| July 13, 2005 | Wednesday | Jumadi-us-Sani 5, 1426 |
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High costs of visits
Bank defaults
Indian flooding
Hasba Bill
Ayodhya episode
‘Patient’s agony’
London blasts
Clarification
PCB stand
Principal’s murder
Government performance
Indian visas
‘Pakistan bashing’
THIS refers to Mr Anwar Syed’s op-ed piece (Dawn, July 10) on the first week of July 1977.
It is correct to say that both Mr Sherbaz Khan Mazari and Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan didn’t want the PNA to sign the agreement with Bhutto and threw in their lot with Ziaul Haq. The former took the PNA president Mufti Mahmood to Begum Nasim Wali Khan and tried to persuade a bewildered Mufti to let Zia conduct “free and fair elections”. Asghar Khan on behalf of the army guaranteed and warranted “free and fair elections within 90 days” under Zia at a PNA high command meeting at Col (retd) Tassadaq Hussain’s residence (TI’s office holder) and then started the dark era of Zia that pushed the country into the stone age.
From whatever reading material is available on that era it can be said that Sherbaz Khan Mazari had lost trust in Bhutto. Asghar too had no faith in Bhutto but in addition he perhaps expected from his army colleagues some post, may be that of president. These gentlemen don’t mention any such episodes (Prof Ghafoor mentioned it in detail in his book “Phir Martial Law Aa Gaya”) in their books “A Journey to Disillusionment” (SKM, OUP 1999) and “We Have Learnt Nothing from History” (Asghar Khan, OUP 2005).
In 1973 in the Attock conspiracy case against Bhutto’s government, at least one of the accused, Col Alim Afridi (brother-in-law of Asghar Khan), had openly proposed Asghar Khan as president after removal of Yahya Khan in 1971 instead of Bhutto though Asghar Khan was defeated in the 1970 elections by a PPP candidate, a retired air force officer, Khursheed Hassan Mir from Rawalpindi constituency.
One may as well add that Bhutto had rendered himself by his deeds and words totally unacceptable to his own political allies and friends. All the PPP’s founding members had left him; J. A. Rahim (what treatment he got), Mairaj Mohammed Khan, Dr Mubashir Hasan, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Haneef Ramay, Mian Mahmud Ali Qasuri, Ahmed Raza Qasuri and countless others. The feudal streak in him terrorized his colleagues. On a minor incidence he told A. H. Kardar: “Hafeez, I am a man from the desert; I neither forget nor forgive.” Mubashir Hasan in his book “The Mirage of Power” mentions how even the non-acceptance of a favour would enrage Bhutto. A. H. Kardar had to accept a PPP ticket as refusal would have meant torture for his family. (“Pakistan’s Soldiers of Fortune”).
Mubashir had to reprimand Rafi Raza on his saying “No, thank you, Sir” when Bhutto had asked him on the latter’s departure if he could do anything for him. According to Dr Mubashir Hasan, Rafi Raza should have asked for something if only to satisfy Bhutto’s ego.
Looking back and weighing everything, re-elections through Bhutto would have kept the army out of politics and we would not have reached the pass we find ourselves in today.
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
THIS has reference to Mr Anwar Syed’s article ‘High costs of visits’ (July 3). The article reflects much misunderstanding of the facts, especially those regarding the visit of President Musharraf to my country. I should say first of all that the visit itself was a great achievement for the friendly Argentina-Pakistan bilateral relationship.
I would also like to mention to Mr Syed that in modern diplomacy it is an established norm that heads of state and heads of government travel a lot around the world to promote their country’s image and national interest. The case of President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is not an exception. I have no idea of, and is not my business to comment on the cost for the national exchequer on these trips, but I should say that those trips are necessary because they can serve to change the negative image and misperceptions about Pakistan that exist in the world. In this respect I am also looking forward to promote a visit to my country of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz so that further avenues of cooperation could be explored.
The writer says that President Musharraf during his visit to Argentina was only involved in delivering speeches and nothing productive or significant was achieved. This is another example of misinformation. I wish to say that President Musharraf’s visit to Argentine, Brazil and Mexico was unique and historic in the sense that it was not only the first-ever visit of the head of state of Pakistan in 52 years of diplomatic relations but also for the first time that the importance of this key geographical area, that is south America, was realized by the Pakistani leadership.
Prof Syed probably does not know that both the countries signed a memorandum of understanding for high-level political consultations and an agreement for the abolition of visas for diplomatic and official passports. Additionally, an MoU creating a joint venture between two important pharmaceutical companies of the two countries was signed. Under this MoU an investment of $5 million will take place in Lahore.
In addition, this historical visit generated an exchange of trade delegations between the two countries. Moreover, we started negotiations for new agreements on culture, on sports, on cooperation between the chambers of commerce of both countries as well as cooperation between the academies of foreign affairs of Argentina and Pakistan, etc.
RODOLFO J. MARTIN
SARAVIA
Ambassador of Argentina Islamabad
THE attention of State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Hussain is drawn towards certain discrepancies and uncalled for practices in vogue at most banks in Pakistan, namely, bank faults, deception, CIB/data check, minimum balance and customer harassment.
If a customer avails of a facility and clears all dues within the stipulated terms and timeframe as agreed in writing by both parties, and even then the customer’s name is updated in the data check (negative list), what should the customer do? When the customer clears his dues and the bank does not clear the customer’s name, what should the customer do? On the other hand, if a customer availing of a facility of millions of rupees defaults, his name too is updated in the Credit Intelligence Bureau (CIB). However in this case the defaulter is given the opportunity to negotiate and reschedule and pay off his dues and his name is then removed from the CIB list.
As regards the minimum balance issue, much has been written in the press. One can sense the differences set by the banks for the upper and lower classes, but it is requested on behalf of all the affected account holders and numerous people who have raised their voices to frame one law for all scheduled banks.
Also, harassment by the collection and recovery departments of local and foreign banks through illegally hired recovery officers is against all norms and policies and is also an audit issue.
All these are practiced by the banks to overshadow and hide their faults and raise their income through illegal methods.
The SBP governor is also informed of the website (www.bankproblemspk.com) especially hosted for victims of banks which highlights various other issues and problems being faced by the Pakistani consumer.
NAUSHAD A. VAZIR
Karachi
BETWEEN the night of July 6 and 7, India reportedly opened the gates of its dams, discharging millions of cusecs of water to flow toward Pakistan.
The Indian authorities considered it proper to intimate their Pakistani counter parts of this at 1430 PST on July 7, just six to seven hours before the estimated time of the water reaching Pakistan.
Whatever the reason, the fact remains that it was not a natural inundation of water but a planned action by India, which contributed to the already existing floods in Pakistan, destroying lives and property on a large scale. Numerous villages were swept away, thousands of acres of agricultural land ready with crops were washed away, hundreds of animals drowned and many villagers rendered homeless, creating food, medical, financial and rehabilitation problems for Pakistan.
The question arises as to why India suddenly released such a huge quantity of water? If there was no other alternative except flooding the Pakistani side, why was it not done in instalments? Why did India inform Pakistan of their planned action at such short notice? Why was the action not taken after taking Pakistani officials into confidence, so as to handle the situation jointly?
This incident is contrary to the spirit of the ongoing process of confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan. The Indian leadership is requested to realistically analyze the type of message this incident conveys to Pakistan.
HASAN ADIL MALIK
Karachi
IF the NWFP has a law that forces people to live under the edicts of uneducated hardliners, who profess only one interpretation of Islam that is their own, and have no knowledge of the richness of Islamic history and jurisprudence, what kind of a future are they building? Are they aware of the consequences for education, economy and the law? Their children will grow up in ignorance of all that the rest of the country will know.
The inflexibility of the code will be hostile towards any financial investment and poverty will increase. They will not be accepted by the rest of their countrymen because they will be unaware and intolerant. They will have no rights because the guardians of this bill will have ultimate authority.
The NWFP is a lovely place, rich in culture and human resources. What it needs is more schools, more businesses, more health facilities and more opportunities. It does not need to suffer more than it already has.
Democracy gives people the ability to safeguard their rights. But along with authority comes responsibility. Please be careful when you give these rights away. Because your next generations will struggle hard to regain what you are considering giving away today. And it is not possible to repair all damage.
AYESHA SARFRAZ
Australia
THIS is with reference to the joint letter “Ayodhya episode” (July 11) signed by many literary personalities including Quratulain Hyder and Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami and in support of their condemnation of the recent attack on the Ayodhya temple and their appeal for restraint. This undoubtedly is a conspiracy by “vested interests” to “sabotage the Indo-Pakistan peace process”. I hope both peoples and governments would ensure that the peace process persists.
This attack like the similar but much larger attack of December 1992 on the same site was not just on a temple or a mosque but civilization itself. Only those who in their perversion have crossed the point of redemption would attack and/or demolish a religiously sacred site.
Having stated this, one must note a marked difference between these two incidents. While the recent attack was launched by a group of suicidal criminals, the attack of 1992 was the result of a mob frenzy whipped by selfish politicians whose general conduit to prominence is their devious skill to exploit ignorance, even at obvious immense cost to humanity.
While in the short term, civilized societies must face bigotry’s manifestations head on, one is afraid this amounts to nothing more than treating
the symptoms rather than the disease. In the long term, efforts should be launched to defeat ignorance itself, and especially those who capitalize on it.
During the BJP rule, Indian school textbooks were being rewritten and loaded with historically inaccurate material aimed at inculcating bigotry in young minds. What efforts are being made in India to undo this damage that in my humble opinion is no different than the damage being caused to such minds in some madressahs in Pakistan.
Pakistan suffers from a severe secularism-deficit and consequently its efforts to eradicate such bigotry-breeding sites are mostly ineffective (nonetheless these efforts must not only continue but be improved). However, what is India’s excuse?
SIDDIQUE MALIK
Kentucky, USA
THIS is to respond to the letter by Sqn Ldr (retd) S. Ausaf Husain about the unfortunate delay in the care of his sister at the emergency department at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). The administration of the AKUH is fully aware of the problems being faced by our patients. As Mr Husain pointed out, many of these are due to limited patient care space in our emergency department which has seen significant increases in the number of patients visiting the facility over the past few years.
The AKUH is in the final stages of planning an extension of the current ER. This extension will enable to us to double our current capacity. The planned emergency department will also have a separate area for children, critically ill patients, an observation unit as well as fast track for minor illnesses and injuries. While these developments are in the process, the emergency department continues to do the best it can to improve efficiency and decrease waiting time and establish a more patient-friendly environment.
DR FARHAT ABBAS
Medical Director Aga Khan
University Hospital
Karachi
JULY 7 was a bloody day in the history of London when synchronized bombs went off in the rush hours. Soon after the attacks the western media started blaming Al Qaeda even before the latter had “accepted” responsibility. The media started using words like “Islamic radicals” and “Islamic terrorists”. For example, former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was repeatedly using the phrase “Islamic radicals” in his CNN interview. He as prime minister was responsible for the killing of many innocent Palestinians.
Leaders of the world should focus on what caused the attacks. Obviously it’s an outcome of the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. If allied forces are withdrawn and the local militaries of these two nations handle their respective problems themselves, the situation all over the world would change.
SARMAD ELAHI
Lahore
THIS refers to the news item “Bogus matriculation certificate: Former tehsil nazim granted bail” (Dawn, July 7).
It is true that I did contest the local body elections in March 2001 from the platform of “Inqilabi Ittehad Rahimyarkhan” for tehsil nazim. But it is incorrect that I had challenged the authenticity of the matriculation certificate of my rival Mian Bashir in the local polls “with a request to declare his (Mian Bashir’s) election as void.”
When I was in mid-election, the Muslim League ‘Q’ was born and Mian Bashir Ahmad was awarded the ‘Q’ ticket and of course he won. I lost and I have no regrets. I quit politics some years back.
I have never applied or raised the issue of Mian Bashir’s certificate before any court of law. Mian Bashir Ahmad was recently arrested from a courtroom in Lahore. I repeat I was not a party to it. This is a ‘Q’ league fight.
SYED FAZAL ELAHI FAZLI
Sadiqabad
IT’S time the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a tough stand against the England Cricket Board (ECB) if the latter refuses to play the matches at Karachi. Witnessing the recent London blasts, it can be said that no place is secure and if Australia can play at Lords just a couple of days after the blasts, why can’t England play at Karachi?
JIBRAN AHMED
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news item published in Dawn on July 7 regarding my husband, the late Dr Muhammad Saleem Chauhdry, principal, Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, who was murdered on March 25. The news item said the government in appreciation of Dr Chauhdry’s services had awarded the Tamgha-i-Shujaat to him.
I would like to thank the prime minister and the federal education minister for recognizing Dr Chauhdry’s services. At the same time I would like to appeal to the government again to bring the culprits behind this heinous act to book. It has been more than three months since I have been appealing constantly to the government on the point but there has been no progress in the case so far.
MRS SIMEEN SALEEM
Karachi
I ENDORSE the two concluding sentences of Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column (June 26), which are reproduced here:
“His choice of subordinates has never been his strong point. General, you must one day soon realize that when it comes to statesmanship and politics, to be effective favouritism has to be cast aside.”
I share Mr Cowasjee’s advice to the president that in spite of his own ‘integrity of character’, ‘sincerity of purpose’, ‘patriotism’ and over and above all his desire to develop and improve this nation, his endeavours may not be crowned with success unless he takes pains to appoint his lieutenants on ‘merit’ and nothing else. He must for once pause and review his original agenda in association with the best brains and appraise the performance of the government.
MASOOD AHMED ABBASI
Karachi
ONE agrees with Mr Irfan Sufi (July 10) that the Indian consulates follow discriminatory practices when it comes to issuing visas to Americans of Pakistani origin.
I applied for an Indian visa approximately 10 years ago for a visit along with my parents who were at the time Pakistani citizens. The Indian consulate in New York gave us the same old story — that they had to get approval from New Delhi. At that time, we were visiting relatives in Pakistan and we waited until the week of our departure but never got a response from New Delhi.
Now my parents are too old and I have no desire to visit India even though I have many Indian friends at work who invite me. Apparently, the people at the Indian consulate are still very narrow-minded and do not realize that we the ordinary people who have settled outside the Indian subcontinent have no desire to be caught up in the political feud between India and Pakistan.
MAUDOOD A. BHATTI
Via email
THIS refers to my letter “Pakistan-bashing?” (July 11). The fourth sentence of the third paragraph should read: “…according to press reports, the participating scholars from South Asia agreed that the real figure (of causalities) was between 26,000 as given in the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report and the revised figure given by the Bangladesh scholars after admitting the translation mistake”.
The substitution of the word “around” for “between” distorts the reported version of what had been said by the concerned scholars.
MAHDI MASUD
Karachi
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