| September 7, 2003 | Sunday | Rajab 9, 1424 |
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The state of Indian Muslims
Award for Patras Bokhari
Rape cases, police and judiciary
National flag
A stroke of genius?
Tribute to Saeed Anwar
New hope for the libraries
‘Awe & shock’
From oil slick to an oil lake
Lakki Marwat Karachi
IT was quite amusing to read in the Internet version of Dawn (Aug 29) the news report on spending Rs3.2 billion annually to hire 300 foreign PhDs in a country which is ranked 144 out of 175 in the Human Development Report 2003.
Pakistan’s Human Development index is 0.499, which is lower than the regional (South Asian) average of 0.582, and if we compare it to High Human Development countries such as Norway (0.99) or the US (0.97), it is around half of theirs. The adult literacy rate of Pakistan which measures the percentage of literates above age 15 is 44 per cent which means that around 56 per cent of the adults in our country are illiterate.
When we look at the combined primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment ratio, it is only 36 per cent, which is even lower than the average of the low human development countries at 41 per cent and much lower than the South Asian region average of 54 per cent. Norway’s enrolment ratio is 98 per cent while the US’s is 94 per cent. This means that around 64 per cent of the youngsters are not even enrolled at the primary, secondary and tertiary level in Pakistan. One doesn’t need to be a PhD or a foreign PhD for that matter to figure out where the problem lies. The numbers tell the whole story.
It would be interesting to know where this brain wave came from but it is obvious that whoever suggested this idea of spending Rs10.67 million ($182,000) per foreign PhD annually has not spent sufficient time in Pakistan, nor has he/she understood its basic and fundamental problems. Secondly, they have not been around foreign or local PhDs enough, nor have they properly assessed their contribution to the education profession, in particular, and the economic development process, in general.
Although the present government claims that education is being given the highest priority, surprisingly in the financial year 2003 the national education budget was as low as 1.7 per cent of the GDP, as against 2.4 per cent in the financial year 1998- 99. The incidence of poverty increased from 26.6 per cent in 1993 to 36.3 per cent in 2000, which added more than 15 million to the number of poor living on less than one dollar a day. Poverty is largely a rural phenomenon and about 77 per cent of the people live in the rural areas. It is estimated that more than 45 per cent people living in the rural areas live below the poverty line.
The finance minister in his latest budget speech announced that during the financial year 2004 expenditure on poverty- related activities would amount to Rs161 billion, of which only Rs3.1 billion is allocated for primary education and Rs4.5 billion for higher education. Now if the government wants to spend Rs3.2 billion on foreign PhDs, there won’t be much money left for anything else. This is certainly not the way of improving the literacy rate and the education level of the masses. It is, therefore, imperative that the education budget should be more than five per cent of the GDP and the government should use indigenous human resources while keeping its focus on reversing the brain drain.
I don’t know if the policymakers and their advisers are aware of the fact that there are very few PhDs in the academic profession in the world who get paid that much or even half as much even when you include the best academic institutions in the West. It seems the present government appears to be worshipping the false idols of the West. We have been witnessing during the last two decades the massive dependence of Pakistan’s economy on foreign loans and the consequential debt trap brought about by the advice by multilateral financing agencies and local policymakers. It is about time the government looked at the statistics closely and set their priorities correctly.
S. M. SHAFI AZAM
Farmington Hills,
Michigan, USA
THIS refers to the letter from Jahanzeb Saleem in your paper (Sept 5). I was infuriated at the lack of knowledge about Indian Muslims and tendentious, half-baked conclusions about them that filled the letter.
Contrary to what Mr Saleem likes to project, a vast majority of Indian Muslims live in perfect harmony with the rest of the nation and take part fully in all the national events. Just look at a list of our famous, most-loved celebrities, including sportspersons, film stars, musicians, writers and businesspeople. You will find a large number of Muslims in the list. All of them take pains to explain that Muslims in India are not living in perpetual fear, but under normal, peaceful conditions.
India’s richest man, Azim Premji, is a Muslim and so is India’s President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The top three film heroes are Muslim. I am not trying to underplay the heinous crimes that have been committed against Muslims in India, the strongest memory being about the Gujarat riots of February 2002. But, in no way, an extrapolation of such events as the situation surrounding all the Muslims in India at all times is mischievous. And Indian Muslims enjoy certain things that Saleem and other Pakistanis can only dream about. A functional democracy that no army can overthrow, equal rights to all citizens without exile politics and elections at the appointed date, appointed hour. There are other things like a booming economy, rising middle class purchasing power, reputation as a technology powerhouse to the extent that the Silicon Valley considers India a major competitor and stability in all facets of life.
Among my Muslim friends are a computer entrepreneur, a doctor, a shopkeeper and a journalist who are all proud that they are Indians — an identity they will change for nothing in the world. Please look at Indians as Indians and not as Hindus and Muslims. And please, we don’t need any sympathy from Pakistan. We will be happy as good neighbors if you can settle the chaos in your political and social systems and enjoy stability as much as we do.
S. SRINIVASAN
Bangalore, India
I WAS perplexed to find the name of Ahmad Shah Bokhari, commonly called Patras Bokhari, in the list of national award winners announced on the Independence day. These awards will be conferred upon the recipients on March 23, 2004.
Patras Bokhari died on Dec 5, 1958, and achieved this award 45 years after his death. During half a century a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. Three military governments and scores of democratic/semi-democratic governments have ruled this banana republic but none has ever thought of decorating its illustrious son. So, the Jamali government deserves all praise for this apt decision.
I do not find any far or distant relations of Patras Bokhari in the present regime. The only plausible reason for his decoration appears, to my mind, is that ‘someone’ in the ruling elite has recently read his printed material, published some 50 years ago. That ‘someone’, being an important personality, has included his name in the list of award recipients.
But tomorrow if that ‘someone’ or anyone like him happens to read the contributions made by Mohammad bin Qasim in invading Sindh or by Mahmud of Ghazni in conquering Somnath, or Babur in establishing the Moghul empire, or Nawab Sirajuddola, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan in fighting against the East India Company, or Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in establishing the Aligarh Muslim University, Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka in establishing All-India Muslim League and so on and so forth, we should expect them being awarded with Nishan-i-Haider, Nishan-i-Pakistan or at least a Pride of Performance award in the coming years.
This year’s announcement of award to Patras Bokhari will prepare us mentally to find out the names of A. K. M. Fazlul Haq, H. S. Suhrawardi, I. I. Chundrigar, Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan in the next year’s list of award winners. Maybe the government is gracious to include the celebrities like Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib!
JAVED AHMAD MALIK
Lahore
I AM writing with reference to the rape cases being reported and the comments from one Abdul Rauf (Aug 9). The gentleman feels that girls in our society should be accompanied by their parents and not travel in taxis in order to ensure their safety. I really do not seem to understand the logic behind overprotecting our women through such means.
The solution to the cases of rape does not lie in providing protection to women by locking them up. If we look at rape as another crime like murder, kidnapping or car-lifting (though rape may be equal or more in terms of after-effects than murder), then a solution would be bodyguards to avoid being killed, everyone travelling in groups to avoid kidnapping and finally either stop using cars or always having car guards to avoid car theft. Does that sound practical?
If we look at the above-mentioned issue closely, we can easily conclude that the issue of rape is purely a case of total failure of the police at all levels (unable or rather unwilling to apprehend the culprits), failure of judiciary (unable to provide justice to the affected) and finally of our so-called leaders whether belonging to any political party or the military.
In every sane part of the world there are government bodies that apprehend and check all kinds of crime, rape being one of them. Unfortunately, in our country these bodies exist and are very powerful but are the most corrupt. They are least bothered if somebody gets raped or murdered. All that matters is how they can make money out of it. Do they not believe in the life after death or the fact that they will be held answerable for all deeds.
FAISAL
Via email
THIS refers to a photograph which appeared on page 16 of your esteemed daily on Aug 22. It shows a meeting between Pakistan and Afghan foreign ministers. The point of concern is that the national flag of Pakistan on the table is displayed upside down, i.e. the crescent and the star pointing downwards. To display a national flag upside down is a sign of extreme distress or even war in certain conditions.
It was under the very eyes of our honourable foreign minister, and nobody paid any heed to it or even bothered to notice it. God forbid, but it may be taken as “official desecration of the national flag” when the others view it.
Through your daily I request the authorities to take notice of the incident and be vigilant in future regarding the proper usage of and protocol towards the national flag, both at home and abroad.
SALMAN SALEEM MARWAT
THROUGHOUT human history, ordinary mortals have been slow to follow the geniuses. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that other cricket-playing nations have been slow in following the genius of the Pakistan Cricket Board in getting rid of all their ‘aged’ players.
It is a sheer pity that players like Tendulkar, Ponting, Jaysuriya and Kallis are still being allowed to play for their teams. One can only feel sorry for these teams since keeping these old ‘hogs’ around will drastically delay the progress and ‘rebuilding’ process of these teams. But in all fairness, how can these cricketing nations be blamed for their slow response, since none of them has the benefit of a military general running its cricket affairs?
Let’s put facetiousness aside for a moment, and consider this quaint idea: how about allowing someone who knows a little bit about cricket run the PCB, and maybe the team will recover in the next few months rather than the next five years (five years under the present leadership should be considered being optimistic).
As for Lt-Gen Tauqeer Zia, I am sure he took an oath at some point to protect and serve this country, and call me crazy but he has done neither by forcefully ending the careers of some of its brightest stars. Will it take a defeat at the hands of Bangladesh for the respected general to realize that he shouldn’t quit his day job (and by day job I obviously don’t mean heading the cricket board), or will he once again find someone else to lay the blame on?
M. OVAIS
Houston, Texas, USA
I WOULD like to pay tribute to Saeed Anwar, the legendary opening batsman, for his contribution to Pakistan cricket. He will be remembered for his sensational performances during his 15-year career. I have never seen in the Pakistan batting line-up such a great timer of the ball who used his wrist with a matchless feat.
In my opinion, Anwar’s departure is a big loss for Pakistan cricket, in particular, and the game of cricket, in general.
I suggest Saeed Anwar start coaching upcoming youngsters such as Muhammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umer, Imran Nazir and Imran Farhat. It is time these youngsters learnt as much as they can from this great cricketer’s experience.
MANSOOR AHMED KHAN
THIS has reference to Ms Zubeida Mustafa’s article on the above-captioned subject.
Karachi perhaps is the only city of its size which has no city library. Among our deprivations this is more deplorable because (as pointed out by Dawn in its editorial of Aug 20) an appropriately located plot earmarked for the city library has been lying vacant for the past 10 years. Even the design of the building is also ready but year after year funds allocated for this project are reappropriated for other areas. This only goes to show what priority we attach to learning.
Perhaps ‘luxuries’ like libraries have no place in our scheme of things. If the city fathers were short of funds for a city library, they could appeal to the citizens of Karachi for donations. There are a large number of people who are ready to finance the projects which people badly need.
Would the city nazim come forward and announce his plans for the establishment of a much-needed city library? Perhaps the Library Support Group can also play its part in starting a campaign for collecting funds for the project.
FAUZIA ANJUM
Karachi
THE United States of America coined the word of “awe and shock” while attacking Iraq in its operation against terrorism which is the cornerstone of its global policy. Ironic though it may seem, the dictionary meaning of “awe” includes terror basically. It would logically mean that America, under the leadership of President George W. Bush, was itself acting as a terrorist state in Iraq to terrorize its people. As such the coalition partners could also be bracketed in the same category as terrorists generating terror among the Iraqi nation.
It is said that two wrongs do not make a right as terrorism breeds terrorism ad nauseum till the whole world can get aflamed. A saner option would have been for the US, which has inadvertently become a super terrorist state with its daisy-cutter bombs that suck oxygen from the atmosphere, to try to understand the frustration of such Muslim groups as are accused of terrorist activities so as to rectify matters and redress global injustices rather than globe-trotting with MWDs to kill thousands of people, men, women and children, to cure the malady of terrorism.
Like it is said physician heal thyself, the only superpower in the world ought to pause and ponder over the grave issue of terrorism to find its solution.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
THE blackened sands and oily crabs at Clifton Beach, and along further stretches of the Sindh coastline, (where the DHA has boldly expanded the frontiers of the military welfare state), are the immeasurably sad but inevitable result of years of squalid and shameful neglect of Karachi by successive governments. As a port city, a manufacturing base, a commercial and financial centre, Karachi is of immense significance to the country, providing huge impetus to both the formal and shadow sectors, as well as to the bulk of fiscal revenues. The enterprise and labour of its inhabitants keep the ACs humming and mercs purring in Islamabad.
The Tasman Spirit’s cargo discharged just off Karachi is not just an oil slick, it is now a lake. While it is probably premature to apportion blame, some of the recent utterances of public officials are beyond belief. It would be charitable to describe them as cavalier.
We have thus witnessed the KPT chairman, after initially denying that there was a problem, breezily describing (like a surgeon explaining a some minor surgery to a child) how a few centimetres of the beach would be removed and everything would be shipshape, the EPA assuring us that there was no threat to marine animal life, our very own Nazim-i-Aala’s brave but quixotic clean-up efforts and the communications minister stating that only about 7km of the beach was affected, that too “was only used for recreational activities”.
As the extent of the tragedy unfolded, I expected that old thunderer Mr Cowasjee to be firing broadsides, but, instead of a tidal wave of invective and rage, there was only a tame ripple of regret. Surely his close association and essential dealings with the KPT has nothing to do with his pulling punches. Captain Haleem Siddiqui, a seasoned mariner and terminal operator, also puts the blame on the Tasman’s master and shipping company. Everyone seems to be closing ranks — maritime law, shipping rules — and salvage operations are too technical a subject that “non-marine experts” should be silent.
But we have been silent too long. Karachi has been more than neglected, it has been ravaged and brutalized. The crumbling infrastructure after the rains and the sewerage system are near collapse and now the ruined beach, the dead fish, the stench and illness and for some the slow death. Karachi has been deceived, lied to, brutalized. And yet no one is at fault, the authorities are blameless, and the KPT has discharged its duties properly. Cowasjee points a bony finger at Islamabad, where an important treaty was not ratified.
The real “fully loaded” costs of the “clean-up”, environmental and economic damage of this disaster can only be guessed at. Exxon paid billions of dollars for fouling Prince William Sound. And that was 14 years ago. For Karachi very likely there will be no money for some time while the insurers and lawyers debate. The city of Karachi has no funds for essential infrastructure, let alone a huge clean-up operation on the scale now required. Bonds would need to be floated, guaranteed by the federal government.
The people of Karachi are entitled to ask why an old, single- hulled vessel was chartered by the NSC and allowed to convey crude oil to Karachi. Can we be assured that in future only double-hulled vessels will be used for petroleum products? The social costs of moving goods through the centre of Karachi are substantial, and cannot be efficiently or equitably distributed. (No one wants to pay, so we all suffer.) Why, then, has Port Qasim, established to the east to handle most bulk cargo, been allowed to decline?
Meanwhile, there is the stench of oil and death from the sea. As a Karachiite I can no longer be silent and take some comfort from the fact that MNA Sherry Rehman has initiated a public interest suit on our behalf. I hope this will not only determine culpability but also raise awareness among Karachiites and, God willing, ensure that this tragedy is never repeated. The Tasman Spirit is broken but the spirit of Karachi must rise. The city must find its voice and its soul. It should fight against the blows of politics of compromise, the blows of betrayal. For our children’s sake. Never again.
S. OMAR AHSAN
Karachi
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