| September 28, 2003 | Sunday | Sha’aban 1, 1424 |
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It’s time to bury Kanupp
Extradition pact with US
Import duty on billets
Changes in cricket team
Decrease in profit rate
Mistrust about Muslims
Policy on dual nationality
Tribute to Edward Said
Gang-rape culprits
Six on two-wheeler
Bush: the unpopular president
RECENTLY a task force was set up to find out why the auto industry has not lowered the prices of cars. The automakers claim that they have reduced prices, but the fact is that the reduction they are talking about is too small.
Pakistan’s per capita income is $430 (Rs24,900). I recently went to Sri Lanka and came to know that they have a per capita income of $700 (Rs40,000). The government of Sri Lanka allows import of reconditioned cars and, as a result, high quality reconditioned cars at low prices are available. This is boon for consumers. Among the cars we saw there were European models like the New Volkswagen Beetle, Passat, Audi, American models and many other reconditioned models of Toyota which we never see in Pakistan.
If our public has a lower income level on an average, as portrayed by lower GDP per capita, all the more reason that prices of cars should be lower here. Instead, we have stopped import of reconditioned cars by employing prohibitively high tariffs. The result is that ultimately the car buyers suffer. Why do we have to buy a Suzuki Alto at Rs450,000 when the same car is priced at Rs200,000 in India? Even if you adjust for the disparity in the exchange rate of the two countries, the price for the Pakistani public is higher. It is the same for all other automakers in Pakistan that their models are overpriced, all in the name of encouraging the local industry.
The auto industry is like an overpampered baby which has been protected for a long time. They are fleecing the public by charging high prices for their cars. By not intervening, it seems like the government has given in (yet again) to pressure from the pro-auto industry lobby. Has the Musharraf regime (much touted for its honesty) given a glance at consumers’ rights? I think not.
I appeal to the higher-ups to stop protecting the auto industry as it has not even given us good variety of models to choose from despite the generous protection/ encouragement bestowed on it by the government — and continues to charge high prices.
MIR USMAN ALI
Karachi
I AGREE with the views of Engr. Arif Qamar Khan in his letter published in these columns on Sept 18.
The renovating of Kanupp should not be allowed because the other factors regarding Kanupp have not even been considered properly. The location of Kanupp was in itself a colossal mistake, as, situated at Hawkes Bay, it puts the city of Karachi directly downwind and downstream. In the event of an accident, the fallout would extend for 50 miles at least — North Karachi, Malir, Landhi, Gharo, Port Qasim would be affected.
The radiation effect would last 50 years and, as pointed out by Mr Khan in his letter, we do not have the expertise to handle an oil spill let alone a radiation leak.
For a start, the entire population of Karachi would have to be evacuated and relocated. KPT, Chundrigar Road with all the banks, and Mauripur Air Base would have to close down immediately. Our precious export figure of $11 billion would evaporate overnight, and no country in the world would buy our products.
These are but a few of the immediate effects. The nation would certainly go back to 50 years. We, the citizens of Karachi, are already suffering through power cuts, bad roads, impure water, but this would be taking away our (once) beautiful city.
Kanupp has served the country well so far, but should be buried as soon as possible.
FAKIR S. AYAZUDDIN
Via email
PAKISTAN’s ambassador to the United States, Mr Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, signed an extradition pact on July 21 with US Assistant Secretary of State Christina B. Rocca for surrender and transfer of each other’s nationals and military personnel, for any purpose, without recourse to any court of law. The US currently has extradition treaties in force with over 100 countries.
Extradition of a person to the requesting country is subject to the local laws, procedures and policies of the requested country. But in the case of Pakistan and America, the two governments will be out of the purview of Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the pact binds each other not to surrender each other’s nationals to the ICC, or any other tribunal not established by the UN Security Council.
Under this agreement, persons who could be extradited without any recourse to the local courts of law will include the current or former government officials, employees and contractors, military personnel or civilian nationals, if and when they are required by the US government for interrogation.
The federal cabinet was informed that the decision of the Pakistan government to sign the “extradition pact” with the US government is of a political nature and is a matter of the Pakistan government’s strategic concerns and reliance on the United States and that it was advantageous for our government to conclude the agreement rather than face “potential adverse effects” of the US government by not doing so.
The agreement will be put for ratification during Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s visit to the US, though before signing the extradition pact it was supposed to be debated and approved or rejected by parliament, which happens to be the supreme legislative body in any democratic country.
The signing of the extradition pact will, therefore, create a negative impact on Pakistan nationals, both at home and abroad, who will now feel more insecure in their own motherland, as previously many Pakistanis were extradited to the US and are languishing in different jails there because of pending trails.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
THIS refer to the letter “Import duty on billets” (Sept 23) by Mirza Khadim Ali Baig, which is misleading and needs to be clarified.
The fact is that the Pakistan Steel, which is subjected to the WTO regime, enjoys no monopoly in steel products, including billets. As is evident from the content of the letter, these are in fact the importers who have been dominating the steel market in the country and who now have support of the WTO too. They want even more concessions to keep their grip on the market.
Mr Baig who has pleaded for bringing down the duty on billets to 7.5 per cent from 20 per cent has not mentioned that it had already been brought down to 20 per cent as compared to 25 per cent required under the WTO regime. He has not mentioned that the prevalent prices of Pakistan Steel billets of commercial grades and standard sizes range from Rs17,350 to Rs17,750 per tonne (PMT) on which the government has levied 20 per cent sales tax.
As such the computed cost of steel bars after addition of conversion/rolling charges (from billet into bar) and reasonable profit by re-rollers comes to Rs24,000 to Rs25,000 per tonne, which is much lower than the reported selling prices of steel bars up to Rs32,000 per tonne. As is evident from above-mentioned facts, it is not the Pakistan Steel but the re-rollers who are ensuring high profits, earning a bad name for the Pakistan Steel and the government.
Thus, it need not be said that it is only the Pakistan Steel which may ensure to provide the billets in the market without involving itself in undue profiteering.
M. ANWAR SHAHID KHAN
For General Manager
(Public Relations), Pakistan Steel,
Karachi
AS a cricket fan I have watched with dismay and some amazement the recent upheaval in Pakistan cricket. Why is the half-life of Pakistani captains so short? Why is there no stability in the team? Since the 1999 World Cup the team has deteriorated from a world class team to a mediocre outfit that ranks at the bottom.
Who is responsible for running this organization? During Tauqir Zia’s reign the team has continually deteriorated to a new low. And it is amazing that he took no responsibility for the miserable performance in the world cup. The decision to make drastic changes in the team after that is typical of the emotional hysteria that drives decisions.
There were other teams that did badly in the world cup. South Africa is an example. Did they respond by firing all the players? Performance has to be the sole criterion for selection in the team, this is not so in Pakistan, though. Saeed Anwar’s case is a perfect example. For years Pakistan remained desperate for a good opening batsman but we continued to exclude him. Anwar may be old but he is still much better than any other Pakistani opener around. And he proved this in the world cup. But, alas, he is out of favour.
This then is really the conclusion one can draw: your place in the team depends really on whether you are in favour or out of favour with the leadership, and not on your performance. And you can fall out of favour in the blink of an eye. Ask any Pakistani captain.
The mismanagement of Pakistan cricket has now reached an intolerable level. It is not the captain of the Pakistan team who needs to be replaced, it is time to remove the leadership of the organization that has made the PCB a joke.
AMYN HABIB
Dallas, TX, USA
PICIC has a six-month deposit scheme in which it has been announced that during the currency of the scheme there will be decrease in its rate of profit with effect from Jan I, 2004.
One can appreciate the change in the profit rate for future investments but to bring in detrimental change in profit during the currency of an investment already made beats one’s imagination.
It is for the first time in the history of investment schemes that during the currency of an investment the rate of profit is being decreased in flagrant violation of the commitment given at the time of seeking investment. Such an unethical violation is being done at the behest of the State Bank of Pakistan, at a time when the government boasts of improving national economy. In the Shakespearian language, this is “the most unkindest cut of all” because the poor are going to be made poorer.
In any case, such unethical change in investment schemes will have adverse impact on future schemes which the government may choose to float. Rather mushroom investments which we had experienced in the past will start breeding in the country.
It is hoped better sense will prevail not to bring in any adverse change during the currency of the schemes.
A. M. SAYIED
Karachi
MEDIA reports often write about discriminations against Muslims arriving in America, while others are allowed to leave airports without any fuss. Non-American Muslims are detained, fingerprinted, photographed and interrogated for hours, and made to miss connecting flights.
Those who indulge in such behaviour form one or two per cent of the US population. They seem to suffer from the centuries’-old crusade syndrome. Even outstanding Muslims occupying high positions in universities and other organizations in the US are not spared whenever they return after attending world conferences.
Instead of harassing them, the officials can check things with the help of computers etc whether the persons concerned were members of any delegation or not by referring them as the inviters.
The 9/11 episode seems to have shaken normal, simple and ordinary thinking of the officials meeting the incoming passengers. When, after much hassle, they are allowed to leave the airports, the officials say the inviters had not informed them in advance.
When one answered a question by saying that he is a Sunni Muslim, he was asked why he is not a Shia.
McVeigh blew up a few hundred people in Oklahoma and was given an extreme punishment, but no Irish (non-American) arriving in America is being meted out treatment of the kind to which Muslims are being put, simply because 9/11 is alleged to have been nailed on Saudi Muslims as if all Muslims are considered terrorists.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
I HAVE been living in the US as a permanent resident for many years, and recently acquired the US citizenship. I was glad to learn from the Pakistan embassy website and from talking to a Pakistan embassy representative in Washington, DC, that the Pakistan government has recently allowed dual nationality for US citizens of Pakistan origin.
I travelled to Pakistan a few weeks ago and kept both my US and Pakistan passports together as recommended by the Pakistan embassy in Washington, DC, and showed them to the immigration official at Karachi airport. He gave me no problems. On the way back though, the immigration official at the FIA desk claimed that what I was doing was illegal, and that dual citizenship was only allowed for UK citizens. Strangely enough, he did let me proceed to my flight without any further problems.
There are only two possibilities: either the embassy provided me with false information or the Pakistan government has displayed its usual efficiency by not educating its immigration official about the latest immigration laws.
SAAD MUFTI
Via email
The death of Edward Said has left us bereft of a man who taught us to walk with our heads held high up and to face the oppressor without fear, as he believed tyranny is a slow painful death.
He taught us to be truthful. He was not only a professor in American universities, he was our teacher too — and he told us that to remain silent when people are being killed and to willingly submit to injustices is ignoring our conscience.In Plato’s allegory of mankind the Philosopher class divides men into three categories — gold, silver and lead — Edward Said was pure gold.
I harbour bondless respect for him.
BEGUM TAHIRA MAZHAR ALI
Lahore
SEVERAL letters regarding the incident of the gang-rape of a girl in Karachi have so far been published in this paper. It is, however, very disappointing that the government and the law-enforcement agencies have not taken any action in this regard yet.
The need of the hour is to discourage this evil crime, and provide safety to the daughters of the motherland before someone else becomes the next target of the culprits.
NIZAMUDDIN PIRZADA
Khairpur Mirs
THE traffic police of Karachi are installing surveillance cameras to chargesheet violators of traffic rules, but this photograph (Dawn, Sept 22) taken on M.A. Jinnah Road says it all about the enforcement (or lack of it) of traffic laws.
This is not an isolated example, one can see such type of dangerous traffic violations every day in the presence of the traffic police. No wonder three to four precious lives are lost daily owing to the lack of enforcement of traffic rules.
FAROOQ DAWOOD
Karachi
NO, it is not Gen Musharraf. It is George Bush. Musharraf’s only drawback is he is not elected. But Bush is not only unelected, he is much more besides. Against Musharraf there are only a few detractors. And what they pick against him such as his uniform or the LFO is picayune by any standard. Besides, those are the only faults one can blame him for. But he never lied to the people, never adopted a foreign policy that would imperil the lives of Pakistan troops or its economy. President Bush did and is now facing the consequences, as evident from his plummeting popularity graph.
I can give you at least 18 anti-Bush web sites. Well- researched, they examine critically every facet of his life and career. They tell you what lava is forming among the American people, behind the facade of pseudo-tranquillity. We, Pakistanis, who know that dissent is expressed only through agitation etc cannot appreciate the American attitude.
When the US Supreme Court intervened to stop the counting of votes in Florida and foisted Bush on the people, even though Al Gore had secured about half a million more votes, according to the Federal Election Commission, Al Gore accepted the verdict. The defeated candidates — Buchanan, Nader and Gore — did not unite to rouse the masses and do any of the things Pakistan politicians do. So, we let it pass.
About opinion polls, they are misleading. The pollsters formulate the questions in a way so as to elicit the desired answer. Alluding to this factor, Gore Vidal, an outspoken intellectual, in an interview to the Los Angles Weekly, emphasized that the polls are rigged. He was asked to justify his claim that “millions of Americans hate the Federal government,” when “something like 75 per cent of Americans say they support George W. Bush, specially on the issue of the war.”
Answering, Vidal said that after 9/11 the country was really shocked and terrified. Bush did a little “war dance,” he talked about “evil axis” and he went out reacting and bombing Afghanistan. So, when the Americans were asked these quick questions — like “Are you standing tall with the president? Are you standing with him as he defends us? Do you approve of him? — their answer had to be, “Oh yeah.” But, “That doesn’t mean they like him,” asserted Vidal and added prophetically, “Mark my words. He will leave office the most unpopular president in history.” So, let’s keep our fingers crossed.
S. G. JILANEE
Karachi
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