| December 27, 2003 | Saturday | Ziqa’ad 3, 1424 |
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‘The growing divide’
Need to expand library
Working of SAU
‘An emerging India’
Electricity bills
West’s bias against Pakistan
Rehabilitating the unfortunate
Battered roads of Karachi
Govt-MMA accord and democracy
THURSDAY’S bomb attacks in Rawalpindi were the fourth unsuccessful attempt on President Pervez Musharraf’s life since he took over after a coup on October 12, 1999. Foreign intelligence agencies have offered services to protect the life of the president, which indicates that despite claims of providing fool-proof security to the president, our law-enforcement agencies have failed to nab terrorists and prevent such incidents.
All the assassination attempts seem to have one thing in common, that is the apparent “security leak” about the president’s tour. Before attempting an assassination attempt on the president’s life, it seems terrorists take enough time to chalk out their plans and execute them. They can only execute their plans once they are absolutely sure about which route the president will take.
There is a need to revise the conventional security system under which VVIP movements are planned by the security agencies. The need of the hour is to install close circuit TV monitors on all the roads that may be used by the president, and strict surveillance should be made on all such routes a week ahead the president’s arrival and departure. The government should recruit additional security staff for this purpose and periodical joint exercises of trained armed forces’ commandos and the civilian security staff should be held from time to time.
Although a number of suspects were taken into custody for interrogation after an attempt was made in Rawalpindi by the terrorist on Dec 14, the question as to how the terrorist(s) managed to put a C4 explosive under the Chichi Jhanda bridge remains unanswered.
The chiefs of all law-enforcement agencies should devise such a plan making it a must for the security staff deputed on the president’s security duty to obtain “top security clearance”.
Security staff of below grade 17, deputed for the president’s security, should not be allowed to use their cell phones during any VVIP movement, and, instead, wherever deemed necessary, they should be provided with such wireless sets which can work only between the two points, so that low-level security staff cannot make or receive a telephone call through cell phones and get in touch with an extremist element while performing the president’s security duty.
There should also be a “periodical security clearance” that should be obtained from the top intelligence agencies for the lower-level security staff, who are normally deputed on the roads for the president’s security, in order to determine the state of mind of the individual security personnel who may have “undiscovered” links with the extremist elements, that may prove vital in preparing future travelling programmes of the president. The government should also make alternative travelling plans for the president and should ensure that helipads are constructed in all the big cities and close to the place wherever the president stays in any city. At least two helicopters should be made available at each helipad, so that in case the security staff foresees any possible risk, they should send the president by a helicopter.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
MR Irfan Hussein in his column “The growing divide” (December 23) has rightly pointed out the growing resentment against army officers acquiring more and more power, wealth, plots of land, etc. However, the problem is not merely due to the greed of a few (or many) individuals but the widely accepted, systematic and official creation of a privileged class.
It can be argued that those serving in the armed forces should receive greater rewards since they risk their lives in defending the country. Perhaps one should just look at the facts: we have not fought a formal war for 33 years and yet we continue to support five soldiers versus only two policemen per 1,000 citizens. Could a well-equipped and trained police force also not defend the country in the unlikely event of war?
As far as laying down one’s life is concerned, the total number of men and officers killed in all three previous wars put together is less than the number of policemen killed in Karachi alone over the last 10 years.
The problem is also not merely of officers grabbing plots of land; the official system of salaries and rewards is intrinsically corrupt. The inspector-general of the Punjab police commanding more men than three corps put together gets a monthly uniform allowance of Rs250, whilst an army second lieutenant is paid Rs1,250 per month as kit allowance (in addition to “disturbance pay” for being married, a batman allowance, etc.)
Armed forces personnel are also apparently taxed differently to us mere mortals and receive rent-free quarters, entertainment allowance, foreign allowance, ration allowance, pension, deferred pay, disturbance pay, conservancy allowance and leave encashment preparatory to retirement free of tax, according to an English daily’s report (March 23).
Mr Hussein’s article in the light of these facts puts to shame the widely held belief that better pay and conditions lead to less greed and corruption. The exact opposite seems to be the case with the highest paid group of public servants wanting more and more.
However, the obvious and ruthless unfairness and inequality in our society extends far beyond the army alone. The same issue of Dawn reports an over 20 per cent increase in the salaries of higher court judges from July 2003, following a 40 per cent increase in January 2002.
I applaud Mr Hussein’s efforts in pointing out the gross injustice and staggering inequalities in our society, but perhaps he should not confine his ire just to the groups with which he is not associated.
N. AHMED
Kidderminster, UK
I, ON behalf of the visitors of Allama Duadpota Library, Hyderabad, want to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the fact that being the only library in the city it is not fulfilling the needs of the visitors. The library has a small reading hall which can hardly accommodate 50 students while the number of regular visitors is above 100.
The problem becomes graver in the days of annual examinations. The students preparing for competitive examinations face a difficult situation. As there is no other library in the city, students of all age groups come here. This makes studying quite difficult in the library.
We have lodged our complaint with the librarian who says that funds for the provision of books has been sanctioned, but the treasury is not processing it.
It is the prime need of the hour that students of Hyderabad city should be provided with more space in the library so that they can prepare themselves well to compete in this fast-moving world. Separate reading halls should be built for the students preparing for CSS and PCS examinations.
We request the authorities to intervene in the matter and direct the treasury to disburse the sanctioned funds, so that the required action can be taken as soon as possible.
BURVO SINDHI
Hyderabad
OF late, the Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, has been in the news because its teachers, members of its senate and syndicate, and academicians connected with it have been peacefully protesting against the policies of the vice-chancellor, Dr Bashir Ahmed Chandio, which are having a negative impact on the university’s statutory bodies, teachers, students, as well as on the university’s resources.
As a result of his policies, the number of admissions has decreased from 1,600 to 200. The same is true of the academic staff whose number has gone down.
Moreover, staff development has not taken place during the last four years. On the contrary, appointments are made on the administration side on a contingency basis and without advertising the posts, which is violative of the law.
The syndicate has never been consulted on such matters even. No teacher is sent to do a PhD, so much so that even study leave is not granted to those teachers who were/are willing to do a PhD at their own cost.
The internal income has decreased whereas the expenditure on contingency has gone up unusually. No proper accounting has been maintained and, as such, the university senate on Oct 8 had to order a general audit of the income and expenditure accounts upto 2002-2003.
These are just a few examples of the mismanagement that has adversely affected the academic life and standard of the university.
With regard to research the university has not rendered any notable service.
It appears that the importance of quality education or its value has not been determined properly in our society. The task remains for us to plead for and do something positive to ensure the same.
ALI NAWAZ LAGHARI
President, Sindh Agriculture University Teachers’ Association, and 51 others, Tando Jam
THE op-ed “An Emerging India” by Mr Shahid Javed Burki was very good, not because it had plenty of praise for India but because it had a message for the people of the subcontinent.
My hometown is Bangalore and I have seen how public money spent on development has changed the city from a sleepy pensioner’s paradise to one of the global hot spots that court more IT professionals than Silicon Valley in California.
If Bangalore can achieve such wonders, why can’t Karachi, Colombo and Dhaka? The Saarc summit in January is a wonderful opportunity for the politicians of South Asia to bury their differences and work for human development.
And there must be more articles in reputed newspapers like yours to build public opinion in favour of development rather than in favour of destruction.
GOPI
Via email
THE Gulshan-i-Iqbal zonal office of the Karachi Electric Supply Company has launched a campaign for detecting theft of electricity. Its survey team checks the meters and the electric consumption load in the residential houses. In cases where the electric consumption is not found to be in accordance with the load, bills running into thousands of rupees are being sent to the consumers.
Every wise man uses electricity judiciously and, of course, keeping in view his financial resources. The bills for extra consumption, based on arbitrary assessment, are, therefore, unjustified. The aggrieved consumers, who are protesting against the unilateral decision, are not getting any relief from the Gulshan zonal office.
In order to meet the ends of justice and also to ensure transparency, all such bills may be reviewed by a committee comprising neutral electrical engineers and the area councillor. The aggrieved consumers may also be given an opportunity to present their point of view. Besides, pending final decision, the electricity connections of the affected consumers should not be cut off.
The managing-director of the KESC is requested to take appropriate steps urgently to save the consumers from this illegal financial burden.
PROF S. K. HASAN
Karachi
I was shocked to observe Reuters’s bias against Pakistan and Pakistani scientists.
On December 11, Reuters’ story entitled “A spoonful of cinnamon helps treat diabetes” written by Alison McCook, concealed the whole truth, doing injustice to the news-reading public.
The Reuters health writer chose not to mention the fact that the research on cinnamon-diabetes link was carried out at Peshawar by Pakistani scientists though it named the research journal that published the original report (Diabetes Care: Vol26-No12; Dec 2003) authored jointly by researchers Alam Khan, Mahpara Safdar, Mohammad Muzaffar Ali Khan, Khan Nawaz Khattak and Richard Anderson.
The journal Diabetes Care also acknowledged that the research project was “funded, in part, by the University Grants Commission [now Higher Education Commission]/NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.”
McCook’s report blanks out the contribution of Pakistani scientists and explains the whole study as if it was conducted solely by Dr Anderson in the United States.
It quotes, “The current findings suggest that a small amount of cinnamon can help protect diabetics from these and other potential complications of their condition, study author Dr. Richard A. Anderson of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Centre in Maryland.”
I had sent a report on the same research project to Dawn ScienceDotcom on Dec 8 and it was printed on Dec 13 (on page 11).
If the “gurus” of journalism find my complaint justified, they should advise Reuters to re-release the report with full facts so that the contribution of Pakistani researchers is duly acknowledged.
Aleem Ahmed
Via email
HOW to complain of the wrongful attitude of generosity in our society? Our people pass on alms to professional beggars and care a dime as to whether it would advance the social good or make for greater misery.
The spirit behind every generous charity should be to rehabilitate less fortunate people to a place of dignity in society, rather than preserve their status as parasites. With this aim in view, the givers would ensure that their alms make it to deserving cases.
Unfortunately, there is little such effort on the part of the alms-throwing kind people. Their alms mostly end up with professional beggars who have made the collection of charity their profession
and have no idea to rid themselves of begging at any stage of life.
More repulsively, they have started begging opposite banks, at bus-stands and in public transport.
Though generous in the context of “w” (to whom I give, where I give, what I give, why I give and how I give), I never like to pamper unfortunate beggars by blind alms. Being a tradition-bound society, there is little in sight to suggest that we can improve on our social good.
The need is to highlight in editorial comments the complexity of the issue of helping the beggars.
NOORULLAH KHAN
KHATTAK
Karak
THE Karachi city nazim has said the city government will complete the patchwork/repairing of all the roads in the metropolis ahead of the deadline set by President Musharraf.
Thank you Mr president for taking such a keen interest in the repairs of Karachi’s roads, and thank you Mr nazim for so promptly obeying the orders of the president.
But it is a matter of shame that the president had to intervene to get the job done. Is the president supposed to intervene in such matters? I have no doubt that the governor, the chief minister and the nazim are all very efficient people, but I fail to understand why they were unable to get this job done after the monsoon rains which wreaked havoc in Karachi. Was it the bureaucratic red tap or some other bacteria?
Can anyone explain?
M. SALIM KHAN
Karachi
THE agreement reached between the PML-Q and the MMA on amending the controversial clauses of the Legal Framework Order (LFO) on Dec 24 was described by President Gen Pervez Musharraf “as a success of democracy and victory for Pakistan.”
He has said democracy has won, and has pledged not to allow Pakistan’s progress and sovereignty to suffer.
Reacting to the government-MMA agreement, the PPP and the PML-N have vowed to oppose the constitutional amendment bill, and predicted more instability in the country as the ARD will never accept any individual to play with the Constitution.
Time will tell if democracy has won, as stated by the president, or will the military legitimize its hold over power through a proxy, as expressed by the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy. But one thing is clear, i.e., the LFO crisis between the government and the combined opposition is now over and the uncertainty that prevailed after the October 2002 election will also be over.
After the MMA’s support to the government and their pledge that they will neither support nor oppose President Musharraf’s election through the National and Provincial Assemblies, it becomes evident that the real opposition in the country will only be composed of two former ruling parties — the PPP and the PML-N.
The implications of MMA-PML-Q agreement on the LFO and the country’s future are not difficult to gauge. On the one hand the religious parties belonging to the MMA which were vehemently opposed to President Musharraf have compromised on their earlier stance, and on the other the pressure on the government from the opposition will receive a major setback.
The PPP and the PML-N will now have to decide how to play their role, particularly when their party leaders, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, have not been in the country for the past few years, and both the opposition parties see no chance of any major threat to the political status quo after the MMA-PML-Q agreement. Both the PPP and the PML-N must learn lessons from their past mistakes to prevent further marginalization in the country’s political scene.
President Musharraf’s claim that “democracy has won” must be tested. The most important challenge for the government will be to exercise maximum political tolerance, allow the media to play an independent role, and wind up the influence of non-political elements from policy-making and governmental institutions, who were inducted into various positions since the military coup.
Otherwise, history will just repeat itself and there will no difference between former President Ayub Khan’s system of indirect democracy, and President Musharraf’s hold over power by having the authority to dismiss the government.
The decision of President Musharraf to relinquish the post of chief of army staff before Dec 31, 2004, is a welcome sign for democracy, but the establishment of the National Security Council through an act of parliament will undermine the role of democratic institutions.
It is better if democracy is restored in letter and in spirit, and the sovereignty of parliament is ensured, along with the supremacy of civilian rule.
PROF MOONIS AHMAR
Karachi
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