| 08 March 2004 | Monday | 16 Muharram 1425 |
Government's credibility
Need for capacity building
PMDC & registration of degrees
Commercial godowns
President's powers
India-Pakistan cricket series
US and Israel
Drug den
Water for Sindh
Pardon
A consumer's plaint
Women's rights
Expressway
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This is with reference to the March 4 attacks on Karbala and the Kazimiya mosque near Baghdad in which nearly 200 people died and hundreds received wounds.
Such attacks will serve the cause of the Bush administration rather than of the forces struggling in Iraq for freedom. Attacks on Iraqi civilians do not endanger US President Bush's prospects for re-election as the US population does not care about the death of Iraqi policemen or civilians.
Americans only show concern if there is an increase in the killing of American soldiers. As a matter of fact, the killing of Iraqi people will help the cause of the Bush administration as it can have the American public convinced that the forces struggling for freedom in Iraq are in fact terrorists who do not even spare the lives of their own countrymen.
It is ostensible that the Bush administration is trying to create animosities between the Shias and the Sunnis in Iraq. The US media uses phrases like "Sunni triangle" to give an impression that the Iraqi people are divided and only Sunnis are against the Americans, while Shias, who are over 60 per cent of the population of Iraq, support the United States.
The British policy of divide and rule is being successfully adopted by the Bush administration in Iraq. Also, the possibility of American involvement in the killings cannot be ruled out.
It is hoped that the Iraqi people will realize that an attempt is being made to create hatred between the Shia and Sunni communities.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Karachi
(2)
While the US blames the Al Qaeda for the killing of Iraqis in recent months, a growing number of people in Muslim countries think that the killings have been carried out by the US itself.
First, they ask, who is the beneficiary of these killings? Anyone wanting to end the occupation will do well to help stabilize Iraq as the US is already on a timetable for withdrawal. Killings are only giving the US an excuse to continue its occupation.
Second, they argue, it is now undeniable (except by the diehards) that the Bush and Blair administrations concocted the attack on Iraq through several illegal and immoral means.
Is it hard to believe that creating instability may be their new way to ensure their occupation? The example of the latest US intervention in Haiti only furthers this belief is Kissinger's assertion that nations do not have friends, they only have interests.
FARID PANJWANI
London, UK
Government's credibility
Early in February a report in Dawn said a senior American official was visiting Islamabad, accompanied by several colleagues. It was even revealed that the other officials had stayed in some hotels.
When queried, a couple of government spokespersons totally refuted the report. As it turned out, the news got confirmed from Washington thereafter that CIA Director George Tenet had indeed visited Pakistan at that time.
Despite not being the first such incident, it was very disturbing. The government ought to realize that in this era things can't stay hidden. The only result is that it is fast losing credibility, as did the previous governments.
The need for complete solidarity in our ranks at this critical time is extremely important, and no patriotic Pakistani would like to put the establishment in difficulty.
These acts not only discourage emergence of a culture of truthfulness and honesty, which must begin from the top and of which there is a great need, but also turn people into cynics besides demoralizing the nation.
Even if western officials superficially applaud their Pakistani counterparts' cooperation, in their hearts they won't have any respect for us. If our illustrious forebears, for example Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, could achieve everything while remaining absolutely truthful, why can't we?
At the risk of appearing to labour the point, it must be said that life is already very difficult, as is evident from the increasing number of suicides that now include professors as well.
Neither the government nor the opposition, nor the writers and intellectuals for that matter, should say or do anything which adds to mental stress. What the spokesmen could do in such situations was to at least say: "Yes, such a thing did happen but we can't throw more light on it." The credibility would then remain although this approach too shouldn't be used excessively.
Another lesson comes from the conclusion drawn by Mr M. Ziauddin in his article, "Story of the clandestine billions" (February 23), that for the next 10-15 years Washington is not likely to see anything (bad) happen to Pakistan, in the aftermath of the proliferation scandal.
A breather of even five years would enable Pakistan to demonstrate that no further leaks are occurring and therefore, the question of winding up or foreign supervision of our nuclear programme doesn't arise. However, it is highly likely that some hostile intelligence agencies may engineer something to implicate Islamabad. We should ensure no such development takes place.
A CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
Need for capacity building
The federal government and the provinces are engaged in a fierce competition over the distribution of resources. Each one of them wants to have a bigger piece of the pie.
As has been the case in the past, the debt servicing, the defence and the federal government consume a major portion of the available resources and not much is left for the provinces.
In such circumstances, it is an unthinkable crime to waste, misappropriate or let any funds lapse. And that is exactly what has been reported in the past in Sindh that either the province didn't get some allocated funds from the federal government or they lapsed as the provincial finance department didn't release them in time.
It is a failure of successive political and non-political governments and the bureaucracy. They are to take the blame for their inability to plan well, establish an appropriate system for releasing funds, monitoring their utilization and ensuring timely commencement and completion of the projects.
It is they who have miserably failed at capacity building - to educate the concerned people to take full advantage of the opportunities and efficiently use the available resources for sustainable development and undertaking projects aimed at poverty alleviation and general welfare of the people.
There is a great need to change things. A mechanism has to come in place to eliminate the culture of wastefulness and negligence. There should be a law, making it a crime to waste or underutilize funds.
The common men should be empowered to take the erring bureaucrats and officials to the courts and get them punished for their inefficiency and slackness.
One hopes the lawmakers will take the cognizance of the matter and move necessary legislation in the next session of the provincial assembly.
AZIZ NAREJO
Corpus Christi, TX. USA
PMDC & registration of degrees
The letter "PMDC & doctors' registration" (January 15) by an "Affected doctor" complaining about non-registration of MD and MS degrees by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council - although included in the schedule of the PMDC ordinance - is a serious matter and must be examined by the authorities concerned for redressing the grievances of doctors.
It is mentioned in the letter that the degrees of MD and MS of Karachi University included in the third schedule have been denied registration for reasons best known to the council.
The PMDC is an autonomous organization working under an ordinance which allows registration of qualifications recognized by the council and included in the various schedules annexed to the ordinance. The council cannot and should not refuse registration of such qualifications as amounts to violation of the law under which it is working.
It is in the knowledge of the doctors' community that the council has been registering degrees of MBBS of universities like Baqai, Ziauddin and Hamdard in spite of the fact that the same are not included in the relevant schedule of the ordinance.
I urge the council to review its policy about the registration of degrees and accord registration to all those degrees which are included in the schedules of the ordinance.
DR SAEED AHMAD
Karachi
Commercial godowns
I would like to draw the attention of the Karachi city district government, the KDA and the city police to the following:
KAECHS is a residential area with one specified commercial area present in all residential societies. For the past few years, a number of bungalows on the main road of Block 1 of the area have illegally been converted into godowns. Heavy long vehicles carrying huge containers are to be seen on the road unloading various merchandise, specially at night.
This practice has disturbed the residential status of the area. Also, heavy vehicles have broken roads and sewers and are causing traffic problems threatening the lives of pedestrians.
Construction of illegal shades and godowns in clear violation of civic laws has been taken as a normal business. One wonders how all this has escaped the attention of the agencies concerned.
I urge the authorities to stop all illegalities forthwith and restore the residential status of the society. Heavy vehicles should be banned from entering into the area and all illegal godowns should be immediately demolished.
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD ISHAQ
Karachi
President's powers
President Musharraf claims to have removed all anomalies between the powers of the president and the prime minister. He says he has maintained a logical balance between the powers of the two.
But in reality it is not so. We see that all major decisions, ranging from Pakistan's relations with India and Afghanistan to the LFO and nuclear issues, are being taken solely and independently by the president himself.
Although there is a parliamentary form of government in the country, the president is so powerful that he hardly ever deems it fit to consult the prime minister and bypasses parliament before taking any important decision concerning a national or an international issue.
Whereas, in a parliamentary form of government it is the prime minister, his cabinet and the parliamentarians who thoroughly discuss any important national or international issue before reaching a consensus.
In Pakistan it is one man, i.e. General Pervez Musharraf, who is calling the shot. He continues to act both as president and chief executive simultaneously. President Musharraf is a perfect example of a two-in-one chief executive of Pakistan.
TAJAMUL BUKHARI
Lahore
India-Pakistan cricket series
Indian cricketers' recent performance in Australia is proof of their superiority in terms of batting, fielding and, above all, discipline which the Pakistani team has been lacking for a long time now. I feel the Indians are on high now.
The fast tracks of Australia have never been a comfort zone for any Asian nation, and this was probably the only time in a long time when I could sense the Australians themselves struggling to ensure a face-saving performance.
The Indians performed much to the likes of how the Pakistanis performed in the 1987 series against England In England under the leadership of Imran Khan. Pakistan at that time also posted their highest ever Test total of 708 runs at Oval and had England on the backfoot throughout the series.
Even though India got a draw in the Australian series, I would clearly pick them up as psychological winners. No side has ever given the world's best side so much trouble the way India did. This psychological edge is what they will carry with them to Pakistan.
As far as the bowling tracks in Pakistan are concerned, they favour the batsmen. Nice batting tracks are what Indian batsmen will enjoy and their strong line-up will neutralize any threat that our fast bowlers may pose. Preparing fast tracks would help Pakistan more than it would help India.
One of the reasons India did so well in Australia was not having to face Glen McGrath and, for a few matches, Jason Gellispie. Bret Lee was obviously struggling in that series.
That could be advocated as a reason for high scores that India accomplished. But having said this no credit should be taken away from India since their batting was indeed spectacular.
The Pakistani team does have genuine fast bowlers and they can be fatal if given the right conditions to give their best. Indian bowling is weak and reflects in their decision not to enforce follow-on in the third Test at Sydney which might well have led them to a 2-1 series victory.
Analyzing the batting, one interesting point now is Tendulkar not being the only hero to carry the Indians home but Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag and Laxman have all proven their status as mature batsmen who often help their side in the crunch.
For Pakistan that maturity is nowhere to be seen and relying every time on Inzamam and Youhana not only puts added pressure on these world class batsmen, but also kind of pushes the responsibility away from other batsmen in the side.
The youngsters who will open the Pakistan batting should realize that their performance will pretty much determine the outcome of this series, and not only do they have to bat sensibly but also pick up their role models in the likes of Saeed Anwar and Javed Miandad who believed in their responsible role at the given batting position.
Throwing wickets away under pressure or batting as if they were playing club cricket will only put more responsibility on the middle and lower orders to do their job.
Even though Indians are clear favourites, I would say Pakistan still has a chance to win at least one Test and a one-day game against India and that can be considered an achievement.
USMAN FAZLI
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
US and Israel
Everybody tamely accepts that it is in the interest of the US to back Israel to the hilt. Therefore, paying Israel, Egypt and Jordan through the American nose is taken as natural.
I wonder what the West sees in Israel which is missing in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Libya, etc. These countries have the oil which the West, including the United States, crave. They were and are getting as much oil as they want or need. What is the contribution of Israel towards this supply?
As for the future, supplies of oil can be ensured if the US remains on the right side of these and other Muslim countries. It is also short-sighted in thinking that democracies will stop the oil supplies.
Nobody can stop the flow of oil - least of all democracies. The dictators need money, so do the democracies. Which is cheaper for the US is the only question.
Letting other countries stew in their own juice is in the best interest of America. Israel has no utility in this pursuit. The sooner they drop the scales from their eyes, the better for the West and the rest of the world.
ANDALUS AYAZ
Karachi
Drug den
I refer to an article, recently published on your city pages, which proposed some sort of initiative to properly utilize the space left over by the construction of flyovers in different parts of Karachi. The authorities may note that the space under the Gulshan-i-Iqbal flyover has now turned into a garbage dump and a drug den where no one is safe while passing through during odd hours.
One idea may be to get some schools like the Indus Valley School to take the challenge of putting into reality what they are taught in their classrooms by transforming these areas into some creative project.
AMJAD AHMAD
Karachi
Water for Sindh
When the Mangla and Tarbela dams were being constructed, assurances were given that water flowing down towards Sindh through the Indus would not decrease, but the fact is that the share of the province in the Indus water has considerably been reduced.
The Sukkur and Kotri barrages which often remain dried up are its example. Thousands of acres have become barren, raising the level of poverty in Sindh. The government must take into account the interests of Sindh at the planning level.
ALI AKBAR QURESHI
Karachi
Pardon
If General Musharraf can pardon Dr A. Q. Khan for the latter's corruption, why shouldn't he pardon Asif Zardari who has spent eight years in jail and not a single case has been proved against him.
A. REHMAN
Hyderabad
A consumer's plaint
Last week I bought an aerosol spray known as "Power Plus Aerosol Spray". This product is being toll-manufactured by Progressive Traders Private Ltd from Turkey through their local representatives in Karachi.
The weight mentioned on the container is 500ml but the actual weight of the container is 300ml. When I called up the country manager to lodge a complaint about the underweight of the container, he expressed his inability to do anything in this respect.
This shows that the management is aware of the fact that the containers supplied in the market and toll-manufactured by them are underweight.
I wonder if there is any government agencies that monitor such things which result in loss of general public's money. I request the authorities concerned to look into this matter.
AAMIR HASAN ALI
Karachi
Women's rights
I welcome your editorial "Divorced women's rights" (February 9) appreciating the decision made by Justice Fakharun Nisa Khokhar of the Lahore High Court. The decision establishes a monthly allowance to a divorced mother. Hats off to the judge. The ruling will apply to the person(s) seeking relief and not others.
I request legislators, specially women legislators, to move a bill in parliament so that divorced mothers get their rights according to the holy Quran and Sunnah.
HAFEEZ AKHTAR
Lahore
Expressway
I wonder how many of your readers have seen "Nightmare on Elm St". Well, those who haven't should travel on the so-called "Korangi Expressway".
So much for the efficiency of the DHA Cantonment Board, Karachi, and their contractors who have been entrusted with this "Herculean task".
S.W. JAFFERY
Karachi
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