Middle East on fire

THE war against Iraq is around the corner. It may well be delayed for a few weeks because the Turkish parliament rejected the proposal of having American troops on Turkish soil. Nonetheless, the high-tech and lethal American war machine is about to unleash all its might on the vastly inferior armed forces and civilians of Iraq.

Once a cradle of knowledge and Islamic culture, Baghdad is about to be reduced to a rubble. There is no doubt that the US will succeed in its military operations. This will happen at what cost to the US taxpayers, and at what level of human casualties and suffering, only time will tell. What mayhem will ensue in the post-war Iraq is anybody’s guess; let us be sure that it’s not going to be easy.

This war can proceed and culminate in two possible ways. One is that the Iraqi regime and the people of Iraq would submit to the invading western forces. This would be a sweet victory for the US and UK and close to the ideal scenario. There will be minimal casualties for the western forces, but heavy on the Iraqi side. The post-war situation will be somewhat easier to handle.

The second possibility is more costly both in terms of the financial bill and human losses. This war may not proceed as envisaged by the western strategic planners and may turn into a prolonged resistance and guerrilla warfare. If that happens, the Iraqi civilians could come out to fight alongside their armed forces. We would then have another Palestine or Afghanistan on our hands.

The western forces, whose will to sustain heavy casualties has not been tested, may then be forced to leave the region in haste. Iraq then would become a more dangerous place, threatening the stability of the entire region. And like Afghanistan and the war on terrorism, the world will have one more item on its unfinished agenda.

Nations across the world are voicing their concern and demonstrating against this war, and for good reasons. The negatives of this war are far more than its positives. Moreover, more dangerous threats to world peace at present are terrorism, the situation in Afghanistan, and last but not least, North Korea.

Those nations who suffered casualties in millions in the two world wars are most vocal against this misadventure as they are well aware of the miseries of war. There is an urgent need for the war planners of the sole superpower to think again, and again, before they take the plunge.

ARIF MOINUDDIN

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Iraq issue and Pakistan

I AM sure President Gen Pervez Musharraf understands that the United States’ call for war on Iraq has nothing to do with Pakistan’s cooperation with America in its anti-terror campaign. These are two different issues.

This was also evident when Gen Colin Powell could not present a convincing case against Iraq being linked with the terrorists who carried out 9/11 attacks in the US.

Pakistan should be firm in saying ‘no’ to war against Iraq, and should be able to convince the world that there is not enough prove of Iraq being linked with the terrorists.

MIR KAZIM ALI

Goose Creek, SC, USA

For Pakistan, the honour of being elected as a rotating member of the United Nations Security Council has come at the most inopportune time. Whichever way the government decides to vote on the upcoming resolution pertaining to Iraq, the consequences are likely to be negative for the country.

Pakistan cannot quietly acquiesce to the wishes of the United States. The world-wide protests against the war are motivated by the simple logic that no matter how evil Saddam Hussein may be and is, the precedent of settling disputes by unilateral involvement of force should not be set. In other words, Pakistan cannot vote ‘no’ on the US-sponsored resolution in pragmatic consideration of the consequences of such a step and the realization that the war will be waged regardless.

On the other hand, it cannot vote ‘yes’ for its moral implications. The most prudent course for Pakistan ought to be to abstain.

M. HAIDER

New Jersey, USA

PTCL customer’s complaint

I AM in receipt of another shock this month in the form of my residence telephone (051-550 2223) bill of February for Rs3,730, inclusive of 1,157 local calls. We are a family of four. I am away at my job for about 12 hours a day at a stretch, which leaves three members to make 38.56 calls in a day.

I had been enduring such shocks for the past couple of months hoping for the situation to revert on its own to the previous average billing of Rs800-900 per month. Instead, the amount of the monthly bill has kept rising. The summary is as follows:

July 2002, Rs860; August, Rs1,590; September, Rs1,330; October, Rs1,590; November, Rs1,490; December, Rs2,730; January 2003, Rs3,840; and now February, Rs3,730.

As is evident from the bills of July and August, there is a double jump and it persists till November. Then there is another double jump between November and December persisting till the current bill. We got a PC and an internet connection in December 2002 and thought that perhaps the rise in the bill was due to the connections and disconnections.

The public was given to understand that a call to prefix 131 would be treated as one call irrespective of the length of the call. The meteoric rises in the calls (December, 875 calls; January, 985 calls; and February, 1,157 calls) speak volumes for themselves.

Would someone responsible at the PTCL please look into the facts of doubling of bills between July and August and between November and December 2002. I would also request him to place my telephone under observation and provide me with a print out of all local calls with the duration of each call. After having used the telephone for such a long time as a means of cheap communication, now I feel that my telephone bills are literally breaking my back.

MAJOR (RETD) TALAAT KHURSHID

Rawalpindi

Hub-Karachi water loss

THE loss of water during transmission from Hub to Karachi can be due to evaporation, natural seepage, pilferage or leakage into the cracks of the canal/conduit joints, etc.

The joint team, appointed by additional chief secretary Ghulam Sarwar Khero on March 13 to study this disappearance of 10 million gallons a day between the Hub and Karachi pumping stations should, apart from other necessary steps, accurately measure the cross-sections of the canal/conduit and the speed of the flow at every five miles, thereby giving volume per second/cusecs passing at that point.

This would indicate the rate of loss of water through evaporation, seepage or pilferation at every five miles. With these measurements and proper survey of the physical condition of the canal/conduit, as well as the revelations about possible unauthorized/illegal off-taking/siphoning of water, will establish the cause and magnitude of the problem. This may also help find a possible solution to the water loss problem.

Also, the measurement gadgets must be properly calibrated and all observations be recorded accurately by the joint team and signed by each member for one week. After this exercise, the value of the water discharge at every five miles, as well as at the pumping station, should be made public in the form of a proper report, with professional recommendations from the joint team.

It is simple and very normal but sometimes missed to cover or accentuate some vested interests.

AN ENGINEER

Karachi

Consultants for Sindh Coal Authority

THIS refers to the advertisement on “Prequalification of consultants” by the Sindh Coal Authority, Government of Sindh, (Dawn, Feb 16). It is regarding the exploration, assessment and evaluation of coal in the Northern Lakhra Coalfield in district Dadu.

I would like to bring to the attention of the authorities concerned the fact that the technical work required to be done is a subject for the Geological Survey of Pakistan and the concerned department of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources.

The Geological Survey of Pakistan is an authority in exploration and assessment of mineral wealth of the country. The basic geological work has already been pursued in Sindh, particularly with regard to the coal deposits, including the recent discovery of such deposits in Thar by the survey.

I was member of this department for over 37 years. Besides, I possess extensive field experience in the exploration of coal and know for a fact that there is no need to call for consultants on this subject. I suggest that the task and the funds allocated for the purpose should be given to the department of Geological Survey of Pakistan.

I am sure that this would be highly economical, as the GSP possesses the expertise necessary to execute the job required to be done by the Sindh Coal Authority.

RAFIQ AHMED KHAN

Karachi

Karachi traffic blues

THIS refers to the letter titled ‘Improving traffic in Karachi’ (March 10). I fully endorse the views expressed by Mr Salman A. Bugvi regarding identification of the traffic bottle necks around the city.

The biggest bottleneck is the police and other law enforcement agencies operating in the city. The patrolling vehicles of these agencies violate traffic laws with impunity and cause traffic jams as a matter of routine. They often drive on the wrong side of the road, break traffic signals, blow sirens to cause unnecessary alarm among motorists and block up to two lanes on a three-lane road just to observe the passing traffic during rush hours.

The traffic police, for their part, are not any better. Sporadic checking of documents by stopping vehicles at key traffic junctions during rush hours is done only to make an extra buck on the side. All this, while speeding buses and mini-buses are allowed to cruise past at a high speed. This seriously hampers the flow of traffic creating a bottleneck at the traffic junctions.

Lastly, the despicable condition of our roads is another bottleneck of sorts. Motorists have to drive in a zig-zag manner to avoid bumps, unauthorised speed-breakers, ditches and open manholes, which obstructs the flow traffic.

SHAHID SALIM

Karachi

Opposition protest

THE recent uproar and pandemonium caused by the opposition parties in Islamabad was unparliamentary and uncivilized. By doing so, they have only brought to light their incapabilities, inefficiencies and lack of understanding of the current world crisis and how Pakistan is being affected by it.

Even if their actions were based on sincere notions, the modus operandi was totally out of step with the call of these critical times. It seems that these are the people who have very few intellectual abilities, and possess no problem-solving capabilities.

In order to clearly disclose this weakness, I request the government of Pakistan to start telecasting the parliamentary sessions live, so that the whole nation can see how these people represent their unfortunate electorate. Only a large scale public condemnation, anger and reaction can bring them back to their senses.

In the face of an imminent danger to the Islamic Ummah, and to Pakistan, the silly gimmicks of yet sillier politicians are making themselves a laughing stock of the world and giving a picture of absolute disorganization, disarray and anarchy within the power structures and legal institutions of the country.

HASHIM SYED MOHAMMAD BIN QASIM

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

A wretched road

WILL somebody ever pay attention to the road that has the grandiose title of Shahzad Khalil Avenue? Coming from Khalid bin Walid Road, it goes past the KTV station and hits the main road coming from Karachi Stadium.

It has been my misfortune to drive along this road and suffer the agony of it, especially on that stretch which immediately borders the KTV station. One minute’s drive on this road is equal to driving on a 10-mile road strewn with boulders.

Will the Karachi City Government, which is paying some attention to road building, do something about this “Avenue?”

RAFI HANIF

Karachi

Pensioners’ scheme

THIS is with reference to Mr Mohammad Yamin’s letter (March 14) in which he has stressed the need for providing all those who are 60 years of age with an opportunity to benefit from government schemes irrespective of the fact whether they are pensioners or retired people.

I would like to go a step further and say the government should support all those who are above 60 years, whether they have enough money to invest in government savings schemes or not.

If poverty alleviation is the aim, then savings schemes and old-age income support should be split so that the basis for old-age income support is not merely based on where a person has money to invest or not, but how much income he gets each year.

I hope parliament will take an impartial step on this issue.

AMIN DAWOOD

Dubai

Ministers on ECL

IT was reported (March 5) that the National Assembly had been informed that four federal ministers were on the Exit Control List (ECL) in keeping with the recommendations of the agencies concerned. These are: Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Minister for Water and Power/Kashmir Affairs, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Liaqat Ali Jatoi, Minister for Industries, and Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Information and Media Development.

This is a matter of grave concern that four of the cabinet ministers are under vigilance by the country’s law enforcement agencies and their exit from the country is not permitted.

It makes a mockery of the system as the federal ministers with such responsible posts are under surveillance. Their much-vaunted posts require them to be exemplary yet they have been found wanting.

The on-going inquiry about their dealings casts a shadow of doubt over the whole system and creates a sense of insecurity as these high-ranking officials have been assigned to run the all-important affairs of the country.

The upper house (the Senate) and the lower house (the NA) should immediately look into this matter jointly and resolve the issue with earnestness and those found guilty should be held accountable.

ASAD PALIJO

Karachi

Bush’s exit

THIS refers to the news item, ‘Bush links Saddam’s exit to ME peace’ (Feb 28). We, in this part of the world, link Bush’s exit from power to world peace.

A. KADIR KHAN

Karachi

PROTEST demonstrations the world over against the US preparations for a war against Iraq have shown that world peace is linked to Bush and Blair’s exit from power.

ASHRAF CHAUDHRY

Toba Tek Singh

Cricket: some proposals

A LOT can be said about this but let the following suggestions go to the authorities concerned:

1. Immediate replacement of General Tauqir Zia by Javed Miandad with full powers to restructure the PCB and the selection board;

2. Total ban on the engagement of foreign coaches at exorbitant prices;

3. Replacement of the entire team that participated in the World Cup matches;

4. Javed Miandad be asked to help set up cricket academies in the country to be managed by private entrepreneurs to cut the PCB costs of operating domestic cricket;

5. No interference in the PCB affairs from any quarters of the government or the civil lobbies.

I can promise the nation that these arrangements can get them back the lost honour in the next World Cup tournament. Let us wake up to reality and snub forcefully the big noses, who have had enough of their foul play with national cricket.

M. M. KHAN

Karachi

Driving licence office

WITH about 15 million people and 55 square miles area, the city of Karachi with only one driving licence office at Clifton is inaccessible to those who live in the suburbs like Gulshan-i-Maymar. Why not have at least one such office for each zone of the city?

M. Arif

Karachi

Mr Jamali’s speech

ONLY Allah knows what is inside one’s heart but we mortals can only judge a person’s sincerity from his or her countenance, speech and demeanour.

Judging by these criteria, I am inclined to say that the maiden speech to the Pakistani nation by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali was that of a sincere Pakistani who did not mince words, and spoke from his heart in the best interests of Pakistan and the Muslim Ummah. There is no cause for concern in the slogan, “Pakistan first”, because unless Pakistan is strong how can it defend the interests of the Ummah?

His bold statement about the supremacy of parliament and repeated mentioning of the will of the people as exercised through parliament should be welcomed whole-heartedly by the opposition. He was quite right when, in the spirit of the Objectives Resolution, he said the supremacy of parliament was subservient only to the supremacy of Allah.

The prime minister’s assessment of problems faced by Pakistan in the education, health, agriculture and economic sectors, and his stance on the war against Iraq were also commendable. He took pains to outline the measures taken by his government to alleviate poverty, and improve things on the domestic front.

I hope the people of Pakistan and especially the politicians on both sides come to a better understanding in the days to come and make this parliament strong and workable.

S. FAIYAZUDDIN AHMAD

Leicester, UK

THE prime minister in his address to the nation has said that there will be no land reforms. Alas, we will have to endure feudalism for many more years.

MARIUM

Karachi