| September 16, 2003 | Tuesday | Rajab 18, 1424 |
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Keeping ‘her’ out
A visa seeker’s complaint
Inhuman living conditions
Karachi traffic blues
Double standards
History project
Dues
Disparity in pensions
Train the trainers
Will Turkish troops do impartial policing?
AS a great admirer of Prof Anwar Syed’s columns and with some academic interest in South Asian politics, I was dismayed by his recent piece “We and Indian Muslims”.
While interpretation of various historical events is fully acceptable in the academic community, stating wrong facts is not. Thus his statement that “Indian moviemakers often place Muslims in the roles of crooks, gangsters, smugglers, pimps, and prostitutes” is not only false but also an insult to a score of Muslim actors, actresses, music directors, and singers who have been winning the hearts of moviegoers in India for the last 50 years. From Meena Kumari and Waheeda Rehman to Shabana Azmi to today’s Tabu, Indian cinema has been blessed with some of the most talented actresses and has cast them in some of the most memorable roles.
And who does not remember Dilip Kumar, who actually was once honoured by the Pakistan government. Today’s three Khans — Salman, Amir, and Shah Rukh — are some of the most sought-after heroes of the Indian screen.
Watching some of the Pakistani serials on Indian channels in the US, I was struck by the fact that there has not been a single Hindu name in the cast of the characters shown at the end of these programmes, nor have I come across the name of a single Hindu columnist from Pakistan writing for Dawn, which I admire and read on a regular basis. Perhaps Prof Syed could one day write an article on the state of the Hindu community in Pakistan.
Prof Syed puts forward the interesting thesis that Mr Jinnah, while asking for the support of Muslims in such states as Bihar and UP, really did not intend for them to move to Pakistan. I do not know if someone has done any empirical study to find out if that is how they took it. I was a young boy in the peaceful northern town of Dehra Dun in those days. I recall occasional small demonstrations of Muslims wearing Jinnah caps and raising slogans for their demand of Pakistan. My recollection is that with partition they suddenly found that they were too far away from the nation they were fighting for and were pushed by the events on which they did not have any control.
An Indian Muslim scholar, Dr Rafiq Zakaria, in his biography of Jinnah made an interesting observation that Muslims were anyway going to control the provinces where Pakistan was eventually created. He, therefore, raised the question whether it was really necessary to go through all the agony of partition and the accompanying killings of both Hindus and Muslims to achieve that they would have had in another form.
I wonder what Baby Noor’s parents, who recently returned from India after having their daughter’s successful heart surgery, would think of Prof Syed’s suggestion that scholarships be given only to Indian Muslims.
I am surprised that the suggestion comes from an academic who has taught at an American university. What if the Americans also would have thought of their faculty and students only in Christian or Jewish terms. Wouldn’t it be great if India and Pakistan could award scholarships to each other’s students without regard of their religious backgrounds? And won’t it promote the frontiers of knowledge in both countries if scholars and scientists from the two countries spend a year or so as a visiting scholar/professor at each other’s educational and research establishments?
As a historian I have another wish. Following the pattern of US and Russian policymakers, military officers, and historians who have had several meetings to discuss the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, perhaps India and Pakistan could some day initiate meetings in both countries to discuss the wars of 1965 and 1971. If offered an opportunity, I would love to teach at a Pakistan university, and I am sure Prof Syed would find his time at an Indian university a fruitful and enjoyable experience.
SURENDRA K. GUPTA
Professor Emeritus of History, Pittsburg State University,
Lawrence, KS, USA
PEOPLE will do anything to attain power, and absolutely everything to stay in power. In the last seven or so years the most popular tactic has been to attack Benazir Bhutto’s and Asif Ali Zardari’s image. Forget about foreign policy, keeping “her” out and away from office is very important, and probably on top of the agenda for most politicians in this country.
The most recent events in the Benazir-Asif bashing is the Swiss “judgment”. A judgment on the same case was annulled in April 2001 by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the basis of political bias. Now the same case has appeared in Switzerland — a shrewd move to taint Benazir Bhutto’s image.
One does not have to be a lawyer to figure out that there is something seriously dubious about the Swiss findings. Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari were “sentenced”; but here’s what’s funny: no notice was served to Benazir Bhutto and her husband, they were not even given the chance of a hearing. Does this not seem odd? How can you convict someone just like that? Under Swiss law such a case should be referred to the attorney-general, who would then decide whether it should proceed further. A magistrate’s court is the lowest court in the hierarchy, which deals with parking tickets and speeding fines.
Our politicians love talking about democracy, and Gen Musharraf apparently ‘preaches’ it. How is that possible considering that he has tried to suppress the largest political party of our country and its leader? I would not at all be surprised if the president put the words ‘Benazir Bhutto can never contest elections’ into the Constitution.
Trying to prove that previous governments are corrupt is not at all helpful to our country. By attacking Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari we are harming ourselves. One must move forward with ”true democracy”, and this can be achieved by allowing free and fair elections and not suppressing our popular politicians.
The famous saying “don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time” seems to be interpreted in Pakistan as “can’t prove the crime, but you must do the time.” Asif Zardari has been in prison for a second stint for seven years. That is life imprisonment. Why is he not a free man today? Is he a bargaining chip for governments?
NIMR MAJID
Karachi
THIS is with reference to M. Faisal Jan’s letter “A visa seeker’s complaint”, published on Sept 10.
I think Mr Jan has been very unfair towards the Australian High Commission. He is my course-mate and a graduate of the PAF Academy, Risalpur. He has overlooked certain ground realities such as:
1. The 9/11 incidents were not targeted against Australia but they could have been.
2. The 19 hijackers were not Pakistanis but they could have been.
3. My visa was refused at the US embassy, Islamabad. The visa officer there with a Rumsfeldian humour smiled and asked what if I hijacked (steal away) their F-16s as I was a fighter pilot. This reflects the confidence of the sole superpower in the security and intelligence services of its (expected to be highly protected) Air Force bases. How could you expect these tough standards of security from the people down under?
4. Well, Faisal Jan, if you think your visa refusal has brought about ill-repute to your guarantor, then please recall the incident in which some PAF pilots (names are classified) who were to proceed on an official course to the US were denied visas at the US embassy, Islamabad. In that case the guarantor was the mightiest air power of the world. However, the later guarantor intervened in the second case and educated the embassy officials who promptly issued the visas to the officers concerned. How could your guarantor educate the Australian visa officer?
5. The written explanation for visa refusal handed over to you clearly states that as long as you belong to the age group of 25 to 29 and you are unmarried, you will not be given a visa.
The problem lies with your age. Neither the esoteric science nor the medical science has any solution to this complicated issue of manipulating with one’s age physically.
The problem can be solved if our government takes an action on an equal footing and deny visas to all Australians of Pakistan origin. In recommending so I was inspired by the Canadian intelligentsia who, on complaints from Canadian nationals of Pakistani origin of discriminatory attitude by the Americans at their airports, took a reciprocatory action and started to fingerprint and interview all American nationals of Pakistani origin.
IMRAN QADEER
Karachi
WE, the residents of Nawaz Court Flats, Federal ‘B’ Area, Block-16, have been suffering from serious problems for a long time.
The ground floor of our flats is occupied by meat-sellers (poultry and beef). It has been observed that animals are illegally slaughtered inside these shops. Waste stuff, including blood, of the slaughtered animals is then disposed of into the sewerage lines. This causes the sewers to clog frequently. As a result, filthy water mixed with blood overflows the compound, posing great health risks to the residents, particularly the children.
The waste of the slaughtered animals which does not pass into the sewers has been accumulating underground, providing nourishment to rats, rodents and noxious insects. This is also affecting the foundation, structure and pillars of the building.
Another nuisance is the baking of the animal fat in these shops, giving out an unbearable stench. At times, animals after being offloaded from trucks are kept inside the compound, turning the premises into a cattle-breeding farm. Now, these people have started keeping their bird-cages inside the compound.
Workers at these meat shops, usually scantily-dressed, become abusive whenever the apartment dwellers try to resolve the issue through talks. At times, they try to frighten us by whipping out their daggers and knives.
As we want an amicable way out of the situation, we invite the authorities concerned to make a surprise visit to our flats, ascertain the facts and do the needful. We are always ready to extend a helping hand in this respect.
RESIDENTS OF 8 FLATS BLOCK A-1/COLUMN 6,
Nawaz Court Flats, Water Pump, F. B. Area,
Karachi
ROAD blockades, traffic mess and road closures have become a part of life in Karachi. We have become insensitive to these daily torments.
Qayyumabad Crossing and Jauhar Mor traffic chaos cause not only mental and physical agony to hundreds of thousands of daily travellers but also lead to fuel wastage, worth millions in foreign exchange, when vehicles are stuck in prolonged snarl-ups, what to talk about time.
It is very unfortunate that people at the helm of affairs are indifferent to public suffering and distress and are not ready to spend money to repair these focal traffic points, and thereby save senseless loss of the nation’s wealth and health.
LT-CDR MUHAMMAD ALI KHAN (RETD)
Karachi
THE minister for information, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, recently appeared on a programme called “Capital Talk”. He, along with the chairman of Pemra, was very adamant not to lift the ban on some Indian entertainment channels.
However, in another programme of the same channel, when he was asked who his favourite actor or actress was, his immediate reply was “Rekha”.
Well, I would like to tell Mr Ahmad that since a very few people watch Pakistan movies owing to their low standards, many people also have their favourite actors and actresses belonging to the neighbouring country. So, if the minister can watch his favourite showbiz personality, then why can’t the general public do so?
The ban on the entertainment channels should be lifted, because our entertainment channels are also running in India. The ban should only be on the state-run channels which in both countries are unable to provide quality entertainment.
HASSAN A. QURESHI
Via email
I WAS pained to read Mr Hafizur Rahman’s column “Save the History Project” on Aug 13. This project shows insensitivity and a tendency towards wastage of public funds at the hands of those who are put in charge of even academic institutions. More than five million rupees have been spent on this project but not a single volume has been published.
A high-powered vice-chancellor-chaired board of governors asked the director to expedite completion of this project about two years ago. The board appointed a committee of scholars to review draft of volume one and meet within two months to take a decision on its publication. The director has not convened a meeting of that committee yet.
I join Hafizur Rahman and appeal to the president and the prime minister to issue necessary directive for the removal of any hurdles in the completion of this project of national importance.
FARID NIAZ
Islamabad
WITH reference to my letter published in Dawn on Aug 25, the UAE embassy has not replied to my plaint yet.
The embassy’s silence is incomprehensible. It is hoped it will respond this time.
CHOUDHRY RAHIM BAKSH
Kharian
MANY letters have appeared in Dawn on the subject of continued disparity between the pre-1985 and the post-1985 retired government servants despite the Federal Shariat Court’s clear ruling for the removal of this disparity. The federal court’s judgment is based on the concept of “Adl”, one of the two basic principles of Islamic ethics, the other being “Ehsan”.
Considering that there are not many pre-1985 retirees around and not many will be left, with the passage of time, the burden on the public exchequer will only progressively diminish.
It is no secret that the backlog of cases in our courts is forbidding, formidable and frightening. There have also been periods during which the strength of judges has fallen below the number prescribed, but that is not the case at present, and nobody knows better than the honourable judges the fact that justice delayed is justice denied.
I am aware of another case in which the government’s appeal against the Shariat court’s judgment has been pending before the honourable Shariat bench of the Supreme Court since March 1992, in spite of repeated requests for a fixation of a date for hearing. There is just no response.
SAIYID IRTIZA HUSAIN
Karachi
THIS is in connection with Dr S. Sohail Naqvi’s letter “Foreign faculty hiring programme”. I am really glad to see our government realizing that improving education is a key to the country’s success. Therefore, following in the footsteps of Malaysia, our government is trying to attract people from aboard.
However, the question arises: will anyone who is really good in his field and is well-settled abroad come to Pakistan, keeping in view the current law and order situation here? Chances are rare, though it may attract those who belong to “average” category out there. In the latter case the objective of the programme will not be achieved. Hence the selection criterion will play a significant role.
I had a very bad experience, during my master’s programme, of being taught by a foreign-qualified, foreign-settled Pakistani. He was paid about 100,000 and he was good for nothing.
I would suggest that the government should spend on current faculty. If, somehow, joint research projects are initiated with the help of foreign universities, it might be more useful. The training-the-trainers approach might work for us.
NARMEEN SHAWOO
Via email
THIS is with respect to the news that Turkey has agreed to send its troops to northern Iraq and it will be heading its own section of troops there. I think this step is a great defeat for the gains which Turkish democracy had made about two months ago when it had flatly rejected US imperialism’s request to provide bases for the invasion of Iraq. No wonder then that this time Turkish loyalties are being bought with about $8 billion in aid. Turkey is set to become another Muslim banana republic under the watchful eye of US imperialism.
Clearly, Turkish troops are not really qualified to deal with northern Iraq, a region heavily populated by Kurds. Turkey’s record of brutally suppressing its own Kurdish population is well-known; it is a small mercy then that in 1993 the then Turkish president, Turgut Ozal, cheerfully acknowledged the existence of a Kurdish ‘nation’, something we have come to accept very passively from that other great Turkish ally, Zionist Israel vis-a-vis the Palestinians.
Furthermore, the Turkish army recently concluded a brutal campaign of extermination against the PKK, genuine fighters for Kurdish liberation, which also included treacherously scooping up the latter’s leader, the brave Abdullah Ocalan, in Italy. These atrocities have been documented by no less a person than Noam Chomsky. The Kurdish language and culture is also persecuted; Turkey’s greatest living novelist, Yashir Kemal, is a Kurd who writes under a pseudonym because of the threat to his life.
In the light of all these facts, one is tempted to conclude that the reason that Turkish troops are in northern Iraq is not really to provide relief to the Kurdish population but because of its longstanding grudge against the forcible grafting of the oil-rich Kirkuk province onto Iraq by British colonialism in the early 19th century. Such a step will ensure that the Iraqi Kurds remain policed by another set of non-Kurds and never have a chance to fight for their legitimate right to self-determination.
Actually this is pretty consistent with Turkey’s recent past; since World War II, the Turkish army has been at the forefront of US imperialist designs in the region (through Nato), along with Pakistan, Israel and for some time Iran, which went its own way in 1979. Part of this plan is to police the restive Arab populations in the Middle East, keep them from rising up against their illegitimate rulers and strengthen the Zionist state. Given Turkey’s strong links with Israel, Gen Musharraf’s recent remarks about a possible recognition of Israel and the ‘new’ Iraq’s strong tilt towards Israel, this argument sounds pretty convincing.
Unfortunately, Turkey is losing much respect in the Muslim world in this way, by agreeing to be Washington’s satrap in Iraq and entering another Muslim country as a colonizer; the Muslim world’s oldest secular democracy now wants to play the role of great power in the region, basically on the basis of its now- extinct claim of being the spiritual and political leader of the Muslim world (remember the Ottoman Caliphate in its heyday). Already, the Turks have earned a bad name for themselves by refusing to acknowledge the genocide of about a million Armenians during World War 1 by the Ottomans and by their relentless persecution of their Kurdish citizens.
I hope the country forged together so ambitiously by Kemal Ataturk and which still gives inspiration to millions of Muslims around the world due to its admirably secular polity will stop to review what it is doing before pummelling thousands of Iraqi Kurds to their undeserved deaths.
RAZA NAEEM
Lahore
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