| March 14, 2003 | Friday | Muharram 10, 1424 |
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‘Sacking of UHS controller’
Tolerance, militancy and gender
Getting into American universities
Savings scheme for pensioners
Plight of Pakistanis
French fries
Restoration of school building
Wapda billing
Porus vs Dahir
‘Heads must roll’
SIR Winston Churchill, the erstwhile prime minister of the United Kingdom, who held the centre-stage of the world during the frightful years of World War II (1939-1945), once quipped: “Give the dog a bad name and shoot him”.
The quip appears to have been adopted as the cornerstone of the US policy by President Bush. The handy bad names are Taliban, Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda behind the facade of which he is warming up for war that will kill thousands of innocent people, besides causing “collateral” misery to millions more. He thus appears set on causing more preemptive damage than the actual event he claims to have set out to prevent.
Such is the hypnotizing power of the media, and the way it is being cynically used by the US, that no one is asking anymore for proof of Osama’s or Al Qaeda’s involvement in the Sept 9 attacks on America’s symbols of power. Ever since the unfortunate event in which so many innocent lives were lost, hardly a week passes without the world being warned of an imminent attack by Al Qaeda on innocent people of the West. When no such thing actually takes place, the matter is quietly forgotten.
With much gusto, to give one example, the Anthrax scare was attributed to Al Qaeda. When it subsequently came to light that the Anthrax in question was produced in a US lab, the whole matter was quietly swept under the carpet without any ears turning visibly red. Much earlier, it will be recalled, there was talk of papers pertaining to production of nuclear bombs having been found in the caves occupied by the Taliban. No one can be more aware than American intelligence that cave-dwelling and production of nuclear arms are poles apart phenomena. There is a little matter of centrifuges, precision-built alloy tubes and so on.
Even after hundreds of persons have been “interrogated” (read “tortured”) for over a year now in the most ingenious ways known to science, the US has yet to give any proof of Al Qaeda’s involvement in the Sept 11 event. The Jewish-controlled media is having a field day. The tail (that is Israel) is wagging the dog (that the US has become). If Bush steps out of line, a scandal or two about his past are sure to surface, dooming his chances for a much-coveted second term. Our own government laps up the tidbits thrown before it from time to time and plays poodle. Future historians will recall this period as the USA’s most shameful hour.
I appeal to our government and the media not to be befuddled by lies and half-truths ladled by international vested interests and to ask for clear proofs of allegations levelled against various Islamic and Muslim organizations before taking any action in the matter.
WAJID NAEEDUDDIN
Karachi
THIS refers to the story, ‘Sacking of UHS controller, registrar confirmed’ (March 4). One can only lament the falsity of the facts mentioned in the report.
The facts are:
Mr Muhammad Yaqub was inducted by the UHS to assist in setting up an examination system. However, when the Punjab University pointed out in writing that he was under suspension and the process of enquiry was still under way, his notification was cancelled, ab-initio.
Mr Yaqub and Mr Muhammad Siddique were notified by the vice-chancellor for their respective posts on a temporary basis. It needed validation by the board of governors. The BoG, after carefully considering the remarks of the University of Punjab, refused to approve their temporary assignments.
It was reported that some posts are not mentioned in the Ordinance of University of Health Sciences. All these posts are specified in PC-I and it is not the function of the ordinance to specify all these matters in detail. Your reporter should have investigated this matter because these posts are mentioned in PC-I, duly approved by the Provincial Development Working Party.
The appointment of the undersigned was made by the chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, i.e. governor of Punjab, with the concurrence of the chief minister of Punjab after observing the due process of law. The post of dean academics is specified in PC-I.
No purchases of heavy printing equipment for the examination department of the university have been made. Only one computer Pentium-IV and a printer have been purchased after observing all codal formalities with absolute transparency and with a meagre expenditure.
Mr Fida Hussain, who retired as deputy controller (examinations), University of Punjab, is known as an able and honest officer. However, he has not been given any regular appointment. He has been given assignments for a few months to assist in establishing a system of examinations at the University of Health Sciences.
(PROF) DR EICE MUHAMMAD
Dean (academics), University of Health Sciences,
Lahore
I WANT to bring to your attention an article published on the Education pages of Dawn recently, titled ‘Tolerance and Militancy — a Gender Survey’ by Dr Tariq Rahman. The article presented some interesting and shocking findings:
“Females seem to show less tolerance for Hindus than their male counterparts; English medium school students are less militant and more tolerant of minorities and women than those studying in Urdu medium schools,” etc. etc.
The author does not talk about statistical significance of his findings. It would be a mistake to read too much into the specific findings of the “data” and draw broad generalizations — a mistake that the author seems to make frequently.
Most of the statistical differences are really very small (3-5 per cent range) between genders and the English medium vs Urdu medium students, etc. A 3-5 per cent difference is really no difference at all in a sample of 100-200 students. Even a person with a master’s degree in statistics would tell you that you cannot get statistically significant generalizable differences between segments of populations with a sample size of 100-200 respondents.
Besides, the sample is not nationally representative either (we need about a 1,000 randomly picked people to make it nationally representative which would still have an error margin of two-three per cent). One can find some other flaws in the survey (e.g. the wording of the question and language differences).
The only interesting finding that is strong enough that the survey seems to support is that two-thirds of the schoolchildren consider “non-violent” means of pursing Kashmir as a viable strategy.
Not only is it important to point out the errors in the survey/study for the sake of ensuring that wrong impressions (based on faulty studies) do not get solidified among people, but also to bring to light the fallacy of such studies.
ATHAR OSAMA
Doctoral Fellow, RAND Graduate School for Policy Studies & Virtual Think Tank Pakistan (VTTP),
Via e-mail
KUDOS for the Indian education system. This year the number of qualified Indian students who have been able to secure admissions to American universities has exceeded that of China’s. The overall number of such students is over 30,000. Most of these will be pursuing an MS or a PhD degree paid for by the universities they will attend.
Many of these highly qualified people will return home and further enrich their society. Having studied in the US for both undergraduate and graduate degrees it is depressing to see the overwhelming majority of Indian students, teachers and professionals versus their Pakistani counterparts.
In my six years as a student I came across one Pakistani professor only and cannot count the number of professors who were of Indian origin. It is safe to assume that there are at least 50 Indians for one Pakistani in each of the mentioned categories, which is far too disproportionate when you consider the populations of the two countries.
The private education sector in Pakistan, which is charging exorbitant fees from their students, needs to do a better job of educating our talented youths so that they can avail themselves of thousands of opportunities every year for higher studies in the US. Getting financial assistance is not a problem if a student has high graduating GPAs, GRE and GMAT scores.
My graduate school tuition was paid for by my department which is also paying me well for doing a teaching job. The money was more than enough to keep me comfortable without unnecessarily having to ask my parents for funding. There is a need to conduct seminars or education camps in colleges and schools to prepare students back home for getting admissions in American universities.
I am sure if such a programme is started there will be many more students like me who could volunteer their time and services for free. Heaven knows we need an educated youth if we are to meet the challenges of this century.
ALI JALEEL
Seattle, USA
THANKS to the government for deciding to launch a new national savings scheme for pensioners with preferential rate of profit. The motivating factor in this decision was the fact that profit from the money deposited by them in the government savings schemes is the mainstay of the pensioners and repeated reductions in the rate of profit have had devastating effect on them financially. It goes to show that the government is alive to the plight of the jobless and the elderly. Very gracious, indeed.
I, however, wonder why the government in its wisdom thought fit to restrict the favour to pensioners only. Why other retired people beyond the age of 60 and the widows have not been considered as beneficiaries of this good gesture.
There are many retired people from the private sector who are not getting any pension and are solely dependent on income from the money put by them in government savings schemes to keep their kitchen fire burning. Doesn’t the government feel that such people too should be considered eligible for the facility provided to the pensioners?
I hope the people in the corridors of power will give approval for the pensioners’ scheme to include the widows and citizens over 60 years to save them from the plight in which they have been placed because of the reduced rate of profits on the one hand and the rising prices of consumer goods on the other. The penalties for premature withdrawal should be waived to make the scheme more appealing.
MOHAMMAD YAMIN
Karachi
THE Gazette of Montreal published a report (March 3) on its front page on the plight of Pakistanis trying to enter Canada at the Lacolle border near Montreal fearing maltreatment in the USA. Many of these Pakistanis (the Gazette carried a picture) are with their families. They are attracted to Canada because of its better record as a helper of mankind. However, as Canada immigration has limited staff, they turn back many of these applicants, who are then arrested by the US immigration .
The families accompanying these Pakistanis suffer in the intense cold weather. Not only is the breadwinner in detention but money too is scarce. Detention also means that the person concerned misses his appointment with the Canada immigration.
Thus the refugee application does not proceed further. On the US side an organization called the Vermont Refugee Assistance Project is trying to help the families but it does not have enough resources. Some donation can be made to this organization by the Pakistan government so that it can continue its work.
Our missions in Canada and the USA also need to take this matter up so that suffering and harassment can be reduced. And why do the missions not establish a camp office at the border to monitor the situation and show their concern with the treatment being meted out? There should be dynamism in such situations.
HALID AHMAD
Montreal, Canada
THE BBC reported on Thursday that the US House of Representatives had ruled that the word “French” be removed for the term ‘French fries”. This, according to them, is being done in view of France’s opposition to the US stand on Iraq.
Can someone please define the term “extremist”?
AZAM JAMIL
Islamabad
THIS refers to the staff report titled “Restoration of school building soon” (Dawn, March 9). The correct name of the school is Kazi Ahamdi, not Qazi Ahmed.
Kazi Ahamdi was a reformist educationist and belonged to the Siddiqui/Makhdoom family of the village of Pat Sharif, Dadu. He established the school in 1915 from his personal sources.
He was one of the pioneers of women’s education in Sindh, even though his cousins held the spiritual/religious seat. He was opposed by the Makhdooms, but did not give up and established the model school for education of both males and females of the village.
AKHTAR LATIF SIDDIQUI PATTAI
Karachi
I HAVE two very poor families in my neighbourhood in the Kotha village (Swabi), living in rented houses with the common electricity meter. Both the families are victims of Wapda’s legal exploitation.
It is a routine that for two or three months the families receive a power bill in the range of Rs500 to 600, but in the third month they receive a bill for Rs1,800 to 2,000, a shocking experience for the heads of families whose total income is not more than Rs3,000.
What happens is that the meter-reader does not take the readings for two or three months intentionally and send the bills based on imaginary readings. Consequently, the number of units consumed keeps on piling and the price per unit increases manifold as the rate of surcharge and line rent, etc.,increases automatically after crossing the limit of 199 units and with addition of every hundred units there is increase in the price of electricity .
The poor families are made to pay extra charges to cover up the losses and imbalance caused by those who steal electricity in connivance with Wapda employees. This is a very imaginative way of corruption for which Wapda deserves much praise.
I request the high-ups in Wapda to take stock of this and make all the meter-readers take the reading regularly every month to save the poor families from trouble every three months. This will help in controlling the theft of electricity as well.
MOHAMMAD ZUBAIR
Swabi
THERE is no doubt that Porus stood up and gave a tough fight to the Greek army led by Alexander (Farukh N. Aziz’s letter of March 12). History also tells us that the former was humbled by the victorious Macedonian and accepted the governorship of the territory he once ruled. The credit goes more to the tolerant Alexander.
Here I wish to argue about another non-Muslim ruler whose name was Dahir and who also stood up against the invading army of Mohammad bin Qasim. Dahir, commanding his forces riding on the back of an elephant, preferred to die in the battlefield rather than accept defeat or surrender to bin Qasim.
I personally believe that the “second-rate” and “lesser-known” Dahir of Kashmiri stock and Raja of Sindh was more courageous than Porus, who spent the rest of his life as a loyal lieutenant of the victorious Alexander. Sindh’s boundaries at the time extended into Kashmir.
Would my friend consider writing about this another forgotten hero, who died gallantly near Brahmenabad (near present-day Shahdadpur)?
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letters titled ‘Heads must roll’ (March 9) by three correspondents.
One shares the mental pain and spiritual agony caused by an undesirable, unedited sentence with reference to the cricket coach of our demoralized team, but I wish the objectionable sentence would not have been reproduced in the letters columns.
Letters are read by almost all the readers, whereas long, lengthy articles on various topics are read only by a small number of interested readers.
Mr Javed Jabbar is right in calling on his countrymen that “we in Pakistan need to show, by words and deeds, that the Muslim majority here respects the faith of all non-Muslims.” Yes, our words and deeds must reflect the golden teachings of Islam, and we must behave like a large-hearted, tolerant nation, comprising people of various casts, colours and creeds.
Our cricket team also includes an unassuming, simple, youngster belonging to the Christian minority. I wish this young player is given respect and honour due to his status as a national player and should not be maltreated as he was at Karachi airport last time when he came back from a foreign tour.
After 55 years of independence, we should have become a maturer, dignified nation. Cricket matches and all sports/games demand a maturer response, and should not be blown out of proportion as to make them a life and death issue. Enough is enough. Forget the unpleasant past and get ready for hard work for a glorious future.
KAMRAN KHALID
Tahirabad, Jhang
I WAS appalled to read Rehan Siddiqui’s report on cricket on March 6. I was not expecting such a despicable piece of journalism, if you can call it that, in a newspaper like Dawn, which has very high standards. Mr Siddiqui’s comments about Pybus being planted into the Pakistan cricket team camp for some ulterior motives need to be condemned in the harshest of terms. Such discrimination on the basis of religion is unacceptable. Religion has nothing to do with cricket, and it is about time people realized that.
TAIMUR MASUD KHAN
Philadelphia, USA
I agree 100 per cent with Mr Mobin Baig on the issue of accountability. I, my family and friends were disgraced at the team’s performance and appalled at the reaction of some players. No explanations, no apologies were offered to the millions of ardent fans. The manager went ahead to say ‘it happens in a game, people should just accept it’, simple as that. But this is Pakistan; if our leaders can go without accountability, so can the sportsmen. Or, can we pray for a change?
S. AZIZ
Karachi
Dawn respects people of all faiths and ethnic origins, and the paper’s policy does not allow casting racist slurs on anyone. We regret the publication of the offending words in the report in question. This correspondence is closed. —Ed.D
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