| 08 February 2005 | Tuesday | 28 Zilhaj 1425 |
PMDC's accountability
Check on population
Smaller provinces
What breeds corruption
Ban on dance and music
Need for democratic dispensation
US general's remarks
Treating the poor poorly
GRE for PhD programmes
Sindhi writers
NAB and the judiciary
A wise decision
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The Switzerland-based World Economic Forum (WEF) has issued its Global Competitiveness Report for 2004-2005, evaluating and ranking 104 countries. Under the heading "Technological readiness", India is listed at the 26th position whereas Pakistan is at 84th, sandwiched between Gambia and Nigeria.
'Prevalence of foreign technology licensing' lists India at eight, with New Zealand and Japan at six and seven. Pakistan is at 67, between Tanzania and Nigeria. Under 'FDI and technology transfer', India is placed at 20 below Kenya and the United Kingdom. We are at 96, between Ecuador, Mali, Ukraine and Macedonia.
'Quality of scientific research readiness' has India at 17, below France and Norway. We are at 94, below Bangladesh and Vietnam, but above Peru and Ecuador.
Under 'Company spending on research and development', India is listed at 26, with South Africa and Ireland above. We are 101, between Bolivia, Paraguay, Angola and Chad. The last is Ethiopia at 104.
Under 'Availability of scientists and engineers', India tops the list at No. 1 with Finland at No. 2 and Israel at No. 3, while Pakistan lies in the second half at 61 with Slovenia and Bangladesh, but above Ghana.
The annual 'Index of economic freedom', conducted by Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, has stated that Pakistan is included among 10 of the 155 countries whose performance in the education field has worsened during 2004. It is now bracketed with Ethiopia, Uganda, Haiti, Bangladesh, Morocco, Qatar, Cuba and Tunisia.
In an article on "Reforming our universities", Prof Pervez Hoodbhoy has taken up the issue head-on: "The higher education budget has zoomed by 1,200 per cent over three years, a world record. No previous Pakistani government can boast of comparable accomplishments and the HEC chairman deserves congratulations.
"But at the same time, the HEC is also creating very dangerous, possibly lethal, systemic changes and the HEC reforms could make higher education system worse rather than better. Pakistan has almost a hundred universities now, but not one of them is world class and not even one of them is a real university, if by a university one means a community of scholars engaged in free inquiry and the creation of knowledge."
Universities have now become a numbers game, as most new public sector universities lack infrastructure, libraries, laboratories, adequate faculty, or even a pool of students, academically prepared to study at the university level.
Pakistan's 150 million people, mostly uneducated citizens, are being denied even the basic civic necessities of living a dignified life, as promised to them by the now mutilated Constitution of Pakistan.
And even now our leaders and politicians still bicker over non- issues and what clothes the president should wear and as to how our passport should be worded. When will we grow up and take a hard look at reality and as to where we are heading vis-a-vis the world.
H. MAKER
Karachi
PMDC's accountability
This refers to the news item "Secretary suggests changes in PMDC Act" (Jan 31). Federal health secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood has stated that "the yearly recognition of colleges should not be practised any more by PMDC".
The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) carries out comprehensive inspection of a private medical college in due period of time (mostly not before 15 months). It is only when the medical college concerned has furnished the PMDC with a report that it has corrected its deficiencies that it invites the council for an inspection after depositing the prescribed inspection fee. But, as recorded in PMDC inspection reports, those who have no role in teaching are appointed examiners.
Another frequent irregularity witnessed by the inspectors is that on the day of inspection these very teachers are not present and it is then discovered (by the inspectors) that they are working somewhere else.
If these institutions are unable to arrange for a qualified teacher for the yearly inspection (which is only done at a notified time and date), one can imagine what measures would such institutions adopt if the inspection were done after two or three years.
It is the need of the hour to learn from the mistakes committed during the past secretary's tenure (the much publicized Vohra Medical College scandal) and avoid cheating innocent students and save the parents from further agony.
It is suggested that private medical institutions should be comprehensively inspected on a regular basis as well as subjected to surprise checks, without them being informed about the dates and the names of the inspectors. All the officials concerned and the PMDC should be accountable to the nation.
PROF DR NIRMAL DAS
Quetta
Check on population
According to official figures, Pakistan's present population is 151 million with a growth rate of 2.2 per cent per annum, while the Washington Research Institute puts it at 159 million with an annual growth rate of 2.5 per cent. At this rate the population of our country will be 295 million by the year 2050.
The high growth rate is due to religious misconceptions, poverty, lack of education, lack of recreational facilities and the maladministration of the population planning department. But whatever it may be, the question is whether there will be enough food, water, housing and education, health and environmental facilities for the growing population. More importantly, whether there will be enough jobs and will we be able to maintain the poverty level even at its present low?
Lack of education and misconception about the issue in the light of religion have been major contributors to the problem. Nowhere in the Holy Quran is family planning prohibited.
In fact, there are a number of injunctions, concerning nursing of infants by mothers, which lay down that mothers are required to feed their babies for two whole years. (Refer to Verses 2:233, 31:14, 46: 15 and 65:6&7.)
If mothers (and fathers) follow this advice, the natural spacing of children would be about three years which would significantly keep the population under check.
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA
Peshawar
Smaller provinces
The Frontier province has lately been a victim of heavy discrimination in gas loadshedding. In the Gadoon Amazai industrial estate near Mardan in the Frontier, investors have put in huge investments in independent power units for running their industrial units. There are three power units in the industrial estate which run on gas.
Gas supplies can be cut and gas loadshedding resorted to at short notice if warranted by circumstances, but the question is: why make the industrial units in only one province bear the brunt? There are about 200 captive power units in the country of which only three located in Gadoon Amazai in the Frontier are made to bear the brunt. Why?
When the Textile Mills Owners Association met the federal minister for petroleum on Jan 8, they were promised that regular gas supply would start from Jan 10 when the gas fields at Gorgury and Shakardarah in Frontier will come on line. The Gorgury gas field has since come on line but like the umpteen solemn promises made by Gen Pervez Musharraf only to be broken this one has also not been honoured. The gas supply remains suspended, forcing the industrial estate to turn into an industrial graveyard.
SENATOR FARHATULLAH BABAR
Islamabad
What breeds corruption
This refers to the letters "What breeds corruption" by Mr Shahryar Khan Baseer (Jan 25) and Mr Muhammad Iqbal Brula (Feb 2). While agreeing with them, I would like to add a few more comments.
Corruption has so deeply entered our society that it is no longer considered corruption. Almost nobody is free of corruption. The land mafia is grabbing land, the municipal committee is helping encroachments after accepting bribes, shopkeepers are hiking prices and cheating on quantity and quality of goods sold without any fear, the weight & measures department keeps its eyes closed, the land & building control authority is issuing permits for towering flats up to 10 floors without taking into account its water, power, gas and other needs, the police are hounding the innocent people for nothing instead of the real culprits, passport and NIC departments are creating hurdles for genuine citizens - and so on. Where does one go for justice if the whole government machinery is corrupt?
It will not make any difference even if the salaries of government officials are increased. Corruption can only be eliminated through implementing Islamic values. It is the duty of the government to implement the Islamic code of conduct, maintain a system of checks and balances and award stern punishment to culprits and criminals.
MAQBOOL ALAM
Karachi
Ban on dance and music
A Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPA has presented two private bills in the NWFP assembly, seeking a ban on dance and music and advertisements in public places featuring women. Instead of making laws to provide speedy justice, free education and healthcare facilities to the people, the MMA is coming up with non-issues. One may ask its leaders if they have provided the people with all basic needs like health, education, employment and shelter?
The fact is that the Quaid-i-Azam envisaged a modern, liberal, democratic, pluralistic and tolerant Pakistan and not a retrogressive, oppressive and an intolerant theocracy the MMA leadership is bent upon creating.
The mullahs want the Islam of the Taliban who took the people of Afghanistan directly to the caves of Tora Bora. These self-appointed custodians of morality in Pakistan are leading the already backward province of the NWFP towards total Talibanization. They should shun politics because it is not their cup of tea.
AFZAL RAHIM
Islamabad
Need for democratic dispensation
Quaid-I-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was deeply concerned about the political, economic and social backwardness of Balochistan. He took up the case of the people of the province both inside and outside the Indian Legislative Assembly.
He visited Sibi as early as Feb 11, 1948. During his four-day stay in the winter capital of Balochistan, he met all sections of the people, including state rulers, sardars, Quetta municipality officials and minority community members and officers and had frank discussions with them on special measures to bring the province to the level of an equal partner in the future set-up of Pakistan.
Addressing the Sibi Darbar, the Quaid said that "this province (Balochistan) would be better off than the other provinces of Pakistan because it would be the governor-general's special responsibility". He said: "May your future be as bright as I have always prayed for and wished it to be."
Had the Quaid lived a few more years he would have eliminated feudalism and tribalism from the body-politic of Pakistan and turned Balochistan into a progressive, democratic and socially advanced province. His tools were political education of the masses and mobilizing and harnessing their latent strength for their progress.
An overview of the political history of the subcontinent would show that political reforms leading to independence of the subcontinent started from political autonomy for the provinces. The ultimate development was the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 for transfer of power, which the Quaid-i-Azam had accepted but which was sabotaged by Nehru and other Congress leaders. The plan envisaged three subjects, namely, defence, foreign affairs and communication, for the proposed union. The provinces were to be sovereign in all other subjects, including residuary subjects.
The Quaid-i-Azam led a political struggle for the provincial status of Sindh, the NWFP and Balochistan in undivided India. He would have ensured that all provinces of Pakistan developed to their full potential politically and economically and all people were equal citizens in the federation. But this was not to be. The civil and military bureaucracy in collusion with feudal politicians trampled upon the rights of the smaller provinces, steamrolling them into greater West Pakistan. It was the starting point of Balochistan's struggle for control over its own resources and destiny. Ayub Khan knew only the language of weapons and used it freely to suppress the struggle rather than removing the causes of the unrest.
As Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, former chief of the army staff, has said in a recent article, "Denial, deprivation and neglect of the Balochistan province is a long and depressing story. Yet it is this province which has shown greater political maturity and spirit of nationalism to defy and demand its due rights and privileges. For the military, its time to reflect on the priorities for the democratic dispensation the people of Pakistan have waited for long."
SYED AFZAAL HUSAIN ZAIDI
Islamabad
US general's remarks
US Marine Corps Lt-General James Mattis says: "It is fun to shoot some people" (Dawn, Feb 5). Regarding Afghanistan, he says that "you get men who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. so it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them".
I suppose the general thinks the supreme expression of manhood is the narcissism and oversized vulgarity that his nation is trying to export under such monikers as liberty, freedom and civilisation.
It is not surprising that incidents such as Abu Ghraib occur when such misguided people are at the very top level of the US army.
KHWAJA SHAMAAS
Lahore
Treating the poor poorly
Mr M. J. Akbar's article (Feb 1) compels one to look inwards and examine one's beliefs. He is absolutely correct when he says that the poverty that surrounds us, particularly in developing countries, is a greater (and on-going) disaster than a one-time natural calamity.
This is not to say that the unfortunate victims of the tsunami should be overlooked - but then again the world should not be oblivious to the unending misery of the poor. Countries like the United States whose defence spending itself exceeds one billion dollars a day could particularly win more hearts by helpingthe poor to be able to stand on their own feet instead of 'battering them into better shape'.
And as for those that lay claim to being the only ones on the right path, they have proved their generosity, or the lack of it, in this catastrophe.
B. ALI
Via email
GRE for PhD programmes
This refers to Mr Faras Khan's letter (Jan 28) about the requirement of the GRE test for Phd programmes in Pakistani universities.
Ironically this comes from a person who is living in the US. In the past, western countries prospered and dominated the world only through first learning the languages of the Muslims and foraging about in their libraries and translating rare manuscripts and precious books into their own languages. Had they not done that, they would never have been in the position they are now.
So, instead of writing against the GRE test, we should tell the students about ways to pass it. Look at India; they are not talking against but encouraging their students to compete instead, and we can see the results.
ZIAULLAH KHAN
Jhang
Sindhi writers
The Academy of Letters is holding a Qaumi Adabi seminar and an award distribution ceremony on Feb 8 in Islamabad. There is no Sindhi writer to be awarded. Moreover, there is no award in the name of any Sindhi literary figure and scholar while there are two Baba-i-Urdu, three Patras Bukhari, four Allama Iqbal, three Waris Shah, one Mastwakli (Balochi), one Khushaal Khan Khattak (Pashto), one Kamal-i-Fun and one Qaumi Adabi awards for literary works and services rendered in Urdu, English, Punjabi, Balochi and Pashto.
Mr Iftikhar Arif, chairman of the Academy of Letters, in a speech at a Sachal Sarmast seminar held by the Allama Iqbal Open University on Feb 2 said that all our languages were Pakistani and we had equal respect and honour for them, besides admitting that Sindhi language and literature are rich in content and quality.
But that is what we say and this is what we do.
AFTAB SOOMRO
Islamabad
NAB and the judiciary
This refers to Ms Masuda Khanum's letter (Jan 30) on the above subject. It is a matter of record that both the president and the secretary-general of the ruling party are convinced that NAB is used as a political weapon to tame opponents and in spite of the fact that all political parties have shown reservations about the transparency of NAB, its chairman continues to be an army general and has been given a further extension for one year.
It is now time the ruling party leaders exercised their authority and ensured that key appointments to NAB are made with their consent. If they cannot do that, they should avoid giving statements which show to the public their helplessness in getting things done according to their wishes.
SYED EHTISHAM ALI
Karachi
A wise decision
According to a news item, the health secretary has decided to hand over the 50-bed NIH hospital at Chak Shahzad to the PIMS. This facility has never been utilized for the purpose it was originally built for. Therapeutic facilities available at the PIMS can now be extended to the poor people at Chak Shahzad Town. It is indeed a right decision at the right time.
A similar step regarding the National Institute for the Handicapped would not only bring that institute within the reach of the poor but also expand the diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
DR GHAYUR AYUB
Islamabad
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