| January 24, 2006 | Tuesday | Zilhaj 23, 1426 |
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Osama’s return
‘Ghost’ pensioners
Task for new SBP governor
Leased aircraft
Kalabagh dam — fudged data?
Early learning in mother tongue
MMA & Lahore marathon
‘Policemen held’
Residents’ problems
Recruitment ban
Cost of Iraq war
Retreat from KBD
THE period from December 2001 to March 2002 was marked by massive troop escalation on the Indo-Pakistan border and the LoC. During that period troops on both sides were in eyeball-to-eyeball position. However, no war erupted between Pakistan and India. The major factor that deterred war was the nuclear capability of the two countries. Thus, nuclear deterrence is mandatory for strategic balance and peace in South Asia.
Unfortunately, the sole superpower of the world is endangering the strategic balance in the region. The Indo-US defence and nuclear cooperation pacts of June and July 2005 have shaken the balance of power in South Asia. Keeping in view the changed situation, our policymakers should devise a multi-faceted strategy to preserve our minimum deterrence capability.
National defence gains strength from the economy. A strong and stable economy is needed to finance costly defence projects. Currently, we depend on our textile industry, and there is a dire need to diversify our exports. We should export defence-related goods. Our conventional defence products enjoy a good reputation in the world. Defence exhibitions like Ideas 2003, 2004, 2005 should be continued for the proper marketing of our products.
We will have to increase the number of missiles and nuclear warheads. If a large number of missiles are fired, they can penetrate any missile defence system including Patriot, BMD and Arrow which India is likely to get from America and Israel.
A strong strategic partnership with China is very important. Pakistan and China have successfully completed some joint defence projects such as the JF-17 military aircraft.
Apart from China, it is a time to reshape our ties with Russia. The Indian tilt towards America has provided Pakistan a splendid opportunity to mend ties with Russia. Pakistan can utilise the platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in which it has been accepted as an observer to strengthen its bilateral ties with Russia. Russia also has reservations about the US-sponsored BMD system which is supported by India. This is evident from the successful test in 2004 of a new Russian missile that can penetrate BMD systems.
Pakistan has to maintain a minimum deterrence but not at the cost of other crucial domestic sectors such as education and research as we live in an era in which battles are fought in scientists’ laboratories.
ASIF ABRO
Larkana
AFTER a year of silence, Osama bin Laden has filled the world’s headlines with an audiotape, and the predictable opinions are being heard. Is his offering of a truce a sign of weakness or strength? Is he making such statements because he is harried or is the statement a result of the recent US missile attack in Pakistan? All of these questions are to be expected from a media that has usually asked: Is he really alive? Where is he? It rarely asks: What did he say/mean?
Bin Laden’s public statements — which have almost never been aired in full length on the US mainstream media — have been made primarily based on his religious/ideological considerations. He has consistently justified Al Qaeda’s actions and those of other jihadi groups as a defensive struggle against western encroachment on Islamic societies and the “apostate” regimes currently ruling Muslim countries. Moreover, he has consistently elaborated basic themes: one-sided US support for Israel at the expense of the Palestinians; US historical and current support for Muslim regimes such as the one governing Saudi Arabia; the West’s pilfering of Muslims’ natural resources, especially oil; and the West’s cultural, political, and military attack on Muslims worldwide.
After the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., Al Qaeda was criticized by those within its own ideological persuasion — not for having attacked the US but for not having followed correct religious procedures. It had failed to get the proper religious/legal rulings in support of such an attack; had not warned Muslims, women, children, and innocent civilians; and had not made an offer of peaceful resolution before attacking.
As of today, all of these conditions have been fulfilled with respect to the next attack in the US. Religious rulings have been obtained, warnings have been issued, and offers of a peaceful resolution — to accept a truce if the US offers one — have been made. In bin Laden’s mind, and in the minds of like-minded jihadis, all the preconditions have been met for directly attacking the United States. This is the real meaning of the audiotape.
BRAD K. BERNER
Phoenix, Arizona
ACCORDING to news reports, 22,000 ghost military pensioners have been detected by the National Accountability Bureau at the Peshawar General Post Office. The report says that GPO officials kept on embezzling two billion rupees annually for a long time till they were eventually detected. The point to worry here is that if only one GPO can gobble up so much from the exchequer, what would be the figure if all GPOs and other pension-related departments and other government departments are put together?
Our economic managers spin programmes for economic development and dole out new hopes for betterment, but the situation refuses to move. Why is this so? Anybody can answer this simple question.
The main reasons for this deplorable situation can be identified as (1) degradation of the moral fibre of our society at large, (2) incompetence of the government to guard against this overall moral degradation while formulating / implementing policies.
Even religious preachers shy away from talking about honesty and character-building in their speeches. The Tableeghi people have put matters of character-building on the back burner and restrict their sermons to stressing the importance of offering prayers and nothing more.
Somewhere, somehow, government functionaries are a party to one or other kind of corruption and, therefore, cannot/will not take interest in curbing corruption altogether.
In the case of ghost pensioners detected on such a large scale, it would be prudent for the government to consider paying total pension to the retiree on quitting service, thus eliminating the need for pension departments and the related corruption in this regard.
WG CDR (retd) FARHAD ALI SHAH
Chitral
BEFORE the new State Bank governor gets bogged down in the nitty-gritty of counting notes, writing off loans of Pakistani politicians or borrowing more loans from foreign donors, here is an important and fundamental problem she may wish to tackle.
The yearly zakat deduction is made by all banks unless a customer can prove that he/she does not subscribe to a particular version of the state-prescribed faith. The proof must be provided by signing a stamped judicial paper that forces an individual to declare that one is either not a Muslim or a Muslim who does not follow a particular belief.
My view is that a bank (or the state ) has no business to demand such declarations on matters of personal belief. Asking people to do so is a violation of their fundamental rights. Those who do not comply are penalized by deductions in the name of religion. Citizens should not be required to constantly carry evidence of their religion (or sect) on their sleeves, nor should they be required to provide judicial affidavits of their faith (or the absence of it) in matters of routine daily business transactions. Who knows, soon we may be asked to provide such faithless affidavits for discounts in school fee, hospital expenses or hotel bills.
The state (and the governor of the State Bank) must treat all citizens equally regardless of their faith or sect. All banks must be asked to comply with the following instructions:
a. No bank should require any affidavits to be signed that force people to declare their religion or sect. No Zakat or any other deduction in the name of religion be made by any bank from any customer.
b. Only if a customer wishes to make a voluntary contribution (in Zakat or to any other charity), he may authorize the bank to do so in writing.
NAEEM SADIQ
Karachi
THE Boeing 737-400 that PIA has leased for operation on high density traffic routes to the Gulf and the Middle East have a fuel tank capacity lower than PIA’s own Boeing 737s. Passengers who travel on these aircraft from Islamabad to Riyadh have to endure the ordeal of a technical landing at Karachi because the aircraft cannot fly direct to Riyadh.
The passengers’ torment does not end on arrival at Riyadh as 30 to 40 passengers will not get their baggage, because aircraft underbelly cargo compartments do not have the capacity to carry them. The same is the fate of Dubai-bound passengers. PIA’s Haj operation is also facing an acute crisis. It planned to lease five Boeing 747-200s for the Haj operation. The chairman had made a policy decision that all Hajis would be carried by leased aircraft. It managed to get only four, just days prior to the start of the Haj operation. The paperwork essential for necessary certification and approval by the Saudi Civil Aviation was not complete. The net result was that only two of these 747s got approval for operating Haj flights, which is the primary factor for glitches in this operation.
NAZEER ABRO
Hyderabad
I AM writing with reference to views being expressed in your newspaper on the above subject, specially the statements by engineers in the seminar organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad at the end of last month. The implication at the seminar that Wapda is providing fudged data to the president on the subject is astonishing and should be taken very seriously.
Two engineers categorically stated at the seminar that the building of the KBD was technically and economically “incorrect”. When professionals make such sweeping statements, they must take upon themselves the onus of proving and substantiating their statements.
As for the displacement of people, nowhere in the world have such mega projects like a hydro-electric or water storage dam been undertaken without this negative externality. It is for this reason that a sizable amount is incorporated in the cost of a dam to compensate the affected people
Another accusation is that ever since there has been talk of the need to build dams, some people have bought barren lands — which are expected to be inundated due to water storage — at a pittance from poor land owners, speculating that the compensation claims will be many times higher than the price at which such lands were purchased. Only the government can address complaints in this regard by investigating such land transfers and making legislation against the exploitation of the poor and profiteering.
The issue of Nowshera/ Mardan flooding should be clarified from the Survey of Pakistan map. If the highest level of water in the reservoir at the proposed KBD site is lower than the levels of Nowshera and Mardan, then it is a non-issue. If not, the issue should be investigated.
The government and the electronic media should organize debates inviting professionals, representatives of the government and the opposition to express their points of view covering all relevant aspects regarding the building of large water reservoirs, including the following:
(1) Is it necessary to build large water reservoirs — points for and against?
(2) If a large water reservoir is to be built urgently, then is there a cut-off date by which such a decision must be taken.
(3) What are the various options available?
(4) A comparative analysis in respect of the cost of water reservoir, lifespan, power generation capacity, power generation and transmission costs and time of completion; for each option.
(5) Present water-flow in the different provinces as confirmed by each province. (6) Projected water-flow in each province, resulting from the construction of various dams, also confirmed by each province.
(7) Water-flow downstream of Kotri; present and projected; requirements to stop sea intrusion; needs relating to fisheries; environment sustainability; and maintaining river channels.
After debate on the cost benefit analysis of building a large water reservoir, the matter should be discussed in parliament and the proceedings should be telecast live. I am sure if such a strategy is followed, we can get much closer to a consensus. It will also equip members of parliament with adequate data to take rational decisions based on the long-term benefit for Pakistan as a whole.
The smaller provinces suffer from a feeling of deprivation and do not have confidence that they will get their due share of water in the future as well. Sindh complains historically of receiving less water than its rightful share. The non-implementation of the report of the Sir Raman Rao Commission, appointed before partition of the subcontinent, on Sindh’s share of the River Indus water is one of their grievances. It is an irony of fate that the mistakes of the past have to be rectified by the government of today and this can only be done through dialogue in a spirit of acceptance of past mistakes, magnanimity and patriotism.
KAUSAR ZAIDI
Islamabad
THIS is in reference to Zubeida Mustafa’s article “Early learning in mother tongue” (Jan 18) where she has ably argued the disadvantages to teaching English language from Class I onwards. It is a fact that our local languages such as Sindhi, Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki, Balochi and Pushto are the medium of instruction at primary and secondary levels for millions of children. They have also produced great poets, scholars and people of letters which has helped preserve the beauty of these languages and the cultural life of the regions. If children are deprived of their mother tongue at their preliminary stage of learning, the whole literary treasure of these great men will be meant only to decorate our shelves and shops. Our own art and music will also suffer serious setbacks.
There is no denying the fact that English is one of the most advanced and widely spoken languages of the world and because it is the vehicle of communication in much of science and technology it serves as a passport to prosperity. However, it is an incontrovertible fact that children understand more and better when instructed in their mother tongue.
Since the government is now giving importance to the education sector, and since this issue is at the core of learning, it should be taken up in the right spirit.
GHULAM RASOOL KALWAR
Sukkur
THIS refers to a report quoting some MMA leaders as saying they will use force against participants in the Lahore marathon being organized by the city.
The MMA views the marathon as promoting a culture of nudity and obscenity and is prepared to attack the marathon runners to promote virtue and discourage vice.
I suggest the police be given strict orders to protect the runners from MMA hooligans.
OMAR MIRZA
New York, US
IT was amusing to read the news item “Four policemen held for letting off cellphone robbers” (Jan 15). Is it wrong to presume that the police are protecting criminals, which is why dacoities and cellphone snatchings continues unchecked?
There is a dire need to establish a special force to identify the black sheep within the police department.
S.M. KAZIM NAQVI
Karachi
DESPITE what government records show, residents of Karachi’s Model Colony are living as if they are in the stone age without any sewerage system, rusty and leaking water pipelines, irregular water supply, broken roads, etc.
The city nazim is requested to visit Model Colony, specially the area known as Lal Quarters (near Umer Masjid), Blocks A, B, C and D to see for himself the pathetic conditions.
M.A. RAHMAN
Karachi
UNDER the pretext of a ban on recruitment in many government and semi-government institutions, there are many posts which remain vacant for years much to the detriment of research. Dr Attaur Rahman is often heard lamenting the poor standard of research but how can there be change if technical posts in research organizations are kept vacant and charge is given to a junior incumbent?
This practice is not only disheartening for the workers but also deprives them of their due promotion. Moreover, budgetary grants are cut, due to which new equipment cannot be purchased nor can young scientists be sent abroad for higher education and training in their respective fields.
Here one can mention the fact hat the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), a semi-government research organization, was recently shifted from its spacious area on Karachi’s M.T. Khan road to the main Sharea Faisal. The PCCC should have not been uprooted as it is playing a vital role in cotton research and development in the country.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
THE US paid a heavy cost for attacking Iraq and removing Saddam Hussein from power. According to the National Priorities Project, a non-profit and non-partisan organization in the US, the cost of the Iraq war has so far reached $234.37 billion and it is still rising day by day.
The money spent by the US in Iraq up till now could have transformed many areas of public health and education and taken care of world hunger for nine years, fully funded Aids programmes for 23 years and provided immunization to every child for 78 years.
The money the US has so far spent on the war in Iraq could have also built 2.11 million additional public housing units, provided full four-year college scholarships at public universities to 11.36 million students, paid for health insurance covering one year for 140.33 million children and provided 4.06 million additional public school teachers for one year.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
DOES Mr Ayaz Amir know the ABC of geopolitics? He says Pakistan should end “our American alliance” — “Retreat from Kalabagh” (Jan 20). He might as well suggest we declare war on China and Iran smultaneously.
I suggest Mr Amir write a book entitled “How to lose friends and make enemies?”
ZAMIR SIDDIQI
Karachi
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