| May 10, 2006 | Wednesday | Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1427 |
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Bureaucratic pressure
Tree massacre
Failed state?
NBP deduction
‘Rise and fall of the CSP’
Junior police officers
Pakistan Railways
Drive against encroachment
Immigration cases
Traffic blues
Increase in per capita income
Abu Dhabi cricket
I DISAGREE with the anti-army views of Shahzeb Abbasi (letter, April 23) and the pro-army views of Safir Siddiqui (letter, May 7).
The role of the army in Pakistan’s history is well documented in many books and articles by scholars, politicians and military officers. The crux of their arguments is the following: the army is an important institution and has played a significant role in Pakistan’s history. But the army’s political and economic activities are questionable.
The kind of outburst seen in Mr Abbasi’s letter will become more common the longer the army stays in power. The root cause of the problem is the political ambition of some top army officials.
The takeover of political institutions by the army is unacceptable in a civil society and there is no justification for it whatsoever.
In my opinion, we should fully support our army when it is doing what it is paid to do but we should also strongly resist any attempt by the army to transgress the limits set by the Constitution.
AAMIR RAFIQUE HASHMI
Toronto, Canada.
THIS is with reference to Lt. Col. (R) Safir A. Siddiqui’s letter in which he has tried to counter the criticism against the Pakistan Army. I totally agree with his viewpoint that after 15-20 years of service a servicemen is rightfully entitled to get landed property which he had been paying for from his DSOP fund.
However, I beg to disagree with the claim that “very few retired officers manage to get plum jobs”.
Out of all national institutions, the army is the most professional and least affected entity which still makes all of us proud of its capabilities. Anything which tends to erode this professionalism would bother any Pakistani who looks upon the army as a last resort in case of any contingency. It is said that at present we have the highest number of two- star (approximately 100) and three-star generals in the army’s history and that there have never been more serving and retired generals civilian in slots like government ministries, sport boards, KESC, Wapda, Steel Mills, etc.
Nowhere else in the world will you find a corps commander heading the cricket board as was the case with the previous chairman of PCB. These are a few examples of the way the army has been involved in issues not even remotely related to their professional duties and which are bond to affect its efficiency. This gives an excellent opportunity to people who, to quote Col. Siddiqui, “leave no stone unturned to belittle or humiliate the army”.
When General Musharraf took over in October 1999 he was welcomed open-heartedly by the oppressed people of this country. At that time he was viewed as a shrewd general who talked and acted like a soldier. Now when we see politicians backing him and insisting that he should stay as president, it’s difficult to distinguish between a politician and a soldier.
ALTAMASH JAVED LONE
Karachi
ACCORDING to a press report, bureaucrats have presented a two-page charter of demands to the prime minister which includes protection for Grade 17 and above bureaucrats against arrest by the NAB without consulting the proposed committee composed of secretaries of law, interior, establishment and finance. The demands also seek provision of additional post-retirement lifetime benefits for federal secretaries such as allocation of one residential plot in any major city of the officer’s choice, allocation of official driver, staff car, cook, and grant of three free arms licences.
These demands in practical terms mean immunity to bureaucrats against NAB’s legal actions and a perpetual and progressively increasing financial burden on the already heavily taxed poor taxpayers.
Obviously, the benefits sought will have to be given to several hundred secretaries and Grade 22 bureaucrats retired in the past. In fact, most senior bureaucrats arrange official allotment of more than one residential plot in posh housing schemes and acquire other residential plots through various means in their own or dependants’ names before retiring.
I appeal to the prime minister to consider the following suggestions to know the ground realities before taking any decision on the bureaucrats’ charter of demands.
The already constituted National Commission on Government Reform should publish a questionnaire to seek views and feelings of the general public in respect of the attitude, conduct and performance of bureaucrats as public servants.
A committee composed of MPs and non-bureaucrats should ascertain the number of residential plots officially allotted to Grade 20 and above bureaucrats retired during the last 20 years, and also other residential plots acquired by them during service in their own or dependants’ names whether or not in possession at present.
The committee should also examine the lifestyle and financial status of retired federal secretaries and Grade 22 bureaucrats to justify additional benefits at the cost of the taxpayers. Information thus collected should be publicised through the print media.
NAB’s power of arrest should be rationalised not only for certain categories of bureaucrats but for all as equal citizens of Pakistan with equal legal rights of self-respect. Unjustified arrest should be a punishable offence.
RAJA M. AFZAL KHAN
Gujar Khan
FOR the past many days I have received emails and messages from various people (all sufficiently well-endowed) complaining that the DHA is in the throes of massacring 681 trees planted by the DHA and its residents, some as old as 20 years, and all living and thriving, providing shade, harbouring birds and insects, and giving oxygen to the polluted atmosphere.
Identify the trees, find out the reasons (if any). Moaning and groaning about the strange conduct of the DHA administrator, Brigadier Maqsood Hussain, will not help. His refusal to answer questions should not deter them from spending time and money to save the environment in which they breathe to live.
Finally, the Brigadier has broken his silence (The News, May 6) and Dawn in its Sunday Magazine (May 7) has come out on the subject.
Many years ago whilst traversing Sir Ghulam Hidayatullah Road, I spotted a gang of choppers sawing away at trees adjacent to the old Sukkur Barrage offices. Pleading with them failed. The gang boss gave me the telephone number of Ahmed Hussain of the KMC, who had ordered the destruction. The then chief justice of the Sindh High Court, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, heard me in his chambers during the court recess. All he did was to dial Hussain, inform him who he was, tell him to order his men to cease their chopping immediately, and then appear in the Court before him within the next hour.
The orders were swiftly passed down the line. One old tree survived and stands to this day as a tribute to Judge Zahid. A notary public does his business in its shade. The present chief justice is equally enlightened and concerned. The people should call upon him for help.
ARDESHIR COWASJEE
Karachi
FROM here on running up to the elections all the stops will be pulled to ensure that the Q-League retains its majority and subsequently ensure a rubber-stamp parliament which will do as it is bid to retain the present dispensation. Our ruling class is taken up with its own selfish gains and totally oblivious to the reality. The listing of Pakistan among the leaving 10 failed states raised official hackles and our official spokesperson released angry rebuttals. I don’t know what counts for the criterion of a failed state but taking stock of the prevailing conditions is a fairly depressing exercise.
Human rights are non-existent; the ordinary folk have no security of life or property, with rape becoming an increasingly popular diversion for criminals. Our human development index has plummeted and obscurantism is on the rise. I cannot understand how anybody can survive on salary of Rs 4,000 pm, and millions are unemployed. Education, medical cover, electricity and water are scarce, but seeing the lifestyle of our ruling classes, one could easily believe that we are an oil-rich sheikhdom.
I wish President Gen Musharraf would realise that each passing day that he continues with the present situation, he is putting the future of Pakistan in deep peril. I still believe that as a person he means well but he is certainly putting self-interest ahead of our national interest and history will judge him very harshly.
He should plan a graceful exit, allow free elections and let the long and arduous process of initiating a true democratic order begin. It is a hard journey, but there are no short-cuts to nation-building.
JAVED KHAN
Haripur Hazara
THIS refers to the clarifications by NBP (letters, April 25 and May 3). The NBP is a government-controlled commercial bank and not an insurance company. I fail to understand why they started this NBP shield protection venture. They had neither the account holders’ consent nor any mandate from the State Bank, the Central Board of Revenue or the finance ministry.
All insurance companies issue policies to individuals upon signing of documents for certain life terms. In this case the claimant of an approved claim will get Rs200,000 from the insurance company involved but the money being deducted from the account holders’ accounts will not be accumulated as the insurance of Rs20 remains valid for one month only and for the next month another Rs20 would be deducted for the next term, Although the bank has already begun making deductions from the accounts of its clients, it does not accept responsibility in case the insurance company rejects death claims due to any reason.
As this scheme has not been approved by the government of Pakistan for general public, the amounts already deducted by the NBP should be credited to the account holders. In case NBP wants to continue this coverage for its employees it can do so by deducting Rs20 per month from the accounts of NBP employees’ association members and not from other account holders.
MAQBUL SIDDIQI
New York, USA
THIS has reference Mr Rashid Akhtar’s letter Rise and fall of the CSP (April 26). He writes that throughout the history of Pakistan the CSP had sway on all affairs, etc. True. But the problem has not been with the CSP.
Pakistan throughout its existence has never been lucky to have true democracy and an effective parliament.
The National Assembly has never had common men sitting. It’s always been stuffed with the same people wearing a different cap every time.
While this has been happening, the CSP has had a jolly good time and ruled the country.
S.A. MASUD
Karachi
THE Sindh police force is divided into two groups. First, junior police officers (JPOs) who stretch from constable to inspector. Second, senior police officers (SPOs) starting from ASP to the last rung of the ascending ladder.
Apart from policing, almost all the executive business of the country is enforced and ensured by JPOs, by virtue of which they are at the receiving end of all the pressure. Further, as JPOs mostly belong to the lower middle class and, therefore, are not highly educated, they have been the target of all accusations and smear campaigns against the police.
In fact, they are not intrinsically venal but their educational and financial backwardness has caused them to be uncritical of criticism against them and turned them into a whipping boy for the SPOs.
Incredible it may sound to many but it is axiomatic that a JPO wounded in the line of duty is not entitled to free medical treatment as compared to his opposite number in the army whose wife’s delivery expenses are borne by the government.
Besides paying (from his own pocket) for mobile fuel for patrolling in the jurisdiction, he has to arrange in his private capacity to comply with scores of summons, notices, subpoenas, warrants and sundry official processes issued daily by courts requiring travel to far-flung areas. No government conveyance or TA is admissible for it.
The more honest he is in the discharge of his duty the more intense is the enmity and hostility of criminals and influentials. Most important in this regard is the insecurity of his family and children due to their vulnerability. Disgruntled criminals tend to assault us when we are not on duty.
To cite some examples, Mohammad Yousaf, now serving as DSP, saw his family was killed a few years back in response to an operation . HC Faqeer Muhammad Chandio of P.S Garhi Hassan, Jacobabad, lost his wife and three children when they were burnt to death by criminals in 2002. Inspector Amjad Shah of Larkana while travelling to Karachi was dragged from the coach and killed.
The story does not end here, there is an autonomous civilian clerical staff in whose hands is the life and death of our departmental career. And the survival of the job necessitates their regular palm-greasing.
MUSHTAQ JATOI
Shikarpur
THROUGH these columns I welcome the statement of Shaikh Rashid Ahmad Federal Minister of Railways, that he will make railways economically profitable. I hope it will not be through higher fares.
The railway is a cheap means of travelling for the poor, the unemployed and lower middle class people. I hope the minister will encourage modernisation and cut down on unnecessary luxuries.
The railways faces competition from the new highways and expressways that are under construction linking important cities. The Lahore-Rawalpindi road network has take away a large chunk of rail passengers. There is an urgent need to link Rawalpindi with Islamabad and Murree by rail.
The PR should introduce Internet booking of seats for passengers in Pakistan, the Middle East and England.
New strong rail tracks should be installed wherever there is heavy traffic so that the speed can be increased to 100 miles an hour with proper safety and care. The signalling and lighting system should be modernised.
KHALID M. KHAN
Karachi
OUR railway system is equal to one division of the Indian railways, which is run by one minister. The main statistics of Indian railways are as follows: (1) total track length 63,000km, (2) longest single journey 3,750km, (3) number of trains running daily 14,300, (4) number of stations 7,000, (5) number of passengers carried daily 10 million, (6) freight carried daily one million tons, (7) number of employees 1.5 million and (8) number of divisions nine.
As compared to this, our track length is less than 5,000, which does not justify even one division, let alone a full-fledged minister and a minister of state. Our whole system can be administered by one divisional superintendent.
S. MUSLEHUDDIN AHMED
Karachi
THE Karachi city administration is doing a good job by removing ordinary encroachers from all around the city. But they have not taken any action against showroom owners from Islamia College to Jail Chowrangi. These showroom owners have occupied three- fourths of the road on both sides by parking their cars in the middle of the road, resulting in traffic jams during evening hours.
I would request the governor, as well as the city nazim, to look into the matter.
BADAR IQBAL
Karachi
THE slowdown of US immigration processing due to a constant high alert factor has badly hit two classes of immigrants, i.e., Pakistani spouses and older parents of American citizens.
It is socially unfair to keep couples apart, and the lower average age and higher mortality rate in Pakistan may render the entire processing futile and useless for many people by the time it is completed.
M. AKHTER
Karachi
THESE days a lot of time is wasted on travel within Karachi city limits. This is all because of the sudden and unplanned repairs, renovation and construction work being carried out by the city government practically everywhere. No alternative passage has been provided in some areas.
MOHAMMAD AKHTER
Karachi
“THE per capita income of Pakistan has reached $800 per annum which is almost double in just four years”, said the prime minister while talking to the BBC. But it appears from the State Bank’s annual report and reports of various NGOs during this period that the number of people living below the poverty line has increased significantly. This is mainly because of the astounding increase in oil prices, (45 times since this government assumed power) and an unbridled hike in the prices of almost all essential commodities.
Job opportunities have lessened in the government sector (once the biggest employer) in view of restructuring and in the private sector because of mechanization.
The people will acknowledge the PM’s statement as authentic only when the benefits of per-capita increase are reflected in every section of society and not only in a class which is going richer day by day.
For this, per capita income has to be worked out separately for the upper class, the middle class and the lower class.
DR ALI AKBAR M. DHAKAN
Karachi
HAVING witnessed the recently concluded ‘A’ team cricket series in Abu Dhabi, which Pakistan A was fortunate to have won, I am a bit puzzled why a class player like Bazid Khan was sent in to bat at number six in the final match against India. Given the class and correct technique which he exhibits while batting, and given his two highest scores in the earlier matches Pakistan ‘A’ played in the same tournament, any novice could also figure out that Bazid was in form and should have been sent in first.
Perhaps there was some competition amongst the players, since many are vying for a place in the national team. This could explain the decision on the part of the captain to avoid letting just one batsman stand out throughout the tournament. Nothing else makes any sense.
M. OMAR MIRZA
Dubai, UAE
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