| August 9, 2005 | Tuesday | Rajab 3, 1426 |
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‘A democratic Pakistan’
Floods and floodplains
Unplanned use of CNG
Increased NSS rates
Peace pipeline
Press under siege
Flyovers
Discrimination?
British days
Ignorance of law
Renaming OIC
THIS is with reference to Mr Mahir Ali’s article ‘ Blair’s delusions’ (Aug 3). Mr Ali makes an important observation: “Facing up to the sins of Ziaul Haq is a necessary (albeit not a sufficient) condition for undoing a decade’s worth of serious damage to the fabric of Pakistani society.”
He has expressed the feeling of millions of Pakistanis who have watched helplessly as the ravages of Zia’s misrule and his legacy continue to haunt this country. Despite the fig-leaf of legitimacy provided by the erstwhile PNA leadership and the legal cover given by the Supreme Court, Zia was never accepted by the people of Pakistan; thus his strong but understandable aversion to genuine elections. His continued usurpation of state power was based on two factors: support by the army and acceptance by the US for participation in the Afghan war.
The proxy war in Afghanistan not only endeared Zia to the US but also provided strong financial incentives to important groups and individuals with the army establishment. Did Zia or his cohorts ever think of the cost Pakistan would have to bear for this adventure? Perhaps not. As long as this provided an effective means to hold on to power, nothing else was considered relevant. The establishment did not even feel the need to tell the people of Pakistan about the perceived benefit from this reckless venture. Let us not forget that our only unresolved dispute with Afghanistan has been — and continues to be — the recognition of the Durand Line as the international border between the two countries.
Yet, we failed to resolve this issue despite the long tenure of Pakistani or ISI-backed governments in Afghanistan. With our influence declining, we are reluctant to even refer to this issue. Instead, we have been put on the defensive in refuting consistent allegations of helping Taliban remnants in destabilizing the Afghan government. So much for ‘strategic gains’. Meanwhile, we continue to flaunt our critical role in helping in the dismemberment of the former Soviet Union. Should we not be feeling despondent at this role, as we have only succeeded in creating virtually permanent instability on our western borders?
The social and financial costs of our Afghan policy are now clearly visible even to the naked eye. Add to this the cost of political and religious engineering attempted by Zia and we have before us a society rent asunder with religious fanaticism, inter-provincial discord, institutional decay, moral bankruptcy and political chaos. And yet the establishment has the audacity to blame it all on alleged misrule by politicians. What kind of further catastrophe do we need to realize where the fault lies? While claiming to usher in ‘enlightened moderation’, the general is happily resorting to various designs of political engineering in pursuance of the basic agenda: remaining in power and promoting the army’s institutional interest. These manipulations could only lead us further on the path of destruction.
J.M. SHEIKH
Lahore Cantt.
THE citizens of Pakistan have read with much interest the letter, ‘A democratic Pakistan’ (Aug 3) by Ms Nasreen Jalil, member, MQM Coordination Committee. We wish to respond as follows:
The Jamaat-i-Islami holds the Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal in high esteem. It is factually incorrect to state that Maulana Syed Abul A’ala Maudoodi opposed the creation of Pakistan. It is an even a bigger crime to say that Maulana Maudoodi called the Quaid-i-Azam a kafir. The fact of the matter is that Maulana Maudoodi’s books and pamphlets were widely used by the workers of the Pakistan Movement during their various campaigns to enlighten Indian Muslims about the issue of Muslim nationality.
A modern, democratic and progressive Pakistan can only be attained if we stick to our basic principles under which this country was founded and which were later described in the Objectives Resolution.
Our guiding principles are those we learn from our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). When he established an Islamic state in the city of Madinah, he engaged in dozens of agreements with neighbouring tribes, including the Jews. Tribes that did not violate this agreement lived peacefully and independently with the Muslims.
Although during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, there was great peace and harmony, the Taliban are not necessarily a ‘role model’ for us, but the Islamic state created by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is. The exact shape and structure of this state will vary according to the specific needs of the times and of the country in which it is being implemented.
I wish to ask Ms Jalil on which side she is on the following issues: the ruthless repression of the Palestinians; the uncalled for occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq by the US and its allies; the targeted killings of renowned ulema, scholars, politicians and student leaders such as Mufti Shamzai and Aslam Mujahid and the suppression of the voices of ‘Qaal-Allah’ and ‘Qaal-i- Rasool’ in the mosques and madressahs of Pakistan. The people can easily determine the path of peace, harmony, growth and prosperity.
SARFRAZ AHMAD
Information Secretary Jamaat-i-Islami,
Karachi
ANNUAL floods are a recurrent feature of the late summer season in Pakistan. These are caused by melting snows in the high mountains as well as by heavy rains in the catchment areas of the rivers. The term ‘flood’ refers to an abnormal rise in the level of water in a river, to an extent that the water overflows its banks, submerging land on either side of the river. The portion of land on either side of the river which gets submerged is locally called ‘kutcha’, the technical term is floodplain.
Kutcha areas in our case are not completely desolate areas. Instead, they bear patches of cultivated land, and small villages called ‘goths’ in Sindh, with eight to 10 houses. In the event of even low floods, the kutcha areas get submerged, resulting in loss of precious human lives besides loss of crops and cattle. Even those areas which are relatively at a greater distance from the river can be affected when the river is in high floods which obviously maximize the reach of the rushing waters.
Some of our towns and cities located along a river keep growing and extending towards the river with the result that their outer limits cross the limits of high flood. As a result, such areas suffer heavily.
Such a situation calls for an initiative towards proper management of the floodplain areas in all provinces of Pakistan. As a first step, people living in villages in the floodplain areas should be advised to shift to and live areas outside the limits of high flood while maintaining their cropped land in the kutcha areas. This step will at least secure human life and property. There should be no ban on crop cultivation in the kutcha areas.
The agriculture departments of the provincial governments can have a board charged with the management of floodplain areas under a plan evolved by the provincial government so that a coordinated effort can be made on a uniform basis towards controlling land use in the floodplain areas.
DR QAZI SHAKIL AHMED
Karachi
ACCORDING to the Economic Survey 2004-05, some 700 CNG stations are operating in the country while 200 are under construction. By March 2005, about 700,000 vehicles were converted to CNG as compared to 450,000 vehicles during the same period last year, showing an increase of 56 per cent. Consequently, production of natural gas has been increased which stood at 1,003,198 million cubic feet (mcf) during July-March 2004-05, as compared to 882,684 mcf with an increase of 13.6 per cent. During July-March 2004-05, 3,681 mcf of natural gas was supplied as against 3.210 mcf during the same period last year. The government also plans to offer incentives to investors to introduce CNG buses in major cities. According to the president of the CNG Station Owners Association of Pakistan to Dawn, July 10, to date 821,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG and 685 stations are in operation all over the country. As many as 10,000 cars and other vehicles with CNG-fitted kits are the roads every month.
A convention on “Better Air Quality in Asia and Pacific Rim Cities” was held in Hong Kong in December 2002 in which a Pakistani expert had presented a paper saying that the estimated daily CNG consumption was 17 mcf in 2001 which was being consumed by 235,000 CNG-converted vehicles. Keeping in view the rise in the number of 821,000 CNG-fitted vehicles today, one can estimate that about 65 mcf of natural gas is being consumed daily in Pakistan.
In view of the short supply of natural gas, car manufactures should be asked to stop further production of CNG-fitted cars till the time of start-up of work on at least one of the three pipeline projects, SSGC and SNGPL should be asked to calculate the demand and supply of natural gas being consumed as CNG to avoid the massive depletion.
RASHID ASHRAF
Karachi
THIS has reference to the letters “Pensioners’ woes” (July 30) and “Behbood savings certificates” (Aug 1).
When my sister, who had her life’s savings in Khas/Special Savings Account, failed to find relief from withholding tax and consequently income-tax return in the budget 2005-06, she withdrew her money and deposited it in Behbood Savings certificates on July 27 and 28. Now she finds herself penalized again as the paltry increase of one per cent will not be applicable to her certificates purchased three and four days before the effective date of July 1.
Senior citizens of over 70 years should not be punished in the sunset of their lives. The government will not become bankrupt if the enhanced rate is made applicable to all payments becoming due on and after Aug 1, irrespective of the date of purchase of certificates.
My sister has yet to receive the refund of the excess tax withheld during the year 2003-2004. The percentage of people of 70 and above must be very low and they must not have very long to live. Does the government plan to extend its tax-net at their cost?
H.A. HAJI
Karachi
MR NAJMUDDIN A. Shaikh (Aug 3) has elaborated on the legal and financial sides of the proposed tri-nation Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Yet for some reason he has decided not to touch upon the political side of this venture. The US has made it clear that it is against it; the Indian prime minister, without admitting that he is faced with US pressure on this count, says that this project may prove difficult for financial reasons.
What actually matters now is whether or not India needs the pipeline? If it does, it knows the methods to overcome all legal and financial hurdles. Many an economist feels that India needs this project for its growth. The Americans have agreed to help India to produce nuclear energy, it is expected that by 2030 nuclear energy share will be about 25 per cent of the total energy resources of India against the present 1.75 per cent.
However, the year 2030 is too distant. India needs cheap energy resources by 2010; failing which, it may not be able to sustain the present economic growth rate of seven per cent per annum. If this rate is reduced, India will not be able to become the third largest economy of the world by 2050, which is the target the US also wants India to achieve to face China on the economic and military fronts.
It is felt that India has some good reasons to raise doubts regarding the Iran pipeline. The sole object is to involve Pakistan in side issues and not to seek similar nuclear energy advantage from the US as the latter has given to India. Pakistan, though much smaller than India, yet has a highly advantageous geographical position. There should be no doubt in Pakistan that India needs the Pakistani land routes not only for the gas pipeline from Iran and Tajikistan but also for its trade with Central Asia. China also needs the facility of our geographic advantage; it has started developing Gwadar port, which is the shortest route to the sea for a great part of its north-western provinces.
China has also entered into an agreement with Iran for gas, and it may also decide to lay pipeline going over our land, connecting China with Iran. We in Pakistan must, however, note the change in US policies. The sole superpower is now more concerned about a long-term issue — China, which is growing swiftly and may disturb the economies of the West and America in the next 30 years when it is expected to become the second largest economy and military power in the world.
Pakistan has done a good job in the war against terror, but the military side of this war is now over; it shall now be fought on ideological fronts through freedom and democracies in the Muslim countries. The US is now more inclined to ensure that all major Muslim countries turn into democratic societies by 2010. In such a scenario, the old principle of parity between Pakistan and India is no longer required by the US.
The new role for Pakistan, in the American scheme for this part of the world, may be to act as a facilitator for India. In exchange for this, Pakistan will get sizable economic benefits.
A democratic, developing and peaceful Pakistan was the ambition of its founders and still is the sole desire of its 150 million people, who are highly apprehensive of its future because of the crumbling socio-political structure of the country due to the frequent intervention of the armed forces in political affairs since 1954.
SOULAT PASHA
Hyderabad
THIS has reference to Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column ‘Press under siege’. Mr Cowasjee blames governments for this sad phenomenon. Over the years this distortion has grown in geometrical progression. The smaller the man at the helm of affairs, the larger the lies. For this, we all collectively and singly are responsible for all that is thrown at us. We meekly and humbly submit. With the passage of time, brave Zamir Niazis are fast disappearing and the audacity of the perpetrators of such distortions is increasing. The very sad part is that in pursuance of this aim, the executive of the state is freely used by the government of the day.
Can we not demand from the executive or judiciary or both to punish most severely those responsible for the filing of an FIR against the Star reporter? The reporter says he has not seen or met the exalted Allama who has levelled charges against him. So how come the FIR states that the reporter fired at the man?
We hope that this one example of filing a wrong FIR, if so proved, will ensure that the person concerned shall be punished as also those who abetted in this act.
MAHER ALAVI
Karachi
TWO flyovers have been constructed by the Karachi local government at the FTC and Shahrah-i-Quaideen, and the road joining two blocks of the Sindhi Muslim Society has been permanently closed. The residents of Block B have thus been ‘marooned’. To go to Tariq Road or Nursery, they have to travel up to Kala Pul near the CSD. Similarly, from Block A to Block B, you have to go to the Shahrah-i-Quaideen roundabout, then over to the new bridge.
Pedestrians suffer while crossing Sharea Faisal as the signals have been shut down.
Could the authorities have manual traffic control at the site of the old signals to help people cross the road safely? Keep in mind the thousands of schoolchildren who have to cross.
ISHRAT JAVAID
Karachi
REFERENCE Ms Huma Aftab Nasir’s letter (August 1), a similar incident had happened to me in one of the “nouveau riche” clubs in Defence, Karachi. A friend of mine who wanted me to become a practising Muslim took me to Taraveeh prayers being offered by the club.
On my way out of the house I had taken my driver and guard along for prayers but they were stopped — servants were not allowed to pray in that area of the club, and they were not stopped by a lowly receptionist but by a committee member. I was dumbfounded and have since not gone to the club.
AHMED N. JAMAL
Karachi
THIS refers to Mr Tahir Jaffer Khan’s letter (Aug 3). The writer has pointed out with a degree of sarcasm that a lethargic and easy-going lifestyle has become the hallmark of officers of the armed forces. It is true that Gen Messervy did not have a land cruiser or an urban plot but the fact remains that he lived like a ‘viceroy’ and travelled in Viscounts even between two cities of the subcontinent.
It is also true that colonels/brigadiers of the 1950s and 1960s used bicycles. But why? First, the distance between living accommodation and offices was not more than two/three miles and, second, those were simple days; hardly anyone could afford a car. In those days, a cadet used to get Rs120 a month as stipend; now he gets approximately Rs5,000 a month. Our grandparents could hardly afford bicycles. Should we ride bullock carts to emulate them? Our children use cellphones. Should we force them to use Graham Bell version telephones?
As regards the story of an ordinary major having an airconditioned jeep, this is not true; the army is very poor, it can’t afford this luxury.
Obesity in the army is disliked; fit and smart officers abound. Golf courses, squash courts and airconditioned libraries are the need of the hour. Reading is encouraged and every officer is a member of a book club.
In a nutshell, our army is an organized outfit. It is a national army, so let us not criticize it for the sake of criticism.
LT-COL (retd) SAFIR A. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
IGNORANCE of the law is no excuse — admitted. But twice while travelling in taxicabs on Karachi’s Sharea Faisal in the lane on the extreme right, the drivers were hauled up by traffic sergeants. The drivers pleaded (but, of course, to no avail) that they were not aware of any law or regulation preventing them from using that lane.
It is requested, therefore, in the interest of the general public and public transport drivers, in particular, that any traffic rules and regulations that are to be imposed should be first announced and then a certain time period given for enforcement, after which wrong-doers can be considered as offenders.
M.A. NAYEEM
Karachi
THE Organization of Islamic Conference should be renamed as the United States of Islam and its charter must be modified on lines similar to the European Union.
SHAHID H. QADRI
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