| 12 September 2004 | Sunday | 26 Rajab 1425 |
Speed's warning to Bari
An Indian struck by similarities
Role of Pakistani expatriates
Ashfaque Ahmed
'Partitioning music?'
President's uniform
PTA and tariff cuts
Where is good governance?
Standard of higher education
Cabinet size
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
The praise showered on the Taliban and Saddam Hussein by the head of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, in his article "On the pretext of terrorism" (September 9) is misplaced, worrisome and extremely annoying.
He has insulted the very concept of independence by attributing it to a religious cult and a brutal dictator. He has stated that they "had become an eyesore for the US because of their independent spirit and the US policy-makers feared such a spirit would spread across the Muslim world if allowed to continue".
During the Taliban's suffocating grip over the helpless people of Afghanistan, innocent women were dragged into sports stadiums and shot point blank for showing their faces in public or venturing outside the home with the intention to earn an honest livelihood for their despondent families.
The ousted Iraqi dictator had unleashed a reign of terror and death against the people of Iraq. No one's life or honour was safe. Many Iraqis, including religious leaders, were murdered. Thankfully, these cancers have not spread to other Muslim countries. The treatment against cancer is complicated and lengthy but the treatment must not stop prematurely. Such cancers will die soon, not just in Afghanistan and Iraq but throughout the world.
What shocked me is the fact that the head of a Pakistani political party doesn't know the meaning of independence. He has stated that Islam abhors the idea of killing anyone innocently. The real issue is not what Islam says; we know that it does not sanction transformation of its followers into cold-blooded murderers. The problem is that some of its followers (whom Mr Ahmed seems to admire) have become exactly that: cold-blooded murderers. What is his opinion over the mass murder of innocent people, including children, in Beslan, Russia, at the hands of suspected Islamic militants?
In response to Mr Ahmed's apprehension of "the anti-Islam conspiracies of the Zionist lobby", I would like to say that this lobby doesn't have to lift a finger as long as Muslims have leaders like him.
How can Mr Ahmed claim to be a leader and then not only condone the above-mentioned breaches of humanity but wish them for the entire Muslim world? All Muslims in general and Pakistani Muslims in particular should condemn his attempt to link terrorists and killers to the tenets of Islam.
SIDDIQUE MALIK
Louisville, KY., USA.
(2)
The op-ed "On the pretext of terrorism" (September 9) by Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad mentions that "Muslim prisoners were subjected to the worst kinds of maltreatment and torture in the prisons of Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and Israel." Few independent observers will contest that claim.
Given that Qazi sahib's party claims to be a champion of Muslim rights across the ummah, I am, however, surprised that his condemnation is so narrow and selective. More Muslims are held and tortured as prisoners of conscience in just Syria and Iran than in all of Guantanamo, Iraq, India, and Israel combined. Never mind Syria and Iran, I do not recall Qazi sahib uttering a word of protest, let alone writing an article, when thousands of Muslims were jailed, whipped and killed for political reasons by none other than Jamaat-i-Islami's late patron General Ziaul Huq. And to this day, Muslims of Bangladesh await an apology from Qazi sahib's political movement for its part in the East Pakistan tragedy.
The selectivity and amnesia are of breath-taking proportions, undermining the very credibility of the Jamaat chief's indignation. No wonder that my grandparents of the generation that created Jinnah's Pakistan found the word "hypocrite" very apt to describe the religio-political coterie that Qazi Husain Ahmad leads.
ESAM SOHAIL
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Speed's warning to Bari
This is with reference to the letter "PCB and Bari" (Sept 10) which calls the PCB "spineless" in relation to the ICC's behaviour toward chief selector Wasim Bari. I salute Mr Bari for having the courage, conviction and firmness of character to express his opinion. He has stated what was on the minds of cricket viewers, who have watched umpire David Shepherd make numerous blunders, some of which have cost Pakistan dearly.
The final of the World Cup 1999 is a case in point. Pakistan was in a precarious position having lost a couple of wickets and needed a long innings from its best batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq (Youhana being injured in the final and not playing). Sadly this was not to be. Inzamam played forward to a "flipper" from Shane Warne, the ball hitting his front pad which was a significant distance out of the front crease. In cricket terms you cannot give a batsman thus out as an umpire has no method to judge accurately if the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps. Lo and behold, this was not to be as Inzamam was in for a rude shock when umpire Shepherd raised his finger with a smile and gave him out.
Shepherd continued this special brand of umpiring in the final of the Videocon Cup in Amsterdam where he gave Inzamam and Youhana out incorrectly, at a stage where it looked either one batsman could have won us the match. It seems ironic that the opposition both in the final of the World Cup and the Videocon tournament which benefited from these decisions was Australia. If so Australia should be penalized as they took the ground with 12 players instead of 11, Shepherd being the 12th.
It is even more suspect that Malcolm Speed, another Australian and former chairman of the Australian Cricket Board, criticized Bari for commenting on Shepherd and is invoking new ICC laws which would penalize an honorary selector for making such comments in the future. Why does he not instead criticize umpire Shepherd for the gaffes which he made? Why should umpires especially those belonging to the elite ICC panel of umpires not be subject to criticism of their performance in a match where one incorrect decision could change the outcome?
It would be better for the game of cricket if the ICC would edit their laws, incorporating some yardstick to evaluate umpires rather then criticize teams and officials from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on one pretext or another.
NABIL HOODBHOY
Karachi
An Indian struck by similarities
I have just returned to India from a week long business visit to Lahore and Karachi. It was most agreeable, and I could savour some of the legendary courtesy and charm of the people of Lahore. I was naturally looking out for differences, but was struck by the similarities.
For one, the petty corruption in Pakistan made me feel quite at home. On landing at the airport, I could quickly strike a deal with the Customs to split spirits equally for mutual benefit. Long waits at police stations were avoided by suitable greasing of palms. I could navigate through the hurdles of having a local national with me to present my papers and having to go twice to the police, once to register entry and again to ask for the exit stamp from each city. A business traveller learns to take these in his stride.
But my heart bled to see the condition of poor old women queuing up for their papers to visit Pakistan. In New Delhi, outside the Pakistan high commission, there were a few hundred braving the elements, clutching their papers in the rain. One woman was crying that she had come from Kolkata, and this was the third day she had visited the visa office. It was equally pathetic to see old women queuing for registration outside a police station in Karachi. Why cannot the bureaucrats show compassion to poor old women? An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, one hears. But the eyes and teeth of old women? For me, the crying old woman stands out as an icon of the decay of our shared civilization, just like the historic image of the terror-struck tailor during the Ahmedabad carnage.
S.GANESH
Mumbai, India
Role of Pakistani expatriates
Over 40 Pakistanis with illegal travel documents are reported to have managed to board PIA flights to the UK in one calendar month from Islamabad alone, in spite of the army monitoring teams deployed there. The government is directly accountable for this lapse.
Such news causes embarrassment to Pakistani expatriates who want to maintain links with their country. Many people belonging to low-income groups were forced to migrate to Europe in search of economic security. They got an opportunity, which was denied to them in Pakistan where merit, hard work and honesty are usually overlooked.
Pakistan's establishment is dominated by an elite which first plunders its resources, then transfers ill-gotten wealth to foreign bank accounts. On the other hand, there exists this group of Pakistani expatriates who seek to invest in the country to which their parents and grandparents belong.
Most of them come from low-income groups and have excelled in business, academics and sports. It is these people who send back their savings that account for a rise in the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan.
We only hope that there is a change for the better. We also hope that there is democracy, rule of law, an independent judiciary, a powerful parliament, etc., which can ensure that our investments are safe. It is time jobs were given to those who did well in academics. Pakistan needs to exploit its abundant human resources through investment in education and health.
GULL ZEE
Paris, France
Ashfaque Ahmed
With the passing away of Ashfaque Ahmed we have indeed lost an able son of the soil. In the truest sense he has left a void that will not be too easy to fill.
In these intolerant times of ours, he advocated tolerance and love. Contrary to the predominant presumption about the later part of his life, he was never a puritan. Listening to him one could appreciate his delicate understanding of human nature and its propensity to fall into error. Forgiveness, both divine and human, were the cornerstones of his philosophy.
The Iqbalian concept of self-hood (khudi) found a novel advocate in Ashfaque Ahmed, who simplified it for common understanding. Through his lectures and writings he professed respect for humanity per se, a concept that has its roots in our religion and has had a great impact on the intellectual foundations of the western world.
Occasionally he was called a sufi, a label he often shirked. His thought was spiritual and philosophical but it was so often relevant to the most mundane aspects of our lives. He will be dearly missed by all who ever had the pleasure of coming into contact with his earthly and heavenly teachings in any form. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
NUSRAT BOKHARI
Rawalpindi
'Partitioning music?'
This is with regard to Mr Asif Noorani's letter (Sept 7) about PTV's new musical series "Duniya Meri Jawan Hai". Why is Mr Noorani so bothered by the fact that the programme pays tribute only to Muslim singers of the subcontinent?
It just so happens that a large contribution to pre-partition music was made by Muslim singers, and the programme chooses to focus on those singers. There have been cases of books and encyclopaedias on film music published in India that chose to focus on Hindu composers and singers, while ignoring the contribution of Muslim singers and musicians. This PTV programme is highlighting female Muslim singers, but focusing on Muslim singers is not the same as showing a negative bias against musicians from other religious groups.
Yes, the songs presented in this new PTV programme were originally sung by Muslim female singers, but it also acknowledges and gives full credit to Hindu lyricists and composers behind each song, people like D. N. Madhok, Gyan Dutt and Khemchand Prakash. In the case of duets, the PTV show openly names each co-singer, whether it was Mukesh or K. L. Saigal. This must be the first time that songs of Mukesh and Saigal have been resung on PTV, apart from openly naming today's Indian film stars (the programme made a reference to Govinda's father in discussing a film starring Khurshid), and I believe it displays a level of maturity on the part of PTV.
Isn't it commendable that PTV is introducing a whole new generation to quality pre-partition songs, while giving credit to the entire multi-religious team behind each song? Mr Noorani urges PTV to realize that the richness and diversity of subcontinental music is derived from the talents of lyricists and composers from different regions and religious groups. He mentions people like Gulzar and Robin Ghosh. Well, that is exactly what PTV is finally doing, by giving credit to the composers, lyricists and co-singers behind each song, such as Khemchand Prakash, D. N. Madhok and Mukesh.
Far from "partitioning music" this new PTV venture is the first to highlight and acknowledge the contribution of people from all religious groups. If there was a bias, then PTV would have concentrated only on songs by Muslim co-singers, composed by Muslim composers, and written by Muslim poets. And it would have avoided mentioning people like Govinda and Mukesh. If one really wanted to be over-critical, one could also argue that by concentrating on female singers, this new PTV programme was discriminating against male singers. Let's not split hairs.
Finally, Mr Noorani goes too far in making the ridiculous suggestion that "the information minister should stop the broadcast of this programme, because it gives a communal colouring to film music". I say we should encourage more such programmes that highlight quality pre-partition music, and that are not afraid to acknowledge the contribution of the multi-religious talents behind such music. Well done, PTV: you've come a long way.
IRFAN AHMED URFI
Islamabad
President's uniform
Which world does Gen Musharraf live in to feel that 96 per cent of Pakistanis agree that he should retain his military uniform? The majority of the people are tired of seeing men in uniform parade through our parliament and presidency.
Shaukat Aziz's election from Tharparkar may have created an impression on the establishment of its popularity among the masses. Please make no excuses to stay for the 'benefit of the country'. Many more as capable as him have previously said the same thing and wreaked havoc on the land.
MUBASHIR KHAN
Indianapolis, IN., USA
PTA and tariff cuts
This refers to the news item "PTA warns against tariff reduction" (September 3).
The prohibition imposed by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) restricting telecom operators in further cutting tariffs has led to a sharp reaction by people throughout the country, especially in the fast-growing cellular market.
The PTA has accorded the status of significant market power (SMP) to the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL), the Special Communication Organization, Mobilink and the Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd on the basis of their dominant roles, but at the same time it has cautioned the companies against tariff reductions.
The common man, who is eagerly awaiting further tariff reductions and expects better services with the sanction of two additional cellular licences, will be a victim of this disparity.
The telecom industry, while expanding and growing technologically, has subsidized its tariffs globally, and there is no reason for the industry in Pakistan to go back to square one and put at stake the rights and privileges of the common man. The PTA must seriously review its decision in the light of the above and ensure that the consumer is not denied its right to lower tariffs and better services.
KHURRAM KHAN
Karachi
Where is good governance?
Incidents of carjacking and carlifting, robbery, mugging, kidnapping for ransom, murder, etc., are on the rise in Karachi and other parts of the country. The deterioration in the law and order situation should not be tolerated anymore.
Besides this, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen day by day. Inflation in terms of prices of pulses, wheat, cooking oil, housing has gone up by over 80 per cent in the last four to five years, affecting the common people. Unemployment among the poor and lower middle class has driven many to commit suicide.
Those who promised to deliver good governance have announced a cabinet comprising over 60 ministers till the last count. Then there is this whole army of parliamentary secretaries, advisers to the ministers, provincial ministers and their aides. In view of this situation, aren't we, the common people, justified in concluding that good governance promised to the nation by President General Pervez Musharraf is nothing but a mirage?
NAZEER ABRO
Hyderabad
Standard of higher education
This is with reference to the advertisement supplement (Dawn, September 11) commemorating the second anniversary of the Higher Education Commission.
Amongst the felicitating advertisements, there is one from the Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology, Khuzdar, an extract which I quote (italics mine):
"Brig. Mukhtar Ahmed (Retd.) SI (M) the Vice Chancellor, Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology, Khuzdar on behalf of the University Staff and Students expresses his sincere congratulations to Professor Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) for his revolutionary and dynamic steps in uprising the Higher Education in Pakistan."
So much so for the standard of higher education in Pakistan.
NAZIM F. HAJI
Karachi
Cabinet size
Having inducted about 60 federal ministers and ministers of state into his cabinet, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is staggering to prove that he means business and that he is unlike his predecessors.
The question is whether Pakistan with its sagging economy, which our worthy prime minister aims to resuscitate, will ever be able to bear the burden of pay, perks and allowances to be given to this army of ministers. Won't it add to our foreign debt if austerity is not observed and expenditure of the ministries is not controlled?
On the other hand, a ban is still in place on new recruitment in various government departments. This ban should also be lifted for efficient running of government departments.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address:
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.