| September 24, 2003 | Wednesday | Rajab 26, 1424 |
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Cricket tour cancellation
A new way of looting
Triple standards of justice
Research and teaching
‘Unsavoury visit’
Poverty alleviation
Police performance
Anti-terrorism
‘Censored visions’
Bush rule likened to military coup
New PML
We and Indian Muslims
I WAS disappointed to read the letter entitled “Will Turkish troops do impartial policing?” by Raza Naeem (Sept 16), which contains biased and misleading speculations concerning Turkey’s Iraq policy.
I would like to make the following clarifications:
Turkey’s Iraq policy is based on preserving the territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq and peace and stability in the region. As a neighbour, Turkey suffered most because of humanitarian and security problems in Iraq. All along, Turkey advocated that the natural resources of Iraq belonged to the Iraqi nation as a whole. It wants a stable Iraq, at peace with all its neighbours.
Turkey would work with its allies and the UN to that end and support the task of reconstructing Iraq. It is considering a request to send its troops to Iraq for peacekeeping. This decision, when taken, will be subject to the approval of the Turkish parliament.
As Turkish troops have already proved their impartiality in numerous other peacekeeping missions, there is no doubt that they will “do impartial policing” in Iraq if parliament lets the government deploy troops there. The claims about Turkey regarding its Iraq policy are absurd.
As for the Kurdish-origin Turkish citizens, they have fully backed the government in its fight against the PKK’s terrorism, instead of supporting the so-called “Kurdish liberation”.
Again, mentioning Noam Chomsky as reference for documentation of what Mr Naeem calls “atrocities by the Turkish army” does not make sense as Mr Chomsky is known for his biased attitude against Turkey on this issue. The PKK is responsible for the murder of over 30,000 people, is banned by many countries and listed by the US and EU as dangerous terrorist organization.
Also, the claim of “genocide of about a million Armenians during World War I by the Ottomans” is baseless, and the documents presented by the Armenians as proof are already proved to be forged. The Armenians, in fact, waged war against their own government (Ottoman Empire) in alliance with the enemies of the Empire. World War I, during which three million Ottoman subjects, vast majority of whom were Muslim Turks perished, was a terrible episode, for all involved.
The Armenians’ population in the Ottoman Empire at the start of WWI was less than 1.3 million; one million of them survived the war. By contrast, about three million Ottoman Muslims (Turks) died in Anatolia in the war. A large number of them died either directly at the hands of the Armenians or indirectly as a result of the war conditions they created against the Empire. Moreover, the Armenian terrorists killed high Ottoman officials in the early 1920s and many Turkish diplomats in the 1970s and 1980s.
MUHSIN OZCAN
Press Attache, Turkish Embassy,
Islamabad
IT was a shock to have heard about the UCBSA cancelling the tour of Pakistan because of a minor bomb blast in Karachi. Even more regrettable is the fact that the cancellation had come hours after confirmation of the tour by the board. Now is the time for Gen Tauqir Zia to take constructive measures.
The way the Pakistan government, as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board, has reacted in the recent past throws even greater light on the fact that even after 55 years of freedom the mentality of slavery has continued to haunt us. It would pinch a number of Pakistanis back home, but the regrettable part is that it is a fact. Coming up with mere statements like “Pakistani cricket is bound to suffer” would not help settle issues.
First, it was New Zealand, then Australia and now South Africa. The gibberish statement passed by the president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, Ray Mali, should be treated as an insult and the gentleman should be reminded as to how two Pakistani players, Saqlain Mushtaq and Muhammad Akram, had been mugged during the Pakistan team’s visit to South Africa. Ali Bacher had requested the PCB to allow the scheduled tour to go ahead, giving assurances of fortified security.
So, what the heck is the problem now? the South African assurance is an assurance, whereas the assurance from our board means nothing. Gen Tauqir Zia, please react. This is not helping Pakistan cricket.
SAAD KHAN
Toronto, Canada
THE South African cricket team’s cancellation of the tour to Pakistan just 36 hours before their arrival in Karachi doesn’t make any sense. Everybody in the region is stunned and shocked over their decision in Pakistan where things are not at all bad for cricket.
Mr Rameez Raja was right in saying that “Bangladesh played here, aren’t they humans?” In an interview, South African vice captain/wicketkeeper Mark Boucher said some disrespectful words: “After all, subcontinent is not a good place to visit with different cultures, different values.” Well, has Mr Boucher forgotten that two Pakistani cricketers were mugged in South Africa when the Pakistan team played there in 1998?
If they still don’t come here, the PCB should cancel all tours of our team to South Africa in the 10-year plan.
SYED BILAL ALI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letters appearing in Dawn under the headline of “Beware of muggers”. I am quite hopeful that by sharing these experiences the victims would save people from being robbed in Karachi and else in the country.
Here I would like to inform the readers of a new tactic which muggers and thieves have adopted to loot people. Thieves impersonating the employees of a courier service ring the bell of a house on weekdays at a time when only women members of the family are at home. They show the household a big parcel which, according to them, is very heavy and can be taken into the house only by themselves. As soon as they get inside the house, they deprive the family of their valuables at gunpoint and run away.
We, therefore, must always remain alert and prepared to face such incidents. The courier services in Pakistan should ask their employees to display their ID cards while on duty, so that people do not mistake thieves and muggers to be the staff of some courier service.
SALMAN
Karachi
IT was such a terrible sight on the BBC, also reported in Dawn of Sept 6, that a seven-storeyed building was destroyed by the occupying Israeli forces, amid weeping and wailing women and children running to stop the demolition. How many households were destroyed to catch only one “Hamas” militant, and not to mention how many fresh devout messengers of death for Israelis were produced by this most wanton act? It is not permissible under any law of the world.
When would the world conscience rise above its petty selfish greed? The Bosnian massacres and collective punishments are not very far. The media has pulled the lid off these barbaric acts, and if such news keeps on coming out, beware of the punishment from the Creator of this universe, history will be repeated. That is Allah’s way.
Hitler may also become a very honourable man, from the same “triple standards of justice... One for me, one for you and one for the Muslims of the entire world, wherever they may be.
RAFI AHMED
Karachi
RESEARCH and teaching are two basic functions of a university. Our universities have succeeded reasonably in producing quality graduates in the fields of science and arts. They prove their skills both at home and abroad. However, the research quality in these universities does not match international standards.
For three years, the government has been trying to improve the quality of research in the public sector universities. The Higher Education Commission has become controversial owing to the launching of the contentious Model University Ordinance.
In 2001-2002, the ministry of science and technology distributed billions of rupees among scientists, ranging from Rs60,000 to Rs1.7 million, based on the scoring of impact factors. I do not know if the policymakers are aware of the fact that owing to the heavy teaching load, almost 4-5 hours each day, faculty members of these universities hardly succeed in publishing a few research articles.
While the faculty of the research institutions have the opportunities of full-time research, at the time of promotions, awards, productivity allowance, etc., they are considered equal without taking into consideration the importance of their teaching assignments. It seems that our policymakers are jumping to conclusions. There is a very limited teaching load on the university faculty in the West and most of the working hours are consumed in research.
No doubt that these policies would boost research activities in the public sector universities, but this situation can further degrade the teaching standard of the universities, which remains the primary goal of any university.
In my view, this situation is discouraging sincere teachers. They have begun wondering why they are wasting time in teaching, instead of writing a research article for a research journal having high-impact factor.
If we intend to improve the teaching and research standards of the public sector universities, a reasonable weight to teaching assignments must be given in future policies to achieve both the objectives.
M. NASIRUDDIN KHAN
Karachi
YOUR editorial “Unsavoury visit” (Sept 10) quoted The Hindu’s editorial out of context. You write: “... The Hindu newspaper says, ‘Zionism provides inspiration to communalists in India who believe that an identity based on a common religion or a poisonously mythicised history must form the essence of nationhood.’”
I read the full editorial and it provided me with the relevant context: “It is dangerous to draw a parallel between the Israel- Palestinian confrontation and the uprising in Kashmir. The people of Kashmir are not in the least in a comparable situation. They are not an oppressed or imprisoned nation in the sense the Palestinian people are in the state of Israel.”
NATARAJAN
RAMACHANDRAN
Arlington, VA
A SUM of Rs161 billion has been allocated to the provinces for poverty alleviation. The Islamabad Capital Territory does not figure in this allocation. Even in the case of divisible pool allotment to the federal units, the ICT was ignored although these allocations are made on a population basis. Sharing the divisible pool is a constitutional right and cannot be denied on any ground whatsoever in the case of the ICT.
The ICT has been neglected in all these matters because of lack of knowledge and interest on the part of those who matter, namely the bureaucratic set-up of the ICT and the CDA and the lack of interest shown continuously by members of the National Assembly and Senate.
Will the president be kind enough to ask the finance minister to ensure that all allocations being made either from the divisible pools or for poverty alleviation are also made to the ICT?
S. M. SHAKIR HASAN
Islamabad
THIS refers to the letter “Police performance” by Sunawar Chaudhary (Sept 9). He aptly states that the current police force has failed to provide security to the common people because of corruption.
It would be advisable to see the background of this abysmal situation; only criticizing them or suggested punishments are not a viable solution to this chronic problem. Neither NAB nor any other agency can stop corruption in any organization, until its main causes are identified.
During the British colonial rule in the subcontinent, corrupt and notorious persons were hired into the police department to control the massively-populated India. The British authorities deliberately structured lower salaries and privileges, so that the elite and educated classes did not get attracted to police jobs.
Since independence, none of successive governments has tried to bring positive changes in this public service department, while it is being used to suppress political opponents rather than to ensure law and order and security to the people.
Corrective and immediate measures are required in this regard. No employer can get production of good quality from the employees until the staff are appropriately paid. The current salary structure and other benefits for the police force are deplorable, to say the least. They are told to generate revenue at their own to meet patrolling expenses. No wonder that honest policemen and their families cannot survive in these circumstances.
To attract qualified and good people to this department, it is imperative to restructure the pay scales and other benefits, otherwise the situation seems to be headed for collapse.
SYED IMRAN ALI
Karachi
“BUSH to say war against terror not yet over: Rice” (Sept 8). Madam, don’t bother him now with more of the same. Just tell him what you already know: “It would take a generation to dismantle terrorism in the world”. So, he must not be overworried about it.
The quoted sentence is the conclusion of the International Institute of Strategic Studies in its recent report, after due research and hard work.
Z. A. KAZMI
Karachi
FOR once Mr Irfan Husain has got it slightly wrong (“Censored visions”, Sept 6).
It is a historical fact that the centuries-old epithet of Christ-killer has been the basis of the vilest form of anti-Semitism all over the Christian world. Of course, suppression of free speech reflects badly on any civilized society. But given that Christ is as much a historical figure as King Arthur, Mr Gibson’s “Passion” has about the same historical validity as PTV’s ideological tele-dramas about Partition that are rolled out without fail every Aug 14.
Even in the US, where it is guaranteed by the constitution, freedom of speech stops short of incitement to murder.
ZIA AHMED
Burlington, MA, USA
IT is a relief that finally Americans themselves are now waking up to the fact that their militant president has not only been lying to them, but also his extremist policies have brought the image of America in the world to an all-time low. It is particularly pleasing to hear that one State Department official had earlier this year compared President Bush’s reign, dominated by hawks in the Pentagon, to a military coup (Dawn, Sept 22).
It is obvious now that President Bush’s main fault lies in his rejection of the legitimacy of the political system. He pursued a foreign policy that bypassed and ignored the opinion of international institutions. He got away with it in Afghanistan mainly because of the Sept 11 incidents, but he will not be able to do so in Iraq.
Democratic candidates are now making political hay out of the Republican president’s policies, particularly his way of going into war in Iraq. One wonders why those who are condemning President Bush’s policies did not do so much louder earlier this time, so that the illegal invasion of Iraq could have been prevented and the subsequent bloodshed on all sides avoided. It almost looks as if they were eagerly waiting for him to commit the folly, and then take him down later — all this at the cost of stability in the Middle East region.
What is also not understandable is why President Bush and Prime Minister Blair chose to take on the politically suicidal path of rallying and then launch a war in Iraq for which they didn’t have the evidence, nor quite the support. Americans may be able to get rid of President Bush now, at the next polls, but how can they prevent the emergence of another Bush next time?
ABID ALI
Islamabad
SO Gen Pervez Musharraf has scored again by having various factions of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML Q, F, etc.) merged together. Lo and behold, here comes the real and true party, i.e. Pervez Musharraf League (without any A, B, C, D behind it).
IRFAN ALI QAZI
Sibi
THIS refers to Surendra Gupta’s letter (Sept 16) on the above-titled subject. I would like to narrate some historical records as under:
That the Cabinet Mission plan in April 1946 provided that only three subjects would belong to the centre — defence, foreign affairs and communications. It divided the country into three zones, A, B and C, because the mission members felt that this would give a greater sense of assurance to the minorities. Sector B would include Punjab, Sindh, the NWFP and the British Balochistan. This would constitute a Muslim majority area. In section C, which included Bengal and Assam, the Muslims would have a small majority over the rest.
The Cabinet Mission scheme was accepted by both the Muslim League and Congress. However, on July 10 Jawaharlal Nehru, at his press conference in Bombay, stated that the Congress would enter the Constituent Assembly “completely unfettered by agreements and free to meet all situations as they arise.” He said further that the Congress had agreed only to participate in the Constituent Assembly and regarded itself free to change or modify the Cabinet Mission plan as it thought best.
This statement proved counter-productive. Mr Jinnah immediately issued a statement that Nehru’s declaration demanded a review of the situation, as he had declared that the Congress could change the scheme through its majority in the Constituent Assembly, and this would mean that the minorities were placed at the mercy of the majority.
The Muslim League Council met at Bombay on July 27 and Mr Jinnah reiterated the demand for Pakistan as the only course open.
Mr Jinnah is, however, on record having stated: “Even nations who have killed millions of each other, who may be the bitterest enemies of today, may become friends tomorrow. This is politics. If your leaders are on this path, as I say they are, and if you do not approve of it, it is your responsibility, the responsibility of the Hindu public, to come forward and say, ‘Stop this internecine war; declare a truce; let us sit as equals and come to a settlement.”
Any further debate on the subject would be interminable. Therefore, let us hope and pray for wise counsel to prevail upon India and Pakistan to realize an imperative need for a dialogue and pave a way for normalization of relations, being longed for by the people in both the countries.
HAJI ESSA KATCHI
Karachi
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