| June 17, 2003 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 16, 1424 |
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East versus West
Where do bank statements go?
Gregory Peck’s death
Discrimination against teachers
Cooperative housing societies
Kashmir dispute
‘Zeray taleem’
Grace marks for students
What forms majority
Internet cafes
Ruling NWFP Taliban style
THE government’s decision to declare the Gwadar port a “special zone,” with duty and tax freedoms on goods landing there, is an economic policy with little economic benefit and, to a large extent, nothing but self-serving politics (June 8). There are other avenues with far better promise for the Gwadar port that the government could have chosen. For starters, this policy will create two different economic zones with two different tax regimes within Pakistan. One zone consisting of Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan will be the primary beneficiary of the breaks on import levies and the taxes on the goods unloading at Gwadar.
This will also be the result of another federal government policy which has allowed the setting up of major transportation links between Gwadar and what is known as the “upcountry”, mostly bypassing Karachi and lower Sindh.
While one part of the country reaps these benefits, the importers and industrialists of Karachi and lower Sindh will have to bear full import levies, thereby creating a disadvantaged zone within the country. In all likelihood, the government will have to increase the duties on goods landing at Karachi and Port Qasim to make up for the losses incurred owing to breaks given to the goods landing at Gwadar. Consequently, Karachiites and the inhabitants of lower Sindh will not only lose the revenue from the imports, but will also be subsidizing the importers of the upcountry. What a way to go!
We have seen previous creations of different tax regimes in the country in other modes, such as the one in which the federal government allowed Lahore to import large buses on a duty-free basis, but then immediately applied import duties when Karachi transportation authorities placed their orders for similar buses. The creation of multiple tax zones in the country has other problems too. Tax-free zones are created to support local industries by increasing their competitiveness against the imports, and increase exports by creating export competitiveness. However, by creating this duty-free import zone, the centre has decided to support an increase in imports, thus reducing local production by way of stiffer cost competition that Pakistan’s industrialists will then face from the duty-free imports.
It would have been hard to come up with anything less intelligent. One only needs to look at the reports from the World Bank on economic uplift plans envisaged for different ports and backward areas around the world, including those in southeastern Europe, for which one could take a look at http://www.seerecon.org, “Economic Reconstruction and Development in Southeast Europe”, March 1, 2000, published by the European Commission and the World Bank.
This website presents highly thought-provoking papers on the uplift plans for Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania, FRY, and other southeast European nations. The key point raised there is that different tax regimes for different provinces have typically generated an unsustainable flow of goods with only unpredictable and largely undesirable consequences. This economic uplift policy for Gwadar is shortsighted. Or is it designed with an intent to benefit one part of the country at the expense of the other? It must be abandoned and more realistic mechanisms must be devised. A more efficient mechanism will be to engage in free-trade pacts with the Gulf countries and Iran.
An increase in trade will definitely result in more imports, not to mention more exports, which will then require a greater port handling capacity. Under these circumstances, businesses will have no choice but to use any additional port capacity that comes online in Gwadar once Karachi and Port Qasim peak out.
SHAMS NAQVI
Richmond, CA, USA
THE programme which provoked me to write these lines is ‘Views on news‘ being presented by Dr Shahid Mehmood regularly on ARY.
This particular programme was telecast on June 9. The core theme of his presentation was a social problem in which he lamented the westernization of our society. He was worried that the new generation greets with a “Hi” instead of “Assalam Alaikum”, it uses English words more frequently, whereas the equivalent Urdu words are available, it takes pride in going to the English-medium schools. And the most critical conclusion was: “It is getting out of control”!
While I agree on the issue of keeping cultural identity, we cannot ignore the ground realities. This is an age of globalization. Because of fast communication system various factors are interacting throughout the world. Assalam Alaikum is our cultural identity and it will always be appreciated and encouraged. But there are lots of gestures and many variations. Whether you say “Allah Hafiz” or “Khuda Hafiz” the motive is the same. An American Muslim may end up saying “God bless you”.
As far as “Hi” is concerned, it is exchanged between two friends and not between a younger and an elder one. Again, “shaking hands, a western culture, is now embraced so much so that we look upon a person as “unfriendly or unsophisticated” if he bypasses it.
About using English words instead of their Urdu equivalent, everybody knows it is happening not only in our country, but also in India. I am not citing this example to justify ourselves but the reality is that this practice may have been started by the elite. And it has now been taken over by people.
On the controversy about English and Urdu as medium of instruction, no sane person will disagree with having the mother tongue as the medium of instruction. But what shall be the line of action under the present circumstances? Is it not natural for the parents to choose the best schools for their children? And they are justified in doing so, even by cutting their other expenses. Education is always a priority in educated families.
As far as the question of the new generation getting out of control under “western influence,” the assertion cannot be totally justified. Does it mean you do not find examples of the youths losing their direction in the families stuck up to the “pure eastern culture”? Don’t they have disobedient children? Don’t they smoke, deceive, tell lies? This is not a question of eastern or western culture. This is a question of inculcating moral values. We cannot deny today that the West is more honest in public dealings. I am talking of the masses, not of the politicians at the top who are corrupt whether in the East or the West.
SYEDA SALEHA
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter headlined “Efficiency of banks” (May 17) by Dr Nishat Afza.
She received her six-monthly bank statement for Dec 31, 2002, from Habib Bank more than three months after the due date. She says the National Bank of Pakistan has, on the other hand, almost stopped issuing these statements. She further claims that the State Bank of Pakistan is seemingly doing nothing in this regard.
Each commercial bank, under a procedure, issues six-monthly statements of accounts twice a year to every account holder. However, 90 per cent savings account holders never get this statement. If someone approaches the bank, a standard reply is given that it was mailed to him at his postal address. The question is: where do all these statements go?
Centralized computer databanks, every sixth month, churn out all six-monthly statements which are dispatched to each account holder and postage expenses on this transaction is shown having been incurred.
But in practice, only 10 per cent of these statements are dispatched to those conscientious people like Dr Nishat who think that getting such statement was their right and, on non-receipt, they do contact the bank.
The statements of the remaining 90 per cent account holders are dumped on the strong room floor, and the money shown as having been spent on postage is presumably misappropriated.
Will the authorities look into the matter and ensure issuance of statements of accounts to the account holders?
JAVED
Karachi
THE death of Gregory Peck, once a classic hero of Hollywood, was no less than a monumental tragedy that hit the world of cinema on June 11.
Peck made his mark right from his very first movie Days of Glory in 1944. He was one of the very few movie stars who remain under spotlight as long as they are in the field of the performing art. During his pretty long career, he gave mega hit movies one after the other. Gritting of his teeth was his trademark which was quite noticeable in his movies.
His dulcet personality won him a large number of fans all over the world. Being an acting genius, he gave an excellent performance in The Guns of Navarone and simply outclassed his co-star, Anthony Quinn, who was a great actor in his own right, too. And who can forget his performance in To Kill a Mocking Bird which was a running success and also won him an Oscar award?
But the pick of Gregory Peck’s movies was Roman Holiday which took the cine world by storm. It was the very first movie of actress Audrey Hepburn, and it successfully launched her career in the Hollywood. Gregory Peck’s winsome personality, subtle looks and thundering voice made him a paragon of an actor and one of all-time greats of Hollywood.
Apart from a remarkable actor he was quite a gentleman off the screen. That is why he led a life free from any scandals. He also had to bear a great personal loss when his 25-year-old son committed suicide in Paris.
In short, Gregory Peck set enviable standards of acting and gave a new flavour to Hollywood movies. Moreover, there is not a scintilla of doubt that the likes of Gregory Peck are born but seldom. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
I WANT to draw the attention of the education minister to a discriminatory treatment meted out to the teachers appointed after December 2001 in the NWFP.
According to the rules, all teachers having obtained MPhil degrees before their appointment are entitled to four advance increments. The teachers completing their MPhil during the service are entitled to two advance increments. These rules were followed up to December, 2001, but ignored afterwards.
Secondly, all teachers appointed before January 2002 were given dearness allowance, but it was stopped for the new teachers. As a result, after the GP fund deduction the new teachers were paid the salary which was less than the basic salary. The minister is requested to take notice of this unfair treatment.
M. HAMAYUN
Swabi
I FULLY endorse the views expressed by Rasheed Asghar (June 7) on cooperative housing societies.
Earlier, also many correspondents have written about this problem but nothing has been done by successive governments in this direction. Above all, the cooperative department is also engaged in patronizing the dubious activities of such societies and there is a need for setting up a commission or an authority to implement all the points raised by Mr Asghar.
These societies are advertising in the foreign press and hoodwinking the Pakistanis living abroad by asking them to invest their hard-earned money in these societies which remain on paper and never materialize. In their ignorance, the expatriate Pakistanis only come to know about them when everything is lost.
The office-bearers of these societies live extravagant lives on others’ money and nobody, including the useless cooperative department, is there to check it. Let the government take the initiative.
R. A. BAIG
Sparks, Baltimore, USA
THIS is with reference to Mr Ershad Mahmud‘s article, “Without militants, talks cannot succeed” (June 7).
He has rightly diagnosed the basic reasons for Kashmir struggle and presented a workable solution to the problem. He is right in saying that the militants cannot be ignored in any talks on the future of Kashmir. The militancy is indeed indigenous.
He has mentioned the JKLF and the Hizbul Mujahideen in this context. Although some Pakistani jihadi groups are operating in Kashmir, their role is only that of guest Mujahideen and the Kashmiris believe that they cannot be given any role in decision making about the future of Kashmir.
SYED MUZAMIL HUSSAIN
Islamabad
I ENJOYED reading Ardeshir Cowasjee’s last Sunday’s column about the ignorance par excellence of our generals and specials.
Particularly the remarks given by Dr Rehman that he is an adviser for higher education and not for basic education reminded me of Khwaja Moinuddin’s drama in which one of the characters says that our minister of education is zeray taleem, and not vaziray taleem.
KHURSHID HUSSAIN
Scarborough, ON, MIV
I FAIL to understand the fuss about “grace marks” for students. If a student has not received sufficient marks to pass the examination, it means he has not met the required standard.
By awarding “grace marks”, you depreciate the standard and devalue the results of those students who have passed their examinations without this extra help. If you want more students to pass, irrespective of their quality, then why not simply lower the passing grade?
Pakistan’s educational standards are low enough without lowering them further through the artifice of “grace marks”. I have studied the education systems of the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and East Asia in considerable detail, and none of these systems goes in for the nonsense of “grace marks”.
A student either passes or fails according to a single criterion; a student does not fail and then gets pushed up into the pass category by being awarded marks just for being able to breathe.
The former governor of Sindh made a right decision.
ABD UL MALIK
Potomac, MD, USA
GEN Pervez Musharraf, addressing a lawyers convention in Lahore, raised many questions about the Shariat Bill. He said a minority would not be allowed to hijack the majority.
But the bill was passed unanimously by the NWFP assembly which is very much representative of the people. The general perhaps forgot that the National Assembly had also passed the Shariat Bill by a two-thirds majority.
If the national and provincial assemblies are not representative of the people, then who else is the representative? The general who barely got 4 per cent votes in the referendum?
ANWAR UL HAQUE
Islamabad
THE internet cafes are corrupting the minds of the younger generation in the name of access to information technology. The government is planning to block the porn sites but they are in millions and hundreds of them are launched almost every day.
Why can’t a law be enforced prohibiting the cafe owners from providing privacy through the secret cabins to the consumers. If the people really need access to information technology, they do not need privacy.
DR ALI AHMAD
Peshawar
EVER since my days during 1963-65 as a young USAF officer with the US embassy, then in Karachi, the NWFP has been a thorn in the side of a unified national government of Pakistan. The vestiges of the old British Raj continue in the guise of the Frontier native- born “dictators” who rule by the gun, and now seek to rule hiding behind religion.
The future of Pakistan as a modern state is continually undermined by the shenanigans of the flagrant Taliban and Al Qaeda stooges who would put down women; stop freedom of speech; and murder those who don’t subscribe to their most violent and heretical form of Islam.
Such undemocratic, theocratically warped and heretical Islamists who do not in fact honour the moderate teachings of the holy Quran are ongoing dangers to any form of meaningful democracy and clearly justify the long-term existence of President Gen Musharraf in his dual role.
Those who oppose President Musharraf’s dual authority merely justify his continuation by their undemocratic, unruly, and religiously intolerant behaviour and statements. If you play by the rules of civilized society and democracy, the need of President Musharraf’s dual role would evaporate in no time. If you continue to play by the anarchy of heretical Islam, you indefinitely prevent the completion of the democratic process for the entire nation, which is made up of many fine people, faith systems, and a valuable and wide range of cultures which enrich Pakistan and the world at large.
GEORGE SINGLETON
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
I AM writing this letter to express my dismay over the introduction of Taliban-style laws in the NWFP. The separation of religion and the state is necessary for Pakistan to have full democracy. While giving due respect to Shariat laws, there must be a balance that brings modern and accessible justice to the masses and not be reverting to the mediaeval models that are punitive and suppress the rights of women and minorities.
If President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s ideal Ataturk could enforce a secular culture in Turkey, why can’t the people of Pakistan have this too?
The mullas already have too much power. Under Gen Zia they went on a rampage by declaring war on Pakistan’s indigenous culture such as classical music and Kathak dance.
We should not forget that Tabla Ustaad Allah Rakha was a Lahori. Kathak dancing and painting were encouraged by the Mughals. With no outlet for expression, many disillusioned young Pakistanis are now turning to terrorism and violence.
Banning music on public transports in Balochistan and the introduction of Shariat laws in the Frontier are the thin edge of the wedge which could lead to Talibanization of the whole of Pakistan, and further destabilization of the region.
TAARIQ M. HASSAN
Rosanna, Melbourne,
Australia
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