| December 8, 2003 | Monday | Shawwal 13, 1424 |
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A PIA passenger’s complaint
Petrol pump explosion
Poverty alleviation package
Working for expatriates’ welfare
Loans against NSCs
Jobs for PML workers
Ad hocism in PCB
Road repairs
Education for all
IMF and the common citizen
AN interesting discussion is going on in these columns on the subject of the Urdu language. Some correspondents worry that Urdu may die out if we keep on mixing English words with Urdu (Nov 4). Others are trying to make it easy for writing it in English script.
In this respect, the poem by Mr. H. Catchpole is full of English humour and chauvinism (Nov 2). A rebuttal to this was presented in a letter on Nov 30.
A language has its origin in its vocal form and thus it has different sounds. Each language has some particular sounds which characterize it.
A language survives as long as it is used by a group of people for their vocal communication and dies the moment it is no more spoken. The writing only conserves the language in the archives but it does not keep it alive. To revive a dead language it is necessary to know how the language was spoken. Thus, Urdu will live as long as it is spoken by a group of people.
The letters in a language simply designate different sounds. The attribution of a sound to a letter is decided by the people who speak the language. English V is pronounced F in German and B in Spanish. Similarly, J is pronounced differently in these languages.
A language can be written in any script provided necessary changes and adaptations are made according to the requirements of the language concerned. That is exactly what we did with Arabo-Persian script to write Urdu. The same can be done with English (Roman) script.
Unfortunately, the main effort has been employed in the reverse. English-educated persons have been trying to adapt Urdu to write it with existing 26 letters in the English alphabet. The five z-sounding letters are presented by a single z. When different z-sounding Urdu letters are pronounced correctly, they give different sounds which is missed by an unaccustomed ear. This kind of Urdu (Roman Urdu) is neither Urdu nor English. It is rather Anglo-Urdu like the Anglo-Indian community in pre-partition India.
Hence, to write Urdu in English script as it is written in Urdu script (nastaliq), one has to define an appropriate alphabet in English letters and then apply the same writing rules as in nastaA’lyq. One simple proposition (Dawn, Magazine, Nov 17, 2002, and Feb 9, 2003) is:
A b p t T c j CH H KH d D Z r R z z’ s SH S ZD TO ZO A’ GH f q k g l m n w h hh a’ y ey
Besides, there are some special letters of Sanskrit origin such as bh where b and h are pronounced together as a single letter. They are: bh ph th Th jh CHh dh Dh Rh kh gh
With this Urdu alphabet, Pakistan, in English text, will be written as pAkistAn in Urdu text. Similarly, a verse of GHAlib in Roman script equivalent to Urdu script will be:
hjwm A’Am myn rKHsAr yAr key bwsey mry ngAh ney nZOryN bCHA bCHA key lyey
Any Urdu-speaking person will add proper diacritical signs when reading this verse. In Roman script, instead of these signs, one uses vowels and the above-mentioned verse phonetically becomes:
hojWm-e-A’Am meyN ruKHsAr-e-yAr key bwsey mery nigAh ney naZOreyN baCHA baCHA key liyey
In an English text, only those Urdu words should be used which are commonly spoken and written in English. If an Urdu text is written in English script, it should be written as it is written in nastaA’lyq. Thus, Urdu in English script will be the same Urdu as it is in nastaA’lyq and not an Anglo-Urdu.
MUHAMMAD AHSAN KHAN
Strasbourg, France
WE had a wonderful opportunity to perform Umra and offer prayers at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah during the last week of Ramazan. Of course, there were physical constraints imposed by the overwhelming environment — the presence of lakhs of pilgrims on the occasion — but it was all very satisfying.
The only thing that hurt us was the treatment meted out to us by our own airline. It started with our attempts for return journey confirmation. It is difficult to get to PIA functionaries and nearly impossible to expect a helpful attitude since each one of them is busy doing something “special” for a passenger with “connections”.
You are asked repeatedly to come six hours before the flight time at the Haj terminal but we realized, after waiting without anybody to guide us for more than three hours, that they would appear only two-and-a-half hours before the flight time and, actually, start work half an hour later. In the meantime, hundreds of passengers, in trying to reach one entry gate, had formed 10 different lines, all for the same one gate. We kept on hoping that somebody from PIA would come and control the crowd but to no avail. After that, with PIA functionaries not in sight, one can imagine what the consequences could be.
By contrast, there were quite a few other flights at the same time, with normal rush but totally disciplined. There were Sudanese, Malaysians and even Pakistanis with Saudi personnel ensuring proper queues. We were put to shame, just because PIA personnel were only interested in their “own” passengers.
Not one PIA functionary cared for the safety or welfare of the passengers and the result was that both my wife and myself were pushed down and trampled.
The flight (PK7522) was supposed to leave at 1115pm on Nov 26. It left two hours late. It did not end there. The cabin crew on this flight showed no concern for the elderly or the very young.
One airhostess repeatedly asked a young mother with a very small child to “wait” for the bassinet. It never arrived even after three-and-a half hours of the flight. You could not complain. There was simply no one to listen to you. There was no water (I really mean no water to drink) just one hour after take-off. Can you expect this treatment to paying passengers anywhere in the world?
AAZA
Karachi
THE Consumer Protection Council of Helpline Trust has drawn the attention of the relevant government agencies to the explosion at a CNG filling station in Defence in which 17 people were wounded. One is fortunate that the petrol station was not located in a congested area, otherwise the situation would have been more disastrous.
Residents of the area had drawn the attention of the administrator of DHA and other departments concerned to the dangers of such stations in residential areas and had objected and protested strongly when the station was being constructed, but in vain.
The real cause(s) of the explosion are still murky, with fingers of accusations and responsibilities pointing in all directions, but one thing that is very clear is that a potential danger exists and those involved in the supply of CNG must exercise extreme caution.
There has been an unchecked, mushroom growth of CNG kit providers all over the country. According to our investigations, many of the kits and tanks being installed in vehicles, are not observing the safety standards and are using second-hand, reconditioned, substandard kits and tanks.
As such, it is the responsibility and obligation of the government and the companies providing CNG facilities to ensure that the CNG pumps are not located in congested areas, are easily accessible to fire-engines and ambulances in case of an accident, adequate fire-fighting equipment are installed in the station and CNG kits installed in vehicles that come for filling are according to the safety standards prescribed by the government.
It is also the responsibility of vehicle owners using CNG kits, in their own interest and for the safety of their families, to ensure that the garages providing CNG kits are using the proper equipment and are of good quality and that the mechanics are technically qualified to install the kits.
THE HELPLINE TRUST
Karachi
A GOVERNMENT is supposed to look after the welfare of its people as parents look after their children’s, but in our case a handful of people belonging to the ruling elite appropriate the nation’s wealth and resources for maintaining their life of luxury. This deprives the masses of benefits, ever pushing them down into the abyss of poverty.
It’s now the lawmakers who must come to the rescue of the people and give them a genuine poverty alleviation package to protect them against the a host of taxes. To start with, the following facilities should be provided free of cost, or be discussed in parliament, because there is hardly any justification for penalizing the common man financially:
1. CNIC: Nadra keeps on asking people to get their computerized national identity cards ready before Dec 31, because the old ones would expire. This is arbitrary. Also, charging of any payment for the issuance of an CNIC is tantamount to a “direct tax” on the people. The motive behind this is nothing but to extort money to enjoy with by a particular segment of society. While every citizen has the right to have a CNIC free of cost or else we presume it is a price to live in our own country. Besides, the CNIC has no benefits or welfare aspect attached to it.
2. TV licence fee: PTV is earning enough through ads. Since all the overhead expenses and taxes are charged to selling, and paid by the consumers, there is no justification for the TV licence fee.
3. CLI facility: The PTCL is already charging a heavy line rent. It is obligatory on the PTCL to provide maximum facilities to its customers. Charging of rent on two counts with one facility is not justified. The authorities should withdraw charging extra payment for CLI.
I suggest that the members of both the ruling and opposition parties sit together, examine the financial impact of any tax before its implementation, as each lawmaker is answerable to the nation.
TAJ MUHAMMAD
Karachi
PAKISTANI expatriates have become a valuable source of foreign exchange for Pakistan. This letter is being written in the hope that additional earnings can accrue.
The white-collar expatriates employed with the governments of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and large companies receive pensions or gratuities on retirement. The terms of employment may, in some cases, be such that, besides pension, gratuity may be paid at the rate of one month’s last pay drawn for every year of service.
However, some governments and companies employ expatriates on contracts which are renewable every year. Some of these contracts may not have the clause for gratuity. Even if no gratuity clause is in a contract, the government or the company may pay the gratuity as a mark of appreciation of loyal and efficient services rendered. In some cases where there is no gratuity clause in a contract, no gratuity may be paid even if the expatriate has served for 10 or more years.
The minister for labour and overseas employment, Abdus Sattar Lalika, has earned kudos for using his talent to get from some GCC governments demands for additional manpower from Pakistan. The recent desire of the government of Malaysia for 200,000 workers from Pakistan received by him as a result of his efforts is certainly praiseworthy.
The minister is requested to use his good offices to persuade all GCC governments to be so generous as to pay expatriates who have served them or their large companies for 10 years or more gratuities at the rate of one month’s last pay when they leave their jobs or when they retire. He will earn gratitude from the families of such expatriates.
The Pakistan government, too, will benefit by receiving a continuing flow of additional foreign exchange as people keep returning from their jobs in the GCC countries day after day.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
THIS refers to the circulars issued by the National Savings Centre and the State Bank of Pakistan on June 16, stating that henceforth the holders of national savings certificates (NSCs) could not pledge their holdings as security against loans or financial benefits.
This bears no logic though the certificates are being issued only by the government, whereas in the past all the authorized banks were supposed to exercise their powers likewise without any restrictions.
Additionally, the return on the NSCs is now made to only six per cent as against 16
per cent applicable two years ago.
In this context Pak Denim had filed a suit in a court and there was a publication in Dawn of Nov 29 that the Sindh High Court has immediately suspended the inordinate circulars referred to above till further orders. There is all likelihood for a favourable final decision in the near future against the circulars.
It was understood that those who have invested in national savings schemes were optimistic about getting financial facilities whenever needed, but surprisingly made it inapplicable prior to its suspension by the Sindh High Court.
It would be appropriate for those involved in this circle not to sit mum, otherwise the ministry concerned would have no hesitation to even slash the rates of return already printed on the reverse of NSCs, whenever they deem feasible.
Ultimately, keeping in view the preliminary steps taken by the high court, it would be in order to annul the circulars, referred to above, accordingly.
MRS AMINA SULTAN
Karachi
THIS refers to the news-item “PML workers to have quota in government jobs, says Mahar” (Dec 5). It is surprising to read such views expressed by the Sindh chief minister.
It is quite unfortunate that government jobs have always been given to workers of the party which is in power. The political affiliation of a person is given preference over his aptitude and capabilities. No wonder that the government departments are not able to perform their duties efficiently.
As long as jobs are not given on merit, our nation can’t progress.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Karachi
WITH the departure of Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia, the coveted post of chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board will be filled by a nominee of the PCB patron, the president of Pakistan.
I suggest that whoever is entrusted with this assignment should be given a mandate to eliminate ad hocism from the cricket body by framing its constitution in a specified time-frame.
This nation has had enough of autocratic handling of its cricket affairs. It is time the PCB was run through collective wisdom.
BRIG (R) SALAH-UD-DIN
Karachi
I AM grateful to the Karachi nazim and the Jamshed Town nazim for the repair of the roads in Mahmoodabad, which are now in an excellent condition. Now precious time is saved and the people are relieved.
When the roads were in a dilapidated condition, a few minutes’ journey took 30 or more minutes. Due to diversion of traffic towards the Karachi Administration Society, the people faced great difficulties.
I am sure the cost on account of vehicle maintenance will go down. The installation of streetlights is also a positive step. I hope proper maintenance of the roads and lights, as and when needed, will be carried out promptly so that these remain in good condition.
There is, however, one aspect which needs attention. Roads have been occupied by garage owners, vendors and hoteliers, causing hurdle in the traffic flow. Timely action should be taken in this regard.
SOHAIL AHMAD SAQIB
Karachi
THIS week two reports appeared in your newspaper, quoting government officials claiming enrolment of all primary-age children in schools and elimination of the gender disparity by 2015.
While Unesco has blamed Pakistan for its failure to allocate the required funds for education, the education secretary claims that Pakistan will achieve a literacy rate of 84 per cent by 2015. Who will believe this tall claim in the absence of a sound education policy?
SALMA JAFRY
Karachi
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