| March 29, 2006 | Wednesday | Safar 28, 1427 |
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Elitist private education
Commonwealth Games
Cantonment residents
Milosevic affair
Savings certificates
Adiala Road
Milosevic affair
‘Politics of Iran’s N-programme’
Governor’s House
THIS is with reference to Mr Amar Farooq’s letter (March 9) on Irsa’s powers. The establishment of Irsa under the Irsa Act was to implement the Water Accord that has two definite purposes for carrying out under Section 3 of the Act. The special purpose No.1 is the intent to create storage to remove shortage of water by building feasible dams for storing floodwater of about 35 maf that goes waste to sea. This means to implement paras 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 14(e) of the Water Accord provided for the purpose.
Besides this, the erratic flow of the Indus requires regulation and control of its water as that varies from a minimum of 9,000 cusecs to a maximum of 1,200,000 cusecs. The control on erratic flow of the Indus is required as that is the need of irrigated agriculture to meet water requirement of Kharif and Rabi.
Moreover, as water management requires storage to avoid wastage of water, therefore para 14(e) of the Water Accord is provided to avoid wastage of water. Besides the above, para 2 of the Water Accord requires to create (117.35-105)=12.35 maf of storage to make up for its inherent deficiency. Para 7 requires 3.6 maf of storage below Kotri. Para 12 requires about three maf storage for LBOD. The replacement storage lost due to silting at Tarbela and Mangla is six maf. This shows that the Water Accord is meant to create storage as all its paras from 1 to 14 are storage-based. Therefore, the purpose of the Irsa Act and the Water Accord provided for implementation in these paras is to create feasible storage.
The next purpose of the Irsa Act is to regulate, monitor and distribute the total water of 142 maf including the floodwater storage of the Indus River System in accordance with the storage-based Water Accord from para 2 to para 14.
The third purpose of the Irsa Act is stated in its preamble that is to “provide for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto”. This clearly means to solve all issues, problems, disputes and design controversies on dams, etc., to store water and to regulate, monitor and distribute it while implementing the Water Accord, besides removing shortage of water.
Section 8(3) of the Irsa Act authorizes Irsa to settle such issues and controversies and provides that “any question in respect of implementation of the Water Accord shall be settled by the authority by votes of majority of members”. Therefore, Irsa’s power and duties enables it to implement feasible storage as provided in para 6 of the Water Accord. This is the intention of the lawmakers.
The feasibility of a project prepared by someone that becomes controversial shall have to be re-examined in the light of section 8(2) of the Act and para 6 of the Water Accord by the authority that is empowered to implement the Water Accord. IRSA can discuss such disputed projects for appraisal under para 6 and direct the federal government and Wapda to set it right.
For such reasons, section 4(9) of the Act included chairman of Wapda and chief engineering adviser of the ministry of water and power as ex-officio members of Irsa to participate and take directions in the light of the decision of the authority on a project.
The purpose of the Act read with the Water Accord should be interpreted with professional sense, keeping in view the feasibility of the project.
ENGR FATEH ULLAH KHAN
Former chairman, Irsa,
Peshawar
THIS is in response to Prof. Manzoor Ali Isran’s letter (March 24) on education in elitist private schools. I have not seen the BBC television programme that he mentioned and so can not make any comment on it. But I am sorry to inform Prof. Isran that in reality the picture is not so rosy in India. English medium elite schools in India are just as detached from social reality today, as they were fifty years back. The one change that has taken place is that many upper-middle class parents are now enrolling their wards in these schools thereby bringing some diversity in the attitude of the students.
People from the middle class have professional backgrounds and they give maximum emphasis to sound academic input. This has resulted in a quantum jump in the quality of academic input in elite schools and reduced the importance of teaching ‘proper manners’. These schools are now more Indian and less western in every respect. But that does not mean that the students are allowed to interact with their less fortunate sisters and brothers.
The Indian upper-middle class is absolutely paranoid about getting their sons and daughters enrolled in engineering (first choice) and other professional courses. It is not unusual to find students in class two or three taking tuitions in the afternoon, instead of playing. In this scenario, even if the schools take initiative, parents will not allow their wards to ‘waste’ their precious time on social work which will not help to enhance their career.
The difference between a regular private school and an elite private school is that the latter is more apt at attracting publicity. Moreover, elite schools receive much indirect support from the government and other public bodies. Doing token social service helps to garner this support.
Moreover, environmental studies have recently been included in the school curriculum by order of the Supreme Court of India. The syllabus of most school boards already contained some components of environmental studies, with some activity-oriented projects like understanding the surrounding area being essential to the course. So as part of the course, students from elite schools sometimes clean a locality or interact with the downtrodden. To interpret their actions as heartfelt acts of charity is not the reality.
SUSANTA MAJUMDAR
Kolkata, India
IT’S about time that we come out from the clout of cricket and start investing in other sports. The dismal performance of the Pakistani squad in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne is shocking. Even much smaller nations managed to obtain more medals.
The lack of patronage of sports other than cricket has led to low performances in sports in which we used to dominate, for example hockey and squash. We should try to encourage other major sports among our youth such as football, tennis, squash, swimming and hockey. There should be proper coverage of these sports in the print and electronic media as well as sponsorship by government departments and private institutions. Finally, players performing well in the Commonwealth Games should be rewarded handsomely like cricketers.
Dr M. SAJJAD BAQAR
Lahore
WHILE watching the highlights of the Commonwealth Games every night on PTV, I was disappointed to note that the sound became muted every time the Indian national anthem was played during an award presentation where an Indian won the gold medal. Also, while televising the highlights of the closing day ceremony, PTV abruptly cut off the segments that featured Bollywood stars.
PTV has to seriously rethink its censor policy, or else be ready with scissors to chop off most of the opening and closing day ceremonies of the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi. The presence of Bollywood stars, with their song and dance routines, at those ceremonies is a foregone conclusion.
VINAY DUA
Noida, India
CONGRATULATIONS to Australia for winning the third consecutive gold medal for hockey at the Commonwealth Games. The final match between Pakistan and Australia proved to be a total mismatch. During the 70 minutes of play, the Aussies were at the top of their game and provided displays of brilliant stick-work and body play.
The Pakistani team played defensively throughout and ultimately crumbled to a 3-0 defeat. I am still absolutely clueless to why, despite having world best forwards like Mohammad Shabir, Shakil Abbasi, Muddasir Ali Khan, Rehan Butt and Tariq Aziz, then our side opted for a futile defensive game in the final?
Their enormous talent is being wasted by playing tentative hockey. It is natural for our side to play aggressively and they cannot defend for too long. I have never seen Pakistan’s hockey team win any tournament with a packed-defence philosophy. It is hoped that our team’s management has learnt from this experience. It would be wise to get things right before the upcoming World Cup in Germany
ZULFIQAR GUL
Swat
DURING his brief stint as corps commander, Peshawar, in 2001, Gen Ehsanul Haq had initiated projects that had brought about remarkable changes in the outlook of Peshawar cantonment. Encouraged by the revival of the fast-track activities by the present station commander, Brig Saleem Ashraf, let me draw his attention to three facets of the cantonment that adversely affect the voiceless residents.
First, the Company Bagh, the only public venue that serves as an oxygen tent for the dwellers of narrow streets and blind alleys, needs re-furbishing. The jogging track made in 2001 has lost crushed stones, giving place to overgrown grass and puddles that force the users to adopt “hop-step-and-jump.”
The two lavatories, for men and women, have no water fixtures and cannot be entered without using the gas mask.
A number of merry-go-rounds are grounded. The park’s main feature, the solar light, is adorning the roof of the gardener’s hut instead of some of the designated pole. Although playing games is prohibited, early morning football and cricket games by the youth are regularly witnessed.
The last bastion of a public playing field situated near Hayat Avenue is usually occupied by road contractors for storage of construction material. To discourage youth from playing games, the contractors usually water the middle of the playing ground.
Footpaths are pedestrian-unfriendly. The surfaces wear off as soon as made, due to “saving” of labour, lack of compaction of the lower layer and use of unspecified material: no water treatment is giving after construction of the footpath.
The contractor is aware that only a voiceless poor man uses the footpath and hence his poor quality of work would not evoke weighty complaints.
SAYED G.B. SHAH BOKHARI
Peshawar
I agree with the rejoinder (March 21) of Mr Rab Nawaz and, with a reservation, with that of Col (r) George L. Singleton, in response to Mr Raza Naeem’s letter.
Col Singleton has hinted of some “abnormal reason” for Mr Naeem’s remarks. Actually, the latter’s analysis can be understood if one recalls his correspondence over a year ago about some early Soviet leaders such as Stalin and Trotsky. His apparent adherence to a far-left ideology has driven him to view the Milosevic affair through that lens, rather than objectively.
In his defence of a former communist, who earned the title of “Butcher of Belgrade,” Mr Naeem has either distorted or altogether ignored the truth. First, by not uttering even one word of regret at the nightmarish killing of nearly 250,000 Muslims in Bosnia and the gang-rape of thousands of girls and women; second, by calling the well-respected scholar and president Alija Izetbegovic as a “Muslim fundamentalist” who was in reality noted for his tolerance, moderation and learning. He had written a number of well-balanced books on Islam, including “Islam Between the East and the West Dawn.
Third, by referring to the freedom-fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) as a “thuggish army of para-militaries.” The Kosovar leader, Ibrahim Rugova, who had risen from the KLA and died last year, was an intelligent, humane, politically astute and broad-minded person. His untimely death because of cancer has been seen as a great loss to Kosovo’s impending negotiations for freedom.
It is a fact that Milosevic, aided by Russia, had supplied weapons to the Serb forces fighting the Bosnians and Croats and enabled them to bomb Sarajevo and to carry out the genocide of the Muslims. However, both Mr Naeem and Col Singleton have given much more credit to the US and other western powers than they deserve, for helping the Bosnians in particular.
John Major, Bill Clinton and some other western leaders had imposed sanctions that hurt Bosnia far more and dragged their feet for a couple of years before acting, until irreparable damage had been done and it became clear that the Bosnians would be unable to form a strong Islamic state in Europe. Thousands of American Muslims had become so frustrated with Clinton’s inaction that they had launched a signature campaign on a roll of paper, the size of a billboard, urging him to intervene in Bosnia.
M. MUSLIM
Karachi
THE government has taken a welcome step by allowing commercial banks to handle NSS certificates.
However, some improvements are suggested. The profit rate should be increased to at least 15% per annum in view of the high rate of inflation. Individual investments of up to Rs.300, 000 should be tax free and when purchased in joint account the limit should be doubled for each transaction. The payment of zakat should be made optional and clients should not be forced to provide affidavits in this regard.
It is hoped that finance ministry will look into these suggestions seriously as they would go a long way in alleviating the economics worries of the general public.
M. ANWAR QURESHI
Lahore
THERE is a mounting cry that the road space is not sufficient to take the traffic load in all major cities of Pakistan. The number of vehicles, especially cars has gone up with great speed while space is confined to its original limitations of existence. The unplanned growth in population and concrete construction ignored the necessity of having a matching infrastructure.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi are two cities of our immediate concern. All roads of the twin cities are crowded at peak traffic hours that the frustration is writ on all faces. But there is one road called Adiala Road in Rawalpindi which is a highway leading to the famous Adiala Jail.
This road was originally made to cater for prisoners -– residents of the jail. But, suddenly, many housing schemes have mushroomed astride its open space that the road is crowded with all sorts of vehicles at all times. The traffic comprises cars, carts, trucks, taxis, buses and huge tankers carrying highly inflammable petrol.
It is a common sight to see huge containers blowing pressure horns desperately forcing their way through the haphazard crowd of other vehicles. It is a miracle that none of these dangerously loaded tankers has exploded into flames on the road. I wish some responsible high official sees the daily horror scenes on this unfortunate artery of movement of men and machines. It is also important to know that a great military workshop known as “502 Central Workshops” is located on this very road. Any accident involving a long-bodied tanker in the vicinity of the workshops will render the highway unserviceable for days. To keep Adiala Road in service is very important. It needs immediate attention on the part of authorities to ensure that long-bodied tankers full of petroleum material are not allowed to roam freely through thickly-populated streets.
A.Q. ANJUM
Rawalpindi
I agree with the rejoinder (March 21) of Mr Rab Nawaz and, with a reservation, with that of Col (r) George L. Singleton, in response to Mr Raza Naeem’s letter.
Col Singleton has hinted of some “abnormal reason” for Mr Naeem’s remarks. Actually, the latter’s analysis can be understood if one recalls his correspondence over a year ago about some early Soviet leaders such as Stalin and Trotsky. His apparent adherence to a far-left ideology has driven him to view the Milosevic affair through that lens, rather than objectively.
In his defence of a former communist, who earned the title of “Butcher of Belgrade,” Mr Naeem has either distorted or altogether ignored the truth. First, by not uttering even one word of regret at the nightmarish killing of nearly 250,000 Muslims in Bosnia and the gang-rape of thousands of girls and women; second, by calling the well-respected scholar and president Alija Izetbegovic as a “Muslim fundamentalist” who was in reality noted for his tolerance, moderation and learning. He had written a number of well-balanced books on Islam, including “Islam Between the East and the West Dawn.
Third, by referring to the freedom-fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) as a “thuggish army of para-militaries.” The Kosovar leader, Ibrahim Rugova, who had risen from the KLA and died last year, was an intelligent, humane, politically astute and broad-minded person. His untimely death because of cancer has been seen as a great loss to Kosovo’s impending negotiations for freedom.
It is a fact that Milosevic, aided by Russia, had supplied weapons to the Serb forces fighting the Bosnians and Croats and enabled them to bomb Sarajevo and to carry out the genocide of the Muslims. However, both Mr Naeem and Col Singleton have given much more credit to the US and other western powers than they deserve, for helping the Bosnians in particular.
John Major, Bill Clinton and some other western leaders had imposed sanctions that hurt Bosnia far more and dragged their feet for a couple of years before acting, until irreparable damage had been done and it became clear that the Bosnians would be unable to form a strong Islamic state in Europe. Thousands of American Muslims had become so frustrated with Clinton’s inaction that they had launched a signature campaign on a roll of paper, the size of a billboard, urging him to intervene in Bosnia.
M. MUSLIM
Karachi
MY article entitled “The politics of Iran’s nuclear programme” appeared on the editorial page of Dawn on March 28. However, the following two paragraphs were omitted for some reason:
“The western countries remain opposed to allowing Iran to carry out even this small-scale uranium enrichment R&D work even though it should not pose any conceivable risk of proliferation if done under proper IAEA safeguards as it would be. This leads one to the conclusion that the real purpose of the US and may be of some other western countries is not just nuclear non-proliferation but regime change in Iran.
“The US game plan appears to be to make demands which Iran would find very difficult to accept. If Iran capitulates in the face of these demands, the Iranian government would be humiliated and weakened internally. If it stands firm on its legally correct position, it may have to face UN Security Council sanctions which, as Iraq’s experience shows, over a period of time would again weaken and destabilize the Iranian government. Either way, the pressure on Iran is part of a broader US strategy of bringing about a change of regime in Iran.”
I am surprised that these two paragraphs, which were the essence of the article, were omitted for whatever reason. I, therefore, request you to print this letter so as to avoid any confusion on the part of the readers.
JAVID HUSAIN
Former ambassador
Islamabad
RECENTLY, the authorities have “ribonned off” the footpath along the Governor’s House on Abdullah Haroon Road and Aiwan-i-Sadr Road. One can see red ribbons and some steel barriers blocking pedestrian movement.
The most unfortunate aspect of this fencing is the denial of walking space to school children. Anyone using Aiwan-i-Sadr Road in the morning could see school children walking in safety on the footpath. Now this “privilege” has been denied to them, and the children will be walking on the road, thus exposing them to hazards.
Will the Governor kindly reconsider the decision? Ribbons cannot add to or dilute the security arrangements already in place.
JAMIL ZAHID
Karachi
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