| 11 July 2004 | Sunday | 22 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
Steps to reform society
A shattered family
Debate on karo-kari
Medical universities
Israel's nuclear programme
Red stone of Dara Shikoh
FPSC office working
Mobile phone robberies
Clarification
Security
Pensioners' plight
Civil service flaws
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Shaukat Aziz as finance minister claims to his credit building foreign exchange reserves of over $11 billion and improving macro-economic indicators. But it was the 9/11 tragedy that mainly improved the economic health of Pakistan. The general public will respect him as prime minister if he is able to reduce poverty and create jobs for millions of educated youths. He will also have to boost exports and attract more foreign investment.
It is being said that Mr Aziz does not have any experience of living in remote areas where drinking water is still a rare commodity and the majority of people have never seen a train. Nor has he ever studied in schools where classrooms are without desks and qualified teachers.
Seventy per cent of the people live in the rural areas of the country. So it will be necessary for him to provide all facilities, including education and health, to them. For improving the standard of education, Pakistan can follow the example of Germany where all children are provided with an equal standard of education, irrespective of their parents' financial status and family background.
The other apprehensions are: How will Mr Shaukat Aziz having no political background face a large and noisy opposition in the National Assembly? How will he manage his ministers belonging to different schools of thought? How will he convince the feudal class dominating the National Assembly that educating their tenants and haris is imperative for Pakistan's survival? To what extent will he be able to promote the guiding principles of the Quaid-i-Azam, and will not be cowed down by the mullahs? How will he be able to avoid government involvement in religious matters? Will he go the Z. A. Bhutto way by taking on the establishment full blast or will he follow Muhammad Khan Junejo's style of using the establishment's crutches to gradually assert his own independence, or will he follow Mr Jamali's model of total obedience to the "boss"?
Mr Shaukat Aziz has to keep in mind that all former prime ministers were mistreated by the establishment that has little patience with civilian prime ministers.
ENGR S.T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
(2)
President Musharraf, with the backing of the establishment, is about to install a manager, Shaukat Aziz, not to govern the country democratically but to run it bureaucratically. Mr Aziz's job would be to execute policies of the establishment and not the manifesto of any political party. One could argue that this would be the right approach considering the ground realities, including the appalling level of our politicians and the undemocratic political culture within the political parties.
In a parliamentary form of democracy, the role of the opposition is as important as that of the treasury benches. The current opposition comprises many political parties with opposing ideologies. In most cases, they are headed by undemocratic leaders. They cannot forge a combined front to offer a democratic opposition to the government.
The country is confronted with crucial issues which the establishment wants to solve sooner than later and rightly so.
First, the government has to continue with its tough unpopular financial decisions.
Second, the scarcity of water is becoming acute. There is a need to construct big water reservoirs, especially Kalabagh Dam. Its construction will be vehemently opposed in the NWFP and Sindh.
Third, the Gwadar seaport is seen by the Baloch nationalists as a dent in their fiefdom. They are trying to promote provoke the idea that development of Gwadar will transform the Baloch majority of Balochistan into a minority.
Last but not least, the Kashmir issue will require unpopular compromises for its resolution.
It is the need of the hour to solve these contentious problems. No political party will dare touch them for fear of repercussions. Political parties have been avoiding them in the past and will do so in the future as well.
A manager without a constituency to worry about is the best choice at the moment. This arrangement will serve two purpose: it will give a chance to the so-called democrats to learn the norms of democracy (make laws and ensure a smooth transfer of power, etc.) without practising it, and the manager will tackle the problems on merit without the fear of losing his vote bank.
TAHIR ZAMAN
Karachi
Steps to reform society
Judging by the state of affairs in our society, it is evident that we as a nation have lost sight of decency and morality. We are plagued with rampant killings, looting (both individually and collectively in personal and official capacities), illiteracy (mostly in terms of civic sense), and no respect for women who form 55 per cent of our population.
I would like to share some thoughts on how things can be made better.
To begin with, it is sincerely suggested that:
a. All kinds of firearms be completely banned, except by armed forces when on duty. Capital punishment should be mandatory for defiance.
b. The current primary education system should be discarded and replaced with the primary education syllabus of Malaysia. The education ministry will find this appropriate for the next generation who will be spared our present controversial system.
c. It must be made mandatory for all parents to send their children to school. For this, incentives such as free education, and subsidized food and clothing must be provided.
d. The most explosive time-bomb ticking away is the alarming population growth and we must take it as a collective responsibility to educate the masses. Certain incentives for couples with two children should be initiated in both urban and rural areas.
e. Attractive incentives should be introduced for putting up various industries in the raw material-growing areas. This will divert the influx of people moving from rural to urban areas.
f. Religion is everyone's personal belief and we have collective responsibility to shun extremism.
g. TV and other mass media resources should be extensively utilized to reflect the image of Pakistan as a modern and civilized developing nation.
SALAHUDDIN AHMAD
Karachi
A shattered family
I was aghast to read the story (Dawn, June 30) of a PoW, Arif Ahmed, an Indian infantry man who was recently released by our country, after four years in jail. His mother passed away and his wife got remarried, assuming that he had died because she had not received any information about him.
Who is to blame for this - the Indian government that just finished the case by declaring the soldier an absconder, without pursuing the case further; or the Pakistan government who could have simply told the Indian government his name, unit and rank, and informed them that they had one of their soldiers in their custody; or should the soldier be held responsible for failing to communicate with his family in India; or is the jail administration to blame for not providing him with the facility to correspond with his family?
The questions go on: how many Arif Ahmeds are still languishing in the custody of the two governments, or have been declared dead or termed absconders by either country, who after their release from either jail may find themselves in similar circumstances?
What about the UN charter that binds the signatory countries to allow correspondence (under censor laws) of PoWs with their family members. I remember that in the 1971 war over former East Pakistan a substantial number of our PoWs were in Indian camps. My father used to receive some letters from PoW police colleagues.
If the present lapse is to be attributed to our government, it has certainly done a gross injustice to this man's life. And the only way we can make amendments for this is to offer our sincere regrets and show our repentance to him and his family.
In future, both India and Pakistan must do their utmost to avoid such situations.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
Debate on karo-kari
This refers to a private TV channel's programme (July 8) on the issue of karo-kari. I was shocked to hear the ordeal of a doctor couple. After they got married, a jirga 'awarded' them the death sentence for this 'crime', and consequently they have had to flee and go underground to save their lives.
Even more shocking were the comments of Mr Liaqat Baloch, a leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. After giving a ceremonial statement supporting the sanctity of human life, he criticized the lady doctor for her failure to get the consent of her family. Then he lashed out at 'secular' elements and a 'foreign hand' that he said wanted to amend the Hudood and blasphemy laws. He was reacting to another speaker Raza Hayat Hiraj's statement that the government intended to legislate on karo-kari, honour killings and Hudood and blasphemy laws.
The way Mr Baloch conducted himself in the debate was disappointing. He seemed totally indifferent to the suffering of fellow human beings. In fact, he was more keen to defend his party's retrogressive agenda. Anything that may go against their vested interests can simply be discredited by labelling it 'secular' and 'foreign-instigated'. It is a very simple and crude but a successful technique frequently used by Islamists.
I wonder at the insensitivity of the religious parties' leaders towards the violation of human rights committed in the name of traditions that give a distorted version of Islam. They are so obsessed with power politics that they show little regard for the basic principles of Islam like the sanctity of human life and justice. There is nothing wrong in improving, repealing, or amending laws to protect the lives, dignity and rights of the people.
SHAHID ANWAR
Toba Tek Singh
Medical universities
I endorse Mr Alam's view ("Medical universities", July 6) that the establishment of a water testing lab or taking a few other similar measures do not justify the creation of a university.
As regards other questions raised by the writer, I would like to invite him to visit the Dow Medical College to see for himself the positive changes vis-a-vis admissions, classrooms, labs, clinics and students' behaviour. Mr Alam was a student of the Dow Medical College, Karachi, when there was political unrest in the country and educational institutions in Sindh were not given due attention.
Better salaries and allowances should be offered to teachers so that the standard of medical education can improve. Apart from making efforts to promote post-graduate education in the country, the Higher Education Commission should also pay attention to graduate studies. It should provide funds to colleges to improve labs, libraries, etc., and introduce short-term training programmes.
PROF SHOAIB TAUHEED
Karachi
Israel's nuclear programme
It was shocking to hear Dr Elbaradei tell the Israeli press that he was encouraged by the commitment of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (the butcher of Sabra and Shatilla) to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone. Dr Elbaradei compounded his offence by adding that Sharon's commitment was not a new Israeli policy but a reiteration of the Israeli policy of maintaining regional peace. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Either Dr Elbaradei knows what the rest of the world doesn't (except, of course, the Americans) about the Zionist ambition of ruling the world, or he was hiding his embarrassment at the Israeli premier's obviously curt response to the IAEA demand for inspecting Israeli nuclear facilities, and halting covert activities aimed at augmenting Israel's nuclear arsenal. The impression is strengthened by the fact that at about the same time, William S. Cohen, former US defence secretary, was telling CNN that Israel was unlikely to submit even faintly to IAEA pressure for reasons of national security which, in Zionist parlance, means a threatening superiority over Israel's neighbours.
IAEA's first ever investigative visit to Israel in 55 years was to deceive the world into believing that Muslim countries alone (Iran, Libya and Pakistan) are not the target of the nuclear witch-hunt, and to refute the Iranian accusation that the IAEA was the West's covert espionage arm for getting vital details on nuclear installations in Muslim countries to plan and then legitimize shameful invasions like the one mounted on Iraq.
Hans Blix's stewardship earned the IAEA this dubious reputation because he failed to dispel convincingly the US-British propaganda about Iraq's WMDs. His post-invasion lamentations are inconsequential because what he facilitated, no matter how reluctantly, was the commitment of a massive crime. It is time Dr Elbaradei thought seriously about his role in the IAEA. His trip to Israel turned out to be a poorly rehearsed act of deception.
A.B. SHAHID
Karachi
Red stone of Dara Shikoh
The piece by Mr Majid Sheikh (June 20) is quite informative, interesting and an eye-opener for Muslims to see for themselves what destiny awaits their sacred places if proper care is not exercised.
I foresee no harm in placing a red stone on Hazrat Mian Mir's tomb if this may help Dara Shikoh breathe with deep inner satisfaction. However, courage is required to do something like this.
S. M. ZUBERI
Karachi
FPSC office working
My experience with the FPSC (Federal Public Service Commission) office, Karachi, concerning a number of queries about registration for examinations was quite bitter. I had thought that an FPSC office is meant to guide and help the needy students but it proved otherwise.
My first query was about the change of the venue for an examination. Instead of a proper reply I was given the number of the Islamabad office.
On my insistence that I wanted to meet the assistant director, I was told that the official concerned was too busy to see me.
I was not required to call the Islamabad office. As per rule it was the assistant director who should have called the Islamabad office, obtained the relevant information and given it to me.
All my effort - going to Karachi from Hyderabad and calling Islamabad thrice - came to naught although it cost me Rs600. I belong to a poor family. As July 6 was the last date for submitting the registration form, I lost this opportunity. There's need to fix responsibility in this matter.
AKBAR-E-AZAM RAJAR
Hyderabad
Mobile phone robberies
This is with reference to the letter "Mobile phone robbery on the rise" (July 10) by Mr Asfar Khan.
All of my friends and colleagues are victims of mobile phone robberies which occur quite frequently in Karachi, especially in Garden East. Mobile phones are being snatched at gunpoint, and the thieves don't care if it is daytime or night-time. People have started feeling helpless in this regard.
I agree with the suggestion that the serial number blocking facility should be provided by the mobile phone service provider. This is common in foreign countries, but in Pakistan it is still to be made available to mobile phone subscribers.
It's time the government had this facility made compulsory for each mobile phone service provider.
SULAIMAN SALEEM GULAMANI
Karachi
Clarification
A letter on the performance of Wapda was published in these columns on July 8 under my name.
I would like to clarify for the record that I have not written it. Ever since my transfer from Wapda in July, 2003, I have not kept myself abreast of the developments there. I am unaware of the current status of the issues raised in the letter and am, therefore, in no position to offer any comments on such matters. In fact, it is against my nature, background and upbringing to indulge in such an activity.
I would also like to clarify that I have never written any letter to any newspaper in my life. In fact, I am not even a Dawn subscriber.
HIMAYATULLAH
Director-General, Audit, District Government, Punjab, Lahore (Ex-secretary, Wapda)
Security
This refers to the Dawn report "Tribes agree to protect security forces" (July 6). Shouldn't it have been the other way round?
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA
Peshawar
Pensioners' plight
This is with reference to Mr Iqtedar A. Khan's letter "Plight of old pensioners" (July 10).
Pensions are calculated on the basis of complicated statistical formula, hardly understood and known to the vast majority of government servants. If pensions are once wrongly calculated, it is almost impossible to get them corrected. The unjust/unequal treatment between old and new pensioners in Pakistan adds to the hardship of old pensioners.
Their pensions are too meagre to enable them to live honourably in society. They are people who have served this country with a sense of responsibility and with their blood and intellect, but they are facing problems due to anomalies in pensions. It is proposed that:
1. There should be a fixed amount of pension for each grade.
2. The amount should be enough to enable aged and ailing persons to live a respectable life.
3. Increase in the amounts of pensions should be uniform and in line with the market prices or it should be linked with the value of gold.
MUHAMMAD IQBAL BRULA
Albany, NY., USA.
Civil service flaws
In response to Mr M.I. Ali Khan's letter (July 9), I would like to draw the attention of the readers to the falling standards in the bureaucracy, whether it is in the writing of ACRs of junior officers or addressing the plight of the common man. There are valid reasons, though, for this.
First and foremost is the salary structure. Despite the falling rupee value, salaries have not been increased in the last one and a half decades. An honest civil servant could live modestly in his/her salary until 1990. But now even a grade 22 officer, let alone a Class IV servant, gets a low salary. Combine this with the authority civil servants have in their fields and you get a recipe for corruption.
The second factor affecting the civil service is the insecurity brought by military rule. I have seen captains shouting at grade 22 officers. A colonel had summoned the DIG police for stopping another colonel's son for violating traffic rules. Though the political administration has equally been responsible for degrading the civil service, generally politicians have been more subtle in pressuring the bureaucracy.
If these two factors are eliminated and the civil service is left to work in accordance with service rules, the system will work better.
DR OBAIDULLAH
Darlington, UK
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