| October 6, 2003 | Monday | Sha’aban 9, 1424 |
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Coastal zone management
Gross disparity
A peace plan for Middle East
Teachers doing business
Corporate farming
Bank service charges
Power failures in Mardan
PTV theatre festival
Telecom industry
Security in Karachi
Repair of Attock roads
The day of truthfulness
REFERENCE Kunwar Khalid Yunus’s letter (Sept 30) wherein has tried to prove America as our saviour and has cited instances of American kindness towards Pakistan in Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 and getting the Indian troops deployed on our borders in 2001 pulled out.
Were all these acts of American kindness solely friendly gestures without involvement of its interest? The ‘65 war was a “draw” match and the UN Security Council had ordered ceasefire and troop pullout by both sides. The pullout, however, followed the Tashkent Declaration signed by the two.
Environments at that time were different. Pakistan was a US ally in Seato and Cento pacts. America, therefore, had an interest in our security but despite that it withheld arms supply to Pakistan upon the outbreak of war. Was this an act of kindness on the part of America?
The real test was the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. The US intervened diplomatically (after the fall of our eastern wing) to save the western part. If it was sincere, it could have intervened earlier and saved our integrity. The intervention was rather aimed at protecting future American interests, which was not possible without our independent existence. One can point to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979 and Pakistan’s role in getting the Russians out, enabling America to become the sole superpower.
Pakistan’s role did not end with the Soviet vacation of Afghanistan. The US needed us even after that as is evident from the services we are currently rendering for protecting American interest at global level. The Indian troop pullout from our borders in 2002 under US pressure needs to be seen in that context. It was never the American sympathy towards us but its compulsion to further its global policies, which was not possible without our active assistance — and that too at a cheaper cost (compare $3 billion 5-year package offered to us as against over $15 billion package offered to Turkey for allowing its territory to be used in invasion of Iraq which was not accepted by Turkey).
Mr Yunus has suggested that Pakistan should “repay” the debt we owe to America on account of its aforesaid help in saving our soul. He has not pin-pointed the mode of our “repaying” this debt but obviously inference is to accept the American demand of sending troops to Iraq. Mr Richard Armitage and Ms Christina Rocca are to visit us soon in this context. AS US and UK troops are being daily killed in Iraq, these powers now want men from other countries, particularly Muslim countries, to fight their war so that the Americans could sustain occupation of the Iraqi oil resources. India has declined. Bangladesh is considering.
We have always been very courageous in saying “yes” to the US and left the habit of saying “no” to any outside power. So we will in all the probability oblige America this time also. Let the nation wait for a few more days for the final outcome.
GHULAM MUHAMMAD
Karachi
COASTAL zones of the world are subject to great socio-economic and ecological stresses. The numbers of people seeking benefit from the coastal resources are growing while their exploitation and development practice are increasingly threatening the sustainable development of the coasts. Moreover, the coastal zones are suffering from the impacts of marine pollution and restriction of natural river discharges through construction of dams in the hinterland.
The UN conference on environment and development, at Rio de Jenerio in 1992, recommended coastal states to commit themselves to integrated management and sustainable development of coastal areas and marine environments under their national jurisdiction (Chapter 17, Agenda 21).
As a follow-up, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of Unesco held an international workshop on integrated coastal zone management at Karachi in 1994. It evaluated the impact of socio-economic development and drafted guidelines for integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) in Pakistan and also suggested recommendations for sustainable development and management of our coasts (Workshop Report Series No. 114, Unesco- IOC), 1995).
It is regrettable that we have not been able to develop a management plant for our coasts along these guidelines. If we had already formulated a plan and implemented it earlier, either the incident of Tasman Spirit oil spill would not have occurred or at least could have been better dealt with. The purpose of ICZM is to maximize the benefits provided by the coastal zone and to minimize the conflicts and harmful effects of activities upon each other. I wrote a comprehensive article on ICZM in Dawn on 23. 02.98 to focus the attention of authorities, policymakers and scientists on this important issue.
PROF (DR) S. M. SAIFULLAH
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter “Gross disparity” (Oct 3) by Dr M. Yaqoob Bhatti regarding American atrocities, moral decadence and its vulgar opulence.
I have the following points to make for the gentleman and for all those who agree with him:
— Poverty in America is at 20 per cent and growing, and contrary to the impression of most Pakistanis, one has to work very hard in the US to make money. It is not a land where every other person rewards his poodle with a massage on weekends. The only guarantee that the US gives is that one’s effort will be rewarded.
— AIDS is a worldwide disease and did not originate in America. It is very much a present phenomenon in the gentleman’s own backyard if he chooses to open his eyes and see.
— Why this great ruckus over American atrocities in Iraq for a war in which 2,000 people were killed, and why the blasphemous and hypocritical silence over the tens of thousands killed by Saddam? Do 20,000 human lives mean nothing if destroyed by another so-called Muslim such as Saddam? Where were the street protesters when that happened? As for condemning the US foreign policy I would agree that it is not fair.
— Lastly, here are a few values that I feel make the westerners better Muslims than the citizens of many Muslim countries: emphasis on cleanliness, respect for labour and hard work, systematic opposition to nepotism, corruption and, importantly, respect for women (gang-rapes that go unpunished are a sickening but true testimony to the state of our affairs). These are values that any half-decent Muslim nation would abide by, but are glaringly absent in Pakistan.
MUHAMMAD RAZAL MINHAS
Virginia, USA
MR Harold S. Kramer (Oct 3) has come up with an ingenious solution to the problem of the Middle East, but we know it will not work because the Palestinians are very much attached to their land. I have a better proposal. Contrary to the popular myth, the Muslims, Jews and Christians were all living peacefully in Palestine for hundreds of years. So it is not a 2,000-year-old dispute. European Jews were conned into migrating to Palestine by the false slogan of “A land without people for people without land.” When they came here they saw that the land was not without people.
I am sure upon realizing this, many of them wanted to go back but did not have the means. Many Jews who migrated from the Soviet Union because of atrocities of a communist regime would now be happy to return to a democratic Russia. Those who migrated from the US must be feeling homesick by now. All the money which Israel is spending on its military and on building settlements can easily be used to help these people go back to the country of their origin. I am sure there will be a few who are so attached to their new home that they would not want to leave, and Palestinians should not have any objection to them living as a citizen of Palestine.
MANZER MASUD
Burlington, MA, USA
LACK of interest by teachers of the government-run schools and colleges in completing the courses of the students has hurt the cause of education greatly. As a result, private schools, colleges and tuition centres are doing a roaring business.
There have been cases where government schools’ teachers have forced students to take private tuition at their residences or at coaching centres. The coaching centres do not bother about the curriculum, rather they lay stress on solving question papers of the past few years. Thus the scope of studies remains limited, though the students are able to achieve good marks.
The state of affairs in colleges also is murky. Teachers just deliver a lecture and leave, no individual attention is paid to students. The scant attention the students get forces them to look to coaching centres for help. This has lowered the general standard of education, as well as put an extra economic burden on the parents.
Now a word or two about the private schools and colleges. They charge huge fees and are accountable to no one. The government does not touch them because they are private
institutions.
S. A. KHOKHAR
Lahore
THIS refers to the article “Higher growth is imperative” (Oct-2) by Sultan Ahmed. Indeed almost everything, including statistical suggestions, in the article is agreeable. But his suggestion for adopting corporate farming for getting higher productivity needs to be debated.
I believe that corporate farming is a means of high productivity, but how can this address the economic problems of poor farmers? Let me quote the example of my neighbouring farmer. He uses a tractor, fertilizers, pesticides and other machines in his farmland from sowing to harvesting a crop. Of course, his per-acre production increases but all goes to out of his hands.
Farmers in our country have been caught in the vicious circle of corporate farming, as well as in market exploitation trends. The companies are snatching cash against agriculture inputs, leaving him trapped in poverty. He praises his ancestral farmers for doing organic farming. They were with adequate grains at harvesting.
However, I think corporate farming will definitely enhance the production but will also increase the economic disparity.
ASHOK SUTHAR
Tharparkar
STANDARD Chartered says it will charge Rs300 per month from next year if the balance falls below Rs100,000.
In 1964, when I was a student in Karachi Grammar School, I opened a school savings account in National and Grindlays Bank, now SCB, with an initial deposit of five rupees.
I feel that since June 14, 2003, when the government prohibited the commercial banks from issuing national savings certificates, where they were earning two per cent commission, the banks have resorted to making money on their clients.
We are considered a Third World country, but our operations within appear to be competing with the West. Let us be down to earth. What does an average man earn, and what has he left over after his monthly expenses? Another example, every second person is living on borrowed money.
Don’t banks have an interbank agreement where all charges should be standard? I hope the State Bank will find a way out and save the poor man from being fleeced.
SAKINA MIRZA
Karachi
WAPDA is charging the domestic consumers approximately eight rupees a unit, while its commercial charges exceed nine rupees a unit. These charges are much higher than what consumers in other countries have to pay.
What agonizes the consumers in Mardan is that, despite the payment of inflated bills, they experience suspension of the power supply for at least six hours daily. This causes great hardship to the people who wonder why their electricity bills are so inflated when they spend many hours daily without using electricity.
I request the Wapda authorities to look into the matter and ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to the people of Mardan.
DR MUHAMMAD AYAZ
Mardan
I AM really amazed by the petulance and sulking of Madiha Gauhar at PTV’s rejection of an Ajoka Theatre production from inclusion in a theatre festival. Even more so at Ms Farrukh Nigar Aziz (Sept 30) for encouraging Ajoka in their totally unrealistic attitude to the decisions of committees and juries.
Ajoka should respect the decision of the independent committee that turned down their play. Ajoka has name recognition. It is true but that does not mean that whatever it churns out has merit. If this logic is pushed to the extreme, J. M. Coetzee would be suing the Booker Prize jury, and countless filmmakers would be involved in litigation against the juries of all the film festivals.
Ajoka should learn to accept rejection, and let it be an incentive to do better next time.
ASAD SIDDIQI
Lahore
A SEMINAR on the de-regulation of the telecom sector, held recently in Islamabad, was an eye-opener for me and I was surprised to know how our bureaucrats stifle the policy of privatization and free enterprise. They throw hefty sums of national money at ‘goras’ hired as consultants, only because they do not want to take any responsibility for any decisions in this regard. One wonders why they cannot find enough of competent and cheap indigenous consultancy services from outstanding Pakistan professionals.
It was shocking to hear them say that only two licences for additional cellular companies would be issued, or ‘hired’ consultants might advise on the subject. Why? Do we hire consultants to advise us on how many licences need be issued for opening new hotels or dairies?
Mobilink, Ufone, etc., do not want to let more competitors come into market to rock their boat wherein they fleece the hapless consumers by providing half-baked cellular services. Will our professionals care to advise the press so that it can educate the public to agitate against such treacherous damage to national interest and our budding telecom industry?
SHER SULEMAN
Rawalpindi
IT is disappointing to see how the PCB has succumbed to pressure from South Africa for not playing cricket in Karachi. Now it is reported that the Indian junior team has requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to move its matches from the city.
The PCB, by accepting these requests, is setting a bad precedent. That Karachiites are being deprived of cricket might be a minor issue, but you are giving signal to the rest of the world that Karachi is unsafe and not suitable for investment. This could be more serious in the long run.
Please stop demonizing Karachi. Is there anybody listening? It is time the Sindh governor, the chief minister and the city nazim got their act together and ensured security in the city.
FARUKH N. FAROOQUI
Karachi
THERE are six major roads in Attock. These roads are in a deplorable condition because of ditches and potholes. They need urgent repairs.
Despite several requests, the Attock municipality administrator has not undertaken this work yet. Will someone in the provincial government intervene and do the needful?
LT-COL (R) MUHAMMAD
AFZAL SADIQ
Attock
THE recent proposal of Sindh Mohtasib Justice Haziq-ul-Khairi shows his frustration with the hypocrisy that is prevalent in our society. He is well-placed to know, for he deals with public complainants and public servants across a broad spectrum of the populace.
If we were compelled to speak the truth on one day in a year (i.e., 1/365th = 0.274 per cent of the time), would this make a significant difference? It brings to mind how James Bond (007) caught Sir Hugo Drax cheating at bridge in “Moonraker”. The card-sharp utilized a ‘shiner’, a reflective stainless-steel cigarette lighter placed on the table, to observe the faces of all the 52 cards he dealt. Bond stated that cheating on merely every fourth deal (i.e., 1/4th = 25 per cent of the deals) enabled Drax to show a consistent winning trend. But then 0.274 per cent is less than 25 per cent. However, let us hope for the best.
The “Day of Truthfulness” should be fixed on, say, the third Wednesday in February (its easier to tell the truth when the weather is pleasant). There would be a big rush by people to conduct important affairs on that “Day of Truthfulness”, so that maximum advantage could be extracted from the temporary transparency and openness in society.
To avoid this, it would be more advantageous if separate “Days of Truthfulness” were assigned to different categories of people (engineers, doctors, accountants, shopkeepers, office workers, teachers, labourers, etc.) or to different departments/functionaries (agriculture, police, municipality, courts, ministers, army, navy, air force, etc). This will help us re-schedule our activities throughout the year to deal with a particular person/functionary on a particular day when he has to tell the truth.
The ombudsman is no doubt hoping that when people on the national level tell the truth for one day — they may actually learn to like it! After five years, this could be increased to two days in the year, and then after another five years to three, and then to four, etc. The people may then (voluntarily) decide to tell the truth on additional days. If this snowballs, we Pakistanis could grow to like and trust one another — with tremendous consequential social and economic benefits! Naturally, we would lose our ‘position of eminence’ on Transparency International’s “Corruption Perception Index”, but that is a small price to pay.
The government should give the suggestion a shot. After all, if it doesn’t work, or is too painful, we can revert to the present system. In a country where people are exhorted to pray five times a day (and many do), it should be quite possible to tell the truth at least one day in the year.
RONALD DE SOUZA
Karachi
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