| May 21, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 22, 1427 |
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Power interruptions
Dental colleges facing hardship
Hoping against hope
On the margins of history
No more strikes
‘Crisis in the Muslim world’
Our economy
Chicken feed
Just say no
Rest in peace
Letter-writing campaign
WHEN the Quaid-i-Azam chose Karachi as the capital of Pakistan, even the East Pakistanis accepted it gracefully although Dhaka itself could have made a claim, being the capital of the most populous province. The Quaid’s choice was accepted willingly by all.
With the influx of people, money and talent from every corner of the subcontinent, the capital belonged to all Pakistanis regardless of province, religion, language, cast or creed. The city became cosmopolitan and tolerant. Even the synagogue on Lawrence Road boasted a large congregation in those early days. Karachi flourished and became a thriving commerical city.
Gen Ayub’s martial law in 1958 changed all that. He did not like Karachi. He wanted the capital to be next to his village in Rehana, on the other side of the Margala Hills. The most brazen justification was given: the capital had to be kept away from industry. Yet within a few years some of the largest industrial complexes like the Wah industrial complex and the railway wagon factory were set up in the vicinity of Islamabad.
The fact that the new capital of Pakistan and these large industrial complexes and other sensitive industries were a stone’s throw from the LoC did not matter. And who cared about little things like earthquakes and the northern fault line as long as Rehana was nearby. Gen Ayub achieved what even Akbar the Great could not. Akbar failed to shift the capital of the Mughal Empire from Delhi to Fatehpur.
At least, the headquarters of departments controlling ships and shipping aught to have been left where the sea and its port were. But these were also moved to Islamabad. If Gen Ayub could, he would have moved the Arabian Sea itself closer to Islamabad. Today dry ports are established all over Pakistan. Industrialists are coaxed with incentives and concessions to invest away from Karachi.
Karachi generates 70 per cent of the total revenue of the country. Artisans, labourers, policeman, waderas and generals, retired and otherwise, come from every corner of Pakistan to make their fortune here. Karachi is meant to be milked while home and loyalties remained in Larkana, Charsadda and Chakwal. Except for a very few who had no other affiliation, no one owned Karachi.
Easily the largest and most cosmopolitian city in Pakistan, Karachi was not considered fit to become the capital of West Pakistan during Ayub’s time. Lahore was chosen instead. Lahore, which is so close to the Indian border that Gen Choudhry almost walked across and quenched his thirst with a ‘chota’ at the Lahore Gymkhana in the 1965 War.The four-hour hesitation on the part of the Indian general gave us time to scramble and saved ourselves. But the fact remains that Lahore lay defenceless and open to the enemy.
When in 1971 all of Ayub’s impositions were undone; the provinces were restored back and the Bhuttos of Larkana were in control, no one even talked of restoring the Quaid-i-Azam’s capital to its original location. Karachi remained a city to be despised. It paid the price for being home to a large, well-educated middle-class that refused to grovel to the feudal lords.
On the front page of Dawn’s May 18 issue, a headline informed us that the secretary, director and director-general of the federal government’s archaeology and museums department are seeking to shift all the relics of the Quaid-i-Azam on a ‘permanent loan basis’from Karachi to Islamabad. Their requests are being mulled over by the Sindh High Court.
A new mazar can then be built in the vicinity of Margala Hills over the Quaid’s earthly remains. Among them will be his aspirations for Karachi and Pakistan.
S. AFAQ RIZVI
Karachi
THERE are frequent interruptions in electricity supply at Rabwah. I have visited more than 40 countries but I did not come across one in which such interruptions occurred. One does hear of some African countries where an identical situation prevails. But, do we want to compete with such states? Power outages come unannounced.
They are very bothersome and cause great inconvenience. Sometimes one wonders if the operating personnel are professional or competent for the task assigned to them. There appear to be serious lapses in management at some level.
I avail myself of this opportunity to convey you confirmed reports that Wapda’s lower staff have been making calls, telling residents fraudulently that their meters were running slow and that they have ‘orders’ to replace them.
Then they offered the residents to make a deal with them to maintain status quo. Some innocent clients, fearful of the quality of the ‘new meters’ and apprehensive of picking up a row, made deals with these corrupt linesmen.
Two/three months later another team of two would appear with the same ‘orders’. This did happen in the past. I personally was billed once for a reading that still had to appear on my meter.
I complained and it was remedied. But how many people can complain effectively? Wapda is bound to deliver its services in a normal and satisfactory manner.
I heard Minister Jatoi saying on TV the other day that there was surplus electricity in the country. If that is true at the macro level, the problem must be somewhere at the micro level. The authorities should improve the situation and not allow the lower staff to bring a bad name to Wapda.
SHAMEEM AHMAD KHALID
Chenab Nagar
IT has been reported in the press that the government of Sindh has decided to open a new dental college under the Dow University of Medical Sciences. It is understood that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the controlling authority for medical institutes, has granted an NOC for this purpose.
There are already seven dental institutes in Karachi that lack faculty because of the very high standard of qualification and experience laid down by the PMDC. When planning to open a new dental college in any part of the country, the government should take stock of the available resources in terms of manpower and financial resources available for the purpose.
In 1973 the unplanned opening of new medical colleges created many problems and the doctors qualified from these institutions were not properly trained. This resulted in the non-recognition of Pakistani medical degrees abroad and doctors, including those qualified from well-established institutions, suffered as they could not go abroad for higher education or specialisation.
The authorities concerned should look into the matter and get a proper feasibility report prepared before opening another half-baked dental college.
DR NATASHA MINWALLA
Karachi
THE Indian prime minister says that there will be no re- drawing of map as far as the Kashmir problem is concerned, This implies that the occupation of the valley will perpetuate. The Indian defence minister says: “The Indian army will not withdraw from Siachen.” The Indian army chief exhorts: “No demilitarisation in the valley unless and until militancy comes to a halt.”
But our optimistic foreign office spokesperson expects “progress on Siachen during the forthcoming defence secretary talks with Indian in New Delhi in the coming days.
Two points must be kept in mind to understand the intricacies of the Siachen problem. First, Indians are in a dominating position in Siachen and, second, they have strategic aims there.
An army, when in a dominating position, presses on to evict the enemy. Besides, the Indians have greater strategic aims, i.e., capture of Baltistan (may be in 10, 20 or 50 years), eventually extend operations to grab Gilgit agency (prize: K-2, Nanga Parbat and the traditional Silk Route). They also want to link up with Central Asia through Minimarg-Burzul Pass, Astore-Gilgit axis.
With such a sinister Indian design, if our foreign office still insists that there would be progress in any future talks,it is tantamount to hoping against hope. For our learned foreign office spokesperson, I have this to say. “Dil Key Bahlane Ko Ghalib Ye Khayal Achha Hai”
LT-COL (r) SAFIR A. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
MR M.J. Asad’s letter (May 2) makes for interesting reading. As for the provision that a princely state had the option to remain independent, it may be noted that Nehru had opposed it.
The Quaid-i- Azam did not oppose it perhaps for the reason that it might have helped the Hyderabad state, in case it decided to remain independent.
How could such a serious matter like the ruler’s right to opt for accession to India or Pakistan be left to the ‘good sense’ of a Hindu ruler of a princely state with an overwhelming Muslim majority (like Kashmir)? We all know what happened. The Maharaja opted for accession to India which subsequently claimed that Kashmir was its integral part.
The point that needs to be considered is that having known the declared intentions of the Indian National Congress and its top leadership — Gandhi, Nehru and Patel — the League leadership should have proposed that as in the case of provinces, princely states with Muslim majority and contiguous with Pakistan too shall be merged with Pakistan. The proposal was such that the British would have no objection to it.
The British government had a lot of sympathy for the rulers of the princely states as they, in fact, were the creation of the British. That explains why it was laid down in the Partition Plan that the ruler of the princely state shall have the right to opt for accession to India or Pakistan, depending, of course, on the state being contiguous.
DR QAZI SHAKIL AHMAD
Karachi
I ENDORSE the views expressed by Dr Nizamul Hasan. Who cares for the poor daily wage workers so long the champions of democracy and exploiters of religion are not hurt.
They care for themselves and not for the poor. Many of them are members of assemblies who are benefiting from the taxpayers’ money. There should be a moratorium on strikes and processions. The poor cannot afford any more strikes.
ASHRAF
Brunei
Mr Shahid Amin’s ‘Crisis in the Muslim World’ (May 18) is sheer propaganda, full of misleading statement and distortions of facts.
Some examples: “Their (Al Qaeda’s) anti-US campaign started around 1995.” But wasn’t Al Qaeda created by America during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan? America printed and financed “six million children’s textbooks in which Afghans were taught to count by enumerating dead Russian soldiers and adding up Kalashnikov rifles”(Dawn, Nov 23, 2005; America-funded Taliban book).
Mr. Amin writes, “It is also worth noting that the Islamic extremists are currently engaged in a relentless hate campaign and have been seeking to demonise the US in every possible way. Since 9/11 the extremists have gained from the wave of anti-Americanism in Muslim societies, in which even the more moderate sections have joined, to paint an unbalanced and one-sided interpretation of events.”
In fact the Pew Centre records that hatred against America is worldwide. Is the author aware of the language some American journalists use regarding Muslims Or, how, after the Timothy McVeigh incident, Americans went after Muslims out of sheer hatred?
Mr Amin recalls American kindness “in the 1990s” that came to the help of the Muslims of Bosnia and Kosovo, but he ignores US bombing of a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan and a baby milk factory in Baghdad.
Most absurd, however, is the claim that “it was the US that had saved West Pakistan from an Indian invasion after the surrender of Pakistani troops in Dhaka in 1971”. He does not mention the ‘authoritative accounts’ he has consulted, but the most widely accepted view, supported by facts, is that India had no ambition beyond ‘cutting Pakistan to size’. Rather than ‘invading West Pakistan’, it even returned the portion of the West Pakistani territory it had occupied during the war.
The writer says: “Continued US diplomatic and economic support has always been and remains a key factor in Pakistan’s quest for security against India.” What about the Glenn, Pressler and Symington amendments and the US role during the 1965 war?
Mr Amin asserts the Al Qaeda “operating from safe sanctuaries in Afghanistan, first attacked the US.” Where did he find this gem?
“A recent poll in Iraq shows that nearly three-fourths of Iraqis approve the US action in removing Saddam.” This is another discovery.
And how do the Iraqis view the wanton massacre of more than a hundred thousand innocent civilians, the Abu Ghraib tortures, the devastation of Fallujah et al It is not “the impression of many people in Pakistan, particularly the Islamic extremists, that the fight in Iraq is a war of national resistance and that most Iraqis are engaged in fighting the foreign troops.” It is the impression of the majority of people worldwide. But if there is a “crisis in the Muslim world, so be it.
SYED JILANI
Via email
WHILE addressing a two-day PDF the prime minister stated (Dawn, May 11) that millennium goals were being achieved. No doubt the PM is a financial wizard and the people have to believe what he says. But the basic fact cannot be ignored that he is entwined by our bureaucracy, highly profiled for its sycophancy, that prepares presentations for the prime minister.
There is a story about a queen who ruled France centuries ago. People had surrounded her palace to ask for food. The queen standing in the balcony asked his minister why the people were there and the minister replied that the people were demanding bread. The queen told the minister to ask the people to eat cake if bread was not been available. Our worthy PAC member seems to be have the same attitude.
In view of the prime minister’s statement, one is confused whether to accept or reject the international lenders’ statement that Pakistan’s economy had started showing signs of ‘overheating’ and an inequitable distribution of assets was keeping the common people from sharing the benefits of higher growth. The lenders have pointed out that the country’s foreign remittances were going into non-productive sectors like real estate and stock market, a trend, they say, that should be arrested.
GHEEWALA
Karachi
THE outbreak of bird flu has become a cause for concern. Consumers are reluctant to eat chicken while the breeders are sustaining losses due to the overall slump in business.
Recently a quarter-page colour advertisement appeared in leading newspapers proclaiming that chicken and eggs are safe and healthy food. The most appalling aspect of the advertisment was that the food ministry had footed the bill for it. It was shocking to observe that millions of rupees are being spent to help the poultry industry, instead of employing more manpower to survey the thousands of farms all over the country.
In the future a press conference would be a preferable communication tool. If there is a need for such an advertisement the poultry association should finance the campaign itself.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
I REQUEST politicians not to call for a strike on May 27 as reported in newspapers. Perhaps they do not know that the final examination of the HSC (Part 1) is being held on that day. I hope all politicians will consider this request made by a student.
A STUDENT
Karachi
MAJOR (retd) James Fogarty of the BCGA (British Cotton Growers’ Association) and former factory manager of Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) passed away peacefully in Multan on May 18 and was buried at the Christian graveyard there.
The reason Mr Fogarty’s story is worth telling is that he was one of the few Britons (actually an Irishman) who opted to stay on and serve Pakistan after partition. He used to visit Ireland regularly where he had family and ancestral property. However, he considered Pakistan his home and felt proud to call himself a Pakistani.
He was a generous and kind human being who always gave to the needy and strove for the uplift of the poor.
Since he had served extensively in the NWFP during his time in the British Indian army and later on in PTC, he had a soft spot for people hailing from that province. Later on, he settled in Khanewal where he oversaw the BCGA farm and continued the good work of helping the needy and poor in Multan and Khanewal. He rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty and was equally at ease with the destitute and downtrodden.
Mr. Fogarty was not only a noble human being but a dear friend, role model, mentor and a true gentleman.
FAZLE GHANI MIAN
Islamabad
WHILE the president may continue to believe he is winning the war on terror, daily news reports tell an entirely different story. Several intellectuals and newspaper editorials continue to advise the government to seek a political solution to the worsening situation in Balochistan and Waziristan.
The views and analysis of retired Air Marshal Noor Khan on the situation do warrant reconsideration of the government’s policy. I sincerely hope that the president will take notice the advice being offered. I appeal to the president to pay heed to the advice even if it goes against his own beliefs. Everyone but you can’t be wrong, Mr President. Please do not let Pakistan become another Algeria or Lebanon.
I would also request my fellow Pakistanis to start a letter-writing campaign in the hope that the voices of sanity will be heard by the government. History proves that no issue or conflict has ever been settled militarily; they all end up on the negotiating table eventually. So why continue to persist with the militaristic route which has proved futile thus far. Was the East Pakistan experience not enough?
QASIM KAZMI
Sharjah, UAE
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