| November 15, 2003 | Saturday | Ramazan 19, 1424 |
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‘A little clear thinking’
Engineering college affairs
People-to-people contact
Remembering Masood Iqbal
Power theft and KESC
Pakistani student in Saudi prison
Councillor’s apathy to civic problems
The nuclear option
Increase in water tax
Successful airlines
Freight subsidy policy
Library in need of books
Quota system
Checking illegal detentions
THROUGHOUT history, peoples of the world have passionately desired peace and security. Oddly enough, they have never had it but for short uneasy periods. This has been so because their desire was incongruent with the ego and destiny-stricken paradigms of a narrowly focused leadership. A leadership held captive by the inertia of the perceived grandeur might control the fate of the weak.
With the destructive power of all shades and hues now increasingly accumulating in the hands of humankind, by nature imperfect, selfish and vengeful the world is trembling on the horns of a dilemma of enormous proportions, both in terms of devastation and of beneficence. Academic-diplomat Mohammed Yunus in his just published book, Basic Foreign Policy — A Theoretical Introduction, has put this dichotomous scenario in its right perspective in telling terms. He says: “Foreign policy can no longer cater to national imperatives alone if irreversible damage to the evolving international society, if not also to the very survival of the human species, is to be avoided.”
Indeed, there is immediacy for the peoples of the world to sit up and take notice and insist that so does their respective leadership that it is overdue that our civilization moves from the altar of bloodied ‘self-interest’ to the salubrious, and unending vistas of ‘world interest’. Without doing so, notwithstanding all the glib talk of our politicians and diplomats, there is hardly any hope of our children and grandchildren leading prosperous and peaceful lives spawned by collaborative security.
The fundamental issues needing addressal would be:
(i) Creating a new breed of transformational leaders dedicated to ushering in a ‘one-world’ society.
(ii) Convoking forthwith an open-ended — to conclude only after actionable consensus has been reached to deal with the inherent causes, not the symptoms, of the present frightening situation obtaining — ‘peace’ session of the UN General Assembly.
(iii) Recognizing and declaring the centrality of the UN as an instrument of hope for the peoples of the world and thus deserving to be strengthened and not held up to derision.
(iv) Changing the role of the Trusteeship Council to become a facilitator of good governance in fledgling democracies to obviate the fallout of failing and failed states.
(v) Empower the UN General Assembly to deal with a veto-paralysed Security Council.
(vi) Clothing effectively the provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter.
This is a tall order, but not beyond the realm of achievement, if only to save our souls.
M. J. AS’AD
Karachi
THIS refers to the article “A little clear thinking” (Nov 1) by Mr Irfan Husain who rightly says that it is best to bargain over something from a position of strength. However, he contradicts himself by suggesting a cut in the defence budget, which is bound to reduce our power of resistance, thus leaving us at the mercy of our adversary.
Mr Husain is not happy with the Pakistan government for its “inept” handling of the recent Indian proposals. His demand that we accept the proposals without any reservation is intriguing and most likely to hurt our own interests.
Defence expenditure will be suitably reduced once the core issue, now recognized by the world as a nuclear flashpoint between the two neighbours, is resolved to the satisfaction of the three parties involved. It has become a fashion with our so-called intellectuals to blame the government for all the sins under the sun but they fail to realize that it takes two to talk and tango. They do not, for reasons best known to them, take the other party to task for its obduracy, intransigence and lack of sincerity.
The main issue has to be tackled first, if an atmosphere of trust and confidence is to be built. No amount of contacts between the Coast Guard (India) and the Maritime Agency (Pakistan) will lower the tension and mistrust. I am confident that things will automatically fall in place once the Kashmir problem is resolved.
KHAN A. SHAMSHAD
Karachi
A RECENT report in your newspaper about the inquiry and removal of some officials of Dawood Engineering College’s examinations, admissions, finance and accounts departments should not come as a surprise to those who have suffered at the hands of incompetent and greedy personnel.
Your report, though interesting, is slightly incomplete. Several years ago, a DFA official of the finance and accounts department was subjected to an inquiry by a committee comprising grade-22 officials of the services tribunal. The committee recommended removal of the DFA official, banning his entry into the finance and accounts department of the college. But the report was put into cold storage, and the official concerned was allowed to remain at his post in the college until recently.
If a report/inquiry by services tribunal members can be ignored, how one can expect improvement in the college. It is common knowledge that most college employees, including teachers, have affiliations with one political party or the other, and, hence, any inquiry done by teachers of the college or by the ministry officials, howsoever well-intended, can bear no results.
It will be only appropriate if the inquiry committee report that has been put away be implemented fairly to remove the stigma which has been the fate of the Dawood Engineering College for several years.
NAUREEN NAJAM
Karachi
IT was for the first time that I visited Nankana to see the three-day celebrations of Sikhs’ spiritual leader Baba Guru Nanak’s 534 birth anniversary that falls on Nov 6. Thousands of Sikhs were present there from all over the world. Before going to Nankana I was under the impression that those who visited Pakistan from India in the name of people-to-people contact were mere visitors and were not sincere people. But after meeting people from India at Nankana, I have become a strong believer in people-to-people contacts.
I met Sikhs from India, America and England. All of them were very nice and cooperative. They were more interested in making friends in Pakistan. I also met an old Sikh woman who asked me where my ancestors had lived. When I told her that we belonged to Jalandhar, tears rolled down her face and she said she hoped one day the people of India and Pakistan would be free to travel without any restrictions in both countries.
Although we have many unresolved disputes, we pray that one day the people of both countries, as well as the governments, realize how important and good it is to have a good neighbour.
MUHAMMAD AWAIS AWAN
Faisalabad
IT was very sad news that Masood Iqbal, a former international cricketer of Pakistan, died at the age of 51 in Lahore on Oct 31. From 1970 to 1985 he played 150 first class matches for Punjab University, Habib Bank, etc. He was a very good wicketkeeper and a dependable lower-middle-order batsman.
There was a breakthrough in his career when he was selected as an under-study in place of Wasim Bari for the Pakistan cricket team’s twin tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1972-73, under the captaincy of Intikhab Alam, in 1972-73. Later on he also served Pakistan cricket in various capacities. For instance, he managed the Pakistan “A” team that toured New Zealand in 1995. He also served as a member of the selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board in 1999.
He had a charming personality which earned him many friends and admirers in the sports circle of Pakistan. He was affectionately called Duke by his family members and friends.
In his untimely death, Pakistan has lost a committed sportsman who could have done much more for the cricket of Pakistan.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
I live in P&T Society, Sector 31-D, Korangi, Karachi, and want to draw the attention of the Korangi zone staff of the Karachi Electricity Supply Company to frequent power failures in our locality, which is making our lives miserable.
P&T Society is divided into a commercial area and a residential area. Whenever the supply of power is suspended to the commercial area, people from that area use “kundas” for stealing power from the residential areas and thus subject the residents to power fluctuations. These fluctuations cause damage to electric appliances, besides using computers become well-nigh impossible.
At times, electric wires break down due to the use of “kundas” and the area people have to face great hardship to get them reconnected as the phone at the KESC complaint centre remains invariably engaged. And if, by chance, they do answer the call, they callously say they will send a van during the night shift which starts at 11pm, that means 11am the next day.
Will the authorities concerned redress our grievances?
MUHAMMAD SHAHID
Karachi
A few months ago, an FSc student of the Pakistan International School (Embassy) Riyadh tried to push his way into the girls’ wing of the that school. This led to a quarrel between the school guard of the girls wing and the boys. The boys could not manage to enter the school, nor did they hurt anyone, which was never their intention.
However, as a practice the Pakistan Embassy School authorities called on the local police instead of dealing with the matter themselves. This resulted in the FSc student being sentenced to one year in Riyadh’s reform and political prison Al Hair. Moreover, the entire family of the boy was reportedly deported.
I am frightened of such things happening to our people abroad, and request the government of Pakistan to look into this and other matters through proper working of our embassies. Please do not destroy our future.
REEMA
Via email
RECENTLY (Nov 2), an Iftar party was arranged at some place on Karachi’s Ghazali Road, PECHS, in honour of our constituency’s MNA by his party members. A day earlier, in preparation for the party, the road was cleaned by the staff of our area councillor. The supervisor, after collecting dry twigs, grass, dust, stones and dirty sand, got them dumped near the main gate of our house. On our objection, he refused to remove it from there but promised to clear the garbage the following day.
After two days when he did not turn up I registered a complaint in the office register of UC-7, PECHS II, Jamshed Town. The complaint remained unattended for two days.
I again registered a complaint but that too remained unattended for two more days. On the fifth day I met the area councillor who, after listening to me, was not only unrepentant about the neglect of duty by his subordinates but also did not assure me when he was going to redress my grievance. Two days later, when the complaint still remaining unattended, I hired a person to get the rubbish removed.
This is deplorable that councillors who are duty-bound to help solve problems of the people of their constituencies are themselves creating problems.
I request the nazim of Karachi to instruct the office staff of UC-7, Jamshed Town, to be helpful to the people of their area.
JAWED
Karachi
Reference to Mr Asghar Khan’s article “The nuclear option” in Dawn of Nov 3, I am surprised that while marshalling his logical and rational arguments for Pakistan not acquiring the nuclear bomb, he has left out the most obvious reason.
All scientists and those in the know of nuclear explosions have over the years created public awareness, led by the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War, that if ever India went ahead to use an atomic bomb, it will in fact be an attack on India itself, because India and Pakistan are not 14,000 miles away like the United States and the USSR but next-door neighbours.
Even if one country is nuclear-armed, it cannot attack the other being so close. Keep in mind that Pakistan’s depth is hardly 400 miles.
ZAFAR OMER
Lahore
THE Clifton cantonment board (CCB), Karachi, has increased the water tax by almost 50 per cent, backdated to July 1. Now a 500-yard house will pay around Rs9,000 per annum for one and a half hours’ supply of water every alternate day, if there is no power failure and water is supplied by the KWSB, etc.
This water tax is the highest in the city. As a CCB resident I want to know as to why the cantonment board has increased the water tax without giving any additional services.
Will the CEO of the cantonment board let us know why this decision has been taken?
NAQVI S.
Karachi
DURING my service days with PIA, I had an occasion to visit the office of an Australian airline in Sydney. Informally, I posed this question to their director engineering: “Your airline is known to be one of the most successful airlines in the world devoid of any major or fatal accidents. What could be the secret?”
Instead of answering my question, he gave me a paper cutting and asked me to read it, which is as follows:
An important journalist from London reached Sydney by air and went straight into the airline chairman’s office. He posed the same question as above and agreed to go back to London the same day if he got a proper answer.
The chairman felt uneasy and went into the conference room to consult his senior colleagues before attempting to give a pertinent answer.
After about an hour or so he returned to his office to convey the answer to the guest, which was in two parts:
(a) Our airline does not seem to compromise on merit while appointing persons,
(b) We never compromise on quality while purchasing equipment, big or small.
The guest appeared to be satisfied after getting some clarifications and left the office to fly back to London.
I am sure the same logic is followed in Pakistan, including PIA.
MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA
Karachi
IT is constantly claimed that increasing and diversifying Pakistan’s exports is a top priority of the government. It is, therefore, shocking and incomprehensible to see an advertisement by the EPB in Dawn of Nov 12, updating the freight subsidy policy for the export of new products and to new markets. The advertisement refers to a public notice of Nov 11, which is applicable to all shipments effective from July 1, 2003, and, therefore, supersedes notices standing prior to that date.
The exporters have been informed that the rules in effect for the last five months under which we had been conducting business are no longer valid. It should be noted that no funds under this scheme have been disbursed in the past three months.
I request the authorities concerned, including the commerce minister, to formulate such policies as will help boost and diversify the country’s export base.
ZAHID MAKER
Via email
LARKANA’S Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Library is running short of new books. Most books available there are outdated and of little use. We need recently-published books.
I request the federal government to send new books for the library.
WAQAR HUSSNAIN
Larkana
THE quota system for civil services was not introduced in the NWFP, Balochistan and Punjab. Why then has it been not only introduced but also extended in Sindh?
KAMRAN MOBEEN KHAN
Sukkur
THE report “SHO punished for illegal detention” (Nov 13) is a small piece of news in our world of chaos, but the villagers who were kept in illegal confinement for four days will remain traumatized and downcast for a long time.
It seems that with the exception of a few individuals, the police lack a very important human trait called conscience.
According the news report, the Ahmedpur police SHO detained 17 people for four days. That is equivalent to holding one person for 68 days for which the police official has been fined Rs1,000 by the district and sessions judge of Khairpur.
Now the very reason the system of punishment is devised is to not only hold the culprit responsible and make him pay for his wrongdoing(s) but also set an example to others.
However, in this case the punishment seems to be an incentive. How long will it take the SHO to extort 1,000 from his domain? It will also not deter other police officials from committing the same crime as the price of a citizen’s 68 days of indignity and time is merely Rs1,000.
In fact, committing such a crime may turn out to be a good business. A police official can illegally detain a person and then release him after he receives, say, Rs10,000 as bribe. Most probably, he will not be punished for this as the victim rarely seeks justice from the courts.
Even if the victim files a case in a court of law and the police official is fined Rs1,000, the culprit will still saves Rs9,000. It sure makes sense why someone will pay cash to get a job as an ASI.
If a fine of Rs1,000 is the maximum punishment for illegal detention in Pakistan, I believe the law must the revised and the maximum punishment be made reasonable. It is the duty of our lawmakers to make such laws as will not let anyone misuse power.
BAKHTAWER BILAL
Carmel, IN, USA
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