| 21 May 2004 | Friday | 01 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 |
New Karachi mass transit proposal
'Down, but not out'
Film industry's future
Nursing the terminally ill
Bush team's style of governance
Electricity problems
Killings in Macedonia
Open spaces
Troops for Iraq
Flights from Peshawar
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Mr Shahid Javed Burki has made sweeping statements in his article "Sustaining growth" (May 18). He says: "I have provided this long preamble to suggest that if we draw up a balance sheet for the rule by the British over the areas that make up today's Pakistan, benefits will far outweigh the costs.
This may be one reason why the leaders of Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh were not active participants in the Indian independence movement. They were also, at best, lukewarm supporters of the 'idea of Pakistan'.
They supported Britain's rule over India long after it was being challenged elsewhere, primarily for the reason that British gave a great deal of attention to these provinces."
The fact is that most of India benefited from British rule in terms of infrastructure, education, administrative systems, etc. Punjab, the Frontier and Sindh were no exceptions.
The important fact that Mr Burki has ignored is that the British introduced development for their own imperial interests. This in turn led to a system where Indians were trained to be good followers and the leadership tradition was destroyed. Indians developed many complexes that seriously inhibited their post-1947 growth.
Secondly, the writer is wrong in stating that Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP were not active participants in the independence movement. The first major martial law of British India was declared in 1919, Gujranwala was bombed in the same year and more than 500 people were gunned down in the Jallianwalla Bagh firing incident.
The NWFP again was a hub of anti-British activity with the Red Shirt Khudai Khidmatgars of Ghaffar Khan in the lead. Similarly, two British brigades had to be deployed in Sindh during the Hur Rebellion in 1942 and the most eminent Sindhi Muslim leader Pir Pagara courted the death sentence while defying the British.
As for Mr Burki's assertions about the Pakistan Movement and Punjab's lack of interest, the facts speak otherwise. The name Pakistan was proposed by a Punjabi Muslim, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali; the Pakistan Resolution was passed only because of the willingness of Punjab chief minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat; and the Muslim League was elected in 1946 in Punjab without which there would have been no Pakistan.
Sikandar Hayat by agreeing to the Jinnah-Sikandar Pact in 1938 came to Mr Jinnah's help in the situation following 1936 elections in which the Muslim League had not done well in Punjab.
True that the Punjabis were initially somewhat in the "Lotus Eater Role", and Mr Jinnah did state once that "Punjab is a hopeless place, I will never go there again" (Page 311, Mian Fazal Hussain - A Political Biography, Azim Hussain, London, 1966), Mr Jinnah did go to Punjab and his party did get the maximum Muslim votes in the 1946 elections.
Mr Burki laments that Punjab's irrigation system was not improved after 1947, but he is perhaps not aware that before 1947 the Punjabi Muslims were an exploited communal group dominated by Hindu money lenders and an extremely strong business class.
It may be noted that in 1911 out of some 803,560 Hindu money lenders of India, about 193,890 lived in Punjab alone. This comes to about 25 per cent while Punjab's population was only 1/11th of India.
If partition had not taken place, these money lenders would have dominated the scene, and Pakistan would have been a backward agricultural appendix to a Hindu-dominated India.
It is dangerous to suggest that colonial domination was better than independence. The conclusion that such writers want to lead us to is that perhaps in the future it would be better for Pakistan to accept US domination in place of British domination.
A. H. AMIN
Lahore Cantonment
New Karachi mass transit proposal
The preliminary implementation agreement between a Chinese company and the Karachi city government for Corridor-1 of the KMTP is welcome. By taking the corridor underground between Merewether Tower and Teen Hatti (instead of having it elevated as originally proposed), the planners have saved Karachi's inner city from an environmental disaster that would have led to degrading landuse changes in areas where Karachi began as a city and where most of its historic buildings and built-heritage is located.
With proper transport planning linked to the rail corridor, it will now be possible to implement a much needed conservation plan for the inner city. The new Corridor-1 plan has also destroyed the myth that an underground system costs three to four times more than an elevated one, a myth that many Karachi professionals knew to be incorrect.
The present plan is about 50 per cent underground, yet it is more than $100 million cheaper than the elevated corridor that the Canadian Consortium were supposed to build. This saving will go a long way in reducing the per trip travel cost and as such will benefit the commuters.
Another important part of the plan is that it has been prepared after a detailed review of mass transit systems in other Third World cities and through consultations with civic society organizations, consumer groups, professionals concerned and NGOs.
The DG of the Karachi Mass Transit Cell has been in touch with all these groups and individuals and in association with them has arranged seminars and briefings. The Nazim-i-Ala has attended a number of these events.
It is hoped that this participatory planning process will continue not only for the KMTP, but will also be adopted for other Karachi development projects. However, it has to be understood that the building of this corridor alone will not solve Karachi's transport problems.
The rail corridor and its extensions have yet to be built and the road and rail transport systems have to be integrated. It should also be understood that an effective and efficient transport system will not solve Karachi's growing traffic problems. These can only be solved by appropriate landuse planning and its implementation where social and environmental conditions and not land value determine landuse.
ARCH. ARIF HASAN
Karachi
'Down, but not out'
Mr Irfan Husain has made a commendable effort to expose a systematic attempt to dismember the PPP by the establishment ("Down, but not out", Dawn, May 15). However, there are certain points that need to be clarified.
Both former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Mr Asif Zardari have denied charges relating to illegal practices in the award of a pre-shipment inspection contract to the Swiss company, SGS. The withdrawal of corruption charges against the SGS by the government indeed is the closest to conceding that the charges were politically motivated.
The SGS has consistently denied charges of wrongdoing before the courts and arbitration bodies. The refusal recently by the government to release the letter it claims the SGS wrote to it is a further proof that the pre-shipment inspection company has not admitted guilt.
Regarding attendance before courts, both Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari have their legal representatives in Geneva to assist the investigation by the Swiss authorities.
It is a matter of one's judgment as to whether Ms Bhutto's absence from the country has hurt or helped the PPP cause. Had she been in the country, her time would have been absorbed sitting in courtrooms and flying from city to city to pursue the cases against her.
Abroad she mobilized her party and exposed the military dictatorship in Pakistan. Under her leadership from exile, the PPP went on to win the last general elections. It is another matter that the results were changed after the close of polling.
Ms Bhutto is a political leader, and she will choose the politically appropriate time to make her strike. She knows that her return is a card that can be played only once.
SENATOR FARHATULLAH BABAR
Islamabad
Film industry's future
After the agitation against the Indian film 'Jaal' in 1954, the government decided to provide protection to the indigenous film industry against the tough competition from India. For a short time some quality films were produced. These included "Qatil", "Intezaar", "Koel", "Heer Ranjha", "Dopatta", "Lakhon Mein Aik", "Chanway", "Churiyan" and "Mehndi Walay Haath".
However, the standard started deteriorating later and after the introduction of television and the availability of Indian and English video movies people became quality conscious and the so-called gentry stopped going to cinema houses.
Even after 50 years, the Pakistan film industry has not been able to establish itself firmly in spite of official protection. Seeing the dwindling response of the cinema-goers, some cinema houses have been turned into shopping centres.
The film industry gives the impression of its still being in infancy stage and people of good taste have stopped seeing Pakistani movies. It is high time people connected with film-making called it a day and looked for some other work.
It would not be a bad idea if film studios were converted into factories and textile mills. People with sufficient money could get together and seek the help of chamber of commerce and industry to start businesses that are beneficial both for the country and the investors.
Cinema-houses could be turned into plazas and residential apartments which could meet the housing needs of the people. The basement of plazas could be used for parking. Office space and shops could also be made available to the business community.
With regard to the film artistes, they could be accommodated in the industrial units made out of film studios after going through some training. As regards film equipments, it could be sold to friendly countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
AGHA SHAMSUDDIN
Lahore
Nursing the terminally ill
One couldn't agree more with Mrs Shabana Lalji's concerns over the care and disposition of the terminally ill (May 17). In the US, patients with a variety of diseases are offered the chance to discuss and decide their "code status".
This allows the patient to impose limitations on the extent of care that they wish to get in case of a sudden deterioration of their status. If someone does not want to be kept alive on ventilators or by other artificial means, then the first principle of medical ethics - autonomy - is put into action.
The relevant information is contained in a document called the advanced directive and in the event of the patient being unable to make his own decisions, the directives of this document supersede everyone else's wishes about the limits of care. In case there is no such pre-written information, healthcare providers appoint a surrogate decision maker for the patient.
This person acts according to what the patient's most likely decision would have been under the circumstances. Between doctors, surrogates and nurses, a reasonable team can be constituted that can act in favour of the patient's interest and not anyone else's unrealistic expectations.
Patients should be offered counselling and help with decision making about the advanced directives while they still possess a decision-making capability. This can be done by any physician who is familiar with the patient and understands his or her as a person.
Simple steps like these will respect the patient's wishes and certainly help with relieving the misery many terminally-ill people tend to go through.
KAMRAN M.H. KARIMI
Morgantown, USA
Bush team's style of governance
Every subsequent model of a product is unlike the previous one; it is improved upon. President Bush is, therefore, justified if he feels indignant when compared with Hitler.
So, when Germany's justice minister Herta Dabler-Gmelin told a pre-election gathering in September 2002 that "Bush wants to distract attention from his domestic problems. That's a popular method. Even Hitler did that", the White House was aflame. She was forced to resign.
But he has a Hitler-style team, complete with the prototypes of Hess, Goering, Ribbentrop, Himmler, Goebbels, Doenitz and what have you. What was Hitler but a man of low intelligence, yet with a persuasive persona, on the political far right? He invaded other countries for supposedly great patriotic purposes and security of the republic.
He was an egomaniac, a bully, a dictator and a tyrant who believed in using domination to achieve his political aims. He had no sincere respect or concern for the national constitution, civil rights or individual freedoms.
The burning of the Reichstag (which he was discovered later to have participated in creating) gave him the opportunity to declare an emergency. He often used the "homeland" or "fatherland" terminology to whip up fervent patriotism in support of his wars. He kept the German people in constant fear and exploited that fear for his own purposes.
September 11 did the same with Bush. He is no dictator. He is not a "tyrant". But the present US administration has undertaken many steps reminiscent of Germany under Hitler.
As James Goodby and Kenneth Weisbrode wrote in The Financial Times last November: "Fear has been used as a basis for curtailing freedom of expression and for questioning legal rights long taken for granted. It has crept into political discourse and been used to discredit patriotic public servants.
"Independent newspapers in Iraq have been banned, Al-Jazeera TV threatened and several of its cameramen shot. And as a condition for lifting the siege of Fallujah, the US reportedly demanded that Al-Jazeera cameras be removed from the city."
And finally there is the "Herrenvolk" syndrome. Americans are not subject to many international laws. America rejects the World Court's jurisdiction to try America's errant soldiers for war crimes.
And everyone, from Defence Secretary Rumsfeld down to private Lynndie England flagrantly violated the Geneva Conventions in dealing with the detainees in Bagram (Afghanistan), Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.
S.G. JILANEE
Karachi
Electricity problems
I Live in Al-Azam square, Federal B. Area, Block 1, Karachi. Every year the residents of this block have to experience wild voltage fluctuations, which result in damage to electrical appliances.
Last Tuesday evening I noticed the voltmeter I have installed at my house showing at 120-130 volts. I immediately switched off the refrigerator. The TV remained switched off completely. On Wednesday morning the voltage was 270. Will the KESC have mercy on its consumers?
The KESC office, when contacted on 118, gave me complaint No. 31. However, it was also quick to point out that this problem existed everywhere and the corporation was not able to pinpoint it. That was a strange and disquieting statement. I am sure the KESC must be having some competent people. If not, could they please hire some?
S. J. HYDER
Karachi
Killings in Macedonia
I was saddened by the article "Macedonia echoes in Punjab" by Greg Bearup, which appeared in Dawn on May 9. The worst part is that international news channels gave a lot of airtime to the story of "terrorists" killed in Macedonia in 2002, but now the story that six Pakistanis and an Indian have been killed by the Macedonian police in a fake encounter is not being given ample airtime. Most people do not know about this "collateral damage".
Innocent Pakistanis had to lose their lives resulting in ruining the lives of their families as well. Who will support their families? The Pakistan government? Macedonia? The US? I am sure none of them.
The article says that one of those killed had sisters who needed to be married. How can we all help them? I am sure the government won't do anything except give statements. Please tell us where to send help in cash or kind.
FAWWAD SHAFI
Karachi
Open spaces
This concerns the open space adjacent to the Taikri Colony katchi abadi and Tasneem Siddiqui's letter published on May 18. My mistake. I have called on Tasneem and apologized.
He, like the nazims, some 25,000 katchi abadgars, a few sympathetic government officers, Sindh ombudsman and me, feels that the open space which has been used by the katchi abadgars for around 40 years should be left open, as it now is, and that it should not be utilized for the construction of a couple of ministerial mansions.
The governor can exercise 'benign neglect' and shelve the issue.
ARDESHIR COWASJEE
Karachi
Troops for Iraq
I read with disgust the news of mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by US and British forces of occupation. What happened reflects the hatred and contempt which their troops have for Iraqis, Arabs and Muslims in general.
Amnesty International has also expressed fears that this is a regular pattern of behaviour on the part of forces of occupation. These actions are not of an isolated nature.
These are unforgivable crimes, and are the result of the US-British aggression against Iraq and their continued occupation of that unfortunate Muslim country.
I would like to request our government not to make the mistake of sending troops to Iraq. They would certainly be seen as part of the occupation forces even if they are there to protect UN offices.
We need to remember that the UN is not very popular in Iraq at present, having been partly responsible for the unfair sanctions which it failed to lift for 10 years under US pressure.
We should also keep in mind the experiences of our military contingent in Somalia. The US forces in Somalia treated the local population with contempt, thus arousing their hostility. Pakistani forces, which followed them under the UN flag, paid a heavy price.
TALAT A. WIZARAT
Karachi
Flights from Peshawar
Is there anybody to check flight schedules to see whether they suit the travelling public? There are three flights from Peshawar to Karachi. Aero Asia flies at 9am via Lahore, Shaheen at 10am and PIA at 12 midnight. And their fares also differ: Aero Aisa Rs3,680, Shaheen Rs3,500 and PIA Rs4,100.
If this schedule is revised - Aero Asia at 7am, PIA at 8am and Shaheen at 8pm - with the fare at Rs3,500, this will help businessmen to fully utilize their working hours in Karachi or Peshawar. Similarly, flights from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi be rescheduled and fares revised to suit businesspeople. Flights and train schedule be advertised in newspapers.
M. ZAIN ASLAM
Karachi
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