| August 31, 2006 | Thursday | Sha'aban 6, 1427 |
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Post-rain strategy
Progress of library science
US visa procedure
Anger at use of cluster bombs
Miss our dignity the most
An invitation for city nazim
Waiting for the PCB
NAB settling disputes
Sheikh Nasrullah Stadium
A logical solution
February 30
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
THE tragic assassination of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti on August 26, 2006, is a disturbing incident, because this is not just the death of an individual but the death of an entire nation – the Balochis and Sindhis. While he may have been a cruel leader in many ways, the cause for which he died fighting has made him a hero overnight. In many ways, he was a true leader and a warrior extraordinaire.
According to many sources, Nawab Bugti was responsible for establishing 15 schools including two high schools in Balochistan. Regardless of what he did, one cannot deny the fact that the man had character and an education to boot. It is interesting to note that President Musharraf claims that the title of “Nawab” should not be used with his name because he does not have any qualities that make him one.
I want to ask the president how he can take away this title from his name because this title was bestowed to him by the people of Balochistan and so if anyone should have the power to take away that title from his name, it should be them and not President Musharraf.
Akbar Khan Bugti’s actions cannot be condoned because he was known for being brutal but the army operation carried out last week also borders on cruelty, for after all, the fact of the matter is that they did fire missiles on an 80-year-old man. History has proved that force has never been the answer to political problems (the creation of Bangladesh and the operation in Waziristan being cases in point) and Saturday’s incident will further reiterate this point — Balochistan has been alienated and as recent news reports show, all hell has broken loose in the province.
KASHIF PEROZANI
Karachi
THE brutal killing of veteran politician and Baloch political leader Nawab Bugti has resulted in more distrust among an already deeply divided and fractious Pakistani nation.
Removing a political opponent by using state force is no answer to the multi-factorial and complex Balochistan problem. It is high time that we sit together with cool minds to try to find an amicable solution to the problem rather than fight among ourselves.
Dr G.M. Baluch
Merseyside, England
MALIGNED by the government and its agencies, the slain Baloch chieftain never enjoyed much support among political circles or even among the people of his native Dera Bugti. However, the way he died has not only converted the Balochistan province into a tender box, but also earned him the death he might have been longing for.
Both Karachi and Quetta are burning and there is wide spread resentment against the centre, the military and Punjab, all three of which were abhorred by Bugti. It is unfortunate that President Musharraf is congratulating the armed forces for what he described a success. I wish to advise General Musharraf and the establishment not to rejoice as the dead Bugti will prove more deadly than the one living.
DAUD KHATTAK
Peshawar
HAVOC played by periodic heavy rain in Karachi that contribute to paralysis of the entire metropolis’s infrastructure and economy is a phenomenon well-known to all of us. It occurs every few years, yet we are largely caught unprepared and remain oblivious thereafter. This year was no exception.
What we lost in terms of national trade, valuable time, rebuilding cost, personal financial losses, reputation of civic agencies, our profile and standing to invite investment in the future vis-à-vis foreign investors and, most importantly, loss of dozens of precious lives has been well reported and debated in the media.
It’s all over now, Insha Allah. The weather pundits say the main thrust of the weather front is passed westward and we are now into dying phase of it. Hopefully, if no new system develops again, we are
in for our normal weather conditions.
The intention of this letter are to suggest a strategy we must adopt and refine it as we go down the road. By no means it cast any critical emphasis on any individual or agency. We must put an immediate stop to the blame game and consider that “cooperation and coordination amongst the various civic agencies, including the KPT, railways, CDGK, KWSB, KESC, PTCL, NTC and SSGC, is the name of the game. The events that we all saw, heard, read, felt and experienced must be remembered but only as an educational record for us to remember, analyse and pick up important lessons to learn from it. It is this belief that will take us forward on the path of reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure that we all now need to do.
I believe that the citizens of this city if they get a better environment in the affairs of their daily lives, with sincerity, rapidity and competently, they will soon forget the miseries we all went through. But the agencies concerned must not be oblivious of lessons learnt from the entire saga. What now do the managers of the civic agencies need to do?
The citizens of this metropolis deserve to see and feel rapid redevelopment of the broken-down and damaged infrastructure. Their woes will be quickly undone and confidence in the agencies restored if the agencies concerned do not leave the repair works carried over for years ahead, but resort to the following: (a) all broken roads, service lanes and footpaths must be repaired and brought to acceptable serviceable state, (b) sewerage drains and gutters must be reopened and kept that way all the year round, (c) electricity and telephone networks damaged due to rains must be put in order, not as a temporary measure but on a permanent basis, (e) dirt and filth littered all over the city must be picked up quickly to prevent the spread of diseases and remove the eyesore that it is, and (f) the city must be put through intense medicinal spray.
If the above measures are put in place right away and without any delay, and the citizens of this metropolis are put at ease in the affairs of their daily lives, they will forget the discomfort and agonies they have gone through.
One aspect needs consideration. If, God forbid, such a calamity befalls this city again, the administrators need to close the city to reduce the cumulative personal and governmental damage, including loss of lives, as is done in many western countries in case of floods, hurricane and snowfall.
REAR ADMIRAL(r) SYED A. BAQAR
Member, Sindh Public Service Commission
Karachi
IT was a pleasant surprise to see Zubeida Mustafa’s article “Progress of Library Science” (August 9) on the eve of the 56th anniversary of the department of library science at Karachi University. She has raised the most relevant issues related with libraries and librarians.
She has read the pulse of society and pointed out where librarians are lacking. I agree with her that very few other departments at the University of Karachi have flourished as much as the department of library science.
Way back when I was a student of the same department, lectures were delivered in English and some of the best teachers produced the best librarians, Malahat Sherwani being one of them. The profession involves value-added information, and that is only possible if the librarian is good in comprehending what he/she is researching and then disseminate the material. I would insist that since most of the research material is in English librarians should also be good in English.
MUNAWAR SULTANA RAZIUDDIN
Karachi
ON behalf of the faculty and students of the department of library and information science at Karachi University, I would like to acknowledge the very encouraging and article by Zubeida Mustafa. We received a number of messages from our colleagues and friends from all over Pakistan regarding the article.
Librarianship is a quiet profession dedicated to the nation’s development but it is seldom acknowledged, especially in a country like Pakistan where the education system is not yet developed according to the national needs, no public library system has been established and reading habits are in jeopardy of being banished all together.
In this scenario the acknowledgment of the importance of libraries and librarianship as emphasised by Mrs Mustafa is much needed to boost the morale of library professionals.
ANWAR SHOAIB KHAN
Karachi
WITH reference to a news item, ‘US visa procedure insulting: jurists’ (Dawn, Aug 13), it seems the process of appearing at the US embassy is intentionally designed to be humiliating, especially the attitude and tone of the interviewers towards the applicants is sometimes rude and occasionally insulting. One can consider it a reward for being the most compliant ally of the US. But that is not my point here.
I can offer little sympathy on reading the complaint by some prominent people and government officials to whom the ‘US visa procedure appeared insulting’ because it impacted one of their privileges to which they are quite accustomed to in Pakistan, like not waiting for their turn.
It seems they feel that they are too important to be insulted or humiliated by foreign embassies in contrast to the ordinary citizens who can be treated any way. This mindset among so-called prominent people and high officials is only a fraction of a much larger problem.
My point is, does our government and its officials realise that it is their obligation and duty to pursue issues like ensuring the rights and dignity of our citizens when common people come in contact with foreign governments and embassies for any reason? These officials would not have to face such behaviour themselves if they did their jobs right.
‘The fault, dear Brutus, does not lie in our stars but in us’.
NASEER OSMAN
Islamabad
IT is being reported that the US state department is investigating whether Israel used US-manufactured cluster bombs in Lebanon. The US alleges this would violate Israel’s agreements with the United States that restrict the use of such weapons. All this drama by the United States is too much.
Did the United States stop itself to use such bombs in Afghanistan or Iraq? Why has the world forgotten about Vietnam? So, why is there such a hullabaloo about Israel using the cluster bombs? Wasn’t it the United States which armed Israel to the teeth to fight the unarmed Hizbollah? The truth behind America’s anger has not been revealed either by the US or its most valued friend, Israel.
The story goes this way: the United States had provided Israel with the most sophisticated small nuclear tactical weapon with a potential range of 20 to 30 km. The Israelis once in possession, of course, were to use it on the innocent and the Hezbollah terrorists. With the result that no living organism would survive in the area where it was used.
All was fine till the weapon was used. But then something happened. The weapon did not explode. On top of this, it fell in to the wrong hands. You guessed right — the Hezbollah. Now what to do? What if these irresponsible, rogue terrorists use it on Israel or for that matter on the US? The whole world is in danger as this device may be used anytime and anywhere. But who is responsible? The United States of course.
How could the world’s only superpower behave in such a callous and irresponsible manner? Now the weapon lies in the hands of a so-called terrorist organization which is very irresponsible. But the United States should have made sure not to give such technology to an irresponsible state like Israel. This means, that there is a need to disarm Israel as it behaved in a very irresponsible manner.
The way to redress this major blunder is to make Israel and Hezbollah sign CTBT. Hezbollah has become nuclear and being a rogue and terrorist organization needs to give guarantee like any other nuclear state not to use the nuclear weapon irresponsibly.
As far as the US is concerned, it needs to pull up its socks and pay for the proliferation of weapons by disarming itself and by being the first to sign the CTBT. A superpower with such an irresponsible and dangerous administration needs to be checked. All this hue and cry by the US to impose sanctions on Israel is a farce and it’s high time the US accepted its mistake and called a spade a spade.
TAIMOOR PERVEZ
Islamabad
I READ the story about India’s strong protest to the Netherlands (Dawn, Aug 26) at the way it handled Indian passengers aboard a Mumbai-bound flight that returned to Amsterdam shortly after takeoff with great sadness.
Given Pakistan’s track record, I am sure if it was Pakistan instead of India, the government would have arrested relatives of all the accused and our foreign ministry would be holding press conferences claiming it played a vital role in disrupting a major terror plot.
Why are we still positioning our country as the number one frontline state against terrorism, and at the same time expecting foreign investment to flourish in Pakistan? India, on the other hand, has successful positioned itself as an IT outsourcing hub among other things.
Of all the things that we have lost as a nation, I miss our self-respect and dignity the most. It’s still not too late for us to project a non-terrorism related image of Pakistan and stop touting the terrorism nonsense.
SHAKIL M. KHWAJA
Virginia, USA
DESPITE using the re-dial facility both on my landline and on my cellphone, I just could not get across to the city nazim during a talk show the other day on a private channel. I suspect that the persons who do manage to get connected are ones who are seated in the adjoining room and ask questions tutored in advance by the producer.
In any case, I did not want to ask any question of Mr Mustafa Kamal or the senior official of the Clifton Cantonment Board; not even the much aggrieved president of the Site Association. I only wanted to invite the city nazim and the nazim of Jamshed Town to share a plate of fruit chaat with me at the Nursery Market along with hundreds of flies (mosquitoes after sunset).
Since I did not want the city nazim’s well-polished shoes to be soiled in the sewage water and marshy surface in the market, I had arranged for my guests to be seated amid the heap of garbage accumulated in front of Blue Ribbon Bakery. Which is not far from the former EOBI office where once the pensions of the old were stacked, and even misused by at least one former chairman, but never put to good use.
I tried the chaat once and got a stomach bug. So why shouldn’t the two respectable gentlemen?
ANWAR ABBAS
Karachi
A LOT has been said and written about the fourth Test match between Pakistan and England. There are various opinions on the way the Pakistan team reacted, with the majority sympathising with them. We need to understand that besides the team, the Pakistanis also feel angry at being called cheats.
The whole nation is now waiting for the PCB to respond. For once we would like to see the PCB take a principled stand and get the ICC to either provide a proof for the alleged cheating or publicly apologise to the Pakistan team and the Pakistani nation. But unfortunately past record suggests that the appointed bigwigs of the PCB are more concerned about their own jobs than about the dented pride of the nation.
YOUSUF AHMAD
Lahore
APROPOS of Shameem Ahmed’s letter concerning NAB’s role in settling the dispute over ARY flats in Dubai (Aug 26), it is requested that NAB issue a statement clarifying its position regarding Jason Builders’ Beach View apartments wherein poor investors have invested their hard earned savings and the case has been lingering with NAB for many, many year.
Maybe NAB should pay more importance to those who live and earn for their family here in Pakistan rather than the rich who invest in properties in Dubai.
S. NAQVI
Karachi
IT IS a good suggestion to have a stadium named after the great Sheikh who is a genuine Islamic hero and who stood strong on the moral and legal battlefield as Mr W. Malik says (letter, Aug 14).
But it would not be a wise move to change Qadhafi Stadium’s name for the Sheikh. Col. Qadhafi has indeed been strangely silent on the Lebanese issue, this may have something to do with the recent Libyan patch-up with the US, the chief patron of Israel. But he is another kind of dignitary for Pakistan. The change of name would be an insult for a different kind of hero.
I suggest a suitable place such as a building, a road, a playground or a square in any city of Pakistan be named after the redoubtable Sheikh.
S.M. KAZIM NAQVI
Karachi
AS another Ramazan approaches, Muslims will again wonder about the first day of Ramazan and the first day of Eid. Again, we will depend on turbaned men to give answers in a religion which accepts no priesthood.
This would not have been problematic but for the huge confusion and political and sectarian dimensions involved in it. This begs the question why we can’t simply rely on astronomical calculations which are perfectly accurate, more convenient and helpful for people making plans and will also increase the unity of Muslims (all of which are Islamic ideals).
This does not stop Muslims from the centuries’-old Sunnah from sighting the crescent which they still can but with confirmed knowledge from astronomical tables. The clergy’s opposition to such common sense propositions is ironic considering that the Holy Quran (55:5, 2:189) itself proclaims the regularity of the sun and the moon.
HARIS AZIZ
Coventry, UK
KINDLY refer to the advertisement supplement for Education and Literacy, Sindh, published by Dawn on August 16. On page 2 a school holiday schedule for 2006-07 is provided. The holidays for Ashura (Muharram 9 and 10) are indicated as February 29 and 30, 2007.
I understand that this is a mistake, but mistakes like this by the education department are not a small matter. They should not be taken lightly as even a student of class three knows that February can never ever have 30 days. Authorities in charge of education in the province should get serious, print a fresh list and accept the mistake as a grave error.
ABDUL NABI HALARI
Karachi
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