| 15 January 2004 | Thursday | 22 Ziqa'ad 1424 |
Retired employees' ordeal
The teacher who died of hunger
Role of MMA
Umpiring
Senior citizens
Why people commit suicide
Training abroad
Repatriation issue
PMDC & doctors' registration
Reduction in penalties
Peace process
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The recent peace moves in Pakistan and India have created new opportunities for the two countries in a number of areas. Increased trade, cooperation in private and public sectors and social, cultural and political interaction are expected to be some of the dividends.
There is also a real time chance that the long-standing Kashmir issue may be settled. That will not be a mean achievement by any standards; it should eventually lead to drastic cuts in the defence spending (and possibly denuclearization). That would in turn save substantial amount of money for education and other important social sectors pathetically ignored so far, specially in Pakistan.
Another immediate benefit is being seen in the field of travel between the two socially and culturally entwined countries. Rail, road and air traffic has been restored. A ferry service may start soon between Karachi and Mumbai. It is contemplated to reopen the Khokhrapar-Monabao rail and road links that have remained closed for several decades. A number of people living on both sides of the border, in Sindh and Rajasthan, and also many others living in the urban areas, have been demanding since long to reopen these links, along with the Attari-Wahga check point.
While many see reopening of these link favourably, there is a large number of people in Sindh that strongly objects to it. Their main concern is that since there in no check on the illegal immigrants in the province, the opening of the Khokhrapar border will inundate it with a new wave of illegal aliens. They point out that the province is already home to millions of illegal immigrants that are a huge drain on the paltry resources and facilities that the people have access to. They are also seen responsible for jeopardizing the dismal law and order situation. The province is already in the crunch and can't afford any more population pressure.
These people are justifiably worried. They ask why the provincial and federal governments have not taken steps to repatriate millions of Afghans as was done so efficiently by the government in Punjab under UN-sponsored programmes? Why is it so easy for the people from other countries to get domicile certificates, national identity cards and passports? It is mentioned that such people travelling on Pakistani passports commit crimes abroad, bringing bad name to the country.
The government has not yet taken any measures to allay these genuine fears, nor has it consulted the local people and their leadership on the issue. Another decision seems to have been taken somewhere up north and is about to be imposed on the people down south like so many other decisions that affect the lives of the people.
The best course would be to take the people in confidence, and to work out a mechanism that would not allow foreigners to flout the system. It should make mandatory on all visitors to remain in Pakistan only as stipulated in their visas. Steps should also be taken to repatriate all illegal aliens, including the ones that have unlawfully acquired Pakistani documents.
AZIZ NAREJO
Corpus Christi, TX., USA
Retired employees' ordeal
The deposed prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, about a couple of months before the military takeover in 1999, had made a public statement that the pensions of retired employees who fell in the category of old pensioners would be readjusted in the then pay-scales, since their pay-scales were much too low at the time of their retirement, and the cost of living was killing them. Unfortunately, their fate still hangs in the balance.
The post-1999 state of affairs adversely hit the retiring employees as well. Their gratuity was reduced from 50 per cent to 25 per cent, interest on their provident fund was curtailed from 17 per cent to six per cent, and the 'year-wise' increase to determine the 'ceiling' of their pensions after 30 years of their service was withdrawn.
Besides, the value of their commuted pensions was minimized and its restoration to the pensioners after due course of time was dropped. The age-old benefit of lump sum encashment for unavailed earned leave for six months was done away with, and the interest to be accrued on the investment made by them in the national savings schemes was alarmingly decreased. Moreover, withholding tax was imposed on them, besides Zakat.
Now even the traditional benefit of pension intended to provide subsistence to the retiring employees is also likely to taken away.
In fact, such a decision has already been taken as appointments in government offices have begun to be made on a contract basis, devoid of all privileges and benefits of regular service, including pension.
Will the government be kind enough to restore all such privileges and benefits, keeping in view that the service-style in Canada, Britain, etc. cannot be adopted in Pakistan, because elderly people do not have social security in the country?
MIRZA GHULAM HAIDER
Multan
The teacher who died of hunger
The tragic death of Professor Jhakrani and his wife in Karachi reflects how fast our society is degenerating. This event has left many sensitive souls pierced to the heart with shame and guilt. How could this happen? No matter what people say about his isolated way of living, the unavoidable question is as to why people have stopped caring about one another.
The most troublesome aspect of this tragic incident is that Professor Jhakrani was a teacher who spent his whole life in educating people. Is this the way our society rewards those who struggle for spreading knowledge and enlightenment amongst people? It is time we started rethinking our value systems.
Misery and helplessness are shaking the very foundations of all our social institutions. The super-structures erected over the bodies and souls of helpless people will not last long if such a state of affairs continues. It is no use delivering high-sounded speeches at seminars and conferences while knowing that poverty has affected most of the people in this country.
The nightmare of poverty should make us wake up from our slumber. We should look at what is happening around us in the form of jobless masses, hungry and thirsty individuals, hands spread out for charity outside well supermarkets, shining automobiles and banks full of credit schemes.
It is indeed an irony that the very institutions people have served their whole lives fail to respond properly at the time of their retirement. If Professor Jhakrani had got his pension, he would not have faced such a terrible and shocking death. This state of affairs calls for an urgent measure to make sure that people belonging to educational institutions, who cannot earn money through any other means just because of their life-long commitments and self-respect, are taken care of at the time of their retirement through a well-ordered and prompt system of payment of pensions. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Z. H. BABER
Karachi
Role of MMA
Martin Luther King once said: "The day we see the truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die." Pakistan has been in search of its identity for 56 years but our executive has been oscillating between democracy and monolithic unity through totalitarian means since inception. The end result is that Pakistan has never experienced democracy, and allowed instead authoritarian rule to flourish in the name of military and civilian dictators under the doctrine of state necessity.
We are still far away from the ideals of the founding fathers who thought that the constitutional way was the right way. The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal proved to be a deus ex machina for General Musharraf. But the victory of de facto power over de jure sovereignty resulted in an embarrassment to the 'rule of law' and gave birth to a new era of alliance between the mullah and the military. The Seventeenth Amendment allows General Musharraf to stay in power under the legitimate umbrella of parliament by setting aside article 2-A (Objectives Resolution) of the Constitution, which is supposed to be the ground norm of the basic law as indicated in the Asma Jilani case.
The religious parties have followed the tradition of giving legitimacy to a military ruler under article 170-A of the Constitution as adopted during the reigns of General Yahya Khan and General Zia-ul-Haq, respectively. General Zia-ul-Haq said, "Constitution is a booklet. I can tear it off at any time."
But Pundit Nehru once remarked that "democracy should not be done but seen to be done as is true with justice".
DR. ALI BURHAN MUSTAFA
Rahim Yar Khan
Umpiring
Inter alia, Pakistanis are also proud of the umpiring of Aleem Dar. In the England-Sri Lanka Test match in December last, his talent was acclaimed at Kandy by Ian Botham, who, while commentating on the match, called it "one of the most brilliant umpiring in our modern times." Botham further said: "I am highly impressed by this young umpire. He is very confident and hardly makes any hasty decision."
This remark was made after Aleem declared English player Marcus Trescothic 'out caught bat/pad'. Those who know cricket will agree that this decision requires split-second observation and good ears to pick up the ball hitting the bat and then the pad, from a distance of nearly 22 yards.
FARROKH GOLWALLA
Karachi
Senior citizens
Senior citizens need an appropriate welfare package for their health, entertainment and subsistence. A good number of them who deserved some such concessions are no more with us. It seems our society is insensitive to the problems of senior citizens.
There are still many more, with deteriorating meagre means, poor health and unemployment, who are living a miserable life in the absence of homes/centres for the rehabilitation of elderly people.
The human rights activists and religious parties should organize rehabilitation centres for elderly people in each township, specially in the vicinity of mosques, to provide them with whatever they can for their basic needs.
Social welfare department of the government should consider providing the fol-lowing to affected senior citizens:
1. A 50 per cent travel concession and hotel accommodation on production of old age ID cards.
2. Government hospitals should allocate free beds and a rehabilitation ward to terminal patients.
3. The local government nazims should honour all elderly people during important national events by sending them invitation cards.
4. Those who are mentally fit may be involved as members in various committees on minimum honoraria.
5. Lastly, some of them may be offered Zakat to meet their basic needs.
BRIG (RETD) A. S. NASIR
Karachi
Why people commit suicide
Under the above headline, Mr S. Bukhari (January 8) observes that the apathy and insensitivity of the civil administration, intelligentsia and society towards the phenomenon of suicide is deplorable. It may be argued that these entities hold no sway over an individual's bent of mind.
Suicide is condemned by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and suicide attempts are punishable by law in several countries. However, various societies have praised suicidal acts. The Brahmans of India, for example, tolerate suicide, and the theoretically voluntary suicide of an Indian widow (suttee), now outlawed, was highly praised at one time. In ancient Greece, convicted criminals were permitted to take their own lives, but the Roman attitude toward suicide of slaves hardened, because it deprived their owners of valuable property.
The Japanese custom of hara-kiri was long practised as a ceremonial rite. Samurai were granted the privilege of punishing themselves in this way for wrongdoing. Buddhist monks and nuns have also committed sacrificial suicide by burning themselves alive as a form of social protest.
French sociologist Emile Durkheim believed that suicide rates are related to social integration, i.e. the degree to which an individual feels part of a larger group. People who attempt or complete suicide usually suffer from extreme emotional pain and distress and feel unable to cope with their problems. They are likely to suffer from mental illness, particularly severe depression, and to feel hopeless about the future.
The biology of the brain, genetics, psychological traits and social forces all can lead one to commit suicide. Although people commonly attribute suicide to external circumstances such as divorce, loss of a job, or failure in school, most experts believe these events are triggers rather than causes in themselves. It is a measure of the depth of feeling, for instance among Chechens, Kashmiris and Palestinians, such as anger, resentment and in some cases despair as a result of unfulfilled political motives.
According to Islamic tradition, he who gives his life for an Islamic cause will have his sins forgiven and a place reserved in paradise. For many years, suicide attacks on Israelis have been seen by some Palestinians as such acts of martyrdom. Neil Patrick, an analyst, Economic Intelligence Unit, London, has said the suicide blasts in Saudi Arabia last year showed that radicals will not be satisfied by the departure of US troops. "At bottom there is a desire to destabilize the kingdom and overthrow the Al Saud (ruling party)," he says.
PROFESSOR (DR) P. NASIR
Gujrat
Training abroad
The government has given very clear instructions on training abroad of government officials so that inappropriate people are not selected on the basis of favouritism and government money is not wasted on pleasure trips. The objective is that after training the country is benefited from the expertise of the official who returns from training.
Under the rules, a person who is either on the verge of retirement or is on employment under a short-term contract and whose qualifications and job assignment are not related to the field of his training is not allowed to proceed on training abroad.
As you are aware, the government has secured Japanese grant for "Greater Faisalabad Project" for improving the water supply and drainage system. Recognizing the significance of the project, a component of training has also been built in the overall grant to ensure that the project is executed on international standards with technical expertise during its term.
Unfortunately, Col (Retd) Ghias-ud-Din, the managing director of WASA/FDA, who is working on contract, on the basis of misinformation has got himself nominated for the training. It is contrary to the government practice and would also affect the project implementation in the true sense.
The colonel is working on contract and has already secured one extension in it. Some regular employee should have been nominated so that his expertise remains available for a couple of years with the department and he in turn could impart local training to other colleagues.
OFFICERS ASSOCIATION WASA/FDA,
Faisalabad
Repatriation issue
The 12th Saarc summit held recently in Islamabad was undoubtedly a leap forward. We are planning to have a 'composite dialogue' with India, as well as to strengthen trade, cultural, social and educational ties among the Saarc countries.
As a goodwill gesture, Pakistan has offered scholarships to students in Bangladesh. The Saarc countries are now expected to devise means and ways to foster better relations among themselves and help one another in whatever way they can. This spirit may help in re-writing a new history of South Asia if all member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation seriously follow it.
As announced, if all goes well, the 13th Saarc summit may be hosted by Bangladesh. The leaders of Pakistan and Bangladesh are requested to consider the longstanding issue of repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis. Help for their repatriation can be sought from the OIC/ICRC and the Saarc members.
In the words of Shakespeare, The miserable hath no other medicine but only hope. Let us not leave them in the lurch. It is sure to bring Pakistan and Bangladesh closer to each other.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
PMDC & doctors' registration
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) was constituted by the government of Pakistan under the PMDC Ordinance of 1962 as amended by an Act No.X of 1973. Its main function is to register undergraduate and post-graduate qualifications which are awarded by the recognized universities included in the various schedules appended to the ordinance.
However, the PMDC has been denying registration to doctors who have obtained the qualifications of MD and MS of Karachi University, though the same are included in the third schedule of the PMDC Ordinance. The holders of such degrees have suffered in their career because of illegal action of the council.
I was granted an MD degree by Karachi University after passing the examinations, as well as after the approval of the thesis. Subsequently, when I applied to the council for registration, the same has been denied in the last three years. The PMDC authorities could not give me any concrete reason for not registering my degree. I am not getting any job which is commensurate to my qualifications.
I am a poor doctor and cannot afford litigation against the council. I request the federal to intervene and rectify the wrong done to me by the council. If necessary, the government may appoint a commission of inquiry as provided in section 35 of the PMDC Ordinance.
AFFECTED DOCTOR
Karachi
Reduction in penalties
This refers to a news item appearing in Dawn (January 5) on the above subject. The report mentions a reduction in penalties up to 45 per cent, specially for 80 to 240sqyd plots. It is not clear whether this reduction will also apply to larger plots.
I request the Sindh governor and the chief controller of buildings, KBCA, to pass on this benefit to the owners of bigger plots also, say up to 1,000sqyd. Moreover, the report speaks of exorbitant rates of penalties. The need is to curtail them.
ABDUL QADIR
Karachi
Peace process
Pakistan and India have finally responded to the economic pressure being mounted by the rapid pace of globalization. Goldman Sachs, the biggest investment bank in United States, has projected that India in the next 20 years or so could become the world's third largest economy.
In order for India to achieve this goal, it has to make peace with Pakistan. And if Pakistan also wants to become a economically viable state, it has to do the same. Peace is the only option if we want to be part of"global village".
KHURRAM HANEEF
New Jersey, USA
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