| July 22, 2003 | Tuesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1424 |
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The question of recognizing Israel
Helpless welfare associations
Kashmir problem
Karachi’s water crisis
Quetta carnage
PAEC fringe benefits
Cricket prize scheme
Gwadar port
Woman’s status in Islam
HBFC relief in markup
Director (SI&PR), PAEC,
“PAKISTAN would prefer to send troops to Iraq to relieve American forces under the cover of the UN, the OIC or even the GCC. The presence of Islamic force will facilitate the peace-keeping operations in Iraq”. (Dawn, July 9).
Realistically speaking, the matter of such a cover is not going deep into our psyche and thus requires some truthful counter-narratives. First, it may be stated that we believe that the name of the UN has been included to give a helping hand to the idea, and that’s it. So, the ‘left-overs’ are the OIC and the GCC. To put the scenario straight, may not one ask how these two organizations have suddenly become important to us from whom we intend to seek cover, guidance, solace or whatever the name may be given to it? And also how and for what end the GCC members judge and act in their foreign, strategic and financial policies?
As far as the OIC is concerned, should not we remind ourselves that it looks like a dormant-looking and handout issuing office? Let us also examine the state of affairs of the GCC members — say since the end of Gulf War I of 1991. Except Kuwait, all other countries have no taste for democracy. Their total local population, except Saudi Arabia, is less than one medium-sized city of Pakistan. Almost all of them are underdeveloped countries. All of them have the US military bases and their forces are stationed there since Gulf War I. For this war, they have financed the Americans to the tune of $40 billion.
They were even not aware that the US would have invaded Iraq even without this payment made by the kings and shaikhs. Is not Saudi Arabia in financial trouble ever since then? Even the Britons recovered from them as much as two billion pounds (some by Japan) out of the total UK expenditure of 2.4 billion pounds.
Kuwait readily vacated 25 per cent of its land to house the US forces for its recent unauthorized attack on Iraq. Qatar, whose ruler is the current chairman of the OIC, allowed the transfer of the Centcom headquarters from the US to its soil.
For its military bases in the GCC, the Americans recovered a huge amount on a yearly basis from the kings and the shaikhs, whereas for such bases in the Far Eastern countries, they pay handsome dollars to the countries concerned. This much to say, out of a long list.
It is common knowledge that weak and small countries are subservient to the US and have to sheepishly accept unjust American demands. There is no doubt now that many countries whose names are printed in the media would send their troops to Iraq under the panic-pressure of the US. Many of their soldiers may be killed during the operations. For what?
Japan has agreed to send a token force of 1,000 soldiers for the purpose of reconstruction of Iraq and not to relieve the American soldiers like we are willing to do. Even if we are playing hide-and-seek with India, for sending out troops to Iraq, seeking cover from the OIC or the GCC is to belittle Pakistan and it’s a disturbing agenda.
It has been said that the presence of an Islamic force would facilitate peace-keeping in Iraq. The point to ponder is as to why it can’t be said that it would facilitate the Pentagon to prolong its hold there.
Z. A. KAZMI
Karachi
In his statements of June 18 in Pakistan, while giving an interview to a private TV channel, and of June 25 there in Washington whilst addressing a press conference, President Gen Pervez Musharraf appears to be overwhelmed by the issue of recognizing the state of Israel.
Embroiled with the experiences of Washington’s cautious and reserved response towards Islamabad and baffled by the growing Indo-Israel-US nexus, our establishment now seems tilted towards the neo-conservatives or Washington’s conditionality to recognize Israel, and in this possibly the establishment envisages transforming the status of relationship between the US and Pakistan from a “transient and tactical friendship to a durable and sustainable partnership”.
Apparently, the establishment appears to advocate the doctrine of pragmatism — that relations between nations is variable to national interests and are not fixed but have to be re-adjusted with “the swings of power pendulum”. At this juncture, our civil and military specialists — doctoring or engineering the artifice of our foreign policy — on this very issue of Israel’s recognition may be dragged in a quandary to defend the policy of status quo or to solicit for an ideological shift in our foreign policy towards Israel.
Whereas none of the arguments that there has already been the “clandestine diplomacy” between Pakistan and Israel; or there is need to counterpoise our security risks as hovering with Indo-Israel-US nexus; and the logic that some of the Muslim states, i.e. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, Syria and Turkey, tend to accept Israel once there is prompting in compliance of Mideast roadmap; and that Egypt and Jordan have already accepted it can justify to jump to accepting Israel.
Since Pakistan is the mindsetter in the comity of Muslim nations, we cannot afford to overgeneralize this debate on acceptance or non-acceptance of Israel in over a fortnight. By any standards, it is the subject that requires a national consensus through a comprehensive discovery in the common grounds or interests with the areas of convergence and divergence between the two states — Israel and Pakistan. It also demands a collective concern on this issue from the OIC.
Nevertheless, the exponents of Israel’s recognition may argue that we should guard our own interests rather than be guarding the interests of the whole Muslim world. The opponents to the idea of recognition — fundamentalist, extremist and emotionalist — may take the issue as anathematic to rethink over. And, above all, the reservists on this issue, the common Pakistani, would hold the concept of recognition as inorganic to our thinking chemistry.
Certainly, the task before Gen Musharraf to have a political consensus on this issue, or to “reconcile the irreconcilable” is leviathan in the face of a strong opposition from the MMA, already mired in cleavages with Gen Musharraf’s government.
S. Q. AFZAL RIZVI
Karachi
A letter on the above subject in your issue of July 12 draws attention to a very menacing problem faced by the residents’ welfare associations of the highrise buildings. The residents waste no time in paying their monthly bills of their telephones, gas and electricity.
But they are always very slow in paying their monthly maintenance charges to their welfare association for providing various facilities like water, street lights, lifts, security and sanitation of the whole complex. They do not consider it obligatory. As a result of the default by a few, the activities of these associations are hampered, they are indebted and are at the mercy of the KESC, the water board, etc.
The welfare associations have no legal tool in their hands to deal with the defaulters. This is the worst part of living in a housing complex. This makes the defaulters rather more bold. It is, therefore, very important that the residents’ welfare associations are given some constitutional powers to deal with such persons. The suggestion that it should be mentioned in the bylaws of the welfare association is worth giving an early attention by the relevant authorities.
People are always reluctant to hold offices in the welfare associations because of the helplessness of the associations, without any helping hand from the KESC, the water board and the agencies which collect property tax. The government should help in this matter for the smooth running of a welfare association.
ABID ALI KHAN
Karachi
IN 1948 the UN Security Council by a resolution helped India and stopped the war being fought against Indian occupation in Kashmir. Why cannot the Council help in the matter now by asking India to comply with the second part of the resolution, i.e. to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir to ascertain the wishes of the people there or alternatively to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan?
Had the UN Security Council not stopped the war of 1948, the problem of Kashmir would have been solved then and India and Pakistan, together with the Kashmiris, would have lived in peace.
The Kashmiris have been fighting for a long time for restoration of their right to self-determination. By now thousands of them have been killed by the Indian occupation army. In all fairness the Security Council should now come forward and force India to hold plebiscite in both parts of Kashmir or to start a dialogue with Pakistan so that the right of the Kashmiris is restored. This will ultimately help India and Pakistan to live in peace.
G. RAZA
Karachi
BOTTLES on carts and other vehicles have become an inseparable part of life, specially in Karachi. Pakistan is an agriculture-based country and for the development of agriculture, the resources of water are very important. But the shortage of water for agricultural purposes is increasing day by day. It is for this reason that tension among the provinces is increasing over water distribution.
Although the river system in Pakistan is one of the best in the world, there are, according to survey reports, the following reasons for the shortage of water:
1. We have high population growth rate.
2. We do not have any training institute for the farmers to educate them on water management.
3. We are not considering the demand for water. We are just emphasizing the supply of water.
4. With the increased use of urea and other pesticides the absorbing capacity of soil is decreasing.
These are the basic problems. We have limited resources for the storage of water. We throw almost 40 mill-acre water every year in the sea. According to reports, we can save 26 mill-acre water by making dams. We have 70 mill-acre fertile land out which we are just using 52 mill-acre. We require 350 mill-acre water but we receive just 117 mill-acre. So, there is scarcity of water.
Now what is the solution? Dams are the answer.
AZFAR IQBAL
Karachi
WITH reference to the letters being published in your daily about the recent Quetta carnage, I may submit that before attempting a remedy it is essential to establish the cause of the malaise. It would not be difficult to identify the genesis of what is happening in our country if the prime minister takes courage and invites all top religious leaders to accompany him to the Mazar of the Quaid-i-Azam on Aug 14 and offer Fateha for the soul of the Founding Father.
It is only a matter of days when the poor prime minister is going to face a demand for the removal of the Quaid’s portrait from the Senate, the Assembly, offices, conference rooms, etc. Even the name of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was not allowed to be mentioned at a government-sponsored public meeting held in Mansehra to commemorate the year named after her. Why do they never condemn tragic events like sectarian murders, gang-rapes, karo-kari and forced marriage of infants? The list of crimes condoned by them in the name of Islam is pretty long.
Why do they insist on calling the place of the Quetta carnage imambargah although everyone knows it was a mosque wherein the faithful were massacred. It is a confirmation of the fact that they have never entered an imambargah, or else they would have known that it is merely a sort of a civic centre attached to the mosque where activities other than prayers like nikah, majlis, milad and funerals are organized.
Please, prime minister, let us see who out of the religious leaders pays homage to the person responsible for the affluence they are rolling in.
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter titled “PAEC fringe benefits” (July 18) by Mr Waheed Uddin Arshad who, we have checked, is not an employee of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).
It is a fact that there are various categories of employees in the PAEC and, indeed, our scientists and engineers like officials in finance, accounts and administration have their own role to play in the working of the commission, and need to be appropriately recognized.
When the decision to provide perks such as cars was taken, it was decided to provide the facility in phases because of budgetary constraints. Certain categories have had to wait.
The PAEC is a merit-based organization where most privileges are given to all the employees while some privileges have been phased according to the laid down policy. The letter writer conveniently forgot to mention many other steps taken by us to encourage our employees.
MUHAMMAD IJAZ
Islamabad
DURING the World Cup cricket 2003, Instaphone and Telecard jointly launched a website named www.jeetocricket.com and it was highly publicized that the winners will get prizes like a return ticket to Dubai, mobile phone sets and Insta connection.
I won this game and my claim can be verified by logging on to “leader board” option of the website.
The World Cup is over by almost three months now and yet I haven’t got any mail or e-mail from the website owners about my prize status. I have contacted Insta, Telecard and “Salsoft”, which are maintaining this website but to no avail. I am still waiting for their reply.
ZAKIR GATTA
Karachi
THIS refers to Moin Siddiqui’s letter (July 5). I pray that Gwadar transforms in the manner described by Mr Siddiqui. But I did not understand why the discussion got swung to Mr Nawaz Sharif?
He says that nobody objected to the motorway. He is ill-informed. It was criticized on a daily basis by the papers of Punjab as to the necessity of making this white elephant rather than upgrading G. T. Road. Ms Benazir Bhutto followed him later. With sound money-making advice of the bureaucracy, she first reduced the six lanes to four and in the process paid compensation to Daewoo fellows. Next, it was again increased to six lanes.
Mr Sharif was the one who had initiated the Gwadar project. When Ms Benazir Bhutto came, this project went into the background. Again, it was Mr Nawaz Sharif who got the thing going in his second tenure, followed by the opening ceremony by President Musharraf after two years. Next, the revenues he mentions being generated by Sindh, more than 75 per cent is being paid by the traders from Punjab, mainly ex-custom duties at the two ports. Coincidentally, Mr Nawaz Sharif was building a motorway from Karachi to Hyderabad also. The Super Highway was made during Yahya Khan’s tenure and not Ayub Khan’s.
ANWAR MALIK
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the reply of Mr Zia Ahmad (June 30) regarding the status of woman in Islam. I fully agree with the balanced view of Mrs Mahjabin Nisar regarding the woman’s status in Islam (June 20).
The view expressed by Mr Zia Ahmad shows his ignorance of the real world. It is very unfortunate that such people lack vision. The only way that the miseries of mankind can be removed is by following the teachings of Islam. I sincerely advise Mr Zia Ahmad to ponder on this issue.
ZAHID MUHAMMAD
Baton Rouge, LA USA
A LETTER by Mr Muhammad Siddique G. Memon, under the caption “HBFC relief in markup”, has been published in your issue of July 12.
It refers to one Mr Ghulam Rasool’s letter published in your issue of June 2, who mentioned an exorbitant rate of markup from 17 to 22 per cent per annum on the HBFC loans. In this regard we feel it necessary to clarify that since July 1979 the HBFC has been operating under a rent-sharing scheme and it does not charge any markup on its investment.
Similarly, there appears some misunderstanding about the rates at which the HBFC shares the rental of the house in proportion to its investment. The HBFC is the only financial institution which has been providing subsidized loan/investment on lower slab of investment and now in “Ghar Aasan Scheme” on the basis of the locality, i.e. rural area, tehsil, district headquarters, etc., providing relief to the low-income group people.
The HBFC provided remission of Rs1,231.945 million to the widows, orphans and retired government employees. In addition, it provided concession of Rs484 million to the borrowers of interest-based loans (disbursed during 1952-1979) who were facilitated to settle their loan liability by just paying interest equivalent to the principal amount, irrespective of their outstanding balance. Some of the borrowers got the benefit of over Rs300,000 under this concession.
From 1987 the HBFC implemented the group life insurance scheme to mitigate the sufferings of the widows and orphans and even of the disabled loanees. If a person avails himself of the HBFC investment in his own name and against his own income or stands guarantee for the investment availed by his wife/children, he is provided with group life insurance coverage. In the event of his permanent disability or death, his account is frozen and the insurance company settles the insurance claim to liquidate his investment liability. Up to June 30, 2003, the HBFC has settled 4,956 claims for an aggregate sum of Rs360 million.
We would also like to clarify that at present there is no government policy to allow remission to the retired government employees. However, as mentioned in his letter with reference Dawn, March 3, 1999, remission of interest/profit was available to those retired government employees, under the then prime minister’s relief package of March 1997, who retired on attaining the age of superannuation (60 years) during the currency of the loan/investment provided the loan/investment availed of by him/her did not exceed Rs200,000 and the plot size did not exceed 10 marlas/250sqyds. The facility was extended by the HBFC on the government directive.
So far as the pensioners who availed themselves of investment after retirement are concerned, it is clarified that one can avail oneself of investment if one has sufficient repayment capacity. The pensioners who availed themselves of investment after retirement were either credit-worthy to do so or they had availed themselves of investment on the guarantee of their legal heirs. In either case they cannot be treated at par with the pensioners who availed themselves of financing from the HBFC while in service and after retirement had no sufficient income to liquidate their liability.
ZAHID HUSSAIN
Karachi
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