| 08 April 2004 | Thursday | 17 Safar 1425 |
Defence ties with China
No subsidy for farm inputs
Taxing PTCL workers
The textbook controversy
Commercialization along Lahore roads
Unfair media coverage
Iraq's grim situation
DST system
Clerks' appeal
Unhygienic wrappers
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Your editorial "The Wana operation" (March 28) represents an good analysis of the behaviour of the tribesmen of Fata. I fully agree with your suggestion of introducing "visible and rapid social and economic uplift" as a long-term solution to the problem of the area's people.
However, I question your assertion that the government can be greatly helped by the political parties. Since when have Pakistani political parties become so mature that they will jettison their past record and support the government of the day over an issue of national significance? The PPP will never support any overture unless the package includes a set of personal goodies for Ms Bhutto. PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has already made a fool of himself for demanding an apology from the government for launching the Wana operation.
The leaders of the politico-religious parties who are self-declared custodians of Islam have exposed themselves by shedding tears for the terrorists but not saying a word to condemn the cold blooded murder of the eight Pakistani soldiers who had earlier been captured by the terrorists. How can you expect them to abandon their decades old habit of exploiting religion for their deeds?
The problem of Fata residents' hiding terrorists needs immediate corrective attention. Every inch of Pakistan should be cleared of terrorists. As a part of the long-term solution, though, economic uplift is needed not only in Fata, but the entire country.
Economic stimulation must be coupled with an intense programme of structural reforms. Basic education should be made compulsory for and available to all children. Madressahs must be made to conform to a national education policy. Efforts to eliminate child labour must be enhanced significantly.
The use of mosques to deliver inflammatory messages against other sects, religions and cultures should be made a crime. The cancer of feudalism should be wiped out with an iron hand.
I am afraid that politicians are not going to side with the government in this long-term solution, as it will force them to undergo a major internal transformation, an outcome they don't want. They are not capable of functioning as genuine political leaders.
SIDDIQUE MALIK
Louisville, KY., USA
(2)
A lot has been written and said on the Wana operation in South Waziristan. The operation was perhaps launched based on US intelligence reports that high-value Al Qaeda targets were hiding in these areas and the locals were providing them with not only protection but also necessary help. The reliability of US intelligence has already been exposed by 9/11 and in Iraq regarding WMDs.
Operations in hilly terrains are very difficult and the locals enjoy an advantage over troops as they know the getaway routes and are very familiar with the terrain. We have already suffered many casualties and about 200 tribesmen have also died.
Time is on our side to collect and collate intelligence on the high-value targets and their lines of communication. There is no hurry to bag the wanted Al Qaeda leaders by using ground forces. Once we know the exact location of the wanted persons, a heliborne operation could be launched or they could be choked by blocking their supply routes.
I ask the government not to be in a hurry to use force and employ other means to arrest Al Qaeda leaders or drive them away to Afghanistan where the US may use its own troops.
MOHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore
Defence ties with China
This is with reference to the editorial "Defence ties with China" (March 26), very appropriately aspiring towards a further expansion in the relationship between Pakistan and China for the cause of peace and stability in South Asia.
Here it is befitting to add that the Sino-Pakistan bond of friendship in the almost the last four decades has gone through the tests and trials and has proved as deep as an ocean and as high as a mountain. Not only in the turbulent past when Pakistan was facing threats from the eastern border but also in every other field - be it material, moral or political - it was China that stood by its friend like a rock and proved a most dependable ally.
I would like to quote from our former ambassador to China Sultan M. Khan's autobiography Memories and Reflections of a Pakistani diplomat a very revealing anecdote which shows the esteem with which China held our country. It so happened that during the 1965 war, when the country was in dire need of military hardware, a delegation was sent to China to meet the then premier, Zhou Enlai, and place before him a request for immediate assistance:
"During a discussion of Pakistan's fresh requirements of military needs the late Zhou Enlai's interpreter translated his words to say: 'We will provide help in every way we can...'
"'No, no, not help, but cooperation. Never use that word help. Who are we to give help? We are not some superpower,' Zhou Enlai went on to say that the leadership of China (which really meant Mao Zedong) had decided not to maintain any record of what China was giving to friendly countries, so that future generations of Chinese would not act in superior manner towards them."
ALTAMASH MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
No subsidy for farm inputs
The food and agriculture secretary has informed the National Assembly that the general sales tax on agricultural inputs could not be withdrawn because of IMF conditionalities that Pakistan must follow under the poverty reduction growth facility (Dawn, March 26). He has, however, said that he will consider proposals for improving agriculture.
There has been an increase in the cost of DAP fertilizer from Rs834 to Rs930 per bag. Pakistan produces sufficient nitrogen fertilizer but phosphatic rock is imported for producing DAP fertilizer that raises food production.
In this regard I would like to say that we can increase the uptake of phosphorus(P) already present in our farm field soil by means of mycorrhiza. Phosphorus is present in our farm field soil but the problem is of its availability by the plants within a short time before it is converted into unavailable form. The increasing uptake of 'P' can be brought about by mycorrhizae.
I have submitted a research project proposal to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for increasing the growth and yield of an edible plant (sunflower) by means of mycorrhizal biotechnology.
The cost of edible oil import is the second highest after petroleum oil for Pakistan. I have worked on this technology for the last 25 years and have found it to be successful.
I would like the knowledge on the basics of mycorrhizae and its biotechnology for biological phosphorus fixation (like biological nitrogen fixation) to be acquired, while yet I can demonstrate this technology to the students of agriculture in Pakistan.
DR M. JALALUDDIN
Adjunct Professor, B. S. Agriculture Programme, Faculty of Science, University of Karachi
Taxing PTCL workers
Taxing low-paid employees is the demise of social values. PTCL employees are the worst-hit in this regard. Income tax rules for private companies are applied to them on the contention that the PTCL is a private company, which is not true. It is not a private limited company but an autonomous body working under the ministry of communications. Privatization of the PTCL is yet to follow. Rules for private companies are therefore not applicable to its employees.
Apart from pay, their allowances are also taxed like private employees which is unjust. House requisition allowance over and above 15 per cent of their pay is taxed.
This is actually house rent allowance which is exempted up to 45 per cent of pay. Previously, house requisition allowance was granted for self-requisitioning by employees of their own houses.
This facility has ceased and everybody is given house requisition allowance. It involved a change of name but the PTCL continued it as such without anticipating the repercussions. It may therefore be exempted up to the limit.
Medical allowance is not exempted. It is exempted only when reimbursement of medical bills is involved. Generally people purchase cheap drugs on their own for timely relief. Employees of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company do the same and do not apply for reimbursement of petty expenses. Nevertheless medical allowance is given to them as compensation.
Washing allowance is not exempted either as if washing is done gratis. Special and special relief allowances are also taxed. These were sanctioned to fight price hikes and inflation. Their taxation makes a mockery of the intention to provide relief.
ASHIQ ALI
Lahore
The textbook controversy
In your editorial "The textbook controversy" (April 5), you commented on the debate on the alleged removal of some Quranic verses from the biology textbooks. I must say it is absolutely wrong to include religion in science textbooks, because moral injunctions have nothing to do with human sciences. The natural sciences are based on observations, empirical evidence and natural laws.
The well-known academic, Professor Akbar S. Ahmed, has diagnosed such "Islamic schizophrenia" in his book "Discovering Islam" published by Vanguard Books, Lahore, 1988. He writes: "The few Islamic voices which speak with learning and courage are isolated.
The intellectuals are bankrupt; the saints invisible... The modern Muslim intellectual exists in a state of despair, torn between an ideal world and a reality he cannot master.
Revolution, riots and rebellion shake Muslim society. Muslim nations, across the world, confront Muslim neighbours with unease and often hostility negating the concept of Muslim brotherhood. To confuse matters further most of the Muslim nations are ruled by authoritarian figures in or out of uniform...".
In Europe, all experiments with religions, morals, holy wars, theocratic concepts of states have been discussed. After many bloody wars, the European nations came to the conclusion that religion and state should be separated.
Thus, pluralistic democracies came into being. It was a long, painful process of leaning by doing mistakes. Now pluralistic democracies are flourishing in European countries and their societies are developing in the fields of science, technology and medicine.
TANWEER HUSSAIN Darmstadt,
Germany
Commercialization along Lahore roads
There was an article recently in a section of the press about commercialization along Lahore's Canal Bank Road. The canal is an identifying feature of Lahore. Commercial activity is nothing new to its banks.
Schools, hospitals, clinics, labs, the university, hotels, research centres, commercial offices and other institutions have been operating on it for many years. Even if by some miracle all commercial activity was eradicated from the canal banks, the diesel and noise factor at this busy road is enough by itself to deny the residents any peace and serenity.
In fact, the traffic problem was so serious that a series of underpasses had to be constructed. Underpasses were a positive step of the government. Canal Bank Road is the main artery which connects us to all academic and business centres of Lahore. Unobstructed, traffic here is vital to minimize time loss on roads.
Traffic is not a problem of canal banks and surrounding areas alone. The traffic of Lahore is much more than the city can contain comfortably. Anywhere in the world, the central area always receives a higher load.
Commercial development of the central area is essential to the growth of any community and cannot be sacrificed for individual satisfaction of lesser traffic. Had this not been the case, Gulberg's Main Boulevard would have never been commercialized, although in the master plan it was a residential area.
The truth is that people living downtown eventually have to make a choice - live with the commercial activity or move out.
However, the article in question is focused on Aziz Avenue alone. The canal is not confined to this place. Aziz Avenue is a tiny segment of it and the problems which it may or may not face have hardly any bearing on the macro picture of Canal Bank's commercialization. Traffic on Aziz Avenue is only for a limited period during pick-and-drop timings of schools there.
As for the underpasses, they ensure easy mobility of traffic on Canal Bank Road. Their effectiveness is not hampered by what happens in the service lanes. An objection was that "Aziz Avenue was a residential area in the master plan".
But master plans are made to fit the requirements of a city. The original master plan of Lahore has been changed many times to meet the needs of an expanding city. Another reservation is that "the construction of plazas along the canal damages the beauty of Lahore". All around the world beautiful buildings enhance the image of commercial road rather than damage it.
I have been a resident of Canal Bank for 16 years now, and live very close to Aziz Avenue on the canal area, which deserves to be developed like the canal in San Antonio, Texas, US. The architectural glamour on both sides has given it a unique beauty, making it the star attraction of the city.
But before our canal can rise to this status, there will always be someone who would object on the pretext of traffic, security, underpass wastage, etc., so that the privacy of individual houses could extend over the whole Canal Bank, depriving it of its development potential.
F. SHEIKH
Lahore
Unfair media coverage
Someone had to be blamed by the Indian media for the good performance the Pakistani batsmen had put up in the second Test match so far. Like always even this time the Indian media has been at its best. As I tuned in to Espn-Star Sports to watch the day's roundup, I saw that the experts on the channel were attributing the success of the Pakistan batsmen to the umpiring.
One should remind the Indian channels, particularly ESPN-Star Sports, that in the first Test, Inzamam, Pakistan's most in-form batsman, was given out controversially at a crucial stage in the game. Then, no one in the Indian media said that he had been given out unfairly.
In fact, some of the Indian commentators covering the series on Ten Sports also seemed biased. On a lighter note, the presence of Navjot Singh Sidhu, however, does bring an element of comic relief to a situation - otherwise full of tension - and makes the viewing more fun.
ALTAMASH JIWA
Karachi
Iraq's grim situation
With reference to the editorial "Grimmer by the day" (April 7), I wish to say that Moqtada Sadr does not represent all the Shias in Iraq. Last year, in his bid to invade Najaf, he ordered Ayatollah Sistani to leave Iraq even though he cannot be compared with the latter in terms of either knowledge or spiritualism.
He is exposing himself even more now when he is using the holy places in Kufa and Najaf as his shields in his power pursuits. There are many other Shia leaders who have taken a different tack under the guidance of Sistani who represents Shias worldwide. These include the Al-Hakims and Bahr-al Aloum who are also on the governing council, however handpicked it may be.
DR MAHNAZ FATIMA
Karachi
DST system
This is with reference to the letter "Daylight" (28 March). People in the rural areas where 70 per cent of the population live found the DST system impractical and refused to follow it. Even in the urban areas, many people also rejected it.
After exhaustive discussions, the government finally declared the system of daylight saving time unsuitable for the country. The experiment turned out to be a complete failure, and the issue should be buried for good.
Let us not waste time in resurrecting issues which have already been decided on.
BARRISTER JAHANZEB KHAN
Abbottabad
Clerks' appeal
The governor's houses vacated by British rulers at the time of their departure from the subcontinent were retained, and new palaces were built by rulers for themselves.
Besides enjoying royal living and facilities at the expense of the national exchequer, they also staked public money heavily on making the federal capital ultra-modern, and on adorning the cantonment areas just for the satisfaction of their egos.
This creates the impression that Pakistan was created for the pleasure of the rulers alone, and the people in general made the unprecedented sacrifices for nothing.
To put the objective reality in its true perspective, the 1973 Constitution implies that the postman, the peon, the man in the street and all others are equal citizens for the purpose of justice, as well as for the administration of fair play.
Without any canon of justice, the pay and allowances of the president, the prime minister and the legislators were increased to the ceiling of 117 per cent through the previous budget, to save them from the tortures of steeply rising cost of living.
Since the rising cost of living also upsets the households of clerical employees, the finance department is requested to provide relief to them in the forthcoming budget, as suggested by their association.
MIRZA GHULAM HAIDER
Multan
Unhygienic wrappers
Ms Afshan Shabbir's letter of March 31 aptly portrays the unhygienic conditions at our food stalls (or dhabas) from where the majority of the people eat and drink. It is indeed true that food handlers do not wash vegetables and other ingredients before cooking, and they wash used crockery and cutlery by just dipping them into a huge container of water which is used the whole day.
The food is also generally kept uncovered, with dirty flies swarming around them. Moreover, food is usually handled with bare hands (without gloves), thus increasing the chances of contamination.
The same story holds true about our drinking water. Buffaloes and dogs drink from the same reservoirs which supply water to us. Some of our underground water pipes are so rusted that sewerage gets mixed up with our water supply. Newspapers are full of stories about contaminated water supply.
Our government and the NGOs should tackle this issue on a war footing so that we may live a clean and healthy life.
RAZIA A. KHAN
Islamabad
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