| March 11, 2006 | Saturday | Safar 10, 1427 |
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Delay in dike construction
Karachi’s deterioration
ATM working
Seerat seminar
Credit cards
Wireless Internet
‘Free safari’
‘Black Day’
Cellphones in jails
Storm over Varanasi
Apartheid leader
Lyari Expressway
‘Praying for Pakistan’
Sugar for the poor?
Postponement of history
Stipends
THIS is with reference to your editorial “Afghan allegation” (March 3) and Mr Khan A. Shamshad’s letter “Mullah Omar in Pakistan” on the same date. You have justifiably lamented that despite all possible consideration and help to the Afghan people, their foreign ministry continues to issue statements which by any measure of judgment are hostile.
First, there was an unnecessary warning not to name our missiles after some Afghans who are our national heroes as well. Then there was a demand to hand over some persons whom the Afghan intelligence believes to be in Pakistan. Their president referred to incursions from Pakistan at the time of US President Bush’s visit to Kabul.
If our intelligence agencies incriminate RAW, the Indian intelligence agency, for smuggling of arms and ammunition from Afghanistan to Pakistan and various subversive activities now taking place in Balochistan, then it is “paranoia,” says Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Now where do we go from here?
We are far more experienced in diplomacy. Our intelligence services enjoy better credibility. While it is important that Afghan grievances should be answered, it is equally important to emphasise to the Karzai government that remnants of the Northern Alliance cannot settle their old scores with their rivals at our expense.
For resolution of any critical problem, it is not only the people in power but also the opposition which has a role to play. The MMA, which is a coalition partner in Balochistan and runs the government in the Frontier province, should play a positive role in the tribal areas instead of taking out processions in settled and urban areas of the country.
Our Afghan brothers must realize that we have suffered enough for their sake. In case Pakistan withdraws all its support to them, their country is likely to plunge into civil war once again. I hope and pray that the saner elements in the Afghan government will prevail and eliminate those individuals who are bent upon spoiling our relationship with them.
BRIG (r) KHALID HASAN MAHMOOD
Karachi
THE inhabitants of Rampur, Lundi Pitafi, Bait Daryai, Bhinda Meherban and several other adjoining villages lying along the Indus in Muzaffargarh district are extremely grateful to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for visiting our area last year and sanctioning the construction of a spur dike to save our lands from flood devastation.
The funds have finally been released and handed over to the Punjab authorities concerned but it is unfortunate that, as is their wont, the provincial authorities are now dilly-dallying and want to divert these funds to some of their other pet projects.
The British colonists had written off our area as ‘unsettled’ and unprofitable for their exploitation and had, therefore, adopted a policy of complete indifference to our fate. But now after independence we hope for better treatment, which is also the demand of
our national economic expediency.
The flood season is approaching and as usual we will be a target like sitting ducks. We, therefore, request the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister to order immediate construction of the proposed spur dike.
MEHMOOD KHAN
Muzaffargarh
THE entry points of a city always symbolize the aesthetic sense of its dwellers. This maxim when applied to Karachi presents a horrendous picture.
While travelling on the Super Highway when you reach Sohrab Goth, you are apt to think that you are entering into some devastated terrain. On both sides of the road the builders’ mafia has dumped gravel creating countless mounds. As if this is not enough, numerous bulldozers, cranes, dumpers and other construction machinery are parked on the site, littered with garbage and oil.
The trucks loading and carrying construction material to the city and the movement of construction machinery round-the-clock have not only destroyed the road but created such chaos that the entire traffic often comes to a standstill.
Thanks to easy bank loans and permission to import cars — more than 500 vehicles are being added to city roads every day with the result that the closure of even one road in any part the city for VIP movement creates serious traffic jams everywhere. Even ambulances are not allowed to move without restraint.
This city, with more than a hundred million souls, suffers from a myriad of tribulations. These problems cannot be solved unless the men in command of metropolitan affairs initiate a serious dialogue by involving all stakeholders, irrespective of their political/social background, creating a sense of ownership of the city.
RAFIQ AHMED SIDIKI
Karachi
APROPOS of the news item (Dawn, March 3) that the State Bank of Pakistan will trace dubious transactions of automatic teller machines (ATM), I wish to suggest to the SBP that it is not the gun but the man behind it that should matter.
Problems began after some banks started off-shore recruitment of staff (through consultants and not through their HR staff). Many unqualified people have been employed while qualified people are reluctant to join because of low salaries and slow progress. That is why there is a high turnover of staff at some banks. Some foreign banks based here do tend to pay better than local ones.
Banks are making huge profits but are not willing to pay higher salaries to employees. That is why good staff move out to Dubai and other Middle East countries.
The State Bank should ask the bankers to bring their salaries at par with the international market. Staff working in the same bank for two years should be made permanent.
Afghanistan, Iraq and other Middle East countries are looking to employ Pakistani bankers who enjoy a good reputation because of their honesty and hard work.
The SBP should investigate why there is discrimination amongst banks. As this encourages the brain drain of Pakistani bankers.
K.M. KHAN
Karachi
THE devilish insinuations against the Holy Prophet (peace by upon him) perpetrated by a sector of the western media have caused furious emotional outrage in Muslim communities all over the world, which is understandable. But, unfortunately, there has been no intellectual response to the shameful episode, which is not understandable.
It is time to attend to this aspect and grasp the opportunity to cleanse the western mind of its ill-conceived notions about Islam.
I suggest that an international Seerat seminar be held to which world renowned scholars from the East and the West may be invited and asked to present papers on the mission, personality and life of the Holy Prophet. It is obvious that when scholars of stature come to Islamabad (presuming that Pakistan takes the initiative to organise the seminar), they will inevitably attract the world media to cover the event, and the message we want to transmit to the world will get across. Likewise, some world class publishers might be invited and made interested in publishing details of the proceedings (contributed papers and oral discussions, etc.) in the form of books and monographs. Such material, imaginatively edited and well printed, can go a long way to re-introduce Islam and its teachings to the world and bring to light the unequalled personality of the Holy Prophet.
ABDUL QAYYUM QURESHI
Lahore
THIS is with reference to the report in your business pages on February 24 under the heading “Credit cards proving to be too costly”.
I am the holder of a credit card and have always paid my bills on time.
Once I paid a bill on the due date by cheque and it was accepted without any problem.
The next month again I paid by cheque on the due date. Again there was no problem. But the next month when I paid by cheque on the due date, it was not accepted and service charges for late payment were added to my bill.
When I complained, I was told that the cheque should be deposited three working days before the due date.
I told them that 1 was not given this information be-fore.
They told me to read the rules at the back of the bill.
When I asked them why they had accepted my last two cheques which were paid on the due date, they had no answer. I wrote many letters to the bank concerned but to no avail.
NAZIM BEG
Karachi
THE PTCL’s so-called ‘high speed’ wireless Internet (115 kbs by PTCL) has in actual practice half the speed (28K) of a landline Internet (56K) connection, although its price (actual Rs20/hour, the PTCL claims Rs0.25/minute) is at least double that of the landline’s.
The PTCL authorities are requested to increase the wireless Internet speed to at least 56K and lower its price to the level of the landline Internet.
MUHAMMAD UMAR
Muzaffargarh
AS someone who has to regularly visit the Korangi Industrial Area in his line of business, I tend to agree with Shaikh Khurram Yahya (“Free safari”, March 4). Although I have never visited Dubai, I hear that the desert safari is an exhilarating experience. I would like to point out that the reason why Korangi roads are a shambles is because of certain factors.
The primary reason is apathy among industrialists and traders who have their units there and accept this as a fait accompli and seldom protest. Another reason is that their representatives in the Korangi Association are more eager to have their pictures taken with the high and mighty. One reads in papers that such and such person visited Korangi and made announcements that the rebuilding of the road network will be taken up urgently. Shields are given to the chief guest and the event highlighted in the media. The end result is that many people continue to travel on the same disastrous roads.
My advice to Korangi leaders is that too much praise may get their personal work done
by the bureaucracy or the political parties but the roads will not be rehabilitated. Hundreds of thousands of rupees are spent on these lunches and media publicity. This is self-projection and not community service.
The leaders of the Korangi Association should devote more time to improvement of the industrial area.
The few foreigners who dare to visit industrial areas will soon stop business activity with the Korangi units if this attitude continues.
We are already losing export trade due to factors such as a breakdown in law and order, high cost of production, and low productivity. Commercial textile exporters and other local businessmen do not have
too many choices. We must continue to get our goods processed in Korangi. The Korangi Association must act now.
KARAIM ‘BABU’ SOOMRO
Karachi
IT was heartening to see the letter from Arnold Xavier (March 7). It wasn’t always like this. It is hard to believe but there was a time when the majority showed respect for the minorities in their midst as they even sheltered Hindus during the Karachi riots of 1952. Mr. Xavier’s elders can remind him of the time when Christians could take out religious processions down the streets of Karachi without fear of reprisals or insult.
It’s not that intolerance didn’t exist in the past but the majority did not allow it to flourish. Now few dare to raise their voices against the rising tide of intolerance and suppression of the minorities. Whether it be a temple in Peshawar or Christian churches in Sukkur, Sargodha or elsewhere, by keeping silent the majority of fair-minded Muslims unwittingly endorse such actions.
TYRONE TELLIS
Karachi
IN order to plug the entry of mobile phones into jail, the government has decided to install jamming devices, entailing a large expenditure. This further proves the weakness and inefficiency of the jail administration in failing to protect the main gate of a jail, the only source of entry of all legal or illegal articles.
Apart from security at the main gate snap searches will end the existence of unauthorised articles in the the jail.
The IG (Prisons) should ensure protection of the main gate by conducting snap searches. Every jail should be bound down to submit monthly search certificates, mentioning the recovery or non-recovery of prohibited articles and action taken on recovery of prohibited articles.
SHAIKH Y. MURTAZA
(Former superintendent of jails, Balochistan)
Karachi
THIS is in reference to the news that Pakistan is again being blamed for the recent bomb blasts in India. I think if someone even sneezes in India, we are to blame for it. It would of course be very convenient for the Indian government to kill the terrorist, allegedly a Pakistani, in a shoot out. Dead people can’t talk.
We are sick and tired of this constant Pakistan bashing by all our worthy neighbours. Recently the Afghan government has also been blaming Pakistan for border infiltration. My advice is to please send the Afghans refugees back to their homeland so that the Afghan government has some real work to do.
The situation reminds me of the Iranian prime minister’s suggestion regarding moving Israel from its current location. Is there any chance we could also change our neighbours?
DR AZRA MAHMUD
Ireland
I REFER to Mr. Jawed Naqvi’s piece “Let’s ask Mbongeni Ngema about the nuclear deal” (Dawn, March 6). While his knowledge of the prominent figures of the movement against apartheid is commendable, I was surprised to find no mention of Gandhi in the whole story. Am I mistaken or was it not Gandhi who started the whole anti-apartheid movement in South Africa?
Wasn’t the hero of Mr. Naqvi’s piece, Nelson Mandela, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi? To accuse ‘Indians’ as he has done (by resorting to quoting Ngema) of colluding with the whites with nary a mention of the fact that before Gandhi, there really was no mass movement against apartheid in South Africa is tantamount to selective revisionism.
B.K.VASAN
Illinois, USA
THIS is with reference to Zubeida Mustafa’s article (Dawn, March 8). The Lyari Expressway may be a great feat of engineering but it does not change my life as a commuter. I will still travel on encroached roads, run down buses, badly managed traffic and through congested and unhygienic localities full of people being pushed around by the police and the government supported ‘bhatta’ mafia.
Instead of building these grand projects the city government should learn how to use the assets it has properly. I know that if bus lanes are respected and maintained, encroachments on major arteries removed, traffic laws and regulations respected, broken down roads full of sewage and garbage properly maintained, bus terminals and stops established and made functional, footpaths created, it would be more useful for Karachi’s commuters, motorcyclists and pedestrians than fancy projects that serve nobody.
MEHMOOD ALI
Karachi
The article “Praying for Pakistan” by Hafizur Rehman (Dawn, March 8) was excellent. I wish every sympathiser of Pakistan reads it. The politicians are praying also at the expense of the poor people of Pakistan. The less said about democracy the better.
HUSSEINALLY
Toronto, Canada
AS a regular reader of Dawn’s Internet edition, I must congratulate you on the excellent article “Praying for Pakistan” written by Hafizur Rehman. It portrays my exact sentiments and the sentiments of millions like me living abroad. Rest assured that like-minded people are doing our bit here.
S M ALI
Kent, UK
THE Punjab government has decided to provide four kilograms of sugar to 110,000 poor families at the subsidised rate of Rs20 a kg. Thus, I shall be able to save Rs80 each month to enable me to purchase two litres of milk or one kg of tomatoes.
I congratulate the Punjab government on this decision and request the other three provinces to follow suit.
NASIR AHMAD KHALID
Lahore
THIS is with reference to Mr Aslam Minhas’ letter commenting on Mr Ayaz Amir’s column. Just to correct the facts, it was Muhammed Mosaddeq who was prime minister of Iran in 1953, when the CIA and MI6 toppled his government replacing him with a retired general, Fazlollah Zahidi. Nuri-as-Saeed was a CIA protege ruling Iraq at the time.
MANSOOR U. AWAN
New York, USA
A VERY encouraging report was published in your paper on March 3. The Sindh cultural and tourism department has sanctioned Rs250,000 as stipend for poets, Sufi singers, musicians, artists, etc. There is another category that requires immediate help.
We know we have thousands of “huffaz” in our country who are rendering an important service to the nation. Many are very poor and living hand-to-mouth. Some are blind and some are handicapped.
I recommend to the Auqaf department to devise a method to register all these “huffaz” in the central masjid or in the zakat committees of each locality, and to pay stipends through the Imams concerned. This amount should not be paid out of the zakat fund.
In a way it is the responsibility of the government to look after them so that they can lead an honourable life.
S. MUSLEHUDDIN AHMED
Karachi
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