| March 2, 2003 | Sunday | Zul Hijjah 28, 1423 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Mahathir’s message
Ways to prevent AIDS
Grant for JPMC
Condition of Multan roads
Getting a passport
PTV’s quiz programme
Wedding food
Plight of senior citizens
Renaming the NWFP
Muslim world’s silence
I AGREE with Peter D’Souza’s letter, ‘Migrating to Canada?’ (Feb 18).
Canada has over the years become a preferred destination. Some recent reports on the subject have called it ‘a heaven on Earth’. But sooner or later, one has to come to terms with the ground reality which starts to unfold right from day one. Since in most cases, the crucial decision has already been taken, most of the people suffer the consequences in silence and try to make the best of the circumstances.
According to a new report, immigration is expected to account for virtually all the net growth in the Canadian labour force by 2011. Obviously, Canada is recruiting immigrants on the point system, and yet these qualified people come in and have all these problems, writes Ekuwa Smith, a PHD from the United States. It took her three years to get a job where she could use her skills.
A writer in a recent report in a major daily newspaper highlighted “institutionalized racism” in Canada. Racism is rampant not only in the private sector, but also dictates hiring policies in the government departments. This is all the more reprehensible when you consider that the federal government is actively trying to increase the present quota from 250,000 to 300,000 or roughly one per cent of Canada’s population every year.
The reasons are economic more than anything else. Every landed immigrant pays a $500 application fee and a $975 right of landing fee to come to Canada. The government nets $295 million if 200,000 landed immigrants arrive here. This does not take into account the application fee forfeited by thousands of hopeful applicants whose applications are rejected. If 80,000 families come in, they pump another $800 million into the economy. Just by accepting new immigrants, Canada gains more than one billion dollars a year.
But that’s not the big picture. Immigrants, no matter how qualified they are, start at the very bottom of the ladder. Doctors, engineers, accountants and management consultants start by flipping burgers, driving cabs and working as security guards. Canada probably has the world’s most educated menial labour force, yet people who choose to make Canada their home run into the double yoke of discrimination and disdain, not to mention a great invisible wall called ‘Canadian experience’ as soon as they get here.
The government’s talk about multi-culturalism, integration and diversity is just sanctimonious prattle.
I am writing this letter in the hope that thousands of people who are aspiring to make Canada their future home, and betting their life long savings on this gamble, should think
10 times before taking the plunge.
The government out here by not giving highly educated new immigrants access to trades and professions is turning a brain gain into a brain waste. If you all are still prepared to take the plunge and disbelieve these words, be my guest. Be prepared you will be asked to forget your past professional and personal experiences and education, and make a start which only a few are prepared to take once they get here.
IQBAL RASHID
Toronto, Canada
MAHATHIR Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, delivered an exemplary address at the 13th NAM summit on Feb 24 at Kuala Lumpur. His oration, laden with his realism and reformism, reminds us of the address that Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar delivered at St James Palace in London on Nov 19, 1930.
Given the lack of unity among the developing countries, Dr Mahathir’s affirmation to infuse the Non-Aligned Movement with a new spirit seems a herculean task. It is hoped that owing to his political acumen, NAM will once again strive for uplifting its status, which has been minimized in the post-Cold War era.
The NAM Declaration has demanded of the US not to take a unilateral decision of waging a war against Iraq without prior approval of the UN. It stressed the need for addressing the root causes of terrorism.
Dr Mahathir talked about the history of terrorism by tracing its real roots in the terrorist groups of Zionism such as Haganah and Irgun Zavi Leumi. He was also right when he said that the etiology of terrorism was organically related to the expulsion of Palestinian Muslims from their lands, which compelled them to live in refugees camp for more than half a century, while the Palestinian lands were made home by the outsiders — the Jews; hence the Palestinian issue.
The Malaysian premier criticized the system of globalization as being practised by the North against the South, paving the way for anti-egalitarianism. He is highly justified in protesting against the US war posture towards Iraq by arguing that the mere invention of arms holds no sufficient warrants to initiate a war.
It is the first time in the 42-year history of NAM that such a prompt declaration against the sole superpower has been adopted. The ovation to this triumph of the phenomenal declaration goes to the leadership of Dr Mahathir, who is going to step down from the premiership of Malaysia in October this year, but remains the chairman of NAM till its next chairman, the Cuban president, takes over.
S. Q. AFZAL RIZVI
Karachi
I HAVE recently read some letters in these columns, suggesting how to prevent AIDS. Research studies which have been carried out across the world by various international organizations, including Who and Unicef, suggest a direct link between the spread of AIDS and the reuse of conventional syringes.
The federal and provincial governments as well as various NGOs in Pakistan are spending millions of rupees on AIDS prevention programmes. Therefore, it seems fair that companies which are contributing to the spread of AIDS by the sale of conventional syringes should help control this deadly disease.
I would like to suggest that an AIDS prevention surcharge at the rate of one rupee a syringe be levied on companies which are manufacturing and selling conventional syringes.
The money thus collected every month should be distributed among various AIDS prevention programmes, including education programmes.
I believe this surcharge is the only thing that will make manufacturers of conventional syringes upgrade the quality of their syringes and make autodisable syringes. The imposition of this levy will certainly require working out some details. However, the sooner we do it, the better.
We all know this kind of taxation is levied on cigarette companies in the US by a number of states to control diseases which are caused by their tobacco products.
DR BUSHRA REHMAN
Islamabad
SINDH Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-lbad Khan, on the inauguration of the 40th annual medical symposium of the JPMC, announced Rs40 million, and not Rs04 million as mentioned in a news report (Feb 26), on behalf of the prime minister for the purchase of equipment required for early detection of cancer and other diseases.
By this grant, an interventional radiology suit will be created. This suit will have the following state-of-the-art facilities: (1) endoscopic colour doppler ultrasound, (2) endoscopy diagnostic and therapeutic setup and (3) digital X-ray fluoroscopy.
The endoscopic colour doppler ultrasound facility is not available in Karachi. This is the best diagnostic modality for early detection and staging of cancer of esophagus, stomach, pancreas and rectum, etc.
The ERCP facility is also not available in public sector hospitals in Sindh, including Karachi. Interventional radiology services, which are available in Karachi in some private sector hospitals, are not within the reach of the common man.
The charges of a single examination in any of these private hospitals are more than the average monthly and even the yearly income of the common man.
The ERCP therapeutic package varies from Rs15,000 to Rs45,000. Therefore, patients belonging to low-income groups and daily wage-earners cannot afford this investigation/treatment.
The digital fluoroscopy will provide peripheral angiography facility which is also not available in the public sector. This digital X-ray fluoroscopy machine will also be used for detection of heroin capsules in drug smugglers/body packers.
Karachi acts as a filter for the whole of the province, besides receiving a large number of patients referred from Balochistan.
The radiology department of the JPMC attends between 700 and 1,000 patients daily. Availability of this modern diagnostic facility at the JPMC will provide a better vital tertiary diagnostic service to patients and also better education and research facilities to young doctors.
We, at the JPMC, are grateful to the governor of Sindh and the prime minister for taking personal interest in the health sector, specially in the JPMC. These equipment will benefit poor patients who come from all over Sindh and Balochistan.
Dr TARIQ MAHMOOD Associate Professor, In charge of Department of Radiology, JPMC, Karachi
PRESIDENT Pervez Musharraf announced Rs500 million for the development of the Multan city some time back when he came here to address a public meeting, but unfortunately, no major development work has been undertaken yet.
In many areas, roads are submerged by sewage as gutters are chocked and overflowing. In Samanabad Colony, lane and streets have turned into lakes owing to sewage, causing great hardship to the area people.
The Nazims and councillors of the city have had metalled roads built in their streets, but they have completely ignored other streets and roads their localities.
The Multan bypass between Chowk Kumharanwala and the under-pass is also in a deplorable condition. Similarly, the roads leading to and inside Gulgasht, Mumtazabad, Hasan Parwana, Shah Rukn-i-Alam, Samanabad and New Multan are in a shambles. They have become impassable owning to numerous potholes.
Work on some roads of New Multan was started some time ago, but it has been left incomplete. Their condition is worse than the old ones.
Will the city Nazim look into the matter and do the needful?
MALIK AKRAM MUGHAL
Multan
THIS is to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the hardship that applicants face in obtaining passports.
When an application is submitted to the passport office for a new passport, the applicant is required to furnish certain original and photocopies of the required documents.
After the expiry of the validity of the passport, when another application is submitted to the office for the renewal of the passport, the whole exercise of submitting these documents, both original and photocopies, is repeated.
Will the authorities let us know as to why the documents are required again for the renewal of a passport?
YOUSUF AMIN
Karachi
PTV’S weekly quiz programme, Jo Janey Woh Jeetey is both interesting and informative. Handsome prizes are offered to encourage public interest in general knowledge, which is unfortunately lacking in our youth.
More depressing is the fact that sometimes the knowledge of the gentlemen present in the programme as experts is not enviable either. And at times, the answer furnished by these gentlemen is not correct, as evidenced by the following examples:
1. Question: who was the first general secretary of the All-India Muslim League? Answer: Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk.
This answer is not correct. The correct answer is, Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk who worked in this capacity from December 1906 to March 18, 1908, when, on his own request, he was relieved of the duties and Nawab Imdad-ul-Mulk Syed Hasan Bilgrami was elected secretary in his place.
2. Question: who amongst great Mughal kings was brother-in-law of Raja Man Singh. Answer: Jehangir.
Now it is a well-known fact that Akbar was Raja Man Singh’s brother-in-law who married his sister Jodha Bai.
One of the experts stated that Oxford was the oldest University, at least older than the Cambridge. This is not correct.
The Cambridge University was founded in 1209AD while the Oxford University was founded in 1249AD. This can be verified from any standard English dictionary.
In another programme, the compere informed viewers that Switzerland was not a member of the United Nations. The fact is that when the programme was telecast, Switzerland had already been admitted to the world organization.
HABIB FAKHRI
Islamabad
THE Punjab government is once again preoccupied with the issue of banning or serving food at marriage functions while neglecting the serious problem of the law and order situation in the province. It has decided to allow serving one dish at valima reception while totally banning food to “baraat” guests.
This decision, on the face of it, is against the spirit of the latest Supreme Court judgment which allowed the provincial governments to limit the number of dishes at marriage functions but did not ban serving food altogether in case of “baraat”.
The far-fetched idea that to serve food to a limited number of “baraatis”, who also pay “salami” to compensate the food expenses incurred by the bride’s father was against the Islamic tradition of hospitality is an aberration. Hospitality, on the other hand, is a part of “Iman-i-Kamil”.
Could one imagine how the “baraatis” going from one village to another located at several miles distance would feel if they were made to starve at the bride’s house on their return by midnight to their village?
This would cast an aura of gloom, rather than happiness on the joyous occasion of marriage.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
THE government floated savings schemes on which depended the security of millions of pensioners and senior citizens. But with the cost of living having risen by over 100 per cent during the last 10 years and the returns having dropped from 16 per cent to virtually 7.65 per cent per annum, after deducting 10 per cent tax on returns for investments of over Rs150,000, the dreams of the poor and the needy have been shattered.
To illustrate the horror faced by a private sector electrical supervisor who received terminal retirement benefits of Rs500,000 10 years ago, his finances run as follows:
1. Initial return on special savings certificates 16 per cent — Rs6,667 per month.
2. Expenditure approximately Rs6,000 per month.
3. Expenses 10 years later, Rs12,000 per month.
4. Returns at 8.5/7.65 per cent, Rs 2,940 per month — approximately one-quarter of his expenses.
Incidentally, the 11.04 per cent returns (though still inadequate) on Pensioners Benefit Accounts, offered to the forces, government and semi-government pensioners only, amounts to blatant discrimination against millions of private-sector pensioners and senior citizens. Have these citizens not played a major role in the development of this country?
Will the government take note of what is happening to the pensioners, senior citizens and to those who are too tired and weak to supplement their income? Will the government take quick and suitable action in this regard, or will it allow them to die in despair?
AN OUTRAGED PENSIONER
Karachi
I AGREE with the proposal that the new name for the NWFP should be national and not of a religious or specific tribal nature. Pakhtoonkhwa does not represent a large spectrum of the population.
Similarly, Islamnagar, Pathanabad and Frontieristan do not represent the real cultural heritage of the province. A contest should be held across the province with the objective of choosing a consensus name for the province, and no official should be allowed to participate in this contest.
DR OMER KIANI
Toronto, Canada
THE silence of not just the governments of Muslim states but also of the Muslim peoples around the world on the Iraq issue is not only surprising but also shameful. Non-Muslims in every corner of the world are turning out by the millions to protest against any possible US-led invasion of Iraq.
France and Germany have adopted an honourable stand on this issue, and Russia has gone a step further by vowing to veto any move in the UN Security Council which seeks to resolve the Iraq issue through the use of force. But the Muslim leaders and peoples continue to maintain a frightened silence, even though it is their destiny that is at stake. Not only are they silent but, according to newspaper and media reports, Saudi Arabia has allowed the United States to use its bases to launch attacks upon their Muslim brothers in Iraq, and Turkey has gone a step further by finding a way to make a healthy profit from this opportunity.
Pakistan, of course, bowed to American pressure long ago, and the US is already in control of a number of bases here. But if the Pakistani rulers think that their capitulation will save them from this new wave of American imperialism then they are mistaken. If the US can attack Iraq on the pretext of the threat posed by the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, then they can use the same pretext to destroy our nuclear programme, supposedly to prevent it from falling into the hands or religious fundamentalists.
President Bush’s speech outlining his Iraq policy should raise alarm bells ring in Islamabad. The anti-Islamic nature of American intentions has become very clear now, as it is apparent that the US has set its sights against not just President Saddam Hussain but the Muslim world generally. In his speech, President Bush outlined a plan to station 200,000 American troops in Iraq indefinitely and to use Iraq as a base of operations to wipe out all forces that fall within the American definition of the word ‘terrorism’, including the Yesser Arafat led Palestine, unless it accepts Israeli domination.
The time has come for the Muslim people of the world to unite and face this threat which is the greatest threat we have ever had to face. We should have learnt from history that a policy based on capitulation and appeasement is bound to backfire. Our salvation lies in strength through unity at a time when the aggressors stand isolated in the forum of world opinion.
AMEER BUKSH BHUTTO
Larkana
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address:
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.