| 30 August 2004 | Monday | 13 Rajab 1425 |
Sub-lease tenants' plight
Turkish firm
The polluter pays: a reply
Tharparkar and after
Large dams
Mirpurkhas-Khokrapar railway
Death of a policeman
Appointments in Sepa
History not in Kerry's favour
Madness on the road
Humiliation at US airports
Green number plates
Passport
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A rickshaw carrying three passengers collides with a truck, and overturns. Two casualties complain of neck pain. Although they do not know it, they have both suffered unstable neck fractures.
When a second rickshaw driver throws them roughly in the back of his vehicle and takes them to hospital, both patients scream in pain. He thinks he is doing them a favour.
But by the time they get to the hospital their fractured necks have been so roughly moved around that their spinal cords have been severed. They cannot move their limbs. They are paralyzed for life.
Another accident: this time a man is cut by machinery in his workshop. He begins to bleed profusely. His co-workers are not sure what to do, so they assist him to walk to the nearest exit from where they will flag down some kind of transport.
This walking and movement increases his blood loss until little blood is left at all. By the time he gets to hospital he has bled to death. On the roadside near a mosque, a middle-aged man collapses after suffering chest pain.
The public discuss for some time how to get the unconscious man into a car. They try and find a car. All this takes over 10 minutes. On the way to hospital they are caught in a traffic jam. This takes another 15 minutes. By the time they get to hospital the man is declared dead.
These examples of accident and illness happen every day in Pakistan and in the entire world. The difference is that, in developed countries, the patients above may well have survived. They may well have survived because of an effective ambulance service.
Ambulance services in Pakistan until this point in time have involved little more than patient transport and the removal of bodies. Although this is important, it is not at all the focus, nor the definition of ambulance services in western countries.
Over the past 50 years ambulance services have developed their objective to bring the 'hospital to the patient'. Ambulances are equipped with every high-tech rescue device and emergency medication to save the lives of people who are sick and injured.
But why, you may ask, must we wait for an ambulance when we can transport the patient ourselves, saving time? The answer to this is made clear if one looks at the examples above.
Had the patients with neck pain at the car accident been extricated and stabilized properly with special spinal stretchers, they would not have become paralyzed for life.
The man who was bleeding would have certainly been saved if he had waited for an ambulance to stem his bleeding before transporting him. His movement by untrained co-workers increased his pulse and subsequent bleeding.
And what about the heart attack victim? An ambulance could have been with him in minutes and started CPR, artificial respiration and chest compressions, then the application of a machine that gives an electric shock to the chest so the heart could restart.
Within 10 minutes his life may have been saved. But time was wasted, no ambulance was called, and the man died. If only, you say, Pakistan had such an effective ambulance service.
BENJAMIN GILMOUR
Lahore
Sub-lease tenants' plight
It goes to the credit of Dawn to have divulged a racket of the sub-lease dilemma of pugree-paid tenants (August 27). Since pugree (goodwill) is not considered to be a legal payment, the owners have a free hand to file rent cases under the Sindh Rented Premises Ordinance 1979 under one or another pretext for eviction of the tenant whose huge amount of pugree is lost with the owner the moment eviction is allowed by the court.
This is a social problem and is within the knowledge of the provincial government and registrars of properties. There could be a solution. Legally, sub-leases are allowed to be granted by a lessor of a plot intending to sell out shops and premises to prospective buyers after having obtained construction plans approved by the KBCA.
The instrument of sub-lease stipulates that the owner 'desires' to construct a building and proposes to sub-lease the premises on the basis of value or cost of the proportionate share of the land, and sale consideration of that land is shown as a nominal amount of say Rs3,000 to Rs5,000.
It is, therefore, implied that sub-lease can only be granted for 'future' construction. The process of sub-leasing is, in fact, a very loose legal document to sneak away with the actual amount of sale running into millions.
The owner of old buildings which are already contracted cannot grant sub-lease as the very document of sub-lease shall speak of defeat of the due process of law. To stop racketeering of sub-lease, the owner must be asked by the authorities to sell his premises on the basis of sale deeds.
In a sale deed the amount of the sale will have to be shown with the requisite stamp duty paid. Thus, owners shall desist from their unethical and windfall incomes because they cannot afford to show white money in their accounts books.
The Sindh government may also come forward to provide relief to the agonized pugree-paid tenants by introducing an amendment to the Sindh rent laws, 1979. The amendment should be that a new buyer of an existing old building must be debarred from filing an ejectment rent case against the sitting tenants for at least some years.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
Turkish firm
I would like to draw the attention of the government of Pakistan to the report "Turkish firm trapped in Euro 9.37m scam" (Dawn, Aug 26). The facts contained in the story are sad and painful. At a time when the government is making efforts to attract foreign investment, such incidents can send disturbing signals to foreign investors.
Mr Erhan Kanioglulari, chief of the Turkish firm ERKA, and his business associate, Mr Nooruddin Karasculu, have come all the way from Turkey to claim their money from a Pakistani businessman who, according to your story, had defrauded them.
The person also allegedly threatened the Turkish businessmen of consequences, because of his political influence. He was himself exonerated by the Anti-Violence Crime Cell.
All this is very unfortunate, especially because Turkey is one of the few countries where Pakistanis are respected. Go to any Turkish city and you will find that Turks go out of their way to help Pakistanis.
I am sure these Turkish businessmen must have been motivated by their love for Pakistan when they decided to invest here. This Pakistani businessmen, I am afraid, has dealt a blow to Pakistan's image not only in Turkey but in other countries also.
I earnestly request President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to order an inquiry into the matter. The president should specially take interest in this because of his special relationship with Turkey. For the new prime minister, it will be a test case. It is essential that the money that has reportedly been swindled is safely and quickly returned to the Turkish businessmen.
K. MURAD BEY
Karachi
The polluter pays: a reply
This is with reference to the letter "Tasman Spirit: the polluter pays" (August 26) by Mr Azmat Ansari. One wonders what data and records Mr Ansari followed which convinced him that the KPT was not at fault in this affair. Perhaps he would care to share this with others so that we too can be the wiser for it.
The correspondent seems to have missed the point. At this stage, one does not want non-technical people to pass judgment on what is clearly one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of the city.
What we do want to know is the fate of the suit the KPT chairman claimed to have filed against the errant shipping company and whether any independent inquiry was ever conducted into the matter and with what results.
The best we have before us is a report by the Merchant Navy Officers Association which clearly puts the blame on the KPT. One year has passed and still there is no inquiry report before us.
So far, in the opinion of several experts who came and saw what had happened, the KPT is at fault on a number of counts. First, it did not realize the seriousness of the situation and kept downplaying the impending disaster. This lulled the other stakeholders into a false sense of security.
Second, the KPT did not have the right equipment needed for the job. There was a considerable delay before the proper equipment arrived at the scene. Third, the KPT did not keep the general public informed of what precautionary measures needed to be taken to minimize the effects of the spill.
NAEEM KHAN
Karachi
Tharparkar and after
Mr Shaukat Aziz may not have witnessed how the election in Tharparkar was conducted, but he couldn't have failed to notice the visual pollution that his election has caused in Islamabad.
The whole city is full of banners and posters applauding his foregone victory. Several large billboards show the photos of the current leaders amongst which Mr Aziz also finds a place now. The sponsors, leaving nothing to chance, have slipped in their own names and photos.
Sycophants can reveal themselves in different colours. Almost everyone on the national scene comes across blatantly, as is evident from the displays in the capital.
The sponsors of these banners will shortly be queuing outside the new PM's office asking for favours. The fact that Mr Aziz has not objected to the visual pollution of the city might be a pointer to how he will treat these oily customers.
One hopes the banker-turned-finance minister-turned prime minister will show better taste when he formally takes on the reins of power in our extremely confused country.
Q. ISA DAUDPOTA
Islamabad
Large dams
According to press reports (August 20), work on one large dam - possibly Basha - will start soon, costing billions of dollars. A huge water storage capacity is being wasted in Punjab due to the absence of floodgates in the old weirs like Marala, Khanki, Balloki and Punjnad, consisting of solid walls about 16 feet high.
This has silted river-beds for several miles upstream, wasting a huge storage capacity, perhaps equal to a large dam, besides causing frequent flood damage, throwing back the national economy by years.
This can be improved by providing floodgates using piles and local technology at far less cost than a large dam, within a much shorter time. It is hoped this aspect will be taken into account while considering construction of big dams.
S.M.H. RIZVI
Karachi
Mirpurkhas-Khokrapar railway
The railways minister said last December that the metre gauge track from Mirpurkhas to Khokrapar had disappeared in the desert sand, and that the rolling stock had become obsolete.
The only option left with the railways was to replace the metre gauge track with broad gauge, for which the railways would need Rs600 million. And only then could the Khokrapar-Munabao rail link with India be made functional. He also said the railways would need six months to complete the project.
Not having learnt about any progress on this project through the press, I made inquiries and my findings are as follows:
a. No step has been taken so far to convert the track from metre gauge to broad gauge.
b. The metre gauge track from Mirpurkhas to Khokrapar is in perfect order, and a service is running on this track on a weekly basis - on Mondays.
c. Enough rolling stock in the form of passenger coaches and railway engines is available to run a train from Mirpurkhas to Munabao once a day.
d. Thousands of miles of metre gauge track is functional in India - for example, the Khandwa-Indore-Ratlam- Chittorgarh-Ajmer-Jaipur-Delhi track. The question arises: from where are they procuring the rolling stock for this vast metre gauge network? If India is manufacturing the rolling stock, we can buy it from them.
5. The metre gauge is more suitable for desert tracks which require lighter rolling stock and deadweight per square yard. Moreover, it is cheaper to run metre gauge than broad gauge trains.
I suggest that any thought of converting the track to broad gauge be discarded for the time being and steps be immediately taken to reopen the Mirpurkhas-Khokrapar-Munabao rail link on the basis of the existing metre gauge track.
Both the governments of India and Pakistan have already agreed to reopen the route. The national interest - the barometer of all our actions - demands the reopening of this route at the earliest.
The people living along this track are poor and destitute; they will vastly benefit from the commercial activity generated by the reopening of the route and the millions living in Sindh and wishing to go to India will not have to make a pilgrimage to Lahore just for nothing.
SALAHUDDIN MIRZA
Karachi
Death of a policeman
The rising wave of crime in the country has cost our police the lives of many dedicated officers as well as men. In the district police office, Narowal, Tayyab Saeed's death at the hands of a gang of criminals is the loss of a gallant officer who set out to confront the outlaws without caring for his own life.
The fact that he could not receive treatment at the Narowal district hospital and had to be driven to Lahore, about two-and-a-half hours away, is deplorable.
According to a news item, he was able to talk on a cell phone till he died somewhere near Muridke, which means that his life could have possibly been saved if the Narowal hospital was equipped to provide treatment or if he had been brought to Lahore by a helicopter.
The lesson for the government is to put its priorities right and upgrade all district hospitals to deal with emergency cases. Moreover, with Kalashnikovs and other automatic weapons in the hands of unwanted elements, it is imperative that every policeman is provided with a bullet-proof jacket.
RAFI NASIM
Lahore
Appointments in Sepa
Karachi Notebook (August 18) has correctly observed that all directors-general of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), including the present incumbent, have been non-technical persons.
Notified government rules require that the director-general should have a PhD in environmental engineering with seven years' experience in the field of environment or, alternatively, a master's degree in environmental engineering, with 10 years' experience. None of the directors-general has been a technical person. The present director too is a non-technical person.
Mr Muhammad Aslam Sanjrani, chief secretary of Sindh, worked as environment secretary in 2003. He has first-hand information about the environment control agency. I suggest that he should take up the issue with the chief minister and post technical persons as director-general and director.
MUHAMMAD ALI KHAN
Karachi
History not in Kerry's favour
Mr William Pfaff's article "History not in Kerry's favour" (August 18) is a reminder to the Americans of the consequences of the adventures made by successive administrations by intervening in the internal affairs of non-western countries and the resultant failures. His advice to Mr Kerry that if elected to the presidency, he should act in Iraq as French president de Gaulle acted in the case of Algeria is quite befitting.
MANSOOR UL HAQ SOLANGI
Karachi
Madness on the road
About 15 youngsters lost their lives while performing acrobatic activities on motorcycles on Independence Day in Lahore. This happened when over-exuberant youngsters invaded the city in groups performing one-wheeling and other acts on vehicles.
Celebrating Independence Day is our right, but the so-called joyriding is nothing but deliberately courting death. The practice is fast spreading in Lahore in particular and in all other big cities of Pakistan in general and surprisingly no measures have been taken to stop this madness on the roads.
Those who have left this world as a result of the tragedy have left behind sad memories for their near and dear ones. It is the responsibility of young people to avoid becoming a source of grief for their families and friends.
Beyond this, it is the country that suffers as it desperately needs the services of our youth. The government should also take drastic measures to stop this mode of enjoyment.
AIJAZ MANGI
Lahore
Humiliation at US airports
Some time back it was reported that the former Indian defence minister had been searched at an airport when he had visited the United States. It has now been reported that Imran Khan, our cricket hero and MNA, was interrogated for three hours at an airport during his recent visit to the US.
I asked myself the question: if a US Congressman is body-searched in India or Pakistan, what will be the reaction of the US administration and its public?
Now that we are doing everything for the US in the so-called war on terror, let us start checking US generals, diplomats and other people who visit Pakistan. They can be searched for secret instruments hidden underneath for espionage, and can be interrogated for the reason which bring them to Pakistan.
M. GULZAR KHAN
Rawalpindi
Green number plates
It has now become a trend to change the colour of number plates of private cars to green. The reason is to hide violations from the law-enforcement agencies and to save money on charged parking staff. It is an alarming situation which will become dangerous in the near future.
SYED ADNAN IQBAL
Karachi
Passport
The Rawalpindi passport office does not have copies to make passports. Will the authorities concerned ensure availability of passport copies at the office?
NAVAID ANWAR
Wah Cantt
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