| July 14, 2006 | Friday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 17, 1427 |
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Effective role sought for Afghan peace
Mumbai blasts
NSS and pensioners
Freedom of inquiry
Condemning North Korea
CVT on immovable properties
No sugar at utility store
Empowering traffic cops
Inaccessibility of Satora valley
Great day in history
THE aviation industry has brought about revolutionary changes in making travel very comfortable, fast and reliable. Accidents are a necessary evil, which will occur as long as machines that are made by humans and operated by them fly.
The last major accident at Toronto involved an A340, a brand new aircraft, while landing in severe weather, veered off the runway, caught fire and broke into pieces. Within 90 seconds of the fire rescue vehicles arrived and rescued all passengers. There was not a single causality.
PIA’s Fokker crashed within three kilometres of the runway. The CAA’s fire trucks arrived after an hour of the accident. Nobody in Pakistan has questioned their failures. They have only recently announced a profit of over Rs10 billion. How much of this goes for vital aviation requirements of the passengers who pay hefty amounts, and how much is doled out for foreign junkets and other unnecessary expenditure for its heavy bureaucratic setup is anyone’s guess.
There were 45 human fatalities in the crash. But PIA executives have neither the time nor the humanity to offer condolences by visiting the families who have lost their loved ones.
The problem in Pakistan is with the mindset and arrogance of those nominated by Islamabad to head organisations. As long as they appease the elite of this country , their jobs are secure. The common man, his life and his property have no value.
Accidents will occur as long as airplanes fly, but if an airline invests in training and paying proper salaries to its flight crew and technicians, the accidents will be reduced. PIA and CAA Pakistan have a history of never publishing the report of any major accident. The in-house investigation by PIA is a joke. A management that does not feel the necessity to walk to the doorsteps of the victims’ families and offer their condolences has no business to run a service-oriented industry.
It was PIA that made Captain Hamid operate the flight with minimum rest and hardly any sleep. PIA’s staff overloaded the aircraft, and did not attend to defects reported on this aircraft. The regulatory body has failed in its primary role. Yet nobody will resign, nor will Islamabad sack them. That is the tragedy of Pakistan.
GUL ZAMAN
Paris, France
THIS refers to the article with the above title that was printed in Dawn on June 24. The US deputy secretary of state for South Asia and Central Asian affairs, John Gastright, has urged Pakistan to play a more effective role in restoring peace to Afghanistan.
What Mr Gastright has blatantly ignored is the fact that the Afghans have always been mistrustful of Pakistan and have never hesitated to accuse Pakistan of supporting whichever side they have had disputes with. Pakistan has already paid an extremely heavy price for its involvement in Afghan affairs relating to the war on terror. This includes bearing the burden of the refugees streaming across the border, as well as of domestic troubles in its own tribal areas due to exiled Taliban leaders instigating the Pakhtun population.
Since 1947 Pakistan has faced hostility from the Afghans and nothing but trouble has come of Pakistan’s involvement in Afghan affairs. Just to mention a few, in 1947 Afghanistan pressed Pakistan over the issue of Pakhtoonistan. In 1956, an Afghan mob ransacked the Pakistan embassy in Kabul. More significant perhaps were the severe problems caused during the Soviet war of the 1980s which saw the rise of the Kalashnikov culture and drug trafficking in Pakistan. Even more recently, Hamid Karzai has been continuously criticising what he considers Pakistan’s ‘insignificant’ role in war on terror and making accusations about Pakistan infiltrating militants across the Durand Line. In this kind of political atmosphere, for Mr Gastright to further urge a more effective role in the peace process by Pakistan comes across as somewhat naïve. It also shows that the US continues to turn a blind eye to Afghan animosity towards Pakistan.
Pakistan has already done more than enough for the Afghan issue. It is now time its efforts were acknowledged and rewarded for the pivotal role it has played. But will this happen? Or will the US once again withdraw its support for Pakistan when its strategic importance is reduced just like it did in 1989?
SOHAIB KHALID HASHMI
Karachi
THE incident involving seven bomb blasts that rocked Mumbai and killed more than 200 innocent people is indeed very sad. India, as usual has pointed the finger towards Pakistan. The Indian government and the people of India need to realise that India and Pakistan are sailing in the same boat. Terrorists are not sparing any city of India or Pakistan. It is time both the countries fought terrorism together. India should refrain from baseless allegations.
M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
WE offer our heartfelt condolences for the loss of lives in the deadly blasts in Mumbai followed by a spate of grenade attacks by ‘suspected militants’ in Srinagar in which at least six people, described as Indian tourists, were killed.
The citizens of Pakistan, particularly those living in Karachi, have been facing a similar trauma. We have also lost relatives and loved ones in several of the bomb blasts and are aware of the agony of losing one’s loved ones. These blasts are criminal and ugly acts which aimed at killing innocent civilians and spreading terror and insecurity among the citizens in order to derail the peace process between Pakistan and India.
The Pakistan government rightly condemned these bombings as a ‘despicable act of terrorism’ and rightly termed terrorism as a “bane of our times which must be condemned, rejected and countered effectively and comprehensively.”
NAIMA ASLAM KHAN
Karachi
FOR the last few years pensioners, widows and senior citizens have been pleading for an increase in the profit rates of NSS instruments; and in the 2006 budget the government at last relented and rectified its past failures.
However, the increase offered is so low that it hardly offers any relief. Moreover, this paltry increase is also applicable to only fresh investment after June 2006. The vast majority of former investors who had been pleading for an increase get no benefit.
The prime minister bent over backwards to protect the unscrupulous criminals of the sugar and cement scams, by illogically claiming that the price hike was due to international price increase when it was evident to everyone, except the PM, that this was due to hoarding and manipulation locally.
The prime minister, senators, MNAs and self-appointed political leaders, both here and in self-imposed exile, living on charity or on the wealth siphoned off from the country, did not bat an eyelid at the Rs11 million limousine and now the Rs90 million house for a non-performing speaker.
The government cannot afford a few millions to wipe the tears of the pensioners, widows or senior citizens by giving them a fair increase in NSS schemes, but it can permit its ministers and favourites to skim off billions from the people on fictitious and illogical excuses, or its functionaries to splurge on multi-million limousines and housing.
SENIOR CITIZEN
Karachi
REFERENCE Manzoor Ali Isran’s letter entitled ‘Freedom of inquiry’ (July 10), it is disappointing to learn that Sindh University has given up on academic freedom. If a university cannot ensure academic freedom and diversity of perspectives, it is unable to perform its primary function of development of knowledge. New ideas and intellectual courses of action are first articulated in universities.
Unfortunately Pakistan’s state universities are fast drifting away from their primary goal. One example of how academic freedom is undermined is the treatment extended to Dr Mehtab Ali Shah (International Relations Department) by Sindh University. The differences on academic issues appear to have been interpreted by the university authorities as a challenge to their supremacy.
Given the shortage of qualified teachers with professional standing in arts and the social sciences, the university authorities need to give up the strategy of making life miserable for teachers who do not share their perspective. Bureaucratisation, regimentation and intolerance will destroy whatever intellectualism is still left in Pakistan’s state universities.
DR HASAN ASKARI-RIZVI
Lahore
APROPOS of the letter by Mr Aurangzeb (July 11), one shares his concern about our foreign minister’s recent condemnation of North Korea for testing its missiles. Remaining silent would have been much better. In this connection one would like to draw attention to the article, ‘North Korea’s missile test’, by the former foreign secretary, Mr Tanvir Ahmed Khan (July 10).
Apart from reflecting his usual professionalism, expertise, patriotism and selflessness, it mentions his visit to N. Korea along with the then prime minister, Ms Benazir Bhutto, in 1993 and the interesting discussion he had with an official over there. He has given very valuable advice which must be heeded by all concerned without letting their egos getting in the way, for the sake of Pakistan.
The gist of his message is that we should adopt the common sense approach being followed by China and Russia regarding the sanctions bid in the UNSC and support the advocates of peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula. One may add here that the best policy is to never get involved in something that is not our business.
K. CHAUDRY
Karachi
IN the budget 2006 levy of two per cent capital value tax (CVT) is proposed on the purchase of the following immovable properties: (a) measuring at least 500 square yards, (b)commercial immovable property of any size and (c) residential flats with covered area of 1,500 square feet and above.
The definition for an urban area for levying of CVT for Karachi is up to 40km from the outer limit of the municipal or cantonment limit. (40km + 20km outer limit of municipal comes to 60km. A Karachi urban area for levying of the CVT is now 60km x 60km = 3,600 square kilometres).
For Lahore and Faisalabad, it is up to 30km from the outer limit of the municipal limit. Policymakers must have proposed this keeping in mind some amount of revenue will be received and more people will be brought into tax net.
This will work quite adversely against the campaign launched by the president and the prime minister to boost the construction and housing industry to create employment for unskilled and skilled workers, to increase production of 40 related industries, to create indirect employment like transporters and technocrats and, above all, to help housing problem which so far has been neglected and huge backlog is accumulated.
The CVT on immovable properties will shy away individuals, households and small and medium investors who accumulate savings to buy a house, specially the non-resident Pakistanis who send every year $4 billion whose major item of investment is to buy houses for their dependants, their children and parents living in Pakistan. They will be reluctant to buy the house because of the CVT and the tax net. These aforesaid class of people are the backbone of the country’s economy.
The CVT on immovable property is like clamping lid on the construction and housing industry. This was the situation when wealth tax was in force. After abolition of wealth tax, a boom in the construction industry was witnessed.
This multiplicity of levies will discourage house building, a labour-intensive activity, whose potential contribution to the economy can be as large as that of the textile industry.
It is the people of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad who have developed these cities. They are the people who will make these cities like Dubai, Singapore and Lebanon, provided there is no hindrance from the government. Leave them alone and they will fulfil the cherished goal envisaged by the president and the prime minister to bring prosperity to the country by boosting the construction and housing industry.
Although the finance bill has been passed by the parliament, the issue deserves reconsideration by the government in view of the significance of housing in creation of employment and incentive for investment to non-resident Pakistanis.
I.Z. AHMED
Karachi
TWO per cent tax levied on sale and purchase of property is a very good idea. This will not only be a good source of income, but also will bring on record all such transactions; thereby it will be possible for the government to lay their hands on those who do it with bad intentions, e.g., to whiten their black money, to manipulate property prices, to hide their wealth, etc. But the trouble is that the real value is not shown in the registration papers and a substantial portion is hidden from the records.
The remedy I suggest is that the government should pass a law to the effect that it will have a right to acquire any recently-purchased property at a price 10 or 15 per cent higher than the recorded price and then sell it to the highest bidder. This law being in the best national interest can easily be approved by the parliament. This is the only effective remedy to curb this malpractice of ‘short pricing’.
Any comments from the readers will be appreciated.
N.A. KHAN
Karachi
EVERY month I go shopping for rupees two to three thousand from the utility store at Kurri Road, Rawalpindi, but it is a matter of great surprise that sugar has not been given to me since December 2005 till date. On the other hand, sugar measuring 1,000 tons is being delivered to the utility store. Who are the persons for whom this sugar is being delivered?
Most of the 90 per cent people are still buying sugar from the market at the rate of Rs40 a kilo. Besides this, 85 per cent of the people of Pakistan reside in villages where no utility store exists.
I will request the president and the prime minister to hand over this serious matter of misappropriation of sugar to the director-general of the FIA so that a proper inquiry may be conducted against all managers of the utility stores on the count of misappropriation of sugar on a large scale.
Moreover, the ration card system should be reintroduced in the country so that every person should be able to get sugar without any obstruction. In the meanwhile utility stores should be set up in villages also.
RAJA GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN
Rawalpindi
THIS refers to Shaikh Salman’s letter ‘Empowering traffic cops’ (July 9). I do not believe that empowering traffic cops will bring about any changes in the traffic chaos and lawlessness we experience every day. To rid this country of this evil would require a Herculean effort from someone at the top, i.e., the president or the prime minister, as the problem does not start from the cops but only ends there.
A prime example is an incident which occurred a few months ago. A brave cop stopped a minister for driving a jeep with tinted glasses and ordered his men to remove the tints. The obvious happened: a couple of phone calls were made and the cop was ordered to let the minister go while the authority given to cops to remove tints from the cars was suspended.
This is not a one-off case, there are countless similar incidencts happening every day where an influential person makes a strategic call to someone in power and everything is taken care of. Such people not only use their influence for themselves, but also for their reckless children and drivers.
Unless we have a strong judicial system where it would not matter to the judge whether the accused is a landlord, politician, minister or a commoner we cannot rid this country of its problems. Empowering cops will only make matters worse as their empowerment will only be directed towards the commoners and it will be misused thoroughly by those in power. Start punishing the accused and things will get better.
MOHSIN IKRAM
Karachi
OUR country has many, many populous locations that remain inaccessible due to the absence of roads. The Satora (Korral Haro) valley in Hazara division is one such area. Possessing a population of over 50,000 souls, the settlements portray a picture of pre-historic times due to absence of basic amenities.
Among other shortcomings, lack of even minimum quality roads is a major issue. ‘Bradrie’, a local NGO, began welfare and development work in the area on reports of alarming rise in TB, polio and scabies cases.
Several medical camps have been organised during the previous 10 months despite extreme weather conditions. The team of these dedicated doctors intends to set up a permanent healthcare unit but is unable to do so due to the absence of a link road. Several casualties have already taken place as it takes days to carry the sick to a healthcare facility.
Area residents lament the fact that MNAs and MPAs, who possess development allocations for their constituencies, have never bothered to pay any heed to their fundamental needs. A request is made to all the concerned to do the needful.
DR NOMAN AHMED
Karachi
THE Law Reforms Ordinance has made July 7 a great day in the history of Pakistan. It will allow about 1,300 women prisoners to be released on bail. Close to 6,000 women are in jail awaiting trial throughout the country. The exact number of women prisoners is not known.
The Hudood laws of 1979 are not Islamic, though the name might suggest this. The Pakistani Hudood laws are man-made and, therefore, they are prone to wrong interpretations, ambiguities and incorrect punishment.
That’s why the Council of Islamic Ideology has agreed to amend them.
REHANA NAQVI
Karachi
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