| October 15, 2005 | Saturday | Raman 10, 1426 |
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Mental health law
Problems of Karachi
A visit to Frere Hall
Sweetness of sugar
Oil price muddle
PIA’s reply
Allottees’ woes
Mosque imams
Militant camps
‘Sada Bahar’
Traffic in a jam
KEEPING in mind that the Indian sector hit worst by the quake is Uri, which lies just across Bagh district on the AJK side, and that Bagh is also among the worst hit districts, I suggest that our government should ask India to send troops with heavy machinery, medicines and other relief goods to help the affected people where relief agencies have not been able to go.
The Indian army should be allowed — under the supervision of the UN — to carry out relief work in Azad Jammu and Kashmir for a certain period of time. As soon as the situation gets under control, it can be asked to leave.
The people of Azad Kashmir who have survived are saying that they have lost one whole generation. If we have no people left in AJK, what use were the three wars that we fought with India?
We are already engaged with India in confidence-building measures and there could be no bigger CBM than this.
M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
A LOT of people have died because the roads leading to their villages were blocked. The only way to reach them was by helicopter. The president should have put differences aside and taken India’s offer.
They could have provided us with helicopters which could have been used to drop medicines and food to remote areas and to bring people to safer places. This could have saved hundreds of lives.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Lahore
THIS is in reference to the report “Benazir slams govt’s relief efforts in backward areas”. What a shame. If Ms Bhutto cares so much about the nation, then why does not she ask PPP workers to step in where the government has failed? Maybe it is time for the nation to leave behind such leaders.
AMJAD S. WYNE
Washington, DC
HOW dare we blame the international community for not doing enough to help Pakistan deal with this national tragedy? What is the use of having an army which has over half a million soldiers? The Pakistan Army has failed the Kashmiris. Period. The government, the army and indeed all Pakistanis have to stand up and take responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of children.
Shoddy construction, inadequate preparation to confront such disasters, mismanagement, and the lack of vision is why so many have perished. The same ineptitude was displayed in the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey in 1999. There at least lessons were learnt, governments changed and the army was cornered. Wake up Pakistan and hold yourselves accountable.
A. RIZVI
Istanbul, Turkey
IS this the time for the prime minister to engage himself in photo opportunities? On one of the news channels, he was seen the other day happily accepting cheques from various organizations.
There are hundreds and thousands of Pakistani citizens all over the country who are doing volunteer work. They are not merely signing donation cheques but are taking time out from their work and schools to gather as much aid and material as they can for the devastated people. They are spending hours of their time to help the needy. These individuals need support. The prime minister should come. He should meet these volunteers, speak to them and appreciate all the work that they have put in.
AYESHA SAMAD
Karachi
IT is suggested that the army should acquire up-to-date lifesaving equipment to cater for future incidents. I also suggest the establishment of a volunteer service where young Pakistanis can be trained to deal with such catastrophes.
I know of many people who want to help out and are willing to be trained, only if there were places where that could take place. The government must keep this in mind for future planning.
ZEESHAN KHAN
Islamabad
AT a devastating time like this, there is at least one consolation and that is the excellent response of the general public. Our nation has finally come together under one banner, joined hands and stands united. I don’t think there will be a single person who hasn’t contributed in some way or the other to the earthquake relief funds. To see such devotion and dedication in people makes one proud to be a Pakistani.
The general public is more involved and contributing more than the government. I believe the last time Pakistanis came together like this was at the time of the 1965 war, which happened a long time before I was even born. But if we want to make a difference in the long term, sustained and constant efforts will be needed, along with dedication and hard work.
SARAH CHEEMA
Lahore
I FAIL to understand why Pakistan rejected offers of help from India to ferry relief across the LoC. Newspapers say it is the military which does not want Indian uniformed men and women on Pakistani soil for strategic reasons. Which world are such people living in?
There is enough technology around if a country wants to spy on another. Maps of any major city are available in shops or even on the Internet. Also, India has a quite adequate remote sensing system. Keep the flag of Kashmir flying high but why prevent help to little children trapped under the debris of their school buildings? Would the mother crying for help with her newborn mind if she was saved by a Pakistani or an Indian soldier? Or the wounded mind if they were being airlifted in an Indian air force chopper?
NIRAJ
New Delhi
CERTAIN news items have appeared about the case of the forcible admission of a doctor by his wife to a private psychiatric facility and his equally forceful retrieval by police. The story in Dawn (Oct 12), has the headline “Medical board to examine ‘lunatic’ doctor”. This is very disturbing.
The news item informs us that the doctor’s wife admitted her husband “to get him declared a lunatic so as to grab his property”.
Nobody seems to be aware of the fact that the Lunacy Act 1912 has been repealed and replaced by the Mental Health Ordinance 2001, which has “come into force with effect from February 20, 2001”. The ordinance has done away with the use of the word “lunacy” which has been replaced with ‘mental disorder’ and that there are prescribed procedures for admission — either voluntary or compulsory detention for assessment (28 days) and for treatment (six months). In case of urgent admission, detention is up to 72 hours from the time the application is made under Section 12.
The procedure for detention for treatment purposes is clearly outlined — ‘the application on a prescribed form shall be presented by the husband or wife of the patient or in the absence of husband or wife by a relative’.
Chapter V of MHO 2001 outlines the judicial proceedings for appointment of guardian and mangers of the property of the (diagnosed) mentally disordered person.
Neither the hospital authority nor police or the home and health department and even the press seem aware of the existence of the Mental Health Ordinance 2001. Many people who are not able to attract the attention of the Home Minister may be suffering.
The Sindh government should follow the ordinance 2001 in letter and spirit and punish/reprimand all those (including police) who act in violation of the law.
DR S. HAROON AHMED
Karachi
THIS has reference to the letter of Mr Afzal drawing attention to Karachi’s problems. There is a vast silent majority of people, not interested in any politics, simply struggling to go about quietly with their daily routine. Even this simple wish is made difficult and they are forced to face frustrating conditions by the godfathers of the city.
The worst part of the situation is that a lot can be avoided by a simple approach to problems. A few steps can bring about a huge improvement. For instance, roads are being dug up simultaneously without considering the consequences. In some cases all alternative routes are affected, thus making mobility difficult. While digging, free flow of traffic should be ensured.
The completion time of all civil projects executed is too long. The situation demands day and night work on such assignments. We witnessed such speed on the side road from the Expo Centre to the Baitul Mukarrum mosque. It was completed just in six weeks as the president was to visit the Expo Centre.
Lot of traffic jams can be avoided if somebody can control minibuses and buses. Their small acts of impatience at times lead to hours of delay. There is no rule for them.
With election-2007 in sight, it appears that the people in power want to complete the development projects in haste. This is resulting in too many problems for the common citizen. Please have mercy on the people.
DILAWAR HUSAIN
Karachi
A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday, I along with my family members went to see the Frere Hall in Karachi. I had told everyone about Sadequain and its painted ceiling, and my family wanted to see it.
The first thing that I found out was that I could not park my car inside the Frere Hall premises. Then the next thing I found out was that Frere Hall is closed on Sunday.
The normal practice all over the world is for museums and heritage sites to remain open on holidays and weekends and to close on one given weekday.
The proverbial final ‘nail in the coffin’ was what happened next. When I took my camera out to photograph the building, several policemen immediately accosted me.
I discovered that in my own country, I couldn’t photograph my Frere Hall — a beautiful building situated in the heart of Karachi.
And what was the reason for this? On one side is the residence of the US consul-general, and on the other the US consulate. Our government has placed a ban on cameras and camcorders. If Uncle Sam is such a good friend of our government, can we ask President Musharraf to request President Bush to place a similar ban on photographing the Statue of Liberty?
AMIR ISLAM
Karachi
COOKING being my hobby, I was surprised to note the other day that the sweetness of the sugar available in the market has gone down by 15 to 20 per cent. I was making a sweet dish with the usual contents and measures used earlier. To my surprise, the dish lacked the desired level of sweetness. I had to add 20 per cent extra sugar to bring it to perfection.
If my observation is right, then we are being robbed on two fronts. First, we are getting sugar at a higher rate and, second, we are forced to consume more. A kilo of sugar bought at Rs 27 in fact costs around Rs 33.75.
DILAWAR HUSAIN
Karachi
FOLLOWING the announcement on October 1 that the price of petrol had been increased to Rs 56.29 from Rs 52.61 per litre, I went to a petrol station located on Clifton Road, Karachi. I was told that the new price of petrol was Rs 56.38 per litre. I had no other alternative but to pay the price asked for, although the new price notified and reported in the media was Rs56.29.
I was given a cash receipt for Rs 563.80. I then sought a meeting with the owner of the station but he was apparently not available and I was referred to a person who identified himself as the manager. He said that the price I had been charged — Rs 56.38 per litre — was correct and that it had been fed into the petrol pump by a representative of the oil company whose product the station was selling.
The extra levy of nine paisa per litre may look small, but when it is charged for each litre sold it can come to quite a large figure. It is also obvious that the pricing formula for petroleum products being followed by the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) lacks transparency and accountability.
As if what is stated above is not bad enough, I again went to the same petrol station on Oct. 4 and asked for 10 litres of petrol. This time I had to pay Rs. 564. The whole matter indeed calls for a thorough probe.
It is also strongly recommended that the function of fixing of prices of petroleum products be given to OGRA. It is also suggested that OGRA should be staffed with professionals such as chartered accountants, economists and persons having some knowledge of the oil industry but having no affiliation with it.
MOHAMMAD ANWAR KHAN
Karachi
A LETTER published on Sept. 18 gave a breakdown of what petrol actually costs the government and what it costs consumers. Apparently the cost is Rs 27.94 per litre. If this is correct at the current price of petrol, the government is making a huge profit. Is this fair, or is it highway robbery?
It is the government’s moral duty and obligation to answer and justify the currently high level of oil price. People are now intelligent enough not to be deceived by merely saying that prices are high because of the high world price of oil.
Civil society needs to stand up to this and file a public interest petition in the courts.
DR BABAR T. SHAIKH
Karachi
THIS IS with reference to a letter by Mr Rehan Gulfam (Oct 7).
PIA’s operating performance in the April-June quarter, 2005, showed not marginal but marked improvement over the corresponding period last year. On the revenue side, PIA recorded a growth of 16.2 per cent while it succeeded in containing expenses, barring fuel, to within 5.4 per cent. In constant fuel prices terms, PIA made a profit Rs 188 million in the above quarter, as against a loss of Rs 789 million in the same period last year. This profit margin was neutralized by the non-controllable factor of extraordinarily high fuel prices this year. The new fuel prices had an impact of Rs2.06 billion over the comparative period last year. Surely the key performance indicators of this year are far better than those of last year.
Mr Gulfam may not be aware that there are seasonal variations in flight loads and overall seat factor in flights such as the Tokyo flight. The flight to Glasgow, which has a significant Pakistani community, is merely planned for and not has not yet began. China is a booming economy and Urumqi is fast becoming the most important city of western China. And it makes good economic sense to fly to China where the average growth rate in the GDP is very high. Loads for Urumqi are bound to pick up. There has been a revival of flights to Nairobi. PIA used to fly to Nairobi with a decent seat factor and its presence will soon be felt.
As for mandatory retirement a total amount of Rs1.4 billion was disbursed. Out of this amount Rs0.9 billion was disbursed from the Employees Pension/ Provident Funds. The cost borne by PIA was Rs0.5 billion.
CAPT.HASSAN JAFFERY General Manager Public Affairs & Communication, PIA
Karachi
I, WITH thousands of others, got a plot through public balloting in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town, which is being administered by the Malir Development Authority. It is now more than 25 years but except for a few papers we practically do not own anything.
The plot lies amidst railway encroachments. The fate of plots as such is disputed. The agency concerned even after 25 years does not feel any sympathy for the affected people.
On the other hand, new projects — Taiser Town — have been announced by the MDA, without disposing of its old legal commitments towards the allottees of Shah Latif Town. I have been personally running from pillar to post to get justice but to no avail.
SHAMIM ALAM
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter by Murad Malik (Oct 6). One of my relatives encountered a somewhat similar situation when he went to offer his Friday prayers at a mosque near his house. It was very disappointing to hear the prayer leader openly asking those with beards to occupy the front row while the rest should stand behind them.
The rising intolerance and extremism in Pakistani society poses a major threat to peace and tranquillity. A beard should not be the yardstick to measure one’s piety.
SARAH HARIS
Karachi
A RECENT AP report read: “The massive earthquake that rocked Kashmir appears to have dealt a blow to the disputed region’s Islamic militants, ripping through their heartland along the mountainous frontier and wrecking their network of camps, safe houses and weapons caches.”
Hopefully Kashmir will now be free of bigoted zealots.
ABU HASHIR
Sargodha
THIS refers to the letter on “Sada Bahar” (Oct 11). In popular English the plant is periwinkle. Botanically, it is vinca rosea and belongs to the family apocynaceas. It is a hardy garden plant that grows to a height of one to two feet, with white and purple flowers, which are a common sight in our homes, public parks, and cemeteries. The plant also is trailing and erect. It is often planted by horticulturists to give a good effect as an excellent bedding plant.
The seedlings have to be raised in nurseries, before they are transplanted outdoors or in pots. I have a hazy idea that some years back the PCSIR had exploited its white flowers for their anti-diabetic properties. It is good that its extract can also combat cancers.
If the plant referred to is the same as understood by me, it can be easily grown at farms and the marginal lands in abundance with very little expertise required for it. The suggestions given by the correspondent are worth the attention of our research institutions, professionals, nursery men, and progressive growers.
“Sada Babar” is not “hibiscus” as mistakenly believed.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
I don’t know why during rush hour the traffic police choose to switch off traffic signals and instead manually direct traff because it only ends up creating more confusion. Also, they do this every day without learning from the previous day’s experience.
In addition to this, many are not interested in controlling traffic but are more concerned with how to make some extra money on the side by harassing motorists on the most trivial of grounds. They never seem to take any action against heavy goods vehicles, trucks and buses, all of which are driven quite rashly. The traffic DIG should take action to rectify a very bad traffic situation.
ANWAR JAWAID KHAN
Karachi
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