| June 04, 2006 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 7, 1427 |
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Maritime CBMs and Pakistan Navy
Banning Da Vinci Code
Pensioners’ plight
Blinder
Pigs: a health hazard
Elusive freedom
Power shortage
England flag
Whither Wapda?
SOME pro-India American lawmakers have criticized Pakistan by saying, among other things, that it cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons (May 29). They are invited to reflect on the facts enumerated below.
- The US is the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons. It killed over 200,000 innocent men, women and children in Hiroshima and Nagasaki who had nothing to do with Japan’s war against America.
- America’s unnecessary conflict with North Vietnam resulted in the loss of millions of lives. Not only that, the chemical defoliant agent Orange has caused birth defects and other permanent health problems to nearly three million Vietnamese. While compensation was paid to the US servicemen claiming disability from exposure to this chemical warfare agent, the same was refused to the poor Vietnamese making a similar demand.
- It attacked Iraq on the false charges of possessing WMDs and having an Al Qaeda connection. This has led to a tremendous amount of terrorism, loss of more than 100,000 Iraqi and 2,300 American lives, abuse of prisoners and immense suffering.
- The US used depleted uranium shells in the first Gulf war and possibly again this time that resulted in cancer and other problems among Iraqi children.
- According to WHO figures, half-a-million Iraqi children had died due to the American-led sanctions on Iraq.
- The US and other allies had provided raw material to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s to manufacture nerve gas and other chemical weapons. Now, the same Mr Hussein is being tried for using these weapons.
- A non-nuclear country, Iran, is being threatened with a nuclear attack.
- In recent years some Americans had even suggested the nuking of Makkah in response to Al Qaeda’s terrorism as a way of punishing the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims. This shows how unreasonable some of them can be.
Thus, they can’t justifiably point their fingers at anyone else. Pakistan had sided with the US throughout the Cold War, annoying the Soviets to the extent of pointing some of their nuclear missiles at this country. It played an unmatched role during the first Afghan war that incensed Moscow and led to punitive sabotage activities by the Soviet and Afghan intelligence agencies over here.
In addition, there were enormous amounts of social, economic and security problems by way of gun and drug cultures and extremism that were non-existent before. But the West simply walked away after the withdrawal of the Soviet forces without helping us to cope with these problems, as conceded even by Mr Paul Wolfowitz.
We have again been helping America in its operations against the Taliban and Al Qaeda after September 2001 and have lost more troops in fights with them than any other country has.
Another notable fact is that during the 1965 and 1971 wars with India, we never attacked any dams, power stations or other civilian targets, showing our sense of responsibility. Besides, in 1962 Pakistan had a golden opportunity to wrest back Kashmir from India when it had pulled out troops from there to attack China, but we did not do that. In contrast, New Delhi moved swiftly when there was political trouble and insurgency in East Pakistan and dismembered the country.
Apart from that, since 1947 India has occupied Kashmir, Manavadar, Junagadh, Hyderabad, Goa, Sikkim and Siachen and has had trouble or fights with every neighbour, as acknowledged by many western analysts and observers. Why is the West ignoring that?
Pakistanis have had a liking for the Americans and traditionally been very friendly towards them. One remembers the unforgettable reception given to Gen Eisenhower when he visited us around 1959 and to President Lyndon Johnson. But, like the other Muslims of the world, they were turned off by certain events in recent years, particularly America’s un-stinted support for Israel and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
All is, however, not lost. Most people over here are moderate and even the religious hardliners can be won over by following fair policies. What Dr A.Q. Khan did should not be allowed to become an obstacle — he believed he could deflect western pressure on his motherland by helping some other countries go nuclear. In view of our otherwise excellent record, the US should follow this advice.
PEACEMAKER
Karachi
A CENTRAL objective of confidence-building measures (CBMs) is to lessen the level of fear and suspicion by making opponents’ behaviour more predictable. Of late both India and Pakistan have agreed to conduct a joint survey of the long disputed Sir Creek region. The agreement marks the beginning of a new era in maritime history of Indian Ocean.
The disputed creek, rich in mineral deposits (Dawn, May 29), is a 60-mile strip that runs along Rann of Kutch in India and Sindh in Pakistan. Its history dates back to 1914 when the government of Sindh and the Maharaja of Kutch signed an agreement establishing a boundary later depicted as a ‘green line’ on a map of 1925. India refuses to accept the line claiming that it is not defined by mid-channel while Pakistan rejects the Indian view on grounds that creek is non-navigable.
In a major departure from its previous hostile approach, the Indian naval chief recently remarked that “the Indian navy is ready to undertake joint exercises with its counterparts in Pakistan”. When and how this will happen is uncertain at this stage. But one thing is quite plain.
Following success in the 1971 war, the Indian navy has managed not only to untangle itself from the physical and psychological grip of the Indian army but as a nation India has come to recognise the importance of maritime affairs and the role of the navy in protecting strategic maritime interests so vital for economic progress and development of their country. Today India’s naval leadership realises the importance of peace in Indian Ocean and enjoys the freedom to express its strategic thoughts independently.
Sadly, in Pakistan the army’s domination of all national spheres — including overbearing influence on the navy and air force — has precluded any definite development of the belief that a major component of national security lies in the maritime domain. The existing pitiable state of public sector maritime entities like the PNSC, the KSEW and the NTC speaks for itself. Regardless of what the army does on other discordant issues with India, the Gordian knot must be cut; a message from Pakistan’s navy responding positively to the call of the Indian navy chief will go a long way in laying a strong foundation for stability and peace in the Indian Ocean.
MUHAMMAD AZAM KHAN
Lahore
CHRISTIANITY has flourished and prospered on earth for the last 2000 years. Numerous insinuating books, films and blasphemous literature have been produced over the ages against Jesus Christ, his teachings, the truthfulness of the sacred scriptures, the integrity of the Holy Catholic Church and other core values of Christianity.
However, nothing has been able to falter the faith of the faithful. Therefore the controversial film The Da Vinci Code is just another fragment of someone’s imagination, and in no way does it deter the faith of Christians. However, what it does generate is a sense of betrayal and a sense of pain and hurtfulness.
Why would anyone want to create something that would hurt the religious sentiments of millions of people around the world — Christians and Muslims alike? There is no control over the extent of the human imagination but what can be controlled is its outcome.
Under the garb of freedom of expression can people go out and fabricate anything regardless of the repercussions?
Is there no authority that can restrain such actions? On the international level, a number of religious scholars and human rights activists have appealed to the United Nations and other authoritative organisations to take effective steps to ensure that such acts are eliminated from society.
On the local level, the government of Pakistan has taken no measures to ensure that the religious sentiments of the Pakistani Christians are protected, thus creating disappointment among the Christian community.
This blasphemous act has occurred just months after the blasphemous caricatures controversy which instigated violent protests throughout Pakistan and which compelled the government to take action at all levels, locally and internationally.
Is it not the responsibility of the government to ensure that this film is banned in Pakistan and that measures are taken to prohibit cable operators and Internet sites from showing it, in the same way it was done during blasphemous caricatures controversy?
MICHELLE CHAUDHRY
Lahore
ZIAUL Rahman Nagi’s letter (May 28) portrays in simple language the pathetic condition of pensioners. Even an army officer is perturbed and seeks the media’s help to attract the government’s attention (May 28). Immediate cognisance of his appeal ought to be taken by the president and the prime minister.
Lala Fazal Ahmed Belai’s letter is also realistic.
The most pathetic condition is that of pensioners who retired before December 1976. The pay of BPS-17 officer at that time was just Rs300 a month, out of which deductions were made on different counts.
Almost 90 per cent of pensioners and their widows have died. There would be hardly 100-200 such pensioners or their widows.
The pay scales since 1976 have been revised upwards increasing the salaries almost 300 times but the pre-1976 pensioners were given a one-time 15 per cent increase instead of the 10 per cent allowed to other pensioners.
Pensioners who are very old need medical care more than food. They deserve personal attention of the president and the prime minister. Their pensions should be increased by 500 per cent so that they can enjoy some peace before they bid farewell to the world.
AN OLD PENSIONER
Islamabad
THERE is a class of pensioners which is really very poor and living a miserable life. The amount of pension they get is very meagre. These retirees are victims of circumstance, as at the time of retirement the length of their service was below 15 years. This meant a reduced monthly pension because the rule is that the higher the length of service the higher will be the rate of monthly pension.
In view of the above facts, the authorities are requested to grant such civilian pensioners an adequate increase in their pension to allow them to cope with day to day problems.
ABDUL REHMAN ABRO
Karachi
A SECTION of the press reported that a new weapon called the optical tranquilliser has been given to the soldiers in Iraq. It works with a laser beam and causes temporary blinders instead of killing the adversary. Since this gun has not been tested, the inventor is not sure about how long the blindness lasts or whether it permanently damages the retina.
Before the war in Iraq the troops wanted to have war games with live ammunition in the desert. The governor of this state declined to allow this activity to take place as he feared the wildlife would be killed or disturbed.
The champion of human rights, however, uses lethal weapons without remorse on innocent Iraqis as if they were guinea pigs.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
MY letter (May 18) has generated an unexpected interest among the readers, evident by their responses appearing in this column, of which some require my comments.
Mr Kamran Shafi (May 22) is fortunate to be living in Islamabad, with, what he states, a ‘rather large’ population of pigs. I was made aware of this fact earlier but refrained from calling it ‘large’, not wanting to disrupt the sensibilities of Islamabad residents.
Mr Shafi chooses to shoot them down but not without facing the music of some ‘pig protection’ organisation. This may well be the best mode of management but in view of the scores of labels like ‘blood-thirsty fundamentalists’ already ascribed to us Pakistanis, I refrained from openly suggesting it earlier.
I was humoured by Mr S. Asif’s letter from France (May 23) who seems to be ‘smiling for wrong reasons’ in response to Mr Kamran Shafi’s reply. I can assure him that he is not singular; there are thousands who would like to eradicate all varieties. However, the focus of discussion of my letter is ‘sus scrofa’, animals that are phenotypically pigs.
Mr Anil Khan Luni (May 22) proposes a less radical option by sparing the pigs and handling the issue through public health education. There can be no two opinions about this. The best way to address any spreading infection/infestation is most certainly preventive, viz., teaching people to wash vegetables properly before consumption.
However, I fear the scope of success would be very limited. It would touch the chords of only the few hygiene-conscious individuals. What about scores of rural people who eat raw vegetables after directly picking from the fields or those thousands of vendors and restaurant operators who have no concept of health and cleanliness? The problem faced by health workers in India appears to stem mostly from such vendors.
Lastly, Dr Serajuddaula Syed (May 26) corrected me by pointing out that spread of cysticercosis is through human faeces. However, his perception (as is mentioned in some older textbooks) that spread of cysticercosis is limited to pork-eaters is not correct. I feel that he missed the crux of the whole discussion which highlights its reported occurrence amongst ‘pure’ vegetarians in India.
To summarise, cysticercosis needs both humans and pigs to complete their lifecycle. Man serves as a larval host and occasionally becomes infected in similar manner as pigs, i.e., by drinking contaminated water or eating vegetables infected with eggs. Besides, a man harbouring an adult worm can also auto-infect himself either because of his poor personal hygiene or because of reversal of gut movements (anti-peristalsis). For human cysticercosis, the eggs must reach the stomach from where larvae make way to various parts of the body, including skin, muscles and brain.
PROF HASAN AZIZ
Karachi
THE condition of prisoners of India and Pakistan remains most pathetic. They are treated harshly and denied the rights which are due to prisoners. Normally they are without legal aid and kept out of contact with their families. These prisoners remain victims of prevalent prejudice and intolerance.
There are many cases of Indian and Pakistani prisoners who are forced to remain in prison even after completion of their sentence. But very few of them are reported or become public knowledge. Indian national Swaran Lal is one such person who continues to be denied freedom and is forcibly imprisoned after serving a 10-year sentence. His case has recently been poignantly reported in Dawn.
Mr Lal has been in prison for 13 years now, exceeding the length of his sentence by three years, with no apparent hope of returning home to his mother, wife and children.
An intricate procedure of consular access, verification of nationality status and travel documents are involved before a foreign prisoner is released.
Despite the completion of all formalities in Swaran Lal’s case he is still behind bars.
According to the Pakistani authorities, they are waiting for a mutually agreed date on which prisoners of both countries would be repatriated. It cannot be more unfortunate for Swaran Lal because his mother is seriously ill in Jammu, India, and has pinned all hopes on Gen Musharraf, who she says is a man of compassion, to grant her the happiness of seeing her son before she dies.
BRIG (r) RAO ABID HAMID
Lahore Cantt
IT is reported (Dawn, May 31) that the KESC has pointed its finger at Wapda for a sudden switching off of 370 megawatts electricity from the recently-built vital Hubco- Baldia link, despite knowing Karachi’s present power situation.
Today Wapda has control over the switch to electricity supply in Sindh. What will happen tomorrow when it has similar control over the country’s dams and rivers, especially on the Indus and the new dams being built over it?
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
PTV shows the wrong flag while giving news about cricket matches between England and other teams. What PTV shows is the British flag. Britain does not play cricket; it is England which does, and the English flag consists of a red cross against a white background.
JAMIL AHMAD
Karachi
APROPOS of Mr Inam Elahi Sukhera’s letter ‘Whither Wapda?’ (May 28), Wapda disowns the allegations and sweeping statements based on hearsay.
Further, reduction of line losses from 24 per cent to 21 per cent, electrification of all villages in the country by 2007, repairs of pylons blown up by terrorists within six to eight hours, connections to 15,000 tube-wells and 2.4 million new industrial and commercial consumers over the past three years and restoration of electricity within 24 hours to the earthquake-hit area of Azad Jammu Kashmir and Balakot are only a few examples which speak volumes of the performance of Wapda.
Also, there has been no tariff increases despite the increase in oil price by 87 per cent and gas price by 47 per cent.
While making allegations of corruption, granting extensions and nepotism, Mr Sukhera has not cited any case. As regards the ‘farm houses”, the project was rejected by the Wapda chairman and the money deposited by members have been returned with the explicit direction that neither any funds nor the name of Wapda would be used in any future housing schemes.
Wapda is a statutory body, which is governed by certain rules and regulations. An elaborate system of accountability exists, leaving no space for arbitrary decision.
Wapda is an executing agency responsible for implementing the policies formulated by the government and, therefore, the question of any differences with the minister does not arise.
It would be pertinent to mention here that mega projects in the power as well as in water sectors are in various stages of implementation.
Fully aware that there is always room for improvement, Wapda welcomes constructive criticism and suggestions.
DIRECTOR Public Relations, Wapda,
Lahore
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