| December 6, 2003 | Saturday | Shawwal 11, 1424 |
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BJP’s election victory
Scarcity of 100-rupee notes
Illegal loudspeaker
In search of an equitable formula
Letter-boxes for Karachi
America and Saddam
Fighting Aids thru education
America and Saddam
Campaign against extortion
Tauqir Zia’s resignation
Sports blues
MA classes in colleges
Unlit bridge
A SLOW but steady progress for peace between India and Pakistan is most welcome, specially to the common people in the two countries. It is of utmost importance that the two governments take special care to ensure that the developments do not go off the track for any reason.
More difficult problems, including Kashmir, will be discussed in due course after proper background work is done. It is better to be late than never. The Indian prime minister’s visit to Pakistan can only help the process.
Even if the two governments are prepared to make some reciprocal compromises, they are powerless before negative public opinion. It is very important to educate the public in the two the countries and, to start with, point-scoring should stop to reduce confrontation between the two.
India must take steps to marginalize any extreme anti-Pakistan sentiments in any section of its population, and Pakistan must take corresponding actions, including revision of incorrect school and college books in so far as they are incorrectly anti-India.
After Kargil, India will trust Pakistan but will insist on verification of facts. In winter, infiltration of militants into Indian Kashmir is reduced, anyway. What matters is the activity in the spring and the summer of 2004. It is good that President Musharraf has once again banned some militant outfits, but steps should be taken to ensure that they do not resurface under other names at different addresses. Nor should they be allowed to use their infrastructure and resources in Pakistan. Some talks at senior level of both the governments can commence at the end of summer around September 2004 on all significant matters, including Kashmir, after necessary preparations.
The government of Pakistan and its media should not run much ahead of events to avoid unnecessary disappointments and reversal of progress. Any artificial momentum to generate talks will only hit buffers leading to recrimination at which the two governments are past masters.
It is the people who elect the rulers in India. The Indian general election is due by October 2004 and it is just not possible to conclude any discussions until after the election. In the meanwhile, it is better to keep developing business relationships for mutual benefit and goodwill.
VIPUL THAKORE
London, UK
WHILE the Bharatiya Janata Party is celebrating its unexpected victories in Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh while the Congress is still in shock, media analysts are already seeing red in the whole sweeping of the slate as something of a grand subversion of Indian democracy by new means of managing the age-old booth capturing tactics.
The cat was let out of the bag by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s pre-result advice on the night of Dec 3 that the party prepare for a general election, within less than a year and earlier than its statutory period having run its course.
A very seasoned analyst, Alaam Naqvi, the editor of Mumbai’s Urdu Times, in a front-page write-up, has openly advised his readers that the electronic voting machine is not foolproof. He writes that the prime minister’s hint of a mid-term general election, 12 hours before announcement of the results in the four states, has opened the conjectures about vote rigging a la Bush election in the US.
In any such possibility, the abject surrender of the Congress party to the dramatic loss of its three ruled states, and the “graceful” manner of its acceptance of the “sweep” of the BJP, where there was no sweep discernible before the election, raised further apprehensions about the whole democratic election being hijacked from the people of India.
For two days, while the TV channel anchors are grilling BJP leaders to confirm what the prime minister had openly voiced at the BJP parliamentary party meeting, one full day before the results, BJP representatives are finding it difficult to convince the people that there is no significance to the prime minister’s call for a snap general election.
In the event, the electronic voting machines and its vulnerability to manipulations will become the subject of much speculation and the people will feel cheated if there are strong possibilities of manipulating the machines to ensure convenient fixed results in the world’s largest democracy.
GHULAM MUHAMMED
Mumbai, India
THIS is to draw the attention of the State Bank governor to the hardship the general public is facing in day-to-day shopping. Whenever a 1,000-rupee note or a 500-rupee note is presented at stores, shopkeepers turn back the customers on the ground that they do not have 100-rupee notes for giving them the change.
It seems 100-rupee notes have disappeared in thin air. Until recently, soiled currency notes of this denomination were available, even though a source of infection. But now even the soiled 100-rupee notes have gone out of circulation.
The managing-director of the Banking Services Corporation, at a press conference on Oct 8, announced certain measures to ease the situation but these have proved futile, because of the lack of cooperation on the part of the government banks.
The hardship continues unabated because even the soiled 100-rupee notes have disappeared. Moreover, as per the SBP directive announced publicly, the commercial banks too are not getting new notes in exchange for the worn-out and decayed notes.
I suggest that the issuance of new notes to individuals at the SBP counter be discontinued forthwith as they sell these notes to the brokers sitting on the footpaths in Boulton Market for sale to the public at a premium. Instead, genuine persons should be directed, through public announcements, to go to the commercial banks of their area for the purpose. Moreover, the SBP should strictly enforce its directive issued to the commercial banks in this respect.
I appeal to the SBP governor to take immediate action in the matter.
GHOLAM HASNAIN
Karachi
RESIDENTS of Block 8, Clifton, Karachi, have since long been protesting against a loudspeaker that has illegally been installed at a block of flats in the area, next to the nullah that crosses Gizri Road near Submarine Chowk. The loudspeaker is connected to a nearby mosque.
The justification provided is that as the mosque does not have a minaret, that is a service being provided to the residents.
However, many of us do not see this illegal installation as a service. There are many mosques in the area, and we can clearly hear the call to prayer five times a day. We do not need one more reminder, virtually at our doorsteps.
We have been complaining to the Clifton Cantonment Board (July 1, 2002), and the Clifton Police Station (Nov 20, 2002) about it, but to no avail. Recently, the Clifton town police officer acknowledged that “this is a problem all
over Karachi”, and agreed
to take action when it was pointed out that just because an illegal action was widespread, it should be accepted passively.
No individual has the right to install a loudspeaker at a private location and violate the law in the name of religion. There are old people, students, and small children living here; some have health problems and find the loudspeaker in question a source of disturbance rather than religious inspiration.
We demand that the city authorities act immediately to remove this loudspeaker (and the others installed illegally), and thereby demonstrate their stated commitment to the rule of law.
AFFECTED RESIDENTS
Karachi
THE current formula for disbursement of funds to the provinces is based on the population.
Population Revenues received
Punjab 56% (74.5 m) 54% (Rs346bn)
Sindh 23% (30 m) 21% (Rs139bn)
NWFP 16% (21 m) 16% (Rs101bn)
Balochistan 5% (6.5 m) 9% (Rs55bn)
Total (132 m) (Rs641bn)
If the revenues were to be disbursed based on how much each province is generating, Sindh, with 23 per cent of the total population, would be getting the lion’s share, i.e. 66 per cent of the total revenues.
Of this 66 per cent, Karachi would gobble up 80 per cent as it alone generates 80 per cent of the revenues from Sindh. This means almost 50 per cent of the revenues generated by a country of 132 million people would be spent on only 13 million people or 10 per cent of the total population. This would not make a whole lot of sense, specially for a poor developing country like Pakistan.
In my opinion, the problem faced by Pakistan is the size of the pie not how the pie is cut. The pie size needs to be increased drastically at a very rapid rate. Year-on-year the revenue growth has been averaging only eight per cent, which is barely enough to maintain the status quo.
Instead of fighting to get a bigger share of a tiny pie, let us focus on how we can work to increase the pie size.
RAIS AHMED
Chino Hills, CA, USA
WITH reference to the report “Letter-boxes fewer than needed” Nov 17), it is submitted that letter-boxes in Karachi’s postal area number 672, and have not decreased over the years. Last year,
150 new letter-boxes were provided for replacement and new installation.
New letter-boxes are installed after a survey is carried out by the area superintendent of post offices and on request/ recommendation of public and people’s representatives.
As suggested, we will be increasing the number of letter-boxes in Karachi and also improving the arrangement for clearance of letter-boxes to provide a better service to the people.
SHAHID RAZA
Asstt. Director, PSD,
Karachi
RICHARD Perle, a leading Pentagon hawk who resigned as chairman of the Defence Policy Board of the Pentagon earlier this year but remained a member of the advisory board, recently delivered a speech that no major newspaper of America carried apparently because what he said did not please the defence secretary, other hawks of the Pentagon, the White House and the Zionist lobby-supported news media. In America, the term ‘major newspapers’ means media controlled by the Zionist lobby. That is how much free America’s free press is.
The Zionist lobby arrives at an agenda and imposes it on the administration and it then becomes the policy of the administration. In his speech, Perle, inter alia, said he had been calling for removal of Saddam Hussein since 1991. Just this claim by an important Pentagon official shows that the nation which is nowadays focused on what it calls international terrorism has for a long time been practising the same thing in the name of American interests, which are more often than not either Zionist interests or the interests of individuals or capitalist organizations.
America has perhaps the most efficient intelligence paraphernalia. That is its claim though flops have let it to incidents like the Pearl Harbour on Dec 7, 1941. Well, America could have ended Saddam’s regime even before Gulf War I ended. But it wanted him around to keep the rulers of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the leash, thus exploiting him as a potential threat to any of its members and for that purpose keep the American forces there and get paid for acting as their protectors and for its outdated weapons, etc.
Saddam Hussein went to war against Iran and made both countries suffer for eight years. He was lately considered a threat whether or not he was a threat in any serious sense, and Iraq was invaded to get control of its oil but in the name of his overthrow as ruler of Iraq. That is the standard of international morality in the hands of the sole superpower of the world.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news item “Aids can be stopped thru education” (Dec 1).
It is heartening to note that MMA parliamentarians are taking serious notice of this deadly disease. Although mere walks and seminars are not going to halt the spread of Aids in the country, it is not rational thinking to deny the importance of these activities inasmuch as they create awareness among the people.
A ghastlier aspect of this disease is that an individual having HIV/Aids is completely ostracized and marginalized by society. People choose to remain aloof.
As the whole continent of Africa is drifting swiftly into a Yama-like pit of HIV/ Aids, there is no doubt that South Asia, too, will be sucked in by this. The danger is clear and immediate.
As far as our society is concerned, it is by and large unaware of this monstrous disease. It is the duty of the government to set up rehabilitation centres for such patients. A comprehensive strategy to fight the disease is also needed. If the government is serious both in mitigating the suffering of Aids patients and in checking the disease, it has to make Aids drugs available at cheap prices.
ASGHAR SOOMRO
Karachi
RICHARD Perle, a leading Pentagon hawk who resigned as chairman of the Defence Policy Board of the Pentagon earlier this year but remained a member of the advisory board, recently delivered a speech that no major newspaper of America carried apparently because what he said did not please the defence secretary, other hawks of the Pentagon, the White House and the Zionist lobby-supported news media. In America, the term ‘major newspapers’ means media controlled by the Zionist lobby. That is how much free America’s free press is.
The Zionist lobby arrives at an agenda and imposes it on the administration and it then becomes the policy of the administration. In his speech, Perle, inter alia, said he had been calling for removal of Saddam Hussein since 1991. Just this claim by an important Pentagon official shows that the nation which is nowadays focused on what it calls international terrorism has for a long time been practising the same thing in the name of American interests, which are more often than not either Zionist interests or the interests of individuals or capitalist organizations.
America has perhaps the most efficient intelligence paraphernalia. That is its claim though flops have let it to incidents like the Pearl Harbour on Dec 7, 1941. Well, America could have ended Saddam’s regime even before Gulf War I ended. But it wanted him around to keep the rulers of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the leash, thus exploiting him as a potential threat to any of its members and for that purpose keep the American forces there and get paid for acting as their protectors and for its outdated weapons, etc.
Saddam Hussein went to war against Iran and made both countries suffer for eight years. He was lately considered a threat whether or not he was a threat in any serious sense, and Iraq was invaded to get control of its oil but in the name of his overthrow as ruler of Iraq. That is the standard of international morality in the hands of the sole superpower of the world.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
ACCORDING to a report published in your newspaper recently, the government and the Karachi nazim have issued warnings to extortionists after they both received a bunch of complaints about extortions from the public. Banners have also been put on view at various roundabouts against this unlawful activity.
Moreover, for public safety, section 144 of the CrPC remains imposed. The police department has been authorized to ensure action against those found guilty. Unfortunately, this department needs no introduction as is evident from the facts mentioned in Dawn’s editorial “Certifying unfit vehicles” (Nov 25).
The Sindh inspector-general of police has also advised his subordinates not to harass the motorists and scooterists in the name of checking relevant documents (Dawn, Nov 23).
But the ground reality is to the contrary. Even when the papers are in order, policemen feel no shame in asking for a few rupees. If these few rupees are not forthcoming, they change their minds immediately and hurl out threats to implicate the victim, who has no way out but to pay and go.
Both the nazim and the police boss of the province have proved ineffective in this regard. Let us wait and watch if someone stronger than these two government functionaries comes forward and helps the people out of the woods by ensuring fool-proof security from the extortionists and other criminals in society.
SULTAN ALI
Karachi
THE resignation of the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia, is bad news. The Pakistan cricket team, which has yet to rebuild itself, at present looks a much better side after beating Bangladesh, South Africa and now New Zealand.
Pakistan is to face the Indians early next year at home. No Pakistani could afford to see a repeat of what our team’s performance was against India in the last World Cup.
I, therefore, request the PCB patron to ensure that the team’s rebuilding process is not affected by the departure of Gen Zia.
ZAIN-UDDIN KHAN
Karachi
THE standard of sports in Pakistan has been deteriorating for some time. Among the recent debacles, the Pakistan hockey team lost to India three times in a row. Saleh of Pakistan lost to Advani of India in the World Snooker Championships. Pakistan’s junior cricket team lost to Indian juniors in the semi-final. In the Afro-Asian Games, concluded in India some time ago, India was second on the table of medals behind China while Pakistan, once the king of athletics in Asia, was nowhere near.
Pakistanis were known for their prowess in wrestling and “kabaddi” a few decades ago but now we are considered weaklings in these sports. Admittedly, this is a great disaster and a great tragedy. Who is responsible for this slide downhill — the federations or the government? Both, I would say.
Now, a surgical operation is needed. The government should disband the Pakistan Olympic Association, all the national federations and all the provincial associations forthwith and appoint ad-hoc committees. Fresh elections may be held within six months and nobody who has been any office-bearer of any federation/association previously should be allowed to contest.
Similarly, all sports boards should be disbanded and restructured. At present, they consume 70 per cent of their budget for non-sporting activities (salaries TA/DA,POL, etc.), when, in fact, they should be spending this amount on sportsmen and federations/associations.
It is hoped the government will take immediate action in the matter.
SAJJAD ALI
Lahore
WE, the graduate women students of Hyderabad, request the authorities concerned that MA classes in degree girls colleges be introduced, as is the practice in Punjab.
This arrangement, if made, will help girls to get their postgraduate education at the college level in such subjects as sociology, Islamic culture, Sindhi, Urdu and Islamic history.
At present, this facility is available to them only for three subjects, namely economics, English and Muslim history, in Zubeda Girls College.
NAFEESA BIBI
Hyderabad
WITH reference to Mr Khambatta’s plaint (Dec 5) regarding the absence of lighting on Karachi’s Kala Pul, I wish to inform him that this represents KESC’s sincere endeavour to preserve our culture, heritage and history. Lighting up the bridge will simply destroy the darkness that engulfs Kala Pul.
Surely, preservation of our heritage deserves serious thought and commendation.
HUMAYUN MIRZA
Morgantown, WV, USA
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