| June 18, 2003 | Wednesday | Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1424 |
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What Palestinians should do
Excellent project management
Anti-corruption committee.
Student unions
Alliance Motors scam
Musharraf’s vision
Condition of Roundu valley
Gregory Peck: plea to PTV
Practising pure homeopathy
Access to justice
Rights of old pensioners
Status of Hunza and Nagar
THE comments by Dr Manzar Saleem regarding the CPSP’s (College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan) derecognition of medical institutes is unjustified and based on anachronistic comparisons.
Two wrongs never make a right. His arguments seem to suggest that if the price of food is high enough to be out of reach of the customers, then the employer is justified in not paying any wages to their employees because they would not be able to afford anything, anyway.
Yes, admittedly, the CPSP cannot be absolved of all charges as well. It has indeed increased its fees exponentially over the last year or so. The charges for mandatory courses conducted by them is also over-priced and reeks of exploitation.
But they have, nevertheless, taken the steps in the right direction. At the end of the day, this is what really counts.
In the absence of any formal accreditation council in our country, the CPSP has taken over by default the responsibility to make sure that the conditions are favourable for postgraduate education. Paying stipend is one of such prerequisites and cannot be ignored, not even for altruistic and charity reasons.
From my horrifying experience of postgraduate medical education in Pakistan, you can take my word for it that the absence of stipends and salaries is one of the most important factors responsible for unprofessionalism and low motivation. The idea of working without any monetary reward for four to five years is inhuman, impractical and leads to corrupting the trainee physicians. Those who do not have enough resources turn to alternative routes to generate living expenses. Postgraduate education takes the back seat and the period of training becomes more of an incarceration than an educational experience.
Similarly, the PMDC (Pakistan Medical & Dental Council) is more of a ceremonial organization ready to bilk doctors on every pretext and instance they possibly can. In a country where hakeems, pahalwans, faith healers and homeopaths can all indulge in providing unrestricted and unregulated medical coverage, the PMDC indeed is as impotent as an organization can possibly ever be.
If the CPSP has taken over the responsibility, it should be commended rather than subjected to slander.
The two poles of the opposing ‘hegemonic’ cartels can argue endlessly about who is the real boss.
But if anyone who believes that people can be expected to work honestly without being paid lives in a fool’s paradise.
DR NOUMAN I. ALVI
Birmingham, UK
THIS refers to the article headlined “The map must show a way home” (June 13) by Ghada Karmi. I have often seen that analytical articles about an issue either ignore or skip some facts which are very relevant to that issue.
I have read that the Jews had formulated plans to establish their state by 1890, and for this they were migrating from everywhere, specially from Europe and Russia, to Palestine, as they thought that Palestine was the land which used to be Greater Israel and that it contained their holy places.
In those days, the Palestinians were poor and living in precarious conditions. The Jews were rich and they had brought a lot of money with them. With the inflow of money, they bought land from Palestinian Arabs at prices which were four or five times the market value of the land. Slowly and steadily, they were able to create their majority in the area which became Israel in 1948, thus making the original Palestinian population a minority.
With the money and power that the Jews possessed, they mustered support of the superpowers and were able to obtain the mandate from the UN for the creation of Israel. When they were buying the Palestinian land at high prices, a great scholar of Deoband, Maulana Mehmood Hussain Madani, had foreseen their intentions. He not only spoke about this issue but also visited Palestine to convince the local people not to sell their land to the Jews, but in vain. The Palestinians did not listen to him.
Now the situation is different. Israel is in the driving seat, with America sitting in the back seat. Many American journalists have recently referred in their articles to Israel as America’s spoiled child. Keeping in view the way the Palestinians are organized, I can say that they are not going to get what they want through their struggle and Israel is not going to give them what they want in a platter.
Therefore, they should have an approach of give and take. At least for now they should take whatever Israel is giving them and leave the rest for the future. This will stop the killings of innocent people on both sides.
MOHAMMED CHORWADIA
Chicago, Ill, USA
KOHAT Tunnel was inaugurated by the president the other day. The tunnel has been built with the active cooperation of Japan which has provided financial assistance as well. Our engineers have fully participated in its construc-tion side by side with the Japanese.
The best thing in this project was that it was an excellent example of project management; the tunnel was completed earlier than the target date set for its completion.
On the other hand, the Peshawar-Rawalpindi Motorway project is still in doldrums. There is no hope of its completion in the near future. Owing to the delay in its construction, the cost has escalated sky high. And, worst of all, its lanes have also been reduced from six to four just to cut the cost.
The reduction in the number of lanes will be a constant source of torture for the commuters, besides being dangerous to travel on this motorway because of frequent change of lanes.
I think it is high time (a) the group of local companies to whom the construction of this motorway has been entrusted learnt a lesson from the people who have managed the Kohat Tunnel project; (b) the government reviewed its decision about the number of lanes on the motorway as motorways are not built every day; (c) a firm and final date was decided for its construction and those not complying with the deadline were heavily fined; (d) provision of CNG facilities on this motorway was planned right from now; and (e) the partition wall on the motorway was sufficiently high so as to avoid glare from the traffic coming from the opposite direction.
AIR-CDRE (R) AZFAR A. KHAN
Rawalpindi
THE Sindh Inquiries and Anti-corruption Act 1991 has created an inquiries and anti-corruption establishment for the investigation of or inquiries into the offence set forth in the schedule. The aforesaid Act and the rules framed thereunder provide that the cases relating to inquiry and investigation of misconduct and corruption of public servants can be initiated only after the approval of the competent authority, which is “anti- corruption committee” formed at different levels. The Sindh chief secretary is the head of the anti-corruption committee which is at the provincial level.
The output of the anti-corruption establishment entirely and solely depends on the timely approval of the anti-corruption committee, because without such approval, no legal inquiry or investigation can be conducted. An inquiry or investigation without such approval (which is accorded in the meeting of anti-corruption committee) is without any jurisdiction and vitiates the proceeding as per recent decisions of the High Court of Sindh (C.P.902/ 2000 and C.P.990/2000).
Timely mandatory approval which is accorded at the meeting of anti-corruption committee is a prerequisite for smooth working and better results of the anti-corruption establishment of the government of Sindh. Unfortunately, such meetings are rarely held, which adversely affects the working of the anti-corruption establishment and also delays the dispensation of justice in anti-corruption cases.
I, therefore, draw the attention of the chief secretary to the urgency and importance of calling the meetings of anti-corruption committee more frequently to review the progress of anti-corruption cases and also to accord necessary approval as and when required.
ASADULLAH BALOCH
Karachi
THIS refers to Dr Awais Ali Farooqi’s letter headlined “Student unions” (May 29).
There is no second opinion that student unions played significantly a positive role in character- and leadership-building of students.
The weak personalities of the administrators of the educational institutions, coupled with the interference of political parties, spoiled the general academic atmosphere in the academic institutions in Pakistan.
The weak military regimes, one after the other, could not face the hard facts. Thus the banning of the student unions resulted in numerous student organizations (named like each political party that supports them), thus the ban on student unions did not improve anything.
The students who earn their degrees in the isolated shells of roll numbers, as at present, generally lack confidence and self-respect. It is, therefore, proposed that the student unions be restored and the politicians be advised not to interfere in the academic institutions.
At the same time, the teachers and the policymakers may reconsider the entire outline of courses, update them and make them purposeful.
The examination system and classroom performances of the teachers need to be improved too. The teachers must keep themselves abreast of the latest developments in the fields of science and arts. They should also keep their students busy all the year round.
M. IQBAL BRULA
New York, USA
NAB has completed the investigation of the Alliance Motors scam and filed the final reference in the accountability court, Karachi. On the appearance of this news in the media, the anxiety of the affected persons has increased manifold and many of them have either started visiting or ringing up NAB offices to seek information about the return of their lost money.
While realizing their state of mind, NAB is making endeavour to complete certain important documentary and legal obligations. As soon as a decision is obtained from the high court regarding disbursement of amount, it will be executed most expeditiously provided some other unavoidable delay is not caused by any quarter.
NAB (SINDH)
Karachi
NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said, “We cannot even think of compromising on honour, dignity and Islam,” adding that “our forefathers had fought courageously for these principles.”
Mr Durrani’s statement was ostensibly in response to Gen Pervez Musharraf’s earlier statement against the “Talibanization” of Pakistan.
I was quite moved by President Musharraf’s clarity of vision when he said that Pakistan needs to be a moderate progressive Islamic state. He also said that if someone else had a beard, (proving his Islamic faith), then that gave him no right to tell him to keep a beard as well.
Mr Durrani’s commitment to Islam notwithstanding, I would encourage him to adopt a more practical stance and not get involved in moral judgment and religious rhetoric.
MOHAMMAD A. SYED
Washington, DC, USA
I WANT to draw the attention of the president and the prime minister, as well as of the authorities concerned with the affairs of the Northern Areas, to the blockade of the Karakoram Highway as a result of rainfall recently, which has been creating enormous problems for the people.
During the blockade — for one month — the people had to undergo great hardships as the FWO administrator did nothing to lessen their miseries. The people had to face shortage of food and fuel; at some places even now they face starvation and the non-availability of life-saving medicines.
In the absence of any proper system for storing the necessities of life in the region and also because of lack of any helicopter service for the affected areas to deal with the emergency situation, many people lost their lives. One of the most affected areas is the Roundu valley, Skardu, whose people remain deprived of basic necessities of life.
Other parts of Skardu which are equal to Roundu in population have the status of subdivision. The president will do justice to the people of Roundu by giving the valley the status of subdivision and by giving its people the basic necessities of life.
GHULAM AKBER
Skardu
GREGORY Peck, one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, has died. Most of his films are not available on cassettes in the market. His fans, however, would like to see him in action.
Would the PTV or any of its competitors be kind enough to hold a “Peck Week” and telecast some of his great movies — Roman Holiday, Designing Woman, The Guns of Navarone, the Snows of Kilimanjaro, Mackenna’s Gold, etc? (Somehow, To Kill a Mocking Bird did not appeal to me. Poor taste, I admit.)
KAMAL RIZWAN
Karachi
ONE is not sure how many homeopaths practise pure homeopathy instead of mixing allopathy with it in Pakistan. I say this because these days one comes across “prescriptions” of homoeopathic doctors which are a mixture of allopathic and homoeopathic medicines.
In addition, a number of investigations are also ordered like x-rays, ultrasound, C. T. scans, blood tests, ECG, and BP recordings, etc., which in the system of homeopathy are not at all required. In homeopathy the diagnosis and treatment are based on the symptoms of the patients alone.
I am sure that properly qualified homoeopathic doctors are aware of all this and are suffering at the hands of homoeopathic quacks, bringing bad name to the system. It is hoped that some method will be evolved to curb such practices so that the poor and illiterate patients are not fleeced in the name of cheap/economical treatment.
DR MUNAWAR AZIZ
Abbottabad
AN endemic spell of delays in the disposal of pending cases for adjudication affects speedy access to justice — much to the frustration of litigants.
Even the special enactment like the Sindh Rented Premises Ordinance 1979, though a progressive piece of law, often tends to be misconstrued in its application. Habits and attitudes die hard as persons engaged in the administration of justice continue to stick to formalism, obfuscating the available recourses.
It takes years before a simple matter gets decided. To expedite the process of dispensation of justice in rent matters, amendment needs to inserted in SRPO 1979, laying down the time-frame of six months for disposal of a rent matter.
FAZUL S. KAZI
Karachi
WHILE announcing benefits and easement for the welfare of various categories of society and granting princely awards here and there, why are the president and the prime minister ignoring the pending pension case of the old pensioners?
Disregarding and turning a blind eye to the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Shariat Court upholding the demand of the old pensioners for bringing old and new pensions at par, financial constraints are being cited as a reason. How wonderful!
Anyhow, what do the latest entrants in the darbar of our home-spun democracy — the members of the MMA — have to say about this? My suggestion to all old fellow pensioners is: get up and prepare yourselves to stir the frozen and unconcerned conscience of our rulers.
K. A. MULK
Chitral
THIS is with reference to a letter titled “Hunza and Nagar were jagirs” by Saalim Salam Ansari (June 6). Time and again Mr Ansari appears on the pages of your newspaper with the figments of his imagination about the status of Gilgit-Baltistan vis-a-vis Kashmir. It only strengthens the arguments put forward by Dogra Raj and India about Kashmir as well as Gilgit-Baltistan.
This time Mr Ansari’s imagination was ignited by a news item of your reporter about the demise of Nagar state’s former ruler (May 24). Mr Ansari seems to disapprove of the use of epithet “state” for Nagar by your reporter. I see eye to eye with your reporter in considering Nagar as a former state.
Mr Ansari asserted that Hunza and Nagar were jagirs of Kashmir. He also refers to a book written by Brig Ghansara Singh. On the basis of this book, we cannot declare the princely states of Hunza and Nagar jagirs of Kashmir. If Nagar and Hunza were not mentioned in the list of 500 states, it does not mean that these states did not exist on the face of the earth. They were functioning as independent states until 1973 when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto abolished these local princely states ruled by the ‘mirs’.
In fact, Hunza and Nagar were never affected by the major political upheavals which shaped the political landscape of modern South Asia. I challenge Mr Ansari to bring any evidence to prove that the Sikhs set their foothold in Hunza. The reality is that the Sikhs made an attempt to capture Hunza in the late 19th century but the armies of Hunza wiped out the Sikh army at a place now known as Sikh Maraa Zung (Slain Sikhs Gorge) in Hunza Shinaki.
There were many agreements between the Maharaja of Kashmir and the British about Kashmir and Gilgit, but Gilgit remained under the de facto rule of the viceroy. According to Dr Ahmed Hassan Dani, the Northern Areas were never the property of the Maharaja of Kashmir, and the local rulers of the princely states were accountable only to the British political agent. Even the salaries of Gilgit Scouts was paid by the central government and not by the Maharaja of Kashmir.
It is the Gilgit Scouts who with the help of the local people revolted against Lord Mountbatten, who handed over Gilgit Agency to India before independence. The rebellion was so swift that when Brig Ghansara Singh arrived in Gilgit, he had to surrender to the Gilgit Scouts. Afterwards, the Gilgit Scouts formed a local council with Shah Rais Khan, Raja of Gilgit, as its president. Later in November 1947, the council unanimously voted in favour of accession of Gilgit-Baltistan to Pakistan.
The decision of the council was endorsed by the princely states of Hunza and Nagar which were not jagirs of Kashmir.
AZIZ ALI DAD
London, UK
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