| April 23, 2003 | Wednesday | Safar 20, 1424 |
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Are parties democratic?
Bank staff’s behaviour
Victory at Sharjah
Commercializing education
Caution against SARS
What common man wants
Plight of CSS-qualified candidates
‘Stolen car’: ex-MNA’s version
I have just read Anwer Mooraj’s article, ‘Waiting for the call’ (April 21). I happen to be a scion of the kind of feudal family that Mr Mooraj seems to despise so vehemently. I cannot say that I blame him, given the amount of vicious and malicious propaganda we have to endure in the press and media which even seemingly reasonable and intelligent people find convenient to accept at face value owing to a lack of personal knowledge on the subject.
Of course, we still have a long way to go and education is a must to help us along the way, but we also must accept that we have come a long way. Killing men and women on a charge of “karo-kari” is indeed an abhorrent curse, but such instances are no longer common or widespread and they certainly do not have the backing of any jirga or tribal Sardar. There was a tendency in the past to regard women as property to be discharged at the pleasure of the men in the household. Women were traded like cattle or handed over to strangers as payment of fines and dues. But things have changed to a great extent.
Since Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto became Sardar of the Bhutto tribe, the procedure now followed among the Bhuttos is that if a man suspects his wife of having an affair, the matter is reported to him immediately. Before proceeding any further, it is ensured that the accused girl is placed in a neutral home where her safety and well-being can be ensured till the matter is resolved.
Then a jirga is held in which the accuser has to provide solid proof to support his allegations, unlike in the past when his unsubstantiated word was deemed to be proof enough. If the charges brought against the woman are proven, then the husband is allowed to divorce her and she is sent back to her parents’ home after securing guarantees from them, on oath upon the holy Quran, that she will not be harmed. The man involved in the illicit affair is banned from entering the village for approximately one year and he has to pay a fine.
Most sardars of the large and prominent tribes in Sindh, whom I know personally, normally resolve ‘karo-kari’ matters this way. In his article Mr Mooraj says killings and rapes take place on the orders of jirgas. It is unthinkable! The reputation of any sardar issuing such an order would be mud in no time. I have not heard of any such order being issued by the sardar of any prominent tribe in Sindh in recent times. But even if that has happened, it must be noted as an exception rather than the established norm.
Has Mr Mooraj forgotten that not so long ago a judge in an anti-terrorism court in Lahore ordered a man, accused of abducting, raping and murdering young boys, to be sliced up into pieces and dissolved in a vat of acid? Does this mean that this perverted ruling should cast a shadow over the entire legal system?
If the police and legal system were operating as they should, there would be no need for jirgas. But the police are totally incompetent and corrupt to the core, while the courts are swamped with a workload they cannot cope with. What are the people supposed to do? Where are they supposed to go? Mr Mooraj is quite right to surmise that the people have lost faith in state authority and have no choice but to look for alternatives.
In a jirga people receive swift and effective remedies the same day instead of having to face inordinate delays leading to further complications.
Quite often a problem arises that eludes the grasp of state authorities and they themselves refer the matter to jirgas. A few years ago the feud between the Nareja and Kalhora tribes, which had claimed 37 lives over a period of three years, was referred to Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto by the Khairpur district authorities, who had failed to stop the bloodshed. The feud was resolved and peace restored to the area in a jirga conducted by Sardar Mumtaz Ali Bhutto in a matter of a few hours.
Ancient tribal ways of settling problems cannot be expected to replace state authority or provide a long-term solution in modern times. Eventually, the legal system must prevail and the law enforcement agencies must do their job. But, meanwhile, in a vacuum created by the collapse of state authority the jirga system is fulfilling a vital function in resolving conflicts and preserving peace. Without this safeguard, we would be reduced to something similar to the looting spree on the streets of Baghdad.
AMEER BUKSH BHUTTO
Member, Executive Committee, Sindh National Front, Karachi
SOME people are happy that democracy has been restored in Pakistan. I totally disagree. In fact, I believe there has never been democracy in the country. I say so on the basis of the description of democracy in political science, according to which, democracy is a system where the people are sovereign, and which depends upon a democratic political process.
This process is divided into two distinct parts. First, it requires political parties with a clear-cut ideology and a political programme to solve economic and social problems of people. It is on the basis of this premise that people in a country join a party to whose manifesto /programme they subscribe to, as fee-paying party members. It is these fee-paying members who elect party leadership in intra-party elections, which are held regularly to lead them and their country when elected in the general election.
Secondly, the people have political education, which creates in them political awareness and social awakening and thereby enables them to understand their and their country’s problems. They are, therefore, in a better position to suggest solutions to the problems facing them. Can any political party in Pakistan claim that its leaders have emerged through a political process? Does any political party have a well-defined ideology or a workable political programme, or fee-paying members all over the country?
Ever since before independence the so-called political parties, not coming up through any democratic political process, have been grooming their followers on hollow slogans, hate and fear, but not on a clear-cut political programme as to how problems like the increasing unemployment, deteriorating law and order situation, ailing industry, increasing poverty and declining education standard will be solved.
Let alone the people, do the so-called politicians have any political education? Let me end this submission by saying that the sovereign people are ruled by their elected representatives as long as they are pleased. If displeased, the sovereign people change them in the next election. Could Pakistanis change their rulers Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharraf?
GHULAM KIBRIA
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter (April 21) wherein Mr Noor-ul-Arfeen Siddiqui has criticized the attitude of the manager of NBP Model Colony branch towards pensioners.
This branch was opened in 1976 and has been providing service to the area since then. At present, it has 12,478 account-holders, serves 4,500 pensioners on a monthly basis and provides utility bills collection facilities to 350 customers a day. Besides this, on average 500 customers visit the branch daily for the receipt of deposits and the payment of cheques.
The comparison made in Mr Siddiqui’s letter between the NBP and foreign banks does not depict the true picture, as the NBP is the only bank that undertakes the disbursement of pensions. Further, the writer does not seem to be aware of the charges, minimum balance requirements and the hidden costs impacting the customers of foreign hanks.
On the basis of the general remarks contained in Mr Siddiqui’s letter, the NBP head office conducted an inquiry. No evidence to substantiate the observations of Mr Siddiqui has surfaced and the officers concerned have denied the charges.
The bank would be glad to investigate further if a specific complaint in this regard is forwarded to it.
SALAMATULLA
Executive Vice President,
NBP, Karachi
I AM happy at the victory of the young Pakistani cricket team in the Sharjah Cup. The selectors and the coach deserve credit both for discarding the clearly out-of-form senior players and for utilizing the potential of young players to the maximum.
But I am really disappointed at the treatment meted out to the fast bowler, Muhammad Zahid. As has been the pattern during the last two years, he was taken on the tour, but was completely ignored. This bowler has won matches for Pakistan in the past and may well be a great player for Pakistan.
Ever since his recovery from a serious back injury two years ago, he has not been given an extended run in international matches. Maybe because he does not have the kind of influential support which the players like Faisal Iqbal, Danish Kaneria and others enjoy. That is why they are being given chances again and again, whereas Zahid is being ignored.
I find the attitude of the PCB towards this promising fast bowler rather disappointing. He should be given an extended run in international matches so that he can prove himself worthy to join the pace attack of Shoaib, Sami, Umar Gul, etc.
RAZA KHAN
Lahore
PRIME Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has announced that a uniform standard of education will be followed in all the schools of Pakistan. It certainly means that not only the syllabi but the teaching standard as well will be maintained in a uniform manner.
It goes without saying that the uniformity of standard would certainly be at higher level. This step would provide an equal opportunity to all the children to prepare themselves for the challenges of future in a similar manner. If and when taken, this step will ultimately help in eliminating the quota system, promote an environment of merit-based competition and, of course, would be a source of eliminating complexes from the children.
Now when so much is being claimed to impart the same education to the children, it is about time the government took some concrete measures to stop the highhandedness on the part of private schools, specially those having ‘good connections’. These schools charge big admission fees, so are their monthly fees. The most interesting thing is that they pay their teachers at par with any average school teachers.
Moreover, the parents are burdened with the advance fee for summer vacations, and the payment schedule starts, in some cases, as early as February and March. These schools not only burden the parents in terms of the monthly fees, but also in the shape of unnecessary extra curricular activities’ expenses. Their concentration is more on commercialism rather than ‘educationism’.
The government should take measures to check the extorting trend set off and established by these private schools and bring them at par with the average schools. The conversion of this noble profession into a money-making industry is the worst thing that we can do to this country and to its future generations.
SHAHID SALIM
Karachi
WITH reference to Dr Nasim Salahuddin’s letter (April 21), I fully agree with his suggestions to prevent SARS from entering our country.
But deploying a doctor at every airport will make no sense, until all patients/travellers from high-risk countries are quarantined for at least 10 12 days, as the incubation period for the cornavirus is two weeks after a person is exposed.
A country like Pakistan where the public health structure is not well established is more likely to be affected by such a deadly disease as SARS. Until we emphasize on basic structure of public health, we will always be in a dangerous situation in dealing with the threat of deadly diseases.
M. TARIQ MALIK
Louisville, KY, USA
THE common man wants peace, stability, prosperity, respect, freedom and to be treated as a human being. The list can go on and on as to what the common man wants and what he has been yearning for since 1947.
Yet every day, since the creation of Pakistan, the common man has not seen his dream come true. Who is to be blamed? The rulers, the bureaucrats, the ministers or the generals? Well, I will put the blame squarely on the common man himself! Wake up, the common man. Destiny is made, not dreamed of.
A COMMON MAN
Karachi
THE intractable constitutional-cum-administrative impasse that has blocked the entire recruitment process into the Central Superior Services (CSS) has taken a perilous turn and a plethora of rumours are abound.
The procrastination of the allocation of CSS-2001 batch and the ensuing irreversible losses speak volumes for the degeneration of the state institutions. The laxity and inefficiency on the part of the authorities concerned is responsible for the seven months’ delay, which has badly distressed 800 families of our country.
The result of the next batch (CSS-2002) is in the offing and it will make a crisis like situation. In September 2002, the government announced 156 vacant posts to be filled through the CSS competitive examinations 2001. The posts are still lying vacant after eight months.
With the amalgamation of two batches, the collective number of seats will be reduced and the successful candidates of either batch would suffer. The Civil Services Academy (CSA) has shown its inability to accommodate the combined Common Training Programme of two batches. The morale, enthusiasm and energies of the successful candidates are at the lowest ebb due to this distressing scenario.
Moreover, the upcoming summer vacation of the judiciary would put off the disposal of pending cases to September and would make the situation further convoluted. The FPSC has expressed its helplessness toward the resolution of this problem. Is this good governance? I request the FPSC to give a public explanation of the non-allocation despite the passage of seven months.
AYESHA ANSARI
Gujranwala
SINCE my name is cited in Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee’s article, appearing under the headline, “Causa sine qua non” (April 20), alleging that I was driving a stolen vehicle in 1992, I feel it my duty to reply to the claim made by the columnist.
He accused me that I was stopped by the CPLC, and later the car was impounded and deposited in the Corps Reserve Depot at Malir. I must add that among the 93 FIRs (now acquitted honourably in all by the courts) registered since 1989, I couldn’t find any FIR or an interrogation on such charges during my arrest thrice.
If there is any FIR, I am willing to face this 94th case. Since Mr Cowasjee also indicted Karachi’s Corps office, it is also the duty of that office to either disprove the charges or, if there is a grain of truth, then write to Sindh’s law-enforcement offices to prosecute me. There must be a record if such a vehicle in question was really sent there.
A person who writes on somebody must first ascertain the facts. These days Mr Cowasjee is targeting, in his columns, one political party and its leadership in a manner which is unbecoming to a columnist. What he is contributing is mostly based on hearsay and qualifies as tittle-tattle. He should realize that some readers are not too discerning.
Once an individual is charged, rightly or wrongly, his or her image is demolished. If he or she has to controvert, then it is via some space through Letters to the Editor, but definitely all readers do not read through these columns. To the readers I wish to bring this incident first.
While driving through Clifton in 1992 (a month or two before Operation Clean-up) with my father-in-law, a retired official (who once investigated a questionable sinking or scuttling of Mr Cowasjee’s ship at West Wharf’s berth), my wife and daughter, we were stopped by two young officers in civvies. After they identified themselves, they asked the reasons for having tinted glasses. My car — I would repeat my car — a white Suzuki Swift (Reg No. R-5456), which I purchased firsthand in 1991 and registered at Karachi in my name, was partially tinted, and I told the officers that it was because of security reasons.
When they asked me for further identity, I showed them my National Assembly card. It was taken and I was advised by an officer to come to their office at Napier Barracks. Meanwhile, two to three private and official vehicles, with full dark glasses, zipped through. No attention was paid, though I pointed it out to them.
After 10 to 15 minutes we were allowed to proceed along with our vehicle. Next day, because of the National Assembly session, I left for Islamabad. I narrated the incident and sought the opinion of some senior legislators. They suggested that I should move a privilege motion. I filed it. It was not even against the CPLC or its then chief, Mr Nazim Haji, or any of his lieutenants. On the status of my motion, I was assured by the chair that it would be taken up soon.
But soon the Operation Clean-up started. I resigned, along with other colleagues, and was soon arrested and thrown into jail. During interrogation I was asked all manner of questions but none about the “stolen car”. I shall be grateful if Mr Cowasjee assists me in locating the FIR or the charges of keeping and driving a stolen vehicle or the same through his good offices to the CPLC.
So, the bottom line is that it was not the stolen vehicle but my National Assembly card, perhaps still lying in one of the offices described by the writer. I have heard the gag on making an elephant out of a mouse, but never a vehicle out of an MNA’s card. Mr Cowasjee surely deserved the credit.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Islamabad
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