| April 21, 2003 | Monday | Safar 18, 1424 |
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Pakistan not the next target
Bank staff’s behaviour
Caution against SARS
Wrangling over LFO
Unfinished courses
An ‘oil-legitimate’ war
New Lahore airport
CNICs’ delivery
Budget proposals
CSS results
From nationalization to re-privatization
President, Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan,
ONE is surprised that even the Indian defence minister has endorsed the external minister’s statement that “India has a much better case to go for preemptive action against Pakistan than the US in Iraq”.
Such a statement, even after having incurred futile military standoff (Parakaram) expenditure of Rs74 billion, shows nothing but insane appreciation of the present global situation. The ministers are yet to give their definition of preemption. After all, linguistic professor Noam Chomsky’s definition of “preemptive war” (Frontline, April 11) does not appear to support their statements.
The professor has said: “Preemptive war” has a meaning, it means, for example, if planes are flying across the Atlantic to bomb the United States, the United States is permitted to shoot them down, even before they bomb, and may be permitted to attack the air bases from which they came. Preemptive war is a response to an ongoing or imminent attack.”
From the belligerent statements, it appears that the end of the military standoff is a ruse. India plans to take Pakistan by surprise. If it does so, it would be in line with Brihaspati’s and Krishna’s Koota Yuddha (allout no-ethics war) mentality, and Kautliya’s Matsinyaya (way of the fish) mentality.
Indian military writers, for example Maj-Gen Rajendra Nath, in his Military Leadership in India, stresses that the Pandavas won because they followed the all-out war methodology and made full use of surprise and deception.
A classical example of psychological warfare was pinpoint bombing of Dhaka cantonment complex. This shattered Gen Niazi’s will to fight.
According to Col Salik’s book Witness to Surrender, Gen Niazi is said to have burst into tears and Maj-Gen Rao Farman Ali sent tearful appeals to the UN to save his troops immediately after this bombing.
The writer also attributes India’s debacle with China in 1962 to Pandit Nehru’s non-adherence to Matsinyaya and Mandal principles.
Kautliya in Mandal emphasizes “all neighbouring countries are actual or potential enemies”. He clarified that countries sharing a common border with a country were likely to be its enemies and so to safeguard herself, the particular country should develop friendship with countries immediately beyond the bordering countries (like the US).
Kautliya also suggests making a false impression of own defeat (like end of military standoff), and later lure and strike the overconfident enemy.
The Indians should immediately arrest such senile attitudes as it may cause her more harm than the gains it is trying to target.
ASAD JAAVED MALIK
Karachi
I HAVE read a lot of letters and heard various people in TV discussions saying that after Iraq the next US target would be Pakistan, but I strongly feel that Pakistan will not be the next target for the following reasons:
From the very beginning of Pakistan we have put ourselves on the side of the US and UK. Our first premier Liaquat Ali Khan decided to visit the US first, instead of the USSR. Then on being asked by the US, we joined Seato and Cento against the USSR.
Our government had allowed the US to fly its U2 spyplanes over the Soviet Union. When the UK and France invaded Suez Canal/Egypt, our government supported the invaders against the Arabs.
Pakistan became a bridge for friendship between the US and China and played a vital role to bring the two to recognize each other and to conclude diplomatic relations.
Our rulers and government decided to side with the US and its allies to support Afghanistan to a fight proxy war against the invading forces of the Soviet Union and extended tremendous cooperation in getting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan vacated.
Moreover, when the US/UK needed our vote in the UN or in other forums, we supported them. After the 9/11 incidents when the US secretary of state called our president asking him whether Pakistan was with the US, our ruler instantly decided to be on the side of the US, and our government helped America and its allied forces to occupy Afghanistan. And when the US and the UK invaded Iraq, our government only deplored the brutal invasion and did not condemn it, while the European Union did.
With such a meritorious record of loyalty, it will not be wise for the US or the UK to think of attacking Pakistan.
The record shows that the US and Britain punish only those who are defiant or those who are very small and militarily weak or have oil/gas or other rich mineral resources to benefit by occupation. Pakistan does not qualify for their wrath.
However, there are still some mad powers which can pose danger to our safety. We should, therefore, be wise to learn a lesson from the invasion of Iraq and be ready to meet any unexpected aggression.
ZAFAR IQBAL
Karachi
RECENTLY I witnessed a case in which many people had suffered because of the unprofessional and unethical attitude of an NBP manager, Model Colony, Malir Branch.
It was really a rude awakening to see many retired government employees, who served the government all their lives, being manhandled and dogged by the impolite employees of the above-mentioned bank.
The manager of the branch was curtly instructing pensioners to submit their forms and collect the money the next day. Moreover, the manager was heard telling the elderly people that the bank management would be delighted to get rid of the pension accounts.
Nowadays, when foreign banks are adopting more ways to facilitate their customers at their doorsteps, our local banking institutions do not look serious about realizing the situation in the competitive corporate world.
May I ask the authorities as to who is supposed to facilitate its customers, account holders and pensioners? And do they have any plan to improve this scenario, or the same irritating tactics would be used by their employees in future too?
NOOR-UL-ARFEEN SIDDIQUI
Karachi
THE whole world is in fear of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Experts are warning that there is every chance of SARS changing from an epidemic to a pandemic. Most countries are becoming vigilant over its possible entry and spread.
Within the past 10 days I have been consulted by at least six persons with fever and upper respiratory infection immediately upon return from Hong Kong, China and Singapore. Not one person was questioned at Karachi airport about the possibility of their bringing in SARS.
Even one person bringing the virus into Pakistan can set off this highly dangerous illness. Given our high-density population and pathetic living conditions, SARS can spread like wild fire. Our hospitals are least equipped to deal with serious respiratory illnesses: few have respirators; most do not have proper masks; hand washing after examining patients is not a usual practice because of the non-availability of facilities; no antibiotic will give cure. Given such handicaps, hundreds of us, including doctors, nurses, paramedical and non-medical persons, would die within days, should SARS enter Pakistan.
We still have a chance to pre-empt entry of SARS into Pakistan. The health department should post a doctor at the airport to check each and every passenger returning from affected countries. (The number of countries has grown today to 19). In the event of any passenger having a cough and fever, he/she should be immediately quarantined for a period of two weeks. Only by interrupting the chain of transmission will the disease eventually die out.
The health department should treat this matter as extremely urgent if they wish to save the public from this potentially devastating infectious disease.
DR NASEEM SALAHUDDIN
Karachi
FOR the first time graduates have been elected to the National Assembly with the prime objectives of safeguarding their interests and solving their impending problems.
But the attitude adopted by the opposition to bulldoze proceedings of the house on April 15 goes to prove that the basic requirement of graduation to contest elections did not yield the expected results.
The LFO was the central issue which could have been discussed and resolved amicably according to the norms of democracy instead of adopting a policy of confrontation. There is no denying the fact that criticism is the lifeblood of democracy, but it should be healthy, convincing and result-oriented.
It is an awful fact that character assassination and mud-slugging have become a tradition of our society. I would stress upon our respected opposition leaders, in the larger interest of democracy and democratic institutions, to indulge in healthy politics by becoming tolerant.
We should not create any impression with our deeds and actions that our country is undemocratic as alleged by our arch rival India to justify a preemptive war.
SYED MUTTAQUI ALI MEERZA
Karachi
THROUGH the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I want to draw the attention of the Sindh governor to the difficulty which we, the students of first year science, are facing at the hands of the Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi.
Our first year session (2002-2003) started in late September 2002 because of the centralized admission policy. Now the BIEK has given April 24 as the date of our examinations.
This means that our academic session is of six months’ duration only, and because of this our courses have not yet been completed in our colleges. Hence, we are not able to appear in the examinations, and request the governor to extend this date by one month or by at least two weeks for the first year science students to enable them to study all the assigned courses.
STUDENTS OF ADAMJEE COLLEGE
Karachi
THE war waged by the US on Iraq though illegitimate was “oil-legitimate”. It was not to liberate Iraqi people but to lubricate American industrial/defence/auto industry, which was about to suffer from severe oil drought. More so when the UK-US leadership is openly saying what if WMDs are not found, the war was justified even on other grounds.
All excuses are offered to validate the invasion. For example, Saddam gassed his own people. Iraq was helped to develop the gas by UK scientists. He denied his people democracy. Well, no country in the Middle East practises democracy.
Egypt’s Hosnie Mubarak, sustained by an annual US grant of $2 billion, is grooming his son to replace him after he is gone. Syria has Hafiz’s son Bashar as president. And since when has the US converted to democracy?
Allende was replaced by Gen Augustus Pinochet; Sukarno with Gen Suharto; and Bhutto with Gen Zia. Except now they are civilianizing the replacements. Karzai substituted Mullah Omer, and Challabi is to step into Saddam’s shoes.
President Bush said the war would be over when Gen Tommy Frank says so. Amazing that the president himself doesn’t know if the war objectives have been achieved! Left to a general, the war will go on and it may spread like Bushfire.
In the 1952 Korean War, Gen Douglas MacArthur wanted to drop nuclear bombs on North Korea and China and on every other country in the neighbourhood of that peninsula. President Harry Truman sacked the general in good time.
This war is going to breed OBLs on a scale never witnessed before. President Hosnie Mubarak said that 1,000 OBLs would be on the loose as a consequence. Arabs are not going to forget this humiliation that easy.
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
I HAPPENED to visit Pakistan recently and landed at the newly-inaugurated Allama Iqbal International Airport. I was pleasantly surprised to see this beautiful airport with its vast lounges and aesthetically done interiors, superb finishing of floors, walls and ceilings, departure lounge furnished with state-of-the-art seating system, magnificent wall decor, murals and paintings.
The only eyesore notable in the lounges were the poor quality advertisement boards placed on the wall above the departure gates, a real bad job which does not blend with the serene environment, these signboards can be replaced with paintings of contemporary Pakistani artists or otherwise should be replaced with superior quality signages as we see at other airports of the region.
However, one must congratulate the management of the CAA for doing such a commendable job.
JAWAID MOHSIN
Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles
THROUGH your esteemed columns, Mr Abdul Aziz (April 15) has exposed Nadra’s new prescription that requires personal attendance of those who have not received their CNIC. What will happen to senior citizens who are handicapped?
I am 88, with arthritis and defective vision. Do Nadra officials expect me to join long queues. If the officials concerned cannot arrange delivery of these cards as they originally promised, the least they can do is to deliver these cards to all those who have crossed 60 years. Those who have mishandled and mismanaged the project should be brought to book.
DR MUHAMMAD ILIYAS
Karachi
ALL over the world the prime objectives of governments are to improve economic conditions, increase the growth rate and create job opportunities. To achieve these goals, conventional and non-conventional methods are being used at both micro and macro levels.
I suggest the following proposals, which should help boost the economy:
(i) The minimum taxable limit may be reduced to Rs30,000 per annum. This will increase the number of taxpayers to 3.8 million. The number of taxpayers at present stands at around 1.2 million.
(ii) The minimum tax slab should be Rs50 per month for incomes between Rs30,000 and Rs60,000. This will generate revenues to the tune of Rs2,280 million.
(iii) All commercial establishments, falling outside the minimum tax limit, may be charged five rupees daily, payable on a daily/monthly/bi-annually basis at any bank branch. Those who pay this tax in advance on monthly basis, without any break may receive a refund of 15 per cent of their deposited amounts on July 15 of the next financial year. This will generate revenues to the tune of Rs1,550 million.
A trade-wise rate of net profit, for at least three years, may be fixed on the recommendations of related trade bodies /firms of chartered accountants/chambers. The assessed tax on the assessed rate of net profit may become payable by December each year, irrespective of the actual net operating profits, i.e. no tax on net profit if the same exceeds the assessed net profit. After three years, the assessment of the rate of net profit for the next three years may be made on the basis of the last three years’ actual accounts.
Tax deducted from salaried class may be refunded to salaried individuals at the rate of 25 per cent of tax deducted at source by July 15 of the next financial year as Tax Loyalty Package.
M. MURAD SIDDIQI
Karachi
I WOULD like to draw the attention of the higher authorities towards the unnecessary delay by the Federal Public Service Commission in declaring the CSS results.
Students prepare for nearly a year for the CSS examinations, and if the FPSC continues its present trend of declaring the results and causing further delay in giving occupational groups allocations of posts, the candidates will continue to suffer. I request the chairman of the FPSC to look into the matter and save time of the students, as most of us clear it in the second chance.
ZIAURRAHMAN
Peshawar
PRIVATELY-managed educational institutions were nationalized on Sept 1, 1972, under Martial Law Regulation No. 118 of March 29, 1972.
Thereupon, the employees of such institutions, 60 years or above, were dropped from service. It ruined their living prospects, as there was no concept of retirement in their service conditions. Those who retired before completing the 10-year service in the nationalized cadre were not given any pension to fall back upon in the evening of their life.
Worst of all, the employees henceforth nationalized into government service were deprived of the service, previously done by them in their parental institutions during the pre-nationalization period. It tortured them for 28 years, since their old-age pension was exceedingly belittled thereby.
The Punjab teachers moved against this unkindest cut about three decades ago. The Supreme Court, at long last, rescued them from the hell of this deprivation. The teachers/lecturers/professors in Punjab were paid, during 2000/2001, ‘huge arrears’ of their pension claims from the date of their initial appointment in their parental institutions, occurring before their nationalization.
Unfortunately, this ‘handsome benefit’ has not been given to the affected educationists of the other provinces, while the decision of the Supreme Court is impliedly binding in all the similar cases of pension, and is enforceable in all the provinces on the premise that nation is segmented into provinces for the administration of its affairs, and not to debar its nationals from their fundamental rights, including the right of old-age pension.
About a couple of years ago, a woman professor, in the Sindh cabinet, was requested to ensure this right of pension to the adversely-affected educationists of Sindh, but the matter is still in the doldrums.
Now that re-privatization of the nationalized educational institutions is on the anvil, it may be pointed out that ‘nationalization’ of the privately-managed educational institutions did not prove unmixed blessing, and their re-privatization will harm the professional dignity of the teachers, as well as the learning pride of the students.
The teachers and the students, from Bolan to Khyber, oppose it in right earnest on the plea that it is ‘illogical’ like feudalism in democracy. The earliest it is withdrawn, the better it will be.
MIRZA GHULAM HAIDER
Multan
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