2004: building a new Pakistan

Let the new year bring prosperity and happiness to all of Pakistan. Our forefathers, parents and now us and our children will chant the same request to God Almighty, but it has been said again and again that "God only helps those who help themselves". So truly and effectively adopted and enjoyed by the West and all the developed nations.

Pakistan needs to decide which way they want to go in terms of technology, science, education, social justice, freedom from the enemies of the state (covers all).

We have been independent since 1947 but today (after 56 years) we are still balancing on the equation if we will survive or get weakened/destroyed this year or the next.

Our education system has gone to the dogs, drugs are prevalent, politicians are corrupt or maybe the oxymoron of good politicians does not hold, the army is in the government, skilled manpower is outside the country (foreign returns have decreased by 40 per cent), professionals are doing very well in foreign countries, basic health is worse than for animals in developed countries, foreign investment is nil, immigration files to Canada, Australia are in excess of 500,000 and increasing every year. Why?

We have not done what a good business company would have done. Instead of complaining and debating the age-old chant of we must do something, the following are some suggestions that we need to put into effect. I hope someone in a decision-making position is reading this and can at least help Pakistan:

1. The ministry of production and commerce should make the industrial sector organized and efficient, increase outputs, sell off sick units, manufacture local components for Toyota, Honda, Suzuki and others.

2. The ministry of science and technology should get IT contracts in the West and set up channels to attract business. Learn from India. GE is saving $340 million per year by outsourcing to India. There are hundreds of such companies outsourcing now to India.

3. Get Middle East groups to invest in energy sector. Alternative energy like wind and solar must be pushed and made to be established in 2004. We have three different groups working on the same agenda in alternative energy at the government level.

Would the prime minister combine all and give a focus directed towards getting 10,000 MW in 2004 by using efficient alternative energy methods. This will immediately take load off hydro plants and the average person will also benefit.

4. Any other ideas by the professionals can be added. The political, religious, social issues will continue to be debated by politicians, armymen and other sectors, but do not help in any way. Some key ministries should be identified and pushed to get the initial major gains like the low-hanging fruit before the long-term actions can be put into shape.

We need to focus on only five major basic industries to be efficient and they will turn the economy around in a single year. We cannot afford to attack on all fronts as it is too humongous a task. We have to run Pakistan like a business corporation and results will come for sure. If we can build it, they will come.

OMER KIANI

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Deaths on the road

THIS was one of the news reports on the front page in the Dawn issue of Dec 31. The 18 security guards who were killed in a road accident off the National Highway were not only the employees of a private security agency but also the bread-winners of 18 families. With their death, ambitions and dreams of at least 100 living persons also died.

Speeding and irresponsible driving which often causes accidents in Pakistan cannot be ruled out in this case too. According to the news-item, one of the vehicles involved in the accident was on the wrong side of the road. Someone is, therefore, already there to take the blame.

However, being a regular commuter on the road where the accident has happened, I understand that this was something in waiting for quite some time. It was only a matter of luck that a major accident did not happen earlier.

This is a spot where the dual-carriage road converges into a single carriage. At the end of the dual carriage, part of the road heading towards the National Highway is badly damaged. Therefore, all vehicles coming from the Port Qasim invariably takes a diversion to avoid this damaged portion of the road.

While doing so they end up on the single carriage but on the wrong half of the road. It is then only drivers' judgment, a vehicle's speed and, above all, a matter of luck which help to avoid a head-on collision with the incoming traffic.

I understand that this road comes under the jurisdiction of the Port Qasim Authority. There is a good reason to believe that the PQA's senior managers also use this road daily on their way to work.

I do not want to blame anyone for this negligence or indifference to this situation but I would like the relevant authorities to take necessary steps to avoid a repeat.

MUHAMMAD RIAZ

CHAUDHRY, Karachi

Town planning issues

This refers to a report "Housing problem worsening" and an article "City planning is not a mere project", recently published in Dawn.

Housing and town planning in Pakistan is done only for the privileged (the rich and the powerful) and the poor are always neglected. Take the case of Gulberg in Lahore and sector F8 in Islamabad where everything has been done for the rich. In Gulberg, eight to 12-kanal plots were planned, with big boulevards. Similar was the case in Islamabad.

At present, I have noticed, our towns and cities are expanding haphazardly and unchecked. This is eroding the environment and the valuable agricultural land near our big towns and cities.

From the professional point of view, this trend should immediately be stopped and all the schemes should professionally be vetted, as is done all over the world. That is why when we go abroad we notice the orderly development which takes place there.

I have failed to understand why in Pakistan we do not treat town planning as a full-fledged profession as is considered in other countries such as the UK. When it comes to other professions, we blindly follow, mostly, the British system. Take our army, judicial system, civil service, railways, traffic, etc. I can go on and on.

But when it comes to town planning, why don't we follow the British system (the best in the world) or is it the case that town planners do not have enough power to stress their case as other services can do? If we follow even 20 per cent of what the UK does in this field, our towns and cities would look much orderly and be better places to live in for all the classes of society.

PROF AKHTAR KHAN

Lahore

'Peccavi' myth

This is with reference to the letter "Jewel in the crown show" (December 31) by Dr S. M. Ismail. Dr Ismail has made reference to Sir Charles Napier's legendary but apocryphal one-word message, "Peccavi" which he has supposed to have sent after the battle of Miani on Feb 17, 1843.

It seems this account has been accepted as an established historical fact, with different versions floating around. The most popular version is that Sir Charles Napier sent a one-word telegram to London, saying "peccavi". Dr Ismail has introduced us to yet another version.

The fact is that this never happened. Sir Charles Napier never sent any message to anyone in any form. Punch, a satirical magazine from London, published a cartoon, showing Sir Charles Napier riding stride the carnage of the battlefield of Miani, with "peccavi" coming out of his mouth, alluding to his personal greed and disapproval of the war at home.

This was a pun. However, it has metamorphozed into a legend and the myth has been perpetuated by dinner table conversations. For the record's sake, India did not have telegraph lines until 1870s.

In fact, discernible telegraphic communication started in 1844 in the US, after Samuel Morse transmitted his first message in May of that year, between Baltimore and Washington.

Also, the seat of the Company Bahadur's rule was Bombay, not Delhi at the time of the fall of Sindh. The Mughal emperor still ruled Delhi at that time. Delhi became the seat of colonial British government after moving from Kolkata in 1912. It was only after the unsuccessful 1857 war of liberation and exile of Bahadur Shah that the company occupied Delhi.

SAIFULLAH NIZAMANI

Worcester, MA, USA

Unemployed engineers

This refers to the letter "Unemployed engineers" (December 12) by Yousuf Malik. I agree with him that the majority of our talented engineers moves abroad just because they do not get their due respect in their homeland.

It is not just in technical fields that a lot of our talented youths get discouraged, but this menace also prevails in almost every aspect of our society. There is no room or no opportunity for what is ours.

Employers ask for a minimum of two or three years' experience. The question is: how can a fresh graduate have working experience?

If every employer follows the same criterion, how will young people get opportunities to prove their capabilities? Such conditions give birth to high unemployment and suicide rates.

Those who can do something for themselves move abroad and the others in frustration are left with no other choice but to either work with really less salaries wasting their talent and degrees or, worse, to adopt illegal means of living.

The most unfortunate part is that we have stopped appreciating and giving respect to what is ours, losing faith and confidence in our abilities. We would very eagerly buy something labelled "made in Korea" or even "India" than something labelled "made in Pakistan".

It is time the policymakers looked into this matter and took some initiative with the objective of utilizing our talents for the progress of the country.

SAMREEN RAZI

Karachi

The veil controversy

With reference to Mr Tahir Hassan's letter "The veil controversy & Muslim world" (December 29), I would like to add that it is equally inhuman, undemocratic and un-Islamic to force women to wear a veil as it is to forbid them from wearing a headdress.

In the constantly changing world, in order to stay adapted a culture must itself change, but at the same time it must preserve its basic values. Too much flexibility and a civilization will perish through loss of old values; too much constancy, and it will die for want of new ones.

As regards "hijab", it is wrongly interpreted as a headdress for the Muslim women. This is, in fact, traced back to the Quranic verse 33:53 meant for the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which specifies that men other than their close relatives should petition them "from behind a curtain".

Thus, hijab was a fixture and not an article of clothing, and the ruling did not prevent the wives from going out, though it did mean the petitioners must not accost them.

A second verse 33:59 is for the Prophet's wives and daughters and for the wives of the faithful generally, which says that they should "pull close to themselves part of their dresses" when in the presence of men from outside their family. The inclusion of the Prophet's wives in the second verse 33:59 confirms the fact that the verse 33:53 referred to something distinct from their dress.

The general nature of the wording leaves it to women's discretion exactly how to satisfy this requirement for modesty. About three or four generations later, this recommendations included veil and hijab in the sense of a style of dress. The practice was probably adopted from the Persians and the Byzantines after the expansion of Islam.

Verse 24:30 enjoins upon all the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not to display their charms in public beyond what may be decently apparent thereof.

The deliberate vagueness of this phrase is meant to allow for all the time-based changes. The pivotal clause in the above injunction is the demand addressed in identical terms to men, as well as to women, to "lower their gaze and be mindful of their chastity" and this determines the extent of what at any given time may legitimately be considered "decent" or "indecent" in a person's outward appearance. Lowering of gaze is not required if the women are veiled.

Thus, hijab means a screen and not a headdress as commonly misunderstood. The women's face is clearly excluded from the world "illa ma zahara minha". Therefore, the advice for women to be mindful of their chastity shows the wisdom behind the Quranic injunction.

FAQIR AHMED PARACHA

Peshawar

Autopsy of female bodies

This is with reference to the Supreme Court ruling (243 & 244/1993) that post-mortem examination of female dead bodies be performed by female doctors only (Dawn, December 27).

I am a male doctor. We examine women patients every day. We have many male gynaecologists who perform internal examinations and deliveries. Our former woman prime minister had a male gynaecologist.

Moreover, 90 per cent of general surgeons are male who operate upon female patients every day. The technicians in operation theatres are from both the genders.

If post-mortem examinations of females cannot be performed by male doctors, the male general surgeons and gynaecologists should also not be allowed to examine and operate on the female patients.

DR KHALID BUTT

Karachi

Attack on president

It was shocking to read about the suicide attack on the president on December 25, in which 16 people, both soldiers and civilians, were killed.

In an attempt to hunt the culprits, the identity of one of the attackers has been made public. I am afraid such identifications are quite meaningless. We are looking at the branches but forgetting the trunk.

The attackers - terrorists, extremists or by whatever name you condemn them - were mere instruments of those who have engineered this attack.

After the first successful ambush, destroying the second car behind the president, the occupants of the third car, sensing yet another ambush, cruised over the opposite lane and covered the president's right flank and died.

I pay tribute to these gallant security personnel travelling in the third car for their initiative, sense of responsibility and outstanding courage, far beyond the call of duty.

BRIG (RETD) A. S. NASIR

Karachi

Parking spaces

Many shopping plazas in Karachi, particularly Gulf Plaza in Clifton and Zainab Market in Saddar, have their own underground parking areas but these have been blocked off by the plaza administration with the result that people park on the roads causing rush and chaos.

One wonders why the government is refusing to take action and force the plaza owners to open up these parking areas to customers and shopkeepers.

DR SHIREEN MAJID

Karachi

Victory in Wellington

Congratulations to Pakistan for winning the Test series in New Zealand. If not for the rain, we would have won the first Test too. Nonetheless a good finish to a bad start for Pakistan Cricket in 2003.

It's good to see we have so many express bowlers at our disposal that even if someone gets injured for a few matches, we won't get into trouble. A good problem to have.

Also our batting finally come around. I am really happy with Yasser Hameed and Taufeeq Umar. Let's hope these youngsters take Pakistan back to the glory days of Imran Khan.

AQIL SIDDIQI

Via email

Widening the tax net

Reports from Central Board of Revenue high officials appear in the press from time to time, indicating their desire to widen the tax net in Pakistan. One such report was carried by Dawn on December 18.

The objective of the tax administration ought to be to raise taxes efficiently for the government. Making those who have high incomes pay taxes is a step that can help achieve this objective. This is the case in the US and other developed countries where high income is subjected to close scrutiny.

In contrast, in Pakistan ordinary small income groups are harassed by tax officials but rich and powerful people are allowed to evade taxes. Top politicians, bureaucrats and business magnates enjoy favourable treatment but small traders are subjected to tax investigations, surveys and other coercive methods.

To quote one example, Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister, evaded Rs420 million in income tax, and the Central Board of Revenue after legal proceedings determined that Rs420 million was payable. News items and statements appeared in the press, yet it is not known whether this amount was realized or not.

The CBR is requested to bring this discrimination to an end.

A. P. JAMES

Islamabad

Identity cards for expats

I have read two letters on the issue of computerized national identity cards on December 29 and 31 in your daily. My simple question to the relevant authorities is: what should I, a Pakistani who applied for a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis in August 2003, do in March 2004 when I would like to visit Pakistan without a valid NIC?

The new card has not been received so far and I wonder if I will be in a position to receive it by March 2004. This kind of efficiency speaks volumes about Nadra's working. The cut-off date of Jan 31, 2004, seems indeed beyond understanding.

The Nadra authorities must view the total picture and take some practical steps to solve this endless task, including that of the cut-off date and an alternative document that should be valid till one receives a new card.

ZIA UR RAHMAN

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Weddings

Attending a wedding function nowadays has become an unpleasant experience rather than a gesture of love and happiness.

This situation is very inconvenient for those who have to attend to their work or go to school early next morning. I request the Sindh chief minister and the governor to enforce a law to restrict the timings of wedding functions to midnight.

OWAIS PATEL

Karachi