| October 31, 2003 | Friday | Ramazan 4, 1424 |
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Tribute to Mahathir Mohamad
Commuters’ problem
Ordeal of a retired govt employee
KESC model zones
OIC: historical facts
Cotton issues
Private security agencies
Software for jail record
Loans for policemen
India’s peace proposals
THE impression in some quarters that Pakistan is not a member of the Commonwealth is wrong. In the wake of the coup in October 1999, it was suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth until its return to full-scale democratic governance. Pakistan was not expelled, nor was its membership scrapped, nor did it withdraw from Commonwealth membership (having rejoined it during Ms Benazir Bhutto’s premiership in 1989). This is the position that I learnt from informed quarters in London during my visit there last November for attending the annual meeting of the Royal Commonwealth Society of which I have been a member for many years.
The present situation is that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration met in New York on Sept 26-27, 2003, and reviewed recent developments in Pakistan, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Botswana. The Group considered the report on Pakistan from the Commonwealth secretary-general, Don McKinnon, and took note of the negotiations between the government and the opposition parties in the Pakistan parliament over the Legal Framework Order. The Group hoped that these negotiations would continue and lead to an agreement on outstanding issues in the spirit of Commonwealth parliamentary practice and processes.
If this is achieved and a comprehensive package is passed in parliament in accordance with the Constitution, the Group would recommend to the Commonwealth heads of government (CHOGM) meeting, due to be held at Abuja in Nigeria in December 2003, that Pakistan’s suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth should be lifted. The Group asked the secretary-general to monitor the situation in Pakistan and to make available to the appropriate authorities such technical assistance as might be requested from Pakistan.
This Group has ministers from Botswana, Samoa, Australia, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, India, Malta, and Nigeria as members. The government should work out a constitutional settlement with the opposition parties on the LFO and related issues and keep the Commonwealth secretary-general informed so that the Commonwealth heads of government moot in Nigeria next December can lift Pakistan’s suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
DESCRIBING Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as “an avowed champion of the developing world,” Dawn has reported his speech on the front page (Oct 21).
Indeed with these words a great tribute has been paid to this intrepid leader of the developing world who did not mince words in stating that Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million but today the Jews rule this world by proxy. These remarks have angered the West because he has put mirror in front of the West. In this context this leader has also called for fair, not free trade and Dawn has complimented him on his sentiments through an editorial (Oct 22) under the headline “What is free may not be fair”.
The developing world, specially the Muslim countries, should be proud of this honourable man of courage who has reminded us of Tungku Abdul Rehman, Col Nasser and King Faisal who used to talk to their Western contemporaries with confidence and assurance.
A paragraph from the article on Abdali’s role by Mr Haroon Rashid (Dawn, Oct 18) supports the bold approach of Dr Mahathir. I quote: — Allah has addressed the whole ‘ummah’ and not any particular section or the inhabitants of any particular area or ethnicity.
It is up to the “ummah” itself to take practical steps so that Muslims everywhere are adequately protected against aggression from the unbelievers.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.,
Karachi
HAVING seen the plight of commuters at Karachi’s Hino Roundabout, which is one of the most important intersections in the area, I wonder why our problems are allowed to linger on, until everything breaks down completely. Are we really so inept at finding solutions to these problems?
I recently saw some work in progress on the site. Obviously, some plan must have been drawn up for the intersection, for which I have prepared a small design proposal.
My plan has two important objectives: one, it tries to resolve the problems of the Defence View area commuters, which is a totally landlocked residential locality, with a single entry and exit. In case of an emergency (which can turn into a major catastrophe), this area needs another exit and entry, perhaps on the Shaheed-i-Millat Expressway. At the moment, motorists risk their lives by making a forced entry through a small ad hoc route on the extremely busy Korangi Road. Second, it caters to a large section of the Defence population which is getting its new road networks from opposite the Qayyumabad settlement.
A proper entry and exit, with an island, will divert and reroute a major chunk of traffic going towards Phases 5, 6, 7 and 8 of DHA. At present, motorists approaching from Defence/Qayyumabad are forcing their way towards the Hino Roundabout from the wrong side, which can cause head-on collisions.
This is only a suggestion which if implemented will hopefully improve the chaotic and hazardous traffic on the roads of Karachi. The city administration should take immediate measures to remedy the situation.
DANISH AZAR ZUBY
Karachi
MUCH has been written about the problems of retired government employees, but it is deplorable that nobody pays any heed to their plight.
One of my uncles, a health department employee, retired in July 2002, but he has yet to receive his GP fund, because the local accounts office has put the responsibility of gathering his account of his past postings from six different districts entirely on his shoulders, which is a Herculean task, considering the callous attitude of district accounts staff who demand bribe at every stage.
Whatever money he has been able to collect by now is not being released by the local accounts officer as he wants him to go back again to all those districts and get new confirmation letters for the same accounts. The lower staff is also demanding illegal favours from him.
Another problem which my uncle faces is that he is building a house with the gratuity money he received from the government. He was given an official accommodation grace period of eight months, but due to delayed receipt of pension funds his house will take about six months more to complete. He is being pestered to vacate his present accommodation although he has requested for a reprieve in this regard equal to the time required to complete his house.
The government is, therefore, requested not to evict him from his present accommodation up to April 2004. This would be exactly in keeping with the spirit of the government’s policy of fulfilling the housing needs of the retired civilian employees, just announced by the chief minister.
MUHAMMAD FAROOQ
Muzaffargarh
SOME time back, the KESC set up model zones to facilitate its ‘valued’ consumers. But in this process, it has aggravated the hardship of the people, specially in Korangi.
There were two complaint centres in Korangi, namely K-1 and K-2. Now a model zone has been set up in Ibrahim Hyderi, covering a vast area from Bhittai Colony to Coast Guard Roundabout, i.e. up to Korangi 2-1/2.
According to the KESC rules, a complaint centre should not have more than 16,000 consumers, but the Ibrahim Hyderi model zone complaint centre has 45,000 consumers. Thus, it is impossible for the staff of this centre to attend to the complaints of such a large number of consumers. The staff have been beaten by area people on many a occasion for failing to restore electricity which sometimes remains suspended for hours.
The people cannot easily reach this complaint centre as it is out of their way, near the KESC thermal power plant. It takes about an hour by public transport to reach the centre. Moreover, the only phone number for registering complaints at the centre is always busy.
The staff of this centre complain that they have been provided with neither additional staff nor extra vehicles to cater to the needs of this vast area. They are without wires, gloves and other necessary material required to repair faults in the system. On my inquiries, the zonal XEN staff blamed their high officials for the shortage of material and PMTs.
I request the high-ups in the KESC to provide the centre with additional staff and required material. Also, damaged and unworkable PMTs and wires should be replaced with new ones as soon as possible.
QAMAR AHMED
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the column by Mr Kuldip Nayar in your esteemed paper (Oct 25) regarding the Organization of Islamic Conference.
Although it pinches that it has come from a non-Muslim, it is a fact that the OIC is a toothless tiger. Following the famous Persian proverb, it does nothing but sit, talk and disperse.
However, it was not expected from a journalist of the calibre and level of Mr Nayar to have confused historical facts.
Referendum in the NWFP was not held “immediately after the creation of Pakistan” but just before the creation of Pakistan and it was because of the overwhelming majority voting in favour of Pakistan that the NWFP became a Pakistan province.
India was never a member of the OIC although it tried and is still trying to become one. So, there is no question of India leaving the OIC.
The OIC came into being after the Rabat conference which was held to deliberate upon the situation arising out of arson in Al Aqsa Mosque caused by an Australian who was later adjudged to be of unstable mind. India’s President Fakhruddin was present at Rabat but was not invited to attend. If Gen Yayha, the president of Pakistan, insisted on his exclusion from participating in the conference, he was reciprocating for Pakistan being kept out of the Non-Aligned Movement for a long time as it is now being kept out of the Commonwealth and Asean, all on India’s insistence. It is just tit for tat between the two neighbours.
JAMAL HASHMI
Karachi
MOHAMMED Aref Kalwer has rightly highlighted in his letter of Oct 28 the problems of farmers.
It was not only his cotton crop but also the crop of a large number of other farmers that was destroyed by pests. Farmers tried their best to save their crop but failed because the pesticides they sprayed were spurious and ineffective.
This devastation of our cotton crop by pests is the failure of the managers of agriculture in the country. This tragic end of a bumper crop needs to be investigated immediately. All those who were at the helm of affairs in the federal and the provincial government should be taken to task and removed from their positions right now and then punished, if found guilty of negligence and default.
I suggest that those whose crop has been destroyed should be compensated.
It is time Pakistan’s agricultural system was restructured, particularly in terms of the availability and prices of agricultural inputs and the prices and mode of purchase of crops. This revamping must not be done on the conditions and recommendations of the IMF and World Bank, as was done in the past.
SYED MOHSIN RIZVI
Lahore
THIS refers to the news report “Most private security agencies violate rules” (Oct 21).
I suggest undesirable practices in these agencies should be seriously looked into. Security guards are also mistreated by these agencies. Since there is unemployment in the country, poverty-stricken people are forced to accept jobs which are poorly paid in comparison to their working hours. These employees some time work 11 hours a day — that too without any overtime.
The worst part is that there is no holiday — weekly or otherwise. For a day’s absence, pay up to two days is deducted as penalty. There are labour laws in the country but they seem not to apply in the case of private security agencies.
Will the relevant authorities do something about it?
SYED ALAMDAR HUSSAIN
Karachi
THE letter from Mr Jamil Yousuf, former chief of the CPLC-CRC, Karachi, appearing on Oct 21, in reply to my letter of Oct 14, does not reflect the actual situation.
I fully agree that the CPLC-CRC initiated and developed the first complete Criminal Record Management System (CRMS) and I have never claimed to have developed CRMS for anyone. I appreciate and acknowledge the good work done by the CPLC.
My company’s innovative effort is in biometrics and with full authority I claimed credit for introducing biometrics, not only in Sindh prisons (PMIS — Prison Management Information System — which has yet to be introduced in the other provincial prisons), but also in many other applications in Pakistan.
The CPLC has not yet developed any system using biometrics and for the first time the CPLC is in the process of initiating using facial technology and, thereafter, using fingerprint technology for various applications to enhance the present system working at the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee.
I do not wish to challenge Mr Yousuf or his team or negate good work done by the CPLC and urge upon the authorities initiating computerized Criminal Record Management System or AFIS (automated fingerprints identification system) or any biometrics technology identification and verification system to follow and benefit from the development already initiated or implemented by the CPLC or by my company instead of opting for creating new software involving new organizations and wasting the country’s resources.
AMJAD ULLAH KHAN
CEO, Amjad Ahsan Info Tech (Pvt) Ltd.,
Karachi
A GENERALIZED statement regarding all financial institutions on the subject of loans for policemen is not correct (letter “Loans for policemen”, Oct 22).
The National Bank of Pakistan on my approach to them and discussion with the president of the bank has generously offered terms and conditions for grant of loans to all employees of the police department after defining eligibility criteria.
The terms and conditions offered to the police department for the financing facility by the bank is under consideration of the police department.
I am writing this to clear the position that not all the financial institutions have kept the police on the negative list.
AFTAB AHMED SHAIKH
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the Indian peace proposals. If we dissect India’s one dozen proposals, only one concerns government-to-government contacts. Indirectly, it is also for the relief of the fishermen, who are the easiest to be hauled up by the two countries’ coast guards.
The other 11 are tailored to the people’s needs. Six deal with communication, one with sports, one with fishing, one with visa facilities, one with diplomats and one with medical treatment.
The issue of a ferry service first came up when some Indian MPs visited Islamabad in 1998. Various subcommittees were formed. Those who took part in the discussions were MQM legislators, besides those of the PPP, PML, ANP and others.
The MQM MNAs argued with the Indian MPs over issues pertaining to the Urdu-speaking community. They accused the Indian bureaucracy of not opening a visa office in Karachi and not being serious about the Sindh-Rajasthan rail link.
In the past (pre-1965 era), Karachi thrived not because of industry but because of national and international trade, including that with India. The 1965 war closed its sea and land route with India; the 1971 civil war deprived it of commerce with East Pakistan. It was like closing Hong Kong’s links with mainland China.
Before the One Unit era, Sindh was self-sufficient in budget and it used to dole out loans to the Centre. In Sindh’s self-sufficiency, Karachi was the major contributor. Today, it is still doling out the foremost portion to the national exchequer.
The decision to keep Lahore as the only route for Indo-Pakistan communication may be justified on tactical and strategic grounds. But in economic, geographical and political terms, it shows arrogance by our bureaucracy.
Ninety-five per cent of visa seekers are from Sindh. They have to travel to Islamabad to get a visa, then cross over to India from Lahore. This causes them too much inconvenience. This should stop.
If we miss the offers about sea, rail and bus links, both for Karachi and for the province, that would contribute to unemployment. If accepted, the
sea link might take Sindh to its pre-1965 era. Rejecting this proposal would not be Sindh-friendly.
Besides, the opening of the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar Highway would create positive effects on those living on both sides of the Line of Control.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Islamabad
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