| 17 April 2004 | Saturday | 26 Safar 1425 |
Citizenship for aliens
America's Big Brother role
Karachi's development: suggestions
Hazards of betel nut
The 'deadline' episode
Brian Lara's quadruple century
Residents' problems
Seeking shelter
Smuggling of drugs
Hope for Palestine
Increase in meat prices
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
This is the question over which a storm is once again brewing in the political teacup. On the face of it, it seems quite simple and pertinent. Why indeed? What is wrong with plain and simple Pervez Musharraf, without the trappings?
'General' Musharraf conjures up the picture of a man in military uniform; 'Pervez' Musharraf, in a sherwani and a shalwar. One exudes energy, the other is relaxed, easy. The man in uniform is a worker, an employee, a grade 22 official as Qazi Hussain Ahmad taunts. The one in sherwani suit is the aristocrat-employer, defying grades.
This odd situation would perhaps be best understood by considering what would happen if the general were not in uniform or rather if another person was in the position of COAS.
In such a position the general's authority would not amount to much and the new COAS would be in a position to intervene. Such a state of affairs would not bode well for Pakistan, which is flourishing under General Musharraf's hard-nosed yet stable policies which aim at increasing future investment in the country.
For those au fait with construction, the present circumstances could be likened to the wooden shuttering of a building, without which the edifice would not be possible. Yet once this shuttering plays its role, it is dismantled and is not a part of the final, completed structure.
Such is the role of the general: to provide the strong shuttering that Pakistan desperately requires in the form of stable and sustainable policies and measures to promote the influx of foreign exchange and investment. Once these measures are in place, shedding the uniform will become a practical possibility. However, doing so before that would be an idealistic notion.
Therein may lie the answer to the question, "Why General, not Pervez, Musharraf?"
SYED JAWAID IQBAL
Karachi
(2)
It is essential that we keep in touch with history so we can understand our "tragi-comic" present and be prepared for the future, in our case extremely imperfect. We would also be better able to appreciate the predicament General Musharraf finds himself in though not by our doings. We may even end up siding with the Patriots and others asking him to carry on and on.
Back in 1979, Lt-General Faiz Ali Chishti asked General Zia (already sworn in as president) to get himself promoted to the next post, that of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee and appoint someone as chief of army staff.
Zia said he did not trust anyone. Also that (by appointing someone else as COAS) he would be "at the mercy of the chief of the army staff". Chishti said that if out of 40 generals he could not trust anyone, then the country was doomed.
Earlier, Chishti and other generals had suggested that he (Zia) should appoint a deputy chief martial law administrator just in case anything happened to him. ("Betrayals of another kind") They were told instead to keep praying (General K.M. Arif, "Working with Zia"), which they did.
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
Citizenship for aliens
This refers to the letter "Citizenship for aliens" (April 10) by Mr Hasan A. Ghafoor in reply to a letter by Mr Aziz Narejo (April 6) under the same heading. The issue discussed therein is the immigration and citizenship rights of 'aliens' in Sindh with special reference to the stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh.
Justifying the unlimited and uncontrolled influx into Sindh of illegal 'aliens', Mr Ghafoor contends that countries like the US and Canada owe their progress and development to the immigrants, but in the same breath he concedes that "people like Mr Narejo strive hard to obtain citizenship of the US".
This in itself is proof that even in America, which is 98 per cent an immigrant country, it is not open for everyone/anyone to immigrate and obtain citizenship rights.
People do immigrate/emigrate and settle/re-settle all over the world which is a natural phenomenon and we Sindhis are not and cannot be opposed to such a natural process. What we are opposed to is the planned influx of outsiders with specific motives and with the support and connivance of the state and other vested interests.
The last 57 years have seen many episodes of this artificial process, bringing/settling outsiders in Sindh, including those from other countries like Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh and Burma, threatening the political and cultural cohesion of the Sindhi nation.
As for the stranded Pakistanis of Bangladesh, many of them had opposed none other but their benefactors, the people of Bengal, without whose support, rather leading role, the state of united Pakistan would never have been able to come into being.
Mr Ghafoor champions the cause of merit and hard work taunting Sindhis for "quotas" and "sifarish" but history will bear out that it was not Sindhis but the Muslims of Bihar and the UP who, pre-1947, had asked for reservations.
ABDUL KHALIQUE JUNEJO
Chairman, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Karachi
America's Big Brother role
In her letter "America's Big Brother role" (April 15), Ms Natasha Kamal implies that almost all the ills of the Third World, primarily Muslim nations, are due to the heavy-handed tactics of the United States. This notion warrants a response.
Due to the 9/11 tragic events, the US made it clear to the countries of the world that they had to decide whether they were against terror or not. The US administration had a moral obligation to its citizens to re-evaluate its foreign policy with the world.
Over the last 50 years, primarily through US efforts, most of the world has seen unprecedented peace, prosperity and growth. Once the war in Vietnam was over, we see the US participating vigorously in world growth. Due to the US efforts, we see prosperity in South Korea. And even with the continued violence by vested interests inside Iraq, we hear that the monthly profits from oil revenue have surpassed one billion dollars.
The war in Bosnia and Kosovo brought the US to the help of Muslim minorities. Being born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, I ask this question: can we find such action by any Muslim country to protect its own minorities? When the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, it was the US that helped the Mujahideen.
The world is anxiously waiting for Afghanistan to resolve its own differences and get rid of the foreign elements on its soil. The fact is that the Jihadis have long been at war with the West. They have been operating with impunity in open democratic, western societies. The West has finally realized that these modern-day warriors must be handled forcefully and effectively.
BEHRAM B. ATASHBAND
Austin, Texas, USA
Karachi's development: suggestions
The city government has invited proposals for Karachi's development from the public before the budget while the chief minister has asked for widening of Sharea Faisal, the planting of 10,000 more trees and the building of 10 underpasses. This is indeed a very useful and democratic process.
Millions of rupees were spent on the construction of flyovers only a few years back, some of which have now been rendered counterproductive. This happens whenever such costly projects are implemented, without public participation and in contravention of master plans.
Some of these flyovers, e.g., that on University Road, are examples of such a policy, as these were in violation of the 1991 World Bank Master Plan for Mass Transit System, which was duly approved and even notified. Even today the design of some of the Lyari Expressway structures is in conflict with this master plan - at Sohrab Goth, Manghopir Road and Teen Hatti. These deserve immediate attention.
In view of such anomalies, I would strongly suggest the following actions:
a) Immediate review of the master plan.
b) To fix the outer limits of Karachi in line with the 1952 MRVP Master Plan.
c) To plan prioritized implementation of the 1991 Mass Transit Master Plan. In case some of such costly and counterproductive flyovers were deferred, with the savings in cost at least one corridor of the master plan could have been implemented and brought in use, initially as busways. This could easily attract BOT bidders to operate light rail.
I hope that these suggestions will be given due consideration.
S. M. H. RIZVI
Karachi
Hazards of betel nut
This is apropos of the news report "Pan, gutka giving rise to oral cancer" (Dawn, Karachi Metropolitan, April 16). I always knew that chewing betel nut is injurious to health. However, in spite of being a medical student I was pretty casual about it until I realized the gravity of the matter, when on the very first day of my elective placement I saw bronchoscopy on a middle-aged lady who was in respiratory distress, coughing badly, giving a history of chhalia (betel nut) aspiration.
As my professor introduced the instrument right in her upper airway, I could see something packed up in thick secretion and firmly adhering to the wall of the airway. He told me it was a piece of chhalia. He tried to take it out but to no avail.
After much struggling, he finally gave up and called in a cardiothoracic surgeon who did a surgical procedure and with great difficulty managed to take it out but with a lot of bleeding from the walls. Had the chhalia been in the main airway (windpipe) that poor woman would have died within minutes.
This is not the only cause for which betel-nut is considered injurious to health. Its use in paan, gutka and tobacco leads to diseases like diabetes, sub-mucosal fibrosis (a condition which makes mouth opening impossible for the patient), the most serious of all being oral cancer.
I see chhalia being served at all social gatherings and hotels. It has become a household item. Chhalia is becoming socially acceptable and many people take up this habit to help them give up tobacco chewing or smoking just because they think it is a harmless mouth freshener.
The way so many brands of chhalia are advertised, its packing in colourful sachets, its sweet taste are all different reasons it has attracted so many people.
There is a great need for public education on this serious health problem. It is time the health authorities looked into the matter seriously and started a campaign to familiarize the people with the hazards of chhalia.
MARIAM D. OMAR
Karachi
The 'deadline' episode
It was graceful on the part of Dawn (editorial, April 2) to have commended the efforts of President Musharraf towards resolution of the Indo-Pakistan problems in the following words:
"The incongruity would have been greater because it was supposed to have come from a leader who, despite being a military man, has been fully a part of the current process to move Pakistan and India away from the path of confrontation."
Sir, President Musharraf is doing some good jobs, and to make him successful in his endeavours he needs support of the fourth pillar of the estate. Furthermore, Mr Ayaz Amir also seems to have mitigated the degree of criticism of Musharraf. This time he has not addressed the president as "Generalissimo" and appreciated for the first time the remarkable tolerant dispensation of the president in his weekly column (April 2).
Mr Irfan Hussain is also non-remitting of Musharraf. He does not lag behind in his columns in putting the president to scathing criticism. He writes in his April 3 column that Gen Musharraf failed to grasp the global picture and a good general is capable of thinking and planning in three dimensions several moves ahead, and so far none of our military planners have demonstrated this ability. What more freedom of expression do we require?
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
Brian Lara's quadruple century
On April 12, 2004, at St Johns Recreation Ground, Antigua, a great man rewrote the history books yet once again. And it was none other than the undisputed king of modern-day cricket, Brian Charles Lara.
His undefeated 400 was not only the first ever quadruple century in cricket's history, but also restored the lost pride of West Indies cricket. It was simply a fantastic effort. Ten years ago at the same venue he had made a record breaking 375. He also has to his credit six double hundreds in addition to 25 centuries in Test cricket.
A top cricket website has probably paid the greatest tribute to Lara in one of its articles. And the tribute goes on like this: "Even the incomparable Don Bradman never matched the elan and style of Lara." It doesn't get better than this. I was hooked up to my television set the day Lara started his innings till the time he took the most significant single one has ever seen to get that magical 400.
I have no doubt in my mind that I witnessed the greatest innings ever played in the history of cricket by arguably the greatest player the world has ever seen after Don Bradman.
UMAIR GHANI BROHI
Sharjah, UAE
Residents' problems
We, the approximately 50,000 residents of Block-1, Clifton, Karachi, have been ignored and deprived of civic amenities for a very long time. Despite our appeals to the civic departments/authorities concerned, nothing has so far been done in this regard.
We are still without streetlights, drinking water and smooth roads. Marine Promenade Road, which is 300-foot-wide, has also been encroached upon for parking oil tankers. The area's police seem powerless and/or maintain a deliberate silence over this serious issue.
Also, these oil tankers' owners have set up repair/maintenance workshops in every nook and corner, even in the middle of the main road and on service roads in the entire Block-1.
We hope the local administration will look into the problems and do the needful.
AFFECTED RESIDENTS
Karachi
Seeking shelter
I am a retired federal government employee living in Soomra Mohallah. At midnight of February 23, when all my family members were asleep, thieves took away most of the valuables such as cash, jewellery, a revolver and cartridges. An FIR, No.16, dated 23.02.2004, was lodged with the Lakhi Gate police, Shikarpur.
Again on March 24 three armed dacoits entered my house at 9.30pm and after terrorizing the members of my family took away the remaining cash, prize bonds, gold ornaments, etc.
Our neighbours to took out a procession to bring the situation to the notice of the DPO who assured us that the culprits would be caught in a couple of days. The media gave coverage to this news but alas neither the dacoits have been arrested, nor the property in question recovered.
I appeal to the authorities concerned to provide us shelter as we feel that our lives, properties and honour are not secure here at Shikarpur.
GHULAM RASOOL SOOMRO
Shikarpur
Smuggling of drugs
This is with reference to the arrest of four Pakistanis in Kuwait, who were reportedly trying to smuggle three kilograms of heroin hidden in their stomachs. We often come across such news here. Isn't there anything the government of Pakistan can do to stop it? Is our customs/ immigration so inefficient that they cannot check smuggling of drugs at our airports in Pakistan?
The Kuwaiti government has lifted the ban on visas for Pakistanis. If drug smuggling continues, I am sure they will impose it again. Please do something in this regard.
NAVEED SAEED
Kuwait
Hope for Palestine
World history and political dealings are complex and even tragic at times. Through the Balfour Declaration (1917), the British handed over Palestine, a land which did not belong to them, to the Zionists, a people who did not belong to that land.
On April 14, George W. Bush in a meeting with Ariel Sharon declared that Palestinian refugees (driven out of the land now making up Israel) do not have the 'right to return' and must deal with any future Palestinian state.
He further legitimized Israel's hold on Palestinian lands through the illegitimately built settlements in the West Bank. Saeb Erakat, a Palestinian negotiator, said: "As far as I'm concerned, Sharon and Bush can decide to cancel Ramazan. But that doesn't mean that Muslims will not fast."
Any enforced settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, such as the one Bush and Sharon are in favour of, would result in aggravated acceptance, if at all, by the Palestinians. This would probably win Bush the support of his pro-Israel Evangelical backers and the Jewish groups in the upcoming election, but it would be catastrophic in the long run when the suppressed anger of the Palestinians erupts to cause more bloodshed. It would return to haunt Israel.
MUBASHIR KHAN
Indianapolis, IN., USA
Increase in meat prices
While the mutton price has been fixed at Rs150 a kilogram and that of beef at Rs70 a kilogram, they are selling at Rs200 and Rs100 a kilo, respectively. The rise in the prices of red meat is wrongly attributed to its export to the Middle East. Out of the two million tons of red meat produced yearly in the country, hardly one per cent is exported. This cannot drastically affect the prices at home.
In fact, the sudden rise in meat prices was due to the scare about bird flu which did not exist in the country. The resulting slump in poultry market, accounting for about 20 per cent of the total meat market share, destroyed the production base of the poultry industry. The result was an unbearable pressure on red meat consumption that hiked its prices.
The media is wrongly attributing the rise in meat prices to exports. A new increase in poultry prices is being witnessed which is governed by the supply and demand principle. No attempt at arbitrarily fixing the meat prices will succeed as has been the experience in the past.
Only market forces based on supply and demand control prices. The same factor controls tomato and onion prices. Therefore, meat price fluctuations ought to be displayed. A rehabilitation of the poultry sector can help reduce meat prices.
DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address:
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.