| May 6, 2003 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1424 |
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Non-availability of textbooks
Unleaded gasoline
Beggars galore
Constitution & rule of law
Pakistan’s role in OIC
Indian talks offer
‘Causa sine qua non’
Profit rates
Postal rates
‘Table charges’ at PTDC point
Company secretary’s qualifications
HUMANITY has been cursed with greed from time immemorial. Stronger nations have conquered weaker ones for wealth and territory.
We have seen two World Wars where millions of people were sacrificed. The Ottoman Empire was cut up in dozens of small and impotent pieces. Africa was divided without paying any heed to its tribal population. Is it any wonder that the most powerful nation destroyed Iraq? It had the excuse that it would affect the American way of life.
Americans are a nation that consumes 46 per cent of the world’s resources had greed for more — so much so that it paid no heed to voices of sanity. The UN was disregarded/ sidelined, and those who opposed and did not join the bandwagon are being threatened with dire consequences. This brings out the self-righteousness of the American conservative society, which places higher value on the lives of Americans than on those of the Third World.
The American media was particular about the number of losses of its own soldiers as compared to the losses of Iraqi men, women and children slaughtered by the US bombardment. Their figures were brushed aside and the media that brought out these horrendous facts were tarnished with being unrealistic.
It may be worthwhile to examine the reason for the American venture. Was it oil? The whole world believes so. In the last 12 years, after the Iraqis were pushed out of Kuwait, the pattern of oil trade had taken a turn. Iraq made the mistake of trading oil for euros that had a chain effect and made other countries think.
Iran, Russia, and Venezuela, the fourth greatest oil producer, sought trade in euros which had a premium over the weak dollar. The US was no stranger to a weak economy. It is a debt-ridden country of the highest order — some $12,000 for each one of its 280 million American men, women, and children. At stake was world economic domination. Was it going to be the US or Europe? This rang alarm bells. Could world reserve currency of dollars be threatened? Was it to lose the huge advantage of printing dollars without reserve or backing?
The voices of reason were thrown asunder and America rode roughshod over all the pleas of France, Germany and Russia, which were told to shut up. Old Europe and France in particular, where democracy was born and the country which assisted the Americans in their war against England, were declared uncouth for voicing the humanitarian aspect of the conflict, loss of human lives and destruction of property and infrastructure.
When you are drunk with power, who cares? The bounty of trillions of dollars came into view in the shape of oil and equal amount in building and recapping the burning oil-wells, roads, airport, water and sewerage system, and the propaganda through the media, for brainwashing of the Iraqi people through books and schools. Giant American firms, which are aligned with the present American regime, are hankering for these lucrative morsels of easy money.
Seeds of future war are laid in the wars that are won or lost. The rift between Europe and the US could be ominous. Let us not forget that all great empires were destroyed from within.
MIRZA ASLAM BEG
Karachi
THROUGH the columns of your daily, let me throw some light on the performance of the Punjab Textbook Board, Lahore.
Last year, the syllabus of science subjects (biology, physics, chemistry and maths) of the first year class was changed, but the new books came in the market after an inordinate delay. The students, parents and teachers all remained upset because of the non-availability of books.
The teachers found it difficult to cover the syllabi in time. The students also faced difficulty in preparing the lengthy syllabi within a short period. Last year the syllabus of second year class was also changed. One long year has elapsed but the books are still not available. Many books of the school level are also not available. Would the Punjab Textbook Board realize its responsibility?
Being a teacher of biology, let me point out the demerits found in the first year biology book printed last year. There is no harmony in the book. It has been written in a haphazard manner. Difficult things which should have been discussed later in the book have been discussed in the very first chapter.
The authors have used difficult and uninteresting language which cannot attract the attention of the students. Unnecessarily long sentences have been used which, at many places, give wrong impressions. As a matter of fact, a lot of material has been taken from some foreign books.
It is surprising to note that the authors have not made any reference of the foreign books they have followed. The spelling mistakes are abundant. At many places, the diagrams are dim and erroneously labelled. At several places, only the diagrams have been printed without giving their details. And on several pages, only the description has been given without printing their relevant diagrams. A host of human diseases have been mentioned in the first year biology book. In these diseases, a large number of medical terms have been used, but these terms have not been explained anywhere in the book.
Some serious complaints have been made about printing substandard textbooks. These allegations should be looked into, and if they are found true, the persons responsible for it should be punished.
Would anybody at the helm take note of the situation and rectify it?
PROF JAM MUKHTAR HUSSAIN
Multan
AN impression has been given by Mr Amir Abbasi in his letter (April 13) as if the unleaded gasoline were achieved through some modifications or technical upgradations. Those associated with the refining industry in Pakistan are aware that this is not so. As a matter of fact, Pakistan became surplus in motor gasoline after the commissioning of PARCO.
Since PARCO has been guaranteed a fixed return on investment by the government, the government wanted to maximize its production. Due to already surplus availability, there was no more need to use lead to increase the octane number because this resulted in a greater surplus.
The three existing refineries were asked to cut down their production and export naphtha, instead. As rightly pointed out in your columns, the reformulated gasoline has higher benzene and aromatic contents.
It is evident that there is no concern for environment. It is purely the economics and profitability which are driving the policies. We should stop wishful thinking and should not expect any improvement in fuel specifications till such time that there are vested interests and economic implications. Environment is only a slogan which is used only when needed.
F. MALIK
Karachi
TINY palms outstretched, desperate eyes staring eagerly, pushing and tugging ... that is what you see as you enter the commercial streets of Karachi. Streets are swarming with beggars, and the number is increasing at an alarming rate. You see them at traffic lights, shopping centres and even outside schools and hospitals.
It is deplorable to see such small children running across busy roads in search of a generous hand. What is painful is that children as young as four are pushed onto the streets by their parents. Instead of going to school, they spend their time on the streets making miserable living, while others come with bandaged heads or arms, covered in fake blood, to gain sympathy, and thus get more money.
While this is happening, the government appears to have closed its eyes. There is no law that prohibits such begging. There is no programme that provides shelter and food to such desperate families.
Meanwhile, the international community is not doing much either. Funds are required to set up rehabilitation centres to educate and train these children to contribute to society. Poverty and overpopulation must be tackled immediately. There should be strict regulation to prohibit child begging. It is imperative that we give these kids a bright future.
TANYA KHOKHAR
Karachi
THIS letter is addressed to all those concerned and responsible people of Pakistan who keep on demanding the rule of law, some (or most) of them not even understanding what it means or implies. Basically, for any society to function in an organized and civilized manner, rules and regulations are framed with a consensus (democratic process) and this is called the constitution.
The next and most important step is to have an “independent” judiciary to ensure the fair and just implementation of the various aspects of the constitution. Apart from individual and collective disputes, the judiciary also ensures that the various arms of the state do not encroach upon or interfere in the affairs of the other(s). The reason for emphasizing the importance of an “independent” judiciary in matters of the state is because the present crisis is primarily due to the fact that, generally speaking, the judiciary in Pakistan today is not “independent”. The importance of an “independent” judiciary is further magnified in the socio-economic areas, which affect the lives and livelihood of our people at all levels.
I hope by now I have convinced those who clamour for the rule of law (including friends who fight against all kinds of law breakers but, have scant regard for the constitution) that it is not possible to have the rule of law without respecting the constitution and without an independent judiciary.
The present LFO logjam needs to be broken but not at the cost of fundamental principles in the long-term interest. Apart from the political and legal issues that need to be resolved, the final package must include the “independence” of the judiciary, spelling out the criteria and procedure (like a select judicial committee of the parliamentarians on live television hearings) for the selection of judges of our superior courts.
Let us hope that sanity will prevailed and national interests will supersede vested interests. ‘Adl-o-Ehsan’ is supposed to be our way of life, is it too much to ask our rulers for ‘Adl’ to start with!
NAZIM F. HAJI
Karachi
PAKISTAN should work to make the OIC an effective organization, which should have committees/departments to address the issues outlined below, in addition to the Palestine problem that it is already focusing on.
Pakistan can do much to make the OIC play a broader role while the Arab League remains engaged with the Palestine issue. Pakistan, with its relations with the US, EU and Russia, should take initiative to broaden the frame of OIC working, such as introducing an OIC common market, with a common currency; setting up an OIC parliament to serve as an example to spread democracy among OIC countries; setting up an OIC military alliance to protect the rights of OIC members; etc.
K. WASIMUDDIN
Chicago, IL, USA
SO Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has finally decided to engage his government in talks with Pakistan. Are we really supposed to believe that his out-of-the-blue offer is serious? No. How can we trust a country which has illegally occupied a territory and is also guilty of mass murder?
Every day Indian troops fire across the LoC, killing many Kashmiri civilians in Azad Kashmir villages. Besides, killings, torture and violations of human rights are common in occupied Kashmir.
The offer of talks should, therefore, be cautiously considered by Pakistan.
SAIMA ABBAS
Karachi
IT is often thought that silence means acceptance of allegations or insinuations, but my silence, in an effort to uphold the honour, integrity, and dignity of an institution and of certain individuals, has been deliberate. It is with this in mind that I have until now refrained from responding to the allegation made by Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee in his column of April 20, titled “Causa sine qua non”.
Though I am an ardent reader of his Sunday columns and find them always interesting, I must state that there are times when his facts are distorted and his views not balanced.
The April 20th column of Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee has created a lot of interest and there has been considerable pressure on me to respond, as my name has specifically been mentioned in the column. It has therefore become necessary for me to inform the readers that the allegation of Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee that I was “keen to step into Mr Jamil’s shoes” is totally baseless and incorrect.
It is true that the governor did offer me the position, but I chose to continue with my position of District Chief (West). While I have been associated with the CPLC from its very inception and have worked behind the scenes to help the citizens of the city, I have engaged in glorifying neither my achievements nor myself.
Furthermore, the CPLC is an institution, not an individual. I would suggest to the honourable citizens of Karachi to keep faith in this institution and continue to support it in every possible way. The CPLC will prove itself capable of upholding its reputation to work with honesty and integrity.
MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR HABIB
Karachi
THANK you, indeed, for voicing the plight of the poor. I am a retired lecturer, 75 years of age, and my sole source of sustenance is profit from the NSS. When I read in your newspaper that the State Bank has advised the government to wind down the NSS, my heart sank.
What I simply cannot understand is that the more our foreign exchanges are increasing, the greater is the misery being inflicted upon the so-called senior citizens.
BASHEER SIDDIQUI
Karachi
POSTAL rates in the country are being increased rapidly on the pretext that they are improving the efficiency of the postal services.
A letter of mine has come back to me undelivered. I request the general heading the postal services to kindly tell me what was so grossly wrong with the address written on the envelope that it could not be delivered to the addressee.
Is it because the postman was illiterate?
ASHFAQUE NAQVI
Lahore
WHILE going from Islamabad to Murree, there are three stop- overs planned by the Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan. The visitors proceeding to Murree usually break their journey at these points for some refreshment.
One of the three points is called “Hill Point” which offers the visitors lunch, snacks, tea and cold drinks. If one wishes not to buy anything from there and has one'’s own food, then one has to pay Rs50 for using their outdoor tables. So far so good.
For some time now it is not so anymore. Now whether you buy your lunch from them or just use their tables you have to pay Rs50 extra as “table charges” in either case. It is of course unjustified as even five-star hotels do not charge extra money for using their furniture.
When the organizers are asked about it, they reply that the additional amount is being charged with the permission of the PTDC. They even issue a bill mentioning therein Rs50 as “table charges”.
One cannot make out whether the PTDC has really allowed it or the management of the “Hill Point” is extracting money from the visitors arbitrarily. In order to remove any misgiving, one would like the authorities to clarify the position. If the particular point of the PTDC is charging extra money on its own, the PTDC must take suitable action against the offenders, since this practice is bringing a bad name to the PTDC.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
THIS refers to the report in the press on March 18 regarding the proposed amendments to the Companies (General Provisions and Forms) Rules 1985, concerning the qualification for a company secretary.
The proposed amendment lays down that the prescribed qualification for a company secretary includes chartered accountant, cost and management accountant, corporate secretary, or law graduate, but excludes the “chartered secretary” who is the properly-qualified person.
Engagement of members of other professions and degree-holders named above, who do not qualify to be company secretary or for secretarial practice as consultants, is encroachment on the “company secretarial profession”, depriving the chartered secretary of his legitimate right.
The impression that a chartered accountant could fit in everywhere in business organizations should be clearly understood that his specialization is only in accounting and audit. His access to other functions and professions amounts to encroachment from which he should abstain.
In the UK a “chartered secretary”, who is a member of the “Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators”, is always given preference for the post of a company secretary. Chartered accountants and management accountants or degree holders are not appointed on the post of company secretary, because the “company secretarial world” is quite different from accounting function. This practice should be followed in Pakistan.
Moreover, degree holders also do not qualify for “company secretaryship”, which is a specialized fixation of management and should be only filled by chartered secretary who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Managers of Pakistan
It may also be noted by employers and educators that the subject of “company secretarial practice” is not prescribed in any degree examinations of Pakistan. As far as chartered and management accountants are concerned, their examination syllabus covers only 25 per cent of this subject which is the basis of specialization of chartered secretaries and company secretarial function.
The chartered secretary is required, inter alia, to fulfil the following educational requirements:
1. Out of 15 subjects he has to pass the following subjects: Company Law I & II (two papers of 200 marks); Corporate Laws (100 marks); Secretarial Practice I & II (two papers of 200 marks),
2. Serve several years articles of apprenticeship as prescribed by the rules,
3. Adherence to professional ethics and disciplinary rules. This leads to specialization in the field of “company secretaryship”. One fails to understand how and to what extent these educational requirements are fulfilled by non-professionals, i.e. degree holders.
Will the SECP chairman review the decision prescribing the various qualifications for a company secretary because a chartered secretary is the proper person for appointment as company secretary?
IQBAL MUJTABA JAFFERY
Karachi
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