| March 10, 2006 | Friday | Safar 9, 1427 |
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Indo-US N-deal
Gilgit status
Imran Khan
Assessing Pakistani science
Urban mess
Afghan attitudes
Nadra’s system
PCB appointments
Traffic jam
Beautification
Housing rights
Tax evasion
Bush’s visit
THIS is in reference to Mr. Shahid Baloch‘s letter (Dawn, March 8). There is no second opinion regarding the backwardness of Balochistan and the current situation there. I only disagree with the writer for distinguishing between Baloch and non-Baloch. The menace of backwardness is faced by more than 80 per cent of Pakistanis in all the four provinces.
Also I would like to draw the writer’s attention towards the ugly reality of targeted killing of people from other provinces who are working in Balochistan. No Pakistani working in Balochistan has gone there to loot its resources but to earn a living and make a contribution towards the development of the province.
I belong to the NWFP and work in Karachi. My family would be devastated if in the name of nationalism some one drags me out of a bus and shoots me at point blank range. I fail to understand the purpose of these killings and other violent activities committed by the BLA. This game of “mine” and “yours” would leave us with nothing but devastation and extinction.
I also don’t understand as to what harm cantonments would bring to Balochistan. I have witnessed in Peshawar and other areas of the country as well that the most maintained and developed localities fall under cantonments’ administration.
YOUSAF JAMAL
Karachi
THOSE who believe that the US-India nuclear deal will adversely affect Pakistan must understand that this double-edged sword is going to hurt India and US the most. It is only a couple of days since President Bush concluded his South Asia visit, Washington has pressured New Delhi to postpone its Defence Minister Mukherjee’s visit to China. Based on the ‘contain-China’ policy, the US nuclear deal with India is aimed at thwarting any Indian move to improve bilateral relations with China. New Delhi, which has in the last one decade persuaded a normalization policy with Beijing, has already reached a virtual settlement of its border dispute with China. The Chinese premier had earlier visited New Delhi and high Indian government officials have gone to Beijing. China participated in recent war games as an observer. This shows that Sino-India relations are witnessing an upward trend.
But, according to defence sources quoted the press, the US has threatened India with delaying the civilian nuclear deal if New Delhi goes ahead with its normalization plan with China. Observers say that India has lost its strength to take an independent course as far as its independent foreign policy is concerned.
Meanwhile, Austria has announced that it will stop selling uranium to India in reaction to the US-India civilian nuclear deal. This has led to a realization that even the close allies of the US are not in favour of opening a Pandora’s box by the US.
Analysts believe that the US-India N-deal could also hurt the North Korean arms talks and push China to proliferation. They say, Beijing, seeing India as a strategic regional rival, will step up its influence in a bid to block the Indo-American deal. The unravelling of the NPT sparked by the US-India deal could make it easier for North Korea, as well as Iran, to pursue their nuclear ambitions by creating more countries and channels for trading in nuclear technology and material.
MARYA MUFTI
Lahore
APROPOS of Saalim Salam Ansari’s article ‘Gilgit has remained part of Kashmir’ (Dawn, Encounter, March 4), the writer has validated my main argument that Kashmiri leaders and pro-Kashmiri intellectuals’ views about Gilgit-Baltistan “manifest a mindset typical of colonialists”.
Most of his arguments are either embedded in the colonial period or arbitrary rulings by Pakistan’s ruling class. Thus, we can infer that the correspondent neither challenges the foundations of colonial treaties nor realizes the function of the technologies of power in the production of historical knowledge during colonialism.
The Kashmiri struggle against India appears to be a struggle to change the façade not the intellectual basis, for it relies on colonial treaties to incorporate non-Kashmiri people, such as of Gilgit-Baltistan, in the broader Kashmiri identity.
Thereby, we can say that Kashmiri leaders and intellectuals have failed to get rid of the colonial structure at the intellectual level.
Colonialists treated heterogeneous societies as homogeneous at the expense of sub groups, cultures, histories and races. It forced heterogeneous and non-delineated groups to align with delineated groups. Mr Ansari subscribes to this by declaring non-Kashmiri people and culture of Gilgit-Baltistan as a part of the Kashmiri nation.
If Kashmiri nationalism is based on culture, then it does not encompass the diametrically different culture of Gilgit-Baltistan within the rubric of Kashmir.
AZIZ ALI DAD
Gilgit
IMRAN KHAN has come under constant criticism for his political performance in the past, but I believe his new political strategy has the ingredients to be successful. His detention during George Bush’s visit was the best thing that has happened to his political career.
By actively positioning himself as both anti-American and anti-Musharraf he is cashing in on the deep anti-American sentiment that is prevalent in the country, which other moderate mainstream parties are afraid to do for fear of a backlash from the West. In addition, he is using the MMA’s street power effectively to add impetus to his campaign.
Despite his recent cosiness with the MMA, the public is unlikely to accept the fact that there is no difference between him and the religious alliance.
FARAZ AHMED
Houston, USA
I REGRET to say that Imran Khan is no longer our country’s only hope. He has become a real politician: two-faced, pretentious, indifferent, hypocritical, which is the only kind we know in Pakistan. He used to criticize our political parties for never supporting the government during a crisis leading to the destabilisation of the country. Isn’t that exactly what he is now doing? He recognised all popular members of the existing political parties as being corrupt and incompetent. Now he has joined hands with those same mullahs and waderas and chaudris who have brought utter disgrace to our nation and whose main agenda is to promote illiteracy among our people so they can remain in power.
Imran Khan has lost his appeal.
GUL SHAHEEN
Saudi Arabia
THE series of letters entitled “Assessing Pakistani science” written is now turning into a different discussion which is not directly related to the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry. I am sure that the competent officials of the Higher Education Commission know better how to respond to the questions raised regarding the various initiatives of the HEC in recent years.
Similarly, as regards Prof Pervez Hoodbhoy’s remarks about the quality of research publications of Pakistani scientists, I am confident that the scientific community in the country would be able to present the facts in their defence. At the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, we are fully devoted to producing good science and qualified manpower.
We wish to continue to work hard to bring this centre and Pakistan to the forefront of modern scientific research. The ICCS website: www.iccs.edu has all relevant information regarding recent scientific productivity (patents and publications) of this institute, along with the names of industries and research and development institutions which this institute is supporting.
PROF M. IQBAL CHOUDHARY
Acting director,
International Centre for Chemical Sciences (HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry),
Karachi University
THE RESIDENTS of Kehkashan Clifton Block 8, Karachi, are facing immense problems due to the construction taking place in the area. All passing vehicles are using the service lanes instead of the main roads. This makes it increasingly difficult for residents to use their front gates as they are usually blocked by a long queue of vehicles. In case of emergency we are left helpless.
I request the city government to restrict the functioning of heavy transportation vehicles to night time and to take quick action to overcome this growing problem.
ASAD ASLAM ROSHAN
Karachi
THE road from Islamia College to the Karachi Jail roundabout has been dug up and closed for months. This is causing traffic problems as well as wastage of precious fuel and time. It appears that no one is supervising the maintenance of roads in the city. Yet every day the city government announces new development projects. Please repair the existing roads first.
ANWAR AHMED
Karachi
THIS is regarding the dilapidated conditions of roads in Shadman Town, Karachi.
It should be noted that nearly all roads and subsidiary lanes have been dug up simultaneously while the pace of work is very slow. This has created a lot of problems not only for traffic but also for pedestrians.
HURMA SHAHID
Karachi
THE AFGHAN government should realize that conditions in their own country have led Pakistan into the mess that it is in today. Before the Afghan war most Pakistanis did not even know the word ‘Kalashnikov’. Heroin was introduced into Pakistan by the Afghans.
The Afghan government should respect Pakistan for giving shelter to millions of Afghan refugees, helping to liberate them from Russia and glorify some past Afghan figures by naming our missiles after them.
IMRAN MOHAMMED KHAN
Pennsylvania, USA
THIS IS in reference to the letter “Afghan attitude” by F.M Ansari (Dawn, March 8). The Afghans are being extremely ungrateful and have decided to turn against us rather than appreciating our thankless job of caring for over three million Afghan refugees.
I suggest we send the refugees back to their country which is collaborating with anti-Pakistan elements and becoming a threat to our security.
ALI KHAN
Lahore
HAMID KARZAI must not forget that when the Northern Alliance’s Shoora Nazaar was about to assassinate him, Pakistan saved his life and gave him protection from RAW-backed goons. Karzai himself told the press how he surreptitiously drove to Kabul from Peshawar by a motorbike before he was nominated to the presidency. He must also remember the days of his asylum in the suburbs of Quetta during the Afghan war.
Mr Karzai is hostage to the Northern Alliance. His bid to install a Pushtun defence minister in place of a Tajik remains ineffective as 90 per cent Tajiks and Uzbeks already been inducted in the set up. In the army of generals who were promoted in a bid to accommodate the warlords, 40 belong to the Northern Alliance. Today the myth of the invincibility of Sher-i-Punjsher Ahmed Shah Masood has been exposed by the revelation of his secret relations with Russia. His relations with India are known to everyone. It is evident from the facts that RAW has penetrated the Afghan defence ministry and intelligence and virtually made it hostage to its designs against Pakistan.
Mr Karzai should learn to identify the enemies within.
ESCHMALL SARDAR
Peshawar
WE are grateful to Mr Fahim uz Zaman (Dawn, Feb 6) for appreciating and recognizing Nadra’s state of the art information system. About his apprehension that the “system does not work”, Nadra would like to point out that it was due to the efficient working of the system that we were able to provided him with his CNIC within 12 days of application from our Swift Registration Centre at Karachi.
Likewise, the computerized identity cards of his father, mother and two brothers were prepared and received by them within 15 days of application.
The correspondent also did not mention the fact that the Pakistan Origin Cards (POC) of his wife and child were prepared and delivered to them in Singapore within 12 days of applying from Singapore.
He had a copy of his CNIC attached to documents showing he had a Pakistani passport valid until May 2009. In fact his Pakistani passport had been cancelled.
Till today we have not received any letter about his renunciation of citizenship (which he claims to have sent) whereupon his CNIC No.42301-9208909-1 had to be cancelled.
NADRA
Islamabad
THE appointment of Zaheer Abbas and Waqar Younis as team manager and bowling coach respectively is a very good decision and I praise the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their foresight in preparing for the cricket World Cup next year. But this change in team preparation and coaching will work only in consultation with Inzamamul Haq and Bob Woolmer.
The news that Jonty Rhodes may also be appointed is great because our team’s sloppy fielding needs to be worked on. I hope that when this current team retires from cricket they will also help to coach Pakistans next generation of cricketers.
SLAMAN JAFRI
Via email
THE Karachi traffic police have made a lot of effort to improve the traffic congestion on I.I. Chundrigar Road and in the latest effort they have stopped the plying of public transport there, but it has made only a very marginal difference. The flow of traffic has not improved while traffic congestion on M.A. Jinnah Road has increased.
It is suggested that I.I. Chundrigar Road be made one way from Tower to Shaheen Complex. I feel it will greatly ease the flow of traffic. Some people may find the detour a bit long but keeping in view the expenditure on fuel and time spent it will be the same if not less. At least it will save them from the tension that they have to endure while driving through I.I. Chundrigar Road. There are quite a few lateral entries towards Chundrigar Road from M.A. Jinnah Road and M.T. Khan Road, which will not make the detours too inconvenient.
COL (r) ANWAR JAN BABAR
Karachi
WHILE the present Karachi city district government is planning the city’s beautification, three ugly factors must receive consideration on a priority basis: three riders on a motor bike; passengers seated on roof tops of the minibuses and coaches; and the main roads dug up and left unattended for days.
SYED ABRAR HUSSAINI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Ms Zubeida Mustafa’s article “The pain of being displaced” (March 1). The article clearly indicates that the housing rights of many families are being violated in case of the Lyari Expressway project.
Let me say that housing rights are all those human rights that help people live in a decent and secure home. The most important housing right is the right to adequate housing. It is the right of everyone to live in their home in security, peace and dignity.
Therefore, access to adequate housing should not just be determined by a person’s social or economic status. But it is now evident that universal standards are not being followed in this case. The entire process of paying compensation and allotment of plots lacks transparency and involves huge irregularities.
As everybody knows, land is the biggest source of corruption. Therefore, there are few chances of making this process transparent. Many affected people are not getting their money and plots and, on other side, a large number of fake people are receiving rewards.
I would, therefore, like to suggest the that high-ups must take the following steps to restore the project’s credibility.
1. The State Bank should order an investigation into the charges since people told Ms Mustafa that it was possible for someone other than the allottee to have his cheque cashed with the connivance of SBP staff.
2. The government should also form an independent inquiry committee to review the entire process. As long as the government does not take some fair action, the transparency of the project will remain suspect.
OMER KHAN
Karachi
LAST WEEK, I visited a Lahore fast food restaurant-cum-bakery on M. M. Alam Road.
When I asked for a receipt the man at the counter refused and said that he could give me an invoice, but it would mean a 15 per cent increase in the total billed amount.
Meanwhile, a school teacher was also arguing with the man to give her an invoice without charging extra as she was to be reimbursed for the amount from her employer.
This made me realize how openly and fearlessly the restaurant owner was evading taxes. The problem is not only about evading taxes but also about the level of confidence with which he is doing so. Also, of the almost 50 customers I observed buying from the shop, no one cared to pay the taxes they are responsible for as citizens.
Later one of my friends pointed out that at least the restaurant owner was ‘honest enough’ not to charge sales tax and still not pay it to the government.
BILAL
Lahore
MR Bush has come and gone but his visit continues to be discussed on TV channels and at social get-togethers. It appears that the visit was a balancing act. Our experience of 50 years should convince us that the professed friendship is just an illusion. The visit should lead us to conclude that it is not in the interest of Pakistan to put all our eggs in the American basket.
The only redeeming feature of the visit was President Gen Musharraf’s remarks that he may shed his uniform in 2007. This would, hopefully, lead to the revival of democracy and enable an elected government, headed by an active and assertive prime minister, to carry out a policy review and look at other avenues.
It is time that the gulf caused by one-man decisions is bridged and none allowed to re-create a divide in the future. It has to be understood that personal relationships may benefit individuals but have no bearing on relations between states.
KHAN A. SHAMSHAD
Karachi
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