Musharraf’s Kashmir initiative

PRESIDENT Gen Pervez Musharraf’s statement (Dawn, Dec 19) that to resolve the Kashmir issue, Pakistan and India need to show flexibility and that Pakistan is ready to put aside the UNSC resolutions, passed by the consent of both the governments of India and Pakistan, for a fair, free and transparent plebiscite on Kashmir, must have shocked the people of Pakistan and Kashmir.

This move must also have surprised the National Assembly members, but more surprising is that the general, following Louis XIV’s dictum “I am the State”, gave up that well-established, nationally and internationally recognized and legally binding stance on Kashmir, without any dialogue, bargaining or getting any commitment in return from India or without obtaining any assurances from his mentor, President George Bush. This exposes the weak points of Gen Musharraf and failure of the foreign policy.

His offer to set aside Pakistan’s longstanding demand for a fair, free and transparent plebiscite under UN supervision was obviously welcomed by diplomatic and political circles in India and will certainly be approved by the Indian government as a major gain.

America, too, through a State Department spokesman, expressed its jubilation on the relinquishment of the plebiscite demand. What Gen Musharraf has said is akin to a “unilateral surrender” of our principled stand on Kashmir.

It seems that ever since 9/11 and after making this country a frontline state in the service of President Bush, the internal and external policies of Pakistan are made by the US, be that the tailoring of the 1973 Constitution, the non-functioning of parliament, the formation of the government and the cabinet and the image of the judiciary, besides the formulation of our foreign policy.

There are, therefore, reasons to believe that the general has made this statement under pressure from the Bush administration, under a scheme by way of an “important shift in policy” with a view to appeasing and softening the attitude of the Indian prime minister prior to his expected visit to Pakistan to personally attend the January Saarc summit at Islamabad.

The question is whether anyone has that much power or privilege to so easily ignore the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir, without taking the nation, parliament, the armed forces and the Kashmiris into confidence, and to go empty hands for a dialogue with India for the settlement of the core issue of Kashmir, if at all India readily agrees for a dialogue?

SYED IQBAL AHMAD

Karachi

PRESIDENT Musharraf’s offer of dropping the demand for a UN-mediated referendum on Kashmir so as to gain permanent peace and a state of safety free from fear and anxiety with India and for a permanent solution to the disputed territory amounts to a marriage of convenience.

This may lead to a temporary peace according to the requirements of the situation. However, as long as there is a feeling of injustice in the hearts of the inhabitants of Kashmir and they feel that they have been wronged, there will always be anger in the depths of their minds and they will rise against the state at the slightest provocation.

For permanent peace and tranquillity in the region, the Kashmiris must be given a chance to decide their own fate by direct voting of the electorate once and for all.

PROF (DR) ASLAM PIRACHA

Islamabad

Dhaka fall: lessons yet to be learnt

AS we observed the anniversary of the fall of Dhaka on Dec 16, one of the most shameful days in our nation’s brief history, there seemed to a lack of emphasis on the need to learn any lessons from this national tragedy. The Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report has not as yet been fully revealed, nor have any actions been taken to prevent any recurrence of such an incident.

The Pakistan movement owes its existence to the realization of the people of Bengal, with a substantial Muslim majority, to stand up for their rights and resist domination by the Hindu majority of the undivided India.

The movement gathered further momentum when men like Iqbal rose up in the Muslim majority areas and dreamed of Pakistan as a nation state. It was the leadership of Jinnah, a resident of Sindh, and the support of the people of East Bengal, the NWFP, Balochistan and Punjab that Pakistan finally emerged as a sovereign state.

The Muslims from the Muslim minority areas played a very crucial part, but they alone could not have achieved anything, nor were they the pioneers of the Pakistan movement, because the gallant Muslims of Bengal alone can claim that.

The Quaid-i-Azam wanted that a constitution be framed and Pakistan function as a modern, democratic welfare state, where the will of the people was supreme and all citizens of the state had equal rights, without any discrimination as to caste, creed or sex.

The separation of East Pakistan and its emergence as an independent Muslim nation, therefore, only lends credence to the ‘two-nation’ theory of which they, the people of Bengal, are the rightful authors. They separated because those at the helm of affairs hindered adoption of a constitution, rule of law and the democratic process — the majority was denied their rightful role.

The role of men like Niazi, Tikka Khan and Raheem was deplorable. The indiscriminate use of force in East Pakistan and refusal by Yahya to let the democratic process and rule of law take over was the cause for our nation’s humiliating military defeat and surrender in 1971. Had the judiciary of Pakistan not created this dreadful concept of “law of necessity” in the Maulvi Tamizuddin case, Pakistan would not have had to suffer the fate that befell this country on Dec 16, 1971.

The emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign independent democratic country, where the constitution is held in esteem and all state institutions are subordinate to it, is a realization of the dream of the Quaid-I-Azam and other founding fathers of the Muslim League which created Pakistan.

MALIK TARIQ ALI

Lahore

Bridging the digital divide

THE prime minister has rightly called for bridging the digital divide as a main concern at the recently-held world summit for information society in Geneva where recommendations coming from governments and civil societies the world over would largely shape the future roadmap of ICT (information and communication technology) policies.

Published on the occasion of the world summit on information society, the digital access index (DAI) will be a vital reference for governments, international development agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to assess national conditions in information and communications technology.

Countries are classified into one of four digital categories: high, upper, medium and low. Those in the upper category include nations from Central and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, Gulf states and emerging Latin American nations.

Many have used ICTs as a development enabler, and government policies have helped them reach an impressive level of ICT access. This includes major ICT projects such as the Dubai Internet City in the United Arab Emirates (the highest-ranked Arab nation in the DAI), the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia (the highest-ranked developing Asian nation) and the Cyber City in Mauritius (along with the Seychelles — the highest-ranked African nation).

Pakistan has an index of 0.24 compared to the highest-ranked Sweden 0.85. India 0.32, Bangladesh 0.18, Nepal 0.19, UAE 0.64, Qatar 0.55, Brunei Dar-es-salam 0.55, Malaysia 0.57 and Niger 0.04 at the bottom.

This index combines eight variables, covering five areas, to provide an overall country score. The areas are: availability of infrastructure, affordability of access, educational level, quality of ICT services and Internet usage. The results of the index shows the e-readiness of the country in question and will serve as a useful tool for tracking the future advancement of countries

It is hoped that the ministry of science and technology and the PTA will take note of this and devise such policies that will bridge the digital divide.

They should set up multi-purpose community centres over the length and breadth of the country rather than concentrating merely on high-sounding projects in urban centres such as call centres, commercial software development, hardware sales and networking and training of medical transcribers.

SHAHAB KHAN

Karachi

Moon-sighting controversy

THIS refers to the letter “Moon-sighting controversy” (Dec 16).

The sighting of the moon of Ramazan and Shawwal, as declared by the chairman of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, was absolutely correct, according to the astronomical and meteorological data and physical observation for the day; that is why the entire population of Pakistan, barring a few up north, accepted it.

We all know about the changing phases of the moon. A new moon is completely dark and invisible. After about 17-23 hours of the birth of a new moon, a thin crescent is visible to an observer on earth. It is the sighting of this crescent which starts the new Islamic month.

If the birth of the new moon occurs less than 15 hours before sunset, it will be sighted not before the next day after sunset at the age of (15 plus 24) 39 hours old, will appear quite thick, and will remain visible for a longer period in the sky. This does not mean that it is the second-day moon.

Furthermore, the thickness of the first-day crescent moon can vary in different locations owing to time difference. The visibility of a new moon by a naked eye is subject to many astronomical, meteorological, geographical and environmental factors.

Thus, the age of the moon at birth should be 17 to 23 hours, and separation from the sun should be 10 to 11 degrees, with suitable sky background, illumination depending on atmospheric temperature, pressure, humidity and the volume of particles suspended in space, and sufficient gap between sunset and moonset.

Moon-sighting by a scattered few, which is not supported by astronomical and meteorological data, should not be accepted as authentic.

It is high time our ‘Ulema astronomers and meteorologists’ developed a consensus about moon-sighting procedures and methods so as to avoid the kind of chaos and confusion created this year.

SOHAIL SULTAN

Karachi

Renovation of nazim’s secretariat

IT is heartening to note (Dec 8) that the long-awaited development of Hyderabad has started, with the beginning of the renovation of the city nazim’s secretariat.

The cost of office furniture and electronic goods (mentioned below) simply reflects the ‘superb’ taste of the relevant authorities for high standards they intend to maintain, as well as a ‘judicious’ use of the public money:

a. Five sofa sets Rs42,000

b. A seven-seater sofa set Rs32,000

c. A table Rs06,000

d. A refrigerator Rs862,500

e. Sixty office chairs etc Rs344,000

f. A carpet Rs101,549

g. Sound system Rs317,200

ALTAMASH MANZOOR H. KURESHI

Via email

‘Another fiendish act’

THIS refers to the editorial “Another fiendish act” (Dec 19).

The act of forcing an elderly woman councillor from the Sillanwali tehsil of Sargodha to parade naked through a bazaar by muscle men of the Kalaryar tribe is most shameful and condemnable. Not only was she forced to walk naked through the bazaar, she was also threatened with dire consequences if she did not withdraw the complaint lodged with the police.

It is being feared that the victim will be forced to withdraw the case by the culprits who happen to be quite influential people in the area.

It seems this society does not have any respect for women representatives, let alone the ordinary women. The claim of the president of Pakistan of protecting the rights of women seems hollow.

The tragic incident in Sillanwali will send a wrong massage to the parents of girl students whose schools and colleges are located far off their homes. Such parents will now think twice before sending their daughters to school, fearing something tragic may happen to their children.

The councillor’s tormentors must be given an exemplary punishment so that other potential tormentors should not think of indulging in such cruel acts.

BARKAT ISAMIL

Turbat

Religious tolerance

I AM both surprised and very happy to get the views and reactions of secular Pakistanis about the Peshawar Cantonment Board’s decision to demolish a residential compound that is inhabited by members of the Balmiki community.

In Europe, France is sending a very wrong signal across the world of zero tolerance about religion. Even Americans are much better when it comes to religious tolerance. The VHP/RSS should learn from this.

MILIND ERIE

Via email

Missile replicas

WE may be proud of our missiles but their replicas placed at roadsides and in the middle of many roundabouts in Islamabad and other cities of the country are simply eye-sores. They only convey the message that we are a war-mongering nation.

Thanks for removing the one from a roundabout of the F-10 sector of Islamabad. Keep it up and remove others as well.

RAIS A. KHAN

Islamabad

Freedom of the press

THE Human Rights Watch Report on the state of freedom of information and press in Pakistan should be pondered dispassionately by the government, instead of issuing empty rejoinders. We live neither in a closed country nor behind a fancied curtain. Our profession and deeds are under constraint watch by the world media.

The military government hurriedly promulgated a number of ordinances related to the press even before the induction of parliament. These were rejected by the accredited bodies representing the press.

Parliament as custodian of the people’s rights should consult the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society and the Federal Union of Journalists before passing them into laws.

The judiciary and parliament in their own interest should defend the freedom of the press, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution. The press alone defended the freedom and sanctity of parliament and judiciary in their hours of crisis.

SYED AFZAL HUSSAIN ZAIDI

Islamabad

US double standard

MR Bush, while narrating the capture of Saddam Hussein, mentioned that the former Iraqi dictator was a deceiver, dangerous for the world and has no regards for the United Nations.

But, then, the US administration deceived Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, Bush deceived the world about WMDs, the US killed countless people during its wars against Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. This year the US invaded Iraq without taking the UN into confidence and with total disregard to the policies of the UN.

Is he now justified in wanting to try Saddam Hussein as a war criminal?

SHAHID SALEM

Karachi

Remembering Bhagat Singh

THIS refers to the article “The chit from Ward 14” (Dec 13).

It was great to read a piece remembering the great Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh Shaheed. However, I am also forced to wonder simultaneously why one has to peer at the ‘corner second-storey window’ of the Government College’s New Hostel to do the needful.

Most of the details mentioned by the writer about Bhagat Singh happen to be correct. But this is not all there is to this great revolutionary and, in not mentioning some very important details about Bhagat, the writer is directly in keeping with the attitude of our government regarding what is ‘official’ history.

For Bhagat was a communist revolutionary above all else; and to be a communist in India of the British Raj in the 1920s and 1930s was to brave a lot of danger. He also happened to be the founder of the pioneering attempt at a secular, anti-nationalist, anti-imperialist front against the British (it was Bhagat Singh who gave us the passionate anti-imperialist slogan “Inqalab Zindabad” which was inclusive of all Indians whether Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis or Christians — an agenda which was not shared by the communal politics of Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah.

It is thus a blot on the leaders of pre-partition India that they could not save Bhagat from the gallows of the British empire, and throughout his life they looked at him with an attitude that can best be described as disgusting chauvinism.

But where the leaders of the pre-Partition India left off, the leaders of the modern technicolour Bollywood have picked up. For while he is ignored and disowned in post-colonial Pakistan, in neighbouring India we are witnessing the rehashing of Bhagat Singh as some kind of a post-modern poster-boy for the ‘new’ India in contravention of the principles Bhagat stood for. They understate the fact that he was a communist.

This shows that modern India is now suffering from an identity crisis in the wake of the saffronization of Indian society following the ascendancy of the BJP, so much so that they are repainting everyone in distorted fashion to suit the tastes of the international film market.

Perhaps our Punjabi nationalist lobby which takes so much pride in holding World Punjabi Conferences every year would do well to put away their nationalist pens for a while and seek to rescue this ‘son of the soil’ too from wanton commercialization and distortion.

No memorial exists today to mark the spot where Bhagat Singh was so heinously executed. There used to be a memorial to Bhagat on the Wagah border, which was destroyed in the 1965 horrible war between Pakistan and India — itself a horrible example of the catastrophe Bhagat sought to prevent — and never rebuilt by any succeeding Indian or Pakistani government.

Today the only ones to celebrate and remember the legacy of Bhagat in Pakistan are the tiny Communist Party of Pakistan, who hold an annual ‘Bhagat Singh Day’ to commemorate the day of his execution, not without justification; and some Punjabi nationalist outfits for their own chauvinistic reasons. This reflects a sad failure on the part of our government and people who have allowed the historical memory of this great revolutionary to languish in apathy.

RAZA NAEEM

Lahore