| April 8, 2006 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1427 |
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Mengal House siege
‘India’s apprehensions’
Islamic banking
Double standards
Emerging profile
‘A tale of two countries’
Foreign policy
Official extravagance
‘Auto industry’
Bank profit
Human resources in education
Women fighter pilots
Milosevic affair
I WRITE to offer another perspective on issues raised by Mr Kuldip Nayar (April 1) in reporting the commemoration of Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom in Lahore.
The dismal picture that he has drawn of Pakistan and its people is patently unfair and a travesty of the truth. Every Sikh who has made the pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib (in Pakistan) — and thousands visit every year on the occasion of Guru Nanak’s anniversary — will testify that the gurdwara is well maintained, as it should be, service is performed every day and bani recited regularly.
This gives the lie to the impression he seeks to convey that Pakistan is a country where people are intolerant of ceremonies celebrating other religions. The apathy towards national heroes has little to do with being ‘afraid’ and more to do with the way history is taught in both Pakistan and India. People in both countries are unaware of the role that individuals like Bhagat Singh played in confronting British colonization. There were many unsung Muslims who were in the forefront of the 1857 War of Independence, but how many of these are celebrated in India today?
While Mr. Nayar is vague as to when exactly he approached the Punjab (Pakistan) government to obtain archival material on Bhagat Singh, I suspect that this might have been in the mid-1980s when Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s militancy was its peak and eventually led to Indira Gandhi’s ill-fated Operation Blue Star. Pakistan then was very careful to avoid any act that would give India an opportunity to accuse it of sponsoring Sikh militancy.
Mr Nayar’s dismay at not finding street protests against the government in Pakistan is based on a presumptive conclusion that even though ‘none likes uniformed democracy’ they do not agitate because ‘fear stalks the land called Pakistan’. He might have paused to consider that since the people of Pakistan are experiencing an economic boom, with an unprecedented GDP growth of over eight per cent, which is second only to China, and foreign exchange reserve never achieved before in the past. People in Pakistan are probably happy to let President Musharraf’s reform agenda continue as opposed to returning the elected prime ministers of the 1990s who very nearly bankrupted the country.
HASAN PERVEZ
Karachi
THE reported chasing of Mr Akhtar Mengal’s schoolgoing children by intelligence personnel in Karachi, followed by a day-long siege of the nationalist leader’s home, evokes bitter memories of the mysterious ‘disappearance’ of his elder brother during the Baloch uprising in the 1970s.
Asadullah Mengal, an engineering student, was allegedly kidnapped by intelligence agencies on Tariq Road, Karachi,and since then nothing has been seen or heard of him.
Again, dozens of Baloch youths, including poet-doctor Hanif Sharif, have ‘disappeared’ from different parts of Balochistan.
Some of them have returned with marks of third-degree torture on their bodies. Moreover, a large number of innocent people, including children and women, have been killed in the ongoing crackdown launched by security forces in the restive Dera Bugti and Kohlu areas, a fact confirmed by the report of a fact-finding team of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
If the shadowy Balochistan Liberation Army is criticised for the death of civilians in landmine blasts, can the state be justified in resorting to such illegal actions? The writ of government cannot be restored through acts outside the purview of law and these acts can only legitimise the armed struggle.
The roots of the Balochistan turmoil lie in the political and socio-economic realities prevailing in the province and the country.
ABBAS JALBANI
Karachi
WHO told Mr. W.H. Ansari (April 6) that “forty-three per cent of the population of India now consists of Muslims, Buddhists, Parsis and Sikhs, etc”? For his benefit I am providing the 2001 census figures on religious communities released by the India census commission.
Hindus comprise 80.46 per cent of the population, Muslim 13.43 per cent, Christian 2.34 per cent, Sikh 1.87 per cent, Buddhists 0.77 per cent and Jains 0.41 per cent. Jews number about 4,000 of which 2,000 reside in Mumbai. Parsis number about 65,000.
PHILIP ROBERT DREW
Vadodara, India
I AM amazed at the Pakistani schizophrenia about the ‘Akhand Bharat’ aspirations of India. Yes, some opportunistic politicians may have at some time made stray comments like that. But did Bhutto not talk of a thousand-year war? Do these comments really mean that much?
The Indian nation is far too busy building on its economic potential and it has no time for such arguments.
The choice clearly lies with the Pakistani nation. Bestowed with immense natural talent, we can join hands and grow together or dwell on the persecution complex and waste opportunities.
I am sure that the Pakistani people will outperform the Indians if we worked together. However, at the moment, you do not seem to be ready to stop being paranoid.
SAMIR GUPTA
London, UK
WITH reference to the letter on Islamic banking by Mr Iftikhar Nadeem (April 4), we appreciate queries which help us in furthering the public’s awareness and understanding.
First, under the Islamic system, rent is consideration for usage of leased asset but if the asset has been stolen or destroyed the concept of rental becomes void. In such eventualities, Meezan Bank does not charge the lease rental.
As to the concern on insurance, there is no premium charged to the customer.
The payments that the customer makes to the bank are the rentals and are for the use of the vehicle.
Meezan Bank for example does not charge any upfront insurance premium.
The profit margin is directly correlated to market trends to provide a competitive product to our customers.
Shariah allows the use of any conventional market factor as a benchmark to determine the profit rate of a particular product.
The mere fact that the applied profit rate of our product is benchmarked to market rates of interest does not in any way render the transaction or the contract invalid from the Shariah perspective, neither does it make the transaction an interest-bearing one.
On the other hand, it is the underlying structure of the product that determines its Shariah compliance.
AHMED ALI SIDDIQUI
Meezan Bank
Karachi
SADLY, banks and other institutions claiming riba free investments and banking in Islamic nations and in the UK are not really complying with any of the Islamic rules. The truth of the matter is that not a single Muslim country in the whole world has Islamic banking.
Islamic banking is not possible when the whole system is based on US dollars or the pound sterling. In fact, most of those who claim to be in line with Islamic banking are really taking advantages of the poor Muslims. Please be careful before you enter into any transactions with any bank.
M. KAYANI
North Harrow, UK
I WAS much amused to see the advertisement in newspapers inserted by the health department, government of Pakistan, assuring the public that chicken and eggs are safe to eat and there is no danger to health.
On the other hand we have news items saying that the prime minister on his visit to Balochistan was not served chicken and President Bush on his visit to Pakistan was also not served chicken and eggs.
If it is really safe to eat chicken and eggs as stated by the health department, should our leaders not set an example by consuming chickens and eggs themselves before they advise the public to do so?
I recall that when there was the Y2K scare, and people were afraid of flying at midnight between 3.12.99 and 1.1.00, the entire board of directors of Japan Air Lines took the midnight flight on that day to assure their passengers.
In Pakistan perhaps our leaders believe in one standard for themselves and another for the public.
TAHIR ALI TAYEBI
Karachi
APROPOS of the article the ‘Emerging profile of India’ (April 1), the learned writer appears to be overawed by the visible economic indicators of the Indian economy, but somehow the dark side of the Indian economy, has escaped his attention.
Statistics gleaned from India Today of March 27 show that 40 per cent of the poor in the world today are Indians, 300 million Indians have an income of less than a dollar a day, 100 million Indian families have no source of water at home, 150 million Indian households have no electricity and 30 per cent of Indian villages are not connected by roads.
In spite of the rapid economic progress in every field, sceptics in India still consider their country as a dysfunctional anarchy and a land without justice.
MAZHAR FAROOQ SHIRAZI
Lahore
THIS is with reference to Mr Irfan Husain’s article “A tale of two countries” (March 28) in which he has depicted Pakistan in a poor light.
He writes: “How much damage Dr A.Q. Khan’s supposedly free lance activities have done to Pakistan’s image. If he acted on his own, it is a poor reflection on the control exercised over our nuclear installations by the army. The other (and stronger) possibility is that he was officially encouraged to export atomic secrets to foreign buyers.” He goes on: “In either case, to imagine that the Americans would now supply us with the latest nuclear technology is to live in a fool’s paradise”
A few pertinent questions immediately come to mind:
i. In 1976 when America blocked the acquisition of a nuclear reprocessing plant from France, was it due to any of Dr A.Q. Khan’s alleged sins?
ii. After receiving $600 million in cash and not delivering F-16s as promised, did the US backtrack on its commitment because Dr A.Q. Khan had done something somewhere?
iii. Didn’t the US commit nuclear proliferation when it master-minded, engineered and orchestrated Israel’s nuclear arsenal? In 1973 Israel threatened Egypt that it would nuke Cairo with the backing of the US. Now the US has offered India carte-blanche to acquire civilian nuclear technology — under the NPT no country can transfer nuclear technology.
iv. Did India not help Iran in any manner in developing the latter’s nuclear capability?
v. Did Russia not build a nuclear reactor in Iran?
vi. Did China not assist North Korea in developing the latter’s nuclear facilities?
Mr Husain has pointed out that investors shy away from Pakistan because of bomb blasts and terrorism. May I ask him why France is in the grip of violence these days?
Thousands of cars have been burnt there. Last July, London was hit by a series of bomb blasts in its subway system. What about the bomb blasts in Varanasi (India) and state- sponsored terrorism in occupied Kashmir? The Valley is the worst example of human rights abuses.
In a nutshell, the whole world is in the grip of violence, terrorism and extremism (the publication of blasphemous cartoons in Denmark is the latest example).
Then why single out or blame Pakistan for an international phenomenon? Albert Einstein is America’s hero, but Dr A.Q. Khan is their villain. Why?
LT-COL (r) SAFIR A. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
FOR the last two decades the military establishment has been responsible for the foreign policy of Pakistan. The fact that US President Bush on his recent visit to India signed a nuclear energy pact with that country but did not treat Pakistan equally is a reflection of Pakistan’s failed foreign policy.
It is time to consider why India has been preferred by the US to be its future strategic partner. Is it due to its established democracy and secularism while Pakistan has a powerful religious foundation and dictatorship of the military and its political leaders have been authoritarian.
Pakistan needs to restructure its foreign policy to further its friendship and trade with neighbouring countries, promoting free trade with them instead of emphasising a military build-up to overtake them.
Trade and business and industrialisation attracting direct foreign investment should be the cornerstone of our foreign policy.
By strengthening our economy and educating our masses, we can regain our lost integrity.
S. T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
I AM always amazed at the recklessness of our government officials living off the meagre resources of a poor, debt-ridden society. Are they better than their counterparts in India, China, Japan and Korea who use locally made cars?
In all fairness, the Mercedes Benz of the speaker of the National Assembly should be withdrawn along with the luxury cars imported for all the other officials and generals. Provide them with locally-made cars, and auction their foreign luxury cars for a good cause, such as providing clean drinking water to a few villages in Pakistan.
They all need to be reminded that they don’t impress anybody with their expensive lifestyles financed by borrowed money.
The whole world knows how much we are worth and how many of us cannot afford even a glass of clean drinking water.
Honour doesn’t come by living off the poor masses. It comes by working to make the nation stand alongside other successful and self-reliant nations of the world.
A. REZA
Abu Dhabi, UAE
MR N.A. Khan in his letter ‘Auto industry’ (March 26) has said that local auto manufacturers should only ask for 10 or 15 per cent advance when booking a car instead of full payment, which is the norm.
He believes that this will help local manufacturers, as people would not mind leaving a smaller amount for a longer period.
The reason behind the policy of accepting full payment is that only a genuine customer will then book a car and not an investor or someone who will re-sell the car at a ‘premium’ to another buyer who isn’t willing to wait for delivery.
Imported cars, Mr Khan says, can provide relief to the consumer, but it will be nothing more than a burden.
An imported car has no dealers or dealerships to whom the car can be sent for after-sale service, while locally-manufactured cars have their own dealerships who provide service and back-up.
ALI AKBER AGHA
Karachi
ACCORDING to a news item (Dawn, March 21), all listed banks’ profit grew 99 per cent in 2005. However, banks did not share these profits with their depositors who are real stakeholders of the banking sector.
Perhaps 99 per cent profit earned in a year is the highest in Pakistan’s banking history.
It is anomalous that banks can earn such a huge profit by charging higher lending rates and other exorbitant charges to their clients but offer negligible return to depositors.
The depositors have to further pay service charges if the accounts balance falls below a certain limit.
The State Bank of Pakistan should take notice of the situation. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who is himself a reputed banker, should come to the rescue of the depositors.
ABDUL SAMAD KHAN
Karachi
THIS is in response to Asad Latif Palijo’s letter “Human resources in education” (March 28), which refers to the educational system of Pakistan as being ‘plagued by incompetent teachers’.
I invite Mr. Palijo to check the faculty profiles of a few universities in this country. Some of these ‘incompetent’ faculty members have graduated from overseas universities that make University College London look like a community college.
I personally entered the teaching profession after returning from the US.
Now I have ventured into the corporate world. I hope this will eliminate the myth that only unsuccessful people become teachers. Success or failure is the characteristic of an individual and not a profession. Teaching is a noble profession and we should all respect those who are in this field, because without their contribution only illiteracy will prevail.
JASON PEREIRA
Karachi
I WAS shocked to read on your front page (‘Women pilots for PAF fighters’, March 31) the remarks made by an official about the future of women fighter pilots in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
The chief of the flight training college said: Three more women are due to get their wings in October, but the air force will see how they perform before deciding whether to induct more women trainees.
So the future of women in the fighter wing of PAF depends onseven or eight girls and the few odd males who will be judging their performance?
Is the air force involved in some kind of advanced gender experimentation?Was any such evaluation done for the future of male fighter pilots in PAF?
Lt Col (r) ARIF MAHMUD MAKEN
Rawalpindi
MANY letters have appeared in your newspaper about Slobodan Milosevic, the butcher of the Balkans (March 21). Some have praised the sponsors of the Dayton accord while others blamed them for acting too late. But none of them have mentioned the real force behind the accord.
It was not the will of Bill Clinton or John Major but the success of the Bosnian army, with the backing of about 2,500 Muslim volunteers, which resulted in some humiliating defeats for the Serbs. In a way, the Dayton accord provided a way for Milosevic and his sponsors to save face.
M.S. CHOUDHRY
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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