| May 2, 2003 | Friday | Safar 29, 1424 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Another maternal death
LFO and opposition
Taliban remnants
SARS: how to control it
Shoaib’s selection
Violence on campuses
Wedding meals
Stuffing Urdu with English
Contract policy in health dept
India-Pakistan relations
BEFORE the US war against Iraq, few people harboured any illusions about the behaviour and intentions of the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein. Nonetheless, President Bush’s rushed initiative tragically undermines the theory of a just war and will lead to a proliferation of war and other acts of aggression.
Already this prediction is beginning to unfold. Buoyed by its apparent success in Iraq, the US is now issuing subtle threats against Syria, Iran and other so-called rogue regimes like Sudan and Libya.
While the Iraqi people have been freed from the oppression of Saddam, they continue to suffer, now at the hands of the US expropriation. It is, for example, no secret how America’s formidable military machine was able to quickly seize control of all the Iraqi oil wells and the Ministry of Oil Building in Baghdad but was unable to protect, despite being forewarned, the irreplaceable heritage of a proud Iraqi people housed in the Iraq National Museum. It is now known that American troops were among those allowed to ransack museums, burn archives, and pillage libraries.
It is likely that the US will be in Iraq for many years — even decades. History shows that the development of democracy is a gradual, evolutionary process. In fact, since the fall of the Ottoman empire and after the period of colonialism, when the Arab states were created, there has been a continuous and difficult search for the proper balance between politics and religion in Arab countries. A nation’s people cannot just change its attitudes and mentality overnight.
Adding to the growing consensus of the US dominance in the region is the reluctance on the part of the US to allow the UN to take the lead in rebuilding Iraq. To counteract such suspicions, the US will likely establish a legitimate government in the weeks ahead that will attempt to conceal in the world’s eyes the reality of an American military presence. The Arab nations, however, are bracing themselves. Due to growing anti-American sentiment, extremist groups are said to be regaining strength.
Lost in the shuffle — a thorn in the side of the US as an altruistic liberator — is the fact that throughout the world in over 30 countries millions of lives are being lost through armed conflicts. Since 1998 there have been over three million lives lost as a result of fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone.
Evidence continues to mount, then, in the war’s aftermath, that America’s primary objective in Iraq was to gain control of the oil, as well as of the Middle East region. Do other nations really want the US to be the world’s lone enforcer? Is this not a time to revisit the concept of a ‘just war’?
PAUL KOKOSKI
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
THIS refers to the report (April 26) that says that a pregnant woman died after being operated upon by a quack. This has happened in Karachi, the biggest city of Pakistan. There is a hue and cry about lack of rural health provision, including maternity services. Instances of preventable maternal death of hospital employees, residing in hospital premises, are also on record.
In developing countries the non-utilization of available medical help due to illiteracy — traditions and taboos — is as responsible for maternal death as are non-available services in rural areas. It has been observed that any medical advice for circumcision or delivery cases is often ignored, because of the existing practice since the start of the universe.
Various measures are adopted to improve the maternal health and safe delivery of a child, which is the right of every woman. So many committees, programmes and training of birth attendants etc. are undertaken. These have not achieved the purpose of decreasing maternal mortality because these exercises are patch-work rather than addressing the core issues, with lasting impact.
The permanent solution lies in three letters AAA.
Awareness: The public should be made to realize that medical help during pregnancy and delivery is vital to the safety of the mother and the child. The print, audio and visual media certainly has a role to play. The impact of this exercise could only be realized if the literacy rate is increased and the poverty reduction programme is concomitantly undertaken.
Availability of service: By operating health units spread all over the country with liaison to the nearest hospital for transfer of the patient, if necessary. The traditional birth attendant could have a vital role provided they practise what they are supposed to do and they must seek help without delay. They could be supported by telephone and transport arrangements, ambulance service to the nearest hospital, and by a flying squad service for a very serious patient — only a concept at present.
Accountability: Any laxity in providing the required service could be accounted for and responsibility decided to improve the service.
All these boil down to good governance. Like all other national problems remaining unsolved over the last 50 years, maternal mortality also remains very high. Unless our politicians become public-friendly, instead of self-friendly, which they are, one should not hope for a better future by patchwork.
PROF SURGEON A. MAJID MEMON
Ex-Principal, Dow Medical College, Karachi
THE opposition protest against the Legal Framework Order is based on principles. Although there are some parts of the LFO which are good and generally accepted, the contentious issues are related to the supremacy of parliament, powers of the president /army chief and, last (but not least, the continuity of the one-man-rule.
The important question is, what will happen next, and who will ensure that there is not another army coup a few years down the line? More so because the present political government setup is as ineffective as it used to be in the past. The way the government was formed (and is being run) at the centre and in some of the provinces resembles the earlier (mis)adventures this nation has sadly witnessed.
If we draw some lessons from our own history, the outcome of such compromises and sacrificing national interest for petty selfish gains is always the worsening of the state of affairs, and even tragic.
All these years we kept on hearing from our military rulers (yes, they rule the country, not govern it!) that the political setup was corrupt, ineffective and incapable, and that they (military) would put things right. But look what have they done. They have formed a government which, at best, is as bad as before. As a matter of fact, they have further excelled in the wrongdoings (for example, horse-trading during government forming).
The need of the hour is to give democracy a chance. The Constitution should be kept above everybody and everything (the Constitution rightly submits to Allah’s supremacy in all aspects, which is a cornerstone of our religion and should be the guiding principle in every walk of life).
Personal and short-term gains should be kept aside, and the governing of the country should be left to the people of Pakistan, through parliament. The army should protect the borders, and single-mindedly concentrate on this very important and increasingly difficult task.
History tells us that when military interferes in politics, everybody loses: military as an institution, politics as a process, and the public as the eventual sufferers of the resulting fiasco.
M. O. KHALID
Islamabad
THERE has been a consistent propaganda, by those Afghan “well-wishers” who themselves have had the track record of continuous interference into the Afghan domestic affairs over the years, that Pakistan’s ISI is helping the resurgence of the Taliban of sorts in the south and southeast Afghanistan.
However, Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s statement during his visit to Islamabad the other day that Pakistan was fully cooperating in the hunt for the Taliban remnants has indeed vindicated the sincerity of efforts and commitment Pakistan has been showing in combating terrorism, specially in Afghanistan.
At a press conference in Islamabad, Mr Karzai, though, was all praise for Pakistan for its over two-decade-long support to the Afghans, he should not be ignoring Pakistan’s sensitivities vis-a-vis his country. Any foreign overindulgence, specially India’s in Afghanistan, has somehow a direct bearing on Pakistan’s national security. Therefore, Mr Karzai must be careful when he says repeatedly: “Afghanistan wants close friendly relations with both India and Pakistan.”
JEHAN ARA AHMED
Islamabad
THE severe acute respiratory syndrome is a respiratory illness. On Nov 16, 2002, the first case of “atypical pneumonia” was reported in the Guangdong province in southern China. As of today, more than 5,000 cases worldwide have been reported with over 300 deaths. WHO has advised Toronto, Beijing and the Shanxi province of China to reduce the risk of becoming infected with SARS.
On April 16, 2003, a new form of “coronavirus”, never before seen in humans, is confirmed as the cause of SARS, according to Koch’s postulates. In 1890 Robert Koch described the basic rules that scientists use to determine if an infectious organisms causes a specific disease. These four rules are called Koch’s postulates.
1) The organisms must be found in people with the disease and be absent in people without the disease.
2) The organisms must be able to be grown from tissue or other specimens from the affected individual in the laboratory.
3) The organism must cause the disease when given to an unaffected healthy persons.
4) The organisms must again be grown from this second individual.
Coronaviruses such as the virus that cause SARS are single- stranded RNA viruses that are known for their propensity to change or evolve. SARS viruses are mutating and forming more virulent strains. That’s why some people with SARS develop a potentially deadly disease and others recover, though natural immunity also plays a part.
Because of rapid mutation that occurs in these viruses, the development of vaccine is becoming difficult. The severe acute respiratory syndrome usually begins with a fever greater than 100.4F. Some time fever is associated with chills and other symptoms, including headache, bodyache and mild respiratory symptoms. After two to seven days patients may develop dry cough and have troublesome breathing.
The incubation period for SARS is typically from two and seven days. Isolated reports have an incubation period as long as 10 days. SARS spreads by close person to person contact and droplet infection. Health-care workers and household persons are more at risk who come in contact with SARS patients.
Most important preventive measures are good personal hygiene like the washing of hands and the covering the mouth with tissues when coughing or sneezing. Better still is wearing the mask. So far SARS cases have been treated with antivirals, antibiotics and corticosteroids.
DR ABDULLAH JAN PATHAN
Hyderabad
THE inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar in the Pakistan team for the May 10-23 three-nation tournament in Sri Lanka, despite his dismal performance in the World Cup, bears out the point that he is a blue-eyed boy of the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Compared to Shoaib Akhtar, there were others such as Saeed Anwar who did perform well during the World Cup and deserved to be selected. It seems that the PCB chief is not interested in the creation of a match-winning team but is more interested in foucusing on the ‘official’ 100mph mark than Shoaib himself.
Perhaps, the PCB chief wants to take credit for it himself — not bad for someone who has no experience in playing the first class cricket.
RIZWAN RAHEEL
Piscataway, NJ, USA
VIOLENCE lately had its round in a number of educational institutions, though there did not appear any valid reason for this. With my experience I can safely say there was no need now for such violence because there was no fee hike, or any problems such as a change in examination dates or transport difficulties.
The question that arises is, why are academic institutions, and not the streets, being used by outsiders (mostly supporters of political parties) to settle their scores? Its answer is simple: it provides them immunity from all legal and penal codes.
Over the last 20 years more than 25 students have died by violence on the campuses of Karachi University, NED, SMC and DMC, but no one has ever been punished by the court of law, though some students were expelled.
Whenever, anyone was caught and put into the lock-up, the administration was pressured into setting him free. This time also pressure was brought about on the administration to release the detained students on the pretext that a ceasefire between the warring groups has been effected. What a novel way to hoodwink the authorities to get the rogue elements back on the streets!
If this practice is to be checked, one way to do so is to announce that any student caught doing violence or damaging public property will be tried in a court of law, and university authorities will not in any way help him out of the lockup. The same principle should apply to our legislators who very often take sides in such a situation to protect their student wings. I am sure this will lessen violence on our campuses, if not end it.
A CONCERNED PROFESSOR
Karachi University,
Karachi
THE withdrawal of the ban on wedding meals a few months back has forced many poor people to serve lavish dinners to their guests. Only the poor know where it hurts them; if they serve their guests, they face hardship, and if they do not do so, they suffer humiliation.
To my knowledge this ban is still in force in Punjab. If so, then why is it different here?
I appeal to the president to look into the matter and do the needful because this was one good initiative taken by the previous government.
REHAN AHMED
Karachi
The PTV programme “Adabi Manzar” is a wonderful effort by the state television to promote Urdu literature and increase our awareness of the present trends, as well as of the past glories, of a language rich, viable and dynamic. But what irks a puritan is the use of English words and phrases by various participants when their Urdu translation is easily available.
One does not mind such multilingual amalgam in colloquial conversation but literary discussions by such eminent scholars as the participants of the above-mentioned programme should avoid such extravagances. They are reflective of inadequacy of Urdu as a language.
It would be much better if they used only Urdu words in their discussions.
TAYYAB REHMAN
Lahore
BOWING to the IMF’s pressure, the government has decided that all future appointments in the various departments, except the uniformed services and the judiciary, will be made on a contract basis. Isn’t it strange that the health department has not been exempted from this policy?
Doctors are not required for a year or two, are they? Their services are required forever. That there is a dearth of doctors in the country is a fact known to everyone. In view of their meagre pay, hundreds of doctors are leaving the country each year. If their pay cannot be raised, can’t the government at least give peace of mind to those opting to serve their own country? An assurance that whatever their pay, at least their future is secure here. Or is it asking for too much?
Through these columns I request President Musharraf, the chief minister, the governor and the health minister of Punjab to exempt the health department from the contract policy and regularize the services of all the doctors working on a contract basis in the province. I also call upon the doctors not to accept contract as their fate and contact their respective MPAs and MNAs with a request to do something in this regard.
DR TUFAIL AHMAD
Rawalpindi
I WOULD like to make the following observations about Mr Kuldip Nayar’s article, “The ball is in Pervez’s court” (April 26).
Now that Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali has accepted and welcomed the statement by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee about talks between our two countries, India should make such an offer through diplomatic channels. This letter or invitation could indicate that an emissary be sent by either country to prepare the grounds for dialogue.
Had Mr Nayar kept this in mind, his article may have contained some merit. I say this with regret because he expects us to be dancing in the streets and shouting whoopee over Mr Vajpayee’s statement. Most of all, he wants us to see things the way India wants us to see them and consider the freedom struggle as terrorism. He forgets that what Mr Vajpayee said is just a statement at this point in time.
About Ambassador Robert Blackwell’s resignation from his post at New Dehli, it concerns him and his country. It is meaningless to Pakistan. Also, the statement that Gen Musharraf is Mr Jamali’s boss or that the power in Pakistan lies with the army is a blatant fabrication. It shows lack of knowledge of our constitutional details. All discord between the president and the prime minister, should they arise anytime, is to be dealt within the National Security Council and not by the army.
What Mr Nayar used is a bad choice of words and plain ignorance, spiced with bias, because it is meant to degrade the Pakistan prime minister and our constitutional setup. Mr Nayar cannot see us proceeding towards a democratic Islamic state, which we have always claimed to be, or India becoming an allegedly secular Hindu state.
We in Pakistan have always fought against terrorism. Our track record in Afghanistan is proof of it since 1979, and we are still involved in the present coalition’s struggle against the Al Qaeda. The fact that we have curbed terrorism, to a great extent, along the LoC should also count for something. But Mr Nayar forgets that Kashmir has an indigenous freedom struggle going on, and it is an internationally accepted dispute that needs resolution.
Let us admit that India and Pakistan are two nuclear nations that can bring about destruction in the region, and these two have also an outstanding dispute needing resolution. So, instead of hurling accusations, let us hurry up and solve our problem(s). By the way, do all of India’s problems stem from Pakistan?
FAZAL HABIB CURMALLY
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address:
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.