| 17 January 2005 | Monday | 06 Zilhaj 1425 |
Wind power project
2004: a bad year for democracy
'The ifs and buts of history'
Learning a lesson
Defence affairs
Why be afraid of student politics?
Religion column
Treatment with herbs
Rape victims
Baglihar dam dispute
Lucky coupon scam
NFC Award
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What do Wana, Lyari and now the troubled areas in Balochistan have in common? The answer is simple. All these areas have been neglected by the government. The president who on international forums urges world leaders to identify the root cause of terrorism to tackle the problem has warned the tribal leaders by saying: "It is not the '70s and we will not climb mountains behind them. They will not even know what has hit them."
The president is correct when he says that we do not face external threats. But with the internal threats which the country faces, who needs external threats? The enemy lies within us. The internal threat needs to be eliminated not with the use of force but by other means.
Two main internal threats which the country faces are sectarian violence and provincial disharmony. The extremists involved in sectarian violence within Pakistan are the very same people who were facilitated by the Pakistan government during the Cold War.
What is unfortunate is that we refused to learn lessons from our past mistake of meddling in the internal matters of Afghanistan and supporting the Taliban. Those who dig traps for others fall in them themselves. This is precisely what happened and our society started to become "Talabanized".
There is also provincial disharmony as the provinces are of the opinion that they are deprived of their due share. The gas coming from Balochistan soil lights the nation's cooking fires and fires a whole range of industrial furnaces.
What is unfortunate is that the majority of inhabitants of the province are themselves deprived of this facility and either have to cut wood for fire or purchase gas cylinders.
The threat of force held out by the president is not helping the situation. Let's not repeat the mistake we committed in East Pakistan by not redressing the grievances of the people.
The elected leaders are in a better position to deal with internal threats than the military. The job of the military is to follow the orders of elected leaders and not vice versa.
The excuse of the military that they are forced into power can never be accepted as no one can be forced into power. Internal threats can best be dealt with by strengthening democratic institutions.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Karachi
(II)
President Musharraf's warning to nationalist elements (Jan 12) regarding the Balochistan issue is most disturbing. The citizens raise an army for the protection of the borders of their country and pay salaries to political representatives so that they counter internal threats peacefully through political dialogue.
A political process may be long and tedious, but the roots are deep and strong, whereas military action is hard and swift but the result is blood and enmity.
The Baloch have been struggling for their rights for quite some time and some nationalist elements have chosen weapons. Will they be afraid of military action? Military action is a short-sighted approach.
UMAIR WASI HASHMI
Nizami District, Baku, Azerbaijan
Wind power project
This is with reference to the news report "Wind power project: Centre bypassing Sindh, says adviser" (Dec 26) which says the adviser to the Sindh chief minister environment has said that the Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) is not taking the province into confidence and is bypassing its department of environment and alternate energy.
I think the adviser is not fully aware of the concept of renewable/alternative energy, research and development and its blessings. His statement may adversely affect wind energy and windmill projects.
The AEDB is bringing in investment from foreign companies for developing non-conventional and environment-friendly energy means, including solar stations and windmills. It has selected the coastal belt from Gharo to KT Bunder in Thatta for installation of about 150 MgW wind energy projects.
How come it is feared that injustice may be done to Sindh? The electricity produced by the windmills will be partly sold to the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation. The allocated land areas for wind power generation were all sanctioned by the Sindh government.
The present provincial chief secretary has allocated about 12,000 acres to the interested investors. So there's nothing that can be said to have been undertaken without consultations with the Sindh government.
Those interested in putting up wind power generation plants are getting themselves registered with the AEDB and they understand the promised benefits to Sindh, to Pakistan and to themselves.
We don't understand how it can be claimed and that the AEDB and the Sindh government are on different wavelengths. At this stage when the sites for projects are being identified, it will be very unfortunate to find fault with the scheme. It will only scare foreign investment, which is already shy.
GHULAM KIBRIA, S.S. HAIDER & OTHERS
Karachi
2004: a bad year for democracy
The following is part of the second paragraph of your editorial published on Jan 1: "No wonder, leader of the opposition Maulana Fazlur Rahman should have boycotted the NSC's last meeting.
The boycott, however, does not serve to blur the fact that Maulana's grouping of parties, the MMA, was instrumental in the passage of the 17th Amendment. The MMA claimed that the amendment had turned the NSC into a statutory body instead of a constitutional one, as originally intended.
But that did not in any way serve to dilute the NSC's powers or to make it a civilian-controlled council. On the contrary, the passage of the 17th Amendment allowed the Legal Framework Order to become part of the Constitution in its entirety without being voted upon by parliament."
Sir, what could not have been said because of the principled policy of balanced journalism should be said here: had the MMA leader convened a public meeting of its voters to seek their affirmation to agree to the 17th Amendment? If not, they have violated the voters' mandate and also their election manifestoes.
Now they are observing black days and holding anti-government demonstrations. They do so only to save face. The lack of unity between the opposition parties has been rightly pointed out at the conclusion of the editorial, which says that the opposition, too, remained divided throughout 2004, until the fag-end of the year when the president's decision on the uniform brought the ARD and the MMA together. A blessing in disguise for them.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
'The ifs and buts of history'
This is in response to the article 'The ifs and buts of history' by Irfan Hussain published in Dawn last week. First of all Dawn should not have published the last sentence of the article that, "It is time we laid it (the two-nation theory) to rest". As I know, it was Dawn which was the spokesman of the Quaid-i-Azam and the nation, pleading the case of the two-nation theory.
The writer is wrong in saying that it is not religion but other factors which define a person. In fact, it is religion which gives different communities their recognition.
No religion teaches its adherents to kill others. While both Christian and Jewish intellectuals are demanding that we preach non-violence, they themselves are indulging in violence.
Separate electorates were a historic success for the Muslims of the subcontinent, which saved them from slavery. A combined Muslim population would have dispersed and would have been surrounded by Hindus (RSS, BJP, etc). Everybody knows their attitude towards Muslims and Islam.
In India today, only those Muslims survive who sacrifice their identity. So, I think that the writer has tried to mislead the reader. The slow progress of the country is not due to the two- nation theory; it is due to our failure to follow it.
PROF M. AKRAM SAQIB
Sahiwal
Learning a lesson
The way the Indians have responded to the death and destruction caused by the tsunami disaster in their country is a good indicator of positive developments taking place in Indian society.
So far, the "Prime Minister's Relief Fund", which is the main agency receiving donations from the Indian people, has collected about $80 million. This is a remarkable achievement considering the fact that in the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat (which killed more people than the tsunami disaster), it took almost a year to collect the same amount of money.
This change in attitude has clearly shown to the world that the present Indian society, brimming with feelings of fervent nationalism, is growing in confidence and quickly developing a sense of social responsibility which is the sign of all great nations of the world.
We as Pakistanis can learn a lesson, for it is clear from the recent events in Balochistan that a lot needs to be done to bring us together as a nation. It is only if the feelings of patriotism and loyalty are fostered amongst us that we will manage to progress and become a great nation.
SAAD AHMED KHAN
Karachi
Defence affairs
This refers to the simultaneous appearance of two news stories on your newspaper's front page on Jan 11, pertaining to the statements made by two of the most powerful men at the helm of affairs in Pakistan: "Defence, stability top priority, says Aziz" and "No external threat to country: Musharraf".
I am amazed at the apparent contradiction between these two statements, which appears to be symptomatic of the general lack of direction. If there is really no external threat to the country, on what basis is Mr Shaukat Aziz willing to justify the staggering 43 per cent budget for defence?
Pakistan really doesn't have to look at external elements to feel uneasy. As national events unfold, there is enough to keep our state machinery busy if we truly wish to redress the increasingly disturbing situation.
SARAH ZAMAN
Karachi
Why be afraid of student politics?
Speaking at a students' convention in Lahore recently, President General Pervez Musharraf said: "There should be no politics in universities." The president asserted that educational standards were ruined when students indulged in politics and that there should be no political activity in universities.
But is politics such an evil thing for students? Did not youths and students play an active role in the freedom struggle against the British yoke and support the Quaid-i-Azam for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent? Who can deny the role of students of the Aligarh Muslim University and other centres of education in the struggle for Pakistan?
In fact, education can give strength to political life if it becomes an instrument of social justice. It is the duty of educationists to specify how politics in its richer and more comprehensive sense can best be utilized. It is the duty of statesmen to work towards this objective, and those who do not have the vision to do so should retire from politics.
It would be unfair to regard any people as unsuited to a political way of life because their leaders have failed to solve their problems intelligently. It is easy to put the blame on politics or the people but it is difficult to overcome obstacles with tact and patience and hard work.
Education must be so oriented in its ideology, its methods and its organization that it is able to develop those basic qualities of character which are necessary for the successful functioning of political life. What are these qualities?
I would place, above all else, a passion for social justice and a quickening of the social conscience so that our young people will demand for others the good things that they desire for themselves.
Secondly, tolerance should be a major objective of political education. Educational institutions can give valuable help in cultivating tolerance by encouraging a study of various cultural and religious movements.
Thirdly, I would recommend measures for raising intellectual and cultural standards in our schools and colleges. A systematic cultivation of critical intelligence which would enable students to better understand the complex problems of modern civilization and exercise their rights and duties properly should also be a primary objective of education.
Also, our education should strengthen in the young generation a deep and true love for their country - its culture, its intellectual and artistic achievements, its ethical values and ideals. But such love should be enlightened, not blind.
Finally, education must try to develop in the youth love for work and the attitude of true craftsmen. The problem of political education has been seriously exercising the minds of both educationists and politicians for many decades, and the authoritarianism which our generation has had to face time and again has brought it more acutely to the forefront.
It is necessary to face this issue boldly because, apart from bigger world problems, the march of political events in our own country has raised many questions in the minds of people and created new dangers for our body-politic which political education must take into account.
ANWAR ABBAS
Karachi
Religion column
This is apropos of the ongoing debate on the religion column. One wonders if one's religion really matters when one travels from one place to another. The tsunami disaster has taught the world many lessons.
The loss of human lives in this disaster was so huge that bodies had to be burnt or buried to avoid an outbreak of disease. Did religion matter there? Those who were supposed to be buried after death were cremated and those who would have been cremated in normal circumstances had to buried.
The issue of mentioning one's religion on the machine-readable passport is not so serious as it has been made out to be by religious parties in the last few weeks.
Rather than giving different statements and confusing the nation, I think our government should make it clear to all and sundry that the religion column will not be reincorporated in the new passports.
M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
Treatment with herbs
In his Jan 7 letter "Herbal treatment", A Patient from Karachi wants to know the use of meetha kaddo (cucurbita maxima) for the treatment of urinary problems, because he cannot afford expensive surgery for his urinary problems.
The oral use of kaddo seeds is well-known. In Germany the seeds are used for minor urinary problems. Tablets in various forms are also available in this country. However, if the urinary problem is in an advanced stage, a reference has to be made to a physician/surgeon.
This is not a taboo theme here in Germany. There is a foundation in Germany which sometimes helps the needy people with health complaints. It is the Foundation of a famous TV chaplain. Here is the address: Stiftung Fliege (Foundation of Mr Juergen Fliege), Herzog Strasse 60 D-80803 Muenchen, Germany.
TANWEER HUSSAIN
Bickenbach, Germany
Rape victims
Reportedly, a 23-year-old lady doctor was raped by four persons at the Sui BHU between the night of Jan 4-5. The doctor is in a serious condition. Instead of hushing up the matter, the authorities should hold a thorough inquiry to unearth the truth so that culprits may be taken to task.
The doctor community, especially lady doctors, usually reluctant to serve at far-off places, are feeling quite insecure. Their confidence can only be restored if the facts and subsequent deterrent action are made public.
Last but no least, if the Punjab chief minister can go to Gojra to console rape victims, the Balochistan CM can also take a leaf out of his counterpart's book.
DR ZAINAB RIZVI
Lahore
Baglihar dam dispute
As a student of international law, I fully support Senator Mushahid Hussain's plea (Dawn, Jan 8) for Pakistan to seek international arbitration on its dispute with India over the Baglihar dam, as envisaged in the Indus Waters Treaty signed with India under the aegis of the World Bank.
Pakistan's talks with India on this issue have failed. India wants to speed up construction of the Baglihar dam so as to present Pakistan with a fait accompli. History is witness to the fact that India has been short-changing Pakistan in almost all disputes and a time-gaining strategy has been its successful modus operandi.
Why did not the government of Pakistan think of approaching the World Bank for arbitration earlier instead of permitting India to go ahead with the construction of the dam? Pakistan should engage a reputed US international law firm to prepare its case for the World Bank and.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
Lucky coupon scam
Corrupt people have started swindling and defrauding people in scams which involve lucky coupons and tickets. They trap customers who come to attend events at posh hotels. They tempt the visitor to take a prize coupon with which they enter into a competition to win a plot of land in Rawalpindi.
Balloting takes place, but before the winner is allotted a plot, advance fees for registration, agreement, etc., are collected with the promise that the winner would get the plot in a month's time without any payment.
Normally land is allotted after you pay the price for the land in full followed by a possession order and registration. But in this case a registration fee of Rs25,000 is paid prior to this. The people then disappear with this money without following through with the deal. The public should be warned about such scams.
A. S. PINGAR
Karachi
NFC Award
May I suggest that resources should continue to be allocated on the population basis as it is the consumers who pay taxes? However, if Punjab has over-representation in the defence sector, it should compensate the other provinces to the extent of this excess and also make a payment on account of the location of the capital in its jurisdiction.
Balochistan should also get as much for its gas as Sindh and Punjab do, as suggested by Mr Imran Umar Baloch in his Jan 13 letter.
KHALID AHMAD
Montreal, Canada
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