| 17 October 2004 | Sunday | 02 Ramazan 1425 |
Defence lands
'Going back on the promise'
Leased cars or public transport?
Note for contributors
'The grass and the elephants'
An eyesore
Spread of deadly diseases
Crime in Lahore
Clarification
Sectarian killings
Cordless phones
Partitioning music
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The last-minute boycott (eventually given up) of the Afghan elections by opposition candidates was not surprising. One of the symptoms of the absence of a sound democratic culture in any country is the candidates' inability to gracefully accept defeat or looming defeat and their feeling (sadly sometimes justified) that by making a noise they can affect the outcome.
No one expected that the first Afghan elections were going to be completely hassle-free. However, it was exhilarating to see a woman presidential candidate in a country in which, not long ago, women were dragged into sports stadiums and shot point blank for the crime of showing even a trace of independence.
Afghanistan has surpassed even the US where a woman has yet to contest presidential elections. Afghanistan has also surpassed its neighbour, Pakistan, where religious fanatics have tolerated a woman prime minister but have made no secret of their opposition to the idea of a woman running for president.
Afghanistan has outperformed Pakistan in two other areas. The Afghan presidential elections were held by an incumbent administration, with the army playing only a support role, its natural logical role.
In Pakistan, the last time an incumbent head of government (Z.A. Bhutto) held elections, it was March 7, 1977. The "mullah-military alliance" of the time refused to accept the outcome of these elections and the resultant disorder cost Bhutto his life. Subsequently, all Pakistani prime ministers were disgracefully removed from office before any general election could be held.
Moreover, just about every general election in Pakistan (except the above-mentioned 1977 elections and the elections held during the first few years of Pakistan) has been held under the aegis and for the sake of the army generals. The winners in elections are expected to seek the nod of the generals before they can even think of being ushered into the corridors of power.
It is amazing how far down the path of political maturity just one episode of genuine elections can propel a country, even a backward country like Afghanistan. Imagine the extent of political maturity and stability that Pakistan would have gained by now had its politics and elections been free of army interference.
As far as the imperfections and perils of democracy are concerned, even the US is not an exception. We all know what happened in Florida in the 2000 US elections. The importance of holding perfect elections is secondary to the importance of a reliable system that can rescue the country from a logjam.
SIDDIQUE MALIK
Louisville, KY, USA
Defence lands
As an ex-officer who spent decades in the department responsible for the management of defence lands, I fully endorse the views of Senator Farhatullah Babar that defence lands are being increasingly misused and something must be done to stop it (letter, Oct 10)
Under Rule 4 of the Cantonments Land Administration Rules 1937, Class A land has been classified as land which is required or reserved for specific military purposes. There is sub-classification of this land into Class A-1 land which under the rules is "actually used or occupied by the military authorities for the purposes of fortifications, barracks, stores, arsenals, aerodromes, bungalows for military officers which are the property of the government, parade grounds, military recreation grounds, rifle ranges, grass farms, dairy farms, brick field, soldiers and hospital gardens".
The rifle ranges in Nowshera are classified as A-1 land and thus cannot be developed as a citrus farm.
There was a time before the scourge of the first martial law when the military authorities respected the law and would seek prior permission of the military estate officer, the manager of defence lands, even for cutting trees grown on it. But now even A-1 lands are being misused for building shopping centres, petrol pumps and stadiums having shops and garrison cinemas. Worse still, the revenue derived from commercial activities is not credited to the Federal Consolidated Fund but it goes to a non-governmental account which is not subject to audit by the auditor-general of Pakistan.
Schools, colleges and universities have also been set up on A-1 land, which also is against the rules. The Senate was informed some time back that seven acres of prime A-1 land in Faisal cantonment has been given by the PAF to a private school management.
MALIK SIDDIQUE
Ex-joint secretary, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad
'Going back on the promise'
This is with reference to Qazi Hussain Ahmed's article "Going back on the promise" (Oct 14).
This is the first time that religio-political parties in Pakistan have managed to enter parliament in such considerable numbers. They are on test and have a huge responsibility of living up to the wishes of their voters, who voted for them against the policies of General Musharraf's regime. But what have they done with their mandate?
I keep on hearing criticism of the judiciary for not standing up against the mutilation of the Constitution by the military time and again, Mr Hussain being amongst the front-runners in this exercise. But when these clerics were put to the test, they succumbed to pressure and their inherent political weaknesses.
What justification can Mr Hussain offer for voting in favour of the 17th Amendment? How can the MMA absolve itself from being a part of the establishment? How can they justify holding the office of leader of the opposition?
I think its the high time we recognized elements which have always been part of the larger designs of the establishment. The MMA has not only betrayed the electorate but also exposed its real self. And the bigger mistake that the ARD might in this process end up making would be to trust the MMA again. The MMA needs to prove its credibility now. It must realize that mullahs are not meant to do politics. Like Mr Hussain, I wish to quote Dr Allama Iqbal as follows:
Kuin khaliq aur makhlooq mein hayal rahain pardey
Peeran-i-kaleesa ko kaleesa sey utha do
MANSOOR U. AWAN
Cambridge, MA., USA
Leased cars or public transport?
As if the collective burden of the national debt on Pakistanis was not enough, the government has added to it by liberalizing the leasing policy and burdening individuals with loans.
All banks and leasing companies are luring people with seemingly attractive packages for leasing cars. This is a double-edged weapon. On the one hand, people are putting themselves to the unnecessary hardship of loans and on the other the influx of new cars is overburdening the already congested urban infrastructure.
The number of vehicles on our roads grew from 31,000 to 4.2 million during the period 1950-1998. With liberal leasing of cars to individuals, this has taken a quantum jump. The proper thing to do was that the government should have given preference to providing efficient public transport systems in all major cities rather than facilitating acquisition of cars by individuals. They are not only a burden on the owner himself, but also on the infrastructure and the environment.
It is not too late yet. Efficient and comprehensive public transport systems should be provided in major cities to facilitate mass transit. A beginning has already been made in Lahore and Rawalpindi. It needs expansion to cover all routes and extensions to other cities. Two letters - "Pedestrians' right" by Mr A.R. Qureshi and "Public transport" by Ghulam-e-Hira Fatima (October 13) - portray the plight of pedestrians and users of the unplanned, disorganized and disjointed public transport system of Karachi.
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA
Peshawar
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'The grass and the elephants'
This refers to Mr Ayaz Amir's column "The grass and the elephants" (Oct 8). President Musharraf, Foreign Minister Kasuri and others from among the political leadership have been saying that a settlement of the Kashmir issue should be according to the wishes of the Kashmiris. Naturally, neither India nor Pakistan nor the two together can thrust upon the Kashmiris any settlement that will be rejected by them.
While complaining that the Kashmiris are always left out in the cold, the columnist proceeded to say that a plebiscite and international arbitration being out of the question, "what we are left with at best is some territorial adjustment; at worst, the status quo". Does he mean that the status quo should be accepted by the Kashmiris and by us?
Unreconciled as they have been to the status quo, the Kashmiris started their intifada in 1989. They have crossed the threshold of the fear of death, as is proved by their sacrifices of more than 80,000 already. This means that they will not give up their struggle until they realize their right of self-determination - until they are free according to their perception.
In the spring of 2003, it was reported that the CIA came up with a new map of J & K, showing IHK as "The Indian State of Kashmir" and the rest as "Pakistan-controlled areas of Kashmir". Looking at this map as America's tacit support for Indian designs to convert the LoC into an international border, a spokesman for India's foreign ministry said at a press briefing in May 2003 that the Indian parliament had passed a unanimous resolution declaring the state of Jammu and Kashmir to be an integral part of India and that, when talks on Kashmir were held next between India and Pakistan, they would be about the territory of J & K, which was under Pakistan's control.
India's presence in Kashmir is based on its contention that Hari Singh signed an instrument acceding J&K to India. After the UNSC resolutions accepted by both Pakistan and India and which declared that Kashmir is a disputed territory, India has no de jure status in Kashmir; its de facto presence stems only from the barrels of the guns of the occupation force of more than 600,000 Indian troops.
If, in any manner of dispensation of the Kashmir issue, the Kashmiris cede Jammu and Ladakh to India, considering that their majorities so wish, it will be tantamount to India receiving a part of the loot which it got by use of brute force.
If the majority of people of the Kashmir Valley desire to be with Pakistan - this is obvious from the fact that their intifada has been going on for 15 years in spite of the excessive human rights violations being committed by the occupation troops of India - India could do well to respect their wishes. It would also do well to accept the status quo vis-a-vis the territory of J&K which is west of the LoC as the people want to be part of Pakistan. This or a better mutually acceptable solution will lead to permanent peace in the region permitting the common people to start improving their lives forthwith.
The alternative is continuation of the intifada - as the Chechens have been doing for the past three centuries, the Kashmiris have crossed the threshold of the fear of death.
JALAL AHMAD
Karachi
An eyesore
A relatively large plot of land at the end of Street 118, G-9/3, Islamabad, has been lying unused since we started living in this street 20 years ago. It is overgrown with bushes and trees and has long been used as a dumping ground by the residents. Not only is it unsightly but dangerous too for residents as it is a good hiding place for both animals and burglars, especially at night. In fact, several burglaries have already taken place in this street, the most recent of which occurred about a month ago.
May I suggest that the CDA should turn this eyesore into a mini-landscaped park, complete with footpaths, benches, lights, dustbins and perhaps even a swing or see-saw or two? This will be a delightful recreation facility for both young and old residents. The installation of streetlights will also help improve security of this area.
N. QURESHI
Islamabad
Spread of deadly diseases
This refers to the letter by Mr Zafar Bhatti (Oct 6) on the above subject. He has rightly pointed to the great risks in using polypack syringes which certainly have serious quality defects. Pakistanis who travel abroad will not find this types of syringes in any country that provides conscientious healthcare to its citizens.
All over the world, medical products, including syringes, are sterilized after they are in their final packaged form so that no one should be able to touch the product itself. A package is opened only before the product is to be used.
In polypack syringes, the plastic film used does not allow the sterilization gas ethylene oxide to pass through for sterilization purposes.
Sterilization is, however, possible by using a special type of plastic film and using the gamma irradiation method. Gamma irradiation is highly sophisticated and the only facility available in Pakistan is at Paras, established by the Atomic Energy Commission and located in Lahore.
Hence, one would expect polypack syringes being made in various areas of Lahore, the NWFP and Karachi to have a record of sterilization at Paras. And if those polypack syringes are not sterilized at Paras, then the question is: how and where are those sterilized? And do our doctors, nurses and hospitals bother about the role these syringes are playing in spreading deadly diseases?
DR HINA KAYANI
Karachi
Crime in Lahore
The son of a Lahore family is abducted from the city and killed at Jamrud. The house of a civil judge of Garden Town is looted. In Shadman, a cashier of a factory is deprived of Rs0.8 million. In Sabzazar, Rs80,000 and a mobile phone are snatched from a citizen. In Gulberg, a husband and wife are robbed. In Liberty, a woman is deprived of her purse. In Sherakot, a rickshaw is snatched. At other places, two motorcycles are taken away.
Many more such sad happenings might have taken place which did not come to the knowledge of the press. This in Lahore, the heart of Pakistan.
MUHAMMAD RASHID
Lahore
Clarification
The news item "Private radio allowed broadcasting" published in your issue of Oct 14 refers to Mr Seth Nisar as honorary consul-general of Kazakhstan in Lahore.
I would like to state that the Republic of Kazakhstan does not have any consulate or representative office in Lahore nor any consul-general there.
BEIBIT ISSABAYEV
Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Islamabad
Sectarian killings
Many have died in Multan and elsewhere in the country and our government has as usual renewed its pledge to uproot terrorism, but no one knows how and when this claim will be honoured.
A few days ago, many lost their lives in Sialkot and our agencies could not unearth the network responsible for committing such a heinous crime. On each such occasion, our law-enforcement agencies announce that it happened because some foreign hand was involved. How come each and every time the "foreign hand" operates and does its job so perfectly that innocent Pakistanis are killed and the foreign hand is still undetected?
Let the interior minister and other relevant authorities resign, saying that since they have failed to protect the lives of ordinary citizens, they wish that those who are capable of doing their jobs better should man these posts.
IQBAL HADI ZAIDI
Kuwait
Cordless phones
The PTCL network is still not available in many villages and the suburban areas of most cities. So people of such areas are forced to get PTCL connections in their names at the house of some relative or acquaintance living in a city and use this facility in their villages with the help of a cordless phone with a range of 10 to 15 kilometres.
But the PTA has started a campaign to threaten people using such wireless devices with severe punishment. This colonial attitude needs to be given up and the government is requested to allow use of cordless phones until the fixed-phone facility is available to all sections.
AHMAD ALI
Muzaffargarh
Partitioning music
This has reference to the letter "Partitioning music" (Oct 2) by Khawaja Mohammad Bashir Butt. He has made two errors: one regarding Nagri meri kab tak younhee barbad rahe gi which was beautifully written by Josh Malihabadi and sung by Tara Bai Lucknow Wali for the movie Mann ki jeet. Its music was rendered by S.K. Pal.
It is clarified that the original record of this song carries the name of Nina on whom the song was picturized according to the practice prevalent at that time. It was much later that the name of the playback singer was printed on the record. The second point pertains to the song Akhian mila ke which was never sung by Shamshad Begum.
Akhian mila ke akhian was sung by Surender Kaur, with music rendered by C. Ramchander for the movie Nadia ke par. Another song Akhian mila ke, jia bharma ke chale nahin jana was sung by Zohrabai Ambalewali, with music by Naushad Ali for the movie Rattan.
HAFEEZ AKHTAR
Lahore
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