| 05 March 2005 | Saturday | 23 Muharram 1426 |
Increasing luxuries
Managing CPSP affairs
'Lower education' commission
Service charges
Wrong billing
Increase in petroleum prices
President's website
University reforms
Complaint handling
Foreign policy
Makran coastal highway
Funds and poverty
'Maritime doctrine'
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This refers to a news report (Dawn, Feb 23) according to which a dangerous level of arsenic was found in drinking water samples collected from different areas of southern Punjab, especially Multan.
These samples were taken from 23 girls' primary schools in Multan city. At some of these schools the arsenic content in water was eight times the level permissible by WHO.
Also, in 2003 the Water and Sanitation Agency accidentally discovered arsenic in drinking water during a survey for the improvement and extension of the water supply system in Multan city's 41 union councils. High arsenic content was found in 29 union council areas.
Earlier, arsenic problems in Pakistan were identified in groundwater in the Attock and Rawalpindi districts during tests conducted by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and Unicef. The PCRWR also found arsenic pollution in Punjab and Sindh, similar to that in Bangladesh.
Groundwater contamination in Pakistan has always been a serious problem. In 2000, hundreds of people, especially children, in the Manga Mandi area suffered from crippling deformities, mainly in the legs and spine, leaving them in acute pain and in some cases unable to walk. The problem was officially attributed, after a media uproar, to excess fluoride levels in the water.
The death of at least 40 people in Hyderabad in 2004 after drinking contaminated water is another example of the scale of the threat. According to WHO, the allowable limit of arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 milligram/litre. Arsenic, a natural element, which behaves like a metal, is a proved carcinogen.
About one-third of the arsenic in the atmosphere comes from natural sources, such as volcanoes, and the rest comes from man-made sources. Arsenic and other toxins are also thought to be entering ground water as a result of residues from the millions of litres of pesticides and fertilizers used each year due to natural geological contamination. High levels of arsenic can be found in drinking water that has come from deep- drilled wells.
To a significant extent, the poisoning of groundwater is linked to the dumping of effluents into open waterways and on ground by factories. In complete violation of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act of 1997, almost all of the 3,000 major industries in Punjab are discharging effluents into drains, canals and rivers.
To tackle this problem, the government has to establish small-scale laboratories in all affected areas. Information about water quality should be disseminated through the media and households told how to use a low-cost clay-pitcher arsenic removal filter. Strict implementation of the National Environmental Quality Standards will also help to phase out deadly contaminants.
RASHID ASHRAF
Karachi
Increasing luxuries
A cursory glance will show that the structure of federal and provincial governments in Pakistan is on a most lavish scale. Ministers, advisers, senators, parliamentarians and others associated with the system are paid salaries of about Rs130 million per month plus perks and privileges.
A lot has already been said about the billions spent on the provision of luxury cars, expensively furnished bungalows, security guards and domestic servants, cost of insurance, Umra tickets, pleasure trips abroad as members or various delegations and other facets of extravagance.
In this context, most perplexing is the news about the construction of a gymnasium for our legislators at a fabulous cost of Rs450 million. Taking way the women members and others above the age of 50, how many can use this facility? Have they to build their muscle for some fitness contest or a fight within the assembly? In view of the nature of their occupation, jogging should be good enough to keep them fit.
Ministries and assemblies have been expanded to such an abnormal extent that besides being non-productive, they are becoming a big burden on the common man. Take the case of the Punjab government.
Its offices in Lahore are spread from the Civil Secretariat to the GOR, Assembly Chambers and the good old Freemasons Hall. Still feeling short of space to accommodate the flood of officials, they also took over a part of the Lahore Zoo. Now we hear about the construction of a new assembly building at a cost of Rs2.5 billion.
Is it not strange that before partition when the southern limits of Punjab extended beyond the city of Ambala, the existing assembly building was good enough to accommodate its members. Surprisingly with the size of Punjab having been reduced to half, we need a larger assembly building.
RAFI NASIM
Lahore
Managing CPSP affairs
The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) has declared the status of FCPS-I of many doctors null and void without any prior notice. It has been done under the directives of the CPSP president. The president has overrun his own rules and regulations which were prepared in the 96th meeting of the CPSP council, held in September 2001.
According to the rules, the validity of FCPS-I is six, seven and eight years from the date of passing (of FCPS-I) for three, four and five years' training programmes, respectively.
Those who passed FCPS-I in 1998 or earlier were required to be registered before March 31, 2002, and were required to appear in the FCPS-II exam before March 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 for three, four and five years' training programmes, respectively. The FCPS-I of many doctors has been cancelled despite the fact that it is valid in their cases according to the laid down rules.
The CPSP is a national institution. Wilful actions like cancellation of FCPS-I, which cannot be justified in a court of law, undermine the credibility of such prestigious institutions.
A single man's decision cannot be allowed in any case to override the rules and regulations of the institution. If such things continue to happen then a need will arise to formulate a governing body to supervise the affairs of the CPSP, comprising the president of Pakistan, chairman of the Higher Education Commission, chairman of the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, and the federal secretary for health and education.
A request is made to the vice-presidents of the CPSP and the CPSP council members to play their role so as to save the future of many doctors. This will also help prevent the damage to the credibility of the CPSP.
DR NADEEM AHMAD PIMS
Islamabad
'Lower education' commission
Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, Chairman, Higher Education Commission, in his recent address at Jamshoro University, Hyderabad, talked about the shortage of PhDs in Pakistan, and compared the number with India which produces 11,000 PhDs per year against 200 in Pakistan.
He has also talked about the quality of education provided by our universities. According to him, none of the Pakistani universities rank among the top 500 of the world (Dawn, March 2).
He is trying very hard to increase the number of PhDs produced in the country and looking at ways and means to produce quality education at the local universities. Hopefully, we would be able to see tangible results in the coming years.
The government's intention of working in this area is appreciated but what about the quality and the number of students getting into the universities? The government of India, in recent budget, has allocated a substantial amount which will be used to provide meals to students in government-run schools.
This would encourage a higher number of students going into primary schools, something with which both Pakistan and India are struggling. Why can't we do the same here? More students going to primary schools would not only increase our literary rate beyond the current number but would also increase the probability of a higher number of students vying for PhD degrees.
The government should consider constituting a "lower education commission" and appoint someone of the stature of Dr Atta-ur- Rehman as chairman. The Punjab government is working in this direction, and it needs to be followed across the whole country.
S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA
Karachi
Service charges
I have been maintaining a PLS account in Habib Bank Limited, New Muslim Town branch, Lahore. The branch has been imposing Rs10 as service charges against each application for subscription of the shares offers so far by GoP from time to time.
Previously, they were charging the amount by debiting the account of their customers/subscribers. However, this time at the public issue of the shares of KAPCO, the bank staff demanded Rs10 in cash without debiting the respective customer's account as per their previous practice.
As far as I can understand, no bank except the Habib Bank Limited has demanded/charged any amount as service fee against the subscription of either KAPCO shares or others offered before.
Moreover, the deduction of such charges by the banks to the issue has neither ever been mentioned in share application forms of any public issue nor in the advertisements of the offer put out by the government.
The State Bank of Pakistan as the custodian/regulator of banks is requested to intervene in the matter so that innocent people may not be exposed to such unnecessary levies by commercial banks.
MRS FATIMA FAISAL
Lahore
Wrong billing
I had purchased shop No M-26 situated on plot no E-8, Block 10, Orrison Towers, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Karachi in the year 2001. The shop is closed and has never been in use till date. In November 2004, I was shocked to receive a bill for Rs26,200 on meter no 869171.
Being a widow, sick and unable to pursue the matter independently, I request the honourable Wafaqi Mohtasib and the controller billing, KESC, to look into the matter and rectify the bill as I am neither obliged to nor in a position to pay the hefty amount.
MRS IFTEKHAR
Karachi
Increase in petroleum prices
The latest increase in prices of petroleum products (Dawn, March 1) is the fourth within two months. For the unfortunate consumer, who was reeling under the burden of earlier shocks, this is yet another bolt from the blue.
For a country two-thirds of whose people live below the poverty line with an income of less than one US dollar per day, these sudden increases are devastating. The middle and lower income groups with fixed incomes are among the hardest hit as there is no corresponding increase in their incomes.
The policymakers, sitting in the salubrious environs of Islamabad, are unmindful of the fact that such increases in the end affect every commodity. Lt-Col (retd) Syed Ahmed (letter "Price-hike and poverty alleviation", Feb 7) is justified in saying that these increases are going to snatch yet another loaf of bread from the poor man's mouth.
If the government has a real interest in the well-being of the hapless majority, it should curtail its non-developmental and unproductive expenditure to offset the increase in petroleum product prices in the international market.
It must specially stop the huge expenditure incurred on performing Umra by public representatives and funds utilized on import of bullet-proof luxury vehicles and constructing more villas in Islamabad for members of the assembly.
A ban should also be imposed on future purchase of luxury vehicles. The government can also compensate by withdrawing the petroleum surcharge levied for almost a decade.
Although the surcharge was levied by the then government due to shortfall in taxes, since revenue receipts have increased substantially, the surcharge. which is ab initio illegal, should be withdrawn.
At the time of the last increase in petroleum products, your editorial "Oil and gas price hike" (Feb 6) had questioned the rationale of its timing. It had also warned that such measures not only hamper sustained growth but also increase the number of the underprivileged instead of alleviating poverty.
DR ALI AKBAR M. DHAKAN
Chairman, Sindh Development Foundation, Karachi
President's website
Let me put a simple question to our public. Do we want President Musharraf's website or not? The site has been provided to facilitate us commoners to communicate with the president.
However, some have started writing against it. Has the site snatched away some of our rights or liberties? Has it encroached upon our privacy? Has it wrongly stated some facts?
Last month, Kuwait Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jabar Al Sabah announced in newspapers about his website. I have not read any adverse remarks in newspapers about that.
Maybe some contributors thought that once a message was sent to Gen Musharraf through his website, the president would instantly reply to it. Since this did not happen, some thought of criticizing it.
My mails too have not been answered but yet I am not losing my patience. At least I realize that there are far too many like me sending him messages and it will be too time-consuming to read each and every message.
IQBAL HADI ZAIDI
Kuwait
University reforms
There is little new in Prof Pervez Hoodbhoy's account, "Reforming our universities" (Jan 3), of Indian institutions. India's ascent in education and technology is not new to us; Bill Gates has told us enough.
I am disappointed that although a scientist, Dr Hoodbhoy's value judgments are not supported by facts and figures, not that they are necessarily wrong. For example, I would like to know how many bona fide publications have come out of the Indian Hamdard University compared to its counterpart in Pakistan where another Hoodbhoy is on the faculty and where I served as adviser to the vice-chancellor.
Or what is the per capita expenditure of a scientist in India compared to that of Pakistan or what is the percentage of minorities in the executive branch of institutions, etc?
For someone who is anchored in South Asia, an analytical investigation into the causes of Indian progress would be expected from a professor like Dr Hoodbhoy. I believe that is the only way it can be beneficial to Pakistan.
DR YAMEEN ZUBAIRI
Via email
Complaint handling
I was encouraged by the PTA website advertisement in your newspaper (Feb 24) and the possibility of registering an online complaint regarding local Internet and phone services.
I went online, wrote the complaint (poor quality of the wireless Internet connection of a recently- launched service), and it turns out that the complaint could not be submitted online.
After repeated attempts, the complaint page persistently refused to budge, compelling me to seek a wider audience.
It took me three reconnections to send this email using the aforementioned service.
HUZAIFA ZOOMKAWALA
Karachi
Foreign policy
Pakistan has been conducting a failed foreign policy for a long time. The latest is its stand on expanding representation in the UN Security Council. When Pakistan has a chance to be a strong bidder for a permanent seat in the UNSC, it has opted for a neutralized policy and now, according to a news report (Dawn, Feb 23), it has supported Japan for the seat. This shows how pressures mould us.
MUHAMMAD RIAZ KHAN
Karachi
Makran coastal highway
The much-publicized Makran Coastal Highway, 415-kilometre-long from Agore to Gwadar, was completed by the National Highway Authority (NHA) through the Frontier Works Organization and opened by the president on Dec 16 last. Within two months of its inauguration, 277 kilometres of the road, particularly between Agore and Pasni, have been badly damaged and closed for all types of traffic.
Six kilometres of the road have been washed away with major damage to Agore Bridge. According to a press report, 45 kilometres in the Agore-Ormara section have been badly damaged and three kilometres in the Ormara-Pasni section are submerged in water.
This damage occurred during winter rainfall, with a total downpour of 80mm in Balochistan. What will be the fate of this road during the monsoon season when the downpour could be up to 300mm?
Such a colossal loss to a recently-completed prestigious road needs thorough investigation by a committee of experts, including honest engineers of repute. It needs to be probed from various angles: design, site selection and execution of work. All responsible for negligence and corruption should be given exemplary punishment.
ENGR. M. K. CHEEMA
Lahore
Funds and poverty
The tsunami tragedy has shaken the world. Funds are being collected in every country to help the affected people. Pakistanis too have given millions of rupees while the Pakistan government has also sent help in every possible way.
It is really good to see that people still care about the sufferings of others. But the amount of money donated by Pakistanis also raises some questions.
How much money do our people have? If people have so much money, why is there still poverty in our own country? Why are people reluctant to help their fellow countrymen in normal times? Why aren't the problems of the people near and next to us seen and felt by us? What will make us understand the sufferings of our own countrymen?
I think if people just make it a practice to help the needy, much of our problems will be resolved. We will then need no big money.
ZEESHAN AHMED KHAN
Via email
'Maritime doctrine'
The letter "Indian maritime doctrine" (Mar 4) by Muhammad Azam Khan was interesting. I agree that India is into massive modernization of its armed forces. But I wouldn't agree that it is Pakistan-specific.
AMAR RAPAKA
Hyderabad, India
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