| May 2, 2006 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1427 |
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The lone horseman
Religion and politics
Calculating GDP
Less rhetoric
Plot for golf course
Protecting wildlife
Pakistan Post Office
Protect earth
Intensive animal production
A tree cutting drive?
Raw deal
APROPOS of Dr Qazi Shakil Ahmad’s letter (April 23), indeed, according to Clause 8 of the Indian Independence Bill 1947, a princely state could either elect to remain independent or accede to one of the two emerging dominions of India and Pakistan.
However, the practicalities of the situation, including the fact that to remain independent was not a feasible proposition for even the biggest of the princely states, surrounding the hurried departure of the British would compulsorily behove the princes also to be guided by the basic concept underlying the partition scheme, i.e. that contiguous majority areas of Muslims in the north-west and the north-east would form Pakistan and the majority Hindu areas in the middle would constitute India. Yet again, the same concept was the only option practically available when drawing the partition boundary line while dividing a province.
Even a cursory reflection on the aforesaid concept would make obvious that a Hindu ruler of a princely state with an overwhelming Muslim majority (like Kashmir) could hardly, if he were exercising good sense, accede to the Hindu dominion. It would also stand to reason that in a case of this nature the wishes of the population would assume paramount importance.
Apparently it was this logical line of thought behind the quoted statement of the Quaid-i-Azam. Indeed, if it were not so, Sir Gopalaswami Iyengar, who put India’s complaint before the UN Security Council on Jan 15, 1948 would not have concluded his opening address thus: “The policy of the government of India on the accession of a state was that where the ruler belonged to one community and a majority of the people of the state belonged to the other community, the decision on the question of accession must be in accord with the freely expressed wishes of the majority of the people” (Servant of God by Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, p149). I am dismayed that the logic and acumen of the man who all but single-handedly gave us Pakistan was underestimated.
M.J. AS’AD
Karachi
THIS is with reference to W.H.Ansari’s letter “The lone horseman”(April 27) where he referred to Ayaz Amir’s article “Problems of Pakistani horsemanship” (March 14) and said that the performance of President Pervez Musharraf and his ministers during the last six years had been recognised all over the world.
He has also earnestly appealed to the columnist to look at the other side of the coin, and think what would happen if a government of capable, honest and forward-looking persons is ousted.
I agree with Mr Ansari that the performance of President Pervez Musharraf and his ministers has been recognised all over the world. But I may add that despite the fact that Gen Musharraf has been appreciated globally, his efforts have not been recognised by the people of Pakistan. The reason being that he has focused on changing the image of the country and not its reality. The people of Pakistan know the reality as they have to face it every day. The reality is that nothing has changed in the country during the last six years. The only conspicuous change has been the induction of the military in civilian departments and the sale of public institutions at throwaway prices.
As far as the appeal to columnist is concerned, I would like to point out to Mr Ansari that the leaders of the country to whom he has referred as “capable, honest and forward-looking” are the very same leaders who have been a part of past governments and have only changed their loyalties. Leaders like Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Faisal Saleh Hayat and Sheikh Rashid have changed loyalties with the change in tide. I have no doubt that if somehow Gen Musharraf is forced to quit power and Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto comes back to power, these so-called capable, honest and forward-looking leaders will come back to their respective parties and will start to criticise the role of the military in politics.
There is a famous saying: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”. The people of Pakistan have been fooled not once or twice but at least a dozen times and it amazes me that there are still people like Mr Ansari who have great admiration for the leaders of the country. It is one thing to be optimistic and another to be naive. It is about time that the people of Pakistan faced the grim reality. The reality is that unless they stand up for their rights and demand a change, no leader, no matter how enlightened he claims to be, will bring about a positive impact in their lives.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Lahore
IN her article “When religion and politics mix” (April 19), Ms Zubeida Mustafa has identified three main factors that have cast a black shadow on the evolution of our society, namely, the introduction of violence in politics, induction of religion into politics and the growing religiosity of the people.
There is no doubt that before the Ziaul Haq era the people of Pakistan were more progressive and enlightened in their outlook.
Pseudo-religious sects and cults are by far the most insidious enemies of religion because they can fill the vacuum caused by its absence, without fulfilling its essential purpose.
There is no limit to the harm they can do. The neglect of religion is one thing; its distortion or perversion is another. The former is at least straightforward and direct; it leaves the soul empty.
The latter is subtle and confused; it fills the soul with poison. It is impossible to overstress the seriousness of the danger they represent. It is not only the fear of things that can destroy only the body but also of things that can first distort and then destroy the soul
Paths that lead to a summit are widely separated near the base of the mountain, but they get nearer as they rise. The wise climber takes the path on which he finds himself and does not worry too much about people on other paths. He will waste an enormous amount of his own time if he keeps on trying to find other people’s paths and of other people’s time if he tries to persuade them to abandon theirs. All paths lead to the same summit.
Man is much more than a mere thinking animal. He is privileged above all other creatures in being given the gifts of reason and free will. God will not refuse His guidance to one who seeks it with humility and patience.
He often allows us to be led astray for a time so that we may better understand what is wrong.
FAQIR AHMED PARACHA
Peshawar
THIS is apropos of Mr Muhammad Ilyas’s letter ‘Calcluting GDP’(April 28). He is right in saying that GDP per capita growth is always slightly less than total GDP growth because of population growth, but what he seems unaware of is that it is the nominal GDP and not the real GDP that is used in these calculations. When the nominal GDP is adjusted for inflation, it becomes the real GDP.
In the last fiscal year, Pakistan’s nominal GDP grew by 18.34 per cent, and the GNP by 17.95 per cent in rupee terms, and in dollar terms these figures were slightly less because of rupee depreciation of three per cent during 2004-05.
Second, in per capita income, the word income is actually the gross national product (GNP) and not the gross domestic product (GDP).
Third, he seems to be quoting wrong figures about growth in our per capita income (GNP), or maybe his source mixed it up. Our per capita GNP at the end of 2000-01, which is June 30, 2001, stood at $501, and this figure stood at $737 on June 30, 2005. During the fiscal year 2004-05, the per capita GNP grew by about 12.17 per cent (source: Federal Bureau of Statistics). It could have been 15.73 per cent if the rupee had not depreciated against dollar by about three per cent during the year, and it would have been 17.95 per cent if our population had also not grown.
If one does not understand economics, it is okay, but misunderstanding can easily be avoided by talking to people who can provide answers. The question really is that why do we always mistrust figures released by sitting governments? The answer is that each government tries to tell us that the previous government had been lying to us, which leads many of us to believe that all governments are lying to us.
ASFA NAZ
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Mr Irfan Husain’s article ‘A little less rhetoric would do’ and Syed Adeel Ahmed’s response to it (April 28). I would just like to say that because of our 58 years of a slavish, dependant approach as a nation we have been compelled to think in a way which is reflected by the thoughts of the respected writers.
Iran, like any other nation of this world, has an equal right to pursue whatever their leadership and people deem to be in the best interest of the nation. The most recent event demonstrating the hypocrisy and double standards of world powers is the extension of the civil nuclear deal by the US to a nation which perhaps has most hostile and aggressive intentions towards all of its neighbouring countries and which poses a much greater threat to regional peace than Iran.
In today’s world calling a spade a spade, as Mehmoud Ahmadinejad has been doing, has become a serious offence that may lead to pre-emptive strikes.
Take any of his statements as an example. His statement about eliminating Israel from the world’s map may be against the diplomatic code of conduct but what would one call Israeli leadership’s repeated threats to Palestinian leaders? Or, worse, its deadly strikes that have resulted in the martyrdom of Sheikh Ahmed Yasin and others?
There is a lot more that could be written here but I would just say that President Ahmadinejad is setting a valiant example for other leaders in the Muslim world to follow.
RAO IMRAN
Karachi
IT has been reported that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has leased 150 acres near Shakarparian to Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) for 99 years at a nominal price of Rs41 per square yard for constructing a golf course.
As per the report in Dawn (April 27), the CDA chairman has stated that the Islamabad master plan provided for a golf course in this area and that the decision to lease the land was taken by the cabinet last year. So everything is quite straightforward, legal and in accordance with rules.
For the credulous who form the majority this should be the end of the matter. However, the minuscule minority among us with a streak of scepticism would want the CDA to answer the following questions: how many golf courses were originally envisaged in the Islamabad master plan? Are the three existing golf courses in Islamabad, namely, the Islamabad Golf Club, the PAF Golf Club and the Army Golf Club provided for in the master plan?
If establishing a golf course near Shakarparian (having already provided for in the Islamabad master plan) was a simple matter, as is being given to understand by the CDA chairman, why was it considered necessary to place this matter before the cabinet?
How many golf courses do the residents of Islamabad really require? Golf has not acquired the status of a real spectator sport anywhere in the world what to speak of its state in Pakistan in this regard. Even international tournaments of repute organized at important centres outside Pakistan only attract crowd not exceeding a couple of hundred of people.
In Pakistan the number of spectators at the tournaments is certainly much less. So, in the circumstances, whose recreational needs will the CDA be providing for by leasing land for the proposed golf club? There is a proposal to carve a tunnel through the Margalla Hills to reduce the distance between Islamabad and Hazara district. When this matter was being reported in the press some time ago it was, inter alia, commented that the area through which the access to the tunnel was to pass was to be preserved as wild park in the master plan. The CDA then had reacted by saying that the master plan was drawn up long time ago and that it required changes to meet the requirements of modern times.
What kind of logic is this on the part of the CDA to some time do a project because it is provided for in the master plan and on another occasion try to do another project, although not provided for in the master plan, by modifying it?
Would the CDA public relations department bother to answer and provide clarifications to the above questions?
NASEERUDDIN KHALID
Islamabad
PLEASE refer to the editorial on this topic (April 22) which hopes that a bill tabled by some Punjab Assembly legislators for protecting wildlife will be unanimously passed. It also laments that there are 72 birds and animals recognised as endangered species in the existing law but the government has done little to ensure that they are not hunted, let alone protected.
The precedent of Indian actor Salman Khan, who was recently sentenced for hunting endangered species, was irrelevant in the light of his own statement that his fame went against him. The judges might have thought that punishing Mr Khan would be a lesson for others.
In Pakistan, we cannot expect exemplary punishment to one single big fish (read crocodile) to intimidate others even if he kills 48 people in a bomb blast, let alone animals. Talking about protecting animals’ rights is absurd in this country where basic human rights are not protected. Interestingly, the violators of human rights are human themselves and those killing animals are also human.
A recent National Geographic film about cannibalism reminds us that homo sapiens not only kills, subjugates, ridicules, underestimates and defames his own species but also can eat him.
Recent genocides in some countries prove that man kills man not only in revenge but also for fun. When man kills man, how can we expect him to protect animals?
MANZOOR CHANDIO
Karachi
FOR the past four months the Pakistan Post Office has been consistently misplacing my mail. When I complain, the only thing anyone can recommend is that I speak to the person next on the chain. So far I have visited three separate post offices in Karachi and spent numerous hours arguing with people on the phone. Apparently, unless the mail is registered there is no guarantee that I will receive any mail, no matter who sends it.
I am now paying organisations like TOEFL extra fees to mail duplicate records via courier and what should have been a simple process has turned into a nightmare. There is no complaint centre in Karachi for mail sent from the US, since all US mail is directed first to Islamabad and then forwarded to Karachi. The last two people I spoke to said that I should call Islamabad to complain, but that I will receive the same response from them — no registered mail, no way to track it.
Is this really something that I should simply accept? Is there no way at all that the Pakistan Post Office can help me? So far, they have refused to do so.
SABAHAT MUHAMMAD
Karachi
THE ‘Protect Earth’ advertisement (Dawn, April 22) showed a child holding a globe in both hands. The advertisement was released by the ministry of environment on Earth Day 2006. On the same page there was a picture of a children’s protest against the kidnapping of a young girl in Quetta and a news story about 12 children who died of measles in Khairpur, but health authorities there avoided confirming the spread of the disease.
The advertisement contained the pledge to protect our earth for a better future for our children. Meanwhile the photograph and the news story speak of our government’s utter failure to protect the lives of children whose innocence is the fragrance of the earth.
GHEEWALA A.G.M
Karachi
ANIMAL production is a major segment of agriculture and professional education in the area will remain pivotal for the economy, which has to be based on technical manpower, well-educated and well-equipped. But a bachelor’s degree course of four years called BSc (Honours) animal husbandry was closed in October 2003 without consulting the university administration and other stakeholders. This has caused a lot of unrest among students, faculty and also employers.
Livestock extension demands that farmers should be aware of proper and scientific livestock/poultry management, feeding and breeding. By closing the degree course, the efforts being made to improve livestock productivity using scientific techniques have been badly hampered.
It is without any doubt that a single graduate having 80 per cent veterinary and 20 per cent production education (as proposed in a composite DVM degree) cannot perform all forms of livestock production and health activities needed in the field. To address these matters adequately and to perform livestock/poultry extension work, production graduates are needed in the country.
A degree in animal production or dairy production may be started at our campus to meet the needs of the country and to restore the respect and honour of this great institution.
PROF (DR) MUHAMMAD YOUNAS
Department of Livestock Management, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
FULL grown trees are being chopped down mercilessly in many Karachi areas. The KESC is cutting trees to protect wires where a little pruning will do. The city government is cutting trees to widen roads. They do not realise that a narrow road can be as efficient as a wider one when properly managed. Some people have come to think that eucalyptus trees are not good for human health and need to be chopped down.
Trees provide a habitat for different varieties of birds and are vital for their survival. No concrete structure can replace the importance of a full grown tree. It is about time we stopped this mayhem and turned it into a tree plantation drive.
NAZIR SIDDIQUI
Karachi
THE Karachi road on which the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture is located has been inundated with raw, stinking sewage for the last 30 days. The city government pays no heed to complaints raised by the school management and residents of the area. It is interesting to note that the place is not far from the much publicised Bagh Ibne Qasim and the KPT’s Gusher Viewpoint.
Z. R. KHAN
Karachi
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