Suhrawardy’s greatness

IN her article on Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (Sept 8), Ruquyya Jafri has expressed the “anguish that for some years not a single newspaper, television network, nor even Radio Pakistan, has so much as mentioned the name of two great leaders without whose invaluable contribution it would be impossible to imagine the existence of Pakistan”.

She is referring to A. K. Fazlul Huq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. One was the first chief minister and the second the last chief minister of United Bengal. Fazlul Huq had the honour of moving the Lahore Resolution at the annual Muslim League session in 1940 and Suhrawardy had moved the Pakistan Resolution at the Muslim League Legislators’ Convention in Delhi in April 1946.

Mr Suhrawardy was a brilliant lawyer and a seasoned politician. He was a man of the masses and could mingle with both high and low with equal ease. At the time of independence he was the only one among the Muslim League stalwarts who was popular in both parts of the country, which was separated by a thousand miles of alien territory. Because of his knowledge of both Urdu and Bengali and the power of persuasion in tackling issues, which always arise, especially in a new country, Suhrawardy could be the best human link between the two wings. Had he been the first chief minister of East Pakistan and later the prime minister of the country, the situation would have been totally different from what it is today.

An additional bonus in 1947 was a strong party that the country had inherited. The Muslim League was popular in both wings. Through mutual discussions, problems could have been solved and political stability achieved.

But, unfortunately, this was not to be. From the very beginning the East Wing people felt deprived and helpless. What was wrong if they demanded Bengali as one of the state languages? They were not asking that Bengali be made the only state language, though they were in majority in the country.

Bengali was not only their mother tongue but also a very rich language and they were fully justified in protecting and promoting it. After all, Bengali is the subcontinent’s only language, which produced a Nobel laureate (Tagore). It also gave us Nazrul Islam, the great revolutionary poet. History tells us that Bengali Muslim rulers, especially Hussain Shah (14th Century), patronized the Bengali language.

Had Suhrawardy been allowed to play his due role in Pakistan politics, we might have been spared the tribulations which led to the 1971 debacle. To tell the truth, the treatment meted out to Suhrawardy was shameful. Of course, he lost his life, reportedly after a heart attack, but what we lost was half of the country.

Unfortunately, in Ruquyya Jafri’s good article, a factual error crept in. According to her, “on August 16, 1946, the Calcutta Muslim League organized a public meeting to protest against the betrayal of the Muslims in which Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor-General Lord Louis Mountbatten were jointly involved”. But at that time, Mountbatten was not the viceroy. He came in March 1947.

SAMI AHAMD

Karachi

JI’s stance over Hudood laws

THIS is with reference to a demonstration by women activists of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) outside the Parliament House against the recommendations of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) to repeal the Hudood Ordinance. Led by JI Naib Nazim Sakina Shahid, the protesters rejected the recommendations of the NCSW and opposed the idea of imposing, what they called, the suggestions and opinion of a few westernized women on the nation contrary to the will of the majority of women.

Led by Justice (R) Majida Rizvi, the NCSW recently asked the government to repeal the Hudood Ordinance and replace it with a new law, after holding an open discussion in parliament. I am quite sure that the NCSW has made a thorough research on Hudood laws and their effects on the lives of women in Pakistan. I have the honour to be the student of Justice (R) Majida Rizvi at Hamdard Law School. She taught us Hudood laws at our institution. She used to explain to us as to how such laws are being exploited by men. I wish these women who were demonstrating had attended one of her lectures which might have changed their perception.

I am quite sure that most women who took part in the demonstration have not even read Hudood laws. It is quite unfortunate that most people blindly follow the directive of their party leaders.

Hudood laws should be repealed or be properly re-drafted. Introduced by Gen Zia to please the mullas, these laws have played havoc with the lives of thousands of women. The MMA has opposed the laws introduced by Gen Musharraf since they are being imposed by a man in uniform. If this is the reason for opposition, then why not oppose Hudood laws since they were also brought in by an individual and that also in uniform?

Lastly, the comment by Ms Sakina Shahid that the recommendations of the NCSW are suggestions and opinions of a few westernised women and that majority of women oppose it is absurd. I wonder if she has conducted a research to find out the views of women before making this statement. As for being westernized, if a person who fights for the right of oppressed women in society is termed westernized, then everyone of us should become westernized.

ANIL KHAN LUNI

Karachi

Najaf car-bombing

I AM surprised at the silence shown in Pakistan when over 120 Muslims, including the highly respected Ayatollah Muhammad Baqar Al-Hakim, were killed on Aug 29 in a car-bombing in Iraq.

It is sad that our newspapers were not flooded with letters and statements condemning this brutal attack. It was a carefully planned conspiracy against a better future for the Muslims, as well as against the Third World, and those who strive for it.

The martyred Ayatollah was a highly learned scholar, as well as a focus of hope for a stable Iraq. After being jailed and tortured by the Saddam forces and almost getting killed by them, he left for Iran in 1980. In his two decades spent in exile, he headed the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq and controlled the group’s armed wing, the Badr Brigade. After the fall of Saddam, he returned to Iraq, to be warmly welcomed by the Iraqis, who are wary of the suppression of freedom in the post-Saddam regime and chaos in American occupation. He showed them the way towards a true Islamic state free of extremism and instability and favoured the right of free elections.

The culprits behind the assassination were definitely against this ray of hope that showed the path towards peace and prosperity. But the question is, whose hands are behind this attack? And if they are not caught, will they strike again?

Although the US has claimed that Ayatollah Hakim was a great supporter of America, he never accepted US occupation of Iraq. Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, the Ayatollah’s brother and member of the US-picked governing council, spoke at the funeral: “The occupation force is primarily responsible for the pure blood that was spilled in holy Najaf, the blood of al-Hakim and the faithful group that was present near the mosque.”

Whoever the murderers were, this act is condemned all over the world. However, one fails to find any such reaction in Pakistan at the moment, which, as one of the most prominent Muslim countries of the world, was expected to react in a more noticeable manner.

SYEDA AASIA BATOOL

Mirpurkhas

We and Indian Muslims

REGARDING Mr Anwar Syed’s article “We and Indian Muslims” (Sept 7), I would like to ask him a simple question: if Muslims in India are so discriminated against and simply not tolerated by the Hindu majority, then how is it possible that their population has grown to be “about as large as that of Pakistan” (by his own admission). Surely, if they had been such an unhappy lot living in India, they would certainly have left for Pakistan long back. They would not have grown from being five per cent of the population in 1947 to 15 per cent today.

In fact, is he sure he is not confusing India with Pakistan, where, after all, there are virtually no Hindu or Sikh population left today, as Pakistan was purified of their essence in the few months before and after the partition? Testament to this fact was that the Muslim majority parts of Pakistan, specially Punjab, was nearly a third Hindu and Sikh before partition, compared to less than three per cent today.

And, finally, since he is bemoaning the lack of representation of Muslims in technology and sciences in India, let me acquaint him with Azim Premji, a Muslim who is the head of Wipro, the largest technological concern in India, and who also happens to be the richest man (whether Hindu or Muslim) in India worth over $3.5 billion. Mr Syed should know of what he speaks.

NEIL DAS GUPTA

Ewing, New Jersey, USA

Curbing carjacking

WHY should we suffer for the inefficiency and insensitiveness of officials? Every day, helplessly, we read newspapers with gleaming headlines: “30 vehicles hijacked or stolen”.

Is it such a big problem for the inspector-general of the traffic police to stop this corruption? If it is, then an officer with more efficiency, honesty and sincerity of purpose should replace him.

Karachi has only four outlets to its northern and western directions. They are the Super Highway, the National Highway, the Hub route, and, now, the coastal route to Balochistan. Can any hijacked or stolen vehicle pass through these outlets, if these are well-equipped and firmly guarded?

All that is required is to effectively arm these points with latest wireless gadgets to communicate promptly, and computers with records of hijacked/stolen vehicles. But, foremost of all is the will, the desire, the sincerity towards duty, and honesty of purpose to apprehend the culprits. Besides, many such vehicles are disassembled into various parts, freely and fearlessly sold in the second-hand market, of which the police authorities are well aware.

If a few members of the intelligence department are planted in that market to promptly inform the police concerned of such devious dealings, and swift raids are made on those shops, getting hold of the vendors and the shopkeepers involved, taking them into police custody for their illegal actions, and effectively punishing them by the law, such criminal dealings would no longer pose a repeated problem.

It is hoped that all the authorities concerned will appreciate the seriousness of the problem and feel the need to plug in this criminal activity and provide peaceful nights for their citizens.

A. H. ALIANI

Karachi

Private schools in Islamabad

REFERENCE is made to the letter by Dr Zarina Khan (Aug 20) on the issue of private schools in Islamabad.

Islamabad is the most developed and managed city of Pakistan for which credit must be given to the CDA. The town planners have planned enough government schools and colleges in every sector which are sufficient to meet the educational requirements of the city people. If these government schools are substandard, the education ministry should take steps to improve their standard, instead of encouraging business in education.

The private schools in residential areas are all business concerns where big and expensive houses are hired and students are charged heavily. These schools are a nuisance for neighbourhood and a traffic menace which can be only appreciated by people living in the area.

The CDA is doing a commendable job by removing these schools and I expect people like Dr Zarina Khan to join hands and strengthen the efforts of the CDA. It is a pity that as a nation we demand justice and fair play but when someone ensures it, we join aggressors and law-breakers.

AZIZ AHMED

Islamabad

Export of sugar

PAKISTAN has exported about 100,000 tonnes of sugar this year and there has been news of another 100,000 tonnes being released by the government for export from the surplus stocks of 500,000 tonnes.

As appeared in the papers, the move to release the surplus sugar seems to be on hold, probably mainly due to the threat by the mills to delay production this year because of liquidity problems paradoxically caused by the unsold sugar lying with the mills.

While the government mulls over the situation, — and it can be speculated that, in the end, it will have to free the mills of the surplus stock —, it is imperative for it to realize that if it does finally decide to release/tender the sugar for export, it must do so in time.

Bangladesh is a present market but if the sugar is not released in time for the sugar to arrive in Bangladesh well (at least two to three weeks) before Ramazan, that market could well slip away to other sources.

IRFAN JAFRI

Karachi

Hypocrisy

“US would allow sovereignty to Iraq based on peaceful existence with its neighbours”, so said Colin Powell (Sept 6).

The statement does carry an element of surprise, if not amusement, that Americans demand peaceful existence amongst the immediate neighbours of Israel but they think otherwise for their (US) distant neighbours of the global village.

Z. A. KAZMI

Karachi

Institution of Wakf

However, one aspect of Wakf, which he has not discussed is about the operation of Wakf-al-aulad. It was Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who had piloted the bill in the Indian Legislative Council for introduction of Wakf-al-aulad and that law is still in operation in Pakistan.

Mr Asad says that “a Mutawalli of a Wakf has no right to the property belonging to the Wakf. The property is not vested in him and he is not a trustee in the technical sense, his status is merely that of superintendent or manager”.

In a recent decision in a Wakf-al-aulad income case, the Income Tax Appellate Board has recommended that the assessment of the income of Wakf-al-aulad from the property through rental realization on behalf of the beneficiaries by the Mutawalli should be on the basis of the entire income of Mutawalli, and not on the share of each beneficiary. It is requested that Syed Imad- ud-Din may comment on this aspect also.

RAZIUDDIN SHAIKH

Lahore

Who was Abdali?

THE ongoing debate on Abdali (Encounter, Aug 30) brought back to my memory an old Punjabi saying, Khada peetalahe dabaqi Ahmad Shahe da. It was heard in my younger days in Lahore. Being curious to know its background and significance I turned to an elderly person. He explained that this saying refers to Ahmad Shah Abdali’s annual looting spree in Lahore when he would take away everything his army — actually was a gang of looters — could lay their hands upon.

This saying emphasizes the need for spending all one earned during the year and the virtue of not saving anything. For whatever saved would be taken away by Ahmad Shah Abdali.

Lahore was an overwhelmingly Muslim city. Whether Abdali was a ghazi and mujahid or a lotaira is for Islam lovers, academicians and historians to debate, this saying only emphasizes the ground reality.

GHULAM KIBRIA

Karachi

Cricket team’s performance

ALTHOUGH the Pakistan cricket team has won the Test series, its overall performance truly matched that of a first-class cricket team. It is not that Bengal Tigers played magnificently, in fact it is our cricketers who performed so miserably poorly.

MUSTAFA M. HUSSAIN

Karachi

President’s package for Karachi

THANK you for the financial package of, according to the press, about Rs30 billion for the repair, reconstruction and restoration of Karachi infrastructure. I have a special reason for thanking you. I am one of those unknown victims who has suffered serious damage due to badly potted roads with open death traps in the shape of uncovered manholes — all over Karachi. I nearly broke my neck and the car while negotiating a narrow drain covered by a cement slab, which was broken on both the ends. This happened in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

One cannot use the main access from Rashid Minhas Road as the entire causeway over the railway track has been in a terrible condition for four years and this is the place which has on both sides a jungle of flats where even sunshine does not penetrate. And more, along the railway track below the bridge, are in the making!

Almost all Karachi roads, except for the those in the prestigious/elitist Defence Society, look like moon surface. The worst affected areas are old Karachi, PECHS, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and many others which are traditionally ignored, (Lyari, Malir, etc).

Now we learn from the press that plans are being made in collaboration with certain private and autonomous agencies for the rehabilitation of roads. As we are fond of building Taj Mahals, these plans will be no doubt grandiose for rebuilding/reconstruction/recarpeting of the roads, which will not only take years involving as usual terrible inconvenience to the public (more people losing life and limb) but also the tedious and corruption-prone process of public tendering. In the process there would be cost overrun and there will be accusations of inadequate funds. Only selected areas and favourites would as usual benefit.

These personal inconveniences and damage are not bothering the area Nazims, who are conspicuous by their invisibility, if sanitation and damaged roads are any proof. If anything, this situation is damaging the image of the federal government and, I very much regret to say, your good intentions. People look up to you for getting things done not by consulting the minions but by ordering them to ‘get on with the job’.

I suggest that there should be two phases, the first involving immediate repairs and the second covering long-term reconstruction of roads and other infrastructure such as flyovers and road widening. Each area Nazim must be given a timeframe to have the potholes filled and surfaced with a mixture of bitumen and gravel properly mixed in a machine mixer (not the usual flimsy method of wire brush and gravel spray). The Nazims may be provided with these machines supervised by retired engineers of the Army Engineers Corps and/or the NLC will gather momentum eventually to become the focus of all political activity, but a start has to be made.

F. H. ANSARI

Karachi