| 12 July 2004 | Monday | 23 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
Teaching blind children to see
Oil tankers' mafia
Need for participatory politics
Suicide bombers
Eye tests at Dubai airport
Doctors' health
From Swat to Sindh
Routes to Gwadar
Lobbyist
PM in Karachi
Indian PM's austerity
ICJ ruling on Israeli wall
Unattended complaint
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
In Pakistan where the literacy rate is alarmingly low, madressahs have been doing much in making people literate, especially in the rural and backward urban areas, because one who learns the Holy Quran can also generally read and write Urdu.
In various towns and cities, recognized madressahs and darul ulooms are functioning in which subjects like English, Urdu and maths are taught additionally, besides primary subjects of Quran, hadith and fiqah.
Such institutions are generally run through charity and donations received from philanthropists, without any financial and moral support of the state. However, the benefits of madressahs have so far been restricted to a particular segment of society (i.e., low-income groups) due to various reasons.
The teaching style of these madressahs is most controversial and thought to be outdated and punitive. Being unprofessional and untrained, teachers do not possess adequate teaching techniques and generally pursue old ways to deal with students.
Second, the syllabus used by these madressahs does not fulfil the requirements of modern times. In fact, it runs counter to the curricula in vogue in modern schools.
These madressah students are thought to take a narrow view of things and possess a typical mindset, making it hard for them to adjust themselves. The certificates/degrees issued by these madressahs are not recognized by commercial and business organizations for the purpose of employment.
The majority of the people owning and sponsoring madressahs do not seem to have realized the importance of science and technology and are not inclined to bring about necessary changes to the existing syllabus.
Owing to the conservative and rigid attitude of religious organizations, there is a vast gulf between students of modern schools and colleges and those produced by madressahs.
As a natural consequence, they always get engaged in ideological hostilities. One serious allegation levelled against madressahs is that they are promoting extremism, intolerance and sectarian violence in society.
Although it is difficult to prove or disprove this charge, religious scholars should take due notice of the allegation and prove otherwise by their words and deeds. The most disturbing aspect of the situation is that no government has ever tried to exploit this channel for the promotion of modern education by bringing madressahs into the national mainstream and extending necessary help to them.
The role of madressahs can be strengthened and made beneficial for society by reforming them, on the one hand, and extending financial, technical and moral support to them, on the other. In this connection, both sponsors and the government departments concerned will have to review their roles and coordinate with each other.
MOHAMMAD RAFIQ
Karachi
Teaching blind children to see
Children who are born blind have to be taught everything. They have to be 'shown' everything, since they do not have any idea or concept of the world around them.
How can this be done? How do you make them see things they cannot see? For example, how do you give a concept of colours? How do they get to envisage clouds? How do you make them feel the vastness of an ocean, the height of a mountain? Everything cannot be touched and understood. A concept has to be developed for everything.
This is what is missing in Karachi's main schools for blind children, where a curriculum is taught but no visual concepts are given. When the administrator of one such school was asked how they developed concepts of things which blind children could not see or touch, his answer was shocking: we do not have to build concepts because they (the children) build their own concepts at a certain age.
These schools do not have any aids to help students learn without utilizing Braille. Some students do have minor physical disabilities which make it difficult for them to read or write Braille.
They are not taken care of but are left on their own to progress to a higher level, which is impossible because the schools do not promote them unless they use Braille.
The head of a school, when told of this problem, was kind enough to give a solution, stating that a tape recorder should be sent with such students by their parents at the time of examinations. When asked how the mathematics examination would be conducted, she had no answer.
Computers are there to help us. Special computers and software have been developed for blind students. It is high time we took help from such things. First and foremost, the children should be taught English because special computers talk only in English.
It is sad that blind children with excellent intelligence are being neglected. Let us help them. Let us build a school which has such computers and equipment. We who are fortunate can make life easy and happier for these special children.
ANJUM MAJAZ
Karachi
Oil tankers' mafia
The Karachi nazim says (June 6) the oil tankers' terminal in Shirin Jinnah Colony will be shifted to the PSO Zulfikarabad oil terminal on the National Highway. It is indeed very happy news for the residents of Shirin Jinnah Colony and Block I Clifton, who are adversely affected by the presence of hundreds of oil tankers in their area.
But the happiness created by the news will end soon as such statements are frequently made from the provincial minister's level right up to the level of the president and the chief executive of Pakistan. Oil tankers owners get mused by these announcements. They say they are here to stay forever.
The major credit for creating this problem goes to the Karachi Development Authority whose inefficient and negligent officers openly allowed the tanker owners to grab open plots, occupy green belt areas, make encroachments and raise unauthorized deras (shabby rooms and offices), unauthorized workshops, and kiosks. The kunda system is used to operate heavy welding and grinding machines.
With so many encroachments and free facilities, why should the oil tanker owners agree to move out?
The presence of oil tankers in the residential area is a source of great nuisance. It is openly said that oil tankers bring into the city weapons of all sorts, drugs and smuggled items.
Besides, the presence of oil storage tanks in the thickly-populated areas is full of hazards. If any serious accident occurs at the storage tanks' site, the entire population will be affected by fire. The problem can be resolved for good if oil companies stop using the oil storage tanks and shift all activities to the Zulfikarabad oil terminal.
M. SHAFI LAKHANI
Karachi
Need for participatory politics
Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has invited Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain to return and work jointly for the development and prosperity of Pakistan (Dawn, July 8).
According to the prime minister, the Pakistan People's Party did not pay any heed to his offer to form the government in Sindh. That was not a positive approach. However, there is no single solution in politics - a way could be paved for the early return of self-exiled leader Benazir Bhutto to Pakistan and her participation in the development and prosperity of the country.
Some time back, the Pakistani leadership bundled Shahbaz Sharif off to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, aboard an unscheduled PIA flight within 90 minutes of his arrival at Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore, though there was no lawful order prohibiting his entry into the country.
Asif Ali Zardari has been on trial for the last seven years. The heavens would not have fallen if Mr Sharif had been brought to justice for violation of an unknown agreement and to face the cases that were said to be pending against him in Pakistani courts. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
LT-COL (retd) SYED AHMED
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Suicide bombers
In your editorial "And now women bombers?" (July 6), you have listed three main reasons for young, educated people becoming suicide bombers: our education system, our socio-political environment and the way religion is taught to the younger generation.
In my opinion, our socio-political environment which encourages favouritism and nepotism at the cost of merit is by far the most probable cause of the unrest among the youth. Once this evil is eliminated and merit is assured, a sense of confidence and competition will develop in the younger generation.
The quota system in the services is another impediment to open merit. It was provided in the Constitution initially for a period of 10 years in the hope that backward areas would become at par with the developed areas. It was then extended by 20 years.
This period is about to expire. As the system cannot be terminated at once, it should be tapered off so that after another 20 years merit is the sole criterion for induction into government services.
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA
Peshawar
Eye tests at Dubai airport
It was observed during a recent visit to the UAE that Asian passengers were required to undergo an eye test before entering Dubai. European/ American passengers were exempted.
Moreover, there were four testing points, out of which only one or two were working. This resulted in long queues. After having spent 40 to 60 minutes in locating their original visa documents, it took the passengers additional one-and-a-half to two hours to get clearance from the eye-testing desk.
Another 40 to 60 minutes were then needed to search for the luggage. Thus, some three-and-a-half hours were wasted. The airport authorities are requested to reduce this time and end this discriminatory treatment.
LT-COL (retd) IRFAN HAIDER
Karachi
Doctors' health
I would like to comment on the general practitioners' profession, their training, practice, attitudes, and how diagnosis and treatment of their own illnesses is overlooked.
The majority of the doctors working in private and government hospitals are considered to be in good health and competent by their patients and colleagues. This compels medical practitioners to portray a healthy exterior while being aware of their vulnerability and the risks to their own health. Doctors are particularly reluctant to disclose their psychological illnesses.
General practitioners are found to be oscillating between panic and denial when experiencing potentially serious symptoms. Their sense of shame about personal illnesses influences how they access their own healthcare, deal with stress and distress among colleagues, hide their personal sicknesses, and avoid screening.
Reluctance to admit an illness and the impact of absence on colleagues' work are among the reasons doctors give for working while unwell. GPs consider their sense of duty towards patients and partners as an important reason why doctors continue working when they would not expect their patients to do so. Doctors seem to take sick leave less often than other self- or government-employed people.
We have a number of doctors in our hospitals and other medical institutions that strongly advise the patients to regularly check their cholesterol levels (for example) while their own monitoring of cholesterol may be unimpressive. Many doctors admit that they neglect themselves.
It is imperative that the self-employed, working in government hospitals or those working within partnerships in which liability is shared should have regular screening and lessen the risks to their own health.
In reality, influence from the administration, such as a sense of conscientiousness to provide services to patients, loyalty to partners, precarious sickness insurance arrangements, and poor locum availability may contribute to the neglect of self and partners' health.
Primary care groups with general practitioners may ease the difficulties of substitute arrangements. Occupational health services should also be an important resource for healthcare.
Duty timings for doctors is another major factor. It's an established fact that long working hours increase illnesses in doctors. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council recognizes that ill health can affect professional judgment, competence and performance of a doctor.
It is very essential that the PMDC and the PMA should come forward and advocate proper duty timings for house officers, post-graduates and other staff in the hospitals. This requires proper legal cover.
Being medical practitioners, doctors should be encouraged to have proper checkups. From the very first day, students in medical colleges and doctors in hospitals are taught that 'make the care of your patient your first concern'. I suggest that 'duty of self- knowledge and self-care' should supersede this.
DR TALLAT H. ABID
Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi
From Swat to Sindh
Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee's column, "From Swat to Sindh" (June 27) quotes a telegram, dated June 4, "complaining about illegal occupation of forest land by a local influential and his accomplices," and also about other neighbouring communities' bid to encroach upon "36 other compartments" of the said forest "by erecting brushwood lodhars (hedge fencing)."
The land occupied (50.5 acres) was in Pai reserve forest, Nawabshah district), and the occupation had occurred on the strength of an open kutchery held by the local revenue authorities on May 27, when the said land was erroneously granted to "the local influential and his accomplices."
On the pointation of the Sindh forest department, the error was promptly rectified by the member (land utilisation), Sindh Board of Revenue, who taking personal interest in the matter, cancelled the grant on June 14.
Thus what was true on June 4 was not true on the day Mr Cowasjee published his column. Nevertheless, it is commendable that he took note of the complaining telegram in public interest. This is issued by way of clarification.
MUNIR AHMED AWAN
Additional Secretary (Tech), Karachi.
Routes to Gwadar
A coastal Highway is being constructed as a top priority, and since a substantial portion of the highway has already been completed, the travelling time between Karachi and Gwadar has been reduced by about 12 hours.
This time will further be reduced to eight hours after the completion of the Ormara-Pasni portion. This will enhance transportation by road network, but there is a need to promote transportation by sea which will be highly economical. The government should call for volunteers who can invest in this sector.
I. HAIDER
Karachi
Lobbyist
The editorial "PM's strange suggestion" (July 10) is a timely reference to the abysmal state of democracy in Pakistan. It is a pity that the prime minister is asking a federating unit to appoint a lobbyist in Islamabad.
It is a disgrace for the elected politicians, who do not tire of claiming themselves to be representatives of and spokesmen for their constituencies, as well as for various government departments/agencies which are run on public funds. But I have a different view on these remarks by Mr Shujaat Hussain: it is an insult to the intelligence of the people living in Sindh.
FOUZIA IRSHAD
Karachi
PM in Karachi
Dear Prime Minister, thank you for your recent visit to Karachi. Many of us Karachiites spent long hours on the roads, we could not meet our appointments on time, some of us could not take our sick relatives (some were in critical condition) to hospital, and businesses suffered.
S. JAMEEL HUSSAIN
Karachi
Indian PM's austerity
A Dawn report (June 30) says that India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has shunned custom-made BMWs ordered by his predecessor and has opted to ride in domestically-made Ambassador cars.
Mr Singh had earlier ordered various ministries and government departments not to use his photographs in media advertising, saying that he did not want public money to be used for his image-building.
One is sad to note that exactly the opposite is the case in Pakistan where both military and civilian rulers misuse public money to project their image. Unless they spend the taxpayers' money judiciously and adopt simpler ways of living, they cannot prove that they have public welfare close to their hearts.
SYED IQBAL AHMAD
Karachi
ICJ ruling on Israeli wall
This is apropos the news (Dawn, July 10) of the ruling of the International Court of Justice terming the Israeli barrier in the occupied West Bank illegal, and the reaction of the Israeli government and the American administration to this ruling.
What hopes do the Palestinians have of any relief of their miseries? For them justice does not exist in this world. What does exist, however, is the 'war on terror', and the only law that the current generations are learning through experience is the law of the jungle.
I wonder if some historian will ever come forward on how this brutalization of human spirit has taken place in the early 21st century. Human nature has been essentially the same, but lies propagated through the media in the past used to be less blatant, and world leaders less shameless.
SAQIB HARRIS
Via email
Unattended complaint
High-tension wires fell on my lands close to Pher Mori, off Thatta-Peer Patho Road, in August 2003, due to which I cannot cultivate my lands. Also, people and animals are exposed to this danger.
My manager has time and again visited the Hesco office, Thatta, to file a complaint, but the relevant staff simply refuse to register the complaint. My nephew has talked to the AEN, Thatta, more than 20 times, but in vain.
The SDO concerned and the line superintendents are aware of this state of affairs, as they see the fallen poles and wires every time they pass by my lands to go to Memon Goth. I hope a senior officer will be deputed to visit the site and ensure that necessary repairs are carried out in time.
DR MUZAFFER ALI UQAILI
Karachi
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.