| February 8, 2006 | Wednesday | Muharram 9, 1427 |
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Traffic engineering
Child health
Profits on savings
Bank branch
Whither foreign policy?
Cotton Committee
Kashmir Day
Polythene bags
Scrap tubewells
Cricket commentary
THE following statement has been sent to the BBC on the publication of the outrageous cartoons against the Holy Prophet of Islam in some European newspapers:
The European newspapers which have printed the outrageous cartoons defaming the Holy Prophet of Islam have given the deepest possible offence to more than a billion of his followers across the world.
To justify this outrage they invoke the right to freedom of expression.
This right is not absolute. It is limited by due regard to maintenance of public order, health and morals under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. The sacrilegious cartoons are so provocative that many in the world wonder if this is not the opening salvo for a clash of civilizations — the West versus Islam.
The cartoons are also an expression of hate against the Holy Prophet and therefore Islam. As such they violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which outlaws hate speech and incitement to racial hatred, making it obligatory for states to punish those responsible.
The cartoons therefore violate international law. Civil societies in the countries concerned, in particular Muslim organizations and law experts, should take recourse to seeking rulings from their relevant judicatures and most importantly, the European Court of Human Rights for redress against the wound inflicted on the Muslim faithful in the name of freedom of expression.
AGHA SHAHI,
former foreign minister, President, International Council for World Affairs
Islamabad
THE publication of sacrilegious cartoons in some European countries is outrageous. Even worse is the fact that the heads of state of these countries call it a conflict between freedom of speech in the West and taboos in the Muslim world. Who squirms at the debate on the Holocaust? Who calls people who condemn Israel based on its humanitarian record anti-Semitic? Who got all unnerved when Mel Gibson produced a movie on Jesus Christ?
The West also has its taboos. Such expression of freedom of speech is never tolerated when the targets are Jews. And even then it is historical facts that are being challenged. At least the Muslims do not make fun of the Jews’ religious personalities.
ASMA QADIR
Islamabad
IF the European perception of freedom of speech means holding a competition to draw blasphemous cartoons of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) they should not squirm at the idea of Iran holding a holocaust conference to discuss whether the holocaust actually took place or not.
The publishers of these cartoons must realize that they need to look at other alternatives to increase their paper’s circulation rather than putting in perverted material designed to provoke controversy, bitterness and alienation.
Those who publish such cartoons must realize that their perception of freedom of speech and thought should go beyond comic adventures to addressing real issues like supporting French Muslim schoolgirls who want to wear scarves or Palestinians protesting their brutal eviction from their homeland of centuries.
AFIA ZAHOOR
Karachi
THIS is reference to a letter by Khalid Chaudhry (Feb 6). Many westerners have been taken hostage and beheaded by groups claiming to fight jihad. As a response to that did people in any western country ever go out burning the embassies of the country from where the hostage-takers came?
We all assumed that not all Muslims are like that and it is not right to blame a country because of a few wild persons. I often read this newspaper and I don’t recall seeing a letter protesting the demolition by the Taliban of the Bamiyan statues. And nor did I see any mass protest by Buddhists burning embassies of Muslim nations. Mr Chaudhry should know that there have been numerous cases of churches being torched by Muslims for no other reason that they were Christian houses of worship. He should read Indonesian newspapers, or even better, check how his own country treats its Christian minority.
POUL ANKER
Canberra, Australia
TRAFFIC engineering in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad area requires major upgrades, especially after the flood of leased cars coming on to the roads.
Governments have been talking about building the Zero Point flyover, underpasses on Jinnah Ave, the Mareer Hasan flyover, an overhead highway on Murree Road and the Rawalpindi bypass. We will assume that this time this the government will indeed build these.
Since planning and approval take such a long time in Pakistan , I would like to suggest to the various departments that they should consider the following projects as well:
1. An overhead freeway on Peshawar Road starting at Golra Mor and ending at Islamabad airport and Swan camp. This highway would be limited to light vehicles. Trucks and buses will continue to use the present Peshawar Road.
2. For those commuting daily from Taxila, Wah, Hasanabdal, etc., to Islamabad , a three-lane dual carriageway should be constructed starting from Nicholson Monument and running parallel to Margalla Hills. This highway will also limited to light vehicles to minimize sound and noise pollution.
3. Extending the present two-lane Kashmir Highway to a four- lane dual carriageway. Remember that in five to six years this will be one of the most heavily travelled roads in Islamabad . One will use this road to go to new Islamabad airport and to the new upcoming sectors west of Islamabad. Many people will say that this will not be financially affordable. But to them I will ask: can we as a nation afford the millions of man-hours lost waiting in slow-moving traffic? In addition, you have increased pollution due to vehicles running at slower speeds along with wastage of fuel.
Amman, the capital of Jordan (which has a population less than Lahore), has over 30 underpasses, overpasses and even a tunnel. To keep up with increases in traffic, three new ones are added every year. In fact, it takes the Amman municipality only three to four months to complete an underpass/overpass.
Owning and driving a car can be fun with a little bit of effort; otherwise travelling by car will become progressively worse.
SYED HUSSEIN EL-EDROOS
Rawalpindi
YOUR newspaper has been in the forefront to bring to the notice of the people the ills of our society. This is particularly true in reference to our institutions, which have shown a steady decline over time. My concern primarily is with paediatric surgery and the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Karachi. I wish to see this institution grow in stature at the international level.
The recent move announced by the government for establishing a medical university comprising the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the Cardio-vascular Institute (NICVD) and NICH. On the face of it in the prevailing trend of medical universities it sounds a routine matter, but if you consider it a bit, you will ask what is the good of this exercise when Karachi already has seven medical universities. Except for the NICVD, the other two institutions are run by the federal ministry of health.
All three are post-graduate institutes. Only the JPMC has the Sindh Medical College as an undergraduate faculty attached to it. The SMC is now the part of Dow University and it is proposed that to meet requirements of its clinical faculty a new hospital is to be built opposite NICVD, thus absolving JPMC from the load of undergraduate teaching. This will bring the JPMC post-graduate institute in accordance with its original charter.
If the above three federal institutions, all post-graduate institutions, are made into one medical university, their charter shall be in conflict with Karachi University and all other government and private universities including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan who are already conferring post-graduate diploma in medical specialties. Unless an undergraduate faculty is added to this university, the whole exercise does not make any sense. This added load will seriously hamper the working of these institutions as post-graduate training centres.
I am a retired person and I doubt my word will carry any weight in the corridors of power but I am sure your pen will certainly do.
DR NIZAMUL HASAN
(FRCS) Karachi
WHEN Mr Shaukat Aziz first became the finance minister he gradually brought down the interest rates on the various categories of savings schemes in line with what he claimed was the decrease in inflation. Thus, the profit being paid to millions of old and retired citizens all over the country was, over a period of time, reduced to less than half, thus adversely affecting their lives. Many of the less affluent senior citizens were literally at one time reduced to penury. I know because I’m one of them.
Now the situation as far as inflation is concerned is fast reversing. Cost of goods, both industrial and agricultural, has gone up tremendously during the last year (2005) and this process has not ended. The cost spiral seems to be going skywards every month. Actually, in early 2005 food inflation hit a high of 15.7 per cent in April and headline inflation as measured by Consumer Price Index (CPI) was recorded at 11 per cent.
By June 2005, the State Bank of Pakistan upped the discount rate at which all Banks borrow from the Central Bank from 7.5% to 9% for the first time since November, 2002. The improvement, if any since then has been miniscule.
In such an inflationary situation as now exists in Pakistan it is imperative that the profit paid to depositors by banks and by the various savings schemes such as Special Savings Certificates, Defence Savings Certificates, Behbood Savings Certificates and the Schemes for Pensioners and Widows etc. should all be increased to rates of profit between 11% and 15% per annum, at least.
Dear Mr Aziz, when inflation was receding you had quite promptly cut the profits for us oldies — now that the cost of living is shooting up every month is it not fair that the profits be boosted to enable us to live at least half-way decent lives? Your immediate attention to this problem is requested.
SAEED AHMED
Karachi
IT is ironical that Basima tehsil in Washuk district, Balochistan, is without a bank branch. Because of this several hundred government employees, including women, have to travel 120 kms to get their monthly salaries and emoluments.
The National Bank of Pakistan team did come to Basima to look into the feasibility of opening a branch here and it was hoped that the team would recommend doing so, particularly in view of the fact that a substantial amount of Rs1.2 million is involved in monthly salary transactions. But still no such facility is in sight.
A social welfare organization the NVWS approached the high-ups of the NBP about this long-awaited facility but in vain.
Now I, as a student-cum-resident of Basima, appeal to the authorities concerned to immediately set up a bank branch.
HANIF ESSAZAI
Basima, Balochistan
FORMULATION of a country’s foreign policy is considered an art by the persons involved in managing that country’s foreign relations. They consider it their exclusive preserve and any interference from other quarters in this connection is strongly resented by them.
When asked as to what is the primary objective that a foreign policy is designed to achieve, they very primly come up with the observation that it is formulated to safeguard and promote country’s vital interests. Pakistan’s case not only falls under the above general observation but in addition, our foreign policy framers evince a somewhat cavalier and stand-offish attitude towards the day to day developments happening in our region, little realizing that these developments are not fortuitous in nature but are the result of sustained work and efforts on the part of other foreign policy framers.
Common citizens like myself are not privy to what happens in the sanctums of our Foreign Office. They, therefore, would not be able to judge definitively as to how Pakistan’s foreign policy is being currently run. The only window that the common people have on the tone and tenor of our foreign policy is through the regular briefings which the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs give on a regular basis to the media. To be honest, these briefings are not very encouraging and always tend to give the impression that all is well with country’s foreign policy. Serious minded citizens in Pakistan are perturbed at this sense of complacency in the Foreign Office. It appears to them that our Foreign Office has apparently not given due attention towards coping with the following developments that have recently occurred in the region and which have far-reaching implications for Pakistan. The developments, in question, are:-
i) Last year, the Chinese president paid a high profile visit to India during which a number of important agreements aimed at expanding and strengthening economic, commercial and scientific cooperation between the two countries were signed.
ii) A consortium of two oil and gas companies of India and China has made successful bid for buying 37% (controlling) shares of a Syrian oil and gas field. The deal is worth US$ 537 million.
iii) The king of Saudi Arabia has recently visited China, India and Malaysia. His visit to India and China has produced a number of important agreements between Saudi Arabia and these two countries.
iv) On the way back home from Hong Kong, where the King has gone for a brief holiday, he is scheduled to visit Pakistan for a day’s visit. (The King’s visits to China and India were of much longer duration).
v) People in Pakistan are somewhat disturbed at the Saudi king’s coming to Pakistan on the last leg of his tour to this part of the world and for a brief period to boot. It is no consolation for them that no Saudi King visited India during the last 50 years.
To observers of international scene the above developments point towards realignment of relations between countries named above. The people in Pakistan look at the progressive warming of ties between India and China on the one hand and between India and Saudi Arabia on the other with some concern. They fear that warming of ties between these three countries may be taking place at the cost of corresponding decline in the warmth and closeness of Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia and China. Barring issuing bland statement, our Foreign Office has done nothing to allay these fears of the Pakistani public.
Since our diplomats believe in keeping their cards very close to their chests, I would hope for Pakistan’s sake that the Foreign Office is cognizant of the implications of the above developments and is evolving the necessary responses required to cope with them. I earnestly wish that this is not a forlorn hope. I would like to end with the often repeated maxim of international relations that among countries there are no permanent friends or foes.
KHALID IDREES
Islamabad
A number of letters have recently appeared in your esteemed daily about how the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) has been forced to move out of its own building on M.T. Khan Road, Karachi to a plaza on the main Sharea Faisal, Karachi.
The PCCC is being run on the cotton cess collected from grinners and textile millers on each cotton bale produced, used in the country or exported abroad.
This is a unique way of honouring the memory of the founders of the PCCC.
HAJI ABDUL SHAKOOR
Karachi
I THINK Feb 5 was previously observed to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people but nowadays I just cannot find the same level of commitment to this day as is given to many other days.
Kashmir was described by the Quaid-i-Azam as the jugular vein of Pakistan, then what happened to it? Is it not of importance anymore or we just dont have sympathy with for our innocent Kashmiri brothers and sisters? Where is our government that used to say that Kashmir is ours?
The idea of a united Kashmir is a slap on the face of those who, heedless of all consequences, have continued their freedom struggle. India has never backed down its stance, then why are we the ones making such suggestions?
ASMA IQBAL
Karachi
The Sindh government has allowed the manufacturer sale and use of polythene bags up to 30-micron thickness. Now the question is: who will check this? As there is no proper arrangement to keep any eye on the process, a total ban should be imposed on the use of polythene bags.
Use of plastic shopping bags causes not only environmental and health hazards but also causes obstruction of sewerage lines.
Therefore, a complete ban should be imposed and announced for a better and cleaner environment.
DR ALFRED CHARLES
Karachi
IN these hard days of shortage of water, almost all tubewells of Scarp sub-division Gambat, including tubewells # D-44 to D-47, D-53, D-57 to D-59 and D-98, have not been working for many years. Employees attached to these are also not performing their duties.
However, the Scarp staff in collusion with Hesco authorities, Gambat subdivision, continues to issue electricity bills in this regard. Nobody knows precisely where does this money go. It appears it is misappropriated, causing loss to the exchequer.
Also, cultivators are suffering to a great extent. Some of them have started making use of private tubewells, which are expensive. Some strict measures may be taken to ensure the working of these tubewells.
NEK MUHAMMAD MARKHAND
Nazim, UC Belharo
THE Pakistan cricket team played well in the third Test at the National Stadium, Karachi, against India. The boys showed courage and dedication which are the foremost requirement of achieving targets.
But I am disgusted as nowhere I could watch TV coverage in our national language. The TV rights have been sold to TenSports which doesn’t have any place for Urdu.
Sir, is it not a mockery that cricket is being played in Pakistan and TV coverage has no place for Urdu? This is a serious lapse on the part of the PCB. I request the chief patron to immediately look into this negligence and ensure that due care is taken in the ODI matches.
IQBAL UMAR
Karachi
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