| 02 August 2004 | Monday | 15 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425 |
Women & juvenile prisoners
School education & funds utilization
Controlling population
SHC judgment on jirgas
Subsidizing higher education
'Good' news, 'bad' news
Paid Pipers of Pakistan
'100-metre race'
Commission's report
Poverty line
Electrocution
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This is with reference to Ayaz Amir's column 'Who said we were the Phillippines' (July 30) which says that perhaps the two Pakistanis who had been excecuted in Iraq would have wished in their dying moments that they were Filipinos and not Pakistanis.
The leaders of the country should be that while leaders of the Philippines decided to pull back their troops to save the life of their truckdriver, we made no effort to secure the release of the two drivers and to make matters worse were pondering whether to send troops to Iraq or not.
The leaders claim that "Pakistan comes first" but in reality the US comes first. No one cares about the lives of the common man and the only priority of the ruling class is to somehow please the US so that either our loans can be written off or we can secure new loans. Have we become so selfish that the lives of our countrymen mean nothing to us?
I never had any expectations from the government but civil society has not played its role either. They should have pressured the government to make it clear in unequivocal words that they do not plan to send troops to Iraq.
When Japanese citizens were taken as hostages we observed people coming out on the streets, but nothing of this sort happened in Pakistan. We were just glued to our television sets and hoping that the hostages would be released. Is that all we could have done?
We can stand in a long queue to apply for PPL shares but not to come out on the roads to secure the life of our countrymen. It is hoped that we will learn from this incident. The war in Iraq is unjustified and we should have no role in it.
The US started the war on its own and should end it on its own as well. We should not send our troops to clean up the mess. For once let's not give preference to dollars over human life.
It is also hoped that the president, the prime minister and the future prime minister will visit the families who have lost their sons to sympathize with them. This is the least they can do for them.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Karachi
(2)
The recent kidnapping and subsequent killing of the two poor Pakistani drivers in Iraq is a most deplorable act for which the impotent government of Pakistan is equally to be blamed.
The government lacked the moral courage to issue a statement saying that Pakistan will not send its forces to Iraq. Even if they have sold their souls to their 'imperialist masters' they should have lied to the captors to save the lives of the two Pakistani citizens.
Unfortunately our government has a different agenda. Their priority is to please the United States and providing protection to Pakistanis stands low on its list.
SYED IMRAN AHMAD
Karachi
(3)
We Indians condem the killing of the Pakistani citizens in Iraq by the so-called Islamic groups or whatever they like themselves to be called.I would also like to add here that had the Indian and Pakistani governments made joint efforts, there would have been a solution to this problem and the lives of the two innosent men could be saved.
I fear that by the time you read this letter the three Indians may also have met the same fate. I hope the leaders of two countries learn something from all this.
AJAY PAUL
Bangalore, India
Women & juvenile prisoners
On a short visit to the special prison for women - (youthful offenders and juvenile school) in Karachi's central prison - one was alarmed at the problems experienced by the common people, and especially women, in our society.
Most of the helpless under-trial prisoners and convicts allege that they are first assaulted, victimized, degraded and then falsely indicted by the police for kidnapping, theft or zina, etc.
In my view, notwithstanding the crime rate and unabated terrorism, it is time the police realized that women are also an integral part of our society and deserve due respect.
The ongoing malpractices such as abuse of power, assault, illegal detention, wrongful restraint, torture and harassment, etc, meted out to the poor and particularly to the womenfolk by the police must immediately be stopped.
I would like to draw the attention of the chief justice of Pakistan and other authorities concerned towards the plight of women prisoners who have been falsely booked by the police and, as a result, are either waiting for their fate to be decided or serving sentence for no fault of theirs for several years in jails.
I would request that the innocent and helpless victims of unjust indictment must be released forthwith and immediate action must be taken against the oppressors (investigation officers and others).
In case the prosecution fails to establish a case on reasonable grounds or where the competent court on its own findings or on the merits of the case gives the benefit of the doubt to the accused and comes to a just conclusion, it should without any further delay or adjournment pass an order for acquittal while taking the real culprits to task.
Furthermore, by virtue of Article 203 of the Constitution, directives should be issued to the chief justice of the provinces to help all pending cases of prolonged litigation in their jurisdiction and the courts below to be disposed of judiciously and expeditiously.
MUNAWER AWAN
Karachi
School education & funds utilization
Mr Mukhtar Alam's report '2,694 school buildings in dilapidated condition' (Dawn, July 22) has some dismal figures. As with most figures, unless they are put in an easily understandable relation to one another, the relevancy is affected.
In comparison to the total schools, the total teachers are 1:3.1 or after taking away the 5,624 closed schools, this ratio is 1:3.6. At the primary level this ratio is even worse at 1: 2.4. It means that there are four teachers per school or three teachers per primary school. This appears alarming!
But let us analyze the teacher:student ratio. It comes to 1: 23.7 and at the primary level it is 1:26.4. This means that each teacher has 24 or 27 students. This is judged by the private sector as very comfortable. Overall, up to the higher secondary level, the teacher: student ratio there is 1:33 and in the primary level 1:38.
The fact is that there are schools and also teachers (albeit more trained teachers are welcome), but there are not enough students. This is on a one shift basis, as practically all government schools have only one-shift.
The schools require to be placed on a war footing. They must be made functional with adequate regular annual budgets and funds for maintenance, including electricity. Performance based on board results requires also to be monitored with a bonus and penalty system.
A generous sum of euro 39 million or Rs2.7 billion has been pledged for the Sindh education programme. Let us hope that no further ghost schools or teachers are created. Schools require to be revamped and wherever necessary used on a two-shift basis.
This generously given money must be utilized for higher education facilities in universities, creation of new vocational schools and polytechnics and their specific technical facilities' requirements.
Some money be allocated for computerized reporting of government schools and universities. This should cover income, expenses and pertinent school performance data. The private sector can be of help here.
DAUD ANSARI
Karachi
Controlling population
According to the World Human Development Index released by the UNDP, Pakistan stands at the bottom among South Asian countries. The index is based on a nation's well-being calculated in terms of per capita income, educational levels, healthcare and life expectancy.
This hapless state may be attributed to our high rate of population growth (2.7 per cent), and a low literacy rate (40 per cent). Various aspects of this phenomenon have been discussed in the articles published on Population Day, but a few more call for due attention:
The rapid growth in population and the low literacy rate are directly related. Political parties, having large representation of feudal lords, pirs and sardars within their ranks, with their vote banks in rural areas, always encourage a large but illiterate electorate in order to maintain their hegemony and control.
Some of the clerics encourage population growth for easy access to a huge force of jihadi. Not least, western countries, with a colonial mindset, also encourage huge population in the poor/developing countries to keep their economies weak and their educational/industrial infrastructures poor. This help them in obtaining a cheap labour force.
Instead of struggling to generate more revenues and boosting exports, which rest at the mercy of international donor agencies and importing countries, we may concentrate on reducing our expenses by way of scaling down the population growth.
China by adopting its one-child policy in 1979 could manage to prevent around 150 million children from adding to its demographic tally. This provided a tremendous boost to the Chinese economy.
RAFIUDDIN AHMAD
Karachi
SHC judgment on jirgas
This is with reference to news item in Dawn and other papers and Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee's columns (May 2 and 9). In Jacobabad, after the SHC judgment on jirgas, Sardar Muqeem Khoso, Sardar Mohammad Ayoob Mugheri, Mir Mithal Khan Mugheri, Mir Ghulam Qadir Mugheri, Mir Bijar Khan Mugheri and Mir Dost Mohammad Mugheri held a jirga in a murder case pending in a court and imposed a fine of Rs1,680,000 on a party.
According to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, PLD 1976 SC page 608, a discussion on a pending case outside the court is contempt of court. Under section 338-E, PPC, Qisas and Diyat can be waived, subject to section 345 Cr.PC.
Under section 345(2) CrPC, murder cases are compoundable with permission of the court. By granting such permission, the court allows the parties to discuss the pending cases outside the court, to save them from committing the offence of contempt of court.
In the above-mentioned jirga a case pending before the court of law was first discussed, then a trial was held and a decision given and executed against a party before the court's verdict.
I appeal to the advocate-general, NGOs, human rights activists and advocates, particularly Mr Iqbal Haider and Mr Ghulam Shabir Shar, to come forward and file a contempt of court application against the above-named persons who held the jirga, as well as against DIG, DPO, TPO and SHO of the area, who violated the directions of the court.
Historical and landmark judgments, such as the SHC judgment on jirgas, are public properties. The courts have performed their functions; it is now our responsibility and duty to preserve and protect them.
CHANDIO MUNIR AHMAD
Thatta
Subsidizing higher education
This is in reference to the above titled article by Shahid Kardar and Amna Yasser (Dawn, July 26). The learned authors take an incomplete review of the situation which has led them to draw myopic conclusions.
The issues pertinent to higher education offered at public sector universities, when interfaced with the goals of social and economic development, clearly indicate that a subsidy is essential for various reasons.
Increasing income disparities and poverty mean that some help from the state is essential, especially in a sector as crucial as higher education. The value of the Gini coefficient, a measure used by economists to measure income disparities, has risen from 0.348 in 1987-88 to 0.410 by 1998-99 - a rise in the value means a rise in income disparity.
This means that the rich have become richer. Such people already have many opportunities to pursue higher education in the country and abroad. Both public and private sector options are open to them.
However, those from the low income groups only have the public sector as their option and that too by having to compete with candidates who come from affluent and well-schooled backgrounds.
Then, many public sector universities have been set up in backward and economically deprived areas. One reason for doing that was to provide the residents of these areas with a chance of to increase their earning potential through higher educational attainment. Removing education subsidies will take away this opportunity from a segment of the population that is already quite deprived.
Public sector universities largely cater to lower income groups. While more accurate estimates can be made only after a detailed survey and analysis, certain anecdotal evidence can be quoted. Over two-thirds of the student body in a government-run engineering university comes from families with a monthly income of Rs. 15,000 or less.
Finally, the contention that "we cannot give anything free to a select number of individuals from public funds" seems quite misplaced and unjust especially when seen in the context of providing higher education.
Doling out public funds or assets has many precedents in our country. Residential, commercial and agricultural properties allocated to armed forces personnel is just one of many glaring examples where taxpayers' money is used to subsidize the rich.
It would be better to first sort out matters in other sectors before doing the same in a field where opportunities are already far and few between.
NOMAN AHMED
Karachi
'Good' news, 'bad' news
I was intrigued by a letter in your paper ('Good' news, 'bad' news, July 30) from Dr Ali Akbar M. Dhakan, chairman of the Sindh Development Foundation. A lot of people think writing off of debts by America is good news.
Nobody writes off anything. America will extract a price for this in some other form, may be continuation of Pakistan's de facto status in its war against Islamic countries.
The subcontinent mentality seems to be that winning foreign aid or writing off loans by a western country is a great achievement. There is an implicit acquiescence in that approach, implying that we are poor beggars and the West is the master of our destiny.
Real good news would be when Pakistan repays its debts with confidence and grows out of the need to look for aid. Good news would be when Pakistan achieves enough economic traction to be able to lend to weaker countries.
SRINIVASAN
Banglore, India
Paid Pipers of Pakistan
There used to be a town Hamelin, so the story goes, where a Pied Piper rid the town of vermin for a certain amount. Pakistani pied pipers, though well-paid but unmandated and unmindful of the wishes of their people, keep pushing our children into the fire.
One led them into the immediate eastern neighbourhood, another piped them into the Far East and yet another lured them into western mountainous terrains, bringing misery and strife into the mainland.
The present one now wants to send our children into the deserts of Iraq. I appeal to the opposition (MMA, PMLN and PPPP) to fight the move tooth and nail.
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
'100-metre race'
While commenting on President Musharraf's statement on a timeframe for Kashmir, Mr Natwar Singh remarked that the India-Pakistan dialogue was not a 100-metre race that could be rushed. He perhaps implied that it was a marathon with no end in sight.
This gives rise to the fear that India is willfully delaying an early solution to gain time and build up its military arsenal. It is looking beyond regional boundaries and is developing a strategic partnership with the US and Israel to improve its global image.
It appears that eventually it wants to intimidate its neighbours into compliance and vainly hopes that the Kashmir issue will get diluted. This Indian intention may be exposed with skilful diplomacy and the US made to understand that status quo on the LoC that may be a preferred solution for India is no solution and is not acceptable to the Kashmiris and Pakistan.
S.M.H. BOKHARI
Rawalpindi
Commission's report
On the 9/11 Commission's report, Prof. Haque (Dawn letter, July 27) commented:
"To say that it is an intelligence report is an insult to one's intellect. The report does not identify the real culprit, Israel, which committed this heinous act."
Before the September attack on the Twin Towers, there were several warnings, but all of them got stuck in the intelligence pipeline. This has lent credibility to another conspiracy theory: that it was all organized by the Mossad.
Neither the US Intelligence Committee nor Lord Butler's report on intelligence have found any clue to Israeli involvement in the terrorist attacks on the US soil. If the learned professor has any information to accuse Israel, he should share it with us.
PROFESSOR (DR) P. NASIR
Gujrat
Poverty line
There are three different percentages ranging from 30+ to 40+ to describe people below the poverty line in Pakistan. All the three are from authentic and reliable sources. I discussed the matter with a friend and we came to the conclusion that all the three percentages are correct.
The theory is based on our first-hand personal experience and we want to share it with the readers of your newspaper. Both of us are salaried persons. During the first week of the month when our purses are full of currency notes, we are above the 'poverty line'. Then in the middle of the month we are just touching the imaginary poverty line.
Then came the last week when we get utility bills from the big corporations run by the real 'Big Guns'. After paying these bills we are below the poverty line. So, all the three percentages are correct.
MIR TABASSUM MAIRAJ
Islamabad
Electrocution
The power companies are throttling consumers by extracting billions through over billing, unjust so-called 'detection' bills and the recently-introduced super fast meters. For new connections, citizens have to pay hefty security deposits and separate payments for meters and even the cables.
The bills include all kinds of levies such as adjustment charge and additional surcharge and now people are being forced to pay the PTV licence fee. Nepra's announced reduction of a few paisas per unit is too little. The consumers deserve a better deal, especially since the cost of electricity generation has gone down with the use of natural gas instead of imported furnace oil.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
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