| December 4, 2005 | Sunday | Ziqa’ad 1, 1426 |
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Viral haemorrhagic fever details
CSS results
Leopard’s chocolate
Keeping power supply in tact
Things to learn from India
School in Muzaffarabad
Urdu dictionary board
Dialling 119
Garbage burning
Fibreglass houses
US condition
IN his letter “Pakistan — an Indian view” (Nov 26), Mr Vipul Thakur states, inter alia, that “Pakistan is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. There is corruption in India also but at a lower lever”.
The claim that corruption exists in India only at a lower level is astonishing.
In his recently-published memoirs, captioned Mitrokhin Archives II, the KGB and the World, senior KGB archivist Mitrokhin claims that his agency had bought secrets from Indian cabinet ministers and other senior figures of the Indira Gandhi government and paid them retainers.
The author quotes the then KGB’s Gen Olef Kalugnin as saying, “It seemed that the entire country was on sale.” Thus, he described India as a model for infiltration of a Third World government. Indian opposition parties and the media have raised an uproar over the issue.
Decades earlier, sources related to the CIA had alleged that prime minister Morarji Desai had been on the CIA’s retainer’s list.
Prime minister Narasimha Rao ended his political life fighting high profile corruption cases in court. Allegations about Mr Natwar Singh’s role in Iraq’s oil for food programme are in the public domain. Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, known as Mr ‘Clean’, had his credibility irreparably damaged by the Bofors corruption scandal. Minhaz Merchant, Rajiv Gandhi’s biographer, laments, inter alia: “By 1989, as Rajiv Gandhi struggled to stay in power, Indian politics had been criminalized in a way which would have shocked even the hardened Indira Gandhi.” Other high-profile cases are not being included here for want of space.
It has pained me to recall the above since this may hurt the susceptibilities of respected Indian friends and since some of those mentioned above possessed otherwise admirable qualities. But Mr Thakur’s sweepingly unfair attempt to demean Pakistan in relation to his country, left no choice.
As for Pakistan, nothing (not even development or democracy or other priority objectives) is anywhere as important as the need for promoting integrity in public life since this is the irreducible condition for guaranteeing economic progress and national security. It is time that government made integrity in public life the highest priority objective. More on this aspect, separately.
MOHAMMAD MAHDI
Karachi
VIRAL haemorrhagic fever is a serious infection caused by several viruses around the world. In Pakistan we presently have two of these viruses: Congo-Crimean viral fever (CCVF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). CCVF is spread by the bite of a tick that resides in the skin of cattle. In 1970s there was an outbreak in Quetta that killed unsuspecting surgeons and paramedics operating on patients with fever and bleeding from the stomach.
CCVF is endemic in parts of Balochistan and Afghanistan and we see it from time to time in small outbreaks in Karachi. Its danger is that it can spread from person to person through infected blood and body secretions.
The dengue virus, on the other hand, is spread by the bite of a mosquito (aedes egyptii). In the late 1990s there was an outbreak of dengue fever in Karachi. It was a mild form then that caused fever, muscle pain and a rash with low blood counts. Although it produced much discomfort, the illness was completely reversible without any particular treatment. Unfortunately, an attack of dengue fever does not produce complete immunity. In fact, a second attack is usually severe and can result in profuse bleeding from multiple body sites, often resulting in death. It was predictable at that time that a second attack would cause haemorrhagic fever. And indeed, DHF is upon us now. Our hospitals are filling up with dengue fever of mild to moderate to severe intensities.
CCVF and DHF clinically appear similar and can be differentiated only by specific blood tests. Again unfortunately these tests are expensive and not always accurate. Hence, what is often reported as CCVF may actually be DHF. CCVF requires isolation so that other persons are protected. DHF, on the other hand, does not require isolation as it is spread by mosquito bite. In absence of accurate tests it is wise to protect all contacts.
CCVF and DHF are serious public health problems gifted us by our health and civic authorities. Mountains of garbage and rivers of sewage invite stray animals, ticks, flies and mosquitoes; only a few private hospitals have an infection control department or policy. The rest breed filth and are hazardous to humans. Public diagnostic labs are non-existent and private labs are beyond the reach of ordinary people. Without diagnosis there are no statistics.
Clean cities and clean hospitals are the norm in civilized countries. For us, this is a tall order. If we do not demand our rights and strive individually for a clean home and clean environment, ill health and disease will remain continue to plague us.
DR NASEEM SALAHUDDIN
President, Infectious Diseases Society,
Pakistan, Karachi
THIS refers to your editorial “Educational decline” (Nov 30) in which you have discreetly pointed out the rapidly falling standard of education through a comparative analysis of the CSS results of several years.
There is no doubt that the country lacks a uniform system of education. The Kalashnikov culture in the universities together with the so-called comrade system, the use of unfair means and impersonation cases at the higher secondary and graduation levels, sheer political involvement in the higher centres of learning, dilapidated condition of educational infrastructure, dearth of state-of-art research and experimental equipment, pathetic condition of scientific laboratories, merciless stifling of merit in the recruitment of teaching staff, and the state of hibernation of the higher authorities in this connection are some of the major causes for this deplorable 7.5 pass per cent in the CSS examinations.
However, I disagree with you when you say that “the civil servants who will be selected after psychological tests and via voce from among 276 will not necessary be the best”. This pessimistic opinion is no less than a smart slap on the faces of these 276 candidates who have glaringly proved their worth vis-a- vis the most strict assessment of the answer sheets by the FPSC.
A significant number of candidates from among these 276, including me, have already been working on important positions in BPS-17. In addition, according to FPSC sources, two-thirds of the successful candidates are those who have appeared in CSS-2005 for the second or the third time. Hence, it is sufficient to prove the maturity of their thought along with their administrative abilities.
Furthermore, the extensive training of these officers at civil services academy, Lahore, remarkably helps to enhance their multidimensional capabilities. Thus, in no way these 276 candidates can be dubbed academically poor and professionally inept. Instead, the nation should be proud of this successful lot and need not worry about their talent.
What is required is the promotion of education and literacy and an end to foul practices and political recommendations in the recruitment process, particularly in provincial public service commissions.
HAKIM ALI BANGLANI
Shikarpur
THE camp of a safari hunt in Africa on BBC TV several years ago was hardly set up when the family pet dog was found missing. When brought to the notice of the organizer the hunter laughed and remarked, “The dog is a leopard’s chocolate.” Pug marks in the surroundings confirmed where it had landed.
A similar incident was reported by the late Mrs Khurshid, film actress of pre-independence days and pioneer of drama on PTV. Her husband was a keen “shikari” and left many trophies for his club when the family migrated to Pakistan. She recalled an incident when the family had gone to a forest rest- house for “shikar”. Within a short time the family dog had disappeared. Pug marks in the vicinity revealed its fate. It is said that a leopard kills only for food but a dog is a temptation irresistible.
According to Ayaz Ahmed Khan: “In the galliat forest the common leopard feeds on monkeys, foxes, wild- pigs and dogs. There are no dogs left and the rhesus monkey population has migrated to lower heights into human habitation owing to wayside restaurants opening up rapidly there which feed these monkeys.”
The father of our nuclear bomb keeps a bag of nuts to feed the monkeys when they come on to the trees in his garden to perform the duty of night chowkidars. Herds of wild pigs are found roaming in Islamabad at night. Their young ones get killed under cars when unable to cross the road in time with the herd. Six women were killed in galliat forests by leopards last summer. One leopard dared to enter Islamabad zoo and kill a deer.
Two leopards were shot by the forest staff. The one captured by the army staff survived. The result of traps set to catch the visitors to Islamabad is not known. The solution to leopards’ attack is evident. Street dogs from all cities should be taken to the heights of the galliat and released there, giving the two an even chance in the hunt. It must, however, be assured that not a single dog has rabies, which is incurable, deadly, infectious and very common in street dogs in winter. A pride of lions in Africa was eliminated by rabies. The wild dogs of Africa are also known to have been similarly destroyed.
H.A. HAJI
Karachi
WITH reference to the letter by Mr Nayyar Iqbal Raza (Oct 25), I also saw the collapsed KESC tower carrying 220 thousand volts, near Port Qasim. The amazing work, on live conductors, was not done by The KESC but by a construction company and at a fantastic price. This company is in business in Pakistan for over 50 years with experience of work in the Middle East.
The interesting fact is that the tower which collapsed was also installed by the same company. Shouldn’t this company be held responsible for the collapse? Was the load-bearing capacity of the soil where the tower was installed checked? Was the concrete base correctly designed? Was the concrete mix of the correct ratio? Was the cement good? Shouldn’t there be an investigation committee to decide what penalty be imposed on this company?
M. HAROON KHAN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Shahid Javed Burki’s article (Nov 22). Three important points emerge from it. First, that India’s phenomenal economic progress, as projected in the Western media (particularly in the US), and in their scholarly circles and think-tanks, is highly exaggerated.
The “second India,” as seen by Mr Burki’s American friend — one which is “poor, extremely crowded, with poor infrastructure, poor housing, and an incredible number of street dwellers ... not very different from Africa” — represents, on the whole, a more accurate picture of India and the state of its economy.
I may add that similar views have been expressed by a number of Pakistani friends who have had the occasion to travel to India in the recent past. Behind the facade of glittering statistics lurks the grim reality of India’s poverty, a fact which is often glossed over by the Western media, or, is totally ignored. The reason for this, I shall discuss a little later.
The second important point to emerge from Mr Burki’s article is the tendency among a section of our intellectuals who project only the negative aspects in our state and society, totally ignoring the positive side. This betrays a state of mind of our so-called intellectuals, who seem to be suffering from feelings of low self-esteem, or, an inferiority complex, or both. It is high time that they broke out of this negative mindset. Mr Burki writes that he “can’t think of any Indian writer of repute or an activist who would be so vocal in condemning all aspects of life in India”. Our so-called intellectuals would do well to follow the Indian example.
The third important point made by him, which has enhanced India’s reputation, internationally, is the emphasis which they have placed, from the early days of their independence, on higher education, particularly, the sciences. This has paid rich dividends and India’s achievements in the field of information technology have been impressive. We have unfortunately neglected this important area for long, and have only lately begun to allocate adequate funds for higher education. This is another area in which we could learn from India. I agree with Mr Burki that there are quite a few things that we could learn from India.
However, the tendency on the part of certain people, particularly our pseudo intellectuals, to paint a scenario of unmitigated gloom and doom is totally unwarranted. We should not be unmindful of the fact that in certain areas our performance has been better than India’s. The Economist (which is noted for its pro-India and anti-Pakistan bias), in its issue of May 22-28, 1999, after paying glowing tributes to India’s economy, grudgingly admitted that “travellers to Pakistan are often surprised to find its people looking more prosperous than Indians ... Pakistan also appears to be a more equal society ... there are remarkable examples of the private sector taking over the duties of a corroded state and performing them well.”
I regard recognition of these ground realities as more valid than a string of glittering statistics, which can be misleading, and, in certain cases, even politically motivated. The answer to the question raised by Mr Burki — why India enjoys a positive image abroad, while Pakistan has a negative image? — is implicit in the arguments advanced by him. However, he has missed out on the all-important political factor. In their effort to build up India as a “strategic ally” to serve as a counterweight to China, the US has poured in massive military and civilian aid into India. This has helped in improving India’s image, and, conversely Pakistan’s image has suffered because the two countries, historically speaking, are always seen in an adversarial relationship.
SALAHUDDIN K. LEGHARI
Lahore
EARLY this month, this newspaper carried a photograph of school girls seated on a floor in a government school’s class in Muzaffarabad which had been re-opened with UNICEF’s support (Nov 9). I was struck by the following: none of the students in the class were shown holding any book or notebook and the blackboard was behind the students’ backs rather than in front of them.
The first point can be due to the fact that UNICEF had just started the school in a makeshift way and stationery and books would soon follow but one cannot understand why students have their backs turned to the blackboard.
I assume that the said photograph was intended to convey the message that all efforts are being made to ensure that children’s education is not being neglected. But doesn’t the picture have an element of gimmickry in it? These are difficult times for the country and amongst many things the situation requires morale boosting measures. While taking such measures we need to be circumspect lest they appear to be farcical.
KHALID IDREES
Islamabad
THE other night I was attending a wedding at a lawn at NIPA in Karachi. Just next to the venue I noticed a building which had a sign on it that said “Urdu Dictionary Board”. As the name suggests, the building houses an organization responsible for drafting the Urdu dictionary. Is it not then ironic that the organization involved in compiling an Urdu dictionary itself has two English words in its name? Couldn’t a name like ‘Idara-i-Urdu Lughat’ been suggested instead?
WAQAS AHMED PAI
Karachi
ON Nov 30 at 8.15am I dialled 119 to lodge a complaint regarding low pressure of gas in my house. As I waited patiently to be connected to some customer service officer, the recorded voice kept on parroting that (a) all lines were busy, (b) the bills should be cleared in time which was the legal responsibility of a customer, (c) sorry for the delay, (d) your call would soon be connected.
I kept on waiting for half an hour but never really got through to anybody at Sui Southern. It seems that Sui Southern puts on a recorded message and does not really want to attend to the complaints leave alone rectify the fault. Ironically, the “motto” of this company is “Khidmat Ki Ek Shandar Misal”. Should I remind the bosses of Sui Southern that “action speaks louder than words”.
LT-COL (retd) SAFIR A. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
IT is in the public interest to point out through these columns the incidence of burning heaps of garbage in various areas in Karachi. It is done more usually by the workers of sanitary department themselves. Apart from the smoke that pollutes the atmosphere, the poisonous fumes from burning plastic bags are harmful for health.
Respiratory disease is steadily on the increase in Karachi. It is, therefore, the concern of the health department to do the needful to bring an end to this menace, and at the same time try to improve public awareness on the harmful effects of such burning.
ABDUL MOMIN
Karachi
MR Asghar Attarwala, in his letter (Oct 24), says fibreglass polyester hand-moulded small houses can be built cheaper than fabric tents.
He did not give the cost but apparently he has seen one being built and has a cost estimate.
It would be kind of him if he gave us the address where such a house can be seen so welfare organizations can mass produce them for the quake- affected families.
In fact fibreglass houses will be long lasting and the hut-dwellers of Karachi will jump at the idea.
M. HAROON KHAN
Karachi
I THINK the US should make it a condition before selling Pakistan F-16s that the government repeal the Hudood and Zina ordinances, the blasphemy laws, the biased law of evidence, and free all prisoners held under them.
It is only when Uncle Sam puts some pressure on President Pervez Musharraf that things get done.
OMAR MIRZA
New York, NY, US
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