| October 16, 2005 | Sunday | Ramzan 11, 1426 |
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American outburst
Petrol prices
Slum areas
Pakistan and Israel
‘1965 war: whose brainchild?’
Tremors in Karachi
Kohistan & Swat
Rounding off
Red tape & quake
Whose responsibility?
Kalabagh dam
THIS is apropos of MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed’s statement that aid from the US and the UK was “peanuts”.
In times like these, his remarks seem senseless. If the government were to refuse aid, then what will it do? And who will suffer as a result of that? The victims and not people like Qazi Hussain Ahmed.
If Mr Ahmed really cares for the quake survivors, he should ask his followers and activists to donate before he advises the government to refuse aid from the US and the UK. When I am hungry and if I have nothing to eat, I will not ask people to feed me with “biryani” or chicken “tikka”. I will be thankful if someone gives me just “daal” and bread.
AAHRAF MIRZA
Atlanta, GA, US
IN this holy month of Ramazan prices of essential items of food and other necessities of life are sky-rocketing. Hoarding is being done to facilitate black marketing. The shopkeepers will do well if in this grim hour of tragedy they sell on a “no-profit-and-no-loss” basis so that the necessities of life can be sent to the quake-affected areas. Shopping for Eid should also be reduced to essential items and all extravaganza and jubilation should be avoided.
Nothing gives greater joy than to save a life, feed the hungry and provide relief to the shelterless. There is urgent need for pharmaceutical companies and druggists to ensure that no artificial shortage is created of any life-saving or other essential drug in the market. Even this will be of indirect help to the victims of the quake.
NGOs and the Edhi Trust should take stock of orphans, who have been left with no one to look after them. Adoption of deserving children should be encouraged.
As aid pours in from within the country and abroad, it should be ensured that no deserving person is denied. At least, it would mitigate some of his/her sorrow. Coordinators are urged to do full justice to ensure that aid reaches the marooned and stranded people.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
ONE should hold accountable all those contractors who were responsible for constructing government buildings (including the schools and colleges) in the earthquake-affected areas. I think these people used substandard building material which led to the death of thousands of children and adults.
They should be arrested and tried.
MAHESH MOOLANI
Owesnboro, KY, US
IT was not the earthquake that killed the people, but the poorly built buildings that caused the tragedy. Most of our budget is spent on defence and very little on social and infrastructure development. We have seen examples of nations such as Japan and Germany that have progressed after World War II because they had little or no defence spending.
As a Pakistani I don’t want to hear that we need a large defence budget due to the threat from across the border. It’s time President Musharraf settled disputes and even if these continue, we do not need such a huge defence budget? We have other nations like the US to handle these threats and it’s time we channelled our budget towards infrastructure development. I hope the president’s fund will be directed towards the development of the earthquake-hit areas and that the government officials will not misuse these funds.
FRAYAN MAMA
Karachi
A DEADLY silence befell my nation/before shrieking wails pierced the air. The earth had spoken/unleashed its fury/heaving and rocking relentlessly. The smog from debris/blinded the eye.
An abyss appeared/ my people united/spiritually charged; Mouths parched/ fasting but unwavering/ in their willingness to help/ those who were trapped/deliberating death. Tough choices to make to be gulped by the ground/ or smothered by the sky,
My heart bleeds/my soul aches/I choke on my meal/while people starve for a bite/I’ll close my eyes/and eradicate the pain/justify my existence/I’ll open my eyes/hide behind my guilt. And exist.
SAIMA KHALID
Rochester, NY, US
WE have celebrated many joyful Eids since independence. This year we must skip Eid celebrations and donate the money we normally spend on Eid for our brethren affected by the earthquake to share their grief.
When you share the grief it halfens
When you share the joy, it doubleth
S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA
Karachi
IN this tragic period, when the whole country is mobilized to help the earthquake victims, the effort, the dedication, the show of solidarity and generosity that the electronic media is showing at this time of Pakistan’s history is really commendable.
People from all walks of life are glued to television.
But I would really appreciate it if in this period of mourning care is taken to show only those advertisements that have serious content.
It hurts one’s sensitivity to see the sufferings of fellow human beings and the loss of precious lives followed by a sing-song commercial for mobile phones or motorcycles and the like.
Will the TV channels please look into this and avoid fanfare commercials at least for some time?
ISHRAT MIRZA
Karachi
STEVE Elisha (letter Oct 11) lost absolutely no time in trying to get even with the Muslim detractors of the US at a time when Pakistan is reeling under a calamity by asking implicitly if God was punishing the country.
A person’s assessment depends on his worldview. Some people, including religious leaders, are indeed saying over here that we are being punished for our sins.
The militants might hold the view that this is divine retribution for siding with Washington against them.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has blamed global capitalism for this and other natural disasters that have befallen the world (Oct 11).
Still another way of looking at it could be that a tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) tells us that if a Muslim gets so much as pricked by a thorn, God will compensate him for even this minor suffering.
Nevertheless, as an educated American who apparently follows the global media, can Mr Elisha honestly defy the opinion of the majority of the world’s citizenry, including many American politicians, diplomats, military officers, intellectuals, journalists and Vietnam war veterans themselves who say it was wrong for the US to occupy Iraq.
His response should have been more enlightened and charitable than that of an illiterate or semi-literate Third World resident who is not as well informed.
One has a good opinion of most Americans but such ill-advised outbursts can only mar their image in other people’s eyes.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
REFERENCE Mr Usman Tariq Qazi’s letter (Sept 4), Mr Qazi should know that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz does not need to seek any explanation from the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) as he is expected to be fully familiar with the ongoing practice.
As a matter fact, the OCAC is a powerful cartel of OMCs and has been given a free hand to fix prices of fuel since June 13, 2001 following a decision of the cabinet.
Now, all the members of the OCAC come from the oil marketing and refining companies with no government representation or any independent economic experts of the oil/gas sector (Dawn editorial, Oct 2).
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), if established by now, has been kept out of the POL price fixation apparatus.
Surprisingly, even the World Bank could not help pitying the people of Pakistan and advising a change in the POL pricing system in Pakistan.
According to a newspaper article published in Dawn some time back, the World Bank had asked the government to assign the job of petroleum price fixation to an independent body outside the oil industry and rationalize the whole mechanism which currently “gives the appearance of collusion” between the government and the oil industry.
In consequence of the rise in fuel prices on the eve of the holy month, leaders of almost all political parties have severely condemned the self-seeking policies of the OCAC.
A question is validly asked by discerning correspondents, namely, if Pakistan imports Dubai or Gulf-origin-based POL products (the price of which is much less), why does the OCAC fix prices based on WTT?
MOHAMMAD ALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
KARACHI has a large number of slum areas having no facilities of health, education, water, sanitation. Electricity outage has become a daily routine.
Among such settlements there is a little known colony known as Madina Colony of Malir Town. It is situated behind the Government Malir Degree College.
It has about 20,000 people who have no sanitation. Recently they suffered from gastric diseases and infections.
Also, its residents do not have any arrangement for clean water, nor do they have any government health facility. The death rate among pregnant women is quite high.
Children in the absence of any school are mostly engaged as labour. Women of all ages are forced to work at garment factories to meet ends. For electricity the colony people depend on nearby settlements.
KASHIF HASSAN
Karachi
MR Anwar Syed’s article “Internal divisions in Israel” (Oct 9) prompts one to enumerate the similarities between Pakistan and Israel.
Don’t we have internal religious divisions in Pakistan? Mr Syed has only mentioned the similarity of both countries’ religion-dominated politics.
He has omitted to mention that both countries are considered to be outposts of democracy in the Muslim-dominated Middle East and South Asia.
The societies of the two are beset with unbending orthodox paradigms versus modern secularism which allows religiosity to bare its teeth at liberalism, democracy and a modernist approach.
S.M. KAZIM NAQVI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Mr Kuldip Nayar’s article on 1965 war (Sept 10). He has blamed Mr. Z.A. Bhutto for the 1965 war. When you have access to presidents and prime ministers, your point of view is widely accepted especially when the persons concerned are not there to contradict or support the statement. In any case, Mr. Kuldip Nayar enjoys respect both in India and Pakistan.
Before people of my generation wither away it would be in the fitness of things if some questions are raised so that our present generation knows facts which have been often passed off as simple narratives.
If a foreign minister can persuade the president of a country to undertake such operations as can lead to a full-scale war, then what is the utility of having a military command?
Second, Operation Gibraltar was ill-conceived and once it was known that it lacked local support there was no point in starting operation Grand Slam. There is no doubt that our “friends” had assured us that the Indians would not cross the international boundary. But these “friends” had also assured the Indians that the ammunition of the American equipment we had would not last more than a week. As far as crossing the international boundary is concerned, at least one general, Maj-Gen Akhtar Hussain Malik, had categorically stated that he had informed the president about the possibility of the Indians crossing the boundary and what happened to the telegram “The attack is imminent” which Mr. Arshad Hussain, Pakistan’s high commission in New Delhi, had sent to the foreign minister on September 4, 1965? It was either not put up to the foreign minister or its seriousness and urgency were not realized by anyone in the foreign ministry. Simultaneously, what were our local intelligence agencies, both civil and military, doing? Let us accept without any reservation that there were failures on many fronts and not just in the ministry of foreign affairs.
General Musa is reported to have acted on his “hunch” when an ambiguous order was sent on September 5 to the formations in the field about taking “necessary defensive measures.” So, on September 6, it was only the screens who had reached the BRB canal or across it at some places to face the onslaught of the Indian army. Later in the day, the PAF came to the rescue and destroyed hundreds of vehicles on the Amritsar to Lahore road.
When in the early part of 1965, the Rann of Kutch dispute arose and the units of the Indian Border Security Forces pushed out of the area, claimed by us, it was blown out of proportions to be depicted as a victory. In India, all plans were made to teach us a lesson.
Consequently, Pakistani forces were put on the alert and field units were deployed in defence to meet any eventuality. By May 1965 after the Kutch dispute was referred to an international tribunal and subsequently resolved, some of our units withdrew to their peace-time locations although some remained in the forward areas. Had proper defensive positions been maintained, then the history and perhaps the geography of this country would have been different.
Let us now see what was our tactical doctrine at the time of the 1965 war. We believed that in case an enemy superior in number occupies our territory, we can envelop it and subsequently destroy it by better performance of our armour. The fact that without adequate infantry, no ground can be held was not given due importance. This was one of our weaknesses and the Indians fully exploited it.
There were some positive aspects of the 1965 war, however. Before it, we were totally dependent on import of equipment and ammunition from foreign countries. Even batteries for tanks and rivets of aeroplanes were imported. One great lesson that we learnt was to try to be more self-sufficient.
National unity was achieved overnight as the people united for a cause from Khyber to Karachi. Even an East Pakistan battalion fought bravely in the Burki sector in Lahore.
I wished to end this differently, but on October 8 came this devastating earthquake. No one had any doubts about our people who would stand up to any challenge the way they did in 1965. What surprised one was the international response from those nations with whom we have not always enjoyed good relations. I had often heard the slogan describing the world as a “global village.” But this is the first time when grief and pain was felt by everyone as if it was their own. This gives one hope that one day all the blazing furnaces of political unrest will be extinguished by non-violent means.
BRIG (retd) KHALID HASSAN MAHMOOD
Karachi
THE tremors in Karachi the early hours of Oct 12 in were immediately reported by the news channels as a mild earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale. It was being connected to the Northern Area quake although tremors have been felt in Karachi for the past couple of months now and termed as mysterious jolts which were not recorded.
The one on Oct 12 morning was not only recorded but was explained by a meteorological expert as plates settling back in position.
As a nation, we take things easy, specially when it does not directly concern the ruling elite who are too naïve to understand the implications of these mysterious jolts in just two areas of Karachi, Defence and Clifton. It is now time to investigate.
SYED HASHIM HASAN
Karachi
I would like to bring to the attention of the government that some of areas badly affected by the quake have not been even talked about, especially Kohistan and upper Swat. I personally know a family friend who has lost 50 members of his family in Kohistan. The government should send help to these areas as well.
FAISAL KHAN
Potomac, MD, US
THIS is with reference to the letter by M. A. Sabzwari (Oct. 5). Like him, I too must register my protest at the way petrol pumps in Pakistan round off to the next rupee when they sell CNG.
The excuse given is that the meter does not shut down automatically and hence the bill for filling CNG — unlike the case with petrol — cannot be stopped by punching in a pre- determined rounded-off amount.
IBAD AHMED
Guildford, UK
OUR nonprofit organization is taking part in relief activities. One of the things that we had to do was to supply medicines weighing nearly 500 kilos (worth Rs150,000) via PIA to a medical relief team in Peshawar and onward carriage to Abbotabad.
I called up the PIA cargo office in Karachi on the eve of Oct. 12 at 5 pm. I was advised to first get in touch with a colonel or a major if I wanted to avail of the free offer.
I told him that this would take too much time and so we were prepared to pay normal cargo charges. When my staff reached there to deliver the cartons at around 10 pm, there was another man on duty.
He refused to even accept the cargo although we were prepared to pay the cost of freight. He eventually agreed but not before several precious hours had elapsed. And this happened despite the fact that my organization paid full charges.
DR SHEIKH TANVEER AHMED
Karachi
A VERY large number of schoolgoing children trapped in fallen school buildings were killed in the earthquake. The sinking of the Margalla Towers in Islamabad also caused the death of many residents who had paid a very high price for these apartments.
Who is responsible for the award of building contracts? To whom did they award the contracts? To well-reputed construction firms or to contractors through underhand deals? Who should be punished? And who will carry out the investigations?
SENATOR MRS TANVIR KHALID
Karachi
A team of senior geo-scientists should visit the Kalabagh dam site to study in detail the effects of the Oct 8 earthquake. This may determine the suitability or otherwise of the dam on this site.
S.A. BILGRAMI
Karachi
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