| 1 May 2005 | Sunday | 21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Traveller’s cheques
Pensioners appeal
NICVD budget
Helping animals in distress
Indo-Pakistan peace march
Accidents on Northern Bypass
DCET principal
Status of Punjabi
Passport office
Peace and justice
Phone complaint
Women’s rights
Clifton Cross
IN his letter, “Do we really care?” (April 26) Mr Aftab Ahmad Khan has pointed at a serious crisis afflicting the state and society in Pakistan. He has highlighted such factors as “paralysis of the institutions of society”, “paralysis of imagination”, “disintegration of discipline and social character”, lack of “creative vision”, “movements rooted in ethnicity” and “moral erosion of the social ethos”, as having created this crisis.
He has further pointed out that “the calculus of power and pelf” (presumably he means corruption in high places), has deepened this crisis further, thus rendering the social order and the administrative system “amoral, cynical and perverse”. Therefore, our march forward towards “mass welfare, scientific progress, democratic participation, self-reliance, impartial justice, and a clean and efficient administration” has been effectively blocked.
Though overly pessimistic, Mr Khan’s “diagnosis” may be considered as fairly accurate. However, unlike a good physician, Mr Khan has failed to prescribe the requisite medicine. As I see it, the crisis is not so much of the state and society as that of the individual. After all, it is the individual who constitutes the basic, and the most essential building block in the architecture of any state and society. If we can improve the individual, improvement of the state and society will follow as a matter of course. The question is: how do we accomplish this?
In this regard education is of fundamental importance. By education I mean not only the secular type but also that higher type of education which has a moral bearing and purpose which informs the mind that bigotry and intolerance in matters of religion is wrong, that hypocrisy and practice of double standards are evils which should be eliminated, that qualities like honesty, punctuality, hard work and self-reliance are worth cultivating, that pursuit of excellence in speech and in conduct is far more rewarding than pursuit of fame and fortune of a dubious nature, that corruption and nepotism and self promotion (at the expense of someone else who deserves a higher position on the basis of merit ) are evils which not only diminish the worth of an individual, but also weaken the foundations of the state and society.
If our schools and universities produce men and women, who in addition to having acquired excellence in the three R’s, are also equipped with qualities of character, grounded in moral and social virtues, we will have succeeded to a very large extent in curing the ills of our state and society. This is by no means an easy task. It will require fundamental changes in our educational system, and changes in emphasis and nuance of the school and college syllabi.
The task, though difficult, is nevertheless achievable.
SALAHUDDIN K. LEGHARI
Lahore
I REGRETFULLY bring to the notice of the MCB high-ups the attitude of their branch manager, Clifton, Karachi. I am a retired joint secretary of the federal government and a senior citizen, aged 68 years, suffering from liver cancer. I have been given an appointment by an oncologist at Bunrungrad Hospital in Bangkok for a check-up.
On April 20 I called on the manager of the above-mentioned branch, where I have been maintaining my dollar savings account 0074-12-02-118-1 for the last so many years, for the issuance of traveller’s cheques in dollars against balance in my account for meeting my medical expenses. His immediate response was that he could not issue them as issuing TCs at one per cent was causing the bank losses and I should go to a money-changer. When pointed out that the bank was making billions in profits against earnings from account-holders’ money, he reluctantly called the official in charge of foreign exchange, who came up with another story saying that he had surrendered the Amex stock of TCs and was helpless unless a new stock was ordered and received.
At this juncture I requested the manager to get me in touch with his zonal chief so that I could invoke his intervention and seek help to which he flatly refused, saying that the zonal chief would not be in his office.
Finally, I was constrained to go to a money changer for help. I have served this country for the best part of my life. I feel it is my duty to bring to the notice of those who are claiming a change for the better to get this matter fully investigated and ensure that no citizen suffers at the hands of those occupying seats of power.
MUSHTAQ AHMED QURESHI
Karachi
AS promised by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the increment recommended by the Pay and Pension Committee should be enforced with effect from Dec 1, 2004. The genuine demands of retired government employees may be got approved by the Pay and Pension Committee. These include the following:
a. The pension of a Grade 19 pensioner who retired 10 years ago must be equal to the present Grade 19 pensioner to meet the needs of senior citizens suffering owing to dearness.
b. Retired pensioners of 65 years age must be provided with all the privileges of a senior citizen. They may be provided green card to avail themselves of the 50 per cent concession in railway and air fare. They should be made honorary members of libraries, parks and recreation centres. Utility stores should offer 10 per cent concession to them. They may be allowed free treatment and free medicine in government hospitals and their children be given 10 per cent share in employment.
c. Pensioners should be provided reasonable houses on easy instalments.
d. The 50 per cent deducted pension should be restored to pensioners after completing 10 years instead of 15 years.
e. Ailing pensioners should be given a fixed medical allowance for treatment.
f. On the pattern of Fauji Foundation, a body should be established to help senior citizens in the education and marriage of their children.
g. The name of the spouse of the pensioner should be recorded in his pension book with NIC to enable the spouse of a senior citizen to draw full pension in case of his demise.
PROF MOHAMMED YAQUB SHEIKH
Secretary-General, Retired Professors Association, Government Colleges,
Faisalabad
APROPOS of the news item “NICVD budget enhanced to Rs200 million” (April 17), I should like to clarify that the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, is an autonomous body under the federal government. The NICVD receives a yearly grant-in-aid (but not its total budget) from the federal government to subsidize its services to the people. The grant-in-aid is an important part of the total budget of the NICVD.
The budget for the current financial year is Rs479 million. Out of this budgetary need of Rs479 million, the federal government has enhanced its grant-in-aid share from Rs150 million in the present financial year to Rs200 million for the next financial year. This is a significant increase for any one year. However, the NICVD has to raise whatever it can of the remaining Rs279 million.
The income from the NICVD trust funds and the income generated from token charges generally matches the grant-in-aid of the federal government, but this still leaves a deficit of Rs80 to Rs10 million every year.
The NICVD, therefore, depends on its many donors to help fill the part of the budgetary gap that remains. In this regard, I must place on record the continuing help of the Cardiovascular Foundation which has been undertaking major projects for the last several years. Other donors include Infaq Foundation, the Rotarians, many companies like the Sapphire group and many individual donors.
The NICVD and its patients are grateful to these organizations and individuals who continue to keep the NICVD afloat and functioning.
PROF AZHAR MASOOD A. FARUQUI
Executive Director, NICVD
Karachi
DURING my recent visit to Mumbai, I came across an NGO named IDA (In Defence of Animals) located at 7, Shanti Kunj Dadar, Mumbai, whose mission is to help animals in distress. This NGO is doing a remarkable and challenging job and their achievements are worth mentioning.
In pursuit of their humanitarian cause, they have established shelters for homeless animals. They have also established an ambulance service which runs on a full-time basis and reaches every nook and corner of the city bringing unwanted puppies, sick or injured animals, abandoned dogs and cats which are helplessly roaming in streets; rescuing a wounded animal and providing medical assistance until they are all right and capable of taking care of themselves.
The organization also arranges for adoption of stray animals; fights for their rights in the court of law; holds silent protest to educate persons who are unknowingly causing cruelty to animals. It is creating awareness among young people so that they can become responsible citizens who care for animals and environment.
Perhaps such an organization does not exist in our country. I would like to request the media to play an important role in creating awareness among its readers. I would also like to request NGOs and Mr Abdus Sattar Edhi to arrange for an ambulance service and shelters so that scores of stray animals can get food and care which will bring them relief from pain and agony.
FILZA BAIG
Karachi
THIS refers to the news item, “Indian peace group offered conditional visas” (Dawn, April 29). This peace march was however jointly planned by Indian and Pakistani peace coalitions to promote contact amongst our people who share similar fears, aspirations and, probably, a common future.
On March 12, along with the Ramon Magsaysay award-winner Dr Sandeep Panday, an eight-member delegation met the prime minister of Pakistan. The march was to start from Khawaja Nizamuddin Aulia’s tomb on March 23 on a route that was trekked by the great sufi saint from Delhi to the shrine of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariain in Multan. The core group of 200 marchers included 50 Pakistanis. Prime Minister Shaukut Aziz assured full support not only to the peace march but also to the Asia-Pacific Social Forum that has been decided to be held at Karachi in January 2006.
The march started with lots of fanfare and many celebrities including Mahesh Bhatt, but only three Pakistanis. The rest of them holding valid visas were stopped at Wagah for want of an NOC from the ministry of interior to walk-over to the Indian side.
The next shock came on April 7 with a one-line ministry of interior note turning down their request. On the intervention of the minister and secretary interior, nine Pakistani marchers were finally allowed on April 13. After marching back for only four days with their Indian fellow marchers raising slogans for peace like “Kashmir ka hal, aaj nahin tou kal” and many more they returned on April 20, leaving their comrades stranded at Amritsar waiting for visas that had not been cleared by our agencies.
After lots of persuasion, the Pakistani authorities have finally agreed to grant six-day visas to 12 Indians for Lahore and Multan but strictly to be driven between the two cities. Most people at the interior ministry appear embarrassed at the limited civilian authority — one however, privately declared that the Pakistani peace marchers were “against the two nation theory” and the Indian marchers “against the United States”. One only wonders what possible significance March 23 would hold for Indian nationals, or so to speak the shrines of Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia and Hazrat Bahauddin Zakaria.
If we cannot invite 150 Indians for a peace march how can we hope to host 20,000 people from the Asia-Pacific region, including a large number of South Asians, in January? While we lick our bruised ego, the episode leaves the International Committee, Mumbai-2004, host of World Social Forum, the only logical alternative for Asia-Pacific Social Forum-2006. Indeed a great honour for that city. As one of the organizers I feel that for us, however, the only consolation remains that probably not many will know what they missed out on.
FAHIM ZAMAN KHAN
Karachi
ACCIDENTS on the under-construction Northern bypass, running parallel to Karachi-Quetta highway, are on the increase. Since drivers are not generally accustomed to driving on highways, the opening of intermediary sections along the road to traffic, being two-way and having no laid-down speed limits, has led to rash and negligent driving, particularly by bus and truck drivers whose behaviour is nerve-racking for those who follow the rules.
The recent examples of dangerous driving are two accidents during the first half of April in which two persons died on the spot and three others were seriously injured. The sight of a crumbled cab is still there as a witness.
May I request the authorities concerned to immediately close the Northern Bypass for traffic as long as it is not completed, lay down speed limits on all highways, instruct the traffic police to exercise vigilance and check vehicles which are overspeeding and driving recklessly. Use of seat-belts by persons sitting on the front seats should also be enforced.
LT-COL (RETD) SARFRAZ AHMED KHAN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter “DCET principal” (April 21) regarding the daylight killing of Dr Mohammad Saleem Chaudhry, principal of Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, Karachi. And, this is not the first time that an educationist and a scholar has been killed. When such serious incidents take place in a city, how can the government state that the law and order situation is under control? My benchmark for normality would be when the rangers are not visible and when police mobiles stop tagging behind government functionaries.
Regarding the investigation of the murder of Dr Chaudhary, being on the advisory board of the CPLC-CRC, I would like to request the Sindh governor to direct the CPLC to associate itself in this exercise and keep the family informed of any progress.
NAZIM F. HAJI
Member, Advisory Board, CPLC-CRC
Karachi
THIS refers to the news-item about recent 12th World Punjabi Congress held in Lahore. Unfortunately, the remarks and appeals of the speakers were rather prejudicial and damaging to our national language. The chairman of the World Punjab Congress demanded national status for regional languages. Another speaker declared it a humiliation calling Punjabi and such other languages regional.
Probably, they are unaware of the fact that the Hindu-Urdu controversy was a foundation stone of the two-nation theory. And Muslims of the subcontinent endeavoured to safeguard Urdu as a representative of their separate cultural entity.
Further, the idea of Punjabi as a medium of instruction is a false one, as the youth of Pakistan is keen to learn English as a globally-recognized language.
RAMLA RAUF KHAN
Pakpattan
WE need an end to the unending suffering of the people standing in scorching heat (April 12) to have their passport made. What kind of governance do we have? The elderly and women with infants are drifting around from pillar to post for getting passports. In a city having a population of over 13 million, there is just one passport office.
There have been scores of programmes on private TV channels (PTV is least bothered about people’s problems) and complaints in the newspapers about the miseries and sufferings of people trying to obtain their passports but to no avail.
Mr Prime Minister, let me ask you a simple question: what hinders your government from opening more passport offices, especially when the government collects millions of rupees as passport fees?
M.S. UPPAL
Karachi
PRINCIPAL officer Michael A. Spangler of the US consulate in Peshawar, on behalf of the US, extended his hand in friendship on the auspicious day of the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as his message has strengthened the ideas of democracy, tolerance and moderation.
Mr Spangler has appealed to the Pakistani nation to condemn acts of terrorism and stand up for the message of peace and justice. It is good diplomacy. He says he wants to understand Islam more clearly. His comprehension of Islam as a religion of peace and justice is laudable.
We must help him understand it. What attracted me most to his speech was the emphasis he laid on justice. Here I stress it too.
S.M. KAZIM NAQVI
Karachi
MY telephone, No 6634188, installed at house No 1, Sufaida Gali, Taj Bagh Housing Scheme, Lahore, often remains out of order. Complaints made during the last five months remained unattended. The higher authorities of the telephone department are requested to redress the complaint.
AHMAD MUZAMMIL
Lahore
THE government seems overly keen to promote women’s rights but in the process may be hastening disintegration of the family units. The women’s liberation hype has instigated many women married to poor husbands to drag their spouses to courts to extract money from them, on one account or another. The government is requested not to go overboard in projecting an image of modernity but instead take steps to improve the common man’s lot before introducing western standards in society.
ABDUL KARIM
Muzaffargarh
MR Ardeshir Cowasjee has criticised the Clifton Cross project on two occasions in the last two Sunday issues. It would appear that his apprehensions are correct, as they remain unchallenged. As a citizen using these roads extensively, I demand that the authorities concerned either lay these fears to rest, or take immediate action to correct the flaws in this project.
A.J. VICCAJI
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address:
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.