| 02 September 2004 | Thursday | 16 Rajab 1425 |
Kalabagh Dam project
Rehabilitating the disabled
A question of details
Requirement of attested copies
Billboards in Karachi
Military cantonments
Pakistan and Olympics
Protecting the environment
Stray dog menace
Duty on surgical gloves
India's economy
'White elephants'
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By winning the final of the Videocon Tri-nation cricket tournament in Amsterdam, the Australian cricket team has proved yet again its remarkable resilience even under the most difficult playing conditions - full credit to them.
The enthusiasm of the spectators in Amsterdam was no less admirable. In spite of the fact that, except for the final, every qualifying match was partly or wholly washed out, they thronged the stadium in thousands and cheered the players. Full credit to them as well.
Having said that, this tournament brought to the fore the incompetence of the ICC in more ways than one. Firstly, in terms of weather conditions, was it the right time of the year to allow a tournament in Amsterdam between the world's top three teams? Secondly, if using visual aids the third umpire can rule on fielders touching the boundary while stopping a ball, run-outs and now no-balls, why can't he rule on cases of lbw and caught-behind?
In the match in question, the umpires did not accede to at least two very valid lbw appeals against Australian batsmen and compounded their offence by validating invalid caught-behind appeals against two Pakistani batsmen.
Together, these four decisions proved disastrous for Pakistan who had a fair chance of winning the game in spite of two silly run-outs, for which the players concerned should be taken to task by Bob Woolmer. He must also impress upon Shabbir that he has to become at least half as a good a batsman as he is as a bowler. That's the demand of one-day internationals.
It is time Messers Steve Buckner and David Shepherd hung their boots. They were certainly very good umpires but age seems to be taking its toll on them. This is again a matter on which the International Cricket Council must adjudicate, taking into account the recent record of these umpires in acceding to invalid appeals.
A.B. SHAHID
Karachi
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David Shepherd has long been regarded as one of the best cricket umpires in the world. Rightly so as till recently he was bang on the spot while making decisions. His presence on the ground inspired confidence amongst teams, something he can be rightly proud of.
Of late, however, his ability to judge correctly appears to have been impaired, and he is in grave danger of having his impeccable and unquestionable integrity tainted. The final played between Australia and Pakistan in Amsterdam is a case in point.
His decisions regarding Inzamamul Haq and Yousaf Youhana were simply indefensible on any pretext. In the past too, the bulk of his misjudgments have cost Pakistani players and Pakistan very dearly. Inzamam has been his 'favourite' player.
Given his present state of performance, he ought to call it a day immediately and save his fair reputation.
LT-COL PERVEZ MURAD
Karachi
Kalabagh Dam project
The Kalabagh dam project was conceived about two decades ago, its feasibility was prepared, infrastructure planned and even a workers' colony set up at the site.
Unfortunately, the project became the victim of a group of politicians and its construction was put off. This cost the nation a colossal amount. Now when the country's water resources have hit rock bottom, the government has realized that Pakistan's survival rests on the construction of a mega dam. The flowing of 35 MAF (million acre-feet) of water into the sea also dictates the construction of dams with large storage capacity.
Similarly, growing demand of electricity in the wake of rapid industrialization needs a quantum jump in the generation of hydro-electric power to avoid an energy crisis.
One feels distressed at the attitude of political leaders putting barriers in the implementation of development projects. During a discussion on the Kalabagh dam I once asked a former Wapda chairman why a presentation was not made to clear the doubts of the politicians and to give them an assurance that no area of the NWFP would be inundated.
He said: "We did it many a time and once when everyone was satisfied, a top political leader stood up to say that they are quite convinced about the feasibility of the dam but that he had a political stand from which he could not budge an inch". I take a poor view of the element of patriotism possessed by these leaders.
Now there appears to be a tie between the Kalabagh and Bhasha dams as to which one is to be built first. The subject has been referred to parliament for a debate and this means the matter is again in the court of the politicians. Let us hope sanity prevails and the most suitable project from the point of view of reducing the common man's burden is given priority.
RAFI NASIM
Lahore
Rehabilitating the disabled
This is with reference to your editorials "Rehabilitating the disabled" (March 30) and "Help for the disabled people" (August 8). I was glad to read in the editorial of March 30 that the Karachi Building Control Authority has issued instructions to builders to construct ramps in all new projects. There is no implementation at all, even if such a directive has been issued.
I am a wheelchair-bound girl and have just completed my A level. I will be going to university to do my MBA. You may appreciate how many obstacles wheelchair-bound people face in reaching their institutions or workplaces.
I have listened to so many sermons from the government on the rehabilitation of special people, but unfortunately it never keeps its pledges in this respect. Instead of cursing our system I have started a project called "Show you care".
The main purpose of this project is to create awareness of difficulties of wheelchair-bound people and to impress upon the authorities the need to pass legislation so as to have proper accessibility for wheelchair-bound people in all buildings, parks, hotels, schools, colleges, etc.
I have travelled many countries and find special people getting privileged treatment, but unfortunately in our country we only believe in hollow slogans. The initiatives of a two per cent job quota or making an allowance for appearing for the FPSC examinations will go to waste if people like me cannot even reach the required place.
Yours being the leading newspaper I need your help to give projection to the requirement of wheelchair-bound people. It is a pity that people spend so much money to build large shopping centres and hotels, yet they cannot provide a small ramp facility. It is all an attitude problem which we all have to change together.
FARHAT RASHEED
Via email
A question of details
The history of mankind can be seen as a series of attempts to impose a moral order on our chaotic natures, and the mistake we too often make is to construct a moral order which is far too detailed and thus open for ourselves the savage pit of ideological bigotry into which we repeatedly tumble. If you are caught up in details, more details emerge, till you are overwhelmed by them.
This aspect of human nature has been illustrated in the story of "The Cow" (Al Baqarah). When Moses (PBUH) told his people "God bids you to sacrifice a cow", they went into unnecessary details of the simple commandment.
If they had sacrificed a cow chosen by them, they would have fulfilled the command. But they made it difficult for themselves by asking questions about the age, colour and kind of cow required to be sacrificed and thus narrowed there choice.
The Quranic tales have a purpose and a moral behind them. The moral of this story is that it is inadvisable to try to elicit additional details in respect of any religious law that has been originally given in general terms.
Because the more numerous and multiform such details become, the more complicated and rigid becomes the law. That is how the early generations of Muslims visualized the problem.
For them the religious law (din) was natural, simple and liberal in its straightforwardness. But later generations added to it certain injunctions which they deduced by means of their own reasoning and multiplied these injunctions to such an extent that they became a burden on the community. Religious laws and rites should be easily understood and practised.
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA
Peshawar
Requirement of attested copies
I want to draw attention to the requirement of attested copies of certificates from unemployed job-seekers. I wonder if anyone in authority in the government has ever bothered to apply his mind to the good of asking for such attested copies. At the stage of calling applications, only data on a plain paper may suffice to shortlist candidates on the basis of suitability.
Those called for interview may be asked to bring along original documents. Those selected may be required to submit certified copies of the required documents for the record. This can fully serve the purpose without unnecessarily bothering the job-seekers.
I may quote one example where 10,000 persons applied for 30 posts. It simply means that in this case an avoidable financial burden was put on the applicants. The energy wasted by the employer in handling the unnecessary documentation is another deplorable aspect of this.
I hope government authorities will no more ask for certified copies of original documents from job-seekers at the stage of calling for applications.
CH. ABDUS SATTAR
Lahore
Billboards in Karachi
Karachi is fast expanding and has now become a global city as described by your weekly magazine The Review (August 26). Although the main roads are improving, traffic jams are increasing, and so is pollution. But the most important aspect is the city's environment and its appearance which is being destroyed by mega billboards.
During the last couple of years these huge boards have emerged like mushrooms and spoil the beauty of our city. They make the city of Karachi a jungle of frivolous ads. I hope the city fathers will take immediate action to save our city.
IQTEDAR A. KHAN
Karachi
Military cantonments
When the colonial British Empire spread over the continents of Asia and Africa, it created cantonments on the outskirts of major cities to quell rebellion and gag any political movements by the natives.
No such cantonments ever existed within the United Kingdom, where troops were either located in desolate areas, far away from any town or city, or stationed on its coastal borders.
The colonial British army hired soldiers from amongst local populations, while it officers were of British origin. Since the occupying army faced the threat of attack from natives, they provided exclusive housing for troops and civil bureaucrats in areas defined as cantonments or GORs.
These areas were provided with a network of roads, exclusive clubs (gymkhanas), officers mess, etc. With the onset of World War I, the need to hire more soldiers and junior officers from the colonies gained momentum. The land used for housing the colonial army and civil bureaucracy belonged to government and no individual was allowed to own this land.
Freedom struggles, launched by organized political groups like the Muslim League and Congress, forced the British to free the colonies, because the casualties and losses that they suffered during the two world wars had weakened them.
At the time of the creation of Pakistan there existed this infrastructure of cantonments, housing barracks for soldiers and officers alike. Some of these cantonments existed in towns and cities near the borders and could serve the purpose to defend the state from external aggression.
However, the mindset that the colonial army and the civil bureaucracy had inherited from the Raj was something that did not unfortunately change. Over a period of time the barracks were demolished and housing projects launched, which were given on an ownership basis to men in uniform.
The finances for these housing projects came from state coffers. Huge allocations have been made in the defence budget to provide for troops, ammunition and food for the troops, to defend the borders from external aggression.
The Quaid-i-Azam had made it abundantly clear that the role of the army is to defend our geographical borders and assist the elected civil government, when ordered to do so.
This is what they were trained in and the basis on which this nation allocated the bulk of its budget for defence. Unfortunately, cantonments have assumed a new form which is not in consonance with the role of an army belonging to a sovereign independent state, where power belongs to the people.
The struggle for independence is nullified if self-governance is to be replaced by autocratic military rule. The natural resources of Pakistan and its land belong to the state and should not have been taken over by any elite group or institution, with housing projects extending to near the periphery of our border in Lahore district.
JAWAID HUSSAIN
Multan
Pakistan and Olympics
It was indeed regrettable the way Dawn's sports page writer (August 26) covered the effort of Ms Sumaira Zahoor in the 1,500-meter event at Athens Olympics.
The caption under her photograph said: "Pakistan's Sumaira Zahoor on her way to last spot..... ", the news column described her effort as "... achieved the slowest time.... clocking a lethargic 4 minutes 49.33 sec....".
This is the first time a Pakistani girl was competing in athletics events at this level. All right, she lost, but she will do better next time. Don't break her spirit.
We should giving Sumaira encouragement that she tried. Girls will now gather courage to participate in training camps, and hopefully soon one will win a medal for the country.
I believe supporting our sportsmen and specially sportswomen is extremely important. They project a softer side of our country and help diffuse the general perception of us being Taliban-style fundamentalist hardliners.
AHMED FRAZ
Karachi
Protecting the environment
The establishment of environmental tribunals in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act is a feel-good move. The tribunals, which are set to start functioning soon, can take up cases of air and noise pollution, hazardous waste, oil spill and other environment-related problems. An environmental tribunal is already functional in Lahore.
Apart from this, one would appreciate the efforts taken to launch mass level campaigns to increase awareness about environmental issues. Awareness about the environmental issues at mass level can be started well at the primary school level across the country, because children can easily be taught to protect the environment. To this end, the media can also be utilized.
Respecting environmental laws should be an integral part of environmental awareness campaigns.
MOHAMMAD SALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
Stray dog menace
Some dog-bite cases from Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Karachi, have lately been reported in the press, but effective measures to curb the menace do not appear to have been taken by the city government.
I am afraid unsuspecting children coming back from school in the deserted afternoon lane may some day fall victim to one of those stray dogs. They seem to be growing in number with each passing day. Quick action is needed.
IRAM ASKARI
Karachi
Duty on surgical gloves
Pakistan has one of the highest rates of blood-borne infections, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Surgical gloves are recognized tools for preventing these infections.
Unfortunately, use of surgical gloves by health professionals in hospitals, blood banks and pathological laboratories is negligible due to the high price of the item, which is subject to a 25 per cent custom duty and 15 per cent sales tax.
Use of surgical gloves in order to control infections in general and blood-born infections in particular can be increased both in the public and private sectors if gloves are exempted from government duties as they are 100 per cent imported and not manufactured locally.
The government has done a commendable job by exempting hepatitis and HIV screening kits from government duties. It is hoped that the health ministry will give due consideration to this and will take up the matter with relevant departments.
DR SHARAF ALI SHAH
Programme Manager, Enhanced HIV/AIDS Control Programme, Government of Sindh, Karachi
India's economy
In his article ("Check on population", August 26) August) Mr Sultan Ahmed mentions that India will have to export more and ,pre cheaply in order to employ its people in 2050. In fact, India's economy is not export-driven. Only 10 per cent of its GNP is derived from exports while the rest is domestic.
As India grows in economy and population, its domestic consumption will rise and create more jobs. Even Japan's economy is primarily domestic although there is a perception that Japan survives on exports.
So is the economy of the US. Therefore, India will not suffer tremendously if the number of exporting players grows. If the overall economy of the world grows, more countries will have higher purchasing power and hence an appetite for imports.
SHYAMAL PAIN
Kolkata, India
'White elephants'
With reference to a report (Dawn, August 26) about the Karachi shipyard being "a white elephant", it is a sad fact that all state-owned enterprises are in a similar predicament. Sheer incompetence and systematic corruption are the order of the day in most such organizations.
The country would be better off if these were closed and the money allocated to poverty alleviation and education where millions will benefit.
M. AFZAAL KHAN
Islamabad
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