Pakistan and Pakistanis first

THE phrase ‘Pakistan first’ has become the patriotic rallying call of our leaders and the present government. A great call, but in the process, they seem to have forgotten the Pakistanis and as to whose Pakistan it is.

No doubt the sovereignty and security of a nation are very important, but the question is, at what cost and for whose benefit? For the last 55 years, the promise of a better tomorrow has been repeated by successive governments, but most Pakistanis still live below the poverty line and are even being denied the basic facilities of life.

And now, as the dust settles down after the general election, one is once again forced to look at the kaleidoscope of political events in the country and wonders as to what is to follow in the coming years. In our chequered history, we have seen several governments, including four governments dismissed and removed for corruption and abuse of authority, and four military governments.

We had one prime minister hanged, one general-president blown up in the skies, one president and CJ forced to resign, one PM in self-exile, one PM convicted and then pardoned and sent into exile, and being declared as the second most corrupt nation in the world.

We have also seen the judicial and civic structures made ineffective and the Constitution mutilated and mauled. And unfortunately, as we venture outside Pakistan, our reputation precedes us, and the moment we land in a foreign country, we are fingerprinted and treated as criminals and terrorists.

And all this has always been done ‘in the best interest of the country’. The question arises, what is really in the best interest of the Pakistanis and whose Pakistan is it, anyway?

No doubt, the economic melt-down that the country was facing three years back has been averted and now our coffers are overflowing with dollars. But unfortunately, the plight of the people is as dismal as before.

At a recent seminar in Karachi on ‘Violence Against Women’, Justice (retd) Majida Rizvi, Chief of the National Commission on the Status of Women, and Hina Jillani highlighted the plight of women in Pakistan. They said that past governments had been promising to review the Hudood Ordinance which was discriminatory and flawed.

In his many addresses to the nation, Gen Musharraf has always promised us that he will accomplish his mission of establishing good governance and the rule of law. Let us hope that now that the government is in place and the General’s hand-picked ministers are in office, they will have the time to introduce the much-needed reforms and laws.

They do not need any IMF funding, nor do they have to make any extraordinary efforts to improve the quality of life of the 140 million Pakistanis. All they need is the will and commitment to fulfil their obligations to the the Pakistanis.

So, we humbly suggest to President Gen Musharraf and his ministers to change the call to ‘Pakistan and Pakistanis first’. The multiplying 140 million citizens of Pakistan deserve a better quality of life. Therefore, the priority of the government should be to achieve this mission and not the politics of gimmicks.

THE HELPLINE TRUST

Karachi

Blatant western hypocrisy

ENGLAND’s stubborn refusal to play its scheduled cricket match in Zimbabwe on ‘moral’ and ‘security’ grounds has proved to the world that the West has double standards.

If England is so concerned about the discriminatory and unjust attitude of the Mugabe government towards white people of Zimbabwe, then why does it not raise its voice over the cruelties, atrocities and injustices being committed against the people of Kashmir by the government of India? Why is no hue and cry raised over the way genocide was carried out by the Hindu majority of Gujrat of innocent Muslims of that province?

If the English government has even an iota of fairness and so-called ‘morality’, it will boycott its cricket team’s next tour of India and all future cricketing events in that country.

AHMAR TAHIR SAEED

Karachi

Stipend for trainee doctors

IT is a fact that the federal health minister as well as the federal health secretary have in principle accepted the contention of post-graduate trainee doctors that there should be a uniform policy for the grant of stipend for all the provinces.

The health ministry has, therefore, recommended this case to the finance ministry where it is under consideration for a final decision. It should not be denied that a qualified MBBS doctor, after spending at least 25 years with substantial funds for completing house job for one year and clearing the FCPS Part-I examination, has to further qualify for specialization in FCPS Part-II.

It is a fact that the parents or guardians of such doctors are reluctant to advance money without any monetary incentives in the shape of stipend, besides health care and residential facilities.

It is imperative that this highly qualified and skilled community should be encouraged at the government level, rather than suppressed at this juncture.

It is needless to emphasize that such individuals, so for absorbed in recognized hospitals, will get at least the minimum pay scale of a qualified MBBS doctor, inclusive of possible relief.

In our country there is acute shortage of consultants, and as such the government will have to be more liberal towards specialization within the country.

S. M. KELLA

Hyderabad

Higher education affairs

THIS is with reference to an article on higher education by Dr Manzooruddin Ahmed (Feb 8 and 9). The writer has attempted to defend the Model University Ordinance by committing the usual blunder of overlooking the ground realities.

Time and again these realities have been brought to the notice of the federal education authorities who have faithfully followed donors’ dictates. It will be useful if the issue of enforcement of the Ordinance is viewed from the holistic perspective.

The entire process of the formulation of the ordinance evolved from intrigue. A group of consultants, faithful vice-chancellors of some universities under the leadership of two private sector executives sat down in Boston to lay down prescriptions for the improvement of Pakistani universities. This insidious exercise aimed to help finalize the whole academic and administrative framework for the public sector institutions. The consultants also undertook a few public consultations as a cosmetic addition to the process.

Despite the scathing criticism of the recommendations, the matter was hurriedly stamped by the president as a potential law to be applied in all the universities. Though there has been no favourable response from any public sector university, it is feared that soon it will be bulldozed by the federal government. If done, it will amount to a grand mistake committed in the guise of reform.

If at all the government and its local and foreign advisors are keen to bringing about a positive change in higher education, they need to undertake a comprehensive exercise in a logical manner. Each public sector university should be allowed self- evaluation through its respective statutory bodies. Emerging issues from such exercises can be discussed at the respective Senate of the University. A mechanism of external evaluation can be evolved to regularly undertake the monitoring of performance by the Senate. The recommendations from this process can be used as an agenda of reform to be applied only after stakeholders participation.

It must be understood that Byzantine conspiracies in the name of reforms can never bring about any positive change in the higher education sector.

NOMAN AHMED

Karachi

Karachi income tax department

THROUGH these columns, we draw the attention of Shaukat Aziz, adviser on finance to the prime minister, CBR Chairman V. A. Khan, and particularly the taxpayers and the business community to the circumstances prevailing in the income tax department at the main income tax building in Karachi, in the hope that they would look into the matter personally.

The income tax department has almost become a private jail and the conduct of our superiors is no different from that of the waderas, chaudhrys or sardars. Every income tax circle needs logistic and material support, including stationery costing from Rs20,000 to Rs30,000 per month, but nothing is being provided to the circle with an implied understanding that every officer will get it managed somehow.

Most circles do not have proper staff, i.e. no notice server, no ITIs, no steno-typist and no supervisor. The assessing officer is expected to do all the jobs of the subordinate staff! Nobody can even think of talking about these problems with his superiors. But if someone dares do that, he is told that all this is part of the package. He is further advised to hire private people to do all this work, forgetting that we keep very sensitive and classified personal information regarding the assets/incomes of the taxpayers.

The income tax building is in a terrible condition, with no drinking water and no water even in the toilets. Facilities and motivation are totally missing.

Previously, there was a system/mechanism for postings/transfers from the southern region to the corporate region, but it has been discontinued. Senior officers have been given unimportant assignments while the juniors or the special officers, who are, in fact, ITIs, have been assigned very senior and important charges.

The assessing income tax officer has become a sandwich between the lower and superior staff and income tax practitioners, certain unscrupulous taxpayers and some so-called trade bodies.

We request the authorities to look into this matter personally as soon as possible.

AN EMPLOYEE

Southern Region,

Karachi

Gender discrimination

RECENTLY, there was an uproar in the Sindh Assembly when Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana came to chair the session in the absence of the speaker. The stated reason was that her nomination papers had been filed after the end of the time period initially allowed for the purpose.

But, was this not the case with the incumbent speaker as well? If it was, then the uproar only against the deputy speaker can be explained on the basis of gender. And, if it is gender-based, it is appalling, since nearly all parties made women’s rights a key component of their campaigns, albeit, in their own ways.

However, the opposition from the PPP was indeed shocking, as it is a party led by a woman who became the head of Pakistan government twice. Why can’t they tolerate a woman deputy speaker?

DR MAHNAZ FATIMA

Karachi

Pakistani expats’ plight

MANY letter writers have asked as to why the Pakistani expatriates are being singled out by the US, and why such a treatment is being meted out to them. The point put forward by almost all of them is that Pakistan has been a friend of the US in its war against terrorism. It also opened its land and skies to be used by the US to launch attacks against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We all agree to these arguments.

When I was in seventh grade, I was taught a simple English saying, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’ It hurts me to see the way Pakistanis are being hounded by INS authorities.

Let us take other examples from history. At one point in time, both Iraq and Iran were very good “friends” of the US; the US fought with the British to get independence; Panama’s President Noriaga was a “friend” of the US and now he is in jail in Florida; Iraqi Kurds were “friends” of the US in 1991 and then they were left high and dry in the cold to defend themselves.

Once the dust settles down on Iraq, only time will tell which “friend” will be discussed next by the Pentagon.

SURINDER K. DHUPAR

California, USA

Celebrating Basant

IT is disappointing to read that a number of individuals continue to raise objections to celebrating Basant, a spring festival. From time immemorial, humankind has celebrated the changes of seasons, including the advent of spring.

Admittedly, people throughout the world celebrated the arrival of spring before the advent of Islam. However, we have been celebrating spring prior to the arrival of Zorastrian, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Animist civilizations. Perhaps, we should remind ourselves that as humans we all have something in common.

Lahore plays host to the vibrant and exciting festival of Basant which provides us with a platform to express our hospitality and joie de vivre. Moreover, the festival has done a great deal more in promoting the goal of tourism in Pakistan than we appreciate. Only recently, an American colleague asked me about the “marvellous kite festival” of Pakistan she had heard about.

We need to further highlight such festivals as Basant, which serve to bring much-needed tourism revenue and raise the stature of Pakistani tourism.

There are a number of so-called anecdotes explaining how the festival of Basant has evolved. However, there is little elementary research supporting any definite conclusion. In this context, why not ask any little child what Basant means. I am sure he or she will tell you that it’s a festival to celebrate the spring, enjoy music, food and the spectacle of colourful kites. Until recently, kite flying was banned in Afghanistan because of a narrow-minded administration.

When it comes to Basant, I am very partisan in my opinion. If you don’t care for Basant, that is your prerogative. I would prefer to say, go, fly a kite.

SOFIA BAIG

Pittsburgh, PA USA

Alarming rise in crimes

OUR country is in the grip of heinous crimes and criminals operating freely everywhere. The police, being totally ineffective, have failed to maintain law and order in the country.

The dismal law and order situation needs to be tackled on an emergency basis, and notorious criminals and their harbourers must be crushed.

At present, people are living in constant fear in spite of the government’s tall claim to restore law and order in the country. It is time the government took tough measures to check crimes with the objective of providing relief to the people.

S. A. KHOKHAR

Lahore

War on Iraq: its rationale

WITH reference to the comments made by Salahuddin Leghari in his letter, ‘War on Iraq: its rationale’ (Feb 16), I wish to submit the following excerpt from the writings of Mark Twain. Although penned in 1910, these words are most hauntingly relevant today.

“The loud little handful - as usual - will shout for the war. The pulpit will - warily and cautiously - object... at first. The great, big, dull bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to make out why there should be a war, and will say, earnestly and indignantly, ‘It is unjust and dishonourable, and there is no necessity for it.’

“Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair men on the other side will argue and reason against the war with speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing and be applauded, but it will not last long; those others will outshout them, and presently the anti-war audiences will thin out and lose popularity.

“Before long, you will see this curious thing: the speakers stoned from the platform, and free speech strangled by hordes of furious men... Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.” (Mark Twain, The Mysterious Stranger (1910)

Let us hope the voices for peace today, unlike yesterday, will not be outshouted.

MIA

Karachi

Faisalabad’s vanishing Arjun trees

THE University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, is famous for its beautiful landscape. Trees have been a major part of this landscape since its creation.

There are beautiful trees, shrubs and herbs all along the university’s main road starting from the main gate up to the D-Ground. Most of these trees and plants are older than Pakistan.

Arjun was the dominant tree of this avenue. The large, evergreen tree of Arjun with spreading crowns, drooping branches and pinkish green smooth stem provided a good scene and comfort to passers-bye. But most of these trees have been replaced with bottle palm and other shrubs. This was not one’s desire to replace Arjun with bottle palm, but, in fact, many Arjun trees have died back.

The dying back of these trees was not due to the completion of their life-cycles, nor were they attacked by any dangerous pest or any disease. In fact, the cause of their death was debarking, not by their enemies but by foolish lovers.

There is a great hue and cry over Shisham’s die back in the country, for Shisham is a commercial tree, as against Arjun which is not a commercial tree. Until recently, Arjun was not only an ornamental tree but was also a life-saving medicine for cardiac patients.

The tree’s this quality has become the cause of its dying back at the university campus and around. It is reported that the bark of the tree is a cardiac stimulant. The following reasons led to the destruction of this tree:

1. Increase in the number of heart patients.

2. The university was the only place in Faisalabad where these trees were present and accessible to everyone.

3. The use of the Arjun bark is the cheapest treatment of cardiac ailments.

It is time we sat down and thought how to manage this problem. The following points may help achieve this objective:

1. There is need for conducting a survey of physicians and patients to find out its effectiveness towards cardiac cure.

2. To study the way the bark is used and how much quantity is needed for the treatment of a patient. It will help us manage our future needs.

3. At present, only a part of the bark up to seven feet above the ground is used. The rest of the bark is wasted with the death of the tree. There is need to search out whether the remaining bark is of any use for cardiac patients. If yes, then one tree may be sufficient for many patients.

4. Keeping in view the increasing demand of the Arjun’s bark, there is need to grow this tree at such a scale that it fulfils the future needs of the nation.

5. This can successfully be done by growing it by the University of Agriculture and by involving cardiac doctors and patients to grow a few trees for their own use and for other patients.

DR GULAM SARWAR KHAN

Faisalabad