| February 21, 2006 | Tuesday | Muharram 22, 1427 |
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Commerce and trade group
HEC clarifies on UET
City billboards
Commonwealth grants
Hyderabad problems
Shortlisting projects
Pakistan consulate in Bombay
Computer dependence
Super Highway
Objective assessment
Marriage venues
Streetlights
High beams
MR Mahir Ali has come through with his balanced write-up on the deplorably evil provocations by Danish and other European newspapers/ tabloids (Dawn, “Nothing to kill or die for”, Feb 8). Unfortunately, a few of the offending journals being well-known high-end papers it has led to concerns expressed by many that these are “inspired” with the malicious intent of instigating “Muslim jihadists” (what exactly does this canard mean?) into committing mayhem, pillage and arson/slaughter. The imbalanced(?) “devoted” followers of “spiritual leaders” in Lebanon, Egypt and other places have obliged the provocateurs.
Not to be left behind, we have our “beloved” spiritual leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, issuing the call for a “million march” on March 5: the same Qazi Hussain Ahmed who has been at the forefront to restore “democracy” and the “quality of life” of the teeming masses of our beloved Pakistan. The calls for “gheraos”, marches on Islamabad, strikes and what not, are guaranteed to inflame the public to further arson, pillaging, loot/plunder, burning and destruction of innocent people’s cars, property and, ultimately, many deaths.
Only feeble-minded persons can think of further demonising this beautiful country and nation of Pakistan. And for showing no concern for the fact that our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and revelations in the Holy Quran exhort Muslims to show compassion for wrong, pray for the end of evil and enhance our values through forgiveness; while Allah will surely punish those who vilify our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and our “Deen”.
BRIG (r) MATEEN M. MOHAJIR
Karachi
I HAVE watched and read reports of the protests against the cartoons and have come to the conclusion that none of those involved in the violence understand the meaning of Islam. The Holy Prophet tolerated many brutalities against him and always reacted with words of kindness. So who are we to set restaurants on fire, torch buildings and stone cars? Is the violence directed against the cartoons or is it against the government?
The answer is simple. Today we have forgotten our religious values because if we had kept them in mind the demonstrations would have been peaceful.
The violence in Pakistan has done no good. It has portrayed the wrong image of the country, it will scare away investors, and only hurt the economy. The maulvis see nothing but their own advantage in the situation an and that is the bottom line. If they had the right approach in mind they would have sent delegates abroad to educate the people on why Muslims had been so offended by the cartoons.
ASAD BAIG
Bradford, UK
THE publication of blasphemous cartoons is a deliberate attempt to start a war against Muslims.
This has occurred at a very crucial time when already a war against terrorism is going on. This is yet another step in this war. Publishing such cartoons causes incitement.
The cartoons also reflect the level of tolerance of civilized nations. Demeaning any religion should be condemned and the UN should enforce a law under which such offenders can be punished.
We are always portrayed as fanatics by the West. In fact, sensible Muslims are not antagonistic towards other religions. Islam is a religion of peace and gives respect to the followers of other religions.
HAMAD ALEE
Karachi
THIS has reference to a news item (Dawn Business pages, Jan 29) regarding the expected abolition of the commerce and trade group (CTG) from the list of Central Superior Services. A so- called Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will replace the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). After the establishment of the authority, more than 250 officers, mostly of the CTG, will be transferred to the surplus pool due to no fault of theirs. But what about CTG probationary officers currently undergoing training at the Civil Services Academy, Lahore?
These probationary officers are at a loss to understand the logic behind the establishment of the TDAP. After all, the government must have been thinking about TDAP for quite some time.
Then why were these officers given the option to join the CTG? It seems the government of the day lacks vision. Last year there was no induction in the Pakistan Railways on the pretext that it was being converted into a corporation. Now again there is talk of induction into the Pakistan Railways through the CSS examinations.
The Civil Service of Pakistan is already short of talented young people, who are moving towards the private sector, especially the multinationals. The military has undermined the role of civil servants with key civilian posts at the senior level going to retired and serving generals. And now this decision to abolish the CTG will further diminish the role of the civil service.
The government should reconsider its decision. Wapda and PIA are autonomous bodies but their performance is not better than of the EPB. Will these organizations be also replaced? If the government is serious, then even the EPB can be strengthened so that the future of talented CSPs may not be as bleak as it seems.
ZAHOOR HUSSAIN
Probationary officer, Civil
Services Academy, Lahore
MR KAMAL Aftab in his letter (Feb 14) has quite naively involved the HEC in the episode leading to Dr Shahid Bokhari’s resignation from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, and tried to hold the HEC responsible for forcing Dr Bokhari for not working at the UET, Lahore.
The universities are totally autonomous in their working in terms of creation of new positions and chairs of departments, etc., and are in no way dependent on the HEC.
In this respect, the HEC has a regulatory role for which it works through the statutory bodies of the university but never interferes in appointments/removal of individuals. Neither does it have any authority to pressure any individual to change his or her job from permanent to contractual as has been alleged in the letter. In fact, the HEC has introduced a tenure track system in universities which offers a much higher salary package to faculty members while it protects job conditions of the existing teachers.
It appears that the correspondent is not well informed about the establishment of the Oman chair which was set up by the IT ministry and not by the HEC. As such, the HEC had no role in this appointment. The position was advertised and apparently Dr Bokhari did not apply for this.
For the provision of computers, the HEC had allocated a handsome amount of money for setting up computer labs at the UET, Lahore, in accordance with its policies to upgrade engineering universities on a priority basis.
DR RASHID MATEEN
Higher Education Commission
Islamabad
THIS refers to your editorial “Dangerous billboards” (Feb 16). I would like to add here that due to improper installation and the mushroom growth of billboards in the city, Karachi gives a pathetic look and needs the immediate attention of the provincial government. There should be a complete ban on installation and erection of billboards in the city.
Research shows that people do not respond to billboard messages like they do to print advertisements.
Most are usually driving and do not have time to jot down phone numbers displayed on the hoardings.
Many people are afraid to take their eyes off the road for very long.
I do not, therefore, understand the need for billboard advertisements. In New York City in 1890, reformers condemned billboards as eyesores. A task force to investigate “the billboards’ nuisance” in 1912 resulted six years later in the first city ordinances against billboards, making them illegal in residential areas and in places designated as scenic.
The former Karachi city nazim, Mr Naimatullah Khan, during his tenure had once mentioned that there were 17,000 billboards out of which 11,000 were illegal. This happened due to corrupt officials who allowed such billboards to be put up after taking illegal gratification.
There appears to be no accountability for companies involved in breaking the law by erecting illegal billboards. It seems that the provincial government does not have any interest in making the city beautiful.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
PLEASE refer your story (Dawn, Feb 18) about Mr Donald McKinnon’s address at the Aga Khan University, Karachi. I would like to point out to the secretary-general of the Commonwealth that civil society organisations (CSOs) in Pakistan and in most of Third World countries are facing funding problems from Commonwealth member-countries and the Commonwealth Association itself.
Most Third World countries, including Pakistan, have from time to time democratic and undemocratic governments. In 1999, I submitted a proposal for Rs300 million to the Institution of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, Brighton, London. The IDS, London, okayed the proposal. I came back to Pakistan and Gen Pervez Musharraf took over in October 1999. After one month of Gen Musharraf’s takeover, the university refused funding due to the military takeover. I and my institution at that time suffered a loss at the hands of the policies of the Commonwealth Association.
I would like to suggest to Mr McKinnon that the Commonwealth Association must have a separate charter for civil society organisations. Sustainable democracy is not possible in our type of countries. Civil society organisations should not suffer due to military takeovers because they work to resolve basic issues of the people.
AIJAZ ALI KHUWAJA
Karachi
THROUGH these columns I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned, specially the new district nazim, towards the basic civic problems of the people of Latifabad/Hyderabad, particularly encroachments on busy roads.
Station Road, the busiest road of Hyderabad, Risala Road, Ghari Khata, Tilak Incline and different units of Latifabad are occupied by owners of shops situated on both sides of these roads. Goods are displayed on footpaths and also occupy some part of the roads.
It is also irritating that some roads of Hyderabad have been dug up and development work is going on at a snail’s pace, which also causes problems for commuters.
To make matters worse, street vendors around illegal highrise buildings, which have no parking space, are there who occupy most parts of these busy roads. In the main city, traffic jams are a regular feature.
The district nazim should take note of the problem.
MOINUDDIN
Hyderabad
THE Karachi city government is seemingly taking its task with enthusiasm. It wants to impress upon the citizens of Karachi that it is serious in handling the innumerable problems this city is confronted with.
The issues are of such enormous proportion that it would take a real concerted effort to handle even one major issue during any government’s tenure. Just visualize a government trying to handle concurrently a cocktail of issues like water supply, sewerage system, solid waste disposal, encroachments, cleaner environment and well-paved roads.
In developed countries all this and much more is taken care of simultaneously but we lack financial resources. Obviously when a limited number of people pay taxes, funds are bound to run short.
During a civilian government’s tenure in Lahore in the mid-1990s, the then chief minister concentrated only on the road network and the improvement seen there was commendable. The Karachi city nazim will also do well if he chooses to shortlist his priorities and focuses on a few. The achievements need not be advertised as is being done now. Let people judge for themselves. The latest example is the introduction of the mechanised road cleaning system. Banners were displayed all over Karachi and extensive TV coverage was accorded to the event. As Karachiites, we would love to see improvements in all spheres of life, but in a properly planned manner. Everything taken up simultaneously will end up in a fiasco.
ARIF MAJEED
Karachi
THE delay in the opening of the Pakistan consulate in Mumbai is indeed a matter of concern. It may be difficult to procure office space but certainly not impossible. What is difficult to understand is the nuisance that was allowed to become the reason for opposition by the occupants of Mittal Chambers to the use of space acquired for the Pakistan consulate. I have visited Mittal Chambers where PIA also has its offices in Mumbai. It is located in a crowded part of the city and if visa applicants were to line up for visas, it could create a problem but this could have been remedied by introducing the rule which most embassies and consulates now have to receive applications only through courier service and send back the visas in a similar manner. This eliminates the possibility of crowds and any possible nuisance. I am sure this option was taken into consideration but why it was not adopted needs an explanation.
Until such time as freedom of travel, trade and tourism are restored to the citizens of the two countries and the harassment and delays to which applicants are subjected is stopped, no amount of other so-called confidence-building measures will restore normal relations and the expression that the “peace process is irreversible” will have no significance. The leadership in both countries must move to effectively restore these rights to the citizens and the first step would be to rein in the bureaucracy and stop treating visa applicants as suspected enemy aliens.
LIAQUAT H MERCHANT
Karachi
THE story goes that when Sher Khan defeated Humayun and adopted the title of Sher Shah, a big victory procession was arranged in which the king was to take part riding an elephant.
When Sher Shah got seated on the elephant, he asked for the reins to be given to him. Sher Shah was a great fighter and an expert horse-rider. His courtiers submitted: “Your Majesty, this is an elephant, which is controlled by another man”.
On hearing this, the story goes, Sher Shah jumped out from the standing elephant saying: “I do not want to ride an animal whose reins are not in my hand.”
The situation is exactly the same with our computers. No doubt it is a great, useful innovation but it has its own applications. Its use should be restricted to research centres, universities and foreign-related activities, otherwise we will end up with a situation when cooking or making bread also shall wait until spare parts are received from abroad.
Foreign manufacturers of computers and their components will constantly change their design to make us perpetually dependent on them.
SYED MUSLEHUDDIN AHMED
Karachi
THE Super Highway is under construction and as work is now being carried out at Sohrab Goth, Karachi, the road has been closed without creating a proper diversion. This has created havoc at the site.
The traffic jam there is so bad that it takes at least an hour or so to get through. Will responsible agencies take notice and try to solve the problem for thousands of road users?
DR KHALID AHMED
Karachi
I TIP my hat off to Mr Shahid Javed Burki for his candid and objective assessment of the situation. I must say that I am unable to find such objective writing in the Indian media. It always portrays India and Indian being superior to others, even though the GDP per capita is one-tenth of the US.
Having lived in India and the US for many years, I find the Indian education system still inferior in many ways. The large pool of talented people that is available represents a small portion of the total graduates. Moreover, most of the jobs going to India are of lower skills and I wonder how long that will continue if the infrastructure development does not catch up soon. Roads and communication are in a pathetic state.
Finally, the seeds of the current affluence were sown in the 1950s when the late prime minister Nehru decided to establish IITs. Add to that the religious Hindu belief that educating oneself is a requirement, not an option.
ANIL KALKE
Chicago, USA
THE wedding season has just passed, and it was horrendous to note the increasing use of school grounds and public property as marriage venues. I would especially like to draw attention towards such blatant misuse in the area of North Nazimabad, Karachi, where school grounds as well as the Eidgah ground were consistently used to host wedding receptions.
This not only deprives the average citizens of adequate recreational activities, it also becomes a grave inconvenience for the residents of the area concerned. I would appeal to the authorities to take urgent steps to prevent such misuse in the future.
HAFSA AHSAN
Karachi
STREETLIGHTS on the main Karachi University road from Safari Park to Safoora Goth have been out of order for many years. I have complained, both on the telephone and in writing, to the city district government but no action has yet been taken.
I request the city nazim to personally look into the matter.
ASAD RAZA ZAIDI
Karachi
THE use of high beams by motorists at night goes on unchecked within the confines of Islamabad. The fact that the current education drive by the traffic police has ignored this dangerous practice is not without reason. The policemen patrolling the city, more often than not, themselves drive with their headlights at full beam.
NASIM SADIQ
Islamabad
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