| 20 August 2004 | Friday | 03 Rajab 1425 |
Who is a Pakistani?
Operation in Balochistan
Gloom on festive occasions
Educational reforms
Independence Day interlude
Tourism in Pakistan
Unfair billing by KWSB
Islamabad sectors
Axed workers' plea
Ordeal in the rain
Wana
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On August 4, I visited the head office of the FPCCI, where we had an open and lengthy discussion with members of the managing committee and leaders of some trade bodies, which in the end was characterized by both sides as very constructive, positive and useful for the development of mutually beneficial trade and economic relations between Russia and Pakistan.
Nevertheless, the next day a number of newspapers published quite negative information on the meeting. There were no representatives of the mass media present, and the only source of such information "leakage" could be one of the participants. Since no clarification has been issued by the FPCCI, I would like to point out the following.
In the FPCCI meeting some businessmen complained that textile exports from Pakistan are taxed in Russia at 33 per cent in comparison with five per cent for India, Turkey and some European countries.
Textile commodities are subject to unified rates of custom duties. For raw textiles, the average rate of base duties makes five per cent ad valorem; for semi-finished products (thread, yarn, fabrics), it ranges between 10-15 per cent. Readymade items (overcoat and underclothes) are subject to 20 per cent duty.
Under the Russian national preference scheme for developing countries, duties on a number of goods are levied at a rate lower than the base rate of 25 per cent. Duties on the listed goods preferences on related raw and semi-finished products are levied at 3.75 per cent and 7.5-11.25 per cent accordingly.
So, any charges at a rate of 30-33 per cent on textiles from Pakistan are totally out of the question. Pakistan, India and Turkey are beneficiaries of the preference scheme of the Russian Federation and the levies on their goods are identical.
The same textile goods from Bangladesh, classified by the United Nations as one of the least developed countries, are not taxed at all. Imports by the Russian Federation from EU countries are subject to the standard (base) level of customs duties.
Some special conditions are provided on the basis of inter- governmental agreements. There is no discrimination on textile imports into Russia from Pakistan whatsoever.
Only recently a completely untrue report appeared in one newspaper that Russia was allegedly linking its participation in modernization and expansion of the Pakistan Steel Mills to some old debts of Pakistani private companies. And yet another piece was about how the TCP was forced to buy Russian wheat.
The writer referred to some "anonymous experts" but without presenting any facts. He tried to prove that the decision of the TCP to buy wheat from Russia, taken on a fair tender, had been wrong. The TCP clarified the issue the next day.
I would like to advise those Pakistanis wanting to develop their business with Russian counterparts to get information from the Russian embassy or the trade mission in Islamabad or the consulate-general in Karachi so that they are not misled.
VLADIMIR P. MIKHAYLOV
Consul-General of the Russian Federation, Karachi
Who is a Pakistani?
While studying at an American university, I was often faced with the question "Who is a Pakistani?" It has been 57 years since independence, but I am still unable to give a complete answer.
Since most Pakistanis studying abroad have been raised and taught in an atmosphere completely cut off from the common man, they have no clue. For a complete and comprehensive definition of being a Pakistani, proper knowledge of the past and present is not enough. Detailed planning for the future is required and it is imperative that we take part in creating a local culture.
Our obsession with the West has resulted in a political system that is still foreign to us. Sometimes it is democracy, other times dictatorship and currently a "controlled democracy".
The British handed us a red-hot sceptre which no person can hold for long. This country desperately needs a political system that will create greater harmony among the provinces and ensure that only the capable reach the top.
Nicollo Machiavelli, the Italian political thinker, wrote a very famous book titled The Prince, which contributed greatly to the introduction of political science as a formal subject. He wrote that nations united under one leader were extremely difficult to invade, but easy to keep.
Feudal countries, however, he wrote, are easy to conquer but difficult to keep. It is clear which category our country falls into. We are all proud of our eloquent and romantic language, but we have failed to realize that it is not our own and does not fulfil our requirements. "What is Urdu?" the Americans ask. I say: "The script is Arabic, the grammar is Hindi and the vocabulary is part Arabic and part Farsi".
Dr Abdus Salam, the only Pakistani to win the Nobel Prize, was educated at the Government College, Lahore. He wrote in an article for the college magazine The Ravian that Urdu should be made more indigenous. Pity that we failed to pay any attention to what he said.
Lack of a local official language has resulted in a borrowed judicial system. All those law graduates aspiring to become barristers have to perform a pilgrimage to England.
Following our current pattern of loyalty to the strong, it is logical to assume that we will strive to be Chinese or even Indian in the coming future. We must get our own engine on the tracks rather than reduce ourselves to a cabin attached to a foreign machine.
RAZA ELAHI
Lahore
Operation in Balochistan
This refers to the letter 'Operation in Balochistan' by Mir Chakar Baloch (August 5). Mr Baloch rightly stated that political solutions are more effective and meaningful instead of arbitrarily imposed decisions.
The recent wave of violence in Balochistan has worried the citizens of Pakistan in general. The situation is very complex. One is not in a position to suggest any concrete solutions in one go.
If the government's point of view is accepted that some feared sardars, who keep all resources with them and do not allow common people of their tribes to get education and progress in order to keep their feudal system in place, are behind these insurgences, the other fact that also cannot be denied is that none of our rulers has made any genuine effort to bring some uplift programme for our Baloch brethren.
We have to see the background of these acts of violence. It is a fact that the people of Balochistan are the most deprived and neglected people in the country. It would be wise if the government would move on two fronts simultaneously.
One is to carry its progressive plan as scheduled, and at the same time work towards political solutions, which should be adopted in letter and spirit. This would be an attempt to convince the general public that development measures are meant for their uplift.
The best way to bring nationalists into the mainstream is that the government should take immediate action to dispel the impression that it has no interest in the betterment of the Baloch population.
The opening of schools, colleges, technical institutes and hospitals is an urgent requirement of the province, and the government should take action in this regard.
SYED IMRAN ALI
Karachi
Gloom on festive occasions
On August 14, Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee's column depressed me. He wrote: "In this state of Pakistan, the most hypocritical words spoken and acts performed have to do with its founder and maker, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
"The obligatory regular pilgrimage made to his last resting place on every conceivable occasion... on which the people pray for his soul to rest in peace, verge on the criminal...".
I also read Kunwar Idris's column and was saddened by his words: "General Musharraf's check and balances and devolution have done a great deal of harm. If a last nail remains to be driven into the coffin of good governance, Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain seems to be providing it.
"There have been enough political antics and experiments, while disorder is on the increase. Whether it is a minor infarction...or a macabre crime, the people look to their friends and volunteer groups for help - and not to the government."
However, in contrast to these writers, I also read Mr Mohammad Ali Siddiqi's article captioned "No reason to be pessimistic" in the Independence Day supplement and my spirits soared.
The writer has done well to recount many God-given blessings and resources including Sui gas, nuclear technology, micro/macro- economic uplift, etc. On top of this, Pakistan has honourably withstood unwarranted international pressures, sanctions, bullying, aggression, etc.
Mr Siddiqi, therefore, rightly wants us to remember and highlight the positive gains made, contrary to the observations of many a wise pundit. Purveyors of pessimism should be advised to refrain from injecting a sense of inferiority in readers.
DR SHAMIM SHAIKH
Karachi
Educational reforms
It is indeed heartening to see that the Sindh Education Minister, Dr Hamida Khuhro, has started implementing the long awaited educational reforms in the province. Denationalization of certain prestigious educational institutions, placing examination boards under the control of education ministry and the decision to introduce English from Class I are some of the changes that the minister has initiated. Two more points need her attention.
Learning is like eating food. It is not how much you eat that matters but how much you can digest. Real education encompasses intellectual, moral and social instruction. It includes development of character and mental faculties.
True education is training of both the heart and the mind. It is unwise to load young children in primary classes with heavy books. We should start with basic subjects like English, Urdu, maths and Islamiat/ethics in the primary classes and concentrate on character building, self-discipline and moral values.
More advanced subjects like science, social studies and the like can be introduced gradually at the secondary, college and university levels. Another point is that the academic session for our matric system begins in April whereas that for the O and A level system commences in August.
Starting the academic session for both systems at the same time would be good for students, especially those opting for O and A levels who want to pursue higher education inside Pakistan.
CDR (RETD) KHALID DURRANI
Karachi
Independence Day interlude
One wonders if successive rulers have ever allowed the meaning of the word "independence" to be understood by the people. I had a bitter experience of how it is celebrated this year when I had to attend a meeting in Murree on August 14. I asked my wife to come along so that we could have a break of a couple of days.
We were told that the local administration had arranged for the free flow of traffic in and around Murree by making all roads one-way on August 13 and 14. On the evening of August 13, we reached the Sunny View roundabout and bypassed Kuldana, because of one-way traffic. This took us the normal time of 10 minutes between these two points.
From Kuldana we were suddenly engulfed in a sea of traffic. We were aiming for Kashmir Point, about five or six kilometres from Kuldana. It took us three frustrating hours to cover a distance of three kilometres and we had to check in at a hotel on the way rather than travel to our intended destination.
On August 14, we left our hotel at 9.15am to attend my meeting in Kuldana at 10am, a distance of less than three kilometres. Due to unannounced blockades of roads and chaotic traffic, we finally arrived at Kuldana at 11.30am. Normally, it would take 15 minutes.
We abandoned the idea of further stay in Murree and decided to head back to Islamabad at 3pm. If we had known that we would not reach Islamabad until six hours later, we may not have attempted the journey, which was yet another unwanted adventure.
Apart from the traffic chaos, there were no police to stop young boys sitting on the bonnets of some of the moving vehicles. Motorbikes were zooming in and out of traffic. Many people were throwing empty cans and other rubbish out of their car windows.
It took us three hours to travel 2.8 kilometres. After the Jhika Gali crossing, the road gradually cleared, much to our relief. But the relief was short-lived. Travelling some 30 odd kilometres, we again got stuck in a specially bad jam for one-and-a-half hours. Tired of sitting in a big traffic jam I went to investigate, leaving my wife at the driving wheel.
In a single lane road for traffic on either side, the revellers had made three rows, resulting in a gridlock. No one could move from either side. There was no police in sight. The use of a helicopter to pre- empt traffic jams is out of the question.
They are not intended for the benefit of the public. With the assistance of other drivers, the three rows of traffic were manoeuvred into one lane, and at long last we started moving again.
MUNAWAR AKHTAR
Islamabad
Tourism in Pakistan
Each time I read an article on why tourism is not catching on in Pakistan I am flabbergasted by the writer's lack of vision. In your business section I read an article by Tahir Cheema wanting tourists to visit this country. Does he realize that armed police will have to accompany them wherever they go?
Years back an American friend was walking back from the US consulate in Karachi to the Sheraton Hotel. Opposite the PIA booking office she was attacked and her handbag stolen. Her elbow was fractured. This happened in a busy part of Karachi.
Then there is the other question of social freedom which tourists expect to have. Are night clubs, bars, discos, casinos or horse racing legally permitted in Pakistan? I ask this because according to WHO, we have 4.5 million drug addicts and no religious party has done a thing to tackle this huge problem.
Horse racing is reported in the papers but betting on races is illegal. Incidentally, 10 per cent of Hong Kong's revenues come from betting on horse races.
The religious parties have taken all elements of social expression away from society. Pakistanis actually need to go abroad to take a break from all this. Indonesia and India each earn $4.5 billion from tourism while last year we earned a mere $100 million.
NAVAID HUSAIN
Karachi
Unfair billing by KWSB
The system of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for assessing and billing annual water and sewerage taxes to residents of Karachi is unfair and unrealistic. For example, the amount of water and conservancy taxes billed to citizens residing in flats of 2400 sqft in the Gulistan-i- Jauhar area is more than the amount of similar taxes billed to residents of flats on the same ground area but at other locations of Karachi.
KWSB bills a fixed amount as water and conservancy tax on individual flat or house basis. But the service that it gives in return leaves a lot to be desired. Water supply is irregular and below minimum standards.
No water meters are fixed to measure water supply consumption. In fact, the number of occupants in each flat differs and levies should be made according to actual consumption, which is not the case.
ISHRAT ALI DURRANI
Karachi
Islamabad sectors
I am writing with reference to the delay in development of sectors E-12 and D-12 in Islamabad. Timely development of these sectors is the desire of all those citizens who have invested their life's savings in plots in the sectors.
MUZAFFAR GILL
Islamabad
Axed workers' plea
The United Bank Ltd terminated the services of 5,416 officers in October, 1997, without giving them any show-cause notice or warning. The bank announced a package for the employees whose services were terminated. There is a great ambiguity in the package. Those who had completed 25 years of service were given a monthly pension, but others were not.
This goes against the bank's notification of December 1977 (staff circular No. 192) according to which all employees who had completed 10 years of service were eligible for pension.
We went to the Supreme Court for our rights. The court ordered the bank on April 11, 2000, to grant us all our retiring benefits. More than four years have passed since that decision was handed down but we have not been given our pension.
We request the president, prime minister, finance minister and chief justice of Pakistan to provide us justice and help us in getting of our due rights so that our children do not starve.
MUHAMMAD RIAZ & OTHERS
Via email
Ordeal in the rain
I was returning from Islamabad to Karachi on board PK-371 on August 9 after a hectic day in the capital. Just when the flight was announced for boarding at 2300 hours, it started raining.
When the passengers came out of the departure lounges and moved towards the parked buses they found these were parked in a fashion that their access doors were facing away from the lounges.
In an attempt to avoid getting drenched, the passengers comprising women and children had to run around the bus to get in. Then came another predicament for the passengers when it started raining harder and they had to queue for ASF checks and PIA ticket checks before boarding the stairs leading to the aircraft.
There was no shelter, neither over the queuing passengers nor on the stairs, and the passengers had to dash up the stairs to avoid getting completely soaked. The ASF personnel were also carrying out security checks in haste, missing out visual checks on many passengers and their hand-luggage.
The whole scenario was pathetic as this was no ordinary bus stand but the airport of our capital, which is nearly always on red alert.
ENGR. RUKHSANA RAHOOJA
Karachi
Wana
The news item "Call to stop operation in Balochistan, Wana" (Dawn, August 17) is interesting. In a seminar organized by Ponam, speakers called for stopping military action in Balochistan and South Waziristan.
Would some tribals convince me as the foreign jihadis have convinced the tribals that their mission is holy and justified - even to the extent of harming the state of Pakistan?
S. KAZAM NAQVI
Karachi
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