| 20 April 2004 | Tuesday | 29 Safar 1425 |
Planning Gwadar city
Teaching in mother tongue
Per capita income
What Muslim immigrants should do
Non-functional sugar mills
Construction industry
PIA flight problems
Doctors' practice
Daylight time
The veil and women MNAs
CAA daily wage earners' grievances
Eradicating malaria
A gift from Hitler
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To maintain peace, justice and stability, UN resolutions must be applied to all member states without bias. However, the US, with its allies, has been applying UN Council resolutions selectively against the Arabs/Muslims. This behaviour is characteristic of a racist state.
Thus, the UN has been practically transformed into being America's mouthpiece, where the Arabs/Muslims are presently at the receiving end. This has been a constant feature of the unspoken of US monopoly, where the developing world, including the Arabs/Muslims, has been its victim.
For example, Iraq's compliance of the UN resolution was proved as no WMDs were found there. Iraq even lacked effective conventional weapons, in the words of Colin Powell expressed in Cairo before the war.
Again, Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector, highlighted that the Iraqi government's declaration before the war hadn't been proved false. Whereas, with the unfolding of events, most of the claims of the Blair-Bush team have been lies.
What is more hypocritical is that before the Iraq war, western intelligentsia talked about the credibility of the UN on the basis of Iraq's technical "compliance", yet no such mention was made of Israel which has been both ignoring numerous resolutions passed against it since 1948.
In fact, the credibility of the UN arises from its ability to resolve conflicts and provide justice to the victims. Hence, it was an expansionist Israel that posed a greater threat, rather than Iraq, to world peace.
It has been reported that over 66 per cent of Europe's masses consider Israel the main threat to peace. Even in the US this figure is approaching 50 per cent. In the bastion of democracies these popular opinions are never reflected. Similarly, these democratic crusaders ignored the vast public opinion against the war in Iraq.
Even this aspect of US hypocrisy of selectively implementing some UN resolutions whilst leaving inconvenient ones rotting on the shelf has been crossed by the approval of Ariel Sharon's plan to confiscate more lands from the West Bank and to deny the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland. So, the US has now graduated from ignoring unfriendly resolutions to violating them.
The justification given by the US to Ariel Sharon's plan that it is "unrealistic" for the Palestinian refugees to come back has once more confirmed its bias and hypocrisy.
Why is it "unrealistic" for the Palestinians to return to their homeland where they know the precise location of their property that was usurped? Yet any Jew from Europe or the US can come anytime and occupy the lands even though he has never lived there.
Despite such discriminatory policies against the Arab/ Islamic world, America still claims to be an honest broker in the Palestine-Israel conflict. Colin Powell insists that the US is still a neutral party in the conflict.
It was only recently that British TV presenter Kilroy-Silk expressed his vitriolic diatribe against Arabs, meaning Muslims and Islam, by saying: "We (the West) owe Arabs nothing." The endorsement of Ariel Sharon's plan has more or less echoed that viewpoint in political terms by the US. Hence, it is only right that the Arabs/Muslims reciprocate the sentiments in the same manner.
YAMIN ZAKARIA
London, UK
Planning Gwadar city
Ayub khan did quite a few constructive things for Pakistan. One of them was building Islamabad. Islamabad was designed by a number of planners, including Edward Durrell Stone (who, besides other buildings, designed the Amoco building in Chicago, which even today stands as one of the tallest buildings in the world), Ponti (who designed the present-day Foreign Office building) and a Greek firm. They were called upon to plan the city from scratch.
The Greek firm drew up the master plan of Islamabad which envisaged the city being triangular in shape, based on a grid system, with its apex towards the Margalla Hills. The result was a city far removed from the hustle and bustle that characterizes typical Asian cities.
Instead, Islamabad is characterized by wide, tree-lined avenues, good roads and a grid pattern which divides the city into sectors for government, commerce, residential, recreational and industrial use. There are also protected green belts. The city itself nestles against the backdrop of the Margalla Hills at the northern end of the Potohar plateau.
Ayub Khan took a step in the forward direction. He created a planned city in a Third World country. We have an opportunity to create another planned city - Gwadar. Unfortunately, the government expects the private sector to build the city.
City planning requires a great amount of thinking. As for Gwadar, all the land is privately-owned. So what will happen is that you will have colonies like Clifton and Defence - but not sectors like F-6, F-7 and F-8. And because the city will not have one single architect, the main systems like water distribution, drainage and traffic management are going to suffer, just like they do in other cities.
So, why take a step backward? Why change a winning formula? Why doesn't the government buy the land for the city, hire some foreign firm for the master plan and then let the private sector play its role?
REHMAN
Via email
Teaching in mother tongue
We seem to have lost an analytical strength and under such circumstances to get a letter published by Mr Faqir Ahmed Paracha (April 18) on the above subject is to be welcomed.
Some of the advanced countries of the world, like Japan and Germany, have their mother tongue as the medium of instruction at the primary level. Even in China an emerging economic power, whose export has risen from $10 billion to $450 billion per annum, has basic or primary education in their mother tongue.
However, we in contrast continue to use English as the medium of instruction, with the result that younger generations have lost touch with Urdu and despite being taught in English medium schools, the result of MA English in Punjab University is not encouraging.
AHMED PAREKH
Karachi
(2)
This is in response to the letter "Teaching in mother tongue". I would like to point out that the best time to teach someone a language is when they are young. People who learned English before they were 10 speak it and comprehend it a lot better than those who learnt it later on in life. The same is true of any language.
I think it's a great idea that everyone should be educated at the same level from the word go. Then we can do away with the quota system and establish a meritocracy. We need to move towards a meritocracy, because that will help to improve our economy.
Every great civilization was a merit-based society. I don't know what to call the quota system naive or evil. Whatever it is, we need to do away with it in a fair and just way by establishing a standardized education level.
FARAZ NADEEM SIDDIQI
New York, USA
Per capita income
The Economist's prestigious annual economic survey of the world - "The World in 2004" - says that Pakistan's per capita income is $540, while India's per capita income is $593, giving edge to India, as reported in one of the articles published in Dawn's "Economic and Business Review", April 19).
I have done some ad hoc marketing work both for The Economist and The Financial Times in London and I am aware of their high professional standards. I would very much like both India and Pakistan to progress and our hundreds of millions to have better life.
In the current fiscal year, India's economic growth rate is expected to be eight per cent as compared with Pakistan's growth rate of just under six per cent. Both Indian and Pakistani rupees have appreciated against the US dollar during last 12 months by about 10 per cent.
And Pakistan's population growth is more than India's. All these factors should increase the growth rate and per capita income for both the countries. However, for the Pakistan finance minister to claim that at present Pakistan's per capita income would be $600 and India's corresponding figure would be $493 (less than The Economist's figure of $593) is difficult to understand.
VIPUL THAKORE
London, UK
What Muslim immigrants should do
The current furore over terrorism has placed Muslims living abroad, especially in western countries, in an untenable position. To survive this difficult phase, I would suggest the following:
- Muslim immigrants must not preach or practise any kind of extremism individually and collectively.
- They may take part in demonstrations organized by political parties or a cross-section of the population but should not organize these themselves.
- They should collect medicines and clothes which should be handed over to the Red Cross or any other legitimate philanthropic society registered with the authorities.
- They should take part in all national activities of the country of their adoption.
- Their primary aim should be to prove themselves law-abiding and productive as they emigrated primarily to better their and their families' lot in a more congenial environment.
- They should concentrate on education and gainful skills, especially for their children. To contribute to the well-being of the country of adoption, acquiring education and skills should be their top priority.
F. H. ANSARI
Karachi
Non-functional sugar mills
This is with reference to the statement regarding the Dadu and Thatta sugar mills given by the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on information and archives (April 13).
When the government knows the condition of 50,000 affected families directly and indirectly connected with the mills, why it has been indecisive to privatize them or to make them functional for the last five years is not understandable.
The adviser has urged the privatization committee to take action in this regard. Now the privatization committee will urge the federal government to make the mills functional again.
No one knows how long it will take the central government to decide the fate of the two mills, as well as of the people associated with them. The government can benefit from resuming operation of the mills whose machinery is in perfect condition.
SAMAR HUSSAIN QADRI
Karachi
Construction industry
I was overjoyed when on April 15 in Khabarnama I saw that a high-profiled meeting was being addressed by President General Pervez Musharraf in which he highlighted the importance of boosting and helping the construction industry for bringing it to a highly-advanced level, which, in his opinion, is a must to make Pakistan a developed state.
He said that a GDP growth of even eight per cent would not be enough to make up for the time lost. This is not denying the fact that construction and its allied industries, i.e., mainstream industries can accelerate at least 50 or even more down-stream industries, of which two of the most important ones are cement and steel industries.
The increase of construction activities in all the sectors, social or otherwise, is bound to generate millions of jobs of all levels from highly qualified professionals to ordinary workers. I am happy that at last someone has realized the importance of the construction industry and is convening meetings and forums for giving due importance to this industry.
No political government paid any heed to the Pakistan Engineering Council's repeated demand for declaring construction as an industry and giving the needed help for its development.
Although it was declared and notified as an industry during the first term of the Nawaz Sharif government at the annual convention of the PEC, it was practically without any facility essential for its fast development.
The major hurdles in this connection have been the indifferent attitude of the Central Board of Revenue, which controls customs, and the State Bank of Pakistan, to some extent, under which the outflow of foreign exchange is allowed.
It was on August 14, 2001, when President Musharraf in his address to the nation banned the posts of commissioners and deputy commissioners who behaved all these years as the masters of the people and not their servants, having the mindset of ICS of the colonial era.
ENGR S. M. ZAKERYA KAZMI
Karachi
PIA flight problems
I am writing with reference to my journey on PIA flight PK796 from Chicago on April 11, which was delayed for almost 12 hours at Manchester due to "technical" reasons.
The new B-777 aircraft that have been added to the fleet at great cost to the nation are no ordinary planes. It is surprising that such an aircraft should experience problems in its first few months of induction. The pilot of this aircraft told me that the avionics of the plane had been affected as technicians were having problems with keeping this ultra-sensitive aircraft under the controlled conditions that it is made for.
The pilot also informed us that another B-777 had also witnessed technical problems a week back in Karachi, due to which it could not fly for some days. One wonders whether PIA did its homework before buying these aircraft in the first place.
MUHAMMAD KHAN
Chakwal
Doctors' practice
The Punjab government had fixed June 30 as the cut-off date for starting institution-based evening private practice for all government doctors. A portion of the money earned through it will be spent on the uplift of the hospital concerned. Unfortunately, instead of phasing out their private clinics, some doctors are using the deadline as a licence to promote private practice. Those who did not have private clinics previously have also opened such facilities.
The Punjab government is requested to stick to its June 30 deadline for a switchover to institutional (within government hospitals) evening private practice by government doctors and if the doctors threaten to resign, then let them do so.
MUHAMMAD USMAN
Multan
Daylight time
Reference letter of Barrister Jahanzeb Khan (April 8), Mr Akber Vazir in his letter (March 28) has very rightly pointed out that we should benefit from nature's gift to us and utilize extensive daylight time from April to October for increasing productivity and also getting time for rest and recreation.
Mr Jahanzeb's suggestion that we should bury the issue for good does not speak well because as a nation we always have a habit of "ignoring" and "forgetting". It appears Mr Jahanzeb does not regard this as an important issue. This scheme proved successful in the year 2001. Calling this a disaster is incomprehensible.
Let us remember that we have ignored our rural people for very long and it is now the time to think and work for the betterment of the nation.
SHABNAM IRSHAD
Karachi
The veil and women MNAs
This is with reference to the letter "The veil & women MNAs" by Mr Atif Khan published on April 11. He has forcefully said that Islam does not say that women have to wear the veil. But wearing of the veil is proved by the dictates of the Holy Quran and Hadith.
In Ayats 30 and 31 of Sura Noor (18th Sipara) and Ayats 32 & 33 of Sura Al-Ahzab (21th Sipara), there is a clear direction to Muslim women to wear the veil.
AHMAD NOUMAN HASAN
Lahore
CAA daily wage earners' grievances
We, the daily wage earners of the Civil Aviation Authority, want to bring the issue regarding regularization to the notice of the authorities. The 2,800 daily wage earners, who are almost qualified and skilled, have been working at different locations and sensitive areas of the CAA, i.e. radar, flight inquiry, electrical, mechanical, HVAC, FIDS, AFCOM, administration branch and the 400 HZ ground power system, for the past 10 years.
But they have not yet been regularized, nor have they been provided with additional facilities like transport and medical care. This is in spite of the fact that their performance/devotion has been remarkable as compared to permanent employees who have been offered many incentives by the CAA.
The authorities are requested to finalize the issues of daily wages and regularizion.
DAILY WAGE STAFF OF CAA
Karachi
Eradicating malaria
This refers to the letter "Eradicating malaria" (April 18). Third World countries have been struggling to fight malaria for decades, with little or no success. Insecticides have succeeded only in controlling the disease. You can never eradicate mosquitoes. You seldom see malaria in western nations, not because they don't have mosquitoes but because they live in closed environment with glass windows and closed doors. They can afford energy for airconditioning and heating.
A permanent solution is to build homes with controlled environment with permanently closed glass windows which let light come in and offer outside look and fans mounted to external walls to let air in.
These fans can have filters or meshes to prevent any mosquitoes or flies from entering the house. You have to keep your doors shut all the time except when you have to get out or get in. In other words, you should have an airconditioning system. Of course, our societies have to first eradicate poverty to be able to build such houses.
DR G. V. NARASIMHA MURTY
Via email
A gift from Hitler
This refers to the article "The gift from Adolf Hitler" by Majid Sheikh (April 11).
The article is very informative and interesting. As an old colleague of the late Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan, I have to inform the writer that Khan Sahib was not a nephew of Allama Mashriqi, but a follower in the Khaksar Tehrik, along with other distinguished persons like Dr Zia Uddin, Prof Karrar Hussain and Mr Nizamani of Sindh, and later married Allama Mashriqi's daughter and became the father of Maryam, the only grand-daughter of the Allama.
M.A. SABZWARI
Karachi
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