| March 8, 2003 | Saturday | Muharram 4, 1424 |
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Who armed Iraq first?
Mahathir’s message
‘PR passenger’s complaint’
Indian celebrations
Technical report on Lyari Expressway
Poor health facilities
Ways to prevent AIDS
‘PTA’s misplaced zeal’
Rationalization of taxation
Well done, boys
No salary for six months
Lahore
IN a recent lecture at the foreign office, Qazi Hussain Ahmad spoke of seeking peace with India instead of submitting to the US. He wanted the foreign policy to serve national security requirements, and thus pleaded against foreign loans. He also linked the Ummah’s future to the success of Islamic movements worldwide, asking Pakistan not to vote against Iraq in the UN Council.
All these speak of double standard, i.e. seeking peace with India to confront the US. He must recall the embarrassing role he and his Jamaat-i-Islami had played in stoking up anti-India sentiments when premier Vajpayee visited Pakistan in 1999.
Again, he says Pakistan’s foreign policy must reflect its security interests and that we should not seek foreign aid. But it was the US that saved Pakistan from the risk of national default posed by short-term debt. Again, during the border tension it was the US which kept India from attacking Pakistan. We need America, its market, its universities, etc. for our development. Confrontation for the sake confrontation is meaningless.
About Islamic movements, he is not clear whether he supports Islamists in Egypt, the Algerian FIS or the Abu Siaf group in the Philippines all of which have earned a bad name for the Ummah, or those who are waging freedom struggle against Israel, India, the Serbs, etc. And he must also clarify whether he supports the Al Qaeda and Osama bin Ladin.
Finally, there are the issues of the Legal Framework Order and the MMA’s ‘million-man’ march. The fact is that Saddam Hussein has killed more Muslims than Ariel Sharon of Israel. Most Muslim rulers are not democratically elected, but none has massacred people on a scale as has Saddam. As against this, our rulers have been less cruel. Gen Musharraf for all his sins has allowed a relatively free press, has allowed a parliament to exist where the opposition’s presence is substantial.
Qazi Sahib and the MMA oppose Gen Musharraf on the issue of the LFO as they say it is against democracy, but he is also willing to do Saddam’s bidding even if it means causing a rupture between the US and Pakistan, knowing it very well that Saddam is a dictator. If the LFO is wrong, then Saddam is also wrong.
Lastly, there’s the issue of ‘million man’ march in Karachi which raises a number of questions. The MMA’S biggest vote bank is in the NWFP but surprisingly it did not do any protests there. Is it because it is in power there and does not want any disturbance? A protest in Karachi, where Gen Musharraf’s men have formed a weak government, can help jolt that weak government and would create a bigger ripple because of Karachi’s larger population and significance. The talk of principles is a good tool to be used wherever need arises to give oneself moral legitimacy.
OSAMA ALONE
Lahore
THE case made out against Iraq to justify invasion and war has been rejected by nations from the East to the West, from the North to the South as poor argument and arrogant obduracy of a superpower. Better still, the very citizens of America have come out in overwhelming numbers to protest the USA’s call for war.
Iraq was armed to the teeth and made a military force to fight a proxy war against an oil-rich neighbour. It was provided with a deadly chemical and biological arsenal from factories in the USA and the UK. It was led by a despot that exterminated a number of his own people and the world’s sleeping conscience allowed it to do so.
After 12 years, the US and Britain decide to punish the country that has been painfully agonized by the sanctions, poverty and disease — a million children have died and much of civilian life and property have been damaged. Another war will aggravate the human suffering in Iraq.
The case for war is tenuous. Iraq has no major terrorist network, links with Al Qaeda or any proven involvement in the Sept 11 attacks. Its nuclear arsenal was destroyed earlier and what it is left with is entirely incapable of causing damage to the US.
A war in today’s nuclear world cannot be contained within a given region. The spillover will affect far and near neighbours. This war will result in more wars, big and small. The losses will be terrible. The wars of the 20th century must not be forgotten, nor the scars they left on humanity.
As a mother, I appeal to the people of the world, to the United Nations and the USA to stop beating the war drums. Civilized nations having the moral will join hands to end friction, use their power of persuasion to put restraints on recalcitrant groups and nations under universally acknowledged and acceptable resolutions.
A process leading to denuclearization must be initiated and achieved that should apply equally to all countries, including the USA. America, Israel and every member of the Security Council must undergo this cleansing. We, the mothers, plead for the future of our children — the future of this world. We demand an end to war.
NARGIS RAHMAN
Karachi
I WOULD like to thank Dawn for carrying Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s highly analytical speech in which he brought out the real reasons behind
the acts of terrorism, big and small. Indeed if terrorism is around, then it must only be a response to imperialism, neo-colonialism and ethnic cleansing.
A truly evil apartheid regime existed in South Africa till recently, yet the leading western countries did not see it fit to occupy South Africa. Instead, they applied sanctions, which achieved the same results as an occupation. Apartheid fell.
Saddam, too, can be made to fall through the same means, but then it will not satisfy the thirst in the militant West for a Crusade.
The so-called free and objective western media did not see it fit to carry Dr Mahathir’s speech. Perhaps, it was too close to the bone for them. Certainly, the leader of Australia could muster only words of scorn for it, instead of giving a reasoned response.
KAHLID AHMAD
Montreal, Canada
A COMPLAINT by Ms S. Raheem of Karachi was published in your esteemed newspaper on Jan 26. The matter was taken up by the Ministry of Railways and investigations were carried out by the Pakistan Railways’ vigilance cell.
These revealed that the complainant did not travel from Lahore to Karachi by the Shalimar Express on Jan 8, as was stated by her. The lady alleged in her complaint that three uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Railways kept on disturbing the passengers for 20 hours. They were alleged
to have distributed a questionnaire regarding the cooling of the train compartment.
The factual position is that these uniformed personnel were the ACC attendants who were allotted seats (69 and 70) on coach No 3. They travelled on their allotted seats in the coach. A couple travelling on seats No. 67 & 68 of the same coach admired the services of the staff accompanying the train.
The train crew, including the ACC attendants, were also inquired regarding the reported incident, who informed the PR cell that nothing of this sort had occurred on that day.
NASRULLAH GHILZAI
Director Public Relations,Pakistan Railways,
Although the wild abandon and uncontrolled glee with which our neighbours in India have greeted their World Cup victory over Pakistan may have surprised many foreign observers, the reaction is understandable if seen in its proper perspective. Pakistan has a tremendous lead over India both in one-day internationals and in Tests on an all time basis. Of the 85 internationals played between the two countries before the recent World Cup match, Pakistan had won 52 and India 29, with four ending without any result.
Pakistan, therefore, enjoys a two to one advantage which gains even more significance when one sees that even in the case of the one day internationals played in India itself, Pakistan has won 10 to India’s four. The same is more or less the ratio in respect of the internationals played between the two countries in Pakistan (10 to three), and in neutral venues, including the World Cup (32 to 22).
Incidentally, the last one-day international between the two countries was also won by Pakistan (June 3, 2000, Dhaka, Asia Cup). The only time that India won the World Cup was 23 years back in 1983. Pakistan not only won the World Cup in 1992 but was also one of the finalists in the last cup (1999) when India bowed out at the preliminary stage.
The same is the picture in the case of Test matches. Of the 47 tests played between the two countries since 1952-53, Pakistan has won nine, India five, with the rest, i.e. 43 having been drawn. The last test match between the two countries (held at Eden Gardens, Calcutta) was also won by Pakistan (Asian Test Championship, 1991).
In view of the comparatively infrequent times when India has won an encounter against Pakistan, as seen from the above records, it is understandable if our Indian friends go overboard, even berserk in their comparatively rare moments of victory.
ZEINAB MASUD
Karachi
WE wish to use your esteemed columns to request the authorities concerned (the Sindh governor, the chief minister, the Karachi Nazim and the federal authorities) to seriously examine the technical report on Lyari Expressway modifications presented over a month ago by the Action Committee for Civic Problems (ACCP). This could go a long way towards minimizing human suffering and dislocation of people being caused by the project.
Prepared by a reputed group of engineering consultants, the report examines the advantages of channelling the Lyari River in a way that would substantially reduce the number of persons displaced/affected by the expressway, reduce the construction cost of the project and the compensation costs to be paid to those being relocated.
We strongly urge the government and the politicians to study the proposals and give the ACCP a proper chance to present their case. The future of thousands of citizens is
at stake.
MRS AMBER ALI BHAI
General Secretary,Shehri, CBE, Karachi
THIS is to draw the attention of the authorities concerned in the ministry of health to the state of public health in Pakistan. Hundreds of innocent Pakistanis die everyday as a result of shortage of public health care facilities in the country.
According to the latest statistics, some 32 million Pakistani women fall in the reproductive age group (15 to 49 years), who require access to basic health facilities on a regular basis. Many women die every day from childbirth complications, as 80 per cent of the total deliveries still take place at home, with little consideration being given to hygiene and proper safety measures.
The slow-paced measures being taken by the government to prevent the spread of infectious diseases are not sufficient. Infectious disease like hepatitis A and B are spreading like wild fire. AIDS is another growing threat. Treatment for the complications
caused by these diseases is very difficult and expensive. These are
factors that put it out of the reach of the majority of our people.
Cancer is another growing threat in the country. The absence of any reliable data has forestalled any proper planning and charting out of any meaningful anti-cancer initiatives. Up to seven million Pakistanis suffer from cancer, and nearly 12,000 new cases are diagnosed in Karachi alone every year.
Some initial work started in 1999 for the registration of cancer patients on the advice of the International Agency for Cancer Research. But that has been discontinued. Thus, all the time, money and effort invested in the registry has gone to waste. Who, one may ask, is responsible for this
loss?
I advise the authorities to conduct regular workshops and seminars and run awareness programmes in the backward areas of the country as the less affluent sections of society are at a greater risk of contracting diseases.
Besides, the government needs to keep a strict check on its basic health care units where these exist. These are reportedly badly managed facilities providing little relief to the poor.
NOORUL ISLAM KHAN
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter, ‘Ways to prevent AIDS’ (March 6), written in response to my letter of March 2. I fully agree with the views expressed by Dr Hasan Tharani and the very useful suggestions put forward by him.
Dr Tharani has proposed that NGOs and the government should subsidize the price of syringes. My only issue is that perhaps he is not clear on how NGOs and the government would get that subsidy money. When a government and NGOs subsidize a service, the money going into that subsidy comes directly or indirectly from the taxpayers, that is the public which is already under a lot of economic hardship.
I think it is more appropriate to collect subsidy money from those making profits by manufacturing and selling syringes that can be reused. That is why, I believe the government should put a surcharge of one rupee per syringe for only those types of syringes that can be reused.
However, the government will have to brainstorm and implement this in a way that the surcharge cannot be passed on to poor patients. This will be challenging but not impossible to accomplish. The government must also convince the manufacturers to produce autodisable syringes which, unlike the conventional syringes, cannot be reused.
It is important not to forget the real issue, which is to control AIDS. The money collected from people making profits from the sale of conventional syringes should be used to subsidize autodisable syringes only, and to create AIDS education and awareness programmes.
DR BUSHRA REHMAN
Islamabad
THE editorial titled ‘PTA’s misplaced zeal’ (Feb 28) alleging that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) seems to have its priorities wrong, and instead of asking the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to improve their service, has issued a directive banning over a hundred pornographic websites. This is notwithstanding the fact that implementing such a decision was most likely to be impossible to implement.
The PTA wants to clarify that the authority did not issue any directive to any operator in this regard. However, the Federal Minister for IT & Telecom, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, was reported to have asked the PTCL to block websites spreading pornography. The fact can be confirmed by the wide coverage accorded to the statement of the federal minister.
With regard to improving the quality of service of the ISPs, it is added that the PTA has been striving to improve their performance. For this purpose, the authority has recently conducted a survey on the Quality of Service (QoS) of the ISPs to encourage competition among them, and to enable the users to choose the best ISP available to them.
The survey will soon be published in the press for information of the public.
GHULAM QADIR KHAN
Director (PR)
Islamabad
THE Karachi Income Tax Bar Association recently organized a two-day conference on “Investment Promotion through Rationalization of Taxation”.
Speakers included Shaukat Aziz, adviser to the PM for finance; Riaz Malik, chairman of the CBR; Waseem Haqqie, chairman of the BOI; Dr Ishrat Hussain, governor of the State Bank; Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid and Riaz Tata, president of the FPCCI.
They spoke extensively on how the government had introduced various tax reforms, such as tax concessions, one-window operations and other related incentives, to improve the investment climate in the country.
But, unfortunately, except for Justice Zahid and Mr Tata, none spoke on core issues which are the lack of good governance, the rule of law and the basic infrastructure. Justice Zahid lamented that he had been paying his taxes honestly for 35 years, but he had never been given a tax break or even been appreciated for his honesty. Mr Tata said if anyone wanted to set up an industry in Karachi, he had to wait for six months for an electric connection and that, too, after greasing palms and having the ‘right connection’.
During the lunch break, I asked a friend of mine, who is a leading manufacturer and exporter of garments from Pakistan, as to what he would do if he were gifted a million dollars. Without hesitation and in all seriousness, he said: “I would buy a car, a plot in Defence and take the balance money and run.”
I also asked the CEO of a multinational company, which has extensive investment in Pakistan, as to what he thought were the reasons for the lack of foreign investment in Pakistan, and his answer also came without any hesitation: “Bad law and order, irrational duties and tax structure, inconsistent and frequently changing trade policies, high cost of energy and lack of infrastructure and basic amenities”.
The general perception is: why pay taxes when they are misused and do not benefit the citizens? Unless these and core issues like sectarian and target killings, law and order and good governance are tackled seriously and the rule of law enforced and maintained, paying taxes and foreign investment, like good governance, will remain a distant dream.
A.H. MAKER
Karachi
PAKISTAN’S “pepsi” cricket team is coming home from the African jungle with their thumbs down. Let us cheer them for the their wonderful modelling in so many TV commercials. Well done, boys!
KHALID SHUJA
Karachi
WE were appointed, after fulfilling all legal formalities, paid house officers in our respective departments for six months (effective from July 20, 2002).
We regret that we have not been paid any money/salary yet, although we have made several representations in this regard. Moreover, no official explanation has been given.
We hope the authorities concerned will solve the problem amicably.
PAID HOUSE OFFICERS
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi
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