| November 23, 2005 | Wednesday | Shawwal 20, 1426 |
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AWACs deal
Bad umpiring
Moonsighting
‘Double deckers’
Suggestions for PIA
NED entry test
A debacle for Mr Blair
Clarification
Parking ban
‘Karachi to Chitral’
Protecting minorities
I HAVE read with interest Mr Mazhar Ali Nanjiani’s letter “Karachi traffic” (Nov 17). I agree with his suggestions which, if implemented, will go a long way in improving traffic operations on Karachi roads. It is time the authorities concerned reacted immediately and positively in order to arrest the fast deteriorating trend of traffic lawlessness and mismanagement.
I would, however, add three suggestions to what Mr Nanjiani has written. First, the government should seriously consider laying down a minimum age-limit of 40 years for drivers driving public transport, namely, trucks, long vehicles, buses, water and fuel bowsers and taxis.
If I recall correctly such an age limit (35 years) did exist in Saudi Arabia when I was there almost a quarter of a century ago. The rationale behind such a rule is that the these vehicles, mostly heavy, being on the road most of the time need to be driven by mature and confident drivers backed by long experience of driving for at least 20 or so years.
Second, I suggest comprehensive rules should be formulated for conductors/cleaners of heavy public transport such as buses and trucks. They are quite a hazard on roads, especially for pedestrians and light vehicles. All of us have experience of their erratic and reckless driving in rush hours and in heavy traffic density areas, when they emerge from their junctions/crossings and block the traffic even the one that has right of way. This is a very common practice as conductors of public buses take over the job of regulating traffic.
My third proposal pertains to setting up of a research cell in the traffic department which should continuously monitor the traffic trend on various roads and formulate rules to check undesirable practices/trends that may be developing. The rules should then be amended as required. They should also devise infrastructural changes in roads, pavements, etc, in collaboration with the traffic engineering bureau.
REAR ADMIRAL (retd)
SYED A. BAQAR
Karachi
IT is regretted that traffic mess and lawlessness is rampant on many Karachi roads. The situation has been deteriorating unchecked right under the nose of the traffic police. Driving with impunity on the wrong side of the busy roads — peak hours or no peak hours — breaking traffic lights, criss-crossing lanes dangerously, not following the rules of negotiating roundabouts and parking in the “No Parking” zones are but a few serious traffic violations witnessed day and night.
And now a dangerous phenomenon is gradually developing on a recently introduced traffic arrangement after the opening of the FTC flyover. Errant drivers, mostly of light vehicles (cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, cycle and animal-drawn carts) plying on Sharea Faisal, proceeding westwards towards the city centre and intending to turn right from the FTC towards the Lines Area do not follow the authorized traffic arrangements. Instead of turning left from the FTC and making a U-turn from the CSD, they cross the flyover from underneath and immediately turn left on the one-way road intended for traffic coming from Kala Pul/CSD and turning left on Sharea Faisal. They proceed against the oncoming traffic which is very dangerous as the road is very narrow. On arriving at the ramp of the FTC flyover they take a sharp 180 degrees turn to ascend the flyover to cross over to the Lines Area.
This again is very dangerous as the road is very busy with all types of fast moving traffic and the room available for this turn takes the turning vehicle almost to the centre of the ramp.
This is gradually becoming a self-made rule and the number of violators is on the increase. There is a need to curb this practice immediately before it causes serious accidents. The traffic police should be posted at the corner of Gora Qabristan, at this turning, to prevent the traffic taking a left turn just after crossing the FTC flyover.
Secondly, a re-engineering action should be taken to block the traffic taking a left turn by blocking entry to this road, by extending the existing kerb stones on to Sharea Faisal and along the cemetery by another 25 or so metres. This will enable the traffic joining Sharea Faisal from Kala Pul to yield and gradually and safely merge into the main traffic. This will also make a channel, even if it is single lane and it will be difficult and inconvenient for vehicles turning into it to proceed in the wrong direction.
A CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
MANY letters have appeared in your newspaper criticizing the AWACs deal by the Pakistan government. Please allow me to say a few words on this subject in an effort to respond to the general scepticism in the minds of readers.
To state briefly, it has almost taken five years to evaluate this product, its technical reliability and to get the financial resources. The need for an AWAC system is inescapable in view of the acquisition by the Indian Air Force of similar equipment from Israel. An AWAC system of radar is like an electronic eye in the sky. It is in operation with the IAF and they are able to observe every movement of the Pakistan Army and the deployment of the Pakistan Air Force and hence can take any action needed in any emergent situation.
At present, the IAF has three types of latest version of fighter aircraft and is about to integrate F-18s into its fleet whereas the PAF is flying aircraft that is 20 years old. By acquiring the AWAC system the PAF would be at least in a position to get early warning which would allow it to take counter measures. A well-equiped and armed country is always in a stronger position.
Lastly , I would like to clarify that it is a contractual obligation on both the parties to honour the date to sign the agreement, otherwise the buyer has to pay almost 10 per cent more as late/delay fee.
IQTEDAR A.KHAN
Ex-director of supply & logistics, PAF
Islamabad
I AM glad about the way Pakistan is performing in the cricket series with England but I am appalled by the bad standard of umpiring. In the first Test we saw some controvertial desions againt Pakistan and umpire Billy Bowden shouting at Pakistani players while appealing. And then Shabbir Ahmed and Shoaib Malik were reported again of bowling with a suspect action. In the second Test we saw Muhammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi being given out without any reference to the third umpire.
And then came the run-out of Inzamam who could not be ruled run-out because of Rule 38 of the game. I would also like to add that the show of unsporting behaviour by Steve Harmison is quite disappointing.
MUHAMMAD BILAL AHMED
Lahore
I AM extremely disappointed, nay appalled, at the deliberate attempt by Shahid Afridi to tamper with the pitch in the second Test match against England. He has not only put his career and Pakistan’s image in jeopardy, but has virtually played into the hands of the hostile English media who have a record of leaving no stone unturned to damage Pakistan’s image at the slightest pretext.
Not only that, he has hurt the feelings of his diehard fans throughout the country. Such antics by a player of Afridi’s calibre, who is blessed with immense talent, does not put him in good light.
ALI MUJTABA
Islamabad
I AM an Indian cricket fan. I watched the dismissal of Inzamam with dismay and disbelief. According to the rules of cricket, he could not have been given out because he was forced to leave his crease as he tried to take evasive action to guard against any possible injury. Clearly the umpires did not know the rules. But what about Steve Harmison?
It probably ranks among the most unsportsmanlike of deeds in the history of cricket.
HAMSARAJ SHETTY
Cardiff, UK
IT is sad to see a three-match ban being imposed on Shahid Afridi. I and many other cricket fans would like to request the PCB to appeal to the ICC to lift the ban. Moreover, why doesn’t the PCB appeal for a ban to be placed on Ian Bell who appealed for a catch when replays showed that the ball had touched the ground. In the past, Rashid Latif was fined for wrongly claiming a catch and was handed a five-match ban which practically ended his cricket career.
MALIK MURAD ALI
Karachi
ONCE again the Muslim community in North America became bitterly divided over the issue of moon sighing for Eidul Fitr. As a result two Eids were celebrated — one on Nov 3 and the other on Nov 4. None of us would have objected if two Eids would have been celebrated in different moon sighting zones of the US because after all the country is the size of a continent with four time zones. But the problem arose when two Eids were celebrated in the same cities throughout the US leaving many in confusion.
The following is my understanding on this matter. Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commanded Muslims to look diligently for the Shawwal moon. It is narrated in Sahih Bukhari that he said: “When you see it (the new moon of Ramazan) then fast; and when you see it (the new moon of Shawwal) then break your fast”. In another hadith from Bukhari he said: “Fast according to its sighting and break your fast according to its sighting. And if it is hidden (the moon on 29th) from you by clouds then complete the days as 30”.
Employing newer technologies like mathematical calculations, use of the Internet,
and taking evidence of moon sighting from distant lands within America and in some cases from far away lands like Saudi Arabia has only compounded the problem and
the controversy associated with it.
Many of us are obsessed with the idea of having ‘one Eid per country’ and having a common start and end date for Ramazan. Every city in the US should have its own moon sighting committee.
DR MOHIUDDIN WASEEM
McAllen, TX, US
THIS is with reference to Mariam Humayun’s letter “Double deckers” (Nov. 10) which drew brought much needed attention to the state of our public buses.
This is not the first time such subjects have come up and it won’t be the last. The fact that these issues have been addressed many times before and the laws passed never seem to get properly enforced could be simply because lawmakers do not use the public bus network.
The corresponded wonders why “no one says anything about how dirty our buses are inside”. The reason for that is that our members of parliament and ministers never travel on the buses.
Unless they do that we will not see any of the following laws being passed: “The clean bus and better seats law”; “Wait till the passenger has disembarked law”; “More seats for women law”, “Away with the blind beggar led by son beggar who harasses passenger law”,”No garish bus interiors and bad music law “, etc.
If you want to experience what people endure every day, come aboard the next “S-2”, “N-4” or “M-1” and see what the fuss is about. Just don’t get in one of those select few green buses and proclaim all Karachi buses to be in “perfect bus health”.
AFRAH JAMAL
Karachi
I AM a resident of Abu Dhabi and have been travelling to Karachi on PIA for 20 years. There are certain issues I would like to highlight to its senior management.
Departure times from Abu Dhabi to Karachi are extremely inconvenient. Passengers face a lot of difficulty in this respect, especially those travelling with their families and children, and those who have onward connections to local destinations. These timings should be changed.
Getting one’s seat reconfirmed in Karachi is a nightmare. One fails to understand that when other airlines do this over the phone, PIA insists on the passenger going in person to its booking office. This requirements — given that no other airline in the world has it — looks as if it has been done purposely to torture passengers. This issue should be addressed immediately and passengers should be able to have their seats reconfirmed over the phone.
The other problem is non-availability of seats, which is due to bogus reservations. I experienced it during my last visit to Karachi. When I approached the booking office for a seat, the flight’s waiting list was even closed. I managed to get a seat through a connection. Upon boarding the plane, I was surprised to see that at least 30 seats were vacant when the plane took off from Karachi. It was a Boeing 737, a small plane capacity wise. This problem has been there for a very long time and this should end by now, as it directly affects the revenues of the airline.
I would, however, like to say here that the quality of in-flight service has improved. Induction of young men and women is a good thing. There is though a need to improve in-flight entertainment.
QAMAR A. ABBASI
Abu Dhabi
THIS is with reference to the letter ( Nov 18) regarding the NED entry test. This university is always responsive to complaints, although Mr Al-Hamra Khan has written his letter nearly two months after the entry test.
The university has no hesitation in admitting that there was some disturbance outside the university as a result of two political student groups trying to outdo each other in attracting future members. However, the disturbance was much less than that in the previous year because both Rangers and the police had taken cognizance of the previous trouble. It is also submitted by this university that it cannot control disturbances outside its premises.
The allegation regarding cheating going on is most disturbing; there had never been any complaint of this type until now. Again it is not clear why Mr Khan did not make this complaint to the university the day after the test. He may appreciate that after over seven weeks no investigation is possible.
REGISTRAR NED
University of Engineering & Technology Karachi
LAST week’s parliamentary defeat for the British Prime Minister at the hands of his own party members on a key anti-terror legislation is a great victory for the parliamentary system and for civil liberties.
At least in some countries legislators have the courage of conviction to resist their party leaders’ appeal if they think it is unreasonable or will restrict civil liberties. The Guardian article ‘A failure of judgement’ (Dawn, Nov. 12) corroborates the views expressed in your editorial.
GHEEWALA A G M
Karachi
WITH reference to the news item concerning the Catholic Association, published in Dawn on Nov 19, we would like to clarify:
1) That His Grace Evarist Pinto, the Archbishop of Karachi, in his capacity as patron of this association (Article 15) had vide Ecclesiastical Decree No. 001/2004 dated April 10, 2004, suspended the entire executive committee of the Catholic Association of Karachi, including its president and general secretary and simultaneously appointed Rev. Fr. Joseph D’Mello as commissioner who has taken over the association with effect from April 17, 2004.
2) That as per deleted memorandum of association Article 3 (c) & (i), the Catholic Association is not authorized to safeguard the legitimate rights, liberties and interests of the Catholic community nor is it permitted to consider and express its opinion on matters of public interest, including legislation and constitutional matters. Such authority is vested effectively in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church which is headed by the archbishop.
3) That consequently, at present, no person, other than the commissioner appointed by the Archbishop of Karachi is authorized to act, represent or in any manner correspond on behalf of the Catholic Association of Karachi.
FR. JOSEPH D’MELLO
(Commissioner, Catholic Association of Karachi)
and FRANCIS J D’SOUZA
(Administrator & Executive Secretary, Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Karachi)
THIS is to bring to the notice of the authorities concerned that the ban imposed on the parking of cars in front of the PIDC House, Karachi, is not fair and is creating immense problems for the hundreds of people who work in the building. The ban was imposed after last week’s bomb blast which killed three people.
Instead of causing such an inconvenience to law-abiding citizens, it would be good if the government used the intelligence agencies at its disposal to mount preventive measures to stop terrorist activities. Further, if any such action has to be taken at all, it should be notified well in advance so that people can make alternative arrangements.
FARAZ JAN
Karachi
RECENTLY on the floor of the Senate, one heard Asfandyar Wali use the term “Karachi to Chitral” when he was trying to describe the two extremities of Pakistan. This is heart-warming for us Chitralis because so far our leaders have incorrectly been using the term “Karachi to Khyber” for the same purpose. We need to thank Mr Wali for rectifying this error.
On another subject, we in Chitral do not fail to notice that PTV news makes no mention of Chitral in its weather reports. This despite the fact that PTV makes a mention of Srinagar.
Weather plays a very important part in the lives of the people of Chitral. In a few days when snow will cut us off from the rest of Pakistan, until the end of April, we will be depending even more on accurate weather reports to tell us about our chances of getting on that most sought after PIA flight — Chitral’s lifeline to the rest of the country.
SIRAJUL MULK
Chitral
THE fanatics who burnt down church properties in Pakistan recently should realize that there are Muslim communities living abroad among majority Christian communities. Such violent acts damage peaceful coexistence not just in Muslim countries but also in non-Muslim countries.
It is the duty of the government to protect the lives and property of the minority communities. The culprits behind the church arson should be apprehended and brought to justice to reassure the rest of the world that minorities are protected in Pakistan.
M. SHAFIQ
Hale, UK
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