| December 16, 2005 | Friday | Ziqa’ad 13, 1426 |
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Shifting Israel
‘Cautionary tale’
Shah Latif varsity
No compensation
Stranded Pakistanis
Car thieves
PhD student
Use of ATMs
Marathon again
Damaged road
Composite exams
THE Kalabagh dam project proposal has attained such a high level of importance that its staunch supporter President Gen Musharraf has offered a debate on TV with the project’s opponents, particularly Sindh nationalists.
The Kalabagh dam has haunted Pakistan for over two decades and has become a bone on contention among all federating units. One feels that now it may be at a stage of “Yes” or “No”. Without going into the ifs and buts, I present some facts about the waterworks that have been built over various rivers in the country.
1. Indus — Tarbela dam, Warsak dam (on the Kabul river near the Indus), Kalabagh barrage (also named as Jinnah barrage) at Kalabagh, Chashma reservoir, Tausa barrage, Gudu barrage, Sukkur barrage, Kotri barrage.
2. Jhelum — Mangla dam, Rasul barrage, Punjnad headworks.
3. Chenab — Marala headworks, Khanki headworks, Qadirabad barrage.
4. Ravi — Balloki barrage, Sidnai barrage.
5. Sutlej — Sulemanki barrage, Islam barrage.
The natural geo-agricultural pattern has made in such a way that the Chenab meets the Jhelum near Trimmu, the Ravi meets the Jhelum downwards, and the Sutlej meets the Jhelum at Pujnand, and still down, the combination of these rivers meets the Indus at Mithankot. Then the Indus flows down into Sindh. There are three barrages in Sindh while all other waterworks are upcountry.
Another fact is that in Punjab all rivers and waterworks are interconnected by channels and links as under:
1. C-J link (Chashma-Jhelum link) connects the Indus at Chashma with the Jhelum above Trimmu.
2. U-J-C link (upper Jhelum Chenab Link) connects the Jhelum from Mangla to the Chenab above Khanki headworks.
3. R-Q link (Rasul-Qadirabad link) connects the Jhelum at Rasul with the Chenab at the Qadirabad barrage.
4. M-R link (Marala-Ravi link) connects the Chenab at Marala with the Ravi at Shahdara).
5. Q-B link (Qadirabad-Balloki link) connects the Chenab at Qadirabad with the Ravi at Balloki.
6. T-S link (Trimmu-Sidnai link) connects the Jhelum at Trimmu with the Ravi at Sidnai.
7. S-M link (Sidnai-Malsi link) connects the Ravi at Sidnai with Malsi that passes through the Sutlej.
8. The BRBD link is about a 100-mile-long channel from a branch of Marala across the Ravi towards the Sutlej.
9. B-S I & II (Balloki-Sulemanki) are two links which connect the Ravi at Balloki with the Sutlej at Sulemanki.
These waterworks, links and connecting channels form a network of water systems through which deficiency of water in one can be met by another. Thus, the entire Punjab has an effective water system for its agriculture and other purposes. Any relevant data can show that almost all waterworks are meant for the benefit of Punjab.
Sindh is geographically a lower riparian and thus gets only the residual water left by Punjab. The Gudu barrage is geographically situated within Sindh but is at its top in Kashmore and sends water mostly to the upper areas.
At Kalabagh, there is already a barrage named as Jinnah barrage and it is working well for irrigation and agriculture purposes. Any dam at Kalabagh may act as a locking system for the water supply downstream into the Indus.
The NWFP has apprehensions that it will create a back flow into Attock and the upper areas that are geographically situated in that province. Hence the NWFP also opposes a dam at this site. Balochistan has stood with the other two smaller provinces.
There is one main argument relating to the generation of electric power from the Kalabgh dam. There are countries where there are no rivers and no dams. Yet they generate substantial electricity. There are several other sources of power, including coal and thermal power plants, solar power generation and windmill power generation plants. Hence the Kalabagh dam should be in no way a necessity for power generation at the cost of creating conflict among the federating units of Pakistan.
DR MUMTAZ UQAILI
Thatta
THE statement of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad about shifting Israel to Germany and Austria has drawn widespread adversarial comment from the West. He has gone a step further and asked the US, the mainstay of Zionism, to settle them in America, Canada or Alaska. Vast empty spaces are available there.
President Ahmadinejad’s suggestions need serious study. It is a well-known fact that the export of Jews to an Arab land was how the white West atoned for the holocaust it had allowed to be perpetrated on the Jews. The Arabs have been punished for the sins of Europeans. After World War II, America compensated Germany with the Marshal Plan. For the A-bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan was turned into an economic giant. What did Palestinians get out of the deal for helping out the West? They got reoccupied, becoming victims of the Nazis’ victims.
Today Zionism flourishes at the cost of Palestinians lives and land. Western powers that settled Jews in the heart of Arab land assumed that the place was uninhabited and even if there were some Arabs (650,000 of them), they could be displaced, deported, done with or bought over. And the scheme was implemented. Today’s Israel is not the Israel of 1948; it has increased its area, annexing territories and expelling Arabs from their homes. Not only Palestine but Jordan, Lebanon and Syria have parts of their lands under Israeli occupation. If Palestinians can be derecognized by Israel, so can the Israelites by others. Let the West bear this cross.
Between the US and Israel, Palestinians have hardly any breathing space left. The Oslo Accord is not worth the paper it was written on. The crime of the Arabs is that they are weak, divided and disenfranchised in their countries. The Iranian president’s statement should be seen in this context.
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
THIS has reference to Ayaz Amir’s “Cautionary tale” (Dec 2) where he has lamented in the by now fairly standard Pakistani media style the sad state of affairs and coverage of Indian newspapers. Here he makes an interesting observation — that it takes him 30 minutes to go through newspapers in Delhi and two hours in Pakistan. He then proceeds to use this as the cornerstone for his multi-faceted argument warning the Pakistani leadership to stay away from the ills of democracy and also variously advising us in India.
Something like that happens to us in India also, but we don’t really blame the Indian media, or compare it with the Pakistani media, nor do we advise Pakistan. We simply call it a “post-hangover” lack of comprehension. But then that’s what happens if you base your comprehension of the Indian media solely on the basis of one newspaper or two.
I can spot some of the reasons for Mr Amir’s angst about India this time around. Maybe his hosts kept him away from newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express. Maybe Mr Amir has never bought newspapers in India, and is thus unaware of the fact that for the price of one copy of an English-language paper in Pakistan, he can buy all the six or seven main English-language daily newspapers in Delhi and still have change left to buy the business papers.
But most of all maybe Mr Amir’s angst about India in general and the Indian media in specific was based on the simple truth that he just doesn’t understand India any more. I mean how can anybody who comes in and out and stays at five-star hotels, moves around in air-conditioned limos, quotes only the HT and ToI, and has never been to rural India, be even relevant any more to any form of credibility?
Yes, we have problems in India, of the sort he has pointed out. We are trying to fix things, and will continue to do so. But we have full access to information on them, as well as international affairs, usually for a rupee or at the most two. If we need to buy a weekly or a fortnightly magazine, it costs us Rs10, a maximum of Rs15. And as for UP and Bihar, yes, we do have issues with these states, but has Mr Amir got even the faintest clue on how these states have been re-divided recently, and bothered to check out how the new states of Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, born out of UP and Bihar, are doing lately?
Amir Sahib, face it — your view of India from the environs you are used to is no longer valid. Take the train or the bus next time, and re-discover India.
VEERESH MALIK
New Delhi, India
I WISH to draw the attention of the governor of Sindh and the HEC chairman towards the poor state of teaching and research at Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur, the lone institution of higher education in upper Sindh.
SALU was upgraded to the status of a full-fledged university in 1986. But sadly the state of teaching and research at the university is declining day by day. So far the HEC has provided around Rs176 million for various projects to beef up research activity and promote education. To strengthen the chemistry department and establish a lab, the HEC has given Rs 39.762 million and Rs 33.945 million, respectively.
The department has acquired state-of-the-art equipment and sent some teachers for training aboard to learn how to use the equipment. But not a single paper of international standard has been produced so far.
The university has opened a date palm research institute at a total cost of Rs32.38 million, with the aim of carrying out research to solve problems faced by local date palm growers. It should be noted that dates are a major cash crop of the area, being grown on 19,093 hectares and with a total annual production of 125,000 tons. Almost more than one year has passed since the research institute began but so far no significant work has been carried out.
The position is more or less the same in the computer science department where the HEC gave funds worth Rs70 million. However, instead of appointing people with degrees in computer science or IT, an individual who has a PhD in statistics has been appointed.
The governor, who happens to be the university’s chancellor, and the HEC chairman are requested to take note of the poor standard of teaching and research at SALU and take appropriate action.
CAPT (retd) DR MUHAMMAD ANIS GORAYA
Khairpur Mirs
I AM a resident of district Chakwal. Seven or eight years ago the OGDC came to our area and installed machinery to drill for oil. They acquired land owned by my family for this. The OGDC is getting a decent return on its investment from the land but they are paying us a mere Rs6,000 which is nothing compared to what the foreign oil exploration companies pay owners of land that they drill on.
TARIQ PERVEZ
Chakwal
ISHTIAQ’s nickname is Baboo. He is over 35 years of age and looks quite weak, malnourished and has a tired look on his face. He has not seen the face of any school so far and instead of enjoying his childhood, as most others do, has worked in various jobs from a very tender age as a child. He had to do this to make both ends meet for him and his family.
Baboo spends more than 12 hours each day living in a thatched cottage in a corner of the squalid Millat Camp of Mirpur in Dhaka, home to more than 6,000 stranded Pakistanis. There he works in factory that makes saris. This sari factory at the camp is run by a contractor who pays him hardly a dollar a day for a day’s work. Baboo seldom has holidays, eats only two meals a day and keeps dreaming of returning to Pakistan some day.
Other than his job, he spends his time tending to his ailing mother and a younger unmarried sister. The hut that he and his family live in is three metres square and decorated with lots of green and white Pakistani paper flags. It also has a picture of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and a battered portrait of his father wearing the uniform of the EPCAF (East Pakistan Civil Armed Force), a paramilitary force created by the Pakistan Army.
For Baboo, his hut and the Millat Camp that he lives in comprise a mini-Pakistan. Most camp dwellers also feel exactly the same way as Baboo does. They often are seen raising Pakistani flags and chanting “Pakistan Zindabad” on Aug 14. They are all also keen followers of the Pakistan cricket team.
Baboo was just a year old, and his younger sister was just born when East Pakistan broke away. After the Pakistani army surrendered in Dhaka, Baboo’s family was evicted from their home and forced to live in a ghetto-like camp, just across the street where there own house once stood.
Now, he is considered stateless because on one hand he is not (and will not be) awarded a Bangladeshi citizenship and on the other hand Pakistan continues to deny him and his family Pakistani nationality. When Baboo’s mother first moved into Millat camp with two of her children some 34 years ago, she and many others like her were given to understand that these were temporary arrangements and soon they would all be repatriated to Pakistan.
This promise has been repeated many times more but never fulfilled. The Millat camp has no running water and no electricity. There are government schools close by but the children who live in this camp cannot be admitted there because they are not Bangladeshi citizens. Similarly, they are also denied healthcare at nearby government-run clinics on the same grounds.
The only option residents of the camp have of working is to pedal rickshaws on a daily wage basis. They cannot own one, and even if they own one, they are denied registration by the local municipality because they are not citizens. The police also harass the residents of these camps and every now and then pick up the young men and put them in jail. They are released only after a bribe is paid. To make matters worse, there have been several attempts — probably by land-grabbers — to burn down the Millat camp. The question is: when will the Pakistan government step in to help people like Baboo?
SYED FAIZ AHMAD
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
THIS refers to Khadija Khashe’s letter “Car thieves” (Dec 13). Some time ago, from my office window on Jail Road, Lahore, I would every day watch numerous cars being fork-lifted by the traffic police and taken to the police station. These cars, I learnt, were released to owners after the latter paid a fine of no less than Rs 500. No receipt was issued or in case one was issued, it was a photocopy of a receipt that had no official record. I could not help noticing that the police were very efficient in their duty to remove cars within minutes, on the pretext that these were parked in a no-parking zone.
The police only act in a situation when there is a monetary benefit for them. Therefore, it must have become a very lucrative business as thousands of rupees were collected in fines each day and this money must have been channelled upwards since the lower staff cannot dare act like this unless they have the blessings of their seniors.
The system to prevent unauthorized parking needs to be changed, and instead of fork-lifting vehicles, tickets should be introduced so that the fine collected goes to government rather than into the pockets of corrupt policemen.
TANWEER ABBAS
Ann Arbor, MI, US
I RECEIVED an indigenous PhD scholarship from the Higher Education Commission (HEC). I got admission to the PhD programme at the Institute of Management Studies, University of Peshawar, in January 2005.
I have now received a letter from the HEC advising me to change my university since the institute where I am enrolled in is no longer qualified to run a PhD programme. I hope one can understand the state of anxiety of PhD students enrolled at the University of Peshawar.
Why did the HEC ask me to enroll in this institution if it wasn’t sure of its PhD granting credentials?
MOHAMMAD YASIR
Peshawar
AS reported on the business pages of your newspaper (Dec 6), the State Bank of Pakistan has advised account holders not to use ATMs after dark and to use only those which are well-lit. Instead of advising ATM users on what to do, the SBP should direct the banks concerned to ensure that their ATMs have adequate security, are well-lit and are built in such a way that ATM users have some security.
WG CDR (retd) ARIF MAJEED
Karachi
WITH great enthusiasm I registered for the last marathon in Lahore. Having taken part voluntarily in numerous marathons during my service in the army, I naturally expected the marathon to be organized on similar lines.
I was however disappointed at not being able to get a chest number from Qadhafi Stadium despite two visits and a long wait each time. Next came the revelation that the contestants would all be competing together regardless of age. This I think was not fair because how can a 60-year-old be expected to compete with a 20-year-old?
This time around, the organizers should take a lead from how the army organizes competitors who take part in such races. The groups should be categorized in the following manner: under 25 years, 25-35 years, 35-40, 40-45, 45-50 and so on. The colour of chest number can indicate the age group. Individuals above 50 years should be given recognition for their spirit of sportsmanship. Any person above 60 who completes the marathon in a reasonable time should be given special recognition irrespective of the position achieved.
Let us be fair to the participants, and encourage physical fitness in in in all age groups.
COL (retd) SHEIKH MOHAMMAD WASIM
Lahore
I AM a resident of Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar and seek the attention of the authorities concerned towards a very serious problem faced by residents of the area. The main road along Jauhar Chowrangi is badly damaged and at least once a week sewerage water seeps up and spreads out on the road, which is a busy one.
Moreover, a big ditch is lying uncovered in front of Jauhar Square apartments close to the chowrangi. A couple of months ago a car fell in this ditch. Will the authorities please tend to these complaints promptly?
BAQER IMDAD
Karachi
THE ministry of education has decided that students of classes IX and X will have a single composite exam from 2007 onwards. As a parent and teacher, I request the federal and provincial ministers of education to review this decision.
ABDUL GHANI N. SOOMRO
Shikarpur
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