| 18 September 2004 | Saturday | 02 Shaban 1425 |
Fleecing of allottees
Ban on headscarves
Checking pollution
Parking fee mafia
PM and the task ahead
Dispensing medicines
A test for Musharraf
PTCL's reply
Karachi DHA charges
PCB, ICC and Bari
Schoolbags
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This refers to the news report "Interventions by army 'shattered' Quaid's dream" (Dawn, Sept 12). I was one of the speakers at the meeting in Lahore. I was pained to listen to an eminent speaker on the occasion insinuating negligence on the part of Quaid-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan in detailing an ambulance which was in a fit condition and would not break down on its way to the governor- general's house from Karachi airport, on Sept 11, 1948, carrying the ailing Quaid-i-Azam. It pained me to listen to the accusation obviously based on misinformation.
When Liaquat Ali's birth centenary was being celebrated in 1995, I managed to get published an anthology of essays and articles. These pieces depicted different aspects of the Quaid-i-Millat's life. Syed Hashim Raza, who at the time was administrator of Karachi, in his article included in the book says:
"To revert to the regime of Liaquat Ali Khan, some people have attempted to tarnish his image and to wound the feelings of the people, in general, and Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan, in particular. We were astounded to read the statement that the Quaid-i-Azam died with a broken heart and that he did not die a natural death. This is a travesty of facts.
"The most reliable evidence about the health of the Quaid-i-Azam is recorded in Freedom at Midnight. I quote the authors: 'If Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru or M. K. Gandhi had been aware in April 1947 of the extraordinary secret, the division threatening India might have been avoided. Dr J. A. L. Patel, a Bombay physician, had discovered from X-rays of Jinnah's chest that tuberculosis had invaded the lungs of the Founder of Pakistan at the age of 70.
The secret was sealed in the grey surface of a piece of film, locked in the office safe of Dr J. L. Patel. ....... Jinnah, the one unmovable obstacle between the Viceroy and Indian unity, was living under a sentence of death. Jinnah knew that if his Hindu enemies learned that he was dying, their whole political outlook could change.
They might try to wait him into his grave. Nor did Mountbatten knew how grave was the illness. Mountbatten remarked 25 years after Jinnah's death that if this information would have been available to him, it would have had a vital bearing on his action in India.'
"A good deal has been written about the lack of consideration and arrangements to receive the ailing Quaid in Karachi on the last day of his life. I can join issue with Liaquat's detractors on this score.
I was then the administrator of Karachi and my brother, Syed Kazim Raza, was the Inspector-General of Police. We were required to be at the airport whenever the Quaid-i-Azam left or returned to Karachi.
Both of us were completely unaware of his return to Karachi from Quetta on the fateful day. It was at 10.30 that my telephone rang. At the other end was Lt-Comdr Mazhar Ahmed, ADC to the governor-general. He told me that the prime minister wanted me at the governor-general's house forthwith. .....
"..... as I entered the room, he (Liaquat Ali) looked up and said, 'Hashim Raza, Quaid-i-Azam has just breathed his last .....'
".......The prime minister told me, 'No one except Col Knowles, military secretary to the governor-general, knew about the return of the Quaid, and Col Knowles had strict instructions from Miss Jinnah to keep the arrival a top secret.' It was Col Knowles who had ordered the ambulance which unfortunately broke down on the way.
"Had the Quaid-i-Azam not died a natural death, could anyone dare shut his beloved sister Miss Jinnah's mouth from telling the truth? Could she forgive anyone who had been remiss or negligent towards her distinguished brother? ......
"......It was the man whom the Quaid-i-Azam called his 'right hand man', who ...., comforted and consoled the grief-stricken nation, ...., and filled the great void that had been suddenly created......"
No one could testify better than Syed Hashim Raza as to the negligence or otherwise of the Quaid-i-Millat on that fateful day in September, 1948.
MAHMUD ALI
Federal Minister, Islamabad
Fleecing of allottees
Apropos of Mr R. R. Alvi's letter (Sept 9), I want to draw your attention to victimization of thousands of people by property developers in the private sector.
In 1978/79 a housing scheme was announced in Karachi. More than 24 years have passed but no allottee has been given possession of his plots. The land is located within the Malir Cantonment Board's limits. There is no construction or development work other than a couple of roads (a few metres in length) and a boundary wall.
After every few years, and now annually, the developers revise their development charges, and ask allottees to pay them at a new rate. Those who have paid lease charges - and the developers have not executed leases - are asked to pay lease charges at much increased new rates.
They say that until they receive all charges from all allottees, they cannot carry out development work for each individual. In the meantime, the rates are revised again.
The developers are now yet again asking for revised leasing costs at the current rates and development charges. They are also asking for watch and ward charges; establishment/site staff charges; re-development charges; maintenance of site (bush cutting, re-demarcation, repair of different sewerage and waterlines); and revised lease and possession charges.
No such provision exists in the original sale agreement or by way of any subsequent correspondence. The developers decline to give anything in writing, do not reply to correspondence, do not keep appointments, will not give firm dates for lease registration, possession order, and have never advised allottees about the progress of the project.
The project authorities have benefited for more than 24 years from the funds raised and are now trying to pass the inflation impact on to the allottees. I have written to the Karachi Building Control Authority but have not received any response so far.
A submission was made to the city nazim who passed it on to the Malir Cantonment Board which asked the developers to submit an explanation. The developers have responded to the MCB, advising that the allottees should contact them and pay the above charges at rates which have been revised upward.
I suggest that an appropriate amendment should be made in the laws concerned to check such instances of exploitation. No developer should not be allowed to launch another scheme until such time that they, or any of their associates, have completed the earlier one.
NASEEM AHMAD
Karachi
Ban on headscarves
Secularism has two facets. In one, the state has no connection or nexus with religion and does not interfere with religious institutions, beliefs and customs of its citizens.
In the second, although a state may profess any religious connection or denomination, it nevertheless grants fundamental rights to its citizens ensuring freedom of religious beliefs, institutions, rituals, etc., who are free to practise them.
France is popular as a secular country of the first type, with a democratic polity and fundamental rights for its citizens. It is popular in the Muslim world for its relatively independent and just policies about Muslims.
It is therefore disturbing to see it enforce a ban on head coverings by students in state schools. This is a violation of the principles of secularism and democracy.
The scarf is a part of the Muslim dress of adult females. The French ban amounts to direct interference in the religious beliefs and rituals of Islam. No Muslim state has so far cared to use its good offices with France to get this law withdrawn.
On the other hand, the Sikhs have mobilized Indian leaders for their cause of getting the ban on use of turbans and patkas by Sikh students withdrawn. The Indian prime minister said last week he expected the issue to be resolved soon. India's National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit said he got a positive response when he brought up the issue with French officials in Paris.
KHWAJA MUHAMMAD BASHIR BUTT
Bahawalnagar
Checking pollution
Apropos of Erum Azhar's letter "Pollution in Karachi" (Sept 4) requesting the prime minister to look into the matter, I do not think the prime minister, with his 60-plus cabinet, has enough time to focus on this health hazard of the largest city of Pakistan.
The writer has probably not read the "Khan silencer story" which appeared in this esteemed paper (courtesy Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee). That poor man developed a silencer for rickshaws which could reduce smoke and noise (noise is the second largest pollutant in the city) to some extent.
He demonstrated the functioning of his silencer in the presence of the Sindh IG and city fathers. The IG awarded him a merit certificate. His silencer was recommended for rickshaws and as the implementation caught momentum, manufacturers of old silencers (mafia) approached the Sindh High Court to stop the sale of the new silencer. A stay order was obtained. This ended the story of the 'Khan silencer'.
Let us hope that the newly-appointed minister of state for environment, Malik Amin Aslam, who was born in Karachi and may have witnessed this health hazard himself, will take notice of this.
Our own elected representatives are accountable for doing nothing to check pollution. It is a priority issue as far as the health of millions of residents of Karachi is concerned.
HAJI ASHFAQ
Muscat
Parking fee mafia
Lahore has virtually been taken over by contractors collecting parking fees on behalf of the local government. There is hardly any place where one can park without being haunted by the henchmen of these contractors. The sad part is that they are charging fees without providing proper parking facilities. Once I parked my car in a roadside ditch and yet I had to pay for it.
The procedure of fork-lifting vehicles from the so-called 'no-parking' areas is not only highly annoying but also fraught with many unfair practices. 'No parking' signs are not properly/prominently displayed.
Most of them are not visible even during day time, let alone at night. It appears that 'no parking' signs have deliberately been kept small, affixed at hidden places and in the wrong direction in connivance with the contractor mafia in order to trap innocent people.
Imagine the plight of the owner when he finds his vehicle missing from the place where it was parked. The first thing thought is that the vehicle has been stolen. It is only after a lot of effort that one finds out where the vehicle has gone.
To add insult to injury, vehicles belonging to the armed forces, police, government departments, ministers, MNAs and MPAs, and vehicles with green number plates are not even touched when parked at the same very places. I hope these words will prick the conscience of someone at the helm of affairs.
AZHAR ALI
Lahore
PM and the task ahead
The task before Mr Shaukat Aziz and his government is daunting. According to the UNDP Human Development Report, "Pakistan ranks 142 among 171 countries on the Human Development Index, and 65.6 per cent of the country's population is said to be living on two dollars a day and 32 per cent of Pakistan's population was living below the poverty line in 2002".
According to some economists, in order to accelerate growth, the government will need to launch massive infrastructure projects, build roads, bridges, ports, power stations, dams and housing units, encourage agro-based industries and take agriculture-related services to the rural areas.
At the same time, it will have to launch practical schemes to provide access to food, water, health, education, shelter and jobs to the poorer sections of the population. This is definitely an uphill task.
We all hoped that Mr Shaukat Aziz as finance minister would have learnt from our past mistakes, and as a professional and a technocrat, he would not compromise and yield to political manoeuvring and horse trading.
We hoped that he would have the professional courage to break the old rejected moulds and concentrate on quality rather then numbers. We also hoped that he would rebuild our institutions and establish good governance, rule of law and a code of conduct for government and society. But unfortunately it seems that Mr Aziz has decided to travel down the old politically treacherous, twisting road and we now have a cabinet that is even larger than the last one, with about 60 ministers and advisers.
The corrupt and the inept still walk the corridors of power, rubbing their hands in glee, demanding their rewards and wagging their fingers in warning at their critics.
Leading commentators and columnists have expressed reservations and disappointment over the cabinet size and selection of ministers. They feel that the cause of good governance has been once again scarified to accommodate General Musharraf's "tailored democracy". They feel that Mr Aziz should not try to be a politician, a mistake that Gen Musharraf has made.
Our parliamentary system is once again being blamed for this compromise, and some feel that perhaps it is time we changed to a presidential system. It is not important as to who governs us or under what system. What is important for the common man is as to how he is governed. There is no substitute for good governance and rule of law.
Some bankers and friends who are close to Mr Aziz say he is determined and focused, and we have to give him a chance before forming an opinion or passing any judgment. We all know the fact that in our system of governance, the choice of ministers has always been limited.
But surely this should not have stopped Mr Aziz to trim the size of his cabinet. He could have expanded it gradually by appointing ministers on merit, rather than under political pressure. And if Mr Aziz, with his professional background, cannot find 10 good men to help him govern this country, the fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
H. MAKER
Karachi
Dispensing medicines
A surge in the demand for pharmaceutical products has led to a hike in the prices of drugs. With the introduction of various new drugs in the market, many new diseases have been discovered in recent years.
In the last 20 years, at least 30 new diseases have been scientifically recognized. Most of them are a direct result of improper dispensing of medicine, mishandling and poor selection of dosage forms.
Excessive use of injections has spread a number of new blood-borne diseases like hepatitis and AIDS. In 22 years (1975-1997), 1,223 new chemicals were marketed; 379 (30.9 per cent) of them are believed to be therapeutic innovations, 13 (one per cent) are specifically for tropical diseases while only four of the 13 (30 per cent) are a direct result of research by pharmaceutical companies.
These statistics show that research work is declining and innovations are increasing day by day. The health ministry is requested to provide opportunities to research workers so that cheap drugs can be obtained from natural sources.
QADEER A. BHUTTO
Shikarpur
A test for Musharraf
President Musharraf is in a fix. He is surrounded by a multitude of psychophants who are obscuring his vision and good judgment. Should he honour his pledge and remove his uniform after December 31 or should he break his pledge and retain his uniform? A fight is going on within him. It is a test for him.
By honouring his pledge, he will do the right thing.
LT-COL (retd) MUHAMMAD ASHRAF
New Philadelphia, OH., USA
PTCL's reply
Apropos of the letter "Telephone complaint" (Sept 6), our investigation shows that no written or verbal report was lodged by the complainant on CFMS "18"/exchange staff or on hotline about his telephone.
The divisional engineer, Sukkur, personally talked to complainant Mukesh Kumar Mandhan on his residential telephone # 071-690107 at Pano Aqil. Mr Kumar informed him that his number was out of order in mid-August but was put right on Aug 18.
ATHER JAVED SUFI
Media Coordinator, PTCL, Headquarters, Karachi
Karachi DHA charges
The Karachi DHA's ruling to impose non-development charges in Phase VIII is a step in the right direction. Pakistan's financial blitz that followed soon after 9/11 mostly ended up in the real estate business and stock markets.
It is common knowledge that any increase in property prices without reflective growth in the industrial base is more of a bane than a boon for a struggling economy like ours. Furthermore, high property prices are detrimental to the construction industry and undermine the housing needs of buyers.
I hope the government and autonomous bodies will discourage such investment of surplus capital, and will instead create an environment that encourages investors to establish factories, industries and exportable services.
NADIR MITHANI
Karachi
PCB, ICC and Bari
I am writing this with reference to the news item (Sept 7) that says that the "PCB will reprimand its chief selector Wasim Bari for an outburst against English umpire David Shepherd".
I and a large number of people I have talked to were all shocked to read this news item, as all of us were expecting that the Pakistan Cricket Board would itself lodge a strong protest against David Shepherd, and would also support its own official, Wasim Bari.
I am not sure whether the PCB chairman will do what the nation expects of him. But had it been any other Asian cricket playing country, it would have taken great exception to such an affront.
SYED NAQI HASAN
Lahore
Schoolbags
Recently a reader pointed out in these columns the burden of heavy school bags. Nowadays they have become so heavy that backache has become a common problem among schoolchildren - something almost unheard of previously.
This is due to the alliance between so-called foreign book publishers and the administration of elite private schools. To get commission, the administrations provide a list to parents with the direction to buy books and stationery from particular shops.
I suggest that all parents should get together and request the government to frame strict legislation in this respect.
DR SHAHID TUFAIL SHEIKH
Lahore
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