PIA’s corporate ethics

ONE hopes that the new PIA chairman will introduce corporate reforms and a code of ethics for the national airline’s senior executive cadre and subordinate staff.

The outgoing chairman must be appreciated for his success in making enormous funds available to the airline. However he failed to introduce corporate reforms. His team failed to achieve revenue targets, provide a consumer-friendly ticketing and reservation system and retain the confidence of travelling public.

A management needs to restrict itself in order to abide by laid-down rules before it can make any headway in enforcing financial and administrative discipline within the workforce. Discretionary powers when used to bend rules, which violate the rights of other employees, become an abuse and hence violative of the Constitution and fundamental rights.

Air hostesses who were employed as regular employees were given irregular orders for premature retirement, while no such rules existed in the corporation. PIA’s administration, the relevant department and the staff of the chairman failed to point out flaws in this directive. A similar situation occurred when pilots were promoted to Boeing 777 and seniority rules were violated. The net result of all this was that PIA was involved in litigation. The superior courts finally intervened and declared these directives based on bias and violative of PIA rules and regulations.

There are several other instances where people were promoted out of turn, merit was violated and there was rampant abuse of discretionary powers. The airline board of directors also failed to perform its task. The problem is with PIA’s executives and cannot be pinned on one individual or the chairman. Reforms in corporate structure can only be brought about by undoing all irregular appointments, promotions, etc., without compromising the rights of any individual. Seniority rules where violated must be undone, and merit must prevail.

PIA must not be subjected to any political blackmail. Unions may be restored, but they should never be allowed to take the law in their hand. All those involved in violation of PIA rules must be proceeded against.

I. BUTT

Islamabad

Feminism in our context

THE two-day workshop on feminism organized by the Women and Development Association (WADA) on April 26-27, was an eye-opener for many. As a member of the audience, I found many of the papers presented, as well as the ideas discussed, enlightening and thought-provoking, and the report in Dawn (28 April), reflected this. Yet some things require clarification.

The report mentions “fireworks” which were sparked on the second day of the workshop, on some remarks referred to by Mr Asif Farrukhi. These remarks were by Mr Shamim Ahmed. They may seem “unpalatable”, but Ms Quratulain Hyder’s own remarks about Mr Ahmed were not so flattering. She is quoted as having said that Mr Ahmed’s essay did not require refutation, because that is what one could expect from a “triple M” (middle class Muslim male). When a member of the audience remarked that Ms Quratulain Hyder’s statement was a sweeping generalization, he was quickly silenced by the organizers, and thus the atmosphere of “liberation” and “freedom” suddenly seemed stifling.

I also find that there were further glaring contradictions in what was being said and what was actually happening. I will give only one, but significant, example. Ms Fehmida Riaz, early in the programme, mentioned how feminists and women’s organizations were always looked upon with suspicion, as being agents of the West. She herself asked why people thought that NGOs were foreign funded and working for the interests of the West. This gave the impression that her own organization, WADA, had no sponsorship from western countries. So it came as a big surprise when towards the end of the programme (and this was not mentioned in Dawn’s report) Mr Charlie Walker, director of the British Council, Karachi, showed up and was proudly introduced before the audience as “our sponsor”. The British Council sponsors WADA and all its activities, tells us an unnamed source, who was present at the Gymkhana dinner given by WADA last week. Mr Walker, speaking to the audience, mentioned two British government funded projects, aiming at bringing about gender equality in Pakistan.

It was mentioned during the workshop that hypocrisy has taken root in our society, where people’s words do not match their actions. Nothing more needs to be said.

SADAF ALAM

Karachi

‘A shameful incident’

YOUR editorial “A shameful incident” (April 25) brought back memories of Raj Kapoor’s classic of the 1960s, “Jaagte Raho”. The story of the film revolves around a poor villager (Raj Kapoor) who strays into the metropolitan city of Calcutta (Kolkata) late into the night. He is very thirsty and looks around for water. A drunkard (Motilal) is willing to share his bottle of whisky with the villager but there is no water to be had anywhere.

Finally, the thirsty villager finds a tap with flowing water inside an apartment building. He rushes in to quench his thirst but before he can do so, the chowkidar shouts “chor, chor” and people in the building wake up and join the chorus. The villager runs from one passage to another to hide and in the process he enters various flats of the building. Here he finds all kinds of clandestine activities going on at night. Finally, the villager emerges from the building chastened by the fact that there are thieves everywhere in society.

The poor tailor outside the Kharadar mosque who could not be saved even on the intervention of Abdul Sattar Edhi would find consolation from the fact that among those who tortured him there were thieves and crooks. There are those who steal electricity with the “kunda” or water with the use of suction pumps. There are avaricious traders who fleece the innocent by charging high prices for their goods or hoard goods to create artificial shortages to make higher profits. There are industry owners who deprive the exchequer of tax revenue — their own and that of the companies they own. Then again there are “chors” who take away sense and sensibility from the minds of the masses in order to achieve their vested interests. They are the real “chors” of our society and not the thirsty man outside the Kharadar mosque.

Would a Pakistani producer care to make a remake of “Jagte Raho” and name it “Chor Kaun”?

ANWAR ABBAS

Karachi

Information technology

IN the recent past the words ‘information technology’ made headlines in our newspapers. We were given to understand that “information technology” would have positive effects in all walks of life. Things will move fast towards progress. The time gap between the developed and developing will be shortened and the progress gap will be narrowed. A great deal of money was also pumped into this sector, with full liberty to the leaders to do anything in any way they liked.

But we see that the things have not moved the way we were assured. In other words, no significant change has occurred in any department or in any walk of life.

We expected that:

a. Information about all local and foreign educational institutes and seats of higher learning would be made available at one place for the guidance of young students and help them choose their career. But sadly it is not available.

b. It was expected that the people would have the facility to pay their utility bills through the Internet, but still we have to visit banks thrice a month (utility bills are received on three different dates at an interval of 10 days).

c. Reservation of rail and air seats is still carried out on primitive lines.

d. Banks have no concept of e-banking.

e. Statements made and speeches delivered by leaders should have been available on the Internet for information, but this is not so.

Some important questions arise:

(i) Where should one go to see the impact of our “information technology” development?

(ii) Are we short of simple technical know-how?

(iii) Are we short of funds?

MUHAMMAD IQBAL

Karachi

Workers’ arrest

MANY of those arrested when they went to Lahore on April 16 to receive opposition leader Asif Ali Zardari are still being held incommunicado by the Punjab administration. They have no contact with their families.

Many were bailed out by the People’s Lawyers Forum. The regime re-arrested them on terrorism charges. As soon as the PLF lawyers went to get their power of attorney to file a case, they were sent to different jails across Punjab to prevent legal access. As soon as they were re-located, they were once again sent to different jails to prevent them from signing powers of attorney that are the first step for legal redress.

These people have been booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorist Act. Section 7 of the ATA means that the detainees are now all terrorists involved in “sabotage, arson, kidnapping and sectarian killing”. Punishment under this section is death. These are non-bailable offences. The arrested workers can now be tried in special courts. The families of those missing are deeply perturbed.

They are running from pillar to post to find out their whereabouts, but the local administration has refused to help them.

FAUZIA WAHAB

MNA, Coordinator Human Rights Cell, PPP

Karachi

Kashmiri struggle for self-determination

MR M.P. Bhandara’s account of his Srinagar visit (Dawn, April 30) misses out on much that he should have noticed. I was in Srinagar in March this year and therefore feel entitled, even obliged, to make a few observations.

The Kashmiris are disillusioned with the road the Musharraf government has taken. They were never consulted and their feeling is that Pakistan has thrown in the towel. The UN Security Council resolutions, the bedrock of Pakistan’s case on Kashmir, have been abandoned by Gen Pervez Musharraf. He may be thinking “out of the box” and showing “flexibility”, but India has continued to maintain its old, hardline position.

Even before negotiations could begin on Kashmir, Pakistan’s leader had capitulated in fundamental ways.

What was the pressure on him to do so, one would like to know.

The Kashmiris are an extremely intelligent and well-informed people and they can clearly see the direction in which things are moving.

I am astounded by Mr Bhandara’s adoption of the Indian argument that “any sudden change in Kashmir’s status is likely to hit Muslims in India.” That means that the Kashmiris are to be kept as hostages to Indian secularism. As Yusuf Buch once wrote, “Secularism should be a function of India’s own history, the composition of its population, its diversified cultural heritage, as well as its international contacts…

“How can the captivity of less than five per cent in a defined area assure the safety of the remaining 95 per cent all over the country? If the proven and well-demonstrated loyalty of Indian Muslims since independence does not guarantee their security or well-being in India, how will the coerced allegiance of the Kashmiri Muslims do that? India is the only state in the world that demands a price from others for the safety of its own citizens.”

I am not surprised the three leaders Mr Bhandara met in Kashmir were Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Omar Farooq and Mehbooba Mufti. These three also happen to be the ones whom Gen Musharraf has named as the “future” leaders of Kashmir.

Didn’t anyone tell Mr Bhandara in Srinagar that the Mirwaiz stands discredited, being viewed as someone who is trying to collaborate with New Delhi? As for the other two, I will not insult the intelligence of your readers by explaining where they stand vis-à-vis Pakistan and the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.

And may I inform Mr Bhandara that no permission is required to visit Nishat Bagh, so there was no need for him to “wave” his green passport.

KHALID HASAN

Washington DC

Real estate boom

THIS refers to Mr Shah Nawaz Husain’s letter “Real estate boom” (April 28). I would like to remind him that the real estate market in Canada and the United States is also faced with such problems. Stretches of land in areas around places like Las Vegas, San Antonio and Montreal are being sold with no added development on it.

Mr Husain’s contention is typical of some Pakistanis who see everything wrong in Pakistan and never make an effort to improve it. Unlike other ethnic groups, these Pakistanis are usually content with living as second-class citizens in Canada/USA and always complain about what’s wrong in Pakistan. Welcome to Canada, where qualified engineers are taxi drivers and qualified doctors are line cooks…

SAJJAD TARIQ

Canada

The crucial admission

IN the Encounter page on April 2, Syed Shahid Hussain has said that one of the Supreme Court judges admitted in an interview on a private channel that he had gone along with the conviction of Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto because he had his family to look after.

Another judge was declared as too ill to preside over the trial and, therefore, under the personal care of the physician of the then president of Pakistan, was transported to Karachi.

One of the judges had been assured of being elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice, but he failed to win. Other disclosures may come up as time goes on.

GHEEWALA A.G.M.

Karachi

Cellphone companies

WHY are cellular phone companies and now wireless phone service providers being allowed to rip off their prepaid customers? If the balance in their prepaid accounts are not utilized by a specific date, the unutilized amounts lapse and are gobbled up by these companies. It is one scam after another on the already overburdened people of this country.

AHMED D. BAYAT

Karachi

West-bashing

THE most favourite topic of our politico-religious leaders, when they address their workers, is West-bashing. But it is surprising that when these zealots visit western countries, they expect to be treated like other visitors.

Recently, JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq, who accompanied an official Pakistan delegation, was detained at both Brussels and London airports. He is on record as having declared that he had trained all the prominent leaders of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Some time back Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, was denied a UK visa, though he had received an invitation. The host of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the JUI-F secretary-general, was grilled by the French police after the maulana had left Paris last year.

If our religious leaders regard western countries as enemies of Islam, why do they visit them? They are bringing a bad name to the religion, as well as to Pakistan.

The Pakistan government should make arrangements in the passports to delete the names of western countries for the religio-political leaders who are known for portraying the western countries as evil.

SAYED G. B. SHAH BOKHARI

Peshawar

Parks and parking

ESTABLISHMENT of family parks all over Karachi is a very pleasant sight and proof of the concern of the city government for the common people. It is also a nice way to give people an alternative to media entertainment.

But one major problem is non-existent or inadequate parking areas. People are really annoyed searching for parking places near the parks.

One example that I would like to cite here is that of the Sakhi Hasan roundabout, which has now been rehabilitated into a park. This place was already a point for traffic jams and accidents and needed some traffic order.

Now the establishment of this park has added to the nuisance.

The locations for these parks should be carefully selected and arrangements for parking lots made to obtain optimal results from investment involved.

HIRA ANWAR

Karachi

DHA teaching staff

THIS is with reference to Mr Sagheer Ahmed’s letter (April 26). It would be prudent to take a holistic view of the entire situation.

The writer has tried to invoke an elusive issue which has comprehensively been discussed previously. As already explained, the teachers of DHA educational institutions get together on Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon barring the last Saturday of the month to interact, review and evaluate the academic plans/syllabi for the purpose of improving the quality of education. A mandatory 20 days’ reduction in summer vacations for teachers is done to plan academic activities on an annual basis.

While some teachers may feel irked by this extra burden, we believe in striving for excellence. Accepting tough jobs enthusiastically as a challenge results in a sense of accomplishment which is the true essence of education.

LT COL (Retd.) SYED RAFAT HUSSAIN NAQVI PRO DHA

Karachi

Rent controller

THE office of the rent controller, Lahore Cantonment, has been more or less dysfunctional for the last 10 months. People who had filed their cases in the rent controller’s court have been facing a great deal of difficulty as there is no one there to preside over the court hearings. During this period, two additional rent controllers have come and gone.

People who had filed their cases are given new hearing dates, usually a month later, on every hearing. This has been going on for the last 10 or so months.

The rent controller comes under the direct jurisdiction of the army and one certainly does not expect such disorderliness under the army’s command. Will someone please intercede here and ensure that people who went to the rent controller looking for justice get that soon?

ONE AFFECTED

Lahore

Sugar-free items

SO-CALLED sugar-free diet items are being sold in shops and bakeries. Recently, a relative bought some of these items from a bakery in Defence, Karachi. To be sure of the contents of these items, he decided to send one of these to a laboratory.

The laboratory results showed that it contained high levels of sugar, such as fructose and sucrose, which may be harmful if consumed by a diabetic patient. Drug inspectors must regularly check sugar-free items for adulteration and sugar levels.

NIHA SHAHBAZ

Via E-mail