| 22 February 2004 | Sunday | 01 Muharram 1425 |
American military tribunals
Tribute to Dr Marouf Al Dwalibi
Merging two degrees
Edhi's number
Military and civilian domains
History books
A family's ordeal
What India should do
N-scientists
An oft-repeated resolve
Harassment of visa seekers
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In the article "The nuclear question" (February 7) by A. Rashid, it is argued that nuclearization is a luxury which a poor country like Pakistan cannot afford. True, but why was it required? Because a) Pakistan got dismembered by India in 1971; b) India detonated its first nuclear device in 1974, when their poverty level and economy were much worse than ours. Not only that, India's first premier Pandit Nehru had talked as early as 1948 about acquiring nuclear power. He, more than anyone else, was also responsible for annexing Kashmir.
Freedom has no price. By working hard and following the right policies like India, we can improve our economy and make our nukes more affordable.
Another irrefutable indicator of Pakistan's good intentions is the fact that it has for many years been offering to sign a no-war pact with India, but the latter has always refused. Now, given the thaw between the two and the greatly improved Sino-Indian relations, it is suggested that both Pakistan and China offer a no-war pact to India, which it would be wise to accept.
As regards nuclear proliferation, the concentrated focus on Pakistan is unfair. Several western commentators had decried Anglo-US help to Saddam Hussein during the 1980s to manufacture biological and chemical weapons. However, the respective governments and a biased western media never talk about it.
Israel flouts all laws and conventions at will. It also has 200 or more undeclared warheads and had fooled the inspectors visiting its Dimona nuclear reactor by setting up a false control panel.
During Serbia's unspeakable genocide in Kosovo, when nearly every country was supportive of Nato air strikes on Belgrade, an interesting development occurred. A news report from Moscow revealed: "Hundreds of Russian volunteers are already in Serbia, thousands are en route and several thousand more are prepared to follow. Not only former paratroopers and officers, but also generals and commanders of military districts say they are prepared to defend Serbia," (Dawn, May 9, 1999).
Thus, if the Russians could wage their own "jihad" in defiance of world opinion and all norms of justice, why is there such an outcry if the Muslims do something for their own defence? If a few scientists thought that they could help deflect pressure from Pakistan by assisting some countries to go nuclear, that is understandable, but it is regrettable some individual(s) also chose to make money out of it.
Finally, one would earnestly appeal to all our leaders and politicians not to use the current crisis to settle old scores because there is too much at stake. President Musharraf too should be more sensitive to public opinion by not going overboard in trying to please America. Also, our religious leaders are reminded of the prophetic saying about not going to extremes in making friends or enemies because a friend can some day become an enemy and an enemy a friend.
This should be apparent from the first Afghan war, vis-a-vis Russia, America and the Muslims. A new book by the previous Indian army chief envisages a scenario where, by 2017, India becomes a superpower and, along with Russia, China and Vietnam, takes on the nuclear axis of Pakistan and the US. A couple of years back the US think-tank, The Heritage Foundation, had expressed the fear that some day India might turn its guns upon the US. From experience one can say that most Americans are good people and we should not alienate them.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
American military tribunals
A US military lawyer, Marine Corps Major Michael Mori, representing an Australian national, David Hicks, has said that the military tribunals created to try 9/11 suspects are unfair and unable to serve justice. Mr Hicks was captured by US troops in late 2001 in Afghanistan where he was fighting along with Taliban troops and is now held in the capacity of an "enemy combatant," along with some 660 foreign terror suspects, at the US naval base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The comments have come as the US National Council of Churches says the Pentagon has rebuffed its request to visit the detainees.
US Defence Department official Jeffrey Starr has said that access to detainees "is only provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross and, on a case-by-case basis, to government officials for legitimate government purposes."
US President George W. Bush has declared six such inmates, including Hicks, eligible to be tried by military tribunals, which existed in the United States during World War II and were reinstated in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to try terrorism suspects. The Bush administration's executive order provides for military tribunals to prosecute non-citizens charged with terrorism.
Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has remarked that our first priority is not to prosecute them (the Guantanamo Bay detainees) and punish them like they stole cars or something...rather, it was to get intelligence from them about the terrorist networks that they were a part of (and) prevent future attacks. The US government insists that, as "enemy combatants," the Guantanamo Bay detainees can be held and interrogated indefinitely without any legal representation.
The military tribunals or commissions were "created and controlled by those with a vested interest only in convictions. The reality is, we wouldn't tolerate these rules if they were applied to US citizens," says a US military attorney.
DR P. NASIR
Gujrat
Tribute to Dr Marouf Al Dwalibi
The recent death of Dr Marouf Al Dwalibi, a former prime minister of Syria, a former adviser to the Saudi monarch and a former president of the World Muslim Congress, will be mourned all over the Muslim world. A renowned Islamic scholar and jurist, a propagator of Islamic solidarity worldwide and a statesman of the highest calibre, Dr Dwalibi was a devoted friend of Pakistan and visited it a number of times in the 1980s. He also visited Moscow to persuade the Soviet leadership to wind down the war in Afghanistan.
Born in Syria in 1909, Dr Dwalibi was educated at the best educational establishments in Syria and specialized in law and jurisprudence. He obtained PhD in law from the Sorbonne University in Paris and gained renown for his knowledge and studies in the Shariah.
Elected to the Syrian parliament from Halab City in 1947, he served as a minister in the Syrian cabinet for a number of years. As foreign minister he played a dynamic role in promoting Arab interests, especially in the ending of foreign mandates on Arab countries imposed after World War I and the gobbling up of the Ottoman Empire by the European victors.
In UN fora, Syria as a member of the UN Security Council, represented by an astute and able diplomat, Faris al Khoury, played an important role in the emancipation of many Muslim countries from the colonial yoke. He was the author of many popular books on Islam.
I met Dr Dwalibi a few times in London where I was serving as minister at the Pakistan embassy and in Islamic conferences in Islamabad, Karachi and the OIC. He had very good relations with president Ziaul Haq. He was a trusted and close friend of the Grand Mufti of Palestine, Alhaj Aminul Hussaini, and succeeded him as president of the Motamar al Alam-al Islami, infusing a new spirit of expansion and Islamic unity in the organization.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
Merging two degrees
The recent decision to merge the BSc (Hons., AH) and DVM degrees into one composite degree of five years instead of four years in Punjab is a retrogressive step as it is against the emerging trend of specialization in various branches of science.
Animal husbandry is distinct from veterinary science. The latter deals exclusively with the treatment and prevention of livestock diseases. Some three decades ago the founding fathers of the Agriculture University, Faisalabad, realized the merit of developing the husbandry and health sides of the livestock sector in their own rights in line with global trends. Just as one could not think of merging MBBS and Bachelor of Dental Science degrees into one degree, it would be unthinkable to condense the developing disciplines of animal production and health into one subject, which are two different fields. Already BSc (Hons., AH) degree-holders are rendering useful services to the poultry industry in the private sector.
Unfortunately, the vice-chancellor of the new Veterinary and Animal Sciences University has tended to reverse the clock by getting the help of the private sector to paint a rosy picture of a composite five-year DVM degree before the governor of Punjab, which will not do justice to either field.
Thus, the unwise decision of a composite DVM degree of five years should be reversed as it will also put an unbearable financial burden on the parents of students without any benefits in service prospects. While making such momentous decisions, the government ought to consult all stake-holders in the private sector of livestock and poultry.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
Edhi's number
In Pakistan, a country marred by poverty and many related problems, people like Abdul Sattar Edhi and his foundation bring us hope for a little future. If someone needs emergency assistance, it is most likely that an Edhi ambulance will come to the rescue. Mr Edhi's exemplary emergency aid is yet to be matched by any private or governmental organization in Pakistan.
Keeping these facts in mind, it is most frustrating to know that the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited has decided to change the Edhi Foundation's emergency response number from "115" to "1150". This change in number can cause much loss to several people who will not be aware of it in their time of need or who will be directed to some other location with the new "115" allocation.
Such matters seem minor at a glance, but in reality they can mean the difference between life and death for many ill-informed aid seekers. Mr Edhi and his foundation's efforts remind us of Chinese philosopher Confucius' words: "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." Let the PTCL not be the one to step on one's small candle of hope.
SARMAD PALIJO
Boston, MA., USA
Military and civilian domains
Armed forces the world over are required to have strict discipline. Orders have to be obeyed even if they cost a soldier's life. The essence of arming the military is to ensure protection of the geographical boundaries and other interests of a country.
For this reason, the citizens of our country have preferred to remain backward but to arm their military, give them every possible perk and honour, and reward its personnel with medals, lands and cash, a sizable quota in every civilian service, and respect. The very pillar of military training is discipline and unquestioned authority of the superiors.
Civil society, on the other hand, thrives on mutual understanding, discussions and respect for others' opinion. Democracy is the hallmark of any modern civilization and its strength lies in its vulnerability to questioning by any citizen. Discipline is also an integral part but of a different kind. It pertains to sticking to the rule of law. All citizens of a country have to abide by a constitution and then respect all rules, which can be changed by mutual understanding while respecting the views of the majority.
Thus, there is a contrast in the military and civilian mindsets. An army officer asks a soldier to do something and never has to explain or justify his order. A civilian subordinate has every right to argue the rationale of any act. This is where friction comes in when military men are inducted into key civilian positions. They are reluctant to accept that everything done on the political level can be questioned.
I do not have any intention to question the credibility of army officers or doubt their loyalty to the country. In fact, I admire their training, sheer energy and strict discipline. However, it is wrong to depute them to run educational institutions, business concerns and the bureaucracy. It is simply not their field. As it takes a general decades of strict training to mature into a decision-making officer, it is also important to let civil society and bureaucracy mature into a responsible institution without thoughtless interference on the basis of sheer power.
It is thus worth giving a thought to withdrawing army personnel from key civilian posts. Secondly, new cantonments should be planned and those present in the heart of major cities should be sold, privatized or leased. The money to be generated through the sale of this prime land will be enough to build multi-purpose cantonments on modern lines. Even movement of large convoys of army vehicles will be facilitated without major disruptions in traffic flow in the major cities.
DR OBAIDULLAH
Peshawar
History books
I have just watched a discussion on TV lamenting the way our textbooks distort the history of Pakistan. Instead of imparting information they withhold it shamelessly and concoct events that have little resemblance to actuality.
I am reminded of the time when my eldest child was in a junior class in a prestigious school in Abbottabad. The longest chapter in his history book was on Ayub Khan. Obviously, the book had been written during the field marshal's time, but no one has so far bothered to do anything to replace it with something closer to the truth.
MS RAFIA MIRZA
Lahore
A family's ordeal
This is with reference to the letter "A Pakistani family's ordeal in US" by Ms Ghazala Ali Baloch (February 20).
As a Pakistani American I empathize with the plight of Ms Baloch and urge her to contact superior officers of the FBI, the US State Department and Virginia police investigators and file an official complaint against those individuals.
I further urge her to hire an attorney and filed a claim for violation of her and her family's civil rights. Until we stand up for our rights, we should not expect others to join us in condemning such blatant abuse of official police powers by the security agencies.
IFTIKHAR MEMON
New Jersey, USA
(2)
The letter by Ms Baloch as regards her family's harassment by the US State Department and FBI agents is unacceptable. Good, honest and law-abiding citizens should not be treated as criminals. US agents have no right to threaten them with deportation when they have committed no crime other than writing the obvious.
RAJA QURBAN
New York, USA
What India should do
The sentiments expressed by Mr Jalal Ahmed in his letter "The mighty vis-a-vis the not-so-mighty" (February 16) are sure to be echoed by millions of Indians who desire that Pakistanis and Indians have a fraternal coexistence in the subcontinent as they do in New York City.
The writer is absolutely correct in his statement of facts and has derived a moral from the words of Lord Krishna in the Hindu mythological epic Mahabharatha which of course the ultra-right BJP cadres have deliberately ignored.
India as the larger political entity should indeed behave as an elder brother by handing over the Siachen glacier to Pakistan as the start of a new mature relationship between the two countries.
P. HARIMOHAN
New York City, NY., USA
N-scientists
In his letter "Steering Pakistan on right path" (February 18), Mr Karamat Sher Khan describes Indian President Abdul Kalam as a Muslim scientist. Answering a question, Mr Kalam once emphatically said he was an Indian first and the rest did not matter. Nicknamed "rocket man" by the American media, it is worth noting that he was educated and trained entirely in India.
While on a goodwill visit to India after winning the Nobel prize, Dr Abdus Salam was received by the Indian scientific community with honour, admiration and exultation as if he were one of their own.
VITTAL P. PYATI
Beavercreek, OH., USA
An oft-repeated resolve
This refers to Mr Ishaque Soofi's letter under the above headline (February 20). I wish I could share Mr Soofi's optimism about General Pervez Musharraf.
General Ziaul Haq introduced regressive laws on minorities and discriminatory laws against women through ordinances. The basic flaw is in our thinking is that any time there is a coup in the country, we mistake it for a revolution; hence the misconceived and misplaced hopes. Without digressing I quote here Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Astride: "We had 32 coups in our history. The result is what we have now: moving from misery to poverty."
It is ironic that people on General Zia's bandwagon are the firemen of this gravy train. Get the latest: the election commissioner has reversed an earlier decision of the government not to mention religion in the voters' lists under preparation. Obviously, the election commissioner could not have done it on his own. So much for the enlightened modernism.
General Musharraf is in his fifth year and he has still not been able to scratch even a word of any of Zia's discriminatory pieces of legislations. He did not do so even when he was making wholesale changes in the Constitution through ordinances. Now that a charade of democracy is there, from where is he going to fetch a two-thirds majority to erase those draconian laws?
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
Harassment of visa seekers
Notwithstanding the professed and pronounced intention of the authorities of the government to improve relationship with India, some people in the government machinery, through vested interest or financial gain, are creating pitfalls in the desired improvement of relationship in some spheres of activities.
One of the fields of such activity is the grant of visa to an Indian national who is required to come to Pakistan as an employee of a multinational company having interest in Pakistan as well. The rigmarole of grant of visa in such a case by the authorities of Pakistan has been made very cumbersome with clearance by several authorities, thus creating more avenues for corrupt practices. For example, an Indian national coming to Karachi will have to be first referred to Islamabad who will refer the case to Karachi for police verification and on clearance from Karachi police the case will be referred to Islamabad which will then give all clearance for the visa.
It needs hardly any comment to say that such dilatory tactics hamper international trade as well as the relationship between India and Pakistan which all concerned are trying to improve.
A. M. SAYIED
Karachi
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