| 03 September 2004 | Friday | 17 Rajab 1425 |
Neglect of problems
French journalists
Rule by brute force
'What if the Quaid comes back?'
Charged parking in Karachi
KESC billing system
'Oil carries a curse'
End to VIP culture
O and A levels
Faith column
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Your editorial "Tackling power crisis" (August 11) highlights the KESC's problems and asks the pertinent question: why was no planning done over the past few years to meet the growing shortfall of electricity?
We have done no planning for the energy shortage in the country as a whole. We are a wasteful nation led by the privileged sector of society which is just not ready to give up wanting everything and now. We cannot develop if we do not conserve energy. For this we have to do the following:
1. Encourage efficiency to reduce operating costs. Every industry must be 'forced' to follow technologies used by progressive manufacturers for high efficiency. We have the worst examples of energy efficiency in sugar mills, power generation, industrial steam production, cement plants and commercial buildings, to name a few.
2. The sugar industry must convert to efficient cogeneration by installing high-pressure boilers/steam turbines which would use only 60 per cent of the present bagasse consumption for the same amount of power generation and the balance 40 per cent of bagasse can be used for pulp production, to earn considerable foreign exchange. The cost of sugar production will come down and environmental pollution reduced greatly.
3. Inefficient steam power plant be re-powered to convert to combined cycle power stations, which will produce 50 per cent more power using the same gas fuel. If the Bin Qasim power station could be re-powered, the KESC would solve its major problems of power shortage and cost of power generation.
4. All major steam requirements should be met through efficient cogeneration systems to ensure economical power generation, using the same gas fuel. It is unfortunate that major textile industries have not adopted efficient cogeneration as yet. Even where it is recognized that cogeneration brings economical gains, we see very inefficient systems all around.
5. Cement plants need to see what other countries are doing about lower energy costs. In Pakistan we first spend full fuel for our onsite power generation and then consume major fuel (coal or furnace oil, with major foreign exchange content) for kilns.
Others are installing efficient combined-cycle power plants to meet both power and kiln firing requirements. Why should gas be not supplied to cement plants if they are both efficient and save foreign exchange?
6. Most large commercial buildings, hospitals, hotels, airport terminal buildings, etc., are based on gas-fired central air-conditioning for which gas supply is allowed without any hassle. If the same gas supply is sought for cogeneration power plants, this is denied. Thus, we are 'forced' to buy more efficient absorption chillers at double the cost in foreign exchange.
7. We should stop subsidizing the privileged sectors of society which use energy for airconditioners and many household appliances. These are not used by the poor. Also, why should our precious gas be sold at half the world tariff to industries using obsolete equipment/technologies? Industrial steam/hot water boilers are real examples of how wasteful we can be.
8. Costs should be controlled. Our country has had a peculiar reputation for 'accepting' exorbitant costs of power plants. Hub power at $1.8 billion for 1,200 MW, of course, takes the cake, but all power stations installed under the 1994 energy policy have been exorbitantly priced.
The prices then were much lower, but even today it is possible to install a 1,000-MW high highly-efficient combined cycle power plant for less than $500 million. Even for a 100-MW power plant, an efficient combined cycle power station will today cost about $65 million. Are we ensuring correct costs of power plants being approved now? How can we ensure energy sufficiency if costs are not controlled?
Ultimately, it is the national economy which bears the high costs of power plant installation prevalent in the country. Our energy crisis is the result of our wasteful (and corrupt) practices. We need to conserve energy in all sectors and the present lack of conservation policies need to be corrected urgently.
AINUL ABEDIN
Karachi
Neglect of problems
We miss Sahir Ludhianvi today. We miss him for his frank and bluntly expressed ideas and criticism of the painful conditions of life during his own times. In one of his long poems, which offers a scathing criticism of the hypocritical attitude of the Muslim community of the subcontinent in particular and those of the world in general, Sahir asks:
Kahan hein, kahan hein,
Sana khwan-i-mashriq kahan hein.
(Whither are those people? Whither are those people?
Whither are the people who keep extolling the lofty ideals of the East?)
During Sahir's own life no scholar of any standing had the courage or the capacity to rise and accept the challenge posed by him. All clerics and mullahs of all shades and standing remained purposely reticent and uttered not a single word of criticism on his long poem.
Now in this Islamic Republic of Pakistan, too, beyond plentiful lip service and sermonizing from mosques, radios, state-owned television channels, private cable networks, newspapers and magazines, the spirit of Islam is missing.
Besides, in the light of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, of which they keep talking day in and day out, the religious leaders must asses how far they are discharging their duties as custodians of Islam.
Did they not read (Dawn, August 8) about the rape of a 13-year-old girl in a village of Punjab? Did they not read that an officer of the police station concerned refused to register a case and that it was a after great difficulty and with the efforts of Dastak, Lahore, that an FIR was lodged? Did they not read in the same report that in this Islami Jamhooria Pakistan every two hours a rape is committed? Every day Sana khwan-i-mashriq read such news items with total apathy as if nothing unusual has happened.
Also responsible for this state of affairs are both paid and elected government functionaries, who demonstrate a totally indifferent attitude to such problems. Day in and day out these functionaries are only offering lame excuses to cover up their lack of interest in public problems affecting the people.
PROF BABUR ALI ZIA
Karachi
French journalists
Once again, Islamic insurgents within Iraq have ensured that any sympathy that exists within the western world for Iraqis and Muslims is wiped out. This time the demand is not for American and allied forces to leave Iraq, but to force France not to go ahead with its ban on Islamic headscarves.
It should be pointed out that the ban has not been enforced only on Muslim pupils within state schools, but equally on Sikh pupils wearing turbans, Jews wearing skullcaps as well as on Christian children wearing crosses. Strange that a Christian country should ban symbols relating to its own religion in order to preserve secularism.
What's most discomfiting in this whole scenario is that in Paris, Berlin and other cities where the general population has been against the occupation of Iraq, the feeling is growing that there seems to be no discrimination between friends and foes in the eyes of Islamic extremists. The extremists would go to any lengths to impose their views on the world, even if it is at the expense of losing out on sympathizers and well-wishers.
Even in the UK groups such as Al-Muhajiroon and the radical Cleric Abu Hamza have openly expressed their willingness to "destroy" the very country where they live comfortably and are allowed to freely practise their religion, of course within the confines of law and order.
This has led the general population to believe that advantages provided by the state to Muslims in Britain should be curbed and similar actions as taken by Germany and France such as the ban on headscarves should be enforced in the hope that it would halt the spread of extremism.
The most common argument by westerners in response to the French journalists' kidnapping is that when Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran can force their own nationals as well as visitors to abide by their law to cover themselves appropriately, then how come France is being condemned for taking a similar action to protect the structure of its society?
DR SHAAZ MAHBOOB
London, UK
Rule by brute force
It would be insane for anybody in this world not to acknowledge the enormous firepower of the US military. However, the fact remains that its indiscriminate use, without any fear of consequences, including death of innocent human beings, breeds frustration.
When people are driven into a corner, they behave irrationally. Violence breeds violence and this vicious cycle leads to death, destruction, humiliation and hatred. Insanity prevails over rational behaviour.
It is, therefore, for the civilized world to realize that their policy of dominating the world and its natural resources through use of brute force is a failure. The present US administration's cowboy mentality is responsible for the mess it has created.
One only hopes that sanity will ultimately prevail, and the West will support democratic governments and values. It will also have to respect the sovereignty of all nations.
The short-term interests of the US administration and multinationals may be served by propping up military rulers and monarchs in the Muslim world, but this will only breed further frustration among the masses.
The unfortunate people of the Middle East, the Gulf, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, etc., have been denied basic rights for far too long a period. The suffering of Palestinians, who live under occupation where death, siege, destruction and humiliation have become a routine affair, is a very serious issue which should be resolved. Basic human values like liberty, freedom, democratic self-rule and sovereignty need to be restored, so that the world becomes a peaceful place.
GULL ZEE
Paris, France
'What if the Quaid comes back?'
The article "What if the Quaid comes back?" by Mr Mahmood Hasan Khan (Encounter, August 22) makes for interesting reading. I would like to add, however, that since the Quaid was a lawyer by profession, he would be disappointed to see a completely lawless society and law-enforcement agencies (whose function is to protect citizens) performing only duties safeguarding VIPs. All this while ordinary citizens are left at the mercy of criminals.
He would observe that justice is too expensive for the downtrodden and that litigants die waiting for their cases to be heard in courts of law. He would see that the roads of Karachi remain blocked most of the time and commuters wait in extreme distress each time a VIP passes by.
He would notice heaps of garbage piled up on the roadsides. He would also see with utter dismay that water is not provided by the water board authority but, instead, is readily available at a high price, of course, from the tanker mafia. He would also see a beautiful city turned into a concrete jungle by the so-called builders mafia.
RAFIQUE AHMED SIDDIQUI
Karachi
Charged parking in Karachi
It comes as a great relief that the Karachi city government has reportedly done away with excessive parking fees that were charged every time a person parked his vehicle in a slot of land owned by the CDGK.
The fact that this decision was taken after much debate in the city council is satisfying because it shows that our elected representatives are finally waking up to the problems and sufferings of citizens.
However, before a similar parking scheme is again shoved down our throats by the government, one has to have a discussion to evolve a parking plan for Karachi.
First of all, we should understand why the previous scheme was not right. There were a number of problems. It was arbitrary in the manner in which it was conceived and implemented.
Certain city areas were exempted from it and there was no logic to this. Also, the scheme was taken over from the CPLC, which charged Rs5 per parking slot. The CDGK raised the fee by 100 per cent to Rs10 and gave no better facility in return.
There was no discrimination in terms of where the parking was being done - from Keamari to Clifton, the charges were the same which did not reflect the fact that in low usage areas the charges should have been less.
The terms of the contract were kept secret, which encouraged corruption. Finally, the timing of the scheme - from 9am to 12 midnight - was unfair to the people of the city. The inclusion of Sunday as well was tantamount to rubbing salt in their wounds.
Parking is a big earner in Karachi and the fact that the parking contract earned the CDGK Rs90 million in revenue is proof of that. There is a strong parking mafia in place that earns millions at the expense of the city government.
A new parking scheme by the CDGK should come under a well-planned parking strategy. First of all, the CDGK should break the stranglehold of parking mafias, which have always tried to sabotage the charged parking scheme.
The terms of the contract for parking should be transparent and public opinion should be invited on this. The timing and the charges, as well as the areas to be charged, should be kept realistic.
More important, the parking areas of large shopping plazas need to be opened up. Shopping complexes like Zainab Market, Gulfway and others have parking facilities. These owners should be forced to open the facilities to the public.
The CDGK should also endeavour to ensure that parking slots are clean and clear, well-maintained and well-lit at night. Only then should they be chargeable. Builders can also be encouraged to build parking plazas in high demand areas.
TASNIM CHAUDHRY
Karachi
KESC billing system
The Sindh governor's attention is invited to the wrong billing practice being followed by the KESC billing department of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi. Since May 2004 consumers who use airconditioners have been receiving bills for 1,000 every month from the KESC's Gulshan-i-Iqbal zone.
When the officer in charge of the KESC billing was contacted to get the bills rectified, he said if one had got an airconditioner at one's house, the reading shown by the meter would be ignored and the consumer was bound to pay at a flat rate for 1,000 units a month.
Equally shocking was the solution he suggested: remove the AC, cover the AC hole in the wall by a wooden plank and report to his department which would verify the fact and then bills would be issued according to the meter reading.
I hope the governor will look into this matter and ask the KESC to collect charges according to meter readings.
A. L. KHOKAR
Karachi
'Oil carries a curse'
I refer to Syed Rashid Husain's article "Oil carries a curse of its own" (August 24) in which he says: "Not long ago, another Islamic country, Indonesia, was forced to let East Timor secede.
This was forced upon Jakarta, despite the vow by the then US president Clinton that the era of changing geography by force has already gone by. Yet the geography of Indonesia was changed!"
Your readers may like to know that Timor Leste wasoccupied by Indonesia in 1975, and its sovereignty was never recognized by the United Nations. It was only in 1999 that the then Indonesian president Habibie agreed to an act of self-determination.
Indeed, before the invasion, the Australian ambassador to Jakarta stated that an agreement over the gas fields in the Timor sea could be 'much more readily negotiated with Indonesia.... than with an independent East Timor'.
It is also regrettable that Mr Husain chose to bring religion into the equation. Although Indonesia is overwhelmingly Muslim, one of the architects of the invasion of our country, General Benny Murdani, was a Christian.
Similarly, while most people in Timor Leste are Christian, our prime minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, is a Muslim. We maintain good relations with Indonesia, Malaysia and other predominantly Muslim countries in the region.
FILOMENO CONCEICAO
Head of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, Dili, Timor Leste
End to VIP culture
Traffic on Karachi roads has increased manifold as a result of which traffic jams occur frequently. When the president visited the city last week, many roads were completely blocked, resulting in chaos.
The proposed blockade was due to a number of attempts on the life of the president. It would have been more convenient for the president to go by helicopter to attend the DHA desalination plant inaugural ceremony.
On normal days, local VIPs create a headache for the commuters, as they go about attending wedding ceremonies and other functions with an entourage of 15 or so vehicles pointing their hardware in all directions.
It would be sensible to allow the VIP privilege only to those in the top bracket. The other state functionaries should be forced to commute as we all do. In case they are scared of the people, they should avoid attending social gatherings.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
O and A levels
This is with reference to Mr Ayaz Amir's article "For roses to bloom" (August 27). Though I agree with most of his assertions, I would like to voice my concerns about his statement that O and A levels should be abolished from our education system. This sounds very 'awami' for sure but I would disagree (yes, I took my A level examinations).
Let me use an analogy that a professor of economics in the US I studied under once used for Soviet socialism. He compared it to a plot of land with grass on it, with blades of different lengths (social inequality). Socialism tried not to help the short blades grow longer but to cut short the longer ones.
Instead of banning a system that is truly in a better shape than our home grown version, why not improve our own educational system first, so people no longer have a reason to take O and A levels?
ASAD LODHI
Cleveland, OH., USA
Faith column
I request President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to remove the "religion" section/ information from all Pakistani passports. Faith is between man and his Creator. The government should not document people's faith.
I also request the president and the prime minister to abolish the quota system. Every Pakistani should have equal rights to employment.
NOOMAN NAQVI
Lake Bluff, Illinois, USA
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