| June 18, 2006 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1427 |
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Return to democracy
Decline of the civil service
Lahore’s CGE Colony
‘Fundamentalist challenge’
15 per cent increase in salaries
Nuclear proliferation
Protecting heritage
Smashing the begging bowl
What does ‘shall’ mean?
Civic problems
Kabul’s allegation
Environmental degradation
IT was heartening to read that Pakistan has announced a donation of $3 million to the cash-strapped Hamas government to alleviate the Palestinian people’s plight (June 8).
While this is a measure that should have come earlier, the concern still remains that the money may not reach the beneficiaries due to the restrictions placed by the West upon banks against transferring any funds to Hamas. The donations pledged by several other Muslim countries have already met this fate.
This is very tragic, if we consider the monumental difficulties already being faced by the people of thatland. In a very touching article by Fareed Taamallah it was revealed how his daughter caught a viral infection at about age one, but could not get proper treatment due to the curfews imposed by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank village where they lived (Dawn, May 8). Consequently, she developed kidney failure and had to undergo dialysis every four hours. The side-effects caused hypertension and hernia and the only option remaining was to have a kidney transplant.
Imagine, an infant suffering thus because of the cruelty of Israeli government. She was finally able to get another kidney after more nightmarish time for her family but their difficulties did not end there because after Hamas won the elections, the Israelis tightened restrictions on Palestinians’ entering Israel and permits were that much harder to get, apart from which the stoppage of aid by the US and Europe undermined the free healthcare offered by the Palestinian Authority.
Another article by Dr Ghada Karmi (May 16) points out that according to the World Bank 75 per cent people in Gaza live below the poverty line while a quarter of children are malnourished. Yet another report shows that the Palestinian government-run hospitals are very short of medicines and some Hamas-operated clinics are trying to carry on through Zakat and other donations of some compatriots but have had to stop or reduce salary payments to the staff.
In view of all this, it is important that alternative means be found to channel help to the unfortunate families of Palestine whose breadwinners have not been receiving their salaries for the past several months. Perhaps some charitable organisations in Pakistan and the other Muslim countries can ship canned food, medicines and whatever other things may be required as soon as possible to bypass the restrictions on money transfer.
Nevertheless, all this goes to show how the West and Israel preach democracy and human rights but fail to uphold their own principles when things don’t go according to wishes. The recent moves by the US to have direct contacts or to hold negotiations with Iran after much pressure by the international community are steps in the right direction and are likely to soften Tehran’s attitude. The same approach would work in case of Hamas, which may shun violence, even if it does not recognise Israel. In any case, the Palestinians’ (and other Muslims) hearts and minds cannot be won through coercion or applying double standards but by fairness and kindness.
M. MUSLIM
Karachi
FEUDAL lords, jagirdars and cartels have to be eliminated if this country is to return to democracy.
The sham democracy which has been in place for the last five or six elections will continue no matter how transparent the upcoming elections. The political parties are the stronghold of feudal lords, zamindars and jagirdars. They are giving their tickets to their fathers, sons, daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law. This practice continues and the masses have no choice but to elect them.
Your paper was founded by the Quaid-i-Azam who had emphatically declared in the Muslim League’s session in Delhi, 1943: “My government will be the people’s government. I warn jagirdars, feudal lords, wealth cartels that it is difficult to bargain with them, squeezing of public blood is in their veins, they have forgot Islamic principles. Selfishness and temptations have been given preference by them on others and made themselves strong. You go to village people, they do not get even a single meal per day. Is this culture, is this dream of Pakistan? If this is aim of Pakistan, I do not accept it....”.
So, let us first of all finish them and then hold true democratic elections. They cannot be finished by any number of elections as vested interests unite, come to parliament and do not do any single thing for the masses.
They indulge in widespread corruption, take despotic actions and invite the army to take over. This same process is repeated again and again.
I venture to conclude that if jagirdars and cartels are not undone, the same cycle will always be repeated in the coming 50 years.
SYED FAIZ OMAR
Lahore
ZAFAR Iqbal’s ‘The decline of the civil service’ (May 26) was an interesting piece. But one got an impression that all “the white men representing Whitehall” — ICS European — were the purest of the pure Brahmins — competitionwallahs as against the mixed breed of competition-cum-nominationwallah Indians — ICS Indian. The British maintained the racially designated difference till the end.
Many of the white men were nominationwallahs, as well. Actually they were nominated to the ICS without writing the competitive examination. From 1915 to 1943 (no London examination took place from 1940 to 1943), 221 ‘Europeans’ were nominated, first under the Indian Civil Service (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1915, and, then, under a policy announced in 1936, by the British government “for appointment of a preliminary interviewing committee and a final selection board for recruitment to the ICS during the same period (after sitting the examinations in London, Allahabad and later Delhi) was only 167.
And not all the white men in the ICS represented Whitehall. There were many exceptions. One was Michael Carritt (ICS of Bengal cadre), the author of ‘A mole in the Crown’. He was actively associated with the Communist Party of Great Britain! Under the code name of Bashir, he was instrumental in organising the Communist Party in India, looking after the trade union activities in Bombay and Ahmedabad textile mills, and setting up ‘kisan sabhas’ all over British India. He ghost-wrote a memorandum on behalf of the Bengal Provincial Kisan Sabha for the Floud Commission, recommending two-thirds share of the cultivated crop for the Bengali farmer. Years later, this became the main demand of the cultivators in the Tebhaga movement in undivided Bengal. (Interestingly, all the recommendations made in the Kisan Sabbha’s memorandum were accepted by the Floud Commission).
MAH
Islamabad
THIS is to draw the attention of the government to the alarming condition of the quarters of the CGE Colony, Wahdat Road, Lahore. The Social Welfare Association, an elected body of the colony, has been engaged continuously with the Pakistan PWD authorities to carry out maintenance work but all in vain.
The residents of the colony are suffering from the unhygienic atmosphere resulting from the heaps of garbage lying almost in all corners of the colony. The drainage system of the colony is choked, causing not only the blockage of sewage but also the accumulation of rain water. The colony was built about 40 years ago and since then the quarters have never been renovated. Washrooms, windows, doors, floors and roofs are in shabby condition. Electric wiring is in tatters and has caused some fatal accidents as a result of short circuits.
For the cleanliness of the colony only two sweepers are employed for 200 houses. Also, parks and grounds remain unattended and littered with bushes.
For the security of the colony, chowkidars were posted some time back but with the passage of time this arrangements has fallen prey to usual lethargy. No proper system of security is in place there now.
On behalf of all the residents the association appeals to the federal housing and works minister to help redress the situation.
MAQBOOL AHMED CHOHAN
Lahore
MR Asaf Ali Shah (June 13) is right. I was imprecise in quoting the Quaid, although the inference drawn from the quote, that Mr Jinnah was a secularist at heart, is perhaps not altogether wrong. The exact words used by Mr Jinnah in his Constituent Assembly speech, as quoted in Stanley Wolpert’s book on the leader, are as follows: “You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State”.
The correspondent also recalls Mr Jinnah’s March 22, 1940 address to the Lahore session of the Muslim League and quotes the Quaid as saying: “Come forward as servants of Islam, organise the people economically, socially, educationally and politically.” Then Mr Shah comments: “A ‘secularist servant of Islam’ sounds like an oxymoron.”
That, alas, is one of the many contradictions that we have had to live with. No leader of the Pakistan Movement, however, secular, was above exploiting religion to mobilise public opinion.
That’s why in the article in question the quotation (or misquotation) from Mr Jinnah’s speech was preceded by the remark that he rose to speak in the Constituent Assembly after much damage had already been done to the communal fabric of the subcontinent.
TAHIR MIRZA
Karachi
HATS off to state finance minister Umar Ayub Khan who has presented the 2006-07 budget wherein a 15 per cent increase in salaries of government employees has also been announced. What a joke financial pundits have played on salaried employees.
An employee drawing Rs4,000 (basic pay) will get only Rs600 with increase of 15 per cent – which is of course insufficient, and this increase is not supposed to be cumulative in the salaries if allocated as a separate head.
The budget-makers should have realised the agony of low- paid government employees who find it so difficult to meet the daily expense of living within their scanty salaries. A substantial rise in salaries, along with addition of fringe benefits, should have been made so that it would help minimise the financial straits of government employees and lessen the motivation for corruption.
ASIF AHMED KHAN
Karachi
The success of the Manhattan project, and the physical demonstration thereof by the US in Japan, helped the UK to become nuclear.
Then, in all respects, France was helped to follow suit and thus the West consolidated their hegemony over the developing countries, in general, and the Muslim world, in particular.
To entrench their blackmail of the Arab, they overtly helped Israel to go nuclear and now it is an open secret that Israel is subduing the Arabs through its nuclear power. Israel attacked Iraq’s Orisak nuclear facilities in 1982 and would never allow any Arab country to develop nuclear weapon for self-defence.
Pakistan’s most sensible policy has been the non-signing of the NNPT and despite every imaginable blackmail and sanctions it has demonstrated its nuclear capabilities and thus secured its sovereignty.
Iran, being subjected to all sorts of threats and bullying since 1979, has no alternative but to go nuclear to safeguard its independence. Yet, despite enjoying all sorts of liberties to test and use all sorts of lethal weapons, the West has raised a storm of sorts to subdue Iran.
In fact this is the subduing of the entire Muslim world. The Arabs have a golden chance at hand to endeavour to go nuclear themselves, because anything once invented cannot be undone and the West has never intended to undo their nukes, rather fattened their stockpiles.
Besides, Iran’s nuclearisation can deliver an effective lever into Arabs’ hands, whereby they can successfully manoeuvre to balance Israel with Iran.
Thus it is a blessing in disguise for the Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia, to utilise their immense wealth and acquire might which will relieve them from the western blackmail through Israel.
Unless the Muslim world creates its own nuclear club, it cannot expect an honourable peace.
MAJID KHAN JADOON
Karachi
WE, the occupants of Siraj Bazaar (covered), Bazaar Road, G-6/3, Islamabad, have been doing business since 1966 when this market was built by the CDA. No one wanted to come here but we worked hard and attracted customers and made this an exclusive shopping centre for local and diplomatic community.
Visitors from other cities came to see this unique market, as it is the only one of its kind in Pakistan. We feel this bazaar has heritage value and so it should be retained and refurbished to make it more attractive.
We request the CDA and other related departments to come forward and maintain the culture of Islamabad, retain the unique architecture of this building and make it a tourist attraction.
We would be more than happy to cooperate in this regard. The new owners are in the business of property purchase and sale after renovation and reconstruction. They should be convinced by the CDA and the residents of G-6/4 and G-6/3(Bazaar Road) to save 100 shops from going out of business and 500 families from being left without any source of income.
AFFECTED PERSONS
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to Mr Sultan Ahmed’s article (“Will the budget promises be realised?”, June 8) which points out the misrepresentation made by the state minister for finance, Omar Ayub Khan, about smashing the begging bowl.
On the contrary, the government has recently received an amount of $6.5 billion from the World Bank. In addition to that it has received loans from other internal and external sources through issuance of Islamic bonds and Euro bonds. The maturity of these bonds will definitely increase the burden of debt.
I also wonder why the government is so keen to maintain a high level of foreign exchange reserves at the cost of foreign and domestic borrowings.
JAN MUHAMMAD KHASKHELI
Karachi
I WATCHED a lively debate the other night on a private TV channel, telecast live from the Parliament House. While discussing the clause in the Constitution of Pakistan which makes it mandatory for the president of Pakistan to address the joint session of both the houses on its first sitting, and again later on first sittings every calendar year, Dr Sher Afghan interpreted the word ‘shall’ as ‘may’, which gave the prerogative to the president whether or not to address a joint session of the two houses.
If this is the official interpretation of the term ‘shall’ then, it would absolve all government functionaries from performing their official responsibilities for which the term ‘shall’ has been used in government rules and notifications. . Dr Sher Afghan may want to clarify this point.
ABDUL QAYUM KHAN
Karachi
I AM a resident of Karachi’s Erum Heights, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block-13. For a long time the residents of this area have been facing hygiene problems due to the negligence of the Faisal cantonment authority. Uneven and broken roads and uncovered gutters emitting foul smells demand immediate attention of the cantonment authority.
JAFFAR KHAN JAMALI
Karachi
THIS refers to Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta’s allegation that the Taliban plan an attack from Pakistan.
In 2001 Americans let Osama bin Laden, Mulla Umar and their followers to escape so that they could avoid deploying troops and suffering casualties. Pakistan was enlisted to do the American dirty work in the border areas where their foes allegedly found refuge. Despite its resources America did not seal, mine or fence the border; the fencing of the border is now being opposed on flimsy grounds. Do we need permission from anyone to fence our side of the border?
Conditions in Afghanistan are deteriorating fast and the administration is unable to control the situation. The Afghan government, infested with the anti-Pakistan elements, continues to point accusing finger for allowing attacks from across the border and not doing enough. We are fed up with the do-nothing business.
We have paid a heavy price to keep an important administration in power which plays host to anti-Pakistan forces that are fomenting trouble in our border areas. It appears that the Afghans accuse us at the instigation of its benefactor and master who having done the mischief tries to console and cajole us.
Our foreign office and information minister regrettably tend to be apologetic and do not rebut the accusations. It is time we firmly told the Afghans that we have no more appetite left for one-sided friendly relations.
The Afghans should realise that cooperation has to be a two-way street. In the future their accusations should be rejected with contempt.
KHAN A. SHAMSHAD
Karachi
THE proceedings of a seminar on ‘State of environment in Pakistan”, organised by the SDPI (Dawn, June 6), have highlighted the serious concern of experts on environmental degradation in our country and the government’s apathy towards implementing relevant laws.
Speakers at the seminar considered the damaging done to natural resources and called for collective efforts to save our natural wealth from the ill-effects of hazardous substances and wastes.
However, the levels of noise and smoke pollution was not discussed which is also a major cause of environmental degradation. The emission from factories, vehicles, rickshaws, generators and smoking at public places have deteriorated the atmospheric health and hygienic levels due to which cancerous diseases have spread and natural resources annihilated.
It is futile to expect desirable action from official quarters. However, citizens should themselves realise the magnitude of the problem and take concrete steps to obviate the menace of pollution so that a clean environment can be managed.
ZAKARIA KARIM
Karachi
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