Change in USA's fortunes

The United States is known as the land of opportunity. Millions of people from around the world have migrated to this country. All were welcome, irrespective of their caste and creed. If you peep into the roots of the presidents of America, none would emerge as truly indigenous. Their forefathers were aliens and not of American origin.

The original Americans are the native Indians who used to decorate their heads with both horns and feathers, giving the message of both war and peace. War for warring clans and peace for friendly people. In their disposition, these native Americans are also hard as horns and at the same time as tender as feathers.

When Columbus "discovered" America, their own leader ruled the local people. They used to hunt collectively and share collectively including a common leader. They played. They danced.

The horse and bow and arrow were enough to provide their livelihood. But it was the end of their free life when Columbus informed the rest of the world of his new-found land.

Aliens poured into the "New World". The interest of the locals was in jeopardy. The aliens claimed their rights over the first occupants. Old habits die hard. America then started to fight with the rest of the world. Japan was their first victim. Vietnam, Sudan, Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq were in trouble subsequently.

Vietnam fought courageously and succeeded in ousting the Americans. Sudan and Libya, being weaker, kept silent. Afghanistan and Iraq are in the process of being under American dictatorship.

The warring attitude of America has brought hatred to its people. The people of other countries now keep away from the land of opportunity. Today, the Americans are losing the free life they enjoyed before. There are limitations. Their democratic rights are at stake and the Statue of Liberty is threatened.

AHMED HUSSAIN DHANTIYA

Karachi

Speedy justice

President Gen Pervez Musharraf has called for dispensation of speedy and inexpensive justice to the masses. This seems to be mere lip service in the absence of proper legislation and implementation of relevant ordinances promulgated from time to time.

I am an exporter by profession and was arrested and sent to jail on October 29, 2002. During this period, I was produced in the CNS (Control of Narcotic Substances) Court Number 1 on 34 occasions, only to be sent back empty-handed.

Hats off to the jail authorities (which the press always blames for not sending prisoners to court) for not missing a single date in sending me to the trial court.

The diary of my file also reflects that the defence counsel, state prosecutor, the witnesses and those co-accused who are enlarged on bail were all present on the dates of production in the court.

But the judge had no time to hear my case. He has also his own complaints and grievances. There are reportedly over 1,500 cases in the CNS Court Number 1, and only Tuesdays are fixed for hearing of customs related cases.

The intermittent disturbances in the city have also contributed to the agony of the prisoners whose lawyers fail to turn up at the courts on production dates. In circumstances as such, there is no possibility of the trial concluding in the near future.

I, therefore, earnestly request the president of Pakistan through your esteemed columns to instruct the law justice and parliamentary affairs ministry to look into my case No. DEC049/2002 (New # DEC403/2002) in the CNS Court Number 1, Karachi and to allow me bail since the prosecution has failed to frame charges against me during this long period.

MOHAMMAD IQBAL

Karachi Central Prison

Service tribunal

I was appointed in SSGCL during 1994-1995 along with many others on merit. We served honestly to the satisfaction of the company for seven-and-a-half years continuously until we received our disposal letter on May 2, 2002.

Prior to the disposal, our case for confirmation was pending in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Due to our termination from service, the nature of the pending case was dramatically changed. The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed us on June 4, 2002 to go to the Federal Service Tribunal.

After 23 consecutive hearings in the FST, decision was reserved on October 29, 2003. Then out of 95 applicants (case titled "Abdul Hussain Shah and others") a decision was given in favour of a single applicant on November 8, 2003 on the directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan, whereas the decision for the remaining 94 applicants, being of the same nature, is still pending in the FST.

We have been waiting for justice since last nine months and no any hearing or decision has been given. It is, therefore, requested that the chief justice should look into the matter and issue directions to the FST chairman to take immediate measures to announce his decision.

AKHTAR ALI ABBASI

Shikarpur

Good governance

The president in his maiden speech to the nation as chief executive had promised good governance as one of his objectives. Good governance cannot be ensured by subjecting civil servants to bad governance.

An example in this regard is the administration of cantonments where the Cantonment executive officers have been reduced to nonentities because of continuous interference in their day-to-day working by the powers that be.

The department of Military Lands and Cantonments, symbolizing a dejected and demoralized lot of officers, is headed by army officers. The department's own officers already feeling discriminated because of lack of promotions and any incentives now have a top brass above them.

The resulting frustration has compelled a number of them to resign, thereby adding to the misery of the remaining officers, heavily overburdened because of shortage of officers and staff.

Mismanagement, centralization of authority, harassment, whimsical policies, massive transfers of junior officials to far-flung stations and blocking all career prospects for officers are common.

IRFAN ZAIDI

Lahore

Expo 2005

The brief facts regarding this subject are that this event takes place after every four years. Last time it was held in 2000 at Hannover, Germany, and Pakistan's participation was handled by the FPCCI.

Before that it was in Lisbon, Portugal and arrangements from Pakistan were handled by KCCI. The question is not that how they managed it, but the fact that they managed it through their own limited resources.

This time, as seen in newspaper advertisements, it appears that the Capital Development Authority, Islamabad, will be taking care of Pakistan's participation in this event. One is forced to wonder whether a municipal body will be effective in handling such an event as it does not quite fall in its domain.

Will the KDA or the Malir Development Authority be representing authority from Pakistan in future years? In the eyes of the international community and all the other participants in that mega event, don't let the image of the country and the nation be represented by a department which can't even get a proper advertisement printed in the newspaper.

The advertisement in an Urdu daily by the CDA regarding pre qualification for printing and publicity material was printed with the wrong contact numbers (both telephone and fax).

If the beginning is like that, what could be expected at the time of the event?

This is too big an event for Pakistan to experiment with and only those who have earlier participated or visited can guide with the preparations required/needed in this regard.

M. MAHFOOZ

Karachi

On being robbed

I had been reading and listening to a number of tales about robberies on the roads of Karachi and experienced one recently. I attended a family function at a hotel on Fatima Jinnah Road. After it ended, I came out of the hotel, crossed the road to the other side to get to my car. My three-year-old daughter was with me.

As I sat in the car, a burly and thickset person in police uniform came on a Vespa scooter and knocked at my window. Taking him to be a policeman I asked him if I had violated any traffic rules.

Without wasting time he took out his gun and pointing it towards my daughter told me to hand over all the money in my wallet, my wristwatch and my mobile phone. He was gracious enough to return my wallet, without, of course, the money.

I wonder if it was an imposter or a real policeman, but the experience was quite disturbing. I did not think it worthwhile to report the matter to the police because I knew what the outcome of that would be.

I would, however, advise all motorists to exercise extreme caution at night, especially while approaching their cars or when the car is stopped at a traffic light.

ALI RAASHED

Karachi

Removing encroachments

Dawn has been reporting on various encroachments being removed in the city. These are mostly encroachments where middle-income people shop. I am sure it must have "cost" the encroachers to encroach.

One wonders why this drive is not being implemented at Clifton. I went to a supermarket there and it was so agonizing to see the entire verandah in front of the shop covered with vendors of various edibles who must enjoy permission from the shop management.

All such verandahs and pavements that have been blocked by encroachers should be cleared.

S. JAMEEL HUSSAIN

Karachi

Car recovery woes

On June 24, my new car was taken away at gunpoint in broad daylight in PECHS, Karachi. Hailing a passing rickshaw, I went to the Ferozabad police station within half an hour and lodged a complaint. The police officers were polite and helpful and expressed the hope that the car could be recovered by the evening or in a day or two.

When a week passed and there was no sign of the car, I lodged a formal FIR and also a claim with my insurers. About 10 days later, a police inspector telephoned to say that the car had been recovered by the New Karachi police. I was delighted as I did not want to go to the bother and expense of acquiring a new car.

Little did I know of the problems of getting back a stolen car. It took three days of efforts to recover the car from the New Karachi police station and bring it to the police facility in Karachi. This was phase one of the operation.

I now needed a court order to take possession of the car from the police. After nearly a week's efforts by my insurer's agent, the court order was obtained and I took possession of the car. This was phase two of the operation.

Now another court order was needed to authorize the excise department to issue new number plates and documents, the originals having been destroyed by the thieves. This procedure took another week. More than a month after the car was snatched and more than two weeks after it was recovered, I was finally able to drive it.

As a law graduate, I am unable to understand the need for a court order to take possession of my stolen car and another court order to get new number plates.

At the time of independence we inherited one of the finest administrations east of Suez. The concept of good governance has given way to organized harassment. I hope somebody in authority will look into this distressing state of affairs.

BIRJIS HASAN KHAN

Karachi

Hostage killings

I am disturbed at reading Ayaz Amir's most recent column 'Who said we were the Philippines?'. He implies that the terrorists involved in the kidnappings are rational actors when he says that an official statement saying clearly that no Pakistani troops would be sent to Iraq would have spared the lives of the two Pakistanis.

I am equally disturbed by his implied justification of this atrocity. This was a cowardly act by terrorist Muslims killing innocent Muslims, and he should call it so. Contrast this with the column by Irfan Husain on July 24 where he calls for unequivocal condemnation of all crimes against humanity by Muslims.

What makes his whole premise of Philippines' sensibility weak is the fact that their contingent was recalled just one month short of their one-year deputation. They had already done their share.

The forces of some 25 countries are in Iraq, and more will follow under the UN flag. It is foolish to argue that foreign policies of nations serving in Iraq should hinge upon demands made by those who kidnap the citizens of those nations

MOIZ ALI

via e-mail

Bank charges

I request the State Bank of Pakistan to give a decision on whether banks is authorized to collect an extra Rs10 as service charges on each application for shares of listed companies.

Mr Faraz Haider's complaint (Dawn, July 30) needs to be looked into. I myself submitted two applications for PPL shares at the Gulistan-i-Jauhar branch of HBL. I was asked to pay an extra Rs20 for which no receipt was issued. On my enquiry about whether the bank was authorized to collect the extra money, I was given an evasive reply.

Besides, investigation must also be made if the private banks collecting the shares applications and money actually forward all of them to the company concerned.

There are rumours in the market that some banks withhold a large number of applications and the money deposited, and thus enjoy interest-free financing of millions of rupees for more than four to six weeks.

SHAMEEM AHMAD

Karachi

Time to ponder

This refers to the suicide bomb attack on the car of Mr Shaukat Aziz last Friday. We all need to seriously discuss and ponder over why matters have come to this. These extremists want to eliminate anyone who refuses to follow their so-called political or religious philosophy.

First, it was President Pervez Musharraf and now it is the turn of the prime-minister-in-waiting. To address this, we must target illiteracy, hunger, backwardness, poverty and social injustice which are all factors that fuel the birth of extremist thinking in our society. Only education can help keep these faceless suicide bombers in check.

AFSHAN ZIA

Karachi

WTO accord

It is interesting to read that the latest WTO accord commits nations to reduce government support in the three major areas of international trade. Before the birth of the WTO in 1995, the crucial Uruguay Round was dominated by powerful American corporations to weaken the influence of governments on trade.

History is now being repeated and the only difference is that this time the developing countries are the target. Of course the accord is "important", but important for whom and how?

PROF GHAYUR AYUB

Islamabad

Fate of young Afghans

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan was labelled fundamentalist. In other words Islamic codes and values were strictly enforced. According to the US president, girls were not allowed to go to school and boys were denied building snowmen and flying kites.

The BBC showed footage in which an Afghan shepherd boy was shot by coalition forces while grazing his livestock. When the soldiers approached him they found nothing but a water bottle in his bag.

Thankfully they called for a rescue helicopter and moved him to hospital, where he is fighting for his life. His father requested the authorities to compensate him for the injuries and loss of his animals. This plea was spurned, on the plea that this was a war zone and, as such, no damages were payable.

The land in Afghanistan is littered with mines and cluster bomblets which continue to maim children. At the end of the day young Afghans may never be able to fly kites or build snowmen while using prosthetic limbs and crutches.

RAFI ADAMJEE

Karachi

Raped woman slain

How we treat women in our Islamic republic can be gauged from a July 30 report in Dawn. It came from Gujranwala and said that a woman was first raped by a landlord, then her hair was shaved off, after which she was killed.

In retaliation, her family members killed the relatives of the landlord. This went on and on till 17 people had lost their lives. There have been instances of women being burnt alive, paraded naked in bazars, gang-raped for somebody else's crimes, branded 'karis'or of their noses being cut off.

They are chained and kept in slavery, sold off as property by feuding tribes, beaten, maimed and subjected to inhuman treatment. The only way to redeem ourselves is to embrace education and to rid ourselves of our ignorance and savage attitudes towards half of the country's population.

S.M. KAZIM NAQVI

Karachi

Airport charges

This refers to your editorial 'Unfair levies' (August 4, 2004) on the hike in airport charges by the Civil Aviation Authority. You have rightly pointed out that these charges are unjustified for the reason that the CAA is not run on commercial lines and, as such, it should not expect the passengers to pay for its development plans.

The CAA has suffered on account of unimaginative and corrupt officials at the higher levels for the past few decades. Expecting them to come up with some solution that is customer friendly and at the same time commercially sound would be asking for too much.

I remember a decade back there was a proposal to fund the purchase of X-ray machines for the ASF by levying a security tax on passengers. Thank God, that was shot down by the then prime minister.

IZHAR HASAN

Lahore

TV fee

One would like to earnestly thank PTV for forcing all households in Pakistan to pay Rs 25 every month.

SYED IRFAN

Karachi