| 20 April 2005 | Wednesday | 10 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 |
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Stolen cell phones
Dearth of reading material
University Road
‘Power’ drinks
Pakistan Navy’s challenges
‘A woman in their lives’
Safdar Barlas
‘Passport number’
FROM this year till the next decade International Water Day will be observed as “Water For Life Day” on March 22 every year. Water is the second essential natural gift for survival after air. Water scarcity has been a serious problem for many countries, including some developed nations.
According to an estimate, growing global population will be facing acute water shortage even for drinking purposes in the future. Decreasing natural water resources, depleted reservoirs and faulty distribution system are a few of the reasons of lack of water. According to a report, over one billion people in the world do not have access to safe water and more than 40,000 people die daily due to water related diseases.
In Pakistan, the water shortage has been a big problem in cities like Karachi, where the number of consumers exceeds the supply of water. Lack of clean water pushes the population to drink contaminated and unsafe water.Clean drinking water has been a dream in our country. The worsening quality of water resources is a phenomenon, mainly attributed to the mixture of sewerage and commercial effluents into the drinking water reservoirs. Heavy metal contamination of drinking water is common in our country, which affects on the health of consumers.
A few months ago, in Hyderabad many people died from acute gastroenteritis and hepatitis due to drinking contaminated water. Similarly, in Multan, it was noticed in a school that children felt lethargic and dizzy. Consequently the drinking water in that school, was tested in laboratory. The report revealed a harmful level of arsenic. Reports suggest that water is heavily concentrated with arsenic in at least seven districts of Punjab. The heavy metals are introduced to the system mainly through aquatic pollution. Once they enter, they poison and contaminate every thing they come in contact with. Major heavy metals are arsenic, mercury and lead. The consumption of the heavy metal contaminated water causes kidney damage, ulcers and cancers. Arsenic is specifically related to the ‘Black foot disease’
Water-borne diseases have been the major drain on hospital resources. Lack of awareness at community level regarding “safe water” is responsible for producing many ailments. The outbreaks of fatal infectious diseases like Hepatitis A; typhoid and dysentery are the result of drinking unsafe water. Safe drinking water greatly reduces the incidence of these diseases. In the developed world, the prevalence of these diseases has been reduced but still epidemics of dysentery and acute gastroenteritis are globally found.
Boiling is the traditional and the best method to make water free of many microorganisms. Water should be boiled for at least 20 minutes at the standard temperature. The chemical method is another popular way to treat drinking water.
Chlorine sachets can help to turn the water into safe drinking water but care should be taken to avoid excess use. To filter the water does not necessarily kill the microorganisms. So it becomes imperative to boil the water after getting it filtered.
Human ingenuity will continue to produce and refine innovations in resource development and management in this field.
Safe drinking water is the inborn right of every human being, which should be provided at any cost. The current miserable situation in our country needs a comprehensive water management plan. The experts in this field should be approached to develop an effective strategy to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to the people. Also, at public level, there is dire need of “water awareness” because “water is life”
DR A. HAMEED JAMALI
Islamabad
THE Sindh home minister, Mr M. A. Rauf Siddiqui, has said mobile phones stolen in any area will be rendered ineffective from April 15 for use by any other person under a precision device introduced by cellular phone companies. (April 17).
In fact, it was the prime responsibility of the cellular phone companies to make appropriate arrangements to do from day one when they entered Pakistan’s market. But they were more inclined towards boosting sales and obtaining higher profits.
Every day we have reports of snatching of cellphones at gunpoint. The government has come into action after more than a decave when thousands of cell phones throughout the country have been stolen and then sold in the open market rates.
I differ with the process which the provincial home ministry is adopting in reporting the snatching of mobile phones complaints, as it involves too many people in the process. A person deprived of his cellphone has to first find out his or her IMEI number and then go through a lot of hassles in order to block his or her SIM or mobile phone set after it has been snatched or stolen.
There is no need to involve Madadgar-15 or the CPLC for registering such complaints, as the government should utilize the services of Madadgar-15 in maintaining law and and the CPLC should be asked to organize effective community policing.
A cellular phone company normally asks for a copy the of CNIC of Pakistani citizen or a copy of the passport in case of a foreign national and has complete details of the phone set, including the IMEI number, before activating a cell number.
The affected person should be able to directly report the matter to the cellular phone company by quoting his or her cell phone number, and after proper identification, the user’s SIM and cellular phone set should be blocked directly by the cell phone company which initially activated it.
The PTA should ask all cellular phone companies operating in Pakistan to install toll-free numbers which should work as “24 hours helplines” in each city to listen to such complaints of the affected people, who should have access to make a telephone call either from a PCO or somebody else’s cellular phone without paying any charge.
Moreover, the federal ministry of interior and its provincial headquarters should be linked with the main database and listing of all subscribers of cellular phone companies, so that in case a law-enforcement agency wishes like to keep a watch on a dubious cell phone number, officials of the law-enforcement agency should be able to know by entering the CNIC number of a particular user to determine how many cell phone numbers are in use by an individual person.
The ultimate authority of activation or deactivation of a cell number or mobile phone set should be the responsibility of the cell phone company concerned and not of Madadgar-15 or the CPLC as people are normally reluctant to go to the police.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
THERE have always been long discussions and debates as to what should be done with the deteriorating standards of education in the country. The debate might never end because the need for improvement still remains unfulfilled.
As a student, I feel that there is a need to establish public libraries across the country. The habit of reading reference books besides the textbooks prescribed in the syllabi is nowhere to be found amongst the students. They attribute this lacking to the dearth of libraries and the reading material that they have. When I go to get the books from the library, I get a disappointing answer most of the time. The scarcity of public libraries is not as a big concern as the dearth of books and reading material in these libraries. This is of more concern to the universities, which is the seat for higher education in the country.
All around the world, libraries are equipped with all sorts of books as well as audio visual learning aids that help students grasp the subject easily.
The already messed up education department has jeopardized the future of the students by non-revision of textbooks and lack of access to libraries. There are hardly any libraries worth mentioning and those that are, charge high membership fee and are far from accessible. The education affairs are in the hands of people far detached and remotely related to quality education.
The lawmakers should increase the education budget and the pittance that it is to a standard comparable with that of a forward-looking developing country. Human resource should be our highest priority. We wish to see our education standards rise. The government and opposition must devote time to make people-friendly laws rather than to make derogatory and un- parliamentary remarks against each other on the floor of the assembly. Disenchantment at our failures would result in massive brain drain.
SIDRA RAFIQUE GOODA
Karachi
I WANT to invite the attention of the authorities concerned to the problems of rash driving at the main University Road in Karachi. These days, road accidents have been on the increase on this road and the main cause is rash and reckless driving. Buses start a race to beat one another and to catch more and more passengers.
Particularly during the university timings. the drivers try to overtake one another at great risk to both bus and passengers. Most of the link roads and turnings like Safari Morh are narrow and risky.This results in horrible accidents.
Secondly,the rash driving is accompanied by load noises through horns and other disturbances and this disturbs the peace of the people living in the areas through which the road passes. It is important that police checkposts are set up at intervals on the road and surprise raids should be made on the offending buses. At the same time, the license of the drivers who are in the habit of rash driving should be cancelled at once.
Also, if the bus companies neglect the warning, their route permits should be discontinued. The importance of consumer resistance cannot be ignored either. Passengers should ask the drivers not to exceed the speed limit and they should refuse to travel by the buses which do not follow traffic rules.
Another area where the government can work is to improve the situation on the road itself. The nurseries along with the road side should be removed to some extent to increase the road capacity.
TUFAIL AHMED
Karachi
ONE sees various attractive advertisements on TV and on billboards of a variety of energy and power drinks claiming that they will charge the body or give it extra power and energy.
People, especially young men and women, are consuming the new power drinks without being told about possible side-effects or the ingredients used. Such drinks contain caffeine, sugar (in the form of glucose, sucrose and glucuronolactone). Other ingredients are herbal supplements, vitamins, amino acids such as taurine and guarana (a South American berry extract similar to caffeine).
Such drinks artificially temporarily boost physical well-being for a short time and, with regular use, a person can become addicted to these drinks.
HINA JAMIL
Karachi
THE recently-concluded contract between Islamabad and Beijing for the construction F-22 P frigates is a major achievement of the Pakistan Navy on several counts. The principal one is the reinforcement of the surface fleet that was decrepit and, since the early 80s, yearned for fresh induction.
The other notable aspect is more strategic in nature. The PN’s shift towards the east will serve as a stepping-stone for local shipbuilding expertise, allow a credible indigenization base, reduce the national economic load and, above all, ease costly and insecure dependence on the West, in particular the US. It indeed goes to the credit of the incumbent top naval leadership for delivering on these overdue issues through a sustained and lasting effort.
The Agosta submarine project, which came as a replacement for 70s vintage submarines, took care of only one arm of the service. The small aviation fleet, despite hiccups, has hitherto managed itself well. Additional P3Cs (Orion), promised during the visit of the PN naval chief to Washington last year, are also likely to shore up the naval air arm. But to respond to the uneven contemporary challenges, a balanced fleet was an inescapable need. This, therefore, mandated strengthening of the surface component.
For a variety of reasons, Pakistan persists with a military strategy that has an intrinsic and overwhelming leaning towards land. There is also little national understanding of the significance of the maritime sector that aids and lubricates the country’s economy. The navy, being a cost-intensive and hi-tech service, has continued to serve the national maritime frontiers despite acute snags and imbalances in its surface fleet.
At the peak of Pakistan’s strategic cooperation with the US during the Afghan war, the best that the PN could extract from Washington were a few leased pieces of outdated (Vietnam war vintage) Brooke Garcia ships that technically speaking became more of a liability for the service. When following the Soviet withdrawal from Kabul and in line with its tradition, the US imposed sanctions on Islamabad, the PN despite insurmountable spare support problems continued to operate these ships along with a ragtag of other Chinese craft. The real difficulty however arose once leased US ships were withdrawn from PN fleet. Left with no choice, PN hurriedly went in for British old generation T-21 ships to fill the vacuum. These ships have since continued as a stopgap measure.
Following 9/11, the threat perception and the concept of conventional warfare have undergone a sea change worldwide. Collaboration and cooperative security is the currency today. Terrorist networks and their operatives meanwhile stay determined to strike wherever they can to disrupt the world economic order. The seas are perhaps more vulnerable now than at any other time in human history. An act of “terrorism” at sea, especially at “choke points” (like the narrow straits of Hormuz), will plunge global stocks with devastating consequences for the international trade market. Developing countries like Pakistan may face an imminent economic collapse as a consequence.
Rapid developments, including new security alliances, are, therefore, taking shape in the Indian Ocean region. In the meantime, India’s new naval doctrine remains ambitious and the US backing of New Delhi stronger than ever. The upcoming Gwadar port will entail further responsibilities for the PN. The new contract thus could not have come at a more opportune time. The PN will now have modern surface platforms with custom-built sensors and weaponry, which, inter alia, allow it the much-needed flexibility including joint operations with allied navies.
While the ongoing cooperation with the US is perhaps a strategic need, it may only be a flawed belief to assume that Washington, despite granting non-Nato ally status, would not place an embargo on Pakistan in the future and at a time of its choosing. Pakistan must not end up once more with “wheat bags” hands instead of Falcons. Like the F-22P deal, therefore, the JF-17 and other joint ventures with dependable friend China are perhaps the best option with a strategic promise for Pakistan in times to come.
MUHAMMAD AZAM KHAN
Lahore Cantt
THIS has reference to the article by Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee appearing on April 17. Since I was the central figure of the article, I wish to exercise my right to briefly address the article’s remarks.
In all humility I had prayed to the chief minister of Sindh in summary that I may be given another extension of one year, inter alia, to help me earn my livelihood. What was wrong with this? Although I am not the apple of the eye of the city nazim, CDGK, who rejects pressures, while my summary was being processed through him, he recommended my case. Till the summary culminated in approval, I kept my head up and did not bow before my worthy superiors.
Let me clarify the role of staff officers in our bureaucratic channels: their advice is stereotyped and myopic, based mostly on what a section officer states. Therefore what Ms Nargis Ghaloo endorsed under her signatures was from the record. The chief secretary and chief minister surely kept the interest of the government of Sindh, above all else, in mind while approving my request, without violating the rules.
BRIG (retd) A. S. NASIR
Chief Controller of Buildings,
KBCA
Karachi
I KNEW the late Safdar Barlas from the Lucknow of pre-independence days, when he was an active member of the Muslim study group and later served the Delhi Dawn till partition. From 1954, when he rejoined Dawn in Karachi, till 1995, he served the paper in many capacities, including News Editor and City Editor.
He also served as the Bureau Chief of the Time magazine and was assigned by Time on the 50th anniversary of Pakistan’s establishment to travel on his migratory route back to his ancestral roots in Lucknow. His essay on his emotional responses and his observations on the changes since independence was published in Time’s special issue on 50 years of independent India and Pakistan dated August 11, 1997. During the 60s and 70s he served as secretary of the Pakistan-UN association.
A forum which brought us together, with specially nostalgic memories, was the Lucknow University Old Boys Association which held poetical and musical sessions, as well as discussion groups on Pakistan’s problems and prospects. In these days of hype and hyperbole, his modest, low-key personality was a calming influence.
MAHDI MASUD
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter by Dr Naeemul Haque, “Passport number” (April 11). Passport booklets are printed by the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC). Security documents such as passport booklets are always printed with pre-assigned numbers to control the production process and avoid excess printing and pilferage.
The booklet number, hence, is pre-assigned and pre-printed on each page of the passport booklet and serves as an inventory control.
Additionally, the automated machine readable passport system generates a specific number for each passport printed, different from the booklet number, as part of the passport personalization process.
This ensures at the personalization stage that the passport number (unique to the passport holder or applicant) will be issued against a particular booklet number (unique to that booklet). A particular booklet cannot be forged by printing the data of another applicant on to it. Since a particular passport number is mapped against that booklet number in the passport database, when that booklet is presented at immigration with a different (forged) passport number, the system automatically rejects it by detecting the forgery.
A traveller should only be concerned with the passport number. The booklet number is just a tracking number for booklet security which does not directly concern the passport holder.
MEDIA WING
National Database and Registration
Authority Islamabad
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