| December 10, 2005 | Saturday | Ziqa’ad 7, 1426 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Parliamentary democracy
Toy ‘weapons’
Law and education
Helpline 15
Mangrove depletion
Food adulteration
NATO troops
Father goes missing
Students & relief work
Vitamin use
Nuclear axis
Expenses on handshakes
Defining Islam
Hatim Tai
Extravagant weddings
KULDIP Nayar in his latest column (Dec 3) says that India should give some “concessions” to Pakistan. Let’s examine the nature of these concessions. The first relates to the demilitarization of Siachen. The glacier was occupied without warning by Indian troops in clear violation of the Shimla Agreement. As far back as 1989, as a result of a meeting between then prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Rajiv Gandhi in Islamabad, India agreed, in principle, to start negotiations on Siachen’s demilitarization. In talks held in June 1989 it was announced that the defence secretaries of India and Pakistan had reached an agreement to seek a comprehensive settlement based on the redeployment of forces in order to reduce chances of conflict.
In a meeting with journalists at Islamabad airport on June 17, Pakistan’s foreign secretary, Humayun Khan, who was seeing off his Indian counterpart, Shilendra Singh, had said that the defence secretaries’ agreement was a “significant advance”. He had further said that the army authorities of both sides would soon meet to determine the positions held by each side.
Mr Shilendra Singh said that he fully endorsed “everything his friend and colleague Humayun Khan” had said. Subsequently, under pressure from the military top brass, Rajiv Gandhi’s government resiled from the agreement through a novel re-interpretation of the accord. The matter has rested there since then.
Once again this year, Pakistan suggested, as a first step towards de-militarization, the evacuation of Indian forces from Siachen. While a ceasefire is in effect, the matter is now held up because of India’s insistence on documenting the present position of forces before any withdrawal.
The second concession advocated by Mr Nayar is that the Sir Creek dispute be resolved on the basis of historical maps. As anybody can see, these two “generous concessions” do not address the substantive dispute between the two countries, namely, Kashmir.
Having established himself as a man of peace, Mr Nayar goes on to make two alarming value judgments. One, that the military establishment of Pakistan is not in favour of peace between the two countries, so India should directly appeal to the people of Pakistan, who are for peace. He also alleges, without any proof, that Pakistan was involved in the Delhi bombings and in the killing of an Indian in Afghanistan. Some peace-maker, Mr Nayar.
H. N. AKHTAR
Karachi
THIS is with reference to a series of articles by Shahid Javed Burki. As a nation, we should admit that there is no alternative to parliamentary democracy. My argument is based on two points. One, no civilian government is ever replaced through constitutional means, which means that the election process is never completed. Two, there were never compelling reasons for military intervention in Pakistan.
These interventions only happen because of the ambitions of men in uniform. The people of Pakistan are never allowed to vote out any government. Had voters been allowed to do this, the condition of democracy in the country would have been much better than what it is today.
If the politicians forfeited the trust of the people, as the author says, then it needs to be argued that the people’s trust was also forfeited because the right to hold those whom they elected accountable was taken away from them. Of course, there have been politicians in our past, and are present today, who have asked the military to intervene. But why did the generals seem so keen to listen to only these misled politicians and not observe their constitutional responsibilities?
The popular press and the masses may have heaved a sigh of relief whenever the military intervened but it is also a fact that democracy has never been given a chance to flourish in this country. It should be clear in our mind that democracy starts bearing fruit after a certain period of time and whenever it is interrupted, the process has to start all over again. Institutions can be built only in a democratic atmosphere. The blame rests with those who have been in control, and one is not referring to the politicians here.
ABDUL HAMEED GONDAL
Lahore
A FEW days ago I had gone to see my sister, who lives in a large residential complex in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi. It was Sunday morning and children of all ages were playing in the open space between the residential blocks of the complex. I was shocked to see that almost every child had a toy weapon in his hands — a toy Kalashnikov, a gun, pistol or a revolver.
The children were playing in groups of 10-15 and would “fire” at each other. In this play, some of them would shout after being “hit” and “injured” by a bullet. Many would run for safety and hide behind the cars parked in the complex. Almost a month has passed but I am unable to get this scene out of my mind.
I feel pity for the children of my country. Right from childhood these innocent souls are being unknowingly prepared for a society where weapons will have a key role to play in deciding who will succeed and who will fail.
Manufacturers of toys have the option to make animals, birds, marine animals like fish or turtles, cars, jeeps and tractors, aeroplanes and helicopters and, of course, dolls but they seem to be making imitation weapons. They can easily stop manufacturing toy weapons for the future of our children. The government should take the lead in this and ask the manufacturers to produce other toys.
Everyone needs to play his/her role for the propagation of a civilized, tolerant and violence-free society.
DR MEHBOOB ALI SHAIKH
Karachi
AT 1pm on Dec 5 students of the Gulistan School (boys’ section), Karachi, were found protesting on the main Sharea Faisal. They blocked the road and traffic was stopped. The traffic police and other police personnel were standing close to the protest but did nothing.
Three of those stuck in the traffic came out of their vehicles to talk to the police officer to know what was the reason for the blockade of the road. Quite shockingly, these three were beaten up by the students. It seems as if the students were being supported in these reprehensible actions by one of their teachers — he had a long beard and was wearing shalwar-kameez.
Two of the people who were not beaten disappeared while another was detained by the police. The police tried in fact to take him to the police station but he had some friends who came to his rescue. He quite understandably also cursed the police asking them why they were doing nothing against the students who had blocked the road and were harassing those who had been caught up in the protest.
This spectacle surely was reflective of the very poor state of both law and education in Pakistan. God help us.
AN OBSERVER
Karachi
CAN someone elaborate the duty and responsibilities of the helpline “15”? One such helpline is stationed on the main road adjacent to the Hyderi market parking area in North Nazimabad, Karachi. In the vicinity of the helpline site, incidents of mobile phone and motorcycle thefts and depriving pedestrians of their money and of ladies their purses has become routine. However, no culprits have been apprehended so far.
Crime is equally rampant in the Taiumriya Mosque, in the same vicinity where people have gone to offer prayers and returned to find their cars gone. Two weeks ago, thieves stole two briefcases which contained Haj training material from inside a car. I recently went to pray at the same mosque and during that time, my stereo was stolen from my car. I tried to lodge a complaint with “15” but was told to lodge the complaint with the concerned area’s police station. When I did call to report the theft, I was asked “who took your stereo?” Why would I have called if I had known the answer? In the end I failed to convince duty officer to at least entertain my complaint.
Is it not possible for a police mobile to be deployed at this mosque during prayer times?
It is the general perception that unscrupulous activities have the blessing of law enforcement forces, be it the police or rangers.
MUNIR AHMED ANSARI
Karachi
AS if unbridled and unchecked encroachment by the builders mafia upon the coastline and discharge of untreated industrial effluents into the sea was not enough for The destruction of Karachi’s mangroves, people living in the area have started cutting trees brazenly to make wooden boxes. They are selling them in the market as reported in a section of the press on Dec 4.
The mangrove is nature’s purification plant that provides oxygen. Mangrove forests work as a barricade against high tides: up till now Karachi has remained untouched by hurricanes and tsunamis. There is almost no barrier left now between the sea and the city.
It is time the authorities woke up and declared the cutting down of mangrove trees a punishable crime. Stern action should immediately be taken against those who are indulging in such nefarious activities. The Sindh Coastal Development Authority should also be directed to prepare a comprehensive plan on an emergency basis so as to replenish the lost mangroves in the shortest possible time.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
I HAVE lately gone through a startling report of the Lahore city government’s food department on food adulteration. According to the report, over a period of five years 44,444, samples of consumer food products were collected, out of which 20,824 (46.41 per cent) were found to be adulterated.
Adulteration in terms of percentage for various products was the following: 60.6 per cent for milk, 54.9 per cent for oil and fatty products, 53.2 per cent in sweetening agents, beverages 40.2 per cent, sweets and baked products 31.9 per cent, spices 21.3 per cent and cereals 4.8 per cent. “Miscellaneous” items were found to be adulterated by as much as 55.5 per cent.
According to the report, adulterators produced oil and ghee which had no vitamins and had a high melting point. They mixed coloured wheat chaff in fruit and vegetable products. Samples of tomato ketchup sauce were found to have no tomato content, while cereals had been mixed with flour and semolina (suji). Sweets were made with vegetable ghee instead of butter, and impure honey was also discovered. Tea packets confiscated by the department were analyzed and were found to contain animal blood, used to add colour to the tea leaves.
Clearly, the report is an eye-opener for everyone. The unscrupulous have been indulging in such malpractices with impunity in the absence of effective legislation by the provincial governments and inaction from official agencies whose job it is to prevent such things from happening. So many complaints have been aired by readers against the food served by catering companies but never has any action been taken against them. The reason is clear: officials of the departments concerned collude with the owners of catering companies to let them operate freely.
This is one issue that our worthy elected representatives should at least raise in parliament. Instead of moving privilege motions to satisfy their ego, they should work on such issues so that some protection may be accorded to ordinary Pakistani.
M. S. UPPAL
Karachi
ACCORDING to the news report, Nato has asked Pakistan “whether it would like the western alliance’s 1,000-strong contingent to continue earthquake relief beyond the present 90-day mandate” (Nov 30). Pakistan has had so many 90-day mandates in its history but this time, a foreign source has asked for an extension to its 90-day mandate. In the past our generals extended the “90-day mandate” to “an open-ended mandate”. Maybe Nato has decided to learn from our experience.
Many had expressed fears that Nato was seeking to establish a long-term presence in Kashmir. MNA Riaz Pirzada had opposed Nato’s offer to dispatch 1,000 troops to the quake-hit areas, arguing that Pakistan’s army can deal with the situation. Mr Pirzada’s views seem valid. Should we wait for the “mandated period” as usual or force the government not to extend it?
SAMINA SHAH DURRANI
Karachi
MY father, Mr Tayyab Ali, had left Karachi on Oct 4, 1998 on a trip to India by rail. He was last seen at the Delhi railway station by one of his co-passengers. After that we have had no news of him.
The agony of the family can be imagined. We have written to various welfare organizations, but have received no response. I appeal for help to the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi and to anyone who can inform me of the whereabouts of my father.
AUN ALI TAYYAB ALI
Karachi
(Phone 5877976)
THE Punjab universities’ decision to send teams of students for relief and rehabilitation work in the quake-hit areas is highly commendable (Nov 12). The teams will be assigned tasks such as distribution of relief goods, book keeping, survey of the affected areas and the needs of the distressed people. It was particularly heartening to read that it will be made compulsory for students studying in the education departments of public universities to serve in the quake-hit areas. I appeal to the public sector universities in Sindh to follow suit.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
A QUESTION has been raised by “Pro Bono Publico” in these columns (Dec 3) asking about the use of Vitamin E as a heart tonic. TheNetwork for Consumer Protection (TNCP), which has worked for rational use of medicines during the last 14 years, has been pointing out that there is no scientific evidence to support supplementation of this vitamin in the form of a pharmaceutical product.
The simple and straightforward advice about the use of such drugs is “to stay healthy, and refrain from unnecessarily loading your body with chemicals”.
AYYAZ KIANI (TNCP)
Islamabad
“EUROPEAN Union agrees to include India in nuclear project” (Dec 3). Earlier, the Americans had also bestowed India with nuclear facilities, basically on New Delhi’s terms. These steps must have further elevated the morale of Indian nuclear scientists.
These nuclear arrangements are not for nothing. The US and the EU have proved their claims that they are faithful friends of India. For this, India deserves due credit for playing its cards in the best possible way.
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
SOCIAL problems are being created in the country by making people jobless through golden handshakes or early retirement policies, for which international financial institutions like the World Bank, the IMF, the Asian Development Bank and others are sanctioning foreign debts in dollars.
Such expenditure runs into billions of rupees in Pakistan in spending by the State Bank, banks, public corporations, etc.
It could be invested in productive projects and channels from which more production, both in the industrial as well as agricultural sectors, can be obtained. The surplus commodities or goods produced through such investments can be exported and more foreign exchange is expected to be earned.
This sort of productive investment will surely bring home more employment and prosperity in the country and also lessen the debt burden. One should avoid framing such policies as will create social problems like unemployment and poverty in the country.
DR ALI AKBAR DHAKAN
Karachi
IT is with concern and much apprehension that one continues to read various learned and not-so-learned people apply adjectives to Islam.
Using adjectives such as “militant” Islam, “moderate” Islam; “enlightened” Islam, “fundamentalist” Islam, “jihadi” Islam, to name but a few do a great disservice. Many well-known writers in your newspaper and in others do the same thing.
I humbly suggest that editors in the print and electronic media stop adjectivizing Islam and concentrate on enlightening people. How come such adjectives are never used when describing Christianity or Judaism?
SHAGUFTA ALIZAI
Karachi
ON Dec 4 at 8.15pm a quiz programme was telecast by a private channel. The compere asked the participants to give the name of the country to which Hatim Tai belonged. A participant who replied “Labanon” was adjudged the winner.
So far as I know, Tai was a tribe in the vicinity of Makkah and the time of Hatim Tai was only a generation before our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Will somebody throw light on the nationality of Hatim Tai?
SALAHUDDIN MIRZA
Karachi
MS Fatima Futehally has aptly pointed out (Dec 3) the prevalent social evil of extravagant weddings. There can be no justification for a spending spree like this in the face of our abject poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease. Our religion forbids extravagance, and emphasizes spending on the needy.
Weddings are not the only example of extravagance. It is manifest also in some of the most holy practices. Out of the 150,000 Pakistanis who intend to perform Haj this year, at least one-third would be those who are going for the second, third or fourth time. Should they not consider spending their extra money on their poor relatives or on those who really need it in the quake-stricken areas?
FAQIR AHMAD PARACHA,
Peshawar
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.