| 16 September 2004 | Thursday | 30 Rajab 1425 |
Will Shaukat Aziz deliver?
Denationalization controversy
Reducing unemployment
IPO of PIA shares
Killing of hostages
'Violation of the city'
The horse traders
Western media and Iraq war
Bus lanes
Power rates
An example to follow
Need for government hospitals
Jinnah Gardens
'Partitioning music?'
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Of all sport events, the Olympics are regarded as the most prestigious and challenging. The best sportsmen from around the globe vie with one another in different events.
About Olympic results, it is said that medals are where the money is. But this time exceptions were too many to ignore. The Athens Olympics 2004 was replete with examples where tiny countries with meagre resources managed to surpass their mighty opponents and won bronze, silver or even gold medals.
On the contrary, there are countries which are neither small nor short of funds or talent, yet their performance in the Olympics was very dismal. The following are some such cases:
Country Population Medals won
(million) G S B T
Ethiopia 67.85 2 3 2 7
Kenya 32.02 1 4 2 7
Nigeria 137.25 0 0 2 2
Uzbekistan 26.41 2 1 2 5
Pakistan 150.26 0 0 0 0
This is proof of the fact that it is neither the size of population nor money that ensures victory for a country. Pakistan outnumbers the other countries in the list above population and its per capita income is higher than that of the others. Still, Pakistan could not win even a single medal in the Olympics Games.
The question is: who is responsible for such a poor show? The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), various sports bodies, sportsmen or the Pakistan Olympic Association? What are our high sports officials up to? Are they interested only in keeping their lucrative jobs intact, pocketing fatty salaries, enjoying perks and claiming handsome TA/DA?
We shall never make headway in any field at any level unless we develop a sound and competitive system for various sports to flourish. Therefore, we must dispense with a system which is unproductive and get rid of officials who cannot deliver.
Our system should be geared to spot talent of which there is no dearth in a population of 150 million. Discovery of talent and its proper training should not be a tall order. If we start right now, we should be able to put up a better performance at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
Will Shaukat Aziz deliver?
Those who are overjoyed at Mr Shaukat Aziz's becoming prime minister and are hoping that he will solve the multifaceted problems facing the country are deceiving themselves.
Nothing will change for the majority except that Pakistan will be serving American interests at a cheaper price. As there will be no change in the power structure, it will not make any difference to the lives of common people, particularly the 57 million living below the poverty line and those who do not have access to clean drinking water, education and health care.
The prime minister's statements are mere rhetoric - something his predecessors also loved. He has become prime minister due to the support of the military establishment. He is not likely to change the status quo in the political arena. He will be unable to slash the defence budget and invest in human resource development.
Mr Shaukat Aziz is a banker and understands economics, but he does not understand the politics of Pakistan, the self-interest of politicians and their moral standard.
S.T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
(2)
Hats off to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who has pronounced that now our ministers will be on three months' probation. This means that any minister not found productive will be replaced by a new face.
There must be some law, of which I am not aware, under which our ministers can be placed on probation. The question is: will two ministers, both the full minister and the minister of state assigned to one ministry, jointly achieve targets? Will the government publicly announce after three months as to what each minister has achieved?
In all fairness, shouldn't those who qualify probation be allowed to continue and in recognition of their merit be promoted? What about the PM himself? Is he exempted?
IQBAL HADI ZAIDI
Kuwait
Denationalization controversy
The campaign against the denationalization, or rather the re-transfer, of St Joseph's and St Patrick's colleges to the Catholic Board has gained a lot of heat in the media. One fails to understand why this simple issue has been blown out of proportion.
A plain decision to hand over the property to its legitimate owners is not unlawful. Why an official notification is being delayed, even though the Sindh cabinet decided to denationlize the colleges some two months back, is a big question itself. The maxim "justice delayed is justice denied" perhaps fits well in this situation.
This issue in the first place should have been amicably resolved among the stakeholders themselves. Why are they dragging students away from studies and involving them in this controversy? This is unethical.
Regarding the accusation from some quarters that these two properties would be converted into money-making institutions, one can only say that this cannot be expected of missionaries who have spent their lives in the cause of education.
This is the plain truth. Neither will people buy the idea that the privatization of these colleges will make education costly, because most of the students come from affluent schools, where the fee structure is practically beyond the reach of average middle class families.
If the government shifts the colleges to other locations and hands over the property to its legal owners, there will be not two, but four colleges of that status. This will provide more opportunities for students to acquire quality education. The government should, instead of messing up the whole episode, immediately issue a notification in this regard so that the controversy is settled.
MAIRAJ FATIMAH
Karachi
Reducing unemployment
The poorest of the poor are interested neither in the country's financial policy nor in foreign policy, nor in atom bombs or nuclear missiles; the are worried about making ends meet and coping with health problems.
According to a news report (Dawn, March 27, 2003), the number of the unemployed in Pakistan rose from 5.9 per cent in 1998 to 7.8 per cent in 2000. One can well infer from these figures the percentage of unemployed people in 2003-2004. As the population rises, joblessness is also increasing.
The requirement of experience is a great barrier to seeking jobs by young people. The question is: how can fresh graduates have experience unless they are first given jobs? It is, therefore, suggested that public and private organizations should employ young people on merit and then train them in the required field. During training, they may be given a reasonable stipend to enable them to meet board and lodging expenses.
Moreover, there has been a complete ban on appointments in government departments for more than 15 years. A few months ago the Sindh chief minister allowed age relaxation for up to 10 years, but unfortunately no official notification has been issued so far.
The prime minister should look into this and ensure that talented people get jobs without any further delay.
LALA FAZAL AHMED BELAEE
Hyderabad
IPO of PIA shares
The privatization commission made the initial public offering of PIA shares through Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad stock exchanges in June. Preference was given to small shareholders who applied for 500 shares. The price was fixed at Rs20 per share.
Although PIA has been a white elephant for a long time, quite a number of small shareholders applied for 500 shares in the larger interest of the country. But it seems that the privatization commission kept the public in the dark by showing them a bright picture. The share price was also high.
After the shares had been bought by shareholders, their price started coming down without any break. On September 8, the share closed at Rs12.20. Thus, the shareholders have already suffered a financial loss of Rs7.80 per share.
The privatization commission may be asked to explain why they fixed a high price for PIA shares, knowing the fact that the national carrier had been in financial straits for the last so many years.
I request the prime minister to come to the rescue of small shareholders. Also, he should order an inquiry into the matter, while compensating the affected shareholders.
S.W.A. MAULAI
Karachi
Killing of hostages
Dr Mahnaz Fatima ("Killing of hostages", Sept 8) has criticized a Pakistani official for holding RAW responsible for the rioting in Nepal after the brutal killing of 12 Nepalese workers in Iraq. But she has said nothing regarding the attacks on the Pakistan embassy or the PIA office in Kathmandu.
Our nation itself has been recently traumatized by the beheading of two Pakistanis by Iraqi militants. So, there was no justification for the attacks. Dr Mahnaz Fatima has been unfair in not condemning these attacks which also endangered the lives of her compatriots in Nepal.
I do not support the killing of any innocent persons, but the genocide and repression in places such as Chechnya, Palestine, Kashmir and Iraq where 500,000 children died due to the sanctions the West imposed on Iraq have brutalized the people and turned some of them into suicide bombers. The perpetrators of state terrorism are more to blame for what is happening now.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
'Violation of the city'
This is apropos of Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee's column "Violation of the city" (Sept 12). The government has adopted a progressive approach to developing cities, bringing in investment, providing employment opportunities to thousands of denizens and giving life to hundreds of allied industries.
The housing industry which had once started deteriorating is now perhaps the only viable industry for investment to catch up with the progress being made by developing countries. Construction of highrise buildings is a sign of the prosperity and progress of any country.
As regards availability of infrastructure and a transportation system, the president has led the agencies concerned to launch a wide range of projects for the development of Karachi's infrastructure. We all hope that these are developed to meet the need of the city's population growing at the rate of 40,000 a month.
As regards Mr Atique Baig, appointed EDO (MPGO), he is a professional engineer having graduated from the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, besides having done his master's in urban design.
He is an accredited member of various professional bodies such as the American Societies of Civil Engineers, the Pakistan Engineering Council, the Chartered Institute of Transport and Federation of Architect and Engineers Pakistan.
He was promoted in BPS-19 along with six other officers through the departmental promotion committee of the KBCA in 2002, fulfilling all the requirements such as seniority, qualifications and experience.
It is pertinent to note that the Sindh government delegated the powers of the authority to the chief executive of the KBCA according to Section 4 of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance.
My interest in strongly recommending Mr Baig's case for EDO (MPGO) was the predicament that the results of the Amnesty Ordinance 2001 had ceased to progress as a result of the unknown inactivity for over 1,000 change of land cases blocking public interest of public against huge revenues. The acceleration of cases justifies the appointment of Mr Atique Beg as EDO (MPGO).
BRIG (RETD) A.S. NASIR
Director-General, KBCA, Karachi
The horse traders
Mr Majid Sheikh's write-up "Lahore's Kakkazai 'horse traders'" (Sept 5) of Kucha Chabaksowaran, though interesting, did not mention the late Abdullah Malik. Abdullah Malik was born in the Kakkazai clan.
He was a reputed journalist, an avid student of history, a popular social worker and, above all, a progressive writer par excellence between 1950s and 1970s, when society still believed in some values and had not yet become materialistic. He was one of the most active members of the progressive writers' movement.
From the same street of Kucha Chabaksowaran came another famous person, Ghazi Illamdin Shaheed. Abdullah Malik's autobiography Purani mehfilen yaad arahi hein provides a treasure of knowledge about the old city of Lahore, specially the significant role played by the Kakkazais in the post-Mughal period of Punjab.
ALTAMASH MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
Western media and Iraq war
According to reports, 1,000 American soldiers and 10,000 Iraqi have been killed in Iraq in the past year and a half. The death toll of Iraqis seems far from being credible considering the massive fire power used by US and British forces. According to a recent report, 140 Iraqis were killed in one area on a single day. No one knows as to how many deaths have gone unreported.
When about 2,800 people died in the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the western media went hoarse repeating the casualty figure, but now as hundreds of thousands of Iraqis continue to be killed or maimed, it is downplaying the mayhem in Iraq. Eventually, the massive death toll will be swept under the carpet as "collateral damage" without shedding any tears.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
Bus lanes
More and more vehicles are plying on Karachi roads some of which are very narrow. Traffic jams are common and are compounded when bus and minibus drivers flout traffic rules.
They stop wherever they want to pick and drop passengers. They overtake and also drive in lanes reserved for cars. This criss-crossing of lanes and sudden stoppages lead to accidents in which many precious lives are lost.
Most big cities of the world have shifted bus lanes. Buses have to remain in their lane. They cannot stop at places other than designated bus stands. The Karachi nazim should consider this option. By doing this, he will be able to not only lesson traffic congestion, but will also help save precious lives.
S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA
Karachi
Power rates
On the recommendation of the eight electricity supply companies of Wapda, the National Electricity and Power Regulatory Authority approved a reduction in power tariff for all categories of consumers.
This was subject to a formal notification by the government of Pakistan. But in spite of the lapse of a considerable time, no notification has been issued so far.
On the one hand, the president, the prime minister, the finance minister and other government functionaries talk of providing relief to the common man, and, on the other, an approved package which is being anxiously awaited by the public has been withheld due to red tape.
MUHAMMAD IQBAL
Islamabad
An example to follow
Mr Shaukat Aziz worked as finance minister on 'a-rupee-a-month' salary, and we hope he will continue with this as prime minister as well. Can there be such examples from among the newly-appointed federal ministers and ministers of state? We know some of them are financially well off and should be satisfied with whatever else is offered to them - residence, transport, telephone, driver and servants, etc.
TASNIM FAIYAZ
Lahore
Need for government hospitals
This refers to the letter "Need for a government hospital" by M. Shafique Ahmed (September 1). Although there is urgent need to build more government hospitals in Karachi, no such project should be launched at the cost of other projects which are meant to provide some relief to the people.
Instead of the proposed site of old Sabzimandi where a public park is being developed, a hospital may be built on the plot opposite the National Stadium, which has been turned into a housing scheme for army officers.
The armed forces have already invited tenders for utilizing the cantonment land for commercial ventures. They are requested to spare a few acres out of their prime and centrally-located land for social welfare projects such as a government hospital.
TAHIR MAQBUL ZUBERI
Karachi
Jinnah Gardens
It has been reported in the press that the Punjab government has decided to allot 10 acres of land from Jinnah Gardens to the Lahore Zoo in lieu of the land earlier allotted for the latter's entrance.
The decision has caused concern among citizens, who daily come to Jinnah Gardens for exercise and relaxation. In the backdrop of the fast-increasing population of the city and environmental pollution, the situation calls for setting up more public parks, not eliminating the existing ones or reducing their size.
The chief minister is urged to review the decision. No portion of the park should be used for building any office. There is need for more trees in it. The zoo should be shifted to some place on the outskirts of the city as the zoo's inmates are not safe in the polluted environment around them.
PROF (DR) M.A. SOOFI
Lahore
'Partitioning music?'
This is with reference to Mr Irfan Ahmed Urfi's rejoinder (Sept 12) to Mr Asif Noorani's letter (September 7) about PTV's new musical programme "Duniya Meri Jawan Hai".
Given the fact that music has no gender, no religion and no physical boundaries, its appeal is universal and it needs no visas to travel through the air. But let us not lose sight of the fact that music is created by musicians, who do have their religious faiths and national affiliations. We are a nation with a rich cultural heritage and are rightfully proud of it. If PTV is highlighting our own heroes, they are indeed doing their job.
All those who feel nostalgic about their "good old days" and wish to live beyond 57 years of the past may choose to do so, but they should also be willing to accept realities as they exist today.
AMIN-E-AJAM
Karachi
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