| 07 December 2004 | Tuesday | 24 Shawwal 1425 |
Dual-office bill: then and now
Making packs of currency notes
Changa Manga national park
Peace in Nepal
A question on Kashmir
US-Pakistan relations
Garbage burning
Palestine issue
Robbery of machinery
DHA bachat bazaars
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This is with reference to Mr Khalid Ahmad's letter (Nov 27). During 1946, i.e. just before partition, Punjab was ruled by a Hindu-Muslim-Sikh coalition led by an old man of the Punjab, Khizir Hayat Khan.
He was the chief of his own party called the Unionist Party and never joined the Muslim League. He fared well in the 1946 election and asked Mr Mohammad Ali Jinnah to keep his hands off the Punjab.
The NWFP was under the influence of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan whose views about Pakistan are known to everyone. Most religious parties, such as the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Ahrar group, which had dominated this part, i.e., the Punjab, opposed the movement.
During the 10 years of provincial autonomy (1937-1947), Sindh had a non-Muslim League ministry most of the time. Elected chief minister Allah Bux Soomro said: "The Muslim League contention that Muslims are a separate nation in India on the basis of their religion is un-Islamic."
There are many more names, which can be shown with documentation and proof, that opposed the Pakistan Movement. It was the Muslims of UP, CP, Bihar and Bengal who voted for the Muslim League.
The idea was to bring all Muslims of undivided India under the one banner of the Muslim League. It is also a fact that the maximum number of votes for the Muslim League were cast in UP.
The idea was not to create a Pakistan only in a small area and that too in parts which were opposing its creation. Nor was it aimed to leave the majority of Muslims in India under Hindu rule.
Moreover, four nations came out of one India before partition (India, Pakistan, occupied Kashmir, which we do not accept as a part of India, and after the separation of East Pakistan, Bangladesh).
Mr Ahmad was wrong to say that one part would look after the minorities, since in Pakistan the Muslims of one sect could not look after the Muslims of the other.
PROF ISHTIAQ AHMED KHAN
Karachi
(II)
This is with reference to Mr Khalid Ahmad's letter "Two-nation theory" (Nov 27). Could Mr Khalid Ahmad answer my following questions in this regard?
1. If Pakistan could not absorb the entire Muslim population of the subcontinent, then what is the use of this theory that says that Pakistan will be the homeland of all Muslims of the subcontinent?
2. Why was the whole movement launched in the region where Muslims were in a minority? Should it instead have been confined to the Muslim majority areas?
3. At the time of the movement, why were Muslims living in Muslim minority areas not told about their fate after the creation of Pakistan?
4. Why was this rule only enforced on the general public and not on the leaders? As we all know, they were given safe passage into Pakistan with the help of the army.
TARIQ RASHID
Sydney, Australia
Dual-office bill: then and now
On Nov 30 Senate Chairman and acting president Mohammedmian Soomro signed the dual-office bill, enabling the army chief to continue as president. The general, sitting thousands of miles away in Sao Paulo, said he was pleased. One hopes the apex court will step in and put this act of parliament on the judicial anvil.
Our generals suffer from the 'multiple caps' syndrome which can be traced back to their infirm legal status. After all, Zia, Yahya and Ayub have been declared usurpers by superior courts, even though they were at the end of their rules or lives.
Gen Yahya Khan (I am quoting Brig (retd) A. R. Siddiqui from Fauj aur Syasat) wore four caps - those of the CMLA, army chief, president and general. What happened to him? Few know about the camouflaged history of our country.
The scene is the Rawalpindi presidency and the date is Dec 20, 1971. East Pakistan had turned into an independent country since Yahya had refused to accept the mandate of the people.
Z. A. Bhutto, the majority leader in Pakistan, and Yahya were having a heated discussion over the transfer of power. The all-powerful, wearer of four hats and the greatest (ever) loser of a (1971) war was not giving up, not yet.
He had already drafted a new constitution that would keep him president for 10 years, later curtailed to five. Finally, not able to stand the searing comments from Bhutto, Yahya stood up and pointing toward the chair said: "Here is the presidency; I am going back to the GHQ."
Bhutto told Yahya that he was neither a president nor a general any more and that he would have to go straight home. Gen Abdul Hameed Khan, the then chief of army staff, asked Yahya to stay put and let him see which way the wind blew outside. Later, he tried to address officers at the National Defence College where he was hooted out. Yahya had to go home.
Today the difference is that the issue of a general's continuity in power is not being decided within the four walls of the presidency or in parliament, but out on the streets.
It is a good omen that political parties, hounded for so long, decimated and played against each other, have finally found the real cause of malaise besetting this nation.
So much so that one politician has finally said that if "generals do not go with the people, their institution is in danger." The battle for democracy has at last begun - the heat is on at last for the coercive and intrusive un elected forces.
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
Making packs of currency notes
It is good news that the State Bank of Pakistan has decided to issue 100-rupee and 50-rupee notes without staples but with proper banding as is the practice in all progressive countries. I would like to offer some suggestions to improve the look and condition of notes circulating in Pakistan:
a. Banks should be asked not to use staples to make packs of 100 leaves of used notes, and to use banding in the future (already soiled and delicate notes are mutilated beyond use by the reckless use of multiple staples).
b. The SBP should undertake a media campaign to persuade the public to keep notes straight without folding, to avoid writing anything or signing on them, to avoid using them to wipe off dirt, to keep notes in note-sized folders and not throw them carelessly in baskets, tins or cash boxes, or pockets.
c. The SBP should promote a sense of pride in the country's currency so that notes are handled with care to keep them clean, crisp and presentable.
d. The SBP should penalize banks that fail to sort out and separate soiled and torn notes before returning them to the SBP.
Many banks encourage account holders to deposit large amounts of cash, irrespective of the horrible condition of the notes, and indiscriminately push the same bundles into circulation.
e. Banks must be obligated to provide notes in all denominations customers want instead of forcing them to accept whatever denomination the bank wants to palm off. Many flatly refuse to provide small-denomination notes to save labour.
S.H. TEHSIN
Karachi
Changa Manga national park
A few days ago I had the chance to visit the Changa Manga national park with my family. We went there for recreation but returned frustrated. This unfortunate national wildlife park is a forest without trees and a national park without ecological diversity. If there is any woody vegetation, it only caters to the needs of the local residents.
National parks and forests are meant to conserve the environment and ecosystems, but what if these conserving agents take the role of depleting agents? Changa Manga lacks diversity in flora as well as in fauna.
Most of the trees belong to the family of species such as acacia nilotica (kikar) or morus alba (mulberry). The forest department has never paid heed to the regeneration of the forest through fast-growing species.
It has even become difficult for them to maintain the standing trees. Timber mafia and nomadic grazing have become a great threat to all forests in Pakistan, particularly Changa Manga.
It is time the government and the relevant department stepped forward and conserved the state of this man-made forest. I would like to suggest a participatory management technique in which the government asks local residents to help plant trees and conserve older ones.
The forest department should demarcate areas to major stakeholders from adjoining areas and declare the denuded portions critical zones on which no one allowed to trespass. Investment in forests and wildlife could contribute to the economy.
HUSSAIN SARDAR
Lahore
Peace in Nepal
According to a news report (Nov 25), the Nepalese government announced a unilateral cease fire with Maoist rebels in the area around Lumbini, Buddha's birth place, during a three-day Buddhist conference held at the end of November.
One of the main aims of the conference was to develop Lumbini as the "city of world peace". It is very significant that this step was taken in the mostly Hindu nation and shows the open-mindedness of the government and its reverence for Buddha, a great teacher of love, kindness and peace.
There is a German saying: "We can live without a brother, but not without a friend." The fighting in Nepal between the Maoists and government troops has already claimed over 10,000 lives since 1996.
It is sincerely hoped that not only will the Maoists reciprocate the government's offer for the conference's duration but both sides will also make it permanent and come to the negotiating table.
As Cicero had said, the most unfair peace is preferable to the most righteous war. Let the two sides befriend each other, respect human life, consider each other's point of view seriously, make this beautiful member of the Saarc fraternity and a friend of Pakistan a "country of world peace," and set an example of peaceful conflict resolution for others. After all, Buddha was born in their land and, all said and done, each one of them is Nepalese.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
A question on Kashmir
This refers to Anu Soman's letter (Nov 17) and Sayed S. Jehan, Zainab Zaidi and Khurram Haneef's letters (Nov 19). Kashmir is not India's territory and nor is it a border or a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. Kashmir is a dispute in which the principal party is the Kashmiris.
The only solution to the Kashmir dispute is that the entire Jammu and Kashmir state comprising more than 84,000 square miles should be given to the trusteeship of the United Nations for at least 20 to 25 years and, after this period, the 15 million Kashmiris should be given their fundamental right of self-determination and a plebiscite will be conducted on three options: (i) accession to Pakistan; (ii) accession to India or; (iii) independent status to the Jammu and Kashmir state, as provided to princely states according to the June 3 partition plan and/or the Partition of India Act, 1947.
According to the "UN's trusteeship scheme" the troops of both India and Pakistan will quit the Jammu and Kashmir state and an "international peace force" will take control of the area. Under the UN trusteeship, a UN administrator and a trustee's council will look after the affairs and administration of the state for 20 to 25 years.
The idea of UN trusteeship is more in favour of Pakistan than are the UN resolutions dated Aug 13, 1948 and Jan 5, 1949. According to these resolutions, Pakistan has to withdraw its troops from Jammu and Kashmir and a reasonable minimum strength of India's army will remain deployed in the state to assist the "local authorities" and/or the "United Nations Commission" as per the terms of the UN resolutions.
The division of Kashmir has been proposed on several bases. It has been proposed on the basis of rivers (northern Kashmir and southern Kashmir), according to which the northern part of Chenab goes to Pakistan and the southern part of the river to India.
It has been proposed on the basis of the Line of Control and division of the Jammu and Kashmir state into three parts according to Sir Owan Dixon's plan or Senator Solaraz's formula: (i) Azad Kashmir and Gilgit and Biltistan to Pakistan (ii) Jammu and Ladakh to the India, (iii) a semi-independent autonomous status to the "Valley of Kashmir" under the joint-supervision and/or control of India and Pakistan like Ireland's Mitchal's plan.
But none of these is a solution to the Kashmir dispute since the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the real, principal and major party to the dispute and the division of the state will not be acceptable to the 15 million Kashmiris.
The division of Vietnam, Germany and Korea proves that division is not the final solution.
SAALIM SALAM ANSARI
Karachi
US-Pakistan relations
In the editorial "US-Pakistan relations" (Nov 11), it has been rightly said that the opposition has failed to come up with alternative socio-economic policies that could make the people think that an alternative leadership was available.
The irony of the tale is that since 1970 the role of theopposition has always been negatively designed to bring the innocent and poor out on the streets to topple the government of the day.
They keep their images alive at the expense of the people. It seems that they have no brains or intellectual qualities to face the government within the limits of parliament.
The pertinent and shining example of Ms Mukhtaran Bibi has rocked the international media. Because of her dignified approach to her traumatic and savage treatment at the hands of the jirga injustice, she has surfaced like the lady of the lamp. The women members of parliament should take a lesson from Ms Mukhtaran Bibi.
Instead of thumping their desks and raising slogans, they should set aside half of their fat remunerations for the social uplift of people in their constituencies. Only such steps can convince the people of the veracity of their claim that they are representatives of the people.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
Garbage burning
I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned towards a serious matter. We are a re-rolling mill in Pakistan and our factory is located at D-89, SITE, Karachi, on Shershah Road. There is one problem that hinders it from running smoothly. It is related to SITE or the CDGK, and with a little attention it can be resolved.
Rubbish and waste of Shershah Colony is thrown on Shershah Road, by the side wall of our factory. Because of this, half of the road is filled with garbage that causes traffic jams. The stinking waste is then burnt in the afternoon to reduce its volume.
Our misfortune is that the wind blows in the direction of our factory and brings not only the stink into it but also thick clouds of smoke. The health of our workers and staff is at risk.
The smoke emitted from this rubbish causes serious problems - even those in sound health are disturbed, not to speak of those who suffer from allergic conditions.
The smoke is damaging the sophisticated electronic parts in our factory. We have approached the authorities, including SITE and the CDGK, several times, but nobody has ever taken any action.
We now request the authorities to visit the affected area opposite Shaheen Hotel on Shershah Road and use their influence to help us to get rid of this nuisance.
H. FEROZ SHAMSI
Karachi
Palestine issue
The Bush administration is bent upon blaming Islam as the main cause of terrorism in the world, whereas it has been observed that Zionism is the main cause of terrorism. The stem of terrorism actually emanates from the tree planted in Palestine by Israel, supported by Britain and America.
So, if terrorism is to be eliminated from the world, the Palestine issue must first be resolved with justice and honour. Big powers like the US, UK and European Union should come forward to address this burning issue on a top priority basis for the greater interest of peace in the world. Let us see how soon Mr Bush takes the initiative to do the needful.
MOHAMMAD SHAMSUDDIN
Karachi
Robbery of machinery
We have heard of cash and gold being stolen and banks looted, but we have never heard of industrial machines and their parts being robbed. But there are many such cases that have crippled industry and left labourers unemployed.
In Karachi's SITE there is a gang of people who invade factories at night. They hold up the security staff and labourers and start dismantling machines. Very expensive parts are taken out one by one.
They remain on the premises for six to eight hours, during which all machines are dismantled and the booty is loaded onto a Suzuki pickup and they drive away without any fear or fight.
Several such incidents have been reported to the SITE police station but rarely have the culprits been apprehended. The gang is so bold that robberies are committed at places near police checkpoints.
The precious spare parts are sold at scrap prices as the machines are left crippled and the labour unemployed. Regretfully, the local administration gives no importance to such crimes that are crippling industry since hardly any culprit has been brought to book.
The investor is scared. We have no hope for our protection and safety from the custodians of our property and lives.
H.I. SHEIKH
Karachi
DHA bachat bazaars
Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has allocated a distant site for bachat bazaars, and the road leading to the site is dilapidated and badly worn out at different places and has not been repaired for a long time.
Stall-holders, especially vegetable and fresh fruit sellers, do not display price cards despite the DHA's instructions. An ineffective and helpless price check and complaint camp office exists at these bazaars.
There is only one person available in the office, who, if approached, is unwilling to leave his chair and accompany the complainant to the vendor. These stalls are allotted to a particular group which have turned into a mafia with the passage of time.
They do not display price cards, sell goods at higher prices and misbehave if argued with. The complaint office is a silent spectator when this happens. The purpose of a bachat bazaar is defeated if the prices there are higher than the prevailing market rates.
Would the bazaars' organizers bother to visit and witness for themselves how stall-holders are doing trade and how the camp office is working? Would they take action to redress complaints, make vendors display their price cards and sell their goods at bachat prices?
SHAUKAT RIZVI
Karachi
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