| October 8, 2005 | Saturday | Ramzan 3, 1426 |
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‘Of human bondage’
Nizamate of Chakwal
Police state?
Japan and UNSC
Making and breaking of laws
PIAC dividend
AJK phone service
‘Khushal Pakistan’
‘What justice demands’
Non-proliferation
IT seems that the only benefiaries of the oil price increase are the oil marketing companies. When the government deregulated the pricing of petroleum products, the price of petrol was Rs26 per litre and now it is more than double that figure.
It seems that the government’s defence that oil prices have risen considerably in the world market is not justifiable and is a smokescreen to hide the real reason.
Also, I would like to ask the government how if for six long years it received oil from Saudi Arabia free of cost, it never passed on this benefit to consumers.
The government needs to issue strict directives to its officials to cut down consumption of fuel by following the rules according to which official vehicles are to be used only for official duty and not to ferry their families or children to shopping malls or parties.
On the same day as the news of the oil price increase came, Dawn also published a news item which reported that Indonesia had doubled its petrol price.
However, according to my calculation (the story did not give the figure in rupees), the new price of oil in Indonesia in Pakistani currency comes to Rs26.05 per litre.
WAQAR KHAN
Karachi
THE price of petrol has been raised once again and now stands at Rs56.29 per litre. High octane is now Rs62.77 per litre and diesel is being sold at Rs37.18. This will have a serious impact on prices.
Those who have fixed incomes are going to suffer immensely. Not only will the price of basic and essential items rise, the cost of public transport will rise as well.
The government will most probably defend this, citing the high world price of oil. However, should not the government’s primary concern be the welfare of the people? Such price hikes seem to suggest that the government does not attach much priority to this.
M. FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
THIS refers to a news item on the back page of Dawn (Oct 1) about Indonesia doubling the fuel prices that led to some major street protests by rock-throwing students. The prices, after being doubled, are at 4,500 Indonesian rupiahs or Pakistani Rs26.31 per litre for premium petrol.
The same issue on the front-page casually flashed a news item announcing the fuel prices being raised in Pakistan, taking the price of petrol to Rs56.29 per litre or 9,630 Indonesian rupiahs. The population in impoverished Bangladesh is already beginning to protest even when they pay less than Pakistani Rs40 per litre for petrol.
I am not upset at this continuous rise in fuel prices in Pakistan. I am upset at the fact that none of us does anything about it. I am upset that we do not talk about it.
I am upset that we do not question the policymakers who continuously inflict these one-sided decisions on us that not only hit the poor man but also makes the country less attractive for a foreign investor.
NAVAID M. KHAN
Karachi
THE detailed account relating to human trafficking as reported in the article by Mr Anwar Syed, “Of human bondage” (Sept 18), is startling. In this era of modernization and emancipation when slavery already stands legally disbanded, practising this most monstrous trade is highly condemnable. This needs to be dealt with sternly.
While tracing the background of slavery, Mr Syed has erroneously equated the current human bondage and human trafficking with ancient slavery. He has also erred in comparing the treatment of slaves in Judaism and Christianity with that in Islam. Besides, his article would have been more meaningful if it also discussed the slaves who rose to the ranks of sultans in Muslim rule and created dynasties such as the slave dynasty in India and the Mamluks in Egypt. The adverse effects of the 13th amendment (1865) abolishing slavery by US President Abraham Lincoln were also worth mentioning. It was due to this new order that thousands of emancipated slaves died of hunger and starvation as their landlords shut the doors on them.
I would like to point out that for the purpose of comparing customs practised in mediaeval or pre-mediaeval societies (references of which are given in the article) norms and mores then prevalent have to be considered. In the hereditary kingdoms, there was no concept of internationally-recognized permanent boundaries; wars were the norm of the day. Any slight provocation could lead to a battle.
The subjects of an occupied territory were either made slaves by the conqueror or completely annihilated as in the case of the Mongol attacks. Trading of those who were enslaved was also accepted custom.
The institution of slavery was functioning at the time of the advent of Islam. However, Islam abhorred the custom and discouraged it. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) paved the way for the abolition of slavery. Adopting Zaid bin Harth, a slave, as his son was confirmation to that effect. He urged the believers to treat slaves well and kindly, and to feed and clothe them like themselves, and not to burden them with work that was beyond their capacity. He told his Companions to treat their slaves as members of their family. He also granted them the right of freedom from their masters by entering into a contract by which they could buy their liberty for a stated price, which was contributed by the state from Zakat funds. The owner could not refuse to make such a contract and if he did, the slave could go to court to force him to do so. After freedom, the slave enjoyed the same rights as a free citizen of the state.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
THE observation of Mr Ayaz Amir in his column (Sept 30) that generals from Chakwal are timid is out of place. His view is based upon the criterion that none of them ever marched on to Islamabad.
As a former soldier, he would appreciate that the officers and the other ranks from Chakwal inherited and followed the best traditions of their ancestors who had adopted soldiering as the main profession.
Soldiering has been held as the most respected way of life in the districts of Chakwal, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Attock.
The Pakistan Army does not enlist timid individuals as officers. The psychological tests at inter-services selection boards are comprehensive enough to select the most suitable material. Never in my service of 36 years in the army I came across an officer who could be branded as timid. Growing out of the norms of discipline is not an appreciable trait.
If the criterion for chivalry is what Mr Amir would want us to believe, then we can safely conclude that the Pakistan Army could produce less than half a dozen brave generals till date.
The writer may like to ponder over the fact that marching on Islamabad is no problem when you are commanding half a million disciplined soldiers. Those of the subordinate officers who aspired to be seated in the Islamabad presidential palace miserably failed in the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s.
It is our good fortune that they failed for our situation would have been worse than what it is.
The general on whose account the column was written came very close to making chief but for an error of judgment on the part of the late Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Majid Malik would never have betrayed his friend if he had reposed his confidence in him.
The general is at present fighting his battle on the political front. He has gracefully won on moral and legal grounds.
The outcome is immaterial. What happens in the LB polls will be an event of lesser significance. He has given a good example of pursuing a democratic and legal course while maintaining a sober disposition against heavy odds.
BRIG (RETD) SAGHIR HUSSAIN
Islamabad
THE Peshawar High Court recently observed that it would not allow law-enforcement agencies to turn the province into a police state.
The bench observed: “Do not make this province like Punjab where the police routinely kill people in fake encounters. (Dawn, Oct 1).” One cannot resist saluting the Peshawar High Court again and again for such remarks passed while disposing of a writ petition filed by the provincial government.
The situation in Sindh is not dissimilar from that of Punjab. Here a fake FIR can be easily registered at the behest of influential persons.
Innocent people are arrested and made accused. They are brought before the courts which ask, in the presence of the prosecution, if they were subjected to maltreatment.
The accused have to say no because of the fear that if they complain of third-degree treatment at police stations, they will face more severe punishment.
Despite the provision of the law that an accused shall not be confined in police custody for more than 24 hours and shall not be forced to make any statement without the assistance of a lawyer, the law is not followed.
In our feudal society, the police remand provision must be dispensed with immediately in the interest of justice and the arrested persons should be sent to judicial custody.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
THE Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr Nobutaka Machimura, has said his country is fed up with making hefty payments to the United Nations but forever failing to gain a permanent seat on its Security Council (Sept 30).
In consolation, one can only point out that “blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall have everything.” Japan should continue with its good deeds, such as contributing financially to the UN and trying to ensure that atomic bombs are never used again, without expecting anything for itself in return. In time, a UNSC berth will be its.
Close ties with China and Korea will end their opposition to the Japanese efforts to secure a place on the prestigious forum.
Sino-Pakistan relations, despite the two countries’ totally different ideologies and alliances, are a model for the world to emulate and Japan could form a well-knit circle by joining in, much to its advantage.
On the contrary, India had ditched the Arabs in favour of Israel in 1992 by recognizing the latter and starting collaboration in nuclear and conventional defence — much to the former’s consternation. It has been letting down Russia vis-a-vis America whenever its interests demand and has now betrayed Iran.
An earlier news story had hinted that Tokyo is thinking of quitting its alliance with India and the other members of the G-4 in its UNSC bid (Sept 18). This is the right way to go and one wishes them good luck.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
IN developed countries and even in most developing countries, laws are framed to protect citizens and their basic rights and are respected and observed by them without having to be enforced. This reflects society’s respect for laws and to the rights of citizens.
Unfortunately, in Pakistan we seem to have a total disregard for laws of the country and the rights of other citizens and seem to excel in the making and breaking of laws. We have laws for almost everything under the sun, yet fail to observe or enforce the simplest of them.
A classic example is provided by our food and drug laws and traffic, building, environment and no-smoking laws, which are broken and ignored with impunity, even by law-enforcement agencies, VVIPs, those in government and the educated and the privileged, who should be setting an example.
Our city skies are shrouded with carbon monoxide gases from smoke-emitting vehicles, our rivers and subsoil are polluted with poisonous waste from factories, our streets are a jungle with oversize billboards, piled on top of each other, our markets are full of substandard, adulterated and counterfeit products and our TV channels air misleading and unethical advertisements, promoting harmful “suparis”. And nobody is there to challenge them.
The government continuously issues directives, hold seminars and workshops on good governance, enforcement of laws and on observing traffic, food and drug laws, etc., but little attention is paid to their enforcement, and as such nobody bothers to take notice of them or take them seriously.
In a recent letter in these columns, a concerned citizen had summed it up aptly: “Loudspeakers blare wedding songs. Streets are blocked off, even roads. Tents go up, ‘shamianas’ simply encroach upon what is public property, food is cooked on what is a road and cars and vehicles of every shape are parked wherever the fancy strikes the owners. The list is too long and too depressing. It is this attitude, this gross indifference to the next person, which is at the root of almost everything we do”. And that is where the problem really lies.
HAMID MAKER
Helpline Trust
Karachi
IN response to the public offer of the PIAC, investors from all walks of life have invested their hard-earned savings in the corporation’s shares in the hope of making capital gains and receiving good dividends.
To come up to the expectation of the investors, the PIAC can, in addition to any cash dividend, consider the possibility of paying the dividend in the form of travel vouchers for use during slack seasons.
This can be done by issuing miscellaneous charges orders (MCOs) to shareholders on dividend dates and made transferable.
The amount of dividend paid by MCOs can be calculated in the same way as a cash dividend and the shareholders may be permitted to travel during the off season, using these vouchers, or sell their vouchers to other travellers.
If this suggestion is implemented, PIAC will not suffer any loss of passenger revenue as the vouchers will be used during the slack season when flights do not operate with full-passenger loads. It will also increase the market price of PIAC shares by ensuring handsome returns to the stockholders.
ABDUL HAMEED
Karachi
A LARGE number of people from AJK live and work in the Middle East, the UK and other European countries. It’s very difficult for people living in different areas of AJK to contact their relatives abroad.
This has partly to do with the poor telecom infrastructure and partly the high rates charged for international calls.
Recently, many mobile phone companies have offered all kinds of attractive call packages to their customers but in this regard too those who live in AJK can only sit and watch because the packages do not apply to their region.
The sole telecom service provider is government owned and has only recently started offering mobile phone services, and that too in two AJK cities, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur. However, the performance of this service is poor and the signals are generally weak.
Furthermore, it takes a very long time to connect to a number called in any of the four provinces or overseas. The mobile service does not allow its users to send text messages or SMSs.
Its capacity is limited in terms of the total number of connections on offer. This means that Internet users waste their precious time and money in trying to download material or browse the net.
The procedure for getting a landline telephone installed is complicated and time-consuming as well because subscribers have to satisfy a host of conditions including submitting an affidavit.
Call rates are also quite high, even in the case of numbers in towns situated not too far away. For example, the town of Garhi Dupatta is on only 15 km from Muzaffarabad but the charge for this is the same as that for making a long-distance nationwide call.
I should add that on the other side of the Line of Control, residents of even small villages and remote towns have the benefit of a good communication infrastructure and facilities, including mobile phones.
The government should pay attention to this matter. It should encourage PTCL and private mobile phone companies to also invest in the region and provide services because they will find ready and willing customers.
ZAFAR IQBAL
Muzaffarabad
The government has recently placed many advertisements in the media detailing its development programme, “Khushal Pakistan”, in which it talks about providing food, shelter, clean water, roads and basic infrastructure.
If one were to go by these ads alone, Pakistan would rank among the most developed countries in the world.
Instead of placing expensive ads like this, the government should instead put the money to good use by actually spending it on providing food, shelter, clean water, roads and basic infrastructure.
The ordinary Pakistani is not impressed by such empty slogans and wants action on the ground.
FARRUKH SHAHZAD
Islamabad
THIS refers to your editorial ”What justice demands” (Sept 28) on the Sonia Naz case. The government should order the registration of an FIR at once against the culprits.
The president himself should personally monitor this case to ensure that justice is given to Ms Naz.
That would be a good way for the government to mend some of the damage caused as a result of the president’s remarks on rape. It will also help to improve the image of the country.
ANAS A. KHAN
Edmonton,
AB, Canada
THIS is in response to a letter by Lt-Gen. (retd) S. M. H. Bukhari (Sept. 28). He has written that India’s record of nuclear non-proliferation is not good as compared to Pakistan.
I would like to ask him whether the smuggling of nuclear technology from a European nation into Pakistan and then providing it to other countries (by a man hailed by many Pakistanis as a hero) does not amount to nuclear proliferation?
How then can the retired general claim that Pakistan’s command and control over its nuclear assets is superior to India’s?
ANEES MUNAWARUDDIN
Hyderabad, India
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