| August 17, 2006 | Thursday | Rajab 21, 1427 |
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Organising skilled workers
PTV’s cricket commentary
In memoriam
Weeding out fake trade bodies
Thank you Cuba
Good fences required
Progress of library science
The chains of bigotry
Facilities for Karachiites
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
WHEN there is an indivisible unity of people and a profound oneness of purpose, you can overcome an adversary thousand times mightier.
There might be several elements that led Israel to declare ceasefire but the solidarity shown by the people of Lebanon to withstand its aggression can be the foremost reason for its first defeat in history.
There is no civil war in Lebanon which was a hallmark of the country during the 1980s and 1990s. We used to read in newspapers about several Lebanese groups fighting each other and as proxy of Israel.
Mercenaries are the best toll to be used. For that purpose Israel had created the South Lebanon Army.
This time Amal and Druze militias were out of newspaper reports and instead Amal fought against Israel.
Founded in 1976, the SLA mainly comprised Christians who were opposed to armed PLO fighters which at that time used Lebanese soil for attacks on Israel.
Initially, Shias and Druzes joined the SLA but when it was solely financed, trained and given military paraphernalia by Israel as a proxy force, they left it.
During the Lebanese civil war, Amal militia, mainly comprising Shias, entangled itself in camp wars killing thousands of Palestinians.
It fought against Hezbollah for Beirut’s control and its support for the Palestinian cause.
It was Hezbollah and
Amal fight which invited the Syrian intervention in the country.
Now the situation was different altogether. A New York Times contributor quoted a car mechanic in Lebanon as saying: “The trees in the south say we are Hezbollah. The stones say we are Hezbollah. If the people cannot talk, the stones will say it.”
It was oneness of purpose that Israel suffered a humiliating defeat and displacement of its population.
Associated Press reported that “the conflict left nearly 950 people dead — 791 in Lebanon and 155 on the Israeli side. An estimated 500,000 Israelis and about one million Lebanese had been displaced”.
In future, Israel would think many times before invading Lebanon, the country it invaded as weak.
Israel also declared that it would negotiate to exchange 13 Hezbollah prisoners and the bodies of several others for two Israeli soldiers after whose capture it had started the war.
Any victory on Israel’s part is zero.
MANZOOR CHANDIO
Karachi
A MONTH ago it would have been hard to imagine Hezbollah standing strong in the face of the mighty Israeli forces on the 32nd day of combat. Interestingly, Israel suffered its heaviest military casualties two days before the ceasefire which just shows that instead of getting weaker Hezbollah was gaining in strength and confidence.
Surely IDF heavily underestimated the capabilities of these fighters and in frustration attacked civilian shelters, buildings and refugee convoys instead. The plan to reshape the Middle East as proposed by Bush and Blair is clearly off track and they have been forced to agree to a UN resolution supporting a ceasefire.
There is no question about who actually won this war, but there should be a lot of questions about what Israel actually managed to achieve. Lebanon has been set back 30 years for absolutely no legitimate reason. It has become evident that plans were made for this war much in advance and had little to do with the captured Israeli soldiers.
Not all is lost though. Pictures of Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah being waved in Sunni Muslim countries is something recent history has not witnessed and will surely be troubling those who believe in the policy of divide and conquer. The Muslim masses have spoken with one voice, Israel and the US have come out as aggressors and a few thousand faithful fighters have shown the rest of us how to stand up in the face of adversity.
SYED OMER SALAM
Abu Dhabi, UAE
PAKISTAN has a very strong base with people who possess skills. We have excellent skilled workers such as painters, plumbers, builders, carpenters and fixture experts. These workers do not earn well enough to support their families or to survive in the face of rising cost of living as their skills are hardly respected.
In other countries skilled workers are given greater importance than in Pakistan. They work under agencies and are given incentives and extra facilities such as medical allowance and house rent. They work with the latest equipment and machinery in a safe environment. Over there the system is very modernised and advanced.
I have a similar idea for the labour of Pakistan. I would suggest the provincial governments to form agencies to hire skilled workers of the city, formulate legal laws and implement them. The workers could then work under such agencies on a permanent or a daily basis. Offices could be set up in every region of a certain city, and a directory could be formed so that when people are in need of any worker, they could call and give their address for them to help.
In this way a percentage of what these workers earn could be kept by the government and the rest be given to them. Those working permanently could be given extra facilities. The percentage which the government would keep could be used to buy modern machinery and equipment and the rest to run the organisation or to invest it somewhere else. The workers could work in uniforms, with proper safety equipment, care and modern equipment and techniques.
In this way such craftsmen could earn a better living and live a proper life. Although all this would require a lot of field work, recruitment hassles, etc., if there is effort and determination there could be a better and modern Pakistan to live in.
MUHAMMAD RAHAT HUSSAIN
Karachi
FOR its viewers the PTV has arranged live coverage of the on-going cricket series between Pakistan and England.
There is also a panel of former Test cricketers who analyse the game and give their expert opinion before and during intervals of a match. Its panel of experts is composed of Intekhab Alam, Muhammad Ilyas and Aaqib Javed.
Here one must appreciate the views of experts like Intekhab Alam and Aaqib Javed who have a good knowledge of the game and their comments are always interesting and well-balanced.
But the the comments made by Muhammad Ilyas are devoid of any interest for the viewers. This former Test cricketer does not seem to have an insight nor has any ability to analyse the different aspects of the game.
What exactly he does is that either he repeats what Intekhab Alam has already said or he talks something illogical.
For instance, during the third Test match at Headingley when there was a long partnership between Younus Khan and Muhammad Yousuf, he opined that the next batsman, Inzamamul Haq, must have got tired by now and, therefore, he should take off his pads and relax and send in a bowler on the fall of the next wicket.
Now this sounds ridiculous and cannot be said to have come from an expert. Not even a layman could have said at that critical stage of the game when Pakistan was trying to save a follow-on that a bowler should bat in place of a batsman and that too of the calibre of Inzamam.
So, instead of wasting time and money on Muhammad Ilyas the PTV should include some knowledgeable former Test cricketer in its panel of experts and thus make the current cricket series more interesting for its viewers.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
Murder most foul, as in the best it is,
But this most foul, strange & unnatural
THE cold-blooded, calculated and cruel killing of an academic of extraordinary calibre leaves one stunned and speechless. Group Capt (r) Mian Maqbool Ahmad Rahbar, the assassinated principal of the Cadet College, Mastung (Balochistan), was a highly qualified, competent and dedicated scholar. An upright and outspoken professional, he had been selected on merit and had turned round the Cadet College in his pre-maturely cut short tenure of two years owing to his sheer dynamism, diligence and devotion to the cause of education.
He applied himself to his task with a patriotic zeal and paid the ultimate price.
“...Cruel are the times, when we are traitors,
And do not know ourselves...
(and) know not what we fear.
But float on a wild and violent sea...”
The loss to the young students of Balochistan is immense.
While law-enforcement agencies must bring to book the perpetrators of this crime, the federal and provincial governments must ensure the welfare of the dead principal’s widow and two minor daughters. Their loss is irreparable.
As regards the gone man and his qualities of head and heart, his unabashed zest for life and all things good, one can only say:
“ A was a man, take him for all,
I shall not look upon his like again”.
Rest in peace, cut down comrade-in-arms and fallen friend: “Mon semblable, mon frere”. Many will miss you.
SQN Ldr (r) AGHA KHALIL AHMAD
Karachi
MR Ihtasham ul Haque’s report (Dawn, Economic and Business Review, Aug 7) gives the real picture of the trade bodies functioning in our country and it is a great satisfaction that the government is active about drafting a new law to replace the Trade Ordinance 1961.
There are two most important points that should be taken into consideration by the Justice Saleem Committee.
First, since most of the trade bodies will be conducting their elections before Oct 31 — and some of them have already started the process — it is essential that by a notification the election process should be stopped until such time the new law is made effective and at the same time the process of law-making should be expedited, otherwise non-professional, unqualified, incompetent and unscrupulous members will be elected by unfair means and the same chaotic scene and politics will continue for the next three years, and the purpose of the new law will be nullified.
Second, people with business and legal experience should be associated in law-making.
M. AMIN BAKALI
Karachi
AFTER reading the letter from the Cuban embassy (Aug 11), I realised that instead of making baseless comments regarding Cuba we should be grateful for the help they provided us during our time of need. In a reversal of circumstances I only hope that Pakistan will provide even half as much support as was given to us by them. We hope and pray for a speedy and complete recovery of their great leader Fidel Castro.
FARAH QURESHI
Lahore
THE help rendered by President Fidel Castro and the people of Cuba during the last year’s devastating earthquake in northern Pakistan should never be forgotten by the people of Pakistan.
Cuba was one of the first few countries that came to our rescue soon after calamity struck. Cuban doctors, numbering about 2,500, worked tirelessly for seven months to save the lives of our people in the most remote and difficult-to-reach areas. They treated more than 1.7 million patients, which is 73 per cent of all the patients treated after the earthquake. Many patients were flown to Cuba for special care and treatment.
President Musharraf should go to Havana and personally thank the ailing president and the people of Cuba for the help they provided in our most difficult time. We salute President Castro and the people of Cuba.
DR KHURRAM FIAZUDDIN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter by the Cuban embassy “‘Abysmal’ Cuba sent doctors to Pakistan” (Aug 11).
Cuba has undoubtedly done a great service to humanity by providing enormous medical support to our earthquake victims and we will never forget that. We are sincerely indebted to the people and the government of Cuba for their love of Pakistan and humanity. I personally witnessed similar gestures in several other countries where Cuban doctors and other professionals volunteered to help people in need, purely on humanitarian considerations.
We are not an ungrateful people and appreciate the good gestures of the Cuban people. We also sincerely apologise for any bad feelings gathered by the Cuban embassy from portion of the article under reference, which I am sure, if seen in the general tempo and context of the article will be found to be out of place and should be ignored as a genuine omission in editing. We look forward to continued good gestures and considerations by the Cuban people for the goodwill and welfare of the people of Pakistan in particular, and the world at large.
M.SAEED
Islamabad
APROPOS of the article written by Mr Anwer Mooraj and the hurt reply to it from the Cuban embassy (Aug 11) , I would agree with the latter that the article left a bad taste in the mouth. Especially considering that Cuba was generous enough to lend us a helping hand in a situation when even most of our brother Muslim countries, for reasons of their own, were not able to do so.
Some of my doctor friends who worked in those areas and associated with the Cuban doctors were full of praise for the selfless way the Cubans provided medical assistance to devastated Pakistanis.
On behalf of all Pakistanis I would again like to thank the Cuban government and the people, especially the doctors, for their acts of kindness and I send them our warmest wishes and prayers.
DR AAMIR NISAR
Karachi
Last I heard Pakistan was a sovereign state. Imagine my shock then to read Mr Kunwar Idris call for Pakistan to join some type of South Asian Union with India (‘Case for a South Asian union’, July 23). Such a suggestion would be a recipe for disaster, particularly when one considers that at least two of Pakistan’s neighbours have designs on Pakistan’s territory and have yet to reconcile themselves to its existence.
Moreover, Mr Idris passes a judgment that would be offensive to many Pakistanis when he assumes that Pakistanis feel a shared culture with Indians. If anything, such a sentiment would move Balochistan and the NWFP to leave Pakistan and join our western neighbours with whom they have more in common than India.
The answer is to strengthen a Pakistani identity and culture which should focus on our Islamic heritage. After all, Pakistan was forged on the two-nation theory which implies that Pakistanis see themselves as part of a distinct nation. As the saying goes: “Good fences make good neighbours”. May I suggest to Mr Idris that he move east of our border if he is more comfortable there.
MOHAMMED ELAHI,
MD Toronto, Canada
THIS is with reference to the article ‘Progress of library science’ by Ms Zubeida Mustafa (Aug 9). The dates given by the writer for institution of master’s course at the various universities in Pakistan are not correct.
As a retired professor and former chairperson of the department of library and information science at Karachi University, I feel that these facts need to be corrected to keep the record straight.
It was 1962 and not 1957 when the diploma programme was upgraded to MA level at Karachi University. In 1974 the universities of Punjab and Sindh upgraded their diploma programme to MA in library science.
Likewise, the master’s programme was started by the universities of Peshawar in 1982; Islamia University, Bahawalpur, in 1984 and Balochistan University in 1985.
Two other universities, namely, Allama Iqbal Open University (2001) and Bahauddin Zakaria University, Multan (2004), also offer the MA programme in library and information science.
DR SYED JALAL HAIDER
Karachi
THIS relates to a report published in your newspaper about the debate on various bills introduced in the National Assembly (Aug 9) aiming at the protection of women’s rights, especially the protection against domestic violence. I was shocked to hear the remarks made by the minister for parliamentary affairs, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi. The honourable minister argued against the passing of the bills, saying that Islam allows wife-beating and that the proposed legislation is anti-Islamic.
The interpretation of religion is one thing and downright bigotry quite another. Any learned scholar of Islam, regardless of sect, will tell the minister that his comments are based on a false interpretation of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. If the minister has trouble finding scholars, I can refer him to a few, or maybe he just needs to flip the religious channels on cable television his party is so proud of introducing.
I am not a very religious person, but I am definitely proud of my religion. The minister’s comments were completely uncalled-for and offensive, and they necessitate an apology. At a time when the world eyes Islam with suspicion, the least our legislators can do is make responsible statements about Islam. So much for Gen Musharraf’s enlightened moderation, Dr Niazi does not appear to be even moderately enlightened.
For the sake of all Pakistanis who want the Pakistan that Mr Jinnah envisaged, let us all pray and hope that legislation affording women protection against domestic violence is passed. To paraphrase Karl Marx: “Citizens of Pakistan unite, you have nothing to lose but your bigotry”.
WAQQAS MIR
Lahore
APROPOS of the news item ‘CM calls for providing basic facilities to villagers’ (Aug 8), I request the CM to first provide basic facilities to the angry and frustrated residents of Karachi.
I bet there are small villages better organised than this so-called metropolis. On top of everything else, the VVIPs have the audacity to divert and re-route the already stagnant traffic so that their own little pleasure trips will not be disturbed. But sadly, judging from history, the conditions in Karachi will remain the same, if not worse, next year and in the years after that. What was the slogan again? “Sab say pehlay Pakistan”? Yeah right.
SYED NOPHIL RIZVI
Karachi
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