| 24 August 2004 | Tuesday | 07 Rajab 1425 |
Flight from UAE to Makran
Chaudhry Rehmat Ali's remains
US and Muslim states
Internet service providers
The 'hate-America' syndrome
Gas prices and subsidy for fertilizer industry
'Balloteers and brokers'
Crime wave
US envoy
Wake-up call
Checking by KESC
Deadly interludes
Illuminations at govt cost
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It is only a matter of time before the holy shrines of Iraq are desecrated by US forces. The current spate of bombings is a means of desensitizing the issue. Once bombings around the holy places become commonplace and no longer remains 'news', the occupying forces will, in all probability, storm these sites under the pretext of hunting 'terrorists' and strip the shrines of gold and other valuable assets in a manner similar to the treatment of Saddam's palaces.
The only way to ensure that there is a retaliatory response in the event of such an outrage is for Muslim leaders to meet beforehand and sign a pact stating that in the event of an attack on a mosque or Muslim place of pilgrimage, all Muslim countries will unite and confront the perpetrator regardless of where the incident takes place.
Only a treaty that binds all parties to an obligation can counter the lethargy that has gripped Muslim countries today, and provide an effective deterrent against further desecration of the symbols of Islam.
ZAIN MANKANI
Karachi
(2)
This is with reference to the letter "Sacrilege of holy cities" (Aug 22) by Mr S.Z. Hasnain. Mr Husnain's analogy of Vatican city in World War II and the situation in Iraq has no basis at all.
Moqtada al Sadr and his militia are holding one of the holiest of our sites, the Imam Ali Mosque, as hostage to gain some political advantage. Its windows, corners and minarets are being used as sniper positions. This never happened to Vatican city in World War II.
Sadly, Mr Husnain got not only his analogy wrong but wrongly, though routinely, accused the American and British forces of not showing any regard to Muslim holy sites.
KHURRAN HANEEF
New Jersey, USA
(3)
This refers to Mr S.Z. Hasnain's letter on the subject of holy cities. How ironic it is that while Iraq's holy places remained safe during Iraq's two wars with the US and its allies, they became vulnerable when Iraq actually had an interim Iraqi government or was coming close to having one, however puppetish this government may appear to many on the surface.
While Iraq's administration may have been responsible for not nipping the developing situation in the bud, the hallowed grounds in Iraq came under threat when Moqtada al Sadr chose to get entrenched in the holy places.
One would like to know if the Catholics during World War II cited in the above letter made a headquarters out of Vatican city to fight their battles from. Moqtada claims to be defending the holy places. A brave Moqtada would have fought from the Sadr city in Baghdad or from his offices in the south.
The presence of Iraqi and US forces in Najaf is a symptom of the cause which can be understood only if one studies the chronology of events before Moqtada's uprising currently and in April 2004 and before naively believing that Moqtada's is a national cause. However despicable Americans may or may not be, the other sides need soul-searching as well.
DR MAHNAZ FATIMA
Karachi
Flight from UAE to Makran
The people of Makran want the resumption of air service between the United Arab Emirates and Gwadar and Turbat. The only regular international air service between the UAE and Balochistan was suspended in October last when the US had launched air strikes on Afghanistan. The Fokker planes used on the route were grounded because they did not have updated radar system, a condition required by the UAE government.
There are about 1,000 people of Makran in the UAE who are forced to fly home via Karachi, with connecting flights that are normally overbooked. Passengers have to wait for hours and some time for days before they get a flight.
According to PIA, flights between Sharjah and Turbat were suspended for security reasons after 9/11, and the service then couldn't resume because of lack of operational facilities at airports in the province. However, a service could be made possible if the Civil Aviation Authority sought to upgrade the airport.
Similarly, many people from Gwadar want early resumption of the air service on this route. The first international flight was launched in November 1995 with Airbus 737 flying between Pasni and Sharjah.
It was later increased to two flights, connecting Quetta. In 1998 these flights were suspended to carry out repairs on the Pasni airport runway, but in December they were resumed with Fokker aircraft.
In 2000 they were increased to three flights, connecting Gwadar. However on October 4 last year the flights were suspended as Fokkers were banned on international routes.
There is another racket going on in Karachi. All Makran passengers have to stay at hotels in Lea Market to buy tickets at higher rates because travel agencies in the city do not sell these tickets. These are sold only in hotels around the market.
ALI MOHAMMED BALOCH
UAE
Chaudhry Rehmat Ali's remains
What or who has prompted the cabinet to resolve to bring Chaudhry Rehmat Ali's mortal remains to Pakistan 55 years after his death is not explained in the official announcement either by the prime minister or by Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.
It seems to be yet another attempt by ideologists based mostly in Lahore to call into question the single-handed determination and effort of the Quaid-i-Azam which led to the creation of Pakistan. In that he had no peers but only aides. Rehmat Ali cannot be at all counted among them, nor was he among the forerunners of the freedom movement.
In the historical accounts of the struggle for Pakistan, one comes across derogatory references made by Chaudhry Rehmat Ali towards Mr Jinnah and the country he created. Mr Jinnah, on his part, is not known ever to have acknowledged, before or after independence, Rehmat Ali's contribution to the Pakistan movement.
Chaudhry Rehmat Ali is reported to have come to Pakistan soon after it came into being but went back to England, stating that he could not live in the parody of Pakistan Jinnah had created (or words to that effect), nor would he like to be buried here.
In this background it is not for the expiring cabinet of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain but for the historians of the Pakistan Movement and surviving freedom fighters to decide whether Chaudhry Rehmat Ali's remains should be brought from England to be buried in Pakistan.
KUNWAR IDRIS
Karachi
US and Muslim states
Admittedly, there is a need for a change in America's policies towards Muslim countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Thomas Keen, chairman of the 9/11 commission, has also emphasized this.
So far as engagement of Muslim countries in the war against terror is concerned, the US needs to go beyond governments and engage the people of these countries.
In this connection, a lot needs to be done. For instance, there is an urgent need for madressah reform. Having no other opportunity, parents send their children to madressahs.
It is regrettable that only $30 million out of $3.1 billion for Pakistan is meant for madressah reform. This meagre allocation needs to be increased to provide an alternative means of education.
In the past America's relations with Saudi Arabia were based on oil. After 9/11, the US now needs to work with the Saudi royal family to bring about some changes in that country.
The need for such a change has also been realized by the Saudi rulers who accept the fact that militants would like to overthrow them. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries need to put their emphasis on an overall reform programme in their countries.
They need to reform their political, educational fabric. In this regard, a greater responsibility lies with the United States to provide substantial assistance to these countries.
MAJID BURFAT
Hyderabad
Internet service providers
With the rapid advancement in technology and expansion of ISP services in Pakistan, one finds that connectivity with various internet service providers (both regular connections and scratch cards) is still mostly flawed.
Most of the time, one gets disconnected and finds it difficult to reconnect to the same ISP while it is possible to switch to another ISP and the systems flies.
But after a short time, the speed slows down to a frustrating trickle and eventually browsing becomes impossible. Emailers also get frustrated and reading or sending emails becomes very difficult - and some times impossible.
ISPs usually respond to complaints by stating that the fault lies with our phone lines. I happen to have two lines and my experience with alternating lines is still the same as described above. Having the phone linemen check our lines has not produced any positive results either.
Will the regulating department look into the matter and see if the ISPs are overloading their system by signing on too many customers without having sufficient broadband facility available to cover all customers' needs?
MOHAMMED HASAN
Karachi
The 'hate-America' syndrome
August 20 marked the sixth anniversary of the destruction of the Al Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan by US cruise missiles. Acting on faulty intelligence reports the Clinton administration had claimed that the factory was producing chemical weapons.
The US claims were challenged by independent sources. Alfred Frey, a chemical weapons expert working for the UN and who was also a UN weapons inspector in Iraq, said that there was no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that the facility was producing nerve gas.
Till this day Sudan is reeling from the effects of the bombing because that factory was producing 60 per cent of the country's stock of drugs including antibiotics, malaria tablets, drugs for diabetes, ulcers and tuberculosis.
Just before the Al Shifa attack took place, the Sudanese government had detained two men suspected of involvement in the bombing of US embassies in East Africa. It had offered to cooperate with the US but this offer was rejected by Washington. After the bombing, Sudan released the two suspects, who were later found to be Al Qaeda operatives.
In the light of events like these and US attacks in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Chile, Grenada and El Salvador, one wonders why Americans still ask the question: "Why do they hate us?"
FEISAL SIDDIQI
San Francisco, US
Gas prices and subsidy for fertilizer industry
I refer to your editorial on the fertilizer industry "Gas prices" (August 17) and a news report on the same subject published the previous day. The correct position with reference to the fertilizer industry is as follows.
1. In May 2003, an independent expert appointed by the Pakistan petroleum ministry and the World Bank determined that the 'subsidy' to the fertilizer industry for the fiscal year 2002/03 through lower gas price amounted to Rs4.4 billion.
This is just one side of the equation. It is vital for your readers to know that for the same period the 'subsidy' benefit passed to the farmers from the fertilizer industry through lower domestic prices (versus the imported urea landed price) amounted to Rs10.7 billion. As can be seen the fertilizer industry passed on more 'subsidy' than it received.
2. Applying the same formula, the 'subsidy' to the fertilizer industry for 2003/04 was Rs2.4 billion (a reduced number over the previous fiscal year due to the increase in feed gas prices) while the 'subsidy' benefit passed to the farmers from the fertilizer industry was around Rs20.8 billion (a higher impact due to rising international urea prices).
3. The current landed price of imported urea is well over Rs900/bag versus the domestic price of Rs 440/bag.
4. During the last 11 years, there was a period of only two years when the landed price of imported urea was lower than of the domestically manufactured product and it stemmed from the Russian rouble crisis that caused Russian producers to dump their product. This action prompted the government to impose a regulatory duty against dumping.
5. In the last seven years the urea price (excluding GST) has increased by 1.8 per cent p.a. versus inflation (CPI) which has averaged 4.7 per cent for the same period.
I hope the above facts clarify that the fertilizer industry has not swallowed the incentive (so-called) 'subsidy' of lower gas price but on the contrary has conducted itself responsibly to pass on the benefit to the farmers.
It's about time that those who have been misinforming the nation by stating that international prices are lower than domestic prices are asked to import and meet the requirements of the farmers by selling at prices below the existing domestic prices.
PARVEZ GHIAS
Vice-president (finance & corporate services), Engro Chemical Pakistan Limited, PNSC Building, M.T. Khan Road, Karachi
'Balloteers and brokers'
We members of civil society are shocked and surprised at the reported threats made by Sindh Industries Minister Adil Siddiqui to columnist Ardeshir Cowasjee about his article (Dawn, August 8) which referred to various alleged "land scams" in Karachi.
Mr Cowasjee is a respected senior citizen, a brave columnist and champion of civil rights, and we expect those in government to restrain themselves from misuse and abuse of authority.
If the reports of threats emanating from a serving minister are true, they are regrettable and inappropriate, speak of poor politics and are not in the spirit of promoting good governance or the rule of law.
CONCERNED CITIZENS (10 SIGNATORIES),
Karachi
Crime wave
Dawn of August 4 containedthree items on the subject of our police force. One was that of our chief justice of Pakistan asking the police to solve the people's problem. In this the policemen were not taken to task but advised in soft terms.
The second one was an investigation by Mr Hafizur Rehman who depicted the use of well-oiled shoes to force out confessions from suspects. And the third one was an editorial in which it was said that the people would continue to feel unsafe in their own homes and in the street as they would go about their daily routine for want of implementation of the new police order.
Now it remains to be seen how the police and the administration react to these comments on their combined performance.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
US envoy
On August 20 the US ambassador was invited to deliver a lecture at the Lahore Gymkhana. For the security of the ambassador, all activities were stopped at the club. Apart from the main building which houses major facilities, the squash and tennis courts were also closed.
For reasons best known to the club administration, members were not informed of this closure which caused a great disappointment to them. Whoever arranged the lecture has not helped win friends.
TALHA MAJEED KHAN
Lahore
Wake-up call
America, Britain and Israel are openly humiliating Muslims individually and collectively on one pretext or another. Thousands of Iraqis have been killed and their homes destroyed and this process continues unabated. No Muslim country has come forward to help Iraq and Palestine, despite OIC meetings which ended without any forceful decision.
Muslims must wake up and rise to the occasion. If life is worth living, for then it should be lived with honour and grace.
ABDULLAH FAZLI
Karachi
Checking by KESC
Through these columns I wish to bring a serious problem to the notice of the relevant authorities in the hope that immediate steps will be taken to find a solution. This would put an end to the harassment being caused to consumers by the KESC.
Every other day a KESC inspector knocks at the doors of electricity consumers to check whether the meter is functioning properly. Why doesn't the KESC, under a crash programme, replace the old meters with new ones? It should also shift meters outside the houses at its own cost. The KESC would earn more revenue, besides saving the consumers from periodic harassment.
The KESC, under army control, has added more to the woes of its consumers rather than solve their problems by being consumer-friendly. I am sure its revenue will increase many times if it manages an unhampered supply of electricity. It will not, under such circumstances, have to go for witch-hunts.
AHMED SIDDIQUI
Karachi
Deadly interludes
In the midst of Independence Day celebrations and joy, a young boy was shot dead on a busy road in front of his parents and young siblings only because he failed to hand over a mere cellular phone and some petty cash to his murderers. So much for our respect for Independence Day.
Recently at one busy traffic signal in Karachi, a girl of 11 years was crushed between two vehicles because one of the vehicles being a "police mobile" imprudently failed to observe the girl standing and kept on moving forward, clearly ignoring her cries.
All the more surprising was the fact that the police mobile didn't even stop to assist the bleeding girl and instead sped away. Why such a carefree attitude? If they cannot provide us with protection, why do they bother us?
SHABBIR ABBAS HARIANAWALA
Karachi
Illuminations at govt cost
Illuminating the parliament houses, government buildings and offices at state expenses on Eid Miladunnabi, Pakistan Day, Independence Day and other important occasions is a ritual which is understandable. But illumining houses owned and occupied by VIPs like serving ministers, top bureaucrats and judges of superior courts with public funds is tantamount to misusing public funds.
This practice must end and all public servants should made to realize that they belong to this country and are a part of its masses and not its alien rulers. If this elite group begins to set up small patriotic practices like illuminating their houses with their own money, Pakistan will soon become a well-governed state.
G.H. BUTT
Muzaffarabad
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