
Tobacco advertising
Jamali’s advice to MMA
Road user tax
Secularism, myth and reality
Good luck, cricket team
Education system and library
THIS is with reference to Kunwar Idris’s article, ‘A fair slice of cake’ (Jan 19), on the distribution of revenues between the federation and the provinces.
The writer has been irked by the observation made by Sindh ministers that distribution of revenues should be on the basis of their collection. This observation has also made him apprehensive that Punjab might be adversely affected; his worry is quite natural for he is a Punjab-domiciled, retired bureaucrat who unfortunately represented Sindh in the last NFC deliberations and sacrificed Sindh’s interests willingly and readily.
Mr Idris quietly surrendered an amount of Rs5.1 billion as economy cut against the Punjab’s surrender of Rs1.5 billion, despite the fact that Punjab’s revenue surplus budget was Rs7.1 billion for the year 1996-97 as against Sindh’s modest revenue surplus of Rs806 million. Consequently, Sindh lost Rs41.4 billion in the five-year projections of the NFC.
Other provinces, too, lost substantial funds owing to the inability on the part of the federal government to meet the revenue targets which were scaled down below the NFC projections. The revenue expenditure of Sindh in the first year of the NFC was put at Rs36.1 billion as against previous financial year’s actual revenue expenditure of Rs36.2 billion, i.e. less by Rs100 million, though the technical committee of the NFC had already agreed to fix the provincial revenue expenditure at Rs43.9 billion for 1996-97.
Now Mr Idris is at NFC mechanics again and perhaps wants to jeopardize Sindh’s case again. In his article he has even opposed transfer of sales tax to the provinces for want of tax collection expertise. This tax was temporarily transferred from the provinces to the federal government in 1951 so as to enable the federal government to settle migrants from India and to meet its defence needs.
The federal government has, however, never returned this tax to the provinces except through the divisible pool mechanism. The world over, including in India, sales tax is a provincial tax. It may be pointed out that Sindh has the largest sales tax collection in the country.
The province has never demanded that the entire distribution of revenues should be exclusively on the collection basis. Its principled stand has always been that NFC should assign due weightage to the collection factor, besides population, area and needs.
As regards the revenue collection in Sindh, Mr Idris thinks that only 50 per cent of federal taxes are collected in the province. In fact, it is not 50 per cent but 58.3 per cent of total taxes, It means that, out of the total federal tax receipts of Rs392.77 billion, an amount of Rs230.70 billion was collected in Sindh (97.3 per cent of customs duties, 60.8 per cent of sales tax, 55.4 per cent of income tax, 54.8 per cent of other direct taxes and 31.5 per cent of excise duties).
I hope these facts will put the issue of distribution of revenues between the federation and the provinces into perspective.
FAISAL QURESHI
Islamabad
THE first summit of the OIC was held in Rabat (Morocco) in 1969 following the worldwide Muslim resentment against the burning of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem by Israeli extremists. Thus, Rabat has symbolic as well as historical significance.
It was the first time when the heads of Muslim states gathered and held extensive discussions on the problems of the Ummah to take steps for strengthening unity among Muslim members. It was its prime objective to support the Palestinians’ just struggle against the illegal occupation of their lands by Israel. It also committed itself to bring unity among the member countries and to boost economic and political cooperation among them.
But after the assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and the downfall of Z. A. Bhutto in Pakistan, the OIC could not prove itself as a powerful organization. It has failed to fight for the Muslim cause against the unjust policies of the West, India and Israel. It has also failed to liberate Al-Quds from Israel’s occupation and Kashmir from that of India.
In the Afghan crisis, too, it did not play any significant role. America destroyed almost all the infrastructure of Afghanistan and killed thousands of civilians on the pretext of hunting down Taliban and Al-Qaeda activists.
Now, the US is preparing the grounds to attack Iraq on the pretext of disarming Saddam Hussain and destroying Iraq’s alleged chemical and biological weapons.
Ironically, on the one hand Iraq is fully cooperating with the UN inspectors (and no smoking guns have been found in Iraq yet), on the other, the US has deployed thousands of troops to attack Iraq where thousands of civilians have already died owing to the shortage of food and medicine. The OIC has again failed to play its due role in this crisis.
The question is, what can be done to improve cooperation among the Muslim countries? This task requires political will at the highest level to give credibility to the cherished objective of Islamic unity under the banner of the OIC. The members must pay serious attention to deliberations in the organization and should not merely treat it as a discussion body. There is also need for strong financial discipline in the OIC secretariat and among its various organs.
The OIC can really become effective if it is headed by a strong secretary-general, with right contacts with all member countries of the body, specially with oil-rich countries.
MANSOOR ALI SHAHANI
Karachi
IN his letter titled ‘Violence in Gujarat’ (Jan 19), Soham Pablo Banerjee has expressed his feelings about the barbaric demolition of Babri Mosque and the Gujarat carnage that claimed over 2,000 lives of Muslims.
Mr Banerjee very adroitly draws a line between him and his fellow Hindus by saying that “the people who commit these crimes certainly don’t represent me or other sane Hindus.” But he quickly follows the line of action of extremist Hindus when he raises his finger at the punchayet system in Pakistan, and argues that “Pakistani non-Muslim community has been all but eradicated.”
In the first three paragraphs he appears to be a moderate and secular Hindu, but in the rest of his comment he comes up with a myopic vision.
No religious place has been demolished in Pakistan, nor has any non-Muslim been persecuted or compelled to flee the country. How will you plead the case of 700,000 Indian soldiers who have killed about 80,000 Kashmiris? India has systematically tortured Christians, Sikhs and Tamils. The Sangh parivar is bent on converting secular India into a Hindu state.
It is time the new generation of moderate Hindus played their part to protect the secular character of India.
ALI BANGLANI HAKIM
Karachi
IN what seems to be a ploy to provide a safe exit to the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, and install another puppet regime in Iraq, the US has offered him immunity if he goes into exile. Ironically, leaders of various Arab and Muslim countries have supported this American position.
This kind of unjustified policy speaks of US designs in Iraq. Allowing Saddam Hussein, who has been considered a US pawn since the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s, and his senior generals to leave Iraq and live luxuriously in a country of their choice would be a great injustice to the people of Iraq. It is clearly a plan to bring in another ‘Saddam’ so that the US can take control of the Iraqi oil and people.
The Iraqi president has been cruel to his own people. It was the same US that supported him when he used chemical weapons against Kurds. He has amassed wealth, amounting to billions of dollars. All that while the people of Iraq continue to suffer under international sanctions. If he was true to his people, he would have opted for austerity and relinquished his office that would have led to free and fair elections in the country.
And if the US was so anti-Saddam, why didn’t it remove him during the 1991 Gulf War? That would have allowed the people of Iraq to choose their own leader and become a democratic state. But, apparently, that would not have been in the interest of the sole superpower.
The US would be committing a blunder if it attacked Iraq. It would be the poor people of Iraq, and not Saddam Hussein, who would suffer in the event of war. It would lead to more violence and flare up anti-US sentiments the world over.
The world should press Saddam Hussein to step down and call for holding fair elections under UN supervision so that the international sanctions on Iraq are lifted. This approach might also lay the foundations of democracy in Iraq.
KHURRAM MUSTIKHAN
Karachi
AFTER the terrorist attacks of Sept 11 the world is a more dangerous place now. At the heart of the collective fear that grips the human race is the struggle to control oil. It is the critical resource without which the global economy and modern society will cease to exist.
In recent months the US concerns over the availability of oil in the Middle East have intensified because of the prospect of war with Iraq, escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians and the likelihood of more terrorist attacks by the Al Qaeda network.
An even deeper worry is beginning to surface; experts have been saying that cheap available crude oil will not be available to us after 40 years of so. Some of the world’s leading petroleum geologists are suggesting that the global oil production could peak and see a steep decline much sooner, as early as 2020, thus sending oil prices through the roof.
Worse, non-OPEC oil-producing countries are already nearing their peak production, leaving most of the remaining reserves in the politically unstable Middle East. Increasing tensions between the Muslims and the West are likely to further threaten access to affordable oil.
In addition, rising oil prices will assuredly plunge the developing countries even further into debt — locking much of the Third World in the throes of poverty. In desperation, the United States and other nations could turn to dirtier fuel — coal, tar sand and heavy oil. But that would only worsen global warming and imperil the earth’s already beleaguered ecosystems.
Fortunately, though, while the fuel era may well be entering its sunset years, a new energy regime is being born that has the potential to remake civilization. When properly harnessed, it is the “forever fuel”. It never runs out and produces no harmful emissions when burned. The only byproducts are heat and pure water.
Looming oil shortages make industrial life vulnerable to massive disruptions and possibly even collapse. We are at the dawn of a new economy, powered by hydrogen. That change could have implications which go well beyond energy and the environment. It will fundamentally change the nature of our market as well as of political and social institutions.
RAHIM PANJWANI
Karachi
THIS refers to S. Adnan Ali’s letter (Jan 16) wherein he criticized the Pakistan Chest Society for thanking through an advertisement a tobacco company for stopping its radio and TV advertising. I, too, went through the advertisement, but I think Mr Ali criticized the PCS on the basis of criticism for the sake of criticism.
The Pakistan Chest Society, by expressing its gratitude to the company for stopping its cigarette advertising and asking other tobacco companies to stop their advertising on TV, radio and billboards, has set a good example which may instigate prevention of advertising by these tobacco companies.
Instead of criticizing the PCS, Mr Ali should appreciate the Society and such other organizations which take initiatives in the national interest. Let us join hands to make Pakistan a smoke-free country.
MUHAMMAD SALMAN JAN
Karachi
This is with reference to Nasir Khan’s letter, ‘Jamali’s advice to MMA’ (Jan 17), in which he has expressed concern over Prime Minister Jamali’s “ignorance” of the basic principles of the 1973 Constitution, and asserted that Islam is the state religion of Pakistan and the polity of Pakistan has been defined in the Objectives Resolution now coached in the text of Article 2A of the Constitution.
Strangely enough, while holding brief on behalf of the MMA, Mr Khan has criticized the PM for his advancing the charter of the GHQ and for not adhering to his oath under the Constitution. He then goes on to appeal to the nation to frustrate the steps taken towards secularization of the country.
May I remind Mr Khan that Pakistan was created under the able leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who himself was a secular leader by all standards? Those in the MMA opposed the very creation of Pakistan. They have now no right to thrust their theocratic politics on the people of Pakistan.
The people of Pakistan are as good Muslims today as they were when the provision akin to Article 2 of the Constitution was not included in the Constitutions of 1956 and 1962.
The Constitution of 1973 was given by the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who led a secularist party. Mr Bhutto, who had a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, wanted a consensus constitution. And, therefore, he accommodated some proposals put forward by the religious parties as a condition precedent for their signing the constitution document.
It was against this background that Article 2 was for the first time included in the 1973 Constitution. History tells us that Liaquat Ali Khan had the Objectives Resolution approved by the Constituent Assembly only after the death of the Quaid-i-Azam just to please the mullahs in consideration of their support to his government.
The Objectives Resolution found its place only in the preamble of 1956, 1962 and 1973 constitutions and did not extend any threat to the smooth running of the state affairs on secular basis. The religious parties which have now formed the MMA in connivance with the late Gen Ziaul Haq made the Objectives Resolution the substantive part of the Constitution.
M. ASLAM BUTT
Karachi
THE government is starved of money, as the taxes collected do not reach it. The pilferage by various innovations is taking place.
The collection and receipt of taxes through the computer is available in Karachi and some other places. In Karachi there is a reduction in the number of outlets for receiving money for the very fact of pilferage.
The former finance minister of Sindh introduced the idea of ‘road user tax’ through a nominal charge on the fuels. This idea was welcomed by most people, as there would be no escaping the tax in this way, and the people would be spared the ordeal of coming face to face with the excise and taxation people.
As roads are bad everywhere, vehicles get damaged while running on them. The helpless people cannot do anything about it. They also cannot do anything about open manholes and the absence of streetlights. Yet some of them do protest and draw the attention of those who matter.
PROF MUJIB ANSARI
Karachi
THIS refers to the article titled ‘Secularism, myth and reality’ by Maqbool Ahmad Bhatty.
Mr Bhatty goes back to his own version of pre- independence history, and blames the leaders of Indian National Congress for their pro-Hindu agenda which, according to him, created the demand for Pakistan. He also blames the current Indian leadership for their allegedly pro-Hindu attitudes and policies, and says that secularism does not exist in reality. It is a myth.
Is Mr Bhatty saying that Muslims cannot expect to live as equal citizens in a Hindu majority country, but the reverse is true? For the sake of argument, suppose we agree with the points Mr Bhatty is making, where do we go from here?
SHANKAR BHAT
Houston, USA
THE Cricket World Cup 2003 is starting next month. This competition is going to be quite tough, but if Pakistan’s team play with full potential, unity and spirit, they can prove their mettle.
It is true that cricket fans were disappointed with the team because of their dismal performance in the last six months, but now the people should provide them with moral support. Good luck, Pakistan.
MANSOOR AHMED KHAN
Karachi
THIS refers to M. H. Hamdani’s letter, ‘Where are our libraries?’ (Jan 9), wherein he has eloquently depicted the plight of students, who tried to be original and creative in examinations, instead of reproducing the crammed answers of pet questions from test papers and guides.
The trouble lies with our flawed system of education, which encourages rote-learning and cramming. As long as we have a single book system for each subject, students and teachers will confine themselves for each subject only to prescribed textbooks, which are full of mistakes, discrepancies and inaccuracies and lacking in inculcating the spirit of inquiry.
Moreover, students know that, in examinations, questions, including numerical problems, are set from these very textbooks. Therefore, normally students cram solutions to numerical problems as well because no change is made even in the data of the numerical problem in examinations. Under such circumstances, neither students nor teachers feel the need for a library, which is a must to supplement their knowledge at all levels.
It reminds me of a personal incident, which would amply exemplify the aforementioned argument. While teaching Hooke’s law to science students, I noticed that the shape of the stress-strain graph drawn in the textbook was entirely wrong. So, I explained the mistake in the shape of the graph to the students and advised them to correct the it in the textbook.
During this discussion, the students emphatically told me that whatever was written in the textbook, whether right or wrong, they were constrained to reproduce exactly the same in their examinations, otherwise they would lose marks.
When I discussed this matter with other senior teachers of the department, they supported the students’ point of view and advised me not to force the students to rectify the mistakes in the textbook because they get full credit in examinations if they reproduce there whatever is written in the textbook, word for word.
Sir, if we want to get rid of this evil, there is an urgent need to inculcate a spirit of inquiry and innovation among our students so that they feel the need for a library to supplement their knowledge. This is only possible if we bring sweeping changes to our present flawed system of education. In the present system of education we are producing educated ‘illiterates’, though with exceptions.
PROF A. H. SUBHANI
Faisalabad
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