| 04 March 2005 | Friday | 22 Muharram 1426 |
Washington's view
'Triggering an arms race'
Challenges at home
Privatization of utilities
German envoy's remarks
Speculation in stocks, property
Universities
Water shortage
Hazards of recycled syringes
CNG blues
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The Indian maritime doctrine unveiled last year by the Indian naval chief during a commanders' conference at Visakhapatanam is significant for its timing. The document was released just days after the Indian army announced its new 'cold start' war doctrine. But unlike the war doctrine that is cloaked in secrecy and currently being examined at various tiers of the three services for fine-tuning and subsequent implementation, the maritime document remains unwrapped.
Eloquently defining the Indian navy's dual diplomatic and military role with a capability to conduct operations far from its shores, the document abandons traditional concepts of coastal protection and, instead, adopts a new model of power projection and littoral warfare to support land forces in enemy territory.
It also unfurls "conventional and strategic nuclear deterrence against regional states" as well as diplomatic missions to enable the government to use the navy as an effective instrument of foreign policy. The doctrine's high point, however, is the development of the Indian navy to deal with an "extra-regional power" should there be a conflict.
The ongoing large-scale planned indigenous construction, along with acquisitions including carrier Gorshkov, nuclear submarines for sea-based second strike capability, air defence ship designed to operate Mig 29K and LCA (navy), etc., illustrates India's patent intent to exercise influence between the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf.
The recent clearance by Washington of a few TOW missiles, P3C Orion A/C and Phalanx close in systems to Pakistan has generated a ruckus in India. New Delhi however disregards the fact that two of its latest military developments pose perhaps a formidable challenge to Islamabad's conventional and strategic deterrence capacity.
While the acquisition of the Israeli Phalcon (AWACS) severely undercuts the 'air power' of the PAF and air defence capability, the proposed US offer of Patriot anti-ballistic missile system, if it gets through, would critically cut down Pakistan's strategic deterrence potential.
According to reliable reports, India's "cold start" military doctrine meanwhile is offensive and Pakistan-specific. It envisions coordinated blitzkrieg operations by the three services to synergize military effects.
The doctrine aims at destroying the military potential of Pakistan rather than capturing chunks of territory albeit without crossing the nuclear threshold. In its conceptual foundation, the war doctrine rests at obtaining political approval "ab initio", thereby allowing the armed forces to generate full combat potential from the outset.
This has apparently been done to circumvent any delay in achieving military objectives that could occur in the event of indecision or vacillation by the Indian political leadership, which had in the past, yielded to external pressure from powers like the US.
Given the growing internal and external threats as well as military imbalance, it is perhaps time for Pakistan's leadership to take some "hard and bold decisions" for the country's survival.
In this context foremost must be an urgent reappraisal of our foreign policy. Overt declaration of strategic military ties with China and the intent to use Gwadar should there be a need, for military purposes, besides recognition of Israel could dilute the external military threat to a large extent.
But for such audacious decisions to come about, "enlightened moderation" of the retrogressive mindset of the civil-military bureaucracy must begin in earnest. Unless there is a visible change at the top, "moderation" at the lower strata of society will always remain elusive and the country firmly in the grip of forces of regression.
MUHAMMAD AZAM KHAN
Lahore
Washington's view
This is with reference to Mr Afzaal Mahmood's article on "Washington's view of Iran (Feb 5)" and Henry Kissinger's "Diplomacy and Iran's nukes" (Feb 26). Mr Mahmood needs to be complimented for an excellent analysis based on the isolation and insecurity of Iran.
His suggestion that a dialogue between Washington and Tehran could lead to a deal on the nuclear issue in exchange for US move to normalize relations with Iran is meaningful if understood by the those who matter in that country.
Dr Kissinger is of the opinion: "No matter how elegantly phrased, diplomacy by its very nature implies an element of and a capacity for pressures". He goes on and concludes by saying that if European diplomacy fails, full range of pressure be applied against Iran.
I always thought that diplomacy is a tactful way of developing relations between people considering the interest of both the parties. In an international scenario, when we talk so much of the charter of the UN, peace and human rights coming from a person of Dr Kissinger's stature, this statement is very demoralizing.
But it certainly justifies a Spanish court that indicted all those involved in the brutal murder of Salvador Allende, democratically elected president of Chile, in 1973 when Dr Kissinger was secretary of state. That was the full range of pressure.
Even if it is assumed that Iran can go nuclear and be a threat to Israel - a matter of grave concern to Dr Kissinger - no one can dare attack Israel. With powerful friends like the USA, the European Union and its own military might, Israel can destroy all important cities of Iran. There is no threat to Israel from anywhere.
The ruse of weapons of mass destruction has been used once, supported by the powerful media that is now lamenting telling lies to its own people. It is heartening to note that a significant number of American people are now realizing that the invasion of Iraq was wrong and that application of "full range of pressure" against Iran will be a greater blunder.
Iran is neither Chile nor Iraq. Any adventurism against Iran will more seriously destabilize the entire region. One can only hope that the barriers of sanity will not be crossed anymore.
BRIG (retd) KHALID HASSAN MAHMOOD
Karachi
'Triggering an arms race'
I fully support the thrust of Dawn's editorial "Triggering an arms race (Feb 25), urging India and Pakistan to avoid triggering an arms race. But from hindsight, I am sure that India will go ahead with its massive militarization plans.
Purchasing and installing the highly sophisticated and extremely expensive Patriot anti-missile system is an integral part of the 10-year defence plan drawn up by the Indian defence ministry, the main plank of which is the amassing of heaps of weapons of mass destruction imported from the USA, Russia, the UK, France and other arms-supplying countries.
This year's defence budget of India is the biggest in its history, and Indian official sources have hinted that the military budget may have to be increased in the course of the current year to cater for the projected expansion in the Indian air force and the Indian navy and army.
The government of India is also firming up arrangements with Israel for the manufacture in India of Israel's new version of the Israeli Barak II naval missiles. India wants the US Patriot missile system in order to build an anti-ballistic missile defence system.
In addition to huge arms purchases from the USA, India's import of Russian weaponry is burgeoning. It is negotiating with Moscow for the purchase of Russian jet engines for the 165 MIG-27 fighters in the Indian air force.
These MIG 27 fighters were manufactured in India under Russian licence. Installing a more powerful Russian-made engine will upgrade their fire-power and performance.
Each Russian-made new engine for the MIG-27 will cost the equivalent of a million US dollars. The majority of Indian population of a billion lives on barely a dollar a day. India's hunger for arms seems insatiable.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
Challenges at home
Pakistan has agreed to send 1,500 teachers to Eritrea. They will represent various disciplines, including business administration, agriculture sciences, technical and vocational trades (Dawn, Feb 28).
Besides sending teachers, the federal education minister has offered free training to Eritrean teachers at the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE), Islamabad.
According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Integrated Household Survey, Round 2: 1996-1997, Islamabad, 1998, overall major issues in the education system include:
a. shortage of teachers - at present 40,000 teachers are needed annually while only 15,000 are produced;
b. poor quality of curriculum and teaching;
c. irrelevance of education to the market because of the mismatch between technical vocational education and market demand; 63 per cent of the graduates from these technical vocational institutions do not find employment.
According to another report, in an attempt to improve its abysmal record, the Pakistan government has drawn up a new blueprint, which includes the establishment of 270,000 literacy centres by 2005, stipends to schoolgirls through post offices, and a massive private initiative for non-formal education.
Unesco's Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2002 names Pakistan as one of the 28 countries which may not achieve any of the three measurable literacy goals, - universal primary education, gender equality and the halving of illiteracy rates by 2005. Hope against hope.
The minister is just blowing smoke. I suggest that both Pakistan and Eritrea should seek help from Sri Lanka to improve their education system - the latter has the highest literacy rate in South Asia, 94 per cent for men and 87 per cent for women, despite political unrest in the country.
It is good to think of reaching beyond ourselves and helping other people in specific ways, but first we must set our own house in order.
LT-COL (retd) SYED AHMED
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Privatization of utilities
Without much fuss, one of Pakistan's most important utilities, the KESC was put on the selling block and bought by a consortium comprising a Saudi business house and a European company.
It is believed that while the Saudis will put in the money, it is the Europeans who will provide the technical expertise needed to run this large corporation which is beset with a number of problems.
While the privatization minister, a former World Bank official, confirmed that power tariffs would not be raised for the coming three or so years, no indication was given about the fate of KESC employees.
It is expected that these employees would be laid off after the management takes control later this year. One hopes that the government will make some provisions for safeguarding the employment of these workers, many of whom are daily wage earners, at least for a year as has been the case in past sell-offs.
While the government is pleased with the sale, the whole idea of selling important public utilities to the private sector, and in this case foreign nationals, makes one worried.
It seems that the government is intent on selling off organizations that provide services which in most other countries are part of the work that a government does.
Under this plan, it is probable that the next utility to go would be the water board. This is a worrisome trend under which for the sake of raising a few extra million, the people of the country are seeing important utilities changing hands.
IMAN ABDUL REHMAN
Karachi
German envoy's remarks
While answering a question about the UN Security Council's proposed enlargement, during a seminar addressed by him in Karachi, Germany's ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Christoph Bruemmer, offered some comments (Dawn, Feb 26).
He emphasized his country's $1.3 billion contribution to the UN and thought that Germany should have more responsibility in that context. Favouring the Security Council's enlargement, he censured Pakistan's opposition to the addition of new permanent members.
"Pakistan should not hide behind its bilateral problems with India (in resisting the increase in permanent membership of UNSC)", he stated, notwithstanding the similar stand of many other countries.
One would respectfully like to point out that Pakistan is not the only country that has had problems with India. A look at the South Asian giant's record would reveal how it has been bullying and persecuting its neighbours and minorities ever since independence.
Kashmir, Hyderabad, Junagadh, Manavadar, all fell prey to India's expansionism between 1947 and 1984. Pakistan was dismembered in 1971. Since partition there have been some 5,000 thousand anti-Muslim riots, destruction of the historic Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992 (at Indian leaders' instigation), storming of the Sikhs' Golden Temple in Amritsar, killings of Christian missionaries and burning of churches.
In 2002 there was the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujrat where unspeakable atrocities were committed under the state government's patronage by falsely accusing some Muslims of setting a train on fire.
However, after the change of the BJP Hindu fundamentalist government, the Supreme Court has now absolved the Muslims of this allegation. Even in this day and age, the Dalit victims of the tsunami were discriminated against and denied better food and other supplies offered to higher caste Hindus in refugee camps.
Apart from all that, it has fought a full-scale war with China in 1962, three wars with Pakistan and has had smaller conflicts with other neighbours. In the book, India's Rise to Power: in the twentieth century and beyond, by Australian defence analyst Sandy Gordon, it is noted that "relations between India and all of its smaller neighbours have at one time or another been troubled".
Also, that things got so bad for Sri Lanka in 1983 that it had reportedly sought the help of the US, UK, China and Pakistan, in case India invaded. The problems of Nepal and Bhutan are cited as well.
Even British philosopher Bertrand Russell, who had worked for India's freedom and used to consider himself a life-long friend of that country, got thoroughly disillusioned by the time of the Sino-Indian war, for initiating which he held India responsible.
Besides, he wrote (Unarmed Victory, p 64): "(before this Sino-Indian conflict) internationally the Indian government stood, in general, for peace and conciliation... There was evidence, however, that, when India's national interest was involved, the Indian government was not capable of the impartiality which it urged in disputes to which it was not a party. The chief instances of this were Kashmir and Nagaland."
One is not happy to bring up these unpleasant facts at a time when Pakistan and India are engaged in peace parleys, but one had to respond to the diplomat. Furthermore, the UNSC is likely to be expanded later this year, and the international community must know the truth about all candidates before electing additional permanent members, possibly with veto powers, who could alter humanity's destiny. China, too, has strong reservations about India's bid. Voting India in without having it undo its misdeeds would amount to legitimizing them.
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
Speculation in stocks, property
It is indeed surprising that not much has been said in the media regarding our national frenzy in speculation in property and stocks. Our government has a responsibility and it needs to educate and guide the innocent and the ignorant through the media.
Historically, whatever rises vertically and in a very short time is not usually sustainable. What has our industry achieved in two years to justify such a meteoric rise of the stock exchange? Our country is no Singapore, Hong Kong or Japan where there is shortage of land.
In Pakistan where there is abundant land available from Karachi to Islamabad I see no reason for such an escalation in prices and the frenzy of the people to buy at any price. This defies logic because land and housing are already out of reach for genuine first-time buyers.
The biggest problems facing Pakistan are poverty and unemployment. It is very sad that the huge foreign remittances after 9/11 have been directed to speculation in shares and property.
Our economic managers could have acted more wisely and emulated China where the number one emphasis is on setting up export-related industries which automatically alleviate poverty by generating employment and earn foreign exchange for the country.
Opportunity is still there and I would request our economic managers to channel the enormous foreign funds parked in our country more wisely for the benefit of all Pakistanis.
AHMAD NAJUIB
Karachi
Universities
This refers to Syed Shahid Hussain's article "Who should head our universities?" (Feb 19). He erroneously refers to A.C. Woolner as the first vice-chancellor of the Punjab University.
According to "The calendar of the University of the Punjab for the year 1943-1944 (Part-I, Page-5)", it was the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, Sir James Broad wood Lyall, Esquire, of the Bengal Civil Service, who was appointed the first vice-chancellor of the Punjab University in 1882. Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) was also named after him.
PROF ISHFAQ HUSSAIN BUKHARY
Faisalabad
Water shortage
The residents of Hyderabad have seen a gradual decline in the supply of clean drinking water to their homes over the past few years. In fact, in some instances, water mains have remained dry for months at end as water board officials say that there is not enough water to go around.
A project for additional water supply, as has been agreed for Karachi, may also be considered for Hyderabad.
ASAD HUMAYUN
Hyderabad
Hazards of recycled syringes
Recycled syringes are a great public health problem due mainly to lack of health awareness among the people. It has been estimated that more than 250,000 tons of medical waste is produced every year across the country. There are no proper scientific waste disposal methods.
Incinerators, even in the big hospitals, are in poor condition for use. Hospital waste is mostly dumped in open spaces, which is easily collected by scavengers and subsequently recycled.
Adding to the dangers is the repeated use of glass syringes, which are usually kept in heated water and one syringe is used for hundreds of patients. The claim the heating kills all micro organisms is totally wrong.
Heating may weaken the virulent potential of some bacteria, but it never kills lethal viruses like those of hepatitis B, C and of HIV. Those using needles like this are playing havoc with the health of people.
There is ample evidence that many unregistered companies in our country manufacture and market syringes that are either made of substandard material or are recycled.
Like in other spheres of life, in the health sector we are too far from the international standards of quality care. It all falls in the domain of the government but its efforts, if any, are in vain.
The government's apathy towards this major public health problem is responsible for the current pathetic situation. All syringe-manufacturing industries should be properly registered and licensed to produce quality material. All the medical practitioners should be bound to shun the use of recycled or low quality syringes.
There too should be proper disposal of used syringes by modern biomedical waste disposal techniques in order to prevent their recycling. The government should collaborate with the PMA and PMDC to establish a policy for safe medical practices in the country to save the lives of people.
DR A. HAMEED JAMALI
Islamabad
CNG blues
A new practice adopted by CNG stations across the country is to charge customers for gas lost if the valve of the dispensing unit cracks. In most CNG pumps, the valve usually cracks after about 100 fillings and the manner it happens is a bit disturbing as there is a loud bang followed by the expulsion of gas that was filled in a CNG tank.
The fault is not that of the customer but the CNG operator who should be replacing the valve after a certain number of fillings. Instead, the CNG operator, and this includes the more prestigious petrol stations, charges the customer for the gas that has been lost as they do not replace the valve as required. One wants to ask what steps can be taken to put an end to this malpractice?
SYED IMRAN AHMAD
Lahore
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