| November 22, 2003 | Saturday | Ramazan 26, 1424 |
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Iftar extravaganzas
Creating jobs for graduates
Teachers’ role
Child labour and poverty
Missing civic sense
Killing of children
Lawmakers’ performance
PSF’s selection criterion
Kia Motors scam victims
Almani case
‘Going in circles’
Why political parties are weak
ON your observation that “Sindh’s demand for weightage for revenue collection may not be very convincing” (editorial “In search of an equitable formula”, Nov 20), what else could I say except “et tu Brute”?
For your information, a table of the revenues generated and actually received by each province from 1997-98 to 2001-02 is given here. You would appreciate that against the contribution of Rs994.470 billion, the province of Sindh received only Rs139.667 billion or just 14 per cent whereas Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan received 94 per cent, 100 per cent and 150 per cent, respectively.
Is this not enough to demand weightage for revenue collection?
CONTRIBUTION MADE BY PROVINCES
In Billion rupees
Year Punjab Sindh NWFP Balochistan
1997-98 57.630 169.515 16.748 7.134
1998-99 65.320 171.066 21.602 8.323
1999-2000 77.912 189.461 22.046 7.800
00-01 80.323 226.218 19.656 6.380
01-02* 84.323 237.218 20.656 7.000
Total 365.508 993.470 100.708 36.636
*Estimated
REVENUES RECEIVED BY PROVINCES
In billion rupees
Year Punjab Sindh NWFP Balochistan
1997-98 57.939 23.304 16.992 9.415
98-99 61.637 24.791 18.137 10.356
99-00 70.069 28.182 20.670 10.987
00-01 79.761 31.081 22.687 12.022
01-02 77.173 32.309 23.139 12.220
Total 346.579 139.667 101.615 55.000
Percentage 94% 14% 101% 150%
SYED SARDAR AHMAD
Finance & Cooperation
Minister, Sindh, Karachi
RAMAZAN is drawing to a close. Although it is a month of piety, so far umpteen sumptuous Iftar parties have been held by rich people and the ruling elite in Pakistan. Many more such parties will be held in the remaining days.
For such things big, hotels are booked almost every day, not only in Islamabad but also in other big cities. Ministers, parliamentarians and politicians can be seen in galas on various TV channels. They can be seen in other parts of the world, reaching out for costly cuisine. How come they are leaders of a poor country like Pakistan which is straining itself under the burden of unending loans? Can such people be an example to the nation whose millions are fasting without proper food and whose Iftar is without clean water?
TV reporters are shown struggling to reach the celebrities. They are generally asking monotonous questions like if there is any need for a pompous ceremony, and get the monotonous replies: “In this way we have a chance to exchange views with one another in a congenial atmosphere.” The reporters dare not ask why they do not exchange views in the assembly hall. Probably, they know the reply will be that the atmosphere of the assembly hall is not friendly. No question is put about the expenditure and the organizer of the Iftar party. The fate of a police officer checking the tinted glass of a car in Lahore is known to all.
For the organizers, it looks like a point-scoring ceremony, and the competition is between ministers and other politicians and political parties. The question is, is it a religious rite? Islam teaches simplicity and moderation and prohibits extravagance.
We cannot categorize this action but the national anti-corruption strategy report (NACSR)-2003 reflects a weak electoral system, lack of political will, interference by legislators in executive functions, low parliamentary integrity, complicated and non-transparent taxes, lack of impartiality of public accounts committee and failure of legal and judicial framework to deliver justice. We do not find any mention of the spendthriftness in the report.
Even otherwise this class enjoys immunity for all their acts and omissions. It enjoys Iftar parties like an Eid party.
ZULFIQAR ALI CHATTHA
Via email
THE University of Peshawar held a convocation on Oct 30 for the postgraduate students of the year 2002. The NWFP governor awarded degrees to the graduates who seemed happy having completed their studies. But sooner than later, they will face the biggest challenge of their lives — they will have to find a suitable job.
Every year a large number of students graduate in different subjects, but unfortunately only a few of them are able to find jobs which more often than not are irrelevant to their academic disciplines.
The remaining graduates adopt teaching as a profession, which is the only option available to them. How sorry this state of affairs is can be gauged from the fact that position holders too find it difficult to get a decent job.
It is time the government made efforts to create jobs. One way to do that is to boost industrial activities by helping people set up industries so that our educated youths could get jobs and contribute to the development of the country.
ASIA KHATTAK
Mardan
IN a TV discussion in which one of the participants was a vice-chancellor, the teachers were blamed for not paying attention to character-building of their students. We have 70 to 80 students in a class, and the teachers do not even know the names of their students.
Cadet colleges are producing leaders in every walk of life because no class has more than 25 to 30 students. A good teacher should know his subject, as well as his students.
The second reason is greed: teachers only helps those who seek tuition from them. Students getting 80 per cent marks in SSC also engage tutors in HSC, from among those who are examiners or paper-setters. How can they expect to do the character-building?
KHALIQUE A. QURESHI
Karachi
PLEASE refer to the letter “Poverty and child labour” (Nov 18).
The writer has correctly pointed out that “merely banning child labour is not a wise solution to the serious problem of poverty, but as usual there is too much talk and no serious consideration for alternatives”.
However, it is important to add that if children cannot be taken out of work because they supplement family incomes, they can be compensated by making provision for their education and self-development opportunities.
The Sindh Education Foundation has made efforts in this regard by establishing a child development centre (CDC) in Sher Shah in March 2000. At present, as many as 212 working and street children are given education through audio-visual aids, computers and skill-based activity learning.
The centre is equipped with a facility for hot and cold showers. Outdoor visits to national monuments and historical sites are a regular activity arranged for the children enrolled. Health awareness classes are a part of the curriculum at the CDC. The children are also provided with medical treatment, in collaboration with the local rural health centre. Regular meetings are arranged to discuss the issues and matters related to the children, with their families and employers.
The CDC has successfully been running for the last three years and there has been a consistent rise in enrolments. The timings of the centre are very flexible (it is open for 12 hours a day), thus facilitating the attendance of working children.
Encouragingly, local employers of factories, auto workshops, powerlooms, shops and industries have been very cooperative. They often relax the workload and the timings so that the children can come to the centre.
The programme is fully funded by the Sindh Education Foundation. This year the SEF has started giving support to four more centres. It is requested that the government of Sindh consider these centers as models that can be replicated in other parts of the province.
GHAFFAR KHAN
Karachi
I AM resident of an LDA (Lahore Development Authority) scheme where a man comes daily to collect waste from houses. For this work, every house pays Rs30/40 a month. However, some residents are not willing to benefit from this facility and throw waste/garbage on nearby plots. Thus, for the fault of a few, the entire locality suffers terribly.
Once I gathered courage and wanted to know from my neighbour the reason for not using the facility, but I found him very rude and had to withdraw myself. It’s a pity that we do not agree even on keeping our locality clean.
M. NAZIR RANA
Lahore
IT is very sad that the police have taken no action against kidnappers who recently killed two children, namely seven-year-old Lakhmeer and 10-year-old Mujahid Khokher, in the Larkana city.
That our politicians and officials have not even sympathized with the relatives of the victims is deplorable, to say the least.
The crime rate has reached alarming proportions in the interior of Sindh and it is time the provincial government took stern action against anti-social elements and made efforts to ensure security of the people.
It is also necessary that the army launch an operation against kidnappers and dacoits rather than work in the civilian institutions.
GHULAM SHABIR BABAR
Karachi
THE government has completed its one year. According to the article 54(2) of the Constitution, the National Assembly shall meet for not less than 130 working days each year.
The government has completed the mandatory 130 days in the National Assembly, but has passed only two bills.
One cannot expect such poor performance from the elected government.
FAHAD SHAHZAD MEMON
Hyderabad
THIS has reference to an advertisement by the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), published in newspapers on the eve of World Science Day (Nov 10), regarding compilation and updating of a publication, National Register, which contains data about highly qualified scientists, engineers and doctors of Pakistan.
The PSF, which is a department of the ministry of science and technology, in its advertisement has requested highly qualified scientists, engineers and doctors in the country to send their particulars to help it in updating its directory, which was published in 1998.
While requesting all concerned, it has been mentioned that medical specialists holding FRCS and MRCP degrees should respond, both being foreign medical degrees. It is strange to note that a federal government department has ignored medical specialists holding FCPS/MCPS, MS, MPhil and other postgraduate medical degrees awarded by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and other reputable national universities and duly recognized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and other similar institutions.
At this stage, I have no intention to discuss merits and demerits of postgraduate medical degrees earned by doctors from abroad or in Pakistan, but it is on record that a large number of doctors with postgraduate medical degrees from Pakistan are serving the nation and abroad and are considered an authority in their relevant medical discipline. They also demand recognition and respect from public sector institutions, including the PSF.
It is highly desirable that the Pakistan Science Foundation review its selection criterion to include doctors having postgraduate medical qualifications from Pakistan in the forthcoming issue of National Register.
One wonders how serious a national organization like the PSF is in promoting science and technology in the country if its myopic vision even doesn’t recognize such scientists as possess higher national degrees from local institutions.
DR HASAN FAISAL
Editor, Pakistan Medical
Association Newsletter,
Rawalpindi
THIS is with reference to the letter “Kia car scam victims” (Nov 19) by National Accountability Bureau, Islamabad.
The directors of the Tawakkal group were apprehended a long time ago, their assets were seized and auctioned, they have paid a huge amount in terms of ‘fines’, and their Kia manufacturing unit (Naya Daur Motors) was sold off to the Dewan Group. The question is: what has exactly become of those financial gains by NAB (viv-a-vis Tawakkak and Naya Daur)?
For anyone to be punished so heavily means that their crimes have already been “proved”. So why is this delay now?
MOHAMMED SHAHZAD
Flushing, NY, USA
THE news-item titled “SHC orders police to recover couple” (Dawn, Nov 19) states that Advocate Imdad Awan represents the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). Mr Awan actually represents all the petitioners — the Aurat Foundation, Women’s Action Forum and HRCP.
The report also states that notices were issued to the Aurat Foundation and Women’s Action Forum. This is incorrect. Only the respondents are to be issued notices.
NADIA HAROON
Programme Coordinator,
HRCP,
Karachi
YOUR editorial “Going in circles” (Nov 12) gives the impression that it is so simple that you expect the government to be serious enough to carry the opposition along for the success of a skillfully- manoeuvred transitional process to put up a facade of democracy for the gullible world outside. Or you are a wishful thinker and expect the prime minister to be nonplussed to know that the opposition is planning rallies against the LFO but be overconfident to say, “They are welcome to do that”.
Can one in a rational frame of mind expect anything else from the humble follower of his boss, President Gen Musharraf, who is ordained to stay in uniform and in the President House at the same time?
You have also named the LFO as an albatross around the neck of the nation in the form of a quasi-civilian system, crafted by generals. However, you have omitted to mention the first albatross of over 100 serving and retired generals heading, for the first time, almost all government departments and public-sector organizations, besides key embassies.
As for the boycott of the speaker’s Iftar dinner by the opposition, what else could one expect in the current scenario? Your joyous expression over the National Assembly as a lame duck having completed the mandatory 130 days of sittings, noticeable though, negates any interest in celebrating the same as it has failed to do anything in the lawmaking sphere to substitute for the presidential ordinances.
A government, formed by a king’s party and emerging with magical skills of all kinds and manoeuvring tactics, has no time to address public issues, being totally chained by the LFO.
M. SALEEM CHAUDHRY
Karachi
WE have experimented different forms of government under different circumstances. At times, it was the political leadership that made democracy unworkable. Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are the victims of their incompetence. Sometimes, it is the interests of other states that disrupt it. Bhutto’s ouster is one of the examples. Gen Ziaul Haq out of his ambition for power decided against Junejo’s government in spite of the fact that at that time Junejo was popular.
The developing countries that rely on others (states and donor agencies) are hardly independent in decision-making. We are no exception. Does it mean that there is no future of democracy in Pakistan? Certainly, there is a future but it depends on how much we exploit our present circumstances. We must re-examine what we have not achieved and how we can do that.
Political parties reflect various shades of opinion. We have more parties than diverse opinions. From orthodox to liberal, from conservative to moderate, and from religious to secular, a mushroom growth of political parties has created a mess in society. The differences in ideology, agenda, attitude and operational style exist but cease to exist when leaders perform in a similar fashion.
There exists two attitudes to governance — to rule or to serve. When one is confined to personal interests, he opts to rule rather than to serve. When national interests stand prime, it is the attitude of service that dominates. It is a dilemma of our politics that politicians always remain busy to make people believe that they are making every effort in the service of the people but in reality, they are dominated by their pride. Those who are in opposition to the ruling party always take pleasure in criticizing the ruling party. Criticism is a healthy exercise but on issues. Our politicians have a different approach to it. Their success lies in creating crises. For them democracy is when they are in power. But when out of power, it is dictatorship. It is logical to fight for democracy.
Today, some leaders are concerned about democracy but how the parties function is not a matter of concern for them. Ms Bhutto is more authoritarian and less democrat as sitting in exile she dictates plans to her party, though the PPP leadership in Pakistan is equally competent to make important decisions. In the October election, she lost a win game. The party split up as a reaction to the decision from the top. In yesteryear the party had the national character. Today, it looks like an interest group. There is nothing wrong with the party. The wrong lies the way it is operated. This is true of other parties, with a slight difference.
It is common that politicians blame the military establishment for derailing democracy, but the people remain indifferent to this development and do not react. The question is, why don’t they? This is because politicians do not share power with the people and, therefore, their minds do not meet. Here is a lesson for the politicians — their strength lies in sharing power with the people and not in keeping them at a distance.
SOHAIL KHALID
Toba Tek Singh
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