| November 3, 2003 | Monday | Ramazan 7, 1424 |
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SPSC facilities for candidates
Technology and the common man
French ban on headscarves
Pedestrians’ woes
Grievances of ex-PIA workers
Understanding Islam
Indian peace proposals
Arms for self-defence
Rebuilding cricket team
Study abroad scheme
Judo training
CSS exam results
KINDLY refer to the letter on the “need for a left of the centre party” (Oct 28) by Mr Adil Saleem Khan.
He has alleged that none of the governments has ‘tried to protect the lower and the middle classes that as a result from privatization were to become unemployed’. He has also cited the disproportion between the direct and indirect taxes, and has argued that the low turnout in recent elections was due to the absence of a political party which stands for the issues of the vast majority.
The Pakistan People’s Party being the obvious target, I would venture to correct the record.
The PPP opted for downloading limited number of shares of public sector organizations through the stock market, thus broadening the ownership base of these units. This enabled common people to become stockholders in large public sector units under the concept of “public-private partnership”, outlined in the PPP manifesto 93. In spite of all the pressures brought about by the IFIs with whom preceding caretaker governments had finalized restructuring agreements, none of the PPP governments terminated the services of a single employee. Instead, those retrenched by dictators and pro-establishment governments were reinstated by them.
All this is in sharp contrast to the pro-establishment and pro-IFI governments, whose privatization programme consisted of large-scale retrenchments, large foreign borrowings for giving golden handshakes, wholesale sellout of public sector units at throwaway prices, creating monopolies in crucial economic sectors and large-scale closures of privatized units. The present government continues this anti-people and anti-development policy, though in a couple of cases they too have copied the downloading of shares through stock exchanges method of the PPP government.
The share of direct taxes in total revenue increased from 16.4 per cent in 1993-94 to 20.7 per cent in 1995-96, and the share of indirect taxes and non-tax revenues dropped during this period. The increase in direct taxes in the last year of the PPP government was 30.9 per cent over the previous year. Indirect taxes increased by 12.2 per cent during this year, and the total tax revenue showed an increase of 16.5 per cent. It was, therefore, possible to record a GDP growth rate of 6.12 per cent and phenomenal revenue increases. (Economic Survey 1995-96).
The low turnout of voters in the last elections was due to the correct perception of the electorate that the establishment would massively rig elections. This is apparent from a regular pattern seen in the results as in almost every constituency where the pro-establishment candidates are shown to have won, 10 to 15 per cent of the polling stations show a voting turnout of 85 per cent plus, almost all of them voting for the pro-establishment candidate. This 85 per cent plus turnout pattern on selected, remote and at times non-existent polling stations holds good even in places like Thar from where 60 per cent of population had migrated owing to persistent drought and where voting percentage normally remains very low due to long distances and almost non-existent communications.
If the pro-establishment padding of votes is taken out, we shall see that the turnout was even lower than what has been announced. But even with large chunks of PPP voters sitting out because of predetermined results and all the rigging and padding of votes, the PPP emerged as the party having secured the highest number of votes. Subsequent horse-trading and other shameful tactics again deprived it of its right to rule.
TAJ HAIDER
Secretary Information,
Pakistan People’s Party,
Islamabad
THIS refers to Mr Shahid Hussain Mahar “SPSC’s working” (Oct 13) and Mr Hizbullah Solangi’s letter “FPSC & SPSC candidates’ problems” (Oct 21).
The following three issues were raised in the letters: (a) delay in receipts of admission/interview letters by the candidates, (b) holding of examinations/ interviews at only one place, (c) and non-availability of application forms at other than the office of the Sindh Public Service Commission.
The actual position is that the commission dispatches admission/interview letters at least 10 days before the commencement of examinations/interviews on the addresses provided by the candidates. Apart from this, the dates of the commencement of interviews/examinations are given in newspapers and the local news of Radio Pakistan. This will, however, be ensured again.
It has been decided by the SPSC that in future a press release may also be issued regarding the commencement of examinations/interviews. It will help the candidates to know the dates of examinations/interviews well in advance.
The SPSC is now holding examinations/interviews at three places, i.e. at Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur, according to the choice given by the candidate himself/herself. This has solved the problem of the candidates of remote areas.
It has also been decided to provide application forms at the offices of DCOs in Sindh, in addition to the head office, Hyderabad, and at regional offices in Karachi and Sukkur. Efforts are also being made to ensure availability of forms at the offices of DCOs concerned before an advertisement is issued, so that intending candidates may obtain forms at the district headquarters of their home district.
Any suggestion for further improvement, if sent directly to the undersigned, will be appreciated.
SYED IMTIAZ ALI SHAH
Secretary, SPSC, Hyderabad
IN today’s global technological era, where we stand can be well judged by the opening ceremonies of oil and gas wells in different parts of the country while the prices of the same are soaring instead of going down.
As a result, the prices of cement and iron have not yet been lowered. The price of sugar has recently been raised. It would be interesting to note that the previous government was planning to supply surplus electricity to India on a commercial basis while power outages and suspensions were and are making the public life quite miserable at home.
The common man expects that technological development will benefit him too. He is not at all interested in what the philosophy or reasoning is behind the entire scenario.
However, to beat the energy crisis, other options can be practised to make the same accessible to the common man (a) by introducing a solar power system based or developed in the form of chip technology equipped with numerous micro-lenses to convert day light into power for various purposes, (b) installing windmills to produce power, (c) flexible glass fibre ropes to illuminate large buildings using a single bulb at the basement, (d) tapping underground energy to convert heat into power, (d) directly getting power from earth through the reverse process.
May I request the industrialists and businessmen to study this in collaboration with China/Japan/ Germany/ Russia or the US?
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
IT was indeed sad to read in Dawn (Oct 13) that France had banned two Muslim girls from education. What was their fault? They were wearing headscarves. On the one hand, secular people claim that they allow freedom to all religions, but on the other they try to
ban even headscarves and prayers.
The Indian Congress government in collaboration with the BJP let the Babri mosque be demolished by and thousands of innocent Indian Muslims killed by fanatics.
A famous Indian writer, Khushwant Singh, in his book End of India, has cited many Indian government inquiries that prove beyond any shadow of doubt that state terrorism is being resorted to not only against Kashmiris but also against several minorities in India, particularly against the Muslims.
It is a sad that in India and France both the government and the opposition are united on this agenda. It is time the Muslims invited others to Islam in a positive way and presented the true picture of their religion through pen and good deed.
They must unveil the truth that behind most, if not all, terrorist activities, Zionists and other enemies of Islam are involved.
Muslims across the globe must stop buying French goods to register their protest against its biased policies.
PROF. ANWARUL HAQUE
Islamabad
AFTER failing to get any favourable action from the cantonment authorities, I wish to approach the office concerned through your esteemed daily.
Hoshang Road between Fatima Jinnah Road and Abdullah Haroon Road is a very busy road, with buses plying up and down. In the vicinity are the American Centre plus the Denys School. Parents and students come and go via Hoshang Road. They face a number of hurdles every day.
First, for months a mad woman has pitched her camp on the narrow footpath and she is most abusive to passersby. She is neurotic and unrestrainable. We request her immediate removal to some mental hospital.
Moreover, a little further a building complex has built a wall across the pavement and set up a cabin for guards. Thus, one has again to get off the pavement on to the road while the road is roaring with heavy traffic. This obstruction must immediately be removed to help the pedestrians.
Again, the narrow pavement on the other side is hardly usable because big holes have been dug up for plantation.
I do hope the authorities concerned will remove these obstructions which are causing the public, specially women and children, great inconveniences.
MRS N. LOBO
Karachi
THIS is to place on record that Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed, chairman, PIAC, does not like to meet former PIA employees who approach him with their grievances and, as such, the area of the chairman’s secretariat is out of bounds for the ex-employees.
Many employees who have served PIA are being denied justice at the level of PIA’s senior management in general and the higher management in particular.
Many retired employees are being denied payment of their final settlement dues while the services of others have been terminated, and such people want their grievances conveyed directly to the chairman.
We request the prime minister and the defence minister to look into the matter and help arrange a weekly or a fortnightly meeting with the chairman so that we can get our grievances redressed.
AN EX-EMPLOYEE OF PIA
Karachi
ISLAM’S values are in the middle course and, as such, it propagates a balanced path. But human nature is selective in taking lessons out of its ambitious designs. The extremist tendency suits the rigid minds. Therefore, these minds trace religion in mind-boggling theories.
The focus of religion is always the individual life. It does not expect from society to reform itself without reforming the individual. It is the character of the individual that enhances the prospects of welfare society. The state formulates laws out of the conditions in society. This is how the values of the religion penetrate individual life, society and state.
The Muslims follow the teachings of Islam through the holy Quran and Sunnah. But instead of invoking their direct relation to cause and effect, they rely on the clerics, rigid scholars and religious leadership for their understanding of the spirit of Islam. These clerics, scholars and religious leaders communicate the part of the religion that can protect their interests. So they have politicized the religion.
These ‘agents’ are unable to understand the realities of the modern world. When they find no reason and logic to translate these changes, they prefer to glorify their ‘understanding’ of Islam. One can conclude that the source is superior but the communicator is not well versed in the teachings of Islam and has developed vested ends.
There is a need for understanding what religion is meant to man. It is the direct relation of man with the religion that is mandatory for understanding the religion. The majority of Muslims does not seek direct guidance from the sources, i.e. the holy Quran, the Sunnah and the tradition of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him). The result is that they rely on mullahs and religious leaders who, unfortunately, come from the deprived section of society. As they are educated in madressahs, the seats of ordinary learning, it is hard for them to guide the people in the fast changing world.
To make the matter worse, the religious parties control or assist these institutions of learning and these parties have a history of diluting religion with politics. In the end, society suffers as the mullahs speak the language of the religious parties. The division is visible in our society where sectarian violence has divided the community in the name of religion. The followers of a school of thought believe that the others are non-Muslim. Is this the tolerance that Islam advocates in its teachings?
SOHAIL KHALID
Toba Tek Singh
RECENTLY, what the Indian government has done is that it has appointed Mr L. K. Advani to hold talks on Kashmir with the splinter group of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), led by Maulana Ansari, while we are studying the latest 12-point offer of India before holding any talks on Indo-Pakistan situation.
Former foreign secretary of India S. K. Singh has been lately advising Pakistan on ARY TV to forget Kashmir for 100 to 150 years and accept the 12-point offer of India. I do not know whether this period includes the 50 years which have already spent. I would, therefore, suggest that Pakistan should form a committee consisting of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Gen (retd) Sahibzada Yaqub Khan and Mr Agha Shahi to hold talks with the APHC, led by Mr Gillani, to mobilize world opinion on the issue.
Pakistan must understand that America does only what serves its own interest. At the moment, the Israel-India affinity is wholly backed by America and all their policies on Kashmir and Afghanistan are not in the interest of Pakistan, howsoever loyal we may become in American war against terrorism. I hope our rulers understand it.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
WHEN I was serving as an officer in the Pakistan Air Force, I was allowed to keep a firearm without licence. In view of the prevailing law and order situation in the country and having already become a victim of robbery, I feel I should be allowed to keep at least one pistol without any formality of a government approval or a licence.
When the government is not able to protect people individually, it should at least allow them to defend themselves.
ASHFAQUE NAQVI
Lahore
THERE have been many ups and downs for the Pakistan cricket team during the past couple of years, but today the team looks very promising, with a bowling power of Mohammad Sami and Shoaib Akhtar, along with promising batsmen like Youhana, Inzamam and Yasir Hameed. However, the team does not have a good captain who can ensure victory against a big team like Australia.
Youhana always looks to be at his wit’s end while making decisions during a match, which was visible in the one-day series against South Africa. Although Inzamam has succeeded in gaining a white-wash against Bangladesh, the question still remains, can he get the ball rolling while playing against teams like Australia, where every decision counts a lot?
At this critical point, the name which comes to mind is that of former skipper Wasim Akram. After watching him play a charity match, I feel assured that Akram can lead Pakistan to victory in view of his immense fitness and captaincy skills.
NASIR JUNEJO
Hyderabad
OUR young generation is frustrated and worried about their future, and most of the qualified people want to run away from this country and settle in the US or Canada.
Every year the government sends quite a large number of its employees for training abroad, out of which about 50 per cent do not return to Pakistan after completion of their training. The Higher Education Commission intends to send 950 people abroad in the next four years for post-graduate studies, out of which some may not like to return to and work in Pakistan. This situation will cause a wastage of money and disturbance in the planning of the Higher Education Commission.
While making selection for the award of scholarships for studying abroad, the HEC should make sure that only those candidates are selected, who show strong inclination to return to their country after the completion of their studies.
DR S. HASAN RASHID
Karachi
IN a society like ours people, both men and women, need to be trained in martial arts to defend themselves when confronted by muggers, robbers, thugs, thieves, kidnappers, killers and rapists. Crimes are happening every day without someone putting up any resistance because our people have not been trained in civil defence techniques.
In our society it is women who suffer most. Time has come to change the system and train them in defending themselves if such a situation arises. To begin with, training in judo should be made compulsory. It should be treated as a subject and continued up to the degree level. If taught, this skill is bound to produce startling results.
BEENISH NAZ
Karachi
THE Federal Public Service Commission is delaying the results of the CSS 2002 examinations without giving any reason. The commission should make public the cause of the delay which is seriously undermining its the credibility, besides creating stress among the candidates.
MISS YASMEEN
Peshsawar
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