| December 13, 2005 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 10, 1426 |
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Police reforms
Pool of scholars
CDA responsibility
Car thieves
Changing Hudood laws
Property tax collection
QAU student politics
Burning of garbage
Change in school year
‘All lines busy’
Protecting the pine
Deported Pakistanis
Iskander Mirza
Sindhi papers
MR Imran Sial’s letter on the Kalabagh dam (Dec 8) confirms that there is a misconception in Sindh that dams curtail river flow. Otherwise, why all this worry about Kotri, ecology and mangrove plantations?
Why was Mangla dam built? If Punjab had to take water from the Jhelum and the Chenab to make up for the loss of the eastern rivers, a couple of barrages would have been enough, but the lower riparians would have suffered badly because of the reduction in river flow.
A colossal project like Mangla was undertaken solely to protect the lower riparian by ensuring status quo in the river flow. Punjab makes up its losses from only the surpluses of monsoon flow and flood flow.
Similarly, the Kalabagh dam will not cause any change in the status quo as far as the river flow in the Indus is concerned. It will store surpluses of the monsoon and flood flows.
We are storing only nine per cent of the total water available while world average is 40 per cent. India stores 33 per cent. We are allowing 91 per cent to go down the drain giving India an excuse to want to build dams in the upper reaches of the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab in held Kashmir.
Punjab would have taken only 37 per cent (instead of 40 per cent because it surrendered three per cent to Sindh) through its left bank canal from the surpluses and not from river flow of the Indus. If the Kalabagh dam is not designed to create surpluses, then where do these sharing percentages come from?
Sindh has pressured President Musharraf into cancelling the left bank canal. This canal would have allowed Punjab to utilize its share in north Punjab through the Mangla command system of link canals. Loss of this canal will have very serious repercussions.
Dams do not affect river flow, but actually provide additional water, this is the very raison d’etre of dams, ask any hydrologist. River flows are affected only when an excessive number of canals are taken out from barrages like Guddu and Sukkur. Kotri is being deprived to feed the command areas of Sukkur and Guddu barrages.
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
THIS has reference to the report “New system to improve police performance” (Dec 7), saying the director-general of the National Police Bureau (NPB) has introduced new concepts in the police organization.
The police deal with crime, criminals and moral deviants where their information is recorded manually in registers. First information reports are other important documents where crime and offence data are recorded in police stations. This is an old way of recording data where its retrieval, immediate use and exchange with other police stations is very difficult and time-consuming.
The proposed change in the system would overcome the constraints of the old method, replacing it with computerised record-keeping. This is a desirable initiative, but it needs certain other assurances like the role of trained experts such as criminologists who can better encash the potential of the changed system.
Another improvement would be the introducing of a fingerprint identification system.
HAIDER ALI MEMON
Hyderabad
WHILE on my way back from work to my home in Clifton, Karachi, I was shaken by a maroon car (bearing police registration number SP 0079) driven most rashly on Hoshang Road going towards the Clifton Bridge signal. The time was around 5.30 in the evening on Dec. 5. The car had a police mobile right behind it and was being driven by a man in a police uniform.
As the light turned red, the maroon car cut in all the way from the extreme left lane to move to the extreme right lane to turn towards Clifton bridge. The mobile following the police car had its siren on and the police constable was hanging half out of the mobile and pointing his weapon at every car on the road.
The next I saw of this spectacle was at the Teen Talwar signal where again the constable in the mobile repeated the same dangerous action.
All throughout this route, the maroon car and the mobile escorting it were driving and changing lanes as if they were not in rush hour traffic but on an F1 racing circuit.
This country has been in existence for over 50 years now, and for how much longer do its citizens have to bear with this kind of behaviour on the part of the police?
A CITIZEN
Karachi
Prof (Dr) Atta-ur-Rehman, adviser to the prime minister for Science and Technology and Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, recently presided over the commission’s ninth meeting at Islamabad where some major decisions were taken to promote quality of high education in Pakistan.
Besides approving uniform criteria for affiliating public / private colleges with public sector universities and constituting quality assurance committee, the most important decision taken was to direct the commission to initiate a programme for approval of departments of universities / institutes where PhD studies could be offered to bring our PhD studies at par with world class degrees.
Since this decision will have a far-reaching impact, it is proposed that criteria so developed should be applied in all institutions, public and private alike.
The details may also be publicized so that aspiring candidates should know about them in advance. Furthermore, it is suggested that the HEC ought to establish a pool of PhD scholars and academics reaching superannuation age so that instead of reducing them to redundancy, their wealzth of knowledge and experience could be put to advantageous use.
The PhD allowance that they have earned by attaining the highest degree should be allowed to them even after retirement from active service not only in recognition of their accomplishments but also as an incentive to those who may aspire to become part of the scholars’ fraternity.
ALTAMASH MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
THE Supreme Court under Chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry issued a countrywide directive on Dec 6 to the chief secretaries of all the four provinces, the Northern Areas and to the Islamabad chief commissioner to present a report on dangerous buildings while hearing a petition from the people affected by the collapse of the Margalla Towers in Islamabad.
What is interesting to note is that during the hearing of the case, the CDA’s defence counsel said that since the authority hadn’t issued a completion certificate or conducted a final inspection of Margalla Towers, the victims were responsible for buying apartments in the complex.
Is the CDA trying to say that as a controlling authority it is and has been ineffective?
The same is the case with Al Mustafa and Park Towers, which have not been issued a completion certificate by the CDA but the flats have been sold and resold under the vigilant eye of the authority.
Why does the CDA then take tax from the owners of these flats? There have been numerous violations and counter-violations of the CDA construction bylaws.
My appeal to the president and prime minister is that since those unfortunate people who lived in Margalla Towers have paid the price of these flats in blood, why should another tragedy of such a nature be awaited and why should more people die?
The government can at least make the residents and owners of Al Mustafa and Park Towers feel secure by inspecting these buildings with the help of independent structural engineers, and the owners and residents taken into confidence during the inspection.
TAIMOOR PERVEZ
Islamabad
A COUPLE of days back, I happened to go to the Empress Market in karachi. I parked my car outside the park opposite the market. There was a big car parked in front of my small one, and a four-wheeler behind me. When I returned after an hour or so, my car was missing.
At first I thought it had been stolen. But a vendor told me that it had been taken away by the traffic police. The police hadn’t bothered to stay there to let me know the whereabouts of my car. The bigger car and the four-wheeler were still parked in their respective places. I hired a rickshaw and went to the Preedy police station to retrieve my car. It was parked outside the police station and a very healthy looking policeman was guarding it.
When asked what was the reason behind the lifting of my car, he told me that it was parked in a no-parking zone. I asked him why the other two vehicles weren’t lifted to which he had no answer.
He did not even bother to find out my identity or whether I was even the actual owner of the car; all he wanted me to do was to pay him the fine. He also refused to give me any receipt that I had paid a fine.
The moral of this story is: (a) always take a luxury car when you go shopping, (b) keep some money handy to bribe the police and (c) if your car goes missing, suspect the traffic police rather than car thieves.
KHADIJA KHASHE
Karachi
FROM your editorial (Dec 9), it came as a surprise to learn that the law of evidence requires a woman to produce four male witnesses to prove that she has been raped. This requirement is neither prescribed by the Holy Quran nor does it appeal to common sense. How is it possible for a woman to procure four male witnesses before such an evil act is perpetrated. And what sort of those four pious males would be to witness an act like this and do nothing to prevent it? In fact they should be liable to equal punishment along with the person committing such a crime.
According to the Holy Quran, the person who makes an accusation against a woman is required to produce four witnesses: “But those who make accusations against chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses, flog them with 80 lashes and never again accept them as witnesses. Such people are deviators.” (24:4)
“Why did they not produce four witnesses to it? Since they did not bring four witnesses, in Allah’s sight they are liars.” (24:13)
In view of these clear injunctions, there is absolute need to amend the Hudood laws. The knowledgeable ulema of the MMA are requested to consider the matter with an open mind and give a solution in the light of Quranic injunctions.
FAQIR AHMAD PARACHA
Peshawar
THE Karachi city nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, during a meeting has asked city government officials to give priority to solving citizens’ problems. But the proposal to collect property tax with utility bills has made millions of people living in rented premises most concerned as payment of property tax is the obligation of property owners and not tenants.
If property tax is collected through utility bills, it will add to the miseries of millions of people who do not own houses and are living as tenants in rented premises.
According to clauses that are normally discussed and agreed to in tenancy agreements that are signed between property owners and tenants, the latter are liable to pay the agreed amount of rent plus yearly compound inflation on the previous years’ rent paid, all utility bills, i.e. telephone, electricity, gas, water, conservancy, fire, other taxes levied by the city government plus monthly maintenance charges of the building, whereas it is the sole responsibility of the property owner to pay property tax and income-tax on the income earned through monthly rent.
Collection of TV licence fee with monthly electricity bills was not a problem, either for owners of properties or for tenants as every one has a TV set and whosoever possess a TV set is liable to pay the TV licence fee. But collection of property tax either with electricity, Sui gas or telephone bills will create disputes between tenants and property owners.
I would request the city nazim to find some other way and means of collecting tax from property owners.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
I REPEATEDLY rang up from Kabul (Afghanistan) on Dec 9 and 10 to talk to the vice-chancellor of the Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad but every time I was told that he was busy in meetings. When I asked for the residence number of the VC, his office did not oblige.
I needed the immediate help of the VC because my son, who is studying anthropology in the QAU, was attacked by a group as he had refused to support ethnic politics at the QAU. Needless to mention here that such groups are legally not allowed to work in the university premises.
He refused to accept the point of view of the group concerned and was not only physically attacked but he is now receiving life threats.
I appeal through these columns to the QAU authorities to look into the activities of such groups.
M.K. SIAL
Kabul
DURING the previous Karachi city government’s tenure, the area under the main 84-inch water pipeline passage point between the Sindbad water park on Rashid Minhas Road in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block-10, was being used as a garbage transfer point.
This was not an ideal situation, but at least the collected garbage was being regularly carted away and not allowed to accumulate.
For some weeks now, however, the department concerned has resorted to burning the garbage right there, which is very close to people’s homes. In one instance the fire got so close to the boundary wall of a house that a fire engine had to be called in.
Scores of houses in the area are regularly filled with acrid smoke, which singes the nostrils and lungs and makes breathing difficult.
Quite obviously the department concerned is pocketing the fuel expenses provided for carting away the garbage and “disposing” it of in this manner. Does any one care? Will any one take action?
WAJID NAEEMUDDIN
Karachi
THIS refers to the government’s decision to have the summer vacation for schools last three months, instead of the usual two, from 2006 onwards. It seems that this decision has been made in haste and ignoring the consequences.
Most parents believe that a two-month-long holiday is quite reasonable and in fact many have said that it needs to be reduced given the numerous other holidays that occur in a calendar year. Also, having a three-month long vacation means that parents will be hard pressed to keep their children busy, and to fill in this vacuum will step in those who run summer camps. This will only mean more expenses for parents. The government should review this decision.
ZAHID YUSUF
Karachi
WHENEVER one dials telephone inquiry No. 17, one invariably hears the computerized sound: “All lines are busy, please hold on for the operator’s reply”. It is then followed by an unbearably long musical interlude. Sometimes the line is cut before, during or after the music or even after the operator has responded. Then, one has to reprocess it all, causing a further delay in obtaining a number.
Can’t enough lines be provided and the system improved to overcome the problem of unusually delayed connectivity with 17? The delay may at times prove dangerous and even fatal. Hopefully the authorities concerned will look into the matter.
BASHIR
Rawalpindi
WE are shocked to hear about the cutting of those graceful pine trees at Zero Point in Islamabad. Due to their upward shoots, all over the world, pine trees are considered a symbol of life and growth.
In a year’s time, one mature pine tree absorbs approximately 15-kg of toxic gases like sulphur dioxide.
Along with reducing urban heat, they also act like barriers for harmful noise pollution. Evergreen pine trees are invigorating for the soul as well as for the body, and pine aroma is considered a priceless gift of nature.
It is believed that pine trees kill harmful germs, that’s why health sanatoriums were built close to pine forests. Along with other trees, birds and wildlife, pine trees should also be given their due right to live peacefully in our country.
MAHMOOD ASLAM
British Columbia, Canada
FEDERAL Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao recently informed the Senate that a total of 104,075 Pakistanis were deported from various countries during the last two years.
Earlier, in September, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri had told the National Assembly that 138,936 Pakistanis were deported during the last two years. One wonders which figure is accurate and can be relied upon.
Do the ministers mean the period covered by the fiscal years or calendar years?
Or, is the period that they are talking about refers to the immediate 24 months preceding the time when they made their respective statements? Or is the confusion deliberate to provide a cover for unreliable information?
HUSSAIN SIDDIQUI
Islamabad
AN Urdu weekly Meyar, Karachi, had managed to obtain a copy of the manuscript of the late Gen Iskander Mirza’s unpublished memoirs and serialized the English text in 1976. Nevertheless, the memoirs remain unpublished even 35 years after his death.
It is understood that a copy of the manuscript is also in possession of the late president’s son Humayun Mirza who used the contents of the memoirs extensively in his book From Plassey to Pakistan. He has also not arranged for its publication.
The late president’s daughters who live in Pakistan owe it to the memory of their father to arrange publication of his memoirs. I request the OUP to use their good offices to have the memoirs published.
SYED AFZAAL HUSAIN ZAIDI
Islamabad
RECENTLY I travelled from Karachi to Dubai by a private airline. I was extremely disappointed not to find a single Sindhi language newspaper on the flight. When I asked the airhostess for one, she actually seemed quite surprised by my request. The flight had several Urdu newspapers.
QAZI NAZIM NAEEM
Dubai
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