Mukhtaran Mai case

YOUR news report (June 11) stating that a three-member review board of the Lahore High Court declined a request by the Punjab government seeking extension in the period of detention of the 13 persons accused in the Mukhtaran Mai case of June 2002 has come as a shock to all believers in human rights.

While the honourable judges may have had their reasons for this decision, we, the members of the WAF (Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad chapters) and the JAC (comprising 85 women’s rights, human rights and civil society organizations) strongly regret a decision that has led to the release of the accused rapists within a mere three months. These accused persons include those who have reportedly threatened to murder Mukhtaran Mai. She has already intimated the provincial home department about these threats.

She is being further punished for the “crime of being a victim” by her name being placed on the exit control list, and she is therefore unable to accept an invitation from Amnesty International, London.

The president, prime minister and senior ministers have been promising justice and removal of gender disparities. No amount of plans and programmes can succeed in the absence of basic human rights. We urge that steps be taken to ensure justice to Mukhtaran Mai. Such actions tarnish the image of Pakistan, not the visit abroad by any victim.

WAF & JAC
Via email

THIS latest gem from a moderately enlightened government is appalling and makes us ask, “What in the name of God is going on?.”

Mukhtaran Mai is under “protective house arrest” and is on the exit control list while the accused are being set free. The official reasons are that she will stay in the country so that she can be provided justice, and she should not leave the country before the case is over and that she should not generate any bad press for Pakistan.

Very few people in this country have shown the kind of courage this woman has, so one doesn’t think Islamabad needs to worry about her running away and not finishing her fight.

As far as the avoidance of a bad press abroad goes, we can fill pages with analysis and dissections of the idiocy of this point of view, but what one would like to know is: which genius is responsible for this decision?

Could our president and prime minister please stop touring the globe and get to the bottom of this?

ZUBAIR KAZMI
Karachi

‘Sectarianism’

THIS refers to the article “Sectarianism: failure of security forces” by Anwer Sindhu (Dawn, June 10). The writer admits that he had gone to Bari Imam two days after the May 27 incident but while analyzing a sensitive topic he has described a moderate personality such as Agha Syed Hamid Ali, enjoying a high status within and outside the community, as a “radical”.

The Tehrik Nifaz Fiqh-i-Jafariya is neither violent nor radical. The Bari Imam bombing was not the first incident in the twin cities; many other incidents had taken place there. One was the Masjid Shah-i-Najaf incident and the other the assassination of Aun Muhammad Rizvi. Had Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi not wisely tackled the post- incident situation on both occasions, Rawalpindi and Islamabad would have seen grave trouble. Had he not controlled the zaireen and participants of the Majlis-i-Aza gathered at Bari Imam on May 27, the flames may have singed many. Agha Moosavi remained on the spot and not only addressed the Majlis-i-Aza but also led the Azadari procession and monitored its safe conclusion.

By radical if it is meant following the principles of religion, then the prophets and their pious inheritors also followed that path. Were they radicals also?

Agha Moosavi, according to the writer, was scheduled to make a “rare appearance”. The fact is that he has been regularly addressing this majlis for the last quarter of a century.

The mazar of Hazrat Bari Imam was given in the control of the Auqaf department in the Ayub era. The Bari Imam’s “gaddi nashin”, mentioned by the writer, is not a Syed and belongs to another province. Agha Moosavi has never claimed to be the “gaddi nashin”.

Agha Moosavi’s moderation has always been recognized. He has made suggestions to every government for rooting out terrorism and presented peace formula comprising 859 pages in the Supreme Court of Pakistan when the then chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah had taken suo motu notice of terrorism. President Pervez Musharraf enforced the Anti-Terrorism Act keeping the Moosavi peace formula in view and put restrictions on radical organizations that were pushing the country towards terrorism. It is a separate issue that the Anti-Terrorism Act introduced by President Musharraf has not been implemented and restricted groups are not only working under new names but are included in political alliances, government and opposition committees and government councils.

WAJIH-UL-HASSAN SYED
Islamabad

A mosque in Minnesota

A LOT is being said and written in the post-9/11 world about the poor treatment of the Muslims living in America but very little is reported about what the Muslims do to “endear” themselves to the communities among which they have chosen to live.

An old friend of mine who is happily settled in the state of Minnesota for many years is actively involved in local community affairs and frequents a mosque located in close proximity to a big church in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul.

The church officials were kind enough to allow the mosque-goers (the “brothers” and “sisters”, as my friend refers to them) free use of the church’s ample parking lot with the only condition that a specific row in the parking lot must always be left for use of the church officials. But the “brothers” would arrive late for prayers and park their cars wherever they could, including the reserved spots (even double park), and make a dash to the mosque.

The church officials mentioned the problem to the mosque officials, notices were sent out, and even announcements were made during the Friday sermon, but to no avail.

This went on for about six months and finally the church officials, when they felt they had had enough, called the police who ticketed the violators, and the tow-truck did the rest.

The “brothers” were outraged and let out their anger on the mosque officials.

But then they started parking their cars in the neighbourhood, blocking people’s driveways. The neighbours lodged numerous complaints with the imam, the police issued warnings and yet our “brothers” persisted. The neighbours got fed up and the more angry among them one day vandalized the mosque. Come Friday, the imam delivered a fiery speech on increasing incidence of hate crimes in America.

This is a typical example of how some of the imams here exploit the freedom of speech guaranteed under the US Constitution by giving vent to their unfounded anger. Incidentally, the damage caused to the mosque was fixed by another church group free of charge.

AZIZ AKHMAD
New York

Assisted fertility referendum

THE Italian people deserve commendation for rejecting the assisted fertility referendum that sought to overturn key provisions in a law passed last year that bans donations of sperm and eggs; defines life as beginning at conception; and allows fertility treatment only to “stable heterosexual couples” who are living together and can prove infertility.

In heeding the pleas of Pope Benedict XVI to boycott the referendum, which required a 50 per cent turnout, the Italian people voiced a resounding “yes” to life and “no” to a creeping culture of death.

Reproductive technologies such as in-vitro fertilization which are used to produce embryos are done so in laboratories where they are observed and manipulated. Here, a relationship of domination of researchers over their embryonic subjects exists which not only opens the door to new threats against life but is contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children.

On a biological level the pre-natal being is not like any other tissue: it is human with its own DNA indicating that it has the same fundamental and moral right to life as any other human being.

Hopefully the awareness of these scientific truths will awaken people and governments around the globe to their moral obligation to support the natural generation of human life and protect it in all phases of its existence from conception to natural death.

PAUL KOKOSKI Ontario,
Canada

World Blood Donors Day

AS typical Pakistanis, we don’t have time to think over problems until they assume gigantic proportions.

Throughout the world, June 14 is celebrated as Blood Donors Day. This day is commemorated to encourage people to donate blood for saving other people’s life. Blood donation is a sacred act, for everyday millions of lives are saved because of blood donated by those who love humanity and their fellow human beings. They are a contrast to those maniacal suicide killers, who take away the lives of their fellow human beings.

But, unfortunately in our country, this noble task of donating blood has also become a rotten business. According to the report printed in an English-language daily, around 20 per cent of blood donors are professionals who carry with them a serious threat. According to recent surveys in Pakistan, a large number of HIV/Aids patients have got this disease from unsafe blood transfusions. Blood is given to a person in the hope that it is going to save his life, but some times it brings death instead. Most of the time these professional blood donors are drug addicts and the ratio of HIV/Aids patients among drug addicts is as high as 25 per cent in our own country. Buying blood from professionals can be highly dangerous and fatal. But people are forced to buy blood from these professionals because of the faulty systems of blood banks, blood storage and distribution in hospitals.

If we want to control the spread of HIV/Aids and prevent it from reaching a generalized epidemic level, we will have to take serious steps to curb the practice of professional blood-selling and encourage blood donations from common citizens. Moreover, we should introduce comprehensive blood screening systems not only in major cities but even in small towns and cities so that no unsafe blood finds its way to the market.

AFTAB AHMED AWAN
Islamabad

Kashmir solution

THIS refers to the letter by Mr Zeeshan Ahmad (June 13).

A viable and unanimously acceptable Kashmir solution should broadly encompass the following main parameters:

a) Acceptability to all parties. This can only be possible in a “no-win no-lose” situation.

b) Continuity of the agreed arrangements beyond the tenures of the governments involved. As any government or movement which is party to the dispute would like to take full credit for any breakthrough, and any solution within the tenures of the governments has become increasingly alluring, the matter would continue to defy all efforts with such vested interests. If the parties involved agree to put the matter beyond their party interests, which is difficult to believe at present, only then continuity can be expected in the efforts. This however can be achieved quite easily by adopting a “phased programme”. The first step of such a programme should be on the “mechanism to stop hostilities”.

c) As a hostile climate has already exceeded the lifespan of many leaders involved, there is need for a relatively long period of a “hostility-free climate”. This can be agreed upon as the first phase of the solution, in the following manner:

1) To agree on a non-violence period based upon the CBMs already in place. A two to five-year period can be agreed.

2) The armed forces’ budgets to be revised by Pakistan

and India with a view to allocating funds saved to the develop funds for the respective areas.

3) India and Pakistan to establish “development plan implementation teams” from their respective areas of “controlled Kashmirs” and given the task of reconstruction.

4) Deploy teams from the armed forces to supervise reconstruction work. This should be done with a resolve to remove any negative image of the armed forces in each area.

d) The second phase should address areas like “future leadership grooming”. The old school leadership has become rigid to such an extent that it may be difficult to achieve any give and take e) The rapidly changing world might create a new order in time.

The single most important factor may be an economic revival in the subcontinent. Any agreement on non-violence in the region would pave the way for quicker establishment of an economic union.

A comprehensive fine tuning of the programme will help reach a solution to the Kashmir issue. When we are talking about so many options, there is no harm in giving this also a try.

M. SAEED
Islamabad

Karachi’s Civil Hospital

APROPOS of Dr Shabi Ahmad’s letter (June 7), this is to add nothing but the whole truth about the functioning of the Civil Hospital, Karachi.

At present, one professor of surgery is entrusted with the job of the health secretary of Sindh, and yet another professor of surgery is busy running the hectic office of the medical superintendent at the Civil Hospital, Karachi. One worthy professor of medicine is at the helm of affairs of the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) as vice-chancellor, and another professor of medicine is required to hold the office of principal. One professor of paediatrics and one from the department of ophthalmology are willingly working full time for projects outside the hospital.

It is disheartening to see this sorry state of affairs at the tertiary-status hospital of this mega city. It appears that nobody in the health department is ready to look at these problems and offer a solution. The professor referred to by the correspondent was assaulted for trying to change the rotten system. The enthusiasm infused by him is still existent and even today in his absence his colleagues are efficiently running medical unit-I, and one endoscopy unit is working fine.

Before criticizing the professor (who is still living with his severe injuries and already has shown his disinterest in continuing as head of medical unit-I) one should be worrying about the power play in our system.

DR HABIB-UR-RAHMAN
SOOMRO
Karachi

Event for the disabled

I BELONG to a reputable health institution of Karachi that contributes significantly to the care of individuals with special needs. Recently, at an event held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) to inform the public about a pilot programme for job placements for such people, I noticed with disappointment that the auditorium had no means of easy access — or if it did, the entrance was unequivocally off limits. Having a physical limitation myself, I was not able to attend the function and represent my institution.

The event was sponsored by the CPSP, Shell Pakistan, the Oxford University Press, ICI, HSBC and the British Council. I can understand when people with no exposure or empathy to the needs of people with differences commit such oversights, but inattention by organizations such as these and, especially for an event concerning those with learning (and occasionally accompanied by physical) differences, calls for an indictment.

I hope that the whole mindset of “considering people with differences, different from the rest of us” would change soon enough.

It should not be difficult to imagine that individuals such as those being shown as having benefited from the programme could also be a part of the audience.

Z. A. N.
Karachi

Advani on Jinnah

THIS refers to the letter by Mr Hira Gulrajani (June 12). The partition of the subcontinent 57 years ago is a strange and complex phenomenon in human history that it bore colossal miseries resulting from mindless killing of peaceful and innocent people.

Millions of people were involuntarily made to leave their homes, where they had existed for thousands of years, for safety of life, in commotion and fear. There are millions of accounts of events such as the one the writer has recalled. Imagine Sikhs chasing Muslim women and children migrating on foot to unknown destinations and killing them while they begged for their life. Not a single leader of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims has ever apologized on the trauma of partition, although recently Germany and Japan have done so. Unfortunately everyone believes that they were right and they did so for the glory of their religion.

What lies in the black-box of partition? Nobody has ever taken the courage to know how and why human beings were so disgraced. Who sparked the communal riots that led to the mindless killings? It is not clear to a majority of people whether the 1947 partition of the subcontinent was based on religion or fear of coercion by the majority.

The Quaid-i-Azam warned several times of dangers of bringing religion into politics. Perhaps no one could see what the great leader saw. This is what Advani has boldly and courageously admitted at the mazar of the Quaid.

PROF ALI MUHAMMAD ALVI
Islamabad

Mideast Hospital

IT is indeed tragic that the Mideast Hospital has shut its doors and those seeking healthcare have been deprived of a much needed facility that served a large segment of the population.

The facility must be restored, if not by the original owners, then by a new group, even if it is regarded as a commercial venture. We need hospital facilities in Karachi’s Clifton, just like we do in the rest of the city — and indeed the country.

MS REHMAT EBRAHIM
Karachi

Used cars

EVER since the budget, car manufacturers are making a big hue and cry against the reduction of depreciation on used cars. The government should stick to its decision as it is beneficial for consumers, and also because competition is always good.

If car companies are offering better price or value, no one will opt for second-hand or used cars. But if consumers can get better quality, durable cars at half the price, there is no point in supporting an unjustified monopoly.

SHOAIB AHMAD
Lahore