| May 26, 2003 | Monday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 23,1424 |
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Exit of a ‘dervish’
‘Union council & people’s protection’
Welfare funds for artists,writers
Health care in Pakistan
Mobiles in mosques
The making of a leader
Corruption in water supply
Govt committee on pension
Sector offices in parks
Utilizing Thar coal reserve
OPENING a dialogue between Pakistan and India to settle major issues is of extreme importance. The main issue, as we know, is that of Kashmir. The two countries have fought three wars over this issue and the problem is still very much there. We lost half the country because of these hostilities.
The Kashmiris have been denied their right to self-determination and the world has turned a blind eye towards their plight. There is a need to focus on how to solve this problem in a manner that can avoid loss of life and improve the lives of over one billion people living in the subcontinent.
Some time back, both countries almost plunged into a nuclear war. Let’s face it that for all practical purposes, the Line of Control has been serving as the unofficial border between India and Pakistan. Neither country has been able to advance forward from the Line of Control for the past 50 years. Either we continue to stay in a situation that can trigger a terrible nuclear war at anytime or both countries should settle for the LoC as a permanent border.
The Kashmiris who want to migrate to Pakistan should be allowed to do so if this settlement is agreed upon, just as in 1947. We owe them that. It is surely bitter to accept this solution, but in my opinion, this is the only sensible solution.
Pakistan and India can no longer spend trillions on arming and rearming themselves while the people remain deprived of basic amenities of life. There are in the two countries millions who do not get clean drinking water and many others who scavenge through garbage heaps to seek a living. All this is very sad, while the armed forces of both countries collect weapons to fight a futile war.
MUHAMMAD ATHER MIRZA
Lombard, IL, US
WE as a nation are ever prepared to accept conspiracy theories. The dramatic and mysterious “change of Indian heart” is talk of the town these days with an element of confusing surprise. This, coupled with President Musharraf’s proposal of a nuclear-free South Asia in his interview on a satellite channel and the ensuing debate thereof, has opened a window of opportunity for the cynics to sell off their political theses on the “change of heart”.
They contend that through its track-II diplomacy, the Bush administration has inspired the change with an intention to pull out the rug of raison d’etre from Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes whose genesis lies in Pakistan’s threat perception vis-a-vis India. They hold the view that once the contentious issues between the two have been sorted out, the US would have all the reason to ask Islamabad for the disposal of its “WMD programme”.
Although it is the future which would check the veracity of the notion, the government on its part should come up with a befitting clarification about the case in point, albeit the Pakistani proposal entails the principal of reciprocity. This is merely to avoid the point to be used as a bogey by some vested interests to sabotage the expected peace process between India and Pakistan.
By the way, Pakistan’s proposal of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia is not new, as various Pakistan governments have been telling the rosary of the same nuclear-free South Asia over a past decade. This is, however, in addition to Pakistan’s non-proliferation proposals of South Asian zero-missile zone, mutual inspection by Pakistan and India of each other’s nuclear facilities, a strategic restraint regime, the establishment of a risk reduction mechanism, etc.
RAJA YASIR IMTIAZ
Rawalpindi
WITH the passing away of Syed Manzarul Hasan, the last of the ‘Mohicans’ has bid farewell to life. Manzar Sahib — that is how he was called by all his friends and acquaintances — led a long and fruitful life, the life of a true, correct and distinguished professional journalist.
He was a highly respected journalist who inspired a whole new generation of journalists and trained scores of them. His lifestyle was modest to a fault. He lived in a one-room flat in an old dilapidated building. Among his worldly possessions were an old refrigerator and a television set, a charpoy, some chairs and a table. Even then he had to face burglars twice — he was injured too, in one of these incidents.
In the last week of his life, he was in hospital with multiple organ failures. Until then, he would get up early every morning, and be at his office by 5am.
‘Manzar Sahib, you are too old for this, you have worked for too long and you are too frail to continue this regime of life.’ He would brush away such advice and concern good-naturally. “I am OK. It does not bother me at all. I am used to it.”
Till about 15 or 20 years ago, he had a group of close friends who had formed a sort of club, and they met every evening at his flat. Qaziji (Qazi Ahrar), Ustad (Ghulam Abid) and Shaikh Rahim were permanent features of this club. They had a world of their own. There they discussed politics, literature and anything they thought was worth discussing. Then his club members started departing and then only Manzar Sahib was left to spend his evenings alone. That, however, did not demoralize him. He continued with his work. He wrote series of articles on the country’s politics which were published in The Leader. Perhaps the literary committee of the Karachi Press Club will consider printing these articles in the form of a book.
Manzar Sahib was a deeply religious man. Whenever he had company and it was time for prayers, he would leave the room quietly, offer his prayers and return to join his friends. Whenever religion came under discussion, he would say: “I remember my Creator. It has nothing to do with anyone else. It is entirely between me and my God.”
Now that he has joined his club members in Heaven, they must be happy to be together.
DR M. SARWAR
Karachi
CONGRATULATIONS — National new construction drawer desk — pardon my illiterate literal translation — for the introductory media splash you have skilfully generated through a half-page advertisement in Urdu (May 9). It is adorned with a couple of soul-jolting slogans — “Your authority, Your responsibility” and “local level, local solution”. Eureka — you have just discovered that there never existed any relationship between the ‘police’ and the people and all past governments, for political gains, used the ‘police’ ‘illegally’ and, ‘the police’ always remained a toy in the hands of ‘big people.’
You have ingeniously zeroed in on the ailment afflicting the ‘body politic’ — the police station, where the exalted position and authority of the SHO — generally speaking, is vastly disproportionate to his intellect, status and standing in the community.
Your remedial diagnosis likewise, is brilliant. What could be stronger Rabita (link) than the ‘cash nexus.’ A’zazia — (honorarium) — in this case just money, spread around to the station staff by the union council nazims.
MUHAMMAD A.B
Karachi
ALTHOUGH belated yet very welcome is the decision of Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad to set up a special fund for providing required facilities to distressful old and retired artists, writers and prominent personalities.
Now we must introduce such measures as would keep this fund effective and workable. The initial token grant of Rs2.5 million is too meagre for a cause so worthy and weighty and, therefore, requires mobilization of substantial funds from government coffers (preferably annual budgetary provisions), institutions like electronic media (PTV, PBC and all other private channels), film producers, PAA, ad agencies, private foundations, NGOs and philanthropists.
The management and disbursements of funds must not be left on just one government functionary or minions of his department. Representatives of such organizations as Arts Council of Pakistan, other NGOs and philanthropists as members of the executive committee must be associated with these.
Actor Lehri is fortunate to have received timely attention and aid. Similarly, one can hope Roohi Bano’s plight would be taken care of soon, and hopefully in future our society will be spared the stigmas like Meena Shorey’s who lived a pathetic life towards the end, unattended and uncared-for till her death.
ABDUL JABBAR KHAMISANI
Karachi
THIS refers to Mr Ayaz Amir’s column on “Health care in the Islamic Republic” ( May 17). Voltaire said and I quote: “I may not agree with the word you say, but will defend to death your right of saying it”. This column made me wonder whether Voltaire’s quote really gives someone a right to call people of a noble profession as “outright scoundrels”. The columnist thinks that they are worse than jailers! (No disrespect meant for jailers).
At the outset he, being ex-armyman, does not surprise us when he calls the dictatorial rule of Gen Ziaul Haq benign and goes on to say about political activism. Serious and good journalism is known to have brought about many revolutions but he seems to believe that it would require the Almighty to be in a really good mood when dealing with journalists.
I am not writing this to defend anyone even in the medical profession for his/her negligence but one should not start generalizing the way Mr Amir has done. If he had found some locals being lazy at work while working with some British team, or that if his experience at a public sector hospital was not very memorable, it does not give him the right to condemn the whole medical fraternity.
He may, and probably will, try and defend his column by saying that he did not mean to call everybody a scoundrel but that is what the general impression the column imparts. It does not befit a distinguished writer like Mr Amir to indulge in humiliating respectable people of any profession. He owes the medical fraternity an apology in his next column or a suitable place in Dawn.
DR AMJAD SIRAJ MEMON
Karachi
MR Rizvi’s suggestion (May 4) to switch off mobile phones before going to the mosques is a very valid one. It is a generally adopted practice also. Very seldom one forgets to switch it off before entering a mosque.
However, in such cases if the bell rings one can easily switch it off while in prayers. I do not think this will spoil his prayers. In case he believes that it is not proper to do so, he should break his prayer, switch the phone off and rejoin.
I am sure Allah will bless him for sparing the other worshippers interruption in their prayers.
NIZAM A. KHAN
Karachi
IN his column, “The rule of law?” (May 4), Ardeshir Cowasjee mentioned the late Naib Amir of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Maulana Jan Mohammad Abbasi, and how he was the only man bold enough to make an attempt to stand in the elections against Z.A. Bhutto in the latter’s home constituency of Larkana. The kidnapping of Maulana Abbasi to prevent him from filing his papers and Bhutto’s standing and winning the elections unopposed is in contrast to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s behaviour towards the person who stood in the elections against him from his home constituency of Amethi, in UP.
Ram Manohar Lohia, a respected popular leader and the head of his party, would fight the elections against Nehru from Amethi and, understandably, fare badly against the first prime minister of India. While other members of his party who contested elections from other places won and became members of parliament, Mr Lohia didn’t get a chance. Once an interviewer asked Mr Lohia why he insisted on fighting the elections from Amethi while he well knew that he had no chances of winning against Nehru.
Mr Lohia’s reply was that if Nehru would win the elections unopposed, he would think that everyone favours him. So, Lohia contested the elections just to show Nehru that the number of votes in favour of Lohia were actually the number of people who disagreed with the PM’s policies.
When Nehru came to know about it, he expressed his desire to have Lohia in parliament as he thought that having men of courage and honour, even in the opposition, eventually leads to good governance. Nehru made one of his party’s candidates give up his seat and Lohia was made to contest the elections from there, which he won.
SYED ARSHAD KAMAL
Karachi
I HOPE your editorial, “Curbing water theft” (May 5), will be an eye-opener for the Sindh government, specially the water and sewerage department which is one of the most corrupt and inefficient departments.
I would like to bring to your notice the water shortage created artificially in Block 7, KDA Scheme 5, by this department. While in some areas of this block the flow of water is satisfactory, in most of the area it drips in from the pipe two or three days a week. For the rest of the days, not a drop flows from the pipe.
If the government is not able to supply water to the households, it must then reduce the tax proportionately. For your information, the government levies Rs12,500 per annum on a 2,000 sqyd plot, and even then water is not supplied.
In the last two or three weeks, this department has given a special connection to the house FI, in Block 7, of an influential person, bypassing eight or 10 houses after laying a special pipe directly to F1, making the water shortage more acute. Why this nepotism and corruption? Will the provincial ombudsman take suo motu action?
M. AFZAL
Karachi
IN the early sixties the government of West Pakistan, realizing the difficulties of the retired government employees in getting their pensions/GP Fund, had set up a committee, called Pension/GP Fund Cases Disposal Committee, to ensure smooth processing of the cases at different levels and their timely finalization.
Accordingly, quarterly meetings at divisional headquarters used to be held with the pension-sanctioning authorities who were to account for the settlement of the cases. The committee did a tremendous job and freed the retired employees from anxiety and uncertainty.
After the end of One Unit in 1970, the government of Sindh continued with a committee on the same pattern which, at the outset, maintained the same tempo but, alas, by now it has lost its utility. The retired employees being dejected have started seeking help from the Ombudsman in their cases. At rarely-held committee meetings, no serious thought is given to the cases of the distressed people.
The finance department is requested to wind up such a body which renders no service to anybody.
ALI BAKHSH BHATTI
Hyderabad
LATELY sector offices of a particular political party have sprung up in the parks, making it difficult for families to use these public facilities.
In the Bahadurabad area they have set up their office in Sirajuddaulah Park which used to be frequented by women residents of the area but now it has a deserted look.
The president, the governor, the chief minister, the city nazim, the town nazims, the TPOs and all those who matter are requested to get these parks vacated in the public interest.
AHMED BAGIA
Karachi
THE government should be commended for finally dealing with the Thar coal reserve. But the euphoria of the breakthrough must not cloud the vision of our leaders. The project proposes to exploit an irreplaceable national treasure and its optimal utilization and the long-term view should, therefore, determine the foundations that are being proposed as an immediate first step.
The over 10 billion tons of lignite is spread over a large area of the Thar in a seam roughly about 75 feet thick but about 400 feet below the ground (not taking into account the 50 to 100-foot dunes). To get to it, the overburden will have to be removed and a pit opened to the coal surface from where it will be excavated and transported to the plant.
The magnitude of the project will be determined by the economies of the scale required to deliver coal to the power station at an affordable price. Initial studies in the early 90s, when power was priced at six cents and the dollar was equal to Rs30, indicated that a financially viable coal-fired power generation project would require operations on a scale larger than the Tarbela Dam and Hubco combined.
The venture being undertaken with Chinese assistance will therefore require resources — man and machinery — on about that scale, meaning that the pit to be excavated to reach the coal will require moving more material (by volume) than in the Tarbela Dam and the power plant will require complex coal-handling facilities beyond the relatively simple pipeline to Hubco. Only those involved with the two completed projects can imagine the complexity and the scale of the proposed venture.
It must however be appreciated that once the basic infrastructure is in place and the initial hole is opened to the coal seam, the Thar area will be a thriving and throbbing project site, supported by large townships and feeding a large support industry — including a complete ‘heavy machinery rebuild factory’ — for probably most of this century. As an added bonus, the reconstitution of the topsoil — sand and clay — while refilling the pits over the years will make Thar the most fertile area for cultivation in the country.
The planning and siting of the infrastructure and support facilities must keep these facts in mind and it is of critical importance to efficient utilization of the resource that the lease and mining plan for the first pit fit with the master plan for the entire reserve and not just the area currently being discussed with the Chinese. The value of the 10-billion-ton reserve should not be compromised by limiting its utility to the 500 million tonnes or so of coal that would be needed to feed the first 600MW plant for 30 years. The reserve could be good for another 20 such power plants.
The president and the prime minister therefore need to ask their advisers for a presentation to demonstrate how the first lease, the first open pit mine and the first power plant fits into their plan for the second, the third and then the other mines and plants that the Thar reserve can service over the rest of the century.
Is there a well thought-out master plan, not by bureaucrats but by engineers and open pit mining experts?
M.S. AHMAD
Islamabad
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