| 24 February 2005 | Thursday | 14 Muharram 1426 |
Foreign investment
Multiple ethnicities
Migrating to Canada
Motorway
Park in Malir river-bed
Afghan refugees
Roads of Peshawar
Increase in PGDPA fee
Broken road
17 years in jail
American folly
NRB mess
PIA service
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Your editorial note on corporal punishment (Feb 18) serves as a reminder that this pernicious practice does continue in some schools despite efforts on the part of the education ministry and concerned citizens to eradicate it.
Soon after taking charge of the department, I issued a circular to all schools in Sindh that no physical punishment was to be used as a corrective measure and only extra writing work should be assigned as punishment.
Some reports of physical punishment have been received and every case reported has been investigated and teachers taken to task. In one case at least the suspension of the teacher was stopped on the withdrawal of the complaint by the parents.
As regards children dropping out of schools, there are a number of reasons rather than just this one. One of the major reasons is the fear of examinations among small children.
Because of this, the education department has banned examinations in Classes I and II, and we are considering going up further with the ban since the growth of children at this age is uneven and they should be given a fair chance.
Another serious reason for dropouts is extreme poverty. The very poor cannot spare children to go to school as they work to help the family. Girl students are being given small stipends to encourage them to come and to stay in school but much more needs to be done to make schools and education itself attractive and meaningful to parents and children.
Schooling has to be seen as a qualification for jobs (at all levels) to be attractive to the public as a whole. It is urgently necessary to create awareness among parents that education will better the lives of their children as well as enhance their ability to earn.
HAMIDA KHUHRO
Minister of Education & Literacy Government of Sindh, Karachi
(II)
This refers to the editorial "Corporal punishment" (Feb 18). It is true that the government has failed to curb corporal punishment in vogue in our schools and madressahs, and the parliamentary bill to abolish the practice is still pending.
What we fail to realize is that a child's mind is very sensitive to any form of punishment. A mild censure would do but corporal punishment is the worst kind of punishment one can inflict on a child, the imprints of which could stay on a child's mind and harass him/her for the rest of his/her life.
President Musharraf must include this issue in his list of reforms. If rectified, it would not only improve the image of Pakistan but also do our children a great justice.
JAHANZEB YASINZAI
Quetta
Foreign investment
I have read with great alarm Mr Khaleeq Kiani's article "Disputes may be settled at neutral venue: power sector" (Feb 15). There are two very serious aspects to be considered in this matter.
Every country has to look after the interests of its own people, just as the western countries do. The experience of Third World countries with international arbitration against big corporations has not been very satisfactory.
Even according to western newspapers, like The New York Times, decisions are usually tilted towards the big corporations - and usually they are binding and cannot be appealed in any higher court.
Where big amounts are claimed, this can be dangerous for countries like Pakistan. I feel it is wise that the president issued a letter restricting government entities from stipulating international arbitration.
Now let us look at the pros and cons of foreign investment in Pakistan. Except for the investment in very hi-tech industries, it should only be considered as a foreign currency loan with very high interest rate, because whatever the foreigners invest, they want (and are allowed) to remit back with a profit which is far higher than the interest rate.
In four to five years all the foreign money we get will initially go out and the outflow will then continues from our own hard-earned foreign exchange. So why should we so fervently ask for all types of foreign investment? At the most we should allow it for industries which we cannot establish/run ourselves, not for retail stores, fast food chains and things like that.
We now have many billions of dollars in our reserves (and many more billions can be invested by our overseas Pakistanis if they are given the same respect, security and freedom from harassment that we give to foreigners).
At least some of it can be invested in useful industries which will help increase employment and GDP, thus answering the popular complaint of "what is the common man gaining from the increase in foreign exchange reserves?"
With the power purchase agreement by the late 90's government, all the foreign exchange invested can be taken back in about three years, even if no kick-backs are taken.
So, why should we not consider supplier's credit instead of foreign investment, so that there is no unlimited repatriation of profits after the suppliers have been paid off?
K. MAHMOOD
Saudi Arabia
Multiple ethnicities
Pakistan seems to be having a hard time living with the fact for the past 60 years that it is a sovereign nation composed of multiple ethnicities. We seem to think that if we somehow recognize that we have multiple ethnicities, then we will become weak. In reality, it's the denial of the existence of these ethnicities that makes Pakistan weak.
What are we Pakistanis scared of? How would it hurt us to acknowledge that there exist Punjabis, Baloch, Pakthuns, Seraikis, Sindhis, and Mohajirs amongst other ethnicities? Why the aversion to giving an important and integral part of Pakistan its due name: Pakhtunkhwa.
By re-naming the NWFP as Pakhtunkhwa, I can only see Pakistan becoming stronger. We will send a strong message to our Pakhtun brethren that are proud of their heritage and culture. We accept them as loyal Pakistanis who have always come to our nation's defence.
With regard to the Pakhtun issue vis-a-vis Afghanistan, we need not fear anything. Just like Afghan claim that they do not accept the Durand Line, Pakistan need not go on the defensive.
We should also claim that if it is not acceptable to them, then we Pakistanis also do not accept the Durand Line, which wrongly divides our Pakhtun population.
Pakistan is the older brother, with a larger Pakhtun population and, hence, if anything, it is the smaller Pakhtun population that is being oppressed in Afghanistan that should join Pakistan, not the other way round.
I do not think I would be wrong in asserting that Pakhtuns are one of the most loyal Pakistanis, with major contributions to our nation in all walks of life. Give them the respect and honour they are known for.
ALI QAZI
Via email
Migrating to Canada
After migrating to Canada, people from various professions face multi-dimensional problems in a totally new environment. They often find themselves helpless, without any sense of direction and are left to fend for themselves without any supporting network.
Their dreams of having a better life and access to better environment for raising their children remain as elusive as ever. They have to make a decent living in the face of enormous social, cultural and financial problems. Realization of their dreams often comes at significant emotional and psychological cost to them and their families.
It is not difficult at all to tell that all these problems arise due to non-recognition of their professional credentials from back home, and consequently not being able to find a decent job in their own areas of specialization.
The Association of Pakistani Canadian Engineers and Professionals (APCEP) is continuously working to help its members overcome difficulties in their initial settlement process by coordinating with various government agencies and providing all possible help to its members so that they are able to join the Canadian mainstream as soon as possible.
APCEP is working to achieve its objectives by providing all necessary information to new immigrants, which could help them in their initial settlement process and get them quickest entry into their own areas of specialization.
It maintains close contact among its members having similar professional backgrounds, thereby creating an environment where they can share their 'information, knowledge and experiences'.
It approaches authorities at all levels to formulate and implement policies that are favourable to new immigrants having foreign qualifications by effectively lobbying, with all means available to APCEP.
I believe this will significantly help immigrants having professional qualifications to avoid the catch-22 situation of 'no experience, no job; no job, no experience'. Pakistani engineers and professionals intending to settle in Canada and interested in seeking any information in this regard can visit www.apcep.ca
LATIF NIZAMANI
President, APCEP Mississauga, Canada
Motorway
The Lahore-Islamabad motorway was constructed at an enormous cost to allow people to travel faster, more safely and without stress. Regrettably, this is not the case. Overcrowding in buses flourishes, and that too in the presence of the highly paid, over-facilitated motorway police.
It is disgusting to see how, in flashy air-conditioned buses, people are made to sit on folding seats, stools, and on the engine and its side-ramps (by the driver's side), while the remaining passengers are made to stand. Passengers travel in suffocating conditions inside the buses.
If this is the 21st century and the era of 'enlightened moderation', treatment of human beings like animals must be stopped, at least on the motorway.
MUHAMMAD IRFAN
Islamabad
Park in Malir river-bed
I appreciate Mr Iqtidar H. Siddiqui's letter (Feb 20) in response to mine (Feb 13) on the subject of a proposed park in Malir river. His concern about the threat to lives of the people in Karachi is commendable.
We are seeing the Lyari Expressway being constructed in the Lyari river. This project had been conceptualized after due diligence. The probability of flash floods has been studied and its concerns addressed.
The benefits from the Expressway are also evaluated for Karachiites. The Lyari Expressway is encroaching upon the Lyari river from both sides of the banks and making the passage smaller. Planting trees forty feet apart in the Malir river bed would not do that.
It has been pointed out that the Malir river is actually a hill torrent, which has not flowed to its full potential after 1978 and the cycle is 25 to 30 years. If this is correct, then there should have been similar death and destruction 25/28 years ago in early the 50s but this is not supported by history.
It caused death and destruction in 1978 because there were no protective bunds at that time. Water found low-lying areas and flowed sideways instead of going to the sea.
Apart from causing havoc on the katchi abadis alongside the banks in the same year, it inundated all of the Defence Housing Authority Phase IV area. Massive bunds were constructed in subsequent years.
The property prices in Phase IV skyrocketed immediately after this change. On Aug 11, 1991, when there was massive rain in Karachi (more than four inches in a day) and around it, the city was paralyzed, but this river did not cause any devastation as it was tamed by the bunds. It just flowed to the sea, safely. In fact the Expressway linking the Defence Housing Authority with Sharea Faisal runs on this bund.
The Dutch have tamed the sea and have constructed layers of bunds. Most of Holland is below sea level but this does not pose any problems as they have engineered a safe solution.
The Americans have constructed several dams on the River Columbia and it is not allowed to reach the sea and all water in the river is utilized. Why do we allow the precious rainwater from this hill torrent to go to the sea unutilized? Mr Siddiqui points out that there are four distributaries of this river, constructing small reservoirs / dams upstream on these tributaries will assist farmers on the superhighway area where there is scarcity of water and the land is virgin.
In the famous railroad versus river navigation case in America, Abraham Lincoln fighting for the railroad argued with the jury and posed them with a notion: "The jury has to decide whether man has to go up and down the river or has the right to cross it".
The rest is history. We, the people of Karachi, have to decide whether we live, meekly, under this threat of a sleepy hill torrent or are we brave enough to hold the bull by the horn?
S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA
Karachi
Afghan refugees
Mr Ruud Lubber of the UNHCR states that Pakistan should have a more 'relaxed attitude' with regard to the Afghan refugees. As a Pakistani, I felt dismayed at this unfair statement.
While Mr Lubber is concerned about human rights of the Afghans, how can Pakistan - where 35 per cent of its population lives below the poverty line - handle a refugee population?
If the UNHCR is so concerned about Afghan refugees, why doesn't it take them to the UK, Germany, France and the USA where there are more resources to go around and much better standards of living than in Pakistan?
The UNHCR should be concerned about the native populations of countries and not about the refugees burdening those countries. How can we have a relaxed attitude towards Afghan refugees when we don't even have the resources to feed our own people?
ALI HUSSAIN MAZARI
Islamabad
Roads of Peshawar
It has always been the hallmark of the various NWFP administrations that the roads in and around Peshawar were kept in good condition. But this does not seem to be the case now. The government's ignorance of its duties has resulted in a deterioration in the upkeep of roads.
Peshawar has had more than 118mm of rain. All major roads within the city and the highway have ditches deep enough to make your car shocks scream at speeds even as low as 30km/hr.
The MMA should pay attention to its responsibilities of at least maintaining the existing infrastructure even if it cannot contribute to improving it. The government should be much more concerned about such matters than just the removal of posters carrying women's faces or making buses stop at prayer time.
The recent increase in the pay package of parliamentarians does not seem justified by their performance. Those who do nothing for their constituents should be sent home.
ZARA KHAN
Peshawar
Increase in PGDPA fee
I am a post-graduate diploma student in public administration (evening programme) at the Karachi University. This year the tuition fee has been raised by 300 per cent instead of the usual 10 per cent.
Last year's tuition fee for the whole diploma course was Rs8,000, but this year the students are being to pay Rs24,000 for the two semesters. The students would like to know that under what rule the fee has been raised.
SYED ALI MUJTABA ZAIDI
Karachi
Broken road
The Lahore-Kasur road, which was already in a dilapidated condition, has now been totally destroyed by the recent rains. Travelling has become a nightmare for drivers.
Accidents often happen. Thousands of people are suffering but the authorities are indifferent. Travelling on this road only once would be sufficient for any official to understand the problem.
ZAHID UR REHMAN KHOKHER
Lahore
17 years in jail
This has reference to Mr Muhammad Arif's letter "17 years in jail for no crime" (Feb 16). This is not the only case of its kind. There are so many others. Human rights organizations and other bodies turn a blind eye to such incidents.
All successive governments of our country have made tall promises that they are there to provide speedy justice to everyone, but the actual position is evident from the letter referred to above.
Everyone in Pakistan, in fact, lives for himself and his own children. Nobody cares for others. An innocent person has spent 17 years of his precious life in jail. These 17 years will not come back. However, some financial assistance may make his remaining life a little comfortable.
MUHAMMAD RIAZ
Thana, Malakand Agency
American folly
The current international situation is alarming. The so-called liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq proved to be the greatest folly the US government could commit. The invasion of Iraq was a profound example of failed intelligence, mismanagement of funds and inhuman acts.
President Bush justified the invasion of Iraq by saying that the Muslim state possessed WMDs. Where are the WMDs? It was just another excuse for the US because to get hold of the oil-rich Muslim countries of the Middle East.
Recently, Bush said that Iran was building nuclear weapons and that it was the biggest threat to the world. Then what about the few thousand warheads possessed by his own country? What about Israel? It also has nukes.
Isn't it a threat to the Muslims? However, one thing is for sure - that if Bush attacks Iran, thousands more of US troops will die because this state possesses a far greater weapon than nukes - people, who are ready to die for their country and faith.
MUHAMMAD BILAL NASEER
Quetta
NRB mess
A mess has been created by the National Reconstruction Bureau and its erstwhile chairman who resigned when he saw the opposition was mounting to his so-called devolution plan.
I hope the mess he has created in the shape of nazims and their cronies is cleared up soon. Power is still in the hands of a few bureaucrats, whether military or civil.
A lot of research has been done on countries where real devolution of resources and power has taken place but the name of Pakistan is found nowhere. Devolution in Pakistan is not recognized by social scientists of the world as it was brought about by a military leadership and resulted in a greater concentration of power in a few individuals.
ILYAS A. KHAN
London, UK
PIA service
This refers to the letter of Mr M. Waheed Khan, "PIA service" (Feb18). What is Ms Samina Pervez's stance on that cancellation? Do revenue passengers pay for bus rides or planes? An hour-and-a-half flight in 12 hours!
AMIR HAMEED
Toronto
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