| May 18, 2005 | Wednesday | Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1426 |
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Cotton crop estimates
Dog bite cases
Cellphone blues
DHA teaching staff
The Thirteenth Tribe
‘Where the tail wags the body’
Sectarian harmony
Water scarcity
NIT refunds
Iraq elections
Rabi-ul-Awwal celebrations
Mediocrity on the rise
Clifton beach
THE report about the desecration of the Holy Quran by American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay was shocking. As this had happened after the shameful treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and especially Iraq where some prisoners were even dragged by dogs’ leashes, the Americans simply did not have any excuse for such behaviour.
President Bush or his senior officials took no credible measures to investigate these abuses. Dr Condoleezza Rice has spoken now only after protests by “America’s Muslim allies”.
As far as the Washington Times cartoonist’s depiction of Pakistan as a dog is concerned, the paper has expressed its regrets. However, it has pointed out that as far as an apology by Mr Bush is concerned, US presidents cannot prevent a cartoon’s publication.
During the British Labour party’s election campaign, one of their advertisements had shown the faces of opposition leader Michael Howard and his finance spokesman, both of whom are Jews, imposed on pigs with wings. This had greatly angered the Jews because pork is considered unclean according to their dietary laws. As a result, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair tendered an apology (Dawn, Feb 19).
In another episode, London mayor Ken Livingston, who was being pestered by a Jewish reporter, had compared him — but not all Jews — to a concentration camp guard. This minor affair, too, had outraged the Jews and even Mr Blair had jumped into the fray by asking the mayor to apologize. So, why can’t Mr Bush be contrite?
The point is that in today’s global village it is very surprising that well-educated and well-travelled Americans with resources such as those enjoyed by the top US newspapers are ignorant of Muslim sensibilities. This only shows these sensibilities do not matter for them.
Like the Jews, the world’s Muslims should not let any provocation go unchecked. An independent — and not military — court of inquiry including American and Muslim human rights representatives must investigate the defilement of the Holy Book and punish the guilty severely. We would like to have good relations with the US, as with other countries, but it must be on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect. Barring that, our rulers should stop dancing to the tune of those who insult all that is sacred to the Muslims.
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
THE estimate for the cotton yield in 2004-05 was first placed at 10.7 million bales, which was revised upwards to 14.6m bales by the Cotton Production Plan Committee of Pakistan. Increases in cotton yield were also reported from the US, China, India and other countries (Dawn EBR, May 9).
Why there was an increase in the cotton yield all over the world was not mentioned. Cotton is not only a source of fibre and foreign exchange for us but is also a source of cooking oil, cottonseed cake and meal for feeding cattle and poultry. In an article, “Formula for disaster’ (Dawn, Scitech, May 7), Dr Ashfaq A. Qureshi pointed out that dairy cattle are given cotton meal as feed and are subjected to hormonal stimulation for increasing milk production. The consumers are compelled to drink traces of hormone that are injected into the cattle. The hormone is a genetically engineered drug. Its use has banned in Europe because of a possible link to cancer.
It is, therefore, good news that biosafety rules have been notified by the government of Pakistan to check movement of harmful genetically engineered organisms. However, it is not clear how the biosafety rules will improve the yield of existing crops and protect crops from the attack of pests and parasites. Biosafety rules have been enacted to monitor the adverse effects, if any, in genetically engineered organisms for safeguarding the health of human beings and the environment. Eco- friendly genetically engineered organisms are being used extensively to increase food and fibre production and for the management of pollution and upgradation of environment.
The world is at the threshold of greatest advancements in agriculture technology that are directed in particular against poverty, hunger and misery, and in general for the welfare of human beings.
DR M. JALALUDDIN
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter “Dog bite incident” (May 7). It is sad that a boy was bitten by a stray dog within the premises of Karachi’s Safari Park. Dog-bite cases are increasing day by day in Karachi. Approximately 10 to15 fresh cases of dog bite come daily to each of the three big public sector hospitals of the city. The population of stray dogs is also increasing and they are found everywhere, even in parks, where people should feel secure — at least from stray dogs.
According to the statistics of the city government, there are approximately 100,000 stray dogs in Karachi. A majority of dog-bite victims cannot write to newspapers and do not even register their complaints anywhere. The unfortunate situation is that there are no anti-rabies vaccines and anti-rabies immunoglobulin available in any of the public-sector hospital in Karachi. The victims have to buy these vaccines from the market at an approximate cost of Rs2,500. If the dog-bite wound is on the head or the face, then the chances of hydrophobia increase. Immunoglobulin is also then needed that costs Rs5,000 to Rs40,000, depending upon the weight of the patient.
The PMA, Karachi, is doing its best to create public awareness through seminars, lectures and discussions about the prevention, treatment and complications that occur after dog bites. As victims are mostly school-going children, parents are advised to take precautionary measures and try to attend the PMA public awareness programme for different diseases at the PMA House, Aga Khan III Road, Karachi, or contact on telephone 2251159.
DR S.M. QAISAR SAJJAD
Honorary General Secretary, PMA,
Karachi
I am an old user of a mobile telephone service. I keep reading of concern shown by Pemra regarding poor services. However, it has failed to initiate concrete steps to ensure that mobile company clients are provided proper services. Not only that, clients are forced to make unnecessary extra calls by the following means:
a. A call may disconnect automatically within half-a-minute.
b. False missed calls are displayed.
c. Even after a connection is made, the caller is unable to communicate with the receiver.
d. While travelling you may experience a complete blackout of transmission or the receiver party’s voice.
e. During conversation the connection snaps and caller receives a network busy message.
LT-COL (retd) MUHAMMAD ALI KHAN
Karachi
RECENTLY there has been a rise in the trend of using cellphones, given the cut-throat competition amongst service providers and the sale of cheap brands and used cellphones. While it must be considered a blessing that communication has increased, caution must be exercised not to misuse the facility.
It has been noticed that many schoolgoing children are also using cellphones without restrain to send messages and give missed calls to their friends even while classes are in progress. Presumably they are influenced by scores of advertisements on television and in newspapers, glorifying the cellphone.
It is recommended that the use of mobile phones should be banned in schools and colleges, and a law should be passed to restrict users below 21 years of age, in line with the law restricting cellphone use while driving.
NUDRAT SHAKIR
Karachi
HAVING been an educationist for about 30 years, I am both dismayed and amused to read the ongoing controversy between Karachi’s DHA education authorities and the teachers of the DHA schools. Such unnecessary controversies have an extremely negative effect on the students of the institutions concerned.
I feel that the DHA authorities have made the Saturday attendance of teachers a prestige point. The plea forwarded by the DHA that the teachers are called on Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon for modification / revision of syllabi, etc, is not sustainable. Is the syllabus revised and modified on a weekly basis? If so, it is most alarming that a standard syllabus is not being followed. If the teachers come and prepare for the next week, that too is not understandable because in three hours they cannot prepare for a whole week. Actually preparations for the next day are done on a daily basis and the teachers are responsible enough not to be forced by the DHA authorities to do their preparation work.
The DHA authorities are also said to be planning to slash the summer vacation of teachers. Do they realize that a teacher is a parent also and their vacation plans are often tied up with others in the family?
To run an educational institution, one has to have tact and vision, which the DHA authorities seem to be lacking. I have seen many good schools being ruined because of such attitudes.
SIBTAIN KAZMI
Karachi
MR Irfan Hussain’s article “The Thirteenth Tribe” (May 7) cannot be understood properly unless it is read in conjunction with the historical facts of Jews, Judaism and Zionism. After all what was God’s promise to Abraham? Genesis 15:18 says: “On that day the Lord made a Covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land — from the river of Egypt to the great river, Euphrates.’”
Who were the descendants? The descendants were Ismail and his younger brother Isaac who was 13 years younger. They both were from Abraham’s seed. So the land between the Nile and Euphrates belongs to their descendants.
It is true that of all religions Judaism is the nearest to Islam and according to Torah they both have a God-given right to settle in the Promised Land.
To say that “until the ancient land of Israel is restored to the Jews, the second coming (of Jesus) and, therefore, the Armageddon will not occur is a ploy and a twist to have Christians on the side of Jews. But the whole Talmud is historical proof of the fact that in the past the Jews were the worst prosecutors of Christians.
And “chosen people” does not mean the best people but people worthy to receive the Torah.
ABDUL WAHEED KHAN
Karachi
IN his article, “Where the tail wags the body” (Dawn, May12), Dr Mubashir Hassan has very ably analyzed the hold of the strongly entrenched civil and military bureaucracy in our country. What he has described is what has been in existence from the British period. With his experience and intellectual level one would expect him to show us a way out — provide a solution. A mere recounting of woes is likely to serve no purpose except spreading despondency.
Any power-wielding organization, more so a civil and military bureaucracy, tends to perpetuate itself, becoming a Frankenstein’s monster, in due course, if not controlled by checks and balances. In our case it has grown into a tiger of the famous limerick.
Then, can someone ride it at all? Yes. Only leaders with great character. You cannot get power through compromise with the tiger and then try to ride it too. You cannot be calling the army to remove the incumbent chief executive and then go back to the barracks after installing you in the chair. You cannot, as a minister, ask a senior civil servant to bend the rules for you to take material advantage and then straighten up the “bent rule” for others. One unethical step leads to another, until as a nation you start to groan under the heap of wrongs.
I feel there is still time to mend. Though almost all players of the game seem to be equally engrossed in the idea of usurping whatever little assets of this unfortunate nation are left, they should realize that setting the ground rules and abiding by them shall help everyone. Openly, or behind the scene, they should discuss and formulate these rules and then observe them at all cost. I know the patent reply: “agencies” won’t let them do it. Agreed, they can be deterred from collective action but no one can stop them from living by their ideals individually.
If one shows some character at times of crises and gives some sacrifice, that will induce others to follow, until the “characterless” are reduced to a minority in due course of time. That and only that seems to be the way to rein in the genie that has, unfortunately, been let out of the bottle.
MALIK MUBASHIR AHMAD MAJOKA
Sargodha
According to a report in Dawn on April 24 from Peshawar, the political authorities in Kurram Agency have set up a conflict resolution forum to work for maintaining sectarian harmony. It consists of 100 representatives, parliamentarians, elders of tribes and sectarian groups who will decide all issues relating to sectarian divide.
This sane accord is to be welcomed, and I ask the well-wishers of the nation to form a committee of senior and leading ulema and intellectuals of every religious sect, including unbiased researchers, so that we can have an accord on the national level.
Even if there cannot for the time being be an understanding on religious matters, any reduction in violent disagreement will be a great step towards sectarian harmony.
S.M. KAZIM NAQVI
Karachi
FOR the last two months an artificial water scarcity has been created in Block 7, Kehkashan, KDA Scheme 5, Karachi. For the last two years, ever since the water distribution was supervised by the nazim of the area, people living in Block 7 had no water problems. I wonder why the nazim is sitting quiet.
The scarcity is so severe that we do not get enough water for cleaning and household use, leave aside the gardens which are dying out. An average household pays Rs11,000 to Rs15,000 per annum as water tax, yet we do not even get a reasonable quantity of water.
There is an evil nexus between the KSWB, the valve men and the tanker mafia. No amount of visits or telephone calls get any response. The only response one gets is to buy tanker water. Is this not double taxation? Is this Islamic? I appeal to the NAB to investigate the matter and take the culprits to task. NAB should not only focus on the politicians; there is corruption beyond the politicians too.
AFFECTED
Karachi
THE National Investment Trust is a reputable set-up. I wish all its procedures should be transparent. I surrendered some of my NIT units some months ago at the head office. All forms were filled by me in duplicate. I even had to sign a “Receipt of pay order”. When I went to receive the pay order, no written letter was given as to the rate at which the NIT units were encashed.
The staff should tell the client the rate at the time of surrender of NIT units and the bank pay order should be signed by the person receiving the document.
DR M. MEHAR
Karachi
FOLLOWING the Iraq elections, the appointment of a Kurd as president of Iraq has ended almost eight centuries of isolation of the Kurds since the Crusades that also gave birth to the famous hero, also a Kurd, known as “the Talisman” — Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi the Magnificent.
KHANZADA EMRAN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to letters in these columns under the headline “Rabi-ul-Awwal celebrations”. I wonder why some people take cover behind social problems to oppose the celebrations. Illumination, processions and meetings are among ways to remember the benefactor of mankind, who was sent as a mercy unto both the worlds.
There is no logic in the argument that since no celebrations took place during the times of the Holy Prophet or the Pious Caliphs, it should not be done now. Times have changed our lifestyle has changed and with it customs, practices and norms can change, if they do not affect the fundamentals of the religion.
Similarly, it will be wrong to assume that all our economic, political and social problems will be solved if we stop celebrating the religious events and do not illuminate streets and buildings or hold rallies and meetings.
Spreading the Holy Prophet’s message and promulgating all that the word “seerat” encompasses have changed the lives of countless men in countless generations.
Speeches and sermons highlighting the salient features of the Holy Prophet’s life — his mission, and the way he achieved it, his conduct while being persecuted, and his generosity and spirit of forgiveness when he had turned the tables and was himself a conqueror, his behaviour as a father, husband, friend, neighbour, judge, lawgiver, head of state, soldier, peacemaker and mediator — in no way stand in the way of a solution to the grave problems that afflict us at present.
UMME HANI
Multan
I READ with interest Mr Tasneem Siddiqui’s article on the rise of mediocrity in Pakistan (May 7). Mediocrity allied to obsequiousness has been an unfailing combination for success in many areas of activity, especially public service.
Following the atrophy of political life in the post-1958 years, corruption registered an exponential increase. Mediocrity and obsequiousness were both a cause and effect of this development. In varying degrees tolerance of corruption exists in most Third World countries. But Pakistan seems to be the only country where the reputedly corrupt are admired and adulated. The rise to political eminence of Asif Zardari illustrates my point.
BIRJIS HASAN KHAN
Karachi
I HAVE followed the comments of Mr V. A. Jaffery on Karachi’s Clifton beach project. His recent letter “Clifton beach” (May 8) speaks volumes of the military rulers’ apathy towards the public welfare. When a very eminent citizen of Pakistan criticizes the project, authority is expected to sit up and listen. The cry of anguish of Mr V. A. Jaffery has so far only moved the authorities to the extent of directing a khaki to respond (letter from DHA PRO, March 24).
If this is redress of grievance when Mr Jaffery is bewailing the action of the authority in patronizing the mafia of land grabbers, then one can imagine the futility of shouting for our rights.
ZAFAR OMER
Lahore
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