| June 19, 2005 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1426 |
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Criminology: a neglected field
OIC seats at UNSC
Clifton beach
Bhasha dam
Tree cutting
World Ocean Day
Stock market
Sino-Japanese relations
‘This is Karachi’
Advani’s remarks
Muzaffargarh problems
ONE fails understand the logic of the government in claiming that all macro economic indicators are positive when the indicators given below are all negative:
Our rupee has been depreciating since July 2004; inflation is rising every month touching 11 per cent point against the target of five per cent, and the interest rate is being increased every now and then, reaching nine to 10 per cent for borrowers.
The trade balance deficit touched Rs5 billion in 10 months and may surpass Rs6 billion by the end of June. Borrowing by the government for balancing the budget for the year ending June 30, 2005 has already crossed the ceiling fixed by it. Balance of payments will be in the negative with margin for the current year larger than seen previously.
Foreign debt has also risen by $2 billion, taking it to $38 billion for the current year from $36 billion during the preceding year.
Rescheduled loans from next July will entail payment of instalments and debt-servicing. This will put further pressure on the rupee to devalue.
The budget deficit is widening against revenue and expenditure every year, resulting in printing of more currency notes.
Will the finance department/ministry clarify why it is claiming every now and then that our macro economic indicators are positive?
MUHAMMED SIDDIQ SULEMAN
Karachi
MR M. Ziauddin (EBR weekly, June 13) has rightly stated that the budget 2005-06 is for the rich, of the rich and by the rich.
The budget has been authored by the richest man of Pakistan, Mr Shaukat Aziz the prime minister.
Traditional manufacturers have been offered unprecedented incentives and concessions. For over five decades, the rich have robbed and plundered national wealth by such devices, becoming richer and richer and in the process making the poor poorer. There is no law or order, as such a trickle-down formula does not work here.
It is time to economic policies were made to enable the poor to come out of the poverty trap and share in the expanded prosperity.
ABDUL SAMAD KHAN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Mr N. B. Narejo’s letter (May 27). He needs to be lauded for depicting how criminology is neglected in our country. The new police order bifurcates policing and investigation, but the police investigators do not possess any qualification like background in law or education in criminology. These investigators, lacking in required expertise, use unorthodox and often violent methods to unravel crime cases.
Criminologists can assist as investigators in finding clues by using scientific techniques and in helping to ensure that only the criminal is prosecuted and the innocent is set free. This can prevent a backlog developing of unsolved criminal cases.
The new police order has introduced national a police management board which identifies areas of research in criminology, terrorism, violence, sectarianism, etc. It should consult the department of criminology, University of Sindh, where research is conducted on various aspects of criminology and its core areas.
The new police order also vaguely hints at the role of experts in society with reference to issues of crime and criminality. District public safety commissions can utilize the expertise of criminologists for data collection, case development, case analysis and other issues dealing with individual complaints against police officers.
Besides, they can be engaged in the task of developing community awarness about the work and functions of the district public safety commissions.
Let government and other related organizations study how criminologists can be useful to society as professionals. It is important to create a place for that is lying unutilized in our country.
TAHZEEB-UL-HASSAN GILGITI
Gilgit
DURING the current UNSC reform process, it is amazing that the big powers, groups or alliances are not allocating or mentionig giving a permanent seat to the OIC, comprising 57 countries and over 20 per cent of the world’s population. Even if representation on a regional basis is to be taken into consideration, the OIC countries cannot be ignored as they are situated in four regions: Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East.
The leaders of big powers and institutions know that no OIC member has yet been a member of the UNSC. This fact should be an eye-opener and guiding principle while considering reform of the world body.
The number of UN member-countries has gone up to 191 from 51 since it was formed 60 years ago. International affairs have undergone numerous changes during this period. The basic concept of the UN is to protect and safeguard the freedom of mankind and ensure the territorial integrity of its member-states.
But in the recent past the big powers invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, in flagrant violation of the UN charter. Why are foreign troops still killing innocent people and camping in Kabul? And why did the US, the UK and their allies launch military attacks on Iraq in March 2003 without any UNSC resolution on the issue? The US president, the UK premier and their allied leaders have still not been able to give any convincing reply for their war on Iraq.
In the circumstances at least two members of the OIC should be made permanent members of the UNSC to watch the rights and interests of the Muslim world.
MAQBOOL AHMAD QURESHI
Gujranwala
KARACHI, a sprawling city, is devoid of proper recreation/ entertainment facilities. What little we have in the form of beaches are losing their charm due to poor management and lack of development. Clifton beach is one place where people go every day in the thousands to relax and enjoy a bit of outing with their friends and families.
Beaches are unique coastal environments with ecological, recreational, and economic value. They are a public resource and should be held in the public trust. As human activities and development in coastal areas increase, the need for preservation of beaches become even more apparent. We must, therefore, preserve our beaches today. If we do not, they may not be around for future generations to enjoy.
Instead of providing more recreational facilities for residents and tourists, we are trying to destroy them through encroachments and construction. Let us not ignore the basic principle that all sorts of structure should be located at a sufficient distance landward of a beach to permit natural shoreline fluctuations, to protect beach stability and, above all, to allow the residents enough open space to enjoy the freshness of the sea.
Although much has been written and heard about the handing over of the beach to the DHA for construction purposes, the silence on the part of the authorities concerned is intriguing.
Instead of acquiring more land for construction purposes and destroying the natural landscape and the shores, I would suggest that the DHA should concentrate more on ensuring better amenities to the residents.
May I request the Sindh governor, the corps commander and Karachi city nazim to reconsider the decision of handing over Clifton beach to the DHA and heed the voice of the people who are pleading to be allowed to retain their breathing space in a city already overcongested and overinfested?
Lt-Col (retd) SARFRAZ
AHMED KHAN
Karachi
SINDH, Balochistan and the NWFP are in favour of constructing the Bhasha dam, instead of the Kalabagh dam (KBD), to meet the increasing demand of water in the country. The assemblies of these provinces have also passed a total of seven resolutions against the KBD.
It is sad to note that instead of giving due respect to the resolutions passed by provincial assemblies, efforts are being made to construct the KBD to favour Punjab.
Although a technical committee on water, headed by Mr A. N. G. Abbasi, is working on the feasibility of the Bhasha dam, almost all its members are individually reportedly in favour of the KBD. It appears they want to sabotage the expected decision and influence it in favour of the KBD.
In Pakistan, the majority, including the people of the Seraiki belt, is opposed to the KBD. Everywhere in the world due respect is given to the public opinion and resolutions passed by elected assemblies. One such example is that of France where a majority of the people have rejected the European constitution. Subsequently, the prime minister of France had to resign in deference to the decision of the people.
Unfortunately, in Pakistan the establishment has always imposed its decisions on the people of the smaller provinces.
IMRAN KHAN SIAL
Karachi
THE Karachi city nazim has said that he has issued orders to cut down only 100 trees. But every day or every other day some shady tree goes down. A couple of days ago I was going on the double road from Masjid-i-Baitul Mukarram to the main gate of the Water Filter Plant when I saw that the trees in front of Erum Apartments had been felled by some cruel hands.
In India, there was a ‘chipko’ movement when villagers tied themselves to trees that were marked for cutting and this prevented the decimation. Why don’t we come out to protest instead of witnessing this murder? Will the government and other organizations realize the importance of trees?
S.M.A. RIZVI
Karachi
WORLD Ocean Day was observed on June 8 all over the world. The theme is to create awareness among people to preserve marine resources and their appropriate usage. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Pakistan organized a few programmes to observe the occasion, news of which was published in Dawn (June 9).
Speakers emphasized the need to conserve mangroves, and praised the efforts made by a group of women for conservation and upgradation of natural resources to ensure better environment.
The world still relies on seafood, especially fish, for a significant portion of our daily protein needs, and more than $500 billion of the world’s economy is tied to ocean-based industries such as coastal tourism and shipping.
The existing estimates show that mangroves cover approximately 129,000 hectares in the Indus delta and about 3,000 hectares on the Balochistan coast in the Miani region, Kalmat Khor, and Gawatar Bay areas. The Indus delta, therefore, supports 97 per cent of the mangrove forest (37 per cent of the delta area) while the three pockets on the Balochistan coast support the remaining three per cent (varying from eight per cent of the total area in Gawatar Bay to 21 per cent in Kalmat Khor and 25 per cent in Miani .
The Karachi coastline, which stretches over 135km, is facing severe pollution due to a combination of industrial, port, municipal, and transportation activities in the area. The World Bank in an environmental study has noted sewage and toxic matter pollution in the Karachi Port, which includes toxic effects by bio-accumulation of oil, DDT, PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl), and various metals, avoidance reaction by fish and shrimp because of the poor water quality and the fact that parts of the mudflat areas are being covered with oil and increased erosion because the dying mangroves can no longer reinforce the banks with their roots.
An oil spill occurred near the port of Karachi on July 27, 2003, and when the ship carrying the oil broke up two weeks later the situation turned worse. Pakistan authorities estimate that about 30,000 tons of oil spilled when the ship began breaking up, most of it washing up on popular bathing beaches close to the port.
The director-general of fisheries, Sindh, stated last year that the federal government was considering a request from the Sindh government to extend its fishing area coastline up to 25 nautical miles from the present 12 nautical miles but till date no news has come in this regard.
In the light of the above, the government should immediately take remedial measures pertaining to marine pollution. Mangroves should be re-planted and ocean dumping of wastes should be banned. Also, environmental policies on the shipping industry should be made on an urgent basis and incorporated in legislation. The need of understanding the significance of regional contingency plans and cooperation agreements between Pakistan, India and Bangladesh has to be assessed, which could help mobilize oil-fighting equipment and expertise from within neighbouring countries in times of crisis.
RASHID ASHRAF
Karachi
“THE best performing stock market in the world” has crashed for the second time in two months. The result of the inquiry of the first crash by the SECP is still to be known. Now the prime minister has ordered a second inquiry regarding the second crash. Where does the buck stop? The small middle-class investors are disgusted at this chicanery. Let us see the record of the second crash of June 8. Only taking the major transactions of shares’ turnover on that day will reveal what is going on in the stock exchange:
| Company Turnover |
| National Bank 32.13m |
| DGK Cement 14.87m |
| PSO 16.88m |
| OGDC 125.68m |
| PPL 30.7m |
| PTCLA 194.64m |
All the government has to do, if it is sincere, is to get “the trading data” from the various stock exchanges and they will easily uncover the culprits. I challenge the government and the SECP to analyze this data and find out who the big buyers were. Obviously, they are the people who spread rumours about the resignation of the prime minister to bring down the market.
Unless the stock market stables are cleaned, no foreign investment will come in the market or the country.
A. REHMAN
Hyderabad
THIS refers to the recent exchange between Japanese ambassador Nobuaki Tanaka and Dr Maqbool Ahmed Bhatty regarding the latter’s article, “Tensions in Sino-Japanese relations” (My 16).
It is sad to see the mounting tension between Pakistan’s two great friends. Chinese and Japanese culture and literature have so much in common, which can be used as a bridge to overcome their differences.
As a lover of Chinese and Japanese art and poetry, in particular, it is one’s earnest desire that the ties between our friends will soon become as beautiful and peaceful as a painting of a pair of swans floating serenely over a lake or as the lines from a Zen poem. That is also what Asia needs. Given sincerity on both sides, this objective can surely be achieved in just a few years.
A German saying goes: “We can live without a brother, but not without a friend.” Lasting friendship requires honesty, respect for each other’s sentiments and a spirit of sacrifice.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
THIS is my Karachi: every day 3,000 tons of waste and 364 tons of polyethylene bags are burnt. Every year, 275,000 tons of carbon monoxide get mixed with the air we breathe — 45 per cent of which is contributed through burning of garbage. There are 1.6 million vehicles on the roads. Of them, 30 per cent — 480,000 — do not fulfil the fitness criteria required for a clean environment. Against a level of 70 decibels, in some areas like Empress Market, Gurumandir, Wazir Mansion and Burnes Road, the noise pollution varies between 82 and 88 decibels.
Less than 20 per cent of the water flow is treated by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. In July-August 2003, the Tasman Spirit oil tanker carrying about 67 million tons of crude oil split into two, affecting 315,000 people and ruining 2,062 kilometres of the coast. Localities around the 16 kilometre-long coastal belt were affected — thousands suffered from different health illness.
Do we care?
M.A. OMARJI
Karachi
He has also corrected historical distortions. It was not Mr Jinnah who had caused the partition of India; it was the Congress leaders, both hardliners and moderates, who repeatedly refused to take into consideration the ground realities by rejecting Muslim pleas for redressing their apprehensions about the future constitutional setup. It was Mr Jawaharlal Nehru who violated the agreed Lucknow pact and, more damagingly, reneged on his acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
Mr Jinnah was rightly called the “Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity” and was disillusioned only when mystical and religious humbug was introduced by Mr M. K. Gandhi in Congress policies which were being influenced by obscurantists like Tandon and Malviya. In a way, Mr Advani has indirectly criticized both Mr Gandhi and Mr Nehru and in doing so, he has laid a solid foundation for long lasting rapprochement between the two communities. This criticism has naturally irked the Congress leadership which (and not a Hindu religious party) was in power during the 1965 and 1971 wars.
F.H. ANSARI
Karachi
DEVELOPMENT work is being carried out in Muzaffargarh at a snail’s pace. Not long ago, road construction was given to several contractors at a time in separate stretches of one mile each to stimulate competition. But in the entire 4.5 kilometres of the Kutchery-Farid Colony Road have been assigned to one contractor who delayed the project and even then has left out the last half kilometre leading up to Farid Colony.
This is the most travelled road in Muzaffargarh. So the trouble caused to the residents can be imagined. The contractor saved on compaction work by relegating this job to the heavy trucks passing daily over the defaced road and on labour, fuel and machinery by waiting for the hot weather to melt the asphalt. But now he has shown a clean pair of heels and left us an excavated road.
Similarly, laying of PTCL landline cables was to be finished by June last year but this work has yet to be finalized. Consequently, many applicants remain without phone connections and all their clamour has fallen on deaf ears.
MUHAMMAD ZAFFAR
Muzaffargarh
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