| December 10, 2003 | Wednesday | Shawwal 15, 1424 |
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Cricket in Tauqir Zia’s stint
A question for Kofi Annan
LFO: a misplaced priority
Population explosion
Haj ballot
Fighting Aids
Savings schemes
Seeking refund
Western designs
Road in bad shape
Peshawar University’s ‘botanical garden’
IT is both comforting and amazing that Pakistan and India are now taking very logical, sound and unemotional steps and measures to improve relations. The view of a future, free, unified and independent Kashmir, with a non-religious constitution that protects people of all faith systems in the new Kashmir nation, will be welcome as well.
While Pakistan appears to have only 50,000 or so troops in Azad Kashmir, India, according to Pakistan’s official statements, has several times this number of troops, with a much larger geographic part of Kashmir on the Indian side. Since the bloody insurgency has caused many deaths and casualties on the Indian side of Kashmir, it is understandable that India, at this point of time in history, would have more troops on the Line of Control.
Patience and forbearance, without venomous stories in both the Pakistani and Indian press, remain the need of the hour. “Zionist” slurs and statements are not relevant to resolution of the Kashmir crisis, and the media has no need for spreading such slander in either nation, specially the press in Pakistan.
Peace is on its way, although slower than some would like, but much faster than I would have expected as an old Pakistan hand. President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee are both to be commended at this point in time. Thank you, both gentlemen. But be patient, one and all.
Currently, just opening roads in the Kashmir area to two-way travel between Azad Kashmir and occupied Kashmir is a simple but necessary basic first step. A transitional peacekeeping force may be necessary due to the armed terrorists mess to date, in which case both Pakistan and India will need goodwill with the world at large to raise a peacekeeping, neutral army to oversee what will be several years of “ongoing” unification of the now two separated parts of Kashmir.
GEORGE L. SINGLETON
Birmingham, Alabama, US
Islamabad has demonstrated to the world community that the diplomatic norms it advocates are above board, and that the be-all and end-all of its foreign policy is the promotion of peace and prosperity in the region.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Nov 25 warmly welcomed the ceasefire. He said he was encouraged by the recent efforts made by the two countries to build confidence in their relations and address their outstanding problems.
Notwithstanding these developments, Pakistan has justifiably reiterated its principled stand on Kashmir and it still holds the conviction that a durable and sustainable peace in the region is only possible after a pragmatic and viable Kashmir solution is discovered by the two countries.
The people in South Asia hope that the Indian premier will prudently take the Saarc forum as a means to pave the way for resumption of a composite dialogue to solve bilateral issues, including the problem of Kashmir.
S. Q. AFZAL RIZVI
Karachi
THE four long years of Tauqir Zia as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board kept our national sport in constant turmoil; captains, batsmen, bowlers, managers, coaches and selectors seemingly came and went at the drop of a hat and with little explanation. In return, all the public ever got was a litany of empty promises.
Pakistan has always had talent in surplus but individual star players are never enough to produce a strong cricketing team. One need look no further than the Australian cricket team to learn what is required to produce a match-winning side — determination, confidence, and firm team discipline. A key ingredient in achieving this high level of professionalism is the development of team spirit, in other words, a strong bond of solidarity among the players.
Zia’s first step ought to have been an attempt at stifling the ruinous egos that have bedevilled our national cricket side. But no real effort was made to build team solidarity and public spats between captains and players remained commonplace.
This was further exacerbated by bitter feuds between various members of the team’s administration, which were carried out in our daily newspapers. Zia’s magisterial style of management created a stultifying atmosphere at the Pakistan Cricket Board that became rife with sycophancy, favouritism and petty egotistic rivalries.
Upon taking office Tauqir Zia promised to create a World Cup winning team. Even if we overlook our side’s humiliation at the tournament, there is very little that Zia can genuinely claim to have achieved other than the fact that for the first time in Pakistan’s cricketing history a PCB chairman had a son, however briefly, in the national side.
Perhaps, the most damning indictment of Tauqir Zia is the fact that despite his many years in office our national cricket XI continues to stay in a prolonged state of flux. Following 48 months of Zia’s meddling and the continuous chopping and changing of players that ensued, we still do not have a regular team of 11.
Whatever Zia’s talents may be (after all, he did somehow achieve the high rank of lieutenant-general), as head of our leading sports body he proved to be singularly incompetent.
SHEHRYAR MAZARI
Karachi
ARTHUR Goldberg, US Supreme Court judge, once said, “Power not ruled by law is a menace.”
World War II was followed by the establishment of the United Nations whose primary purpose was to maintain peace and harmony among the countries of the world. The UN Security Council has 15 members, of which five (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) were thought to have a special peacekeeping role. However, the UN has failed inasmuch as maintaining peace in the world is concerned.
Since WWII the world has seen the US fight several wars for its own interests. During the Gulf war in 1991, Lawrence Korb, the assistant defence secretary, rightly stated: “If Kuwait grew carrots, we wouldn’t give a damn.” This says a lot about the US foreign policy.
The US has gradually been increasing its own power over the last many decades, at the expense of other nations by selfishly “policekeeping” for them, which has resulted in the creation of a unipolar (hegemony) world. Where does the UN stand after the US strike on Iraq?
President Bush has disregarded the authoritative power of the UN and failed to recognize that peacekeeping and policekeeping are the responsibility of the United Nations and not that of the United States. By stripping the UN of its authority, the US has once again flaunted its power and proved to the world that it is powerful enough to bypass the most important international organization on the planet.
If the UN cannot stand up to the US by defusing war or settle issues in Palestine and Kashmir, its existence is meaningless.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan himself once said: “No nation needs to face or fight alone the threats which this organization was established to defuse.”
My question to Mr Annan is, how is this organization defusing the threats imposed by the US over the past 50 years and why have issues such as Kashmir and Palestine not been resolved yet?
FRAYAN MAMA
Karachi
THIS is with regard to Mr Cheema’s concern (Dec 5) about the Legal Framework Order.
Pakistanis at this point should strive to alleviate poverty, improve education and health programmes for the masses, eradicate bigotry and intolerance and develop an identity that brings credit to the faith of the country. Instead, what is going on is this ridiculous display in the assemblies, which is making us a laughingstock of politically mature, tolerant and educated societies.
The past regimes, which included both civilian and military outfits, brought Pakistan to the brink of destruction: socially, morally and financially. The present rulers are diligently and honestly trying to lift Pakistan from the woes inflicted in a “traditional” democratic or ‘Islamic” environment. This is the first time that the press is free and the common man can engage in dialogue and demand accountability from the government, without getting slammed with serious charges.
Both Prime Minister Jamali and President Musharraf are doing an excellent job and, despite the rantings of a few washed-out politicians, Pakistan is moving, and for a change, in the right direction. Please do not wish for something that will once again put us in an abyss of darkness.
SANOBER Q. HAIDER
Princeton, USA
PAKISTAN’S population continues to grow at the rate of 2.8 per cent (as per UNFPA figures) — a rate that is highest in the region and enough to nullify any schemes for betterment that Pakistan may desperately be looking for.
It is fairly simple for anyone to see that unless we can grow our resources — jobs, industry, schools, hospitals, water, food and shelter — at a rate faster than that of our population, we may be only adding to our further underdevelopment.
How come the government does not effectively tackle this very fundamental problem? One answer could be that the government has no will and ability to do so.
Experts cite many reasons for our poor performance in controlling the population explosion. Cultural constraints, religious resistance, low literacy rate, irrelevant/misplaced expectations of men, not too freely available contraceptives and a uninterested government seem to stand out as the major causes.
It is time the government got its act together and did the needful to check the rapid population growth. The first step towards achieving this goal would be to educate all girls as only educated mothers can help make our country enlightened and the size of our population reasonable.
NAEEM SADIQ
Karachi
HAJ is one of the pillars of Islam. It is a must for every Muslim to perform it at least once in his/her lifetime provided he/she can financially afford it.
The government receives hundreds of thousands of applications every year. Many applicants are those who apply for the first time, but there are also many other applicants who have already performed Haj. When the balloting is carried out, many applications are rejected.
It is suggested that those applying for Haj pilgrimage for the first time get preference, and the balloting be done for the other category.
MRS FARAH TAHA IQBAL
Karachi
I NOTED the correspondence by Asghar Soomro on the subject of HIV/Aids (Dec 6) and am writing to support his call for more awareness and education concerning this dreadful disease.
However, I would like to add a note to his comments. The success of HIV in spreading, particularly in Africa and the West, is due to the ease with which it is transmitted sexually. While there are numbers of people who have been unwittingly infected, such as haemophiliacs and others who use blood products, the vast majority is infected by immoral sexual practices.
The difficulty for any education programme is that while the mind may be informed, the heart remains unchanged. Even those who know the facts are still prone to take the risk, and so the disease spreads.
Here in Britain, recent statistics show a 20 per cent rise in HIV/Aids, and this is despite a campaign for Aids awareness.
Is there a future significant risk to Pakistan? Certainly, unless men and women are changed from the inside out. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10v12).
STEPHEN BERRY
West Midlands, UK
THE attention of the authorities concerned, specially of the prime minister and the finance minister, is drawn to the numerous letters in these columns, particularly of Nov 14 and Dec 1, about the inconvenience caused to the senior citizens and security risks involved with the abrupt withdrawal of the facility of
purchase of savings instruments through the banking channel.
While the government is trying to be people-friendly, the withdrawal of the facility negates their resolve. For the safety of senior citizens, the government must allow the above facility to continue or come up with their clear policy through newspapers about the old and senior citizens who, unfortunately, believed in savings and investment in response to many government calls for investments in such schemes.
It may be mentioned that for the few who have exploited the schemes, all and everyone should not be punished indefinitely.
SIX SENIOR CITIZENS
Karachi
I PURCHASED a ticket for the South Africa-Pakistan cricket match scheduled for Karachi. Later, the itinerary for the series was changed, rendering my ticket useless.
The question is: when will I get my money back? The PCB has not addressed this issue yet.
MUHAMMAD ADNAN ALAVI
Karachi
TWO news items have appeared in the local press in quick succession: one relates to the recognition of the provisional government in Baghdad by Iran and the other relates to the US having second thoughts on taking the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council. These two developments are closely linked and may presage major developments in the Middle East, both good and disastrous.
What this means is that the US, in order to obtain support of the Shia community in Iraq, may start a rapprochement with Iran. This should be a welcome move in so far as Iran is concerned but, for Iraq in particular and for the Middle East in general, this is an ominous move.
Unwittingly, the US and the UK appear to be resorting to the dangerous game of sectarian politics which could result in a serious turmoil on sectarian lines in what was otherwise a peaceful co-existence of Shia and Sunni communities in Iraq.
Anyone who is deeply concerned at the destruction of Iraq and by implication other Arab countries can only hope that the two communities see this game and denounce it immediately.
Greater onus lies on Iran which has always been a beacon of strength against western designs in the Middle East in general and in Palestine in particular. Otherwise the perceived repercussions will envelope both Syria and Lebanon where a delicate balance among the various communities exists.
One can only pray and hope that the innocent and hapless inhabitants of these areas are spared additional and cruel consequences of this yet invisible but emerging game.
F. HASAN
Karachi
I WOULD like to draw the attention of the station commander and executive officer of the Rawalpindi cantonment area to the dilapidated condition of the road that runs through Chungi No.22 and leads to Dhanyal Air Base.
This road is full of ditches and remains submerged in muddy water and sewage. The pavements are broken. On both sides of the road, goat sellers are busy selling their animals and, thereby, creating an extremely unhygienic condition which may cause disease.
The staff concerned of the cantonment board have wilfully ignored this situation. The residents have often complained to the relevant cantonment staff for remedy, but in vain.
Should I hope that the station commander and the executive officer will pay a visit to the area and remedy the situation?
DR SHAH DIN RAFIQ
Rawalpindi
OVER the past weeks a campaign has been under way against the alleged destruction of a botanical garden at the University of Peshawar. The icing on this campaign cake was a piece by Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee “Wild as they come” (Nov 30).
To set the record straight, there is no botanical garden and there never was one. So, I was stunned by the opening lines of Mr Cowasjee’s column: “The hundred years old famed botanical garden of the Peshawar University campus is about to be destroyed.”
It is not clear whether these are words of Mr Cowasjee or Mr Adil Zareef, who initiated, and is spearheading this campaign of misinformation. I am sure Mr Cowasjee understands that when uncorroborated information becomes the basis of a piece by a highly credible and respectable person like him, it can, and has, caused serious concern and damage. I leave it to his good sense to decide how that damage can be undone.
Here are the facts: the proposed building will necessitate the cutting of 39 trees and plants, of which the most ‘precious’ is a magnolia, others being ‘saroo’ (25), ‘khatta’ (nine), ‘keekar’ (two), ‘pishonia’ (one) and mango (one).
During my three years of stewardship of this university, over 80,000 trees and plants have been planted on the campus. And discounting for losses, one can safely say that at least 50,000 of those are growing. The flora and greenery have noticeably improved, this is according to individuals who have known the university over the past years.
Recognizing that the university needs a proper botanical garden, it was decided to establish one, adequate land for it identified, PC-1 is being prepared and the university is committed to provide the funds. However, fortunately the HEC has also given a verbal assurance to provide the necessary resources. Regardless of the source of funding, the university is committed to have a world standard botanical garden. All this had been decided before the campaign. Why then the controversy?
To the best of my understanding, the primary drive for this is the need for the Sarhad Conservation Network (SCN) to become the standard-bearer of environmental causes; a laudable aim. However, in this case they have behaved unprofessionally by raising a false alarm and then attacking a straw man of their own quixotic and paranoid making.
It is a pleasure when citizens and civil society organizations demonstrate concern and interest in public institutions, and my complaint has been that there isn’t enough of that. But in this case the issue that the SCN took up and its self-righteous manner shows that this was motivated by the vested interest to further the SCN cause; and never mind the misinformation, the maligning and the damage to academic development.
PROF S. ZULFIQAR GILANI
Vice-Chancellor,
University of Peshawar, Peshawar
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