| March 4, 2006 | Saturday | Safar 3, 1427 |
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Policy for blood donors
PCB clarifies
Mosquito coils
Pindi traffic problems
US track record
Old pensioners
Traffic police
‘Freedom of the press’
Bomb blast in Karachi
Cellular rates
Bush visit to Afghanistan
Pakistani science
Exam results
Free Safari
Pedestrian rights
WITH REFERENCE to your editorial “Time for a sane approach” and Shahid Javed Burki’s article “Bias takes a nasty turn” (Feb 28), both expose traditional western hypocrisy. Credit goes to Dawn that has a history of revealing such double standards, both at the national and the international level.
The West’ s growing prejudice is indicative in a number of areas. While on the one hand the West ignores the nuclear ambitions of Israel, it is critical of Iran’s nuclear programme. It’s time for Iran to show rationality and heed logic.
And while WTO doctrines are the brainchild of western multinationals with freedom to invest anywhere, the same freedom has been denied to the UAE company that bid successfully for port operations in six US states. America is proud of it democracy and wants democracy to flourish throughout the world but when it comes to the success of Hamas in free and fair Palestinian elections, then the results are not acceptable.
And though the West is proud of its laws regarding freedom of expression and justifies the blasphemous cartoons, a court in Austria has punished a British historian for denying the Holocaust. While the West is the champion of human rights and wants to see the same in the Muslim world, it ignores the implementation of such rights in Abu Gharaib and Guantanamo Bay. Finally, America is going to sign a civilian nuclear agreement with India but it has never missed an opportunity to condemn the so-called A.Q. Khan network.
Democracy and human resource development with focus on education are the right answer as far as the Muslim world’s problems are concerned. This is not possible till such time that the West continues to dictate to us and ridicule us.
ZAHOOR HUSSAIN
Lahore
AS a member of the Blood Donor Society at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, I want to bring to light an incident at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. On Feb 25, a relative of a patient came to the university seeking blood for transfusion.
Three students went with him to the Ganga Ram Hospital to donate blood. All the three were going to donate blood for the first time.
On reaching the blood bank at Ganga Ram at 11pm, they were checked up for blood group identification and three packs of blood were drawn without taking tests for hepatitis and Aids.
While returning the three receipts of blood storage record to the relative, the officer-in-charge at the blood bank told him to return an hour later to have the receipts stamped.
I asked why after an hour and why not now? He told me that the drawn blood was to be tested for hepatitis and Aids.
I asked why the tests had not been carried out before the blood was drawn. If unfortunately any of the donors was now found to be infected, it would mean that blood was taken from an already sick person who couldn’t afford it. The officer-in-charge stated that he was following the government’s health policy.
Is there any policy in this regard or the officers-in-charge are left to follow whatever process they want?
If, unfortunately, any donor tests positive, how will he be informed that he was infected as he might have left the hospital?
Are donors not being discouraged with this policy?
TALIB HUSSAIN & UMAR HAYAT
UET, Lahore
“WITH reference to the item “PCB fails to provide details to Senate” (Dawn, Feb 28) the following information is relevant:
The reasons for inviting English guests was to gain goodwill and to erase the misperception in an important cricketing country that Pakistan was a violent, insecure land in which some cities, like Karachi, were regarded as out of bounds. The invitees had been selected after advice from the government and the Pakistan high commission in London.
The overall impact has been extremely rewarding from a cricket and Pakistan image point of view, as Pakistan was seen as a normal, friendly and hospitable country. Karachi was acclaimed by the British visitors as a friendly city with a sporting and disciplined crowd which has led to India subsequently playing a Test and ODI. The positive effect of the invitees has been manifestly successful.
There was no cost on air-fares as all the visitors paid for their own fares. All invitees were cricket-related except Tom Cox who has been one of Pakistan’s greatest friends in parliament for over 30 years. Mark Williams is the chief executive of Britain’s cricket charity, the Lords Taverners.
The audit accounts of ticket sales for the England series are available on the PCB’s website. A similar exercise for the India series will be placed on our website shortly.
Your correspondent’s insistence that the ‘invitees must have been at least provided first class or business class tickets’ is baseless. It would have taken just a phone call to check facts before making the accusation.
ABBAS ZAIDI
Director (Board Operations),
Pakistan Cricket Board, Lahore
THE mosquito coil is widely known as an efficient repellent. The major active ingredients are pyrethrins, accounting for about 0.3-0.4 per cent of the coil mass. When a mosquito coil is burned, insecticides are dispersed with the smoke.
Pyrethrins are of low chronic toxicity to humans and low reproductive toxicity in animals, although headache, nausea and dizziness have been observed in male sprayers exposed to 0.01-1.98 micrograms/cubic metre pyrethrins for 0.5-5 hours. No carcinogenic and mutagenic effects have been found for these insecticides.
The lowest lethal oral dose of pyrethrum as stipulated by occupational health service (OHS) in 1987 was 750 mg/kg for children and 1,000 mg/kg for adults.
The remaining components of mosquito coil are organic fillers, binders, dyes and other additives, capable of smouldering well.
Researchers have found that the gas phase of mosquito coil smoke contains some carbonyl compounds with properties that can produce strong irritating effects on the upper respiratory tract, for example, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.
Because coil consumers usually use mosquito coils for at least several months every year, cumulative effects from long-term exposure to the coil may also be a concern.
In a study of four brands of mosquito coils, mass balance equations were used to determine emission rates of fine particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes and ketones.
When applying these measured emission rates to predict indoor concentrations under typical room conditions, it was found that pollutant concentrations resulting from burning mosquito coils could substantially exceed health-based air quality standards.
The findings from the study suggest that exposure to the smoke of mosquito coils can pose significant acute and chronic health risks.
F.H. MUGHAL
Karachi
TRAFFIC jams are a major problem all over Pakistan. I would like to draw the attention of the government towards the roads of Rawalpindi. Everyhere there is a traffic blockage. It is taking twice as much time to move from one place to another than it did before. Huge traffic jams take place in places like Raja Bazaar, Murree Road, Harley Street and Dhamial Road.
The condition of Harley Street has become critical. Although the civic department concerned has worked on some parts of it, other portions remain untouched. If it rains, there is mud all round, otherwise it is a sea of dust. The large number of schools on the road encourage traffic jams.
Similarly, the Dhamial area is in a bad condition. Although a year back the civic department concerned had widened Kalima Chowk which helped to reduce traffic jams, now it is clogged again. Moreover, as they have started widening the road, they have dug up all over and because of that traffic remains jammed all day.
MURTAZA MURAD
Rawalpindi
THERE goes President Musharraf again. He continues to hope that Bush will help settle the Kashmir dispute during his visit to the subcontinent.
The track record of the United States, especially President Bush, in resolving foreign policy disputes has been dismal at best. With a near civil war in Iraq, a Middle East peace policy that’s in tatters and an unending crusade in Afghanistan, why does the General think that Bush would fare any better in Kashmir? Let’s not even get into Iran, North Korea or Cuba. Unless it is beneficial to them, the Americans do not care about the Kashmiris any more than they care for the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.
For God’s sake, Bush was picnicking when 99 per cent of his own people in New Orleans were displaced in the aftermath of Katrina. With such a US track record, General Musharraf should stop wasting all his capital on a single intractable issue such as Kashmir and start adding more dimensions to his foreign policy.
RAJ
Austin, Texas
SO much has already been written about old pensioners that it seems as if nothing more is left to be said. Yet the basic evil still remains to be diagnosed and cured, despite many changes in government.
We old pensioners are physically and financially weak and are susceptible to every kind of disease. We have become an unwanted burden not only on our families but on society as a whole. I, as a heart patient, have been prescribed medicines which cost over Rs7,000 a month. How can anyone who has lost all opportunities of earning buy such costly medicines?
The pay of the government servant in my days was very low while the workload was greater because of larger administrative areas being managed with a few staff as compared to the new administrative set-up that has a much larger number of officers. The pension of old employees is, therefore, very low as compared to the new revised pay scales.
For example, a person who retired on Dec 31, 1969 got less pension than one who retired on Jan 1, 1970. An assistant or stenographer used to draw a maximum remuneration of about Rs4,000 a month at the time of retirement and was granted pension accordingly.
In the new set-up the assistant or stenographer in the same position at retirement draws a maximum pay in Grade 15 of Rs15,000 and pension of up to Rs6,000 a month.
It would be appropriate if the present government removes this discrimination and increases the subsistence of old pensioners. If the perks and privileges of parliamentarians can be increased, what is hindering the government from revising the pay and pension of its old employees?
RAJA SHAFAAT ULLAH
Islamabad
IT is not surprising to see some readers having found yet another scapegoat. It’s again the most criticised traffic police force of Karachi. Karachi, a city where there are only a couple of thousand of traffic police, does not seem to be appreciative of their untiring efforts.
People claim they are disrespectful. Well, I say why will they be that? Seeing a traffic constable stopping you always brings up an angry feeling. And all the frustration is usually taken out on him. Be it our religious minister who talks about brotherhood on TV or an ordinary person parking in a no parking zone for buying medicines. We need two hands to clap. And rules aren’t meant to be broken.
Another common issue is related to bribes. Well, I wonder why people offering bribes aren’t ever brought into question. Do we have the stamina to submit payments for tickets? Or do we make our way out easily and cheaply by filling the traffic police’s pockets?
The policemen should be given proper education and sufficient power so that they can treat all violators equally and “respectfully.”
ABDUL QADIR
Karachi
GERMAN Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said the 25-nation European Union strongly supports freedom of the press and freedom of expression but added: “We regret that other people’s religious feelings have been hurt.” (Dawn, Feb 28).
Has anyone asked him why, if “freedom of press and freedom of expression” is so sacrosanct in Germany, does the country have the strictest laws in the world against denying or minimizing the “Holocaust”?
Every European country has laws restricting “freedom of expression” when it comes to that topic. Even if a person condemns the killing of Jews by Hitler (a Christian), but says that the number of Jews killed is less than the self-stated six million, he can be thrown into jail for years.
It seems as if the European countries trot out the “freedom of expression” litany whenever it suits them.
MUSHTAQ AHMED TUNIO
Scarborough, Toronto
THE bomb blast near the US consulate in Karachi the other day is being linked with the protests against President Bush’s visit. However, such acts are directly destroying the image of our country and especially of the city of the Quaid.
Karachi has had a history of criminal activities, and people no longer want to visit the city because of them.
There is always a positive point of view to everything. What is wrong with President Bush visiting Pakistan? Our president has also visited the US many times. These are just political visits to improve international relations among countries. We should broaden our perspective and take things positively rather than just criticizing and protesting against everything, which only spoils our already tarnished image. We must fight for peace and freedom in the region.
MUHAMMAD UMAIR RAHEE
Karachi
I would like to draw the attention of the authorities in cellular companies to their ambiguous calling rates. We see huge billboards along the roads speaking of their low calling and SMS rates, but unfortunately no company openly states the additional cost of government taxes. Instead they put an asterisk above the figures and the statement reading “additional taxes not included” is hidden in a corner in a barely noticeable colour and in very small type.
Would it not be better if cellphone companies advertised the tax-included calling and SMS rates? It would definitely boost their credibility and increase client satisfaction.
Moreover, almost all cellular companies deduct almost nine per cent of the overall credit as so-called income tax. Is this a sort of selective levying of taxes and are companies fleecing innocent users in the name of sales and income taxes?
KASHIF ALTAF QAZI
Chakwal
PRESIDENT George W. Bush has made history by visiting satellite government Afghanistan through the backdoor, which I am sure no other American president would have done.
The highly protected secret visit has exposed the fragile state of the American presence in Afghanistan. This should serve as an eye-opener to the world and the Afghans. To the world because NATO forces will soon be replacing American troops whose presence in Afghanistan is becoming a hot issue for the government. For the Afghans because in the absence of American troops, the unpopular government of Mr. Hamid Karazai could also vanish.
History has such turns; it is for the rulers and the ruled to learn a lesson from history.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
THIS refers to Dr M.Iqbal Choudhry’s response (March 1) to Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy’s review on the general condition of science and technology in Pakistan. By restricting his comments to simply one faculty of science, Dr Choudhry is not truly speaking for the overall state of science and technology as revealed by Dr Hoodbhoy and the latter’s disclosures ought to be appreciated rather than messed up with statistics.
Integrated information about the grants received by all the science and technology institutes and organizations and the names of the recipients of those grants and the works done by the recipients should be published periodically in the press. Only in this way will the public be able to know where the money is going.
MAZHAR BUTT
Karachi
EXAMINATIONS for the master’s degree for external candidates at the University of Karachi were conducted in August last year, but the university has yet to announce the results. The number of students sitting in these examinations is not more than that enrolled for school or college examinations whose results are announced in a maximum period of three to four months.
The university fails to realize the fact that there are students who are waiting to apply for jobs on the basis of these degrees and others who want to pursue further education here and abroad.
It is requested that results of the master’s examinations should be announced forthwith so the precious time of students can be saved.
ABDUL AZIZ KHAN
Karachi
WHY go to Dubai when you can experience a desert safari in the Korangi Industrial Area for free? All you have to do is drive from the Shan roundabout to the Brookes roundabout during peak hours. You will experience a desert safari complete with some wild beasts and stinky ponds. All thanks to the civic authorities.
SHAIKH KHURRAM YAHYA
Karachi
THE traffic problem in Lahore has been a major headache for its citizens. In the last few years the number of cars and other vehicles has vastly gone up putting pressure on the roads which have not seen any expansion worth the name.
It is common that whenever there is a traffic jam, most bike riders use footpaths instead of roads, specially on Davis Road, putting pedestrians to great inconvenience.
BUSHRA RIAZ
Lahore
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