| May 10, 2005 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1426 |
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Indian series: PCB version
Educating the masses
Consumer offer
Improving education
Rabi-ul-Awwal celebrations
Unknown in victory
‘Self-invited guests’
DHA schemes
Helping animals in distress
Pakistanis in Oman
Real estate boom
‘Festering wounds’
Samiul Haq
I REFER to Mr Khalid Hasan’s letter “Kashmiri struggle for self-determination” (May 5). I share Mr Hasan’s passion but not his wisdom in decrying our current response to India over Kashmir.
In my view, Mr Nehru did a great disservice to the subcontinent by reneging on his Kashmir commitments — by slow degrees of prevarication, duplicity and legerdemain, all masked under a cloak of morality and highbrow moral conduct.
Bertrand Russell, who was otherwise an admirer of Nehru, felt impelled to remark, “When one observes that the high idealism of the Indian government in international matters breaks down completely with the question of Kashmir, it is difficult to avoid a feeling of despair.”
However, it is important to remember that Nehru’s vision was not shared by Gandhi, who in his last days was openly opposed to Nehru’s blatant anti-Pakistanism. A few days before his assassination, he declared, “I have been severely reprimanded for what I said concerning Kashmir. The advice I gave is the kind of advice the humblest man may give. Occasionally it becomes one’s duty to offer such advice ... Kashmir is a Hindu state, the majority of its people being Muslims .... If the right thing is done and the right direction given to the process, the present darkness in the country (because of) Kashmir may become... light.” He passionately urged Pakistan and India to come together and decide the issue with the help of “impartial mediation.” He all but openly offered himself as that mediator, asking aloud at his prayer meeting: “Is there no one in India who is impartial?”
Nehru’s stridency over Kashmir was shared by only one of his successors — his daughter. It was not shared by prime ministers Desai and Vajpayee, among others, and apparently not by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh either.
Freedom is never won by terrorism or by foreign mercenaries. Pakistan committed a serious mistake by permitting a genuine freedom struggle by the Kashmiri youth in the late 1980s to be perverted and usurped by terrorism, encouraging religious zealots and unemployed Afghan, Arab and Pakistani mercenaries to take over the liberation struggle. From a noble uprising it generated into an ugly fanaticism. The result: Pakistan became the unwitting foil of Indian propaganda. Pakistan’s image as a fanatic state was further strengthened when ours became the only state in the world to support the Taliban. Even China, Pakistan’s sole friend, gave up on us once we started exporting fanatics and narcotics to China. Unwittingly we destroyed the moral underpinning of the Kashmir liberation movement. The mud sludge of terrorism got stuck to the good cause and Kashmir lost its case in the forum of world opinion.
I commend the bold, wise and focused policy of President Musharraf in search of an “out of box” solution. I respect the passion of Mr Khalid Hasan for all the tortured people of Jammu and Kashmir, and I include in this category Kashmiri pundits who have suffered great losses, humiliation, exile and insult at the hands of terrorists and the Indian occupation army in the valley. In my view, a policy reversal would border on the insane.
M. P. BHANDARA
MNA, Rawalpindi
I REFER to Mr Salahuddin Ahmad’s article (May 5) which contains the usual outpourings of vitriol against the PCB and the team management. Obviously disappointed at our cricket team’s success, Mr Ahmad seems to have, this time, scraped the bottom of the barrel to twist facts to tally with his spurious arguments. Here are a few laughable conclusions that he has arrived at:
Pakistan’s success in India is not really worth celebrating because we only beat the third worst team in the world — better only than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Were it not for the sterling efforts of the new masseur and manager, the team would have collapsed in a spate of injuries and uncontrollable indiscipline.
Apart from two members of the national squad, the remaining 19 were ‘vastly experienced’, including, we presume, Kamran Akmal, Yasir Hameed, Rao Iftikhar, Salman Butt, Rana Naveed, Danish Kaneria, Shahid Nazir and Arshad Khan. Accordingly, Mr Ahmad implies that the team should not be called ‘young and inexperienced’ and defeating India was, therefore, not much of an achievement.
To place Mr Ahmad’s facts into perspective, it needs to be recognized that neither the PCB nor the team initiated the grand welcome given to them in Islamabad. This initiative came from the managing director of Pakistan Television, who correctly gauged the joyous, congratulatory mood of the entire nation which Mr Ahmad has attempted to damn with faint praise. His remarks are in total disharmony with the pride of the nation and felicitations received from all over the world. Secondly, the appointment of Mr Abbas Zaidi and Mr Riaz Mahmood (who is far from being an octogenarian) have been made on the basis of a transparent process of selection through advertisement, short-listing, interviews by an independent committee and formal confirmation. The salaries for the directors have been approved by the ad hoc committee and are far from ‘astronomical’. Furthermore, annual and special audits of the PCB are meticulously maintained and updated.
Finally, Mr Ahmad has stated that senior members of the board are ineffectual. Your readers would like to ask Mr Ahmad as to how the highly successful women’s championship was organized for the first time in the country’s history, how the ongoing schools championship, in which 468 schools are participating, has been arranged, how the record crowd in the highly successful Twenty-20 national championship was staged, how the PCB has been able to obtain high-profile multinational sponsors for the first class programme, schools and club cricket, and how the districts are being provided with grounds and equipment to organize the game at grassroots’ level. All these activities were made possible through sustained efforts and organizational ability of senior members of the board. All this could not happen by default.
SHAHARYAR M. KHAN
Chairman, PCB
Lahore
THE US and other western countries have become increasingly concerned about the growing number of poorly educated and unemployed youths who pose a security threat to the world as demonstrated by the terrorist attacks on 9/11. “Some of the conclusions reached by these groups are based on poor information about the state of education in the Muslim world in general and in Pakistan in particular” says the opening para of the educative article by Mr Shahid Javed Burki regarding the necessity to change and improve our educational system (April 26).
The writer says a total of $1.4 billion has already been committed by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and the US is providing $100 million worth of support for our educational purpose. But the same day there is an announcement from Washington that the Pentagon and the US State Department have joined hands to chalk out a programme to counter the tens of millions of real and potential jihadis (Dawn, April 26).
Countering means killing. Killing before the huge amount can be utilized to improve the image of our students and educational system which would include the madressahs.
Like several other countries, Pakistan also needs immediate reforms not only in the educational system but almost all other areas. But shouldn’t we need have our own perceptions and programmes for our educational system, away from non-issues and negative foreign pressures for the good of our country and our people? Haven’t Chinese and Indian leaders proved this?
The 9/11 attacks shattered America’s well-established military strategy. Till it finds an alternative, about half a decade or more away, it would have to magnify the terror threat and it will make numerous demands from its Muslim allies.
Z. A. KAZMI
Karachi
I WOULD like to share with your readers a rather bizarre incident. A few months ago, a well-known restaurant in Karachi launched an attractive consumer offer. Their sales representative called at our house and offered to sell us a discount coupon card which would enable us to buy two items at the price of one. The validity of the coupons was for a “life-time” or till we had used up all the coupons — there were 32 coupons on the laminated card. I rang up the restaurant which confirmed that the offer was genuine. Since we have a household with three children who often have friends over for group study and had to be served meals at short notice, I thought the offer was a good investment and bought the coupon card.
We used the coupons on a few occasions but on April 2 when my daughter rang them up to place an order under this scheme, she was told that this discount scheme had been discontinued from March 31. We were shocked and could not believe that a reputable business house could do such a thing. I wrote to the chief executive but to date there has been no reply.
M. ISHRAT HASAN
Karachi
ADMINISTRATIVE posts in the education department, such as EDO, DEO, Dy DEO and ADEO, are attractive positions craved by all those employed in the education sector.
In an attempt to get themselves appointed against these prized positions, people try to win over ministers, MNAs and MPAs. Once appointed, these officers work according to the wishes and dictates of their benefactors rather than according to merit, integrity and the good of the education system.
Since politicians are often more interested in safeguarding their vote bank than anything else. The result very often is substandard and “ghost” schools.
To reduce this problem, it is recommended that administrative posts in the education sector be filled through the Public Service Commission. And the PSC should only consider applications from employees in the education department. Such a structural reorganization of the education sector will help improve the administrative and supervisory skills of the education officers since they will no longer be constantly afraid of being removed by their benefactors.
SAIFULLAH MIAN KHEL
Dera Ismail Khan
THIS is with reference to Ms Amra Javed’s letter (April 22). Instead of following the spirit of Islam, we as a nation have fallen into the habit of following rituals that are not even closely associated with the religion. Perusing through the history of Islam one finds no evidence whatsoever which may even closely indicate that the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was celebrated either in his time or during the era of the pious caliphs. The reason was quite simple: Islam is not ritualistic.
In his last sermon, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself said: “After my death do not make my grave a place of worship.” The spirit of the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) is something that we have forgotten. His primary aim was to make the world a better place by ensuring justice — economic, political and social — for every member of society. His entire life was centred on a key principle: tolerance. We are as intolerant as anyone can be. Simplicity was yet another striking feature of the life of this splendid person. By lighting up every nook and corner of the city, taking out parades and causing hardships to the common man, aren’t we deleting that little factor out of our lives?
Also we must not forget that a major segment of Karachi sleeps on sidewalks and barely has enough to eat. A majority of our “accused” entangled in our criminal justice system do not have enough resources to get legally represented in our courts of law. There are many other problems that could be cited ad infinitum.
The moral question we must ask ourselves is that is our responsibility towards society only to cherish the day of birth of a man who abhorred personal glamour and lived a life of exemplary simplicity or to establish a true Islamic welfare society based on his teachings? A question every admirer of the Prophet (PBUH) must ponder.
SAAD KHAN
Karachi
IN the recent Davis Cup, Aisamul Haq created history when he clearly knocked off Lu Yen of Taiwan. Such a crushing defeat put Pakistan for the very first time in the World Cup qualifiers. Hence, it’s being proved to the world that it’s not only cricket, hockey or squash — beware of our tennis players as well.
Keeping this in view, the tennis team was honoured and rewarded by the president a few days back. Unfortunately, the media stands still, with eyes closed. PTV could spare five to seven hours on a live telecast for the encouragement of the cricket team.
But tennis players who have placed Pakistan among the qualifiers of the Davis Cup received no such coverage — no special interviews, highlights of the matches played, the views of the people.
It’s not only the duty of the government, but also of the media to promote our tennis team.
NAUREEN BILAL
Lahore
THE US at present has about 139,000 soldiers in Iraq. In spite of this large deployment, recently nine blasts took place in a span of one hour. The most wanted Zarqawi has managed to escape from the dragnet of butter-fingered pursuers on several occasions.
The US soldiers, it seems, are confined to the green zones and Saddam’s palaces, while the people of Iraq are left at the mercy of ill-equipped recruits who daily risk their lives.
The self-invited guests are probably waiting for a hidden agenda or they are imitating the porcelain soldiers placed in ancient China to deceive invading armies.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
WITH reference to the letter published on April 28, I fully support Group Captain (retd) Sultan Mahmood Hali and wish to put across my own grievances.
The DHA is for all three forces and not for the army alone. It is pertinent to mention that the DHA Lahore has also been allotting plots only to army officers of 15 years of commissioned service whereas naval and PAF officers of even 20 years of service are being denied allotment.
This discrimination is incomprehensible. I request the president of Pakistan to look into the matter so that equal share is given to all three forces in the DHA schemes.
CDR (RETD) A. J. KHWAJA
Rawalpindi
MS Filza Baig (May 1) has rightly drawn attention towards a very humane issue. But will it not be more appropriate to first inculcate a culture of “In Defence of Humans” (IDH) that will subsequently induce IDA?
During British times and for a few years afterwards there used to be an effective organization called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which was managed by unknown Samaritans.
Unfortunately, like other such institutions it also suffered degeneration and died out.
Efforts of some citizens to revive this society did not bear fruit, probably because today it is the man who is more “in distress” than the animal.
VETERINARY M. SAYEDAIN
Karachi
THE Sultanate of Oman is shortly going to implement (from June) a policy in terms of which several thousand Pakistanis who have for the last several years been working there legally or gainfully employed or having shops and small businesses in Oman would be rendered jobless and would have to return to Pakistan. Already thousands have been deported from Oman.
In the circumstances it is most imperative and urgent for our government to take up the matter with Omanese authorities at the highest level and save such Pakistanis and their families from complete ruination, financially or otherwise.
Our treasury would also lose a huge amount of foreign exchange, which these ex-pats remit every month, in addition to overburdening our economy with another lot of unemployed and frustrated citizens.
ZAHID ARTABAN
Karachi
THIS refers to letters “Real estate boom” by Shah Nawaz Hussain (April 28) and Mr Sajjad Tariq (May 5). In both the letters, problems of Pakistan’s economy and Pakistanis themselves were highlighted.
It’s a fact that for the last 15 years not a single house has been constructed in Phase VIII of the DHA, but the price of land is sky-rocketing. This was happening under the nose of the authorities.
The price bubble is going to bust soon in the same way as it happened with the KSE. When people lose money, then they will form committees and again wait and see.
In this boom, the country is losing. What Shah Nawaz Husain wanted to say was that an overseas Pakistani could bring $1 to Pakistan and after a few years of investment in real estate could take away $10. Is this fair?
IQTIDAR H. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
THIS has reference to your editorial “Festering wounds” (April 25). Mr Junichiro Koizumi’s apology at the Asia-Africa summit in Jakarta for Japan’s “colonial rule and aggression” equals the late John Paul’s apology to the whole world some years back for the Crusades. It takes a lot for them to have done this and has much to say about their characters.
We will appreciate if the heads of the US and other countries apologized not only for wrongs done in the past but the atrocities being carried out even as this is written. But only few have learnt from history even in the so-called civilized and developed countries.
S. BABAR
Karachi
I WOULD like to quote two of Maulana Samiul Haq’s statements, which are available on an Internet website.
1. “If the US attacks Iraq, the MMA alliance and all their supporters will attack Washington and Tel Aviv”.— Islamabad, March 2003.
2. “The Taliban are a symbol of Islam. This will be a long war against the infidel forces. They want to eliminate Muslims”. — Karachi, Oct 26, 2001.
Do we expect the Europeans and Americans to still remain polite with us?
RASHID ASHRAF
Karachi
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