| May 22, 2006 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1427 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Clash of veils
Illegal construction at RGH
Oil firms
Cement imports
PhD degree
Wapda clarifies
‘NPT under attack’
Good governance
Pigs: a health hazard
Underage drivers
‘Turmoil in Balochistan’
Correcting the fact
U-turns
The craze for owning cars appears to have overtaken our nation. With the cash liquidity available in abundance with banks, one would have wished that it was used for accelerating fundamental growth in industrial and agricultural sectors but the monetary policy of the State Bank of Pakistan was found to be loose to the extent that money was available for buying cars, motorcycles, etc., without providing much security.
The results of this policy, which may have been conceived with all the best intentions, are before us. We have become addicted to cars. It is time to take stock of the situation and adopt remedial measures.
One would like that trade deficit should not increase further and that it should also be possible for buyers of cars to pay back their loans.
The statistics available show that the period of July 2005/ March 2006 registered a robust growth of 41.01 per cent in value in imports of motor vehicles over the last year for the same period. Import of vehicles has already crossed $1 billion mark. It is expected to touch $1.5 billion mark by the end of the current fiscal year.
The import of used/reconditioned cars also appears to be flourishing from August 2005 after the government liberalised imports of used/reconditioned vehicles under personal baggage, transfer of residence and gift schemes. As visible from statistics, there was a jump of 280 per cent in imports of such vehicles to 27,917 units in July-April 2005-2006 as compared to 7,337 units for the same period last year.
The idea behind liberalisation of imports of used/reconditioned cars was that it would help to reduce the gap between supply and demand. It is not certain if it achieved any success, but it has certainly brought certain grave problems in its wake.
The end-customer of used/reconditioned vehicle does not get much relief in purchase price as the supplier/seller charges a hefty amount for carrying out repairs and reconditioning it. The exchequer loses money as custom tariff allows rebates for the intervening years between its manufacture and import. Also the specifications of the used/reconditioned vehicle may not be the same as applicable in Pakistan and, therefore, would require adequate supply of new spare parts for keeping the vehicle in good repair in Pakistan. It is, therefore, Pakistan which suffers all along in this process.
One does not know if the banks are giving loans for used and reconditioned vehicles. It would not be advisable to extend this facility for such vehicles. In the case of new cars also, more tightening of monetary policy is needed so that liberal imports of new cars and other vehicles can be reduced. However, while considering reduction in imports of cars, it is necessary that proper arrangements are made for providing alternative means of transport such as buses and pickups. Main cities should get CNG buses.
With the increase that has taken place in the cost of living and particularly in the prices of petroleum products, it may become difficult for persons of average means to pay back instalments of loans. It is time banks reviewed the situation relating to loans advanced for cars and the rate of receiving instalments against the loans.
MOHAMMED ANWAR KHAN
Karachi
IN her article, “Clash of the veils” (Magazine, May 7), Ms Anjum Niaz has expressed her feelings about the many Pakistani girls and women who have adopted the hijab and scarf, etc, during her seven-year absence away in the US, with obvious distaste.
One greatly appreciates the way she had been drawing attention in her columns to the harassment and suffering experienced by the Pakistani and other Muslims living in the US since 9/11. Moreover, she has taken strong notice of the horrible insults being piled upon Islam, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and Muslims by some American evangelists, as also the activities of the Zionist and Indian lobbies.
However, one cannot agree with the way she has criticised religious-minded women taking to modest dress and the use of the term “fundamentalism” for the phenomenon. These God-fearing ladies are only obeying His commandments about covering their “awrah” (private parts, which for women also include their hair) when going out.
In the past Ms Niaz has shown sensitivity to the hardships being faced by the Muslims living in the West in practising Islam. While sympathising with them in a column, she had quoted a ‘hadith’ wherein the Prophet had said that there would come a time when following the religion would become as difficult for the Muslims as carrying a burning coal in the hand.
Ironically, by labelling the females using Islamic dress or headgear as fundamentalists she is making it psychologically burdensome for them to practise their faith.
RIFFAT REHMAN
Karachi
A CNG station is being built inside the boundary wall of the Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) on the main Murree Road just a few feet away from the emergency block and in front of the children’s ward. This is extremely hazardous, and if an accident occurs, there can be a large number of casualties right inside the hospital.
This illegal construction inside the hospital premises could only have happened due to a combination of corrupt officials and the land grabbing mafia.
The latter has also managed to stop the extension of the emergency block, a project which was sanctioned by the Punjab chief minister under the SEMS programme.
Some time ago the chief justice of Pakistan had taken suo motu notice and stopped the construction of shops on the premises of the Government College in Chakwal and observed that the land of educational institutions could not be used for commercial purposes. We, the residents of the RGH, request the chief justice to take similar suo motu notice and stop the construction around the hospital and save another public institution from commercialisation.
RESIDENTS OF RGH
Rawalpindi
THE news (Dawn, May 15) ‘Oil firms threaten to close business’ took me back to 1965 when we were told that oil firms forced Pakistan to go in for ‘Tashkent Treaty with India’, threatening ‘No oil imports’. In response to this, Premier Oil Company emerged and then a more strong company, PSO, came into being by amalgamating Premier Oil Company, Dawood Oil and Esso. PSO effectively took the responsibility of keeping the wheels of the nation moving.
We do not know why precious assets of Pakistan are being privatised for pennies. It seems there are some persons in power who are penny wise and pound foolish. In other countries strategic assets are always with the government.
There is no benefit for the poor from privatisation. Rather, their miseries always increase. When the government of Pakistan had cement factories, the price of the commodity was under control. When the National Refinery Ltd was in the government custody, the price of base oil rarely increased. It is now frequently changing and making the prices of lubricants sky-high.
We foresee the price of gasoline going up to Rs100 per litre after the privatisation of Pakistan State Oil. This will further lead to an increase in the prices of other essential items for the common man. It is very strange that instead of privatising the loss-making units, Pakistan is selling the profit-earning organisations. Why?
MRS JAVED SULTAN BUTT
Lahore
SOMETHING about the first cement import does not seem right and perhaps favouritism by the federal ministry was involved. Not long time ago, the previous government had made a similar mistake with public funds on importation of BMW cars.
Consider the situation on cement. The ministry of industry announced on April 12 that it will allow duty-free imports. (but not penalise the cartel though).
On April 28-29, it announced it was laying out the procedure for freight subsidy (at the cost of the taxpayer?)
After about 10 days, the State Bank notified on May 9, the actual procedure for duty-free imports with freight subsidy to all schedule banks, thus clearing the way for imports.
Several importers started to get ready for imports. But the very next day the Karachi port announced arrival of a vessel from China carrying about 27,000mt. cement in bulk.
How can it be that somebody had already an LC in place? How did a vessel loaded in China make the 25-day trip to Karachi, have a berth ready at Karachi port and receive official clearance the very next day?
A press clarification from ministries will be beneficial because in the main trading circles eyebrows are being raised.
KHANZADA EMRAN
Karachi
A NEWS item, ‘PhD degree awarded in computer science’ (Dawn, May 5) gave the impression that the Ghulam Ishaq Khan (GIK) Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology is the first institution in the country to award a PhD degree in the field of computer science. In response to the news item, the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, on May 15 claimed to be the first university to award a PhD degree in the field of computer science and overruled the earlier news item of the GIK Institute.
In fact, the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, was the first institute in Pakistan to award a PhD degree in the field of computer science to Dr Mansoor Zaffar in 2002.
Also, the Mehran University awarded the first PhD degree in engineering (hydraulics) in 1988. Prof (Dr) Hussain Bux Bhutto, who is at present working at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, was the recipient of the PhD in hydraulics.
PROF (DR) MOHAMMAD ASLAM UQAILI
Jamshoro
APROPOS of Mr Imran Khan Sial’s letter ‘Election and Kalabagh dam’ (May 18), Wapda, being the executing authority, would like to assure him that no work is being done on the Kalabagh dam site, and his formulations are based on wrong information. Wapda offers Mr Sial to visit the Kalabagh dam site and see for himself the correct position.
DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS, Wapda,
Lahore
In your editorial “NPT under attack” (May 19), it is stated that the US violated the NPT by entering into an agreement with India for the transfer of civilian nuclear technology.
Nothing in the NPT prevents either the US (a signatory ) or India ( a non-signatory ) from cooperating in civilian nuclear technology. The NPT only prevents the US from transferring nuclear weapons to non-nuclear weapons states and non-signatories.
Since no article of the NPT prevents Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation, how can the US be in violation of it? It is instructive to note that even though the NPT came into force in 1970, and India refused to sign the discriminatory treaty, the India-US civilian nuclear cooperation (that pre-dated the NPT by a few decades) continued. This was in spite of India’s PNE experiment in 1974 though there was some controversy over the term ‘peaceful’.
Only after the domestic US enactment of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 1978 did further nuclear cooperation with countries which do not subscribe to the comprehensive safeguards of the IAEA come to a halt. The formal end to US-India civilian nuclear cooperation occurred in 1980 as a result of the US NNP Act of 1978.
Even after that, the US concluded a tripartite agreement with India and France in 1983 to continue international civilian nuclear cooperation with India in exchange for India’s commitments to maintain IAEA safeguards on the Tarapur reactors built with US assistance. After the NSG guidelines were tightened, France backed out of the agreement but the US helped India acquire the fuel for the Tarapur reactors from China in 1995.
All the above goes to show that the US-India civilian cooperation had nothing to do with violating the NPT. The resumption of India-US civilian nuclear cooperation, therefore, is simply a policy reversal of the US, and a matter of changing US domestic law. And this is precisely what the US executive and legislative branches are currently attempting to do.
A.K. SIRCAR
New York, USA
ALMOST all governments, both past and the present, have been ‘singing songs of good governance’ but, regretfully, none has ever taken even the first step towards that objective.
When a governing authority ignores people’s complaints, it shows its insensitivity to their problems.
I have known and seen the system of governance during the Raj. Each and every communication sent to an official was immediately acknowledged with a few lines. But now, in our country, no such practice is observed, even when communication is so easy and fast.
After independence our rulers became hard-skinned like tortoise that no rain of complaints can move them. Is this an indication of the good governance that the present ruling elite is singing about?
S.M. ZAKERYA KAZMI
Karachi
I WOULD like to request Gen Pervez Musharraf to take the following steps:
a. Stick to his oft-repeated stand and not allow corrupt politicians to contest the next general election come what may. The poor are already suffering much and the national debt has reached alarming proportions. The nation cannot withstand further onslaught of corruption and debt.
b. People behind cement, sugar, petrol and commodity price hike scams should be booked and brought to justice without fear or favour.
c. Principles and not expediency should be his guide for running the affairs of the nation.
M.I. KHAN
Lahore
THIS is with reference to Prof Hasan Aziz’s letter ‘Pigs: a health hazard’(May 18) whereby he has suggested that the entire pig population in the Islamabad area should be eliminated as unwashed vegetables smeared with pig’s excreta can result in a deadly disease called cystecercosis.
I have a better solution to the problem. Instead of requesting the government to eradicate all the pigs, why not ask people to wash the vegetables prior to eating them.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Lahore
APROPOS of the letter “Pigs: a health hazard”, I live near Islamabad and know for a fact that contrary to the professor’s assertion the population of pigs in Islamabad is rather large. It is time, therefore, for the CDA to allow selected hunters to shoot the animals, as used to be the case, lest the cystecercosis spreads.
KAMRAN SHAFI
Rawalpindi
THIS is in response to the letter by Fozia Khan (May 15). I agree with what she wrote, but I must say there is nothing the government can do in this case. Under-age people drive their cars in lanes and streets near their houses, places where the police are rarely seen.
Parents are really the only means to stop these children. But rather than doing so, parents encourage their children to drive. This happens even among very well-educated people. I have heard some of my father’s friends, who when their children are young, criticise the idea of under-age drivers. However, when their own children grow up and want to drive, the same parents become soft-hearted and let their children take their cars out.
SAKINA LAVINGIA
Karachi
THIS refers to Mr Ghayoor Ahmed’s article ‘Turmoil in Balochistan’ (May 5) wherein the writer states: “The people of Balochistan, however, overwhelmingly voted to join Pakistan in a referendum that was held on June 30, 1947”.
It may be mentioned that no referendum was held in Balochistan to ascertain the wishes of the people. Nor was it envisaged in the plan of June 3, 1947 under which the subcontinent was partitioned into the independent and sovereign states of India and Pakistan. A referendum was held only in the NWFP under the aforesaid plan.
It was the members of the Balochistan Shahi Jirga who represented various tribes of the province, along with the elected members of the Quetta municipality, who voted unanimously to join Pakistan as required under the June 3 plan.
R.R. ALVI
Lahore
ON May 7 I was watching a programme on a private channel. The panelists were Dr Israr, Dr Javed Iqbal and another professor.
It was amazing to hear Dr Javed Iqbal say that ‘Allama nay Quaid-i-Azam ko Mussalmano key rahnumai kay leay chunna’ (Allama chose the Quaid-i-Azam to lead Muslims of India). Can there be a bigger distortion of history?
People who have either forgotten or distorted their history live a life of perpetual infancy. This is the case with us.
Furthermore,those interested in history should try to visit the British Museum in London where the original text of Dr Iqbal’s address in Allahabad is preserved.There is no mention in it of either a Muslim state or the division of India.
A.M. SYED
Karachi
There is an urgent need for constructing a proper U-turn on Rashid Minhas Road somewhere between the Aladdin Park and Jauhar Mor on the pattern of the U-turn recently built a few furlongs from the Civic Centre on way to the University.
This will ease the problems being faced by the people living on either side of Rashid Minhas Road. At the moment people are crossing from one side to the other, either at Jauhar Mor or at Nipa Chowrangi. This is very inconvenient and time-consuming for them. Chaos and confusion prevails at Jauhar Mor, particularly at peak hours, as there is usually no police officer present to control the situation.
I hope the city nazim will organise a team of experts to visit Jauhar Mor, particularly in the evening hours, and observe the hardships being faced by the people.
DR MIRZA ALI AZHAR
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.