| September 07, 2006 | Thursday | Sha'aban 13, 1427 |
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Karachi municipal limits
Erra survey work
Delay in acquiring UK visa
DHA beachfront development
Crumbling infrastructure in SITE
Bunkers
Partial strike
Kashmir process
Points to ponder
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
IT is heartening to read the sublime thoughts of Mr Shahid Javed Burki in his two articles (Sept 5 and Sept 6) wherein he has comprehensively analysed the current domestic situation here in Pakistan and has also proposed certain remedies. I fully agree with him and appreciate his precious effort of throwing the first pebble in the silent waters in order to provide an answer to the burning issues.
However, what I found missing and I am quite surprised why this aspect remained unexplored by the writer, the aspect of demilitarisation of power politics in Pakistan. Does he presume removal of Musharraf while proposing the uplift plan for Balochistan to be named after Nawab Bugti?
Another point, which is significant in his two articles, is his mild tone, he never criticised the incumbent regime for its misgivings and has tried to do so in the garb of pointing out grey areas in the personality of Bush. Well, I perceive that the hard-earned experiences of the worthy writer restrain him from openly attacking the establishment. But what we the people of Pakistan and especially the intelligentsia have gained from these imploring?
We failed to convince our general to hold free and fair elections. Likewise, we could not inspire him to keep up his words on shedding of uniform. And most of all the open letters by the former generals and other respected citizens addressed to the president resulted only in the form of the brutal military operation which ‘dismembered Pakistan emotionally’.
Let’s be objective, let’s come up with a workable plan. Time is ripe, challenge is great, it’s a matter of being and of not being — existence is under threat.
I agree divide Punjab, this far the majority of the people living in the respective areas are likely to agree to. But first get the army, the noble vanguards of our geographical borders, out of politics. Save the army by letting it do what it is meant for. Every intrusion of the army in politics has led to its periodic weakness. It is only when armed power is out of politics, discuss the political issues in a political way. At the forum of parliament, we can negotiate and sort out the problems itching us.
Note that confrontation will give us nothing except pain and misery. Let the people decide whether they want to live according to their wishes and aspirations or want an incessant confrontation which will lead us towards disastrous paths. At the end things are to be settled at the negotiation table. I pray for my people at this critical juncture of history.
MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR ABBASI
Islamabad
I WAS horrified to see on BBC TV News a scene of rioting in Balochistan against the killing of Akbar Bugti, where demonstrators stamped the Pakistan flag in anger and set it ablaze. I still haven’t been able to get over it. And the dread of history repeating itself.
There must be something for people to agitate in this harsh manner. Put against the wall, they have no alternative. But after East Pakistan we thought our leaders had learnt from their mistakes. But no. We are on the same path of alienating our provinces with highhanded authority and superiority complex and depriving them of their due share of power and resources.
For God’s sake change your attitude. If Balochistan is gone, and don’t think it can’t for the writing on the wall is quite clear. And Sindh with all its grievances will not lag behind. So then what was Pakistan made for? Where is our Muslim homeland? What were the sacrifices made for a separate homeland for the Muslims worth?
Let me tell our people what a countryless people are worth. With no passport, no homeland we will be a lost people. The course of history is written by their leaders, and leaders choose the path they want to take: destruction or then to build a nation to be proud of. Our leaders must make their choice.
S. BABAR
Karachi
IN a recent issue of Dawn, lack of institutions is claimed to be the cause of alleged failure of city district government; while the ever-exploding municipal limits of Karachi and its population levels have not been given due weight and consideration.
Since we have entered the sixth year of promulgation of SLGO - 2000, the issues of municipal limits, creation of new districts, revival of town committees in rural districts and such other amendments must be discussed threadbare so that the local government system is made much more representative and effective in the coming years.
It may be interesting to note that the original municipal limits of Karachi extended to about 80 square kilometres only. In 1888, the Karachi municipal corporation was established over 191 square kilometres while the city itself was designated to cover only 140 square kilometres; with coastline extending from Clifton to the present Mauripur union council.
In 1959 and 1987-88, during the dictatorial regimes of Gen Ayub and Gen Zia, the municipal limits were first extended to 724 square kilometres to settle immigrants from northern areas, and subsequently to 1,846 square kilometres to bring in settlers from Punjab, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. During these regimes, the population of Karachi increased at an average rate of six to seven per cent per annum, resulting in many of the ills experienced today.
Unfortunately, the limits of the Karachi city district government were increased by about 2,000 additional kilometres north of the Malir river to include all territories of the former district council. This has caused serious problems of representation and efficacy of administration in rural settlements, where even the primary-school teachers cannot be managed properly.
It will, therefore, be appropriate that in the new local government set-up for the former Karachi division two new districts, namely Malir (encompassing the present Gadap and Malir towns) and Bin Qasim (encompassing Bin Qasim Town and the settlements of Gulsha-i-Hadeed, Steel Town and revenue units falling on both sides of National Highway), be created to redress the socio-political alienation of local communities.
Also, it is expedient to attach the UC-7 (Lal Bakhar) and the UC-8 (Gabo Pat) of Keamari Town to the Lyari Town, which area may then have two town governments. The communities of Lal Bakhar and Gabo Pat are a part and parcel of Lyari in socio-economic and political terms.
By doing so, this vast land mass, which is currently a safe haven for land-grabbers and other mafias, can also be managed much more effectively.
PROF (DR) RAJAB ALI MEMON
Jamshoro
YET again a government official is under scrutiny for misappropriation of funds in his agency. This time it’s Mr Altaf Saleem, the chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra). Time will tell if the agency’s top tier will survive the alleged allegations against its chairman’s but ramifications are already being felt at the grassroots’ level.
It has been widely reported in the press that the survey teams appointed by Erra for assessment and valuation of losses suffered by affected households are coercing and blackmailing the house owners to pay a certain sum upfront before preparing their claim for the financial aid. This is certainly an evil practice which is not only unlawful but unethical and inhuman.
A survey teams consists of four members, including an officer of the local government, a patwari and two officers of the armed forces. According to the prescribed government criteron for award of the relief aid, people whose houses were completely destroyed are being given a sum of Rs150,000 in three instalments, whereas people whose houses were partially damaged are being given a sum of Rs50,000 to Rs75,000 depending on the extent of damage caused to their houses.
Almost 90 per cent of the survey work has been completed in villages and the focus will now shift to cities. A large number of people belonging to different villages have complained that when they failed to meet the demands of the survey teams, their houses were either deliberately left out from the survey or their loss was assessed at a very low value which was contrary to the actual loss they had suffered.
As a nation we are fully aware of the devastation caused by the earthquake of Oct 8, 2005 which destroyed homes, schools, government system, civic amenities, etc. A large majority of those who lost their lives included innocent children who were buried under the rubble of their own classrooms never to see the blue skies again. Those who survived the earthquake include orphans, homeless, jobless, handicapped and, in short, people without a proper life.
To make a demand from people who have already lost everything in the earthquake is like subjecting them to another earthquake which will shake their souls and torment their minds forever. I feel ashamed of being a Pakistani enjoying a hearty meal under the secure roof of my home while my Pakistani brothers and sisters continue to suffer gross injustice.
The president and the prime minister are requested to take urgent action and ensure that the promised financial aid will be distributed in a humane and just manner.
S. NAVEED AHMED
Kowloon, Hong Kong
I WOULD like to bring to the notice of the authorities concerned and the public the delay faced by applicants in acquiring entry clearance for different visa categories from the British deputy high commission (BDHC) based in Karachi.
I applied for entry clearance in mid-June to obtain a student visa but I have not received the same as yet.
First , it is very difficult to reach the visa section on phone as no one picks up the phone, but once you are through, they have the lame excuse of staff shortage and increase in visa applications or a lady (without telling her name) always replies curtly: “What is the rush for? You will get your passport sooner or later.” Whereas the time mentioned on the BDHC website (wwww.britainonline.org.pk) and on notice boards of FedEx office is 15 working days (maximum).
Staff shortage, increase in the number of applications or deficiency in proper planning and management are not the problem of applicants. It is the responsibility of the BDHC administration to take into account these shortcomings and solve them permanently to end the suffering of applicants.
Recently Mr Mark Lyall Grant, British high commissioner, made a proud press claim in his speech at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Aug 8 that 90 per cent of visa applications (non-settlement) are dealt with within five working days but actually in case of the BDHC the situation is just the opposite and quite a large number of students and applications in different categories are stuck, which leaves applicants with undue stress and frustration.
I would also like to throw light on the fact that applicants of other countries like most Middle Eastern countries get a visa within a day. Why is the treatment different with visa applicants in Pakistan?
Through these columns I would like the British high commissioner, officer in charge of the visa section (Karachi) and the Pakistan ministry concerned to kindly intervene and rectify the situation.
A SUFFERING APPLICANT
Karachi
I AM writing in response to the letter from the DHA’s PRO (Sept 6) regarding waterfront developments. The beauty of natural beaches is a luxury that few cities in the world enjoy and the beaches in Karachi, especially those in Clifton and the DHA, need to be preserved in all their natural glory, as they are easily accessible to everyone living in this city.
One just has to visit this area on weekends to see how families come there to enjoy pure nature and escape from the concrete jungle they live in. Now that it’s untouched beauty is in jeopardy, I am compelled to cite some examples of the DHA’s development work.
The Karachi DHA and the Clifton Cantonment Board do not have a good track record of possessing a developed civic or aesthetic sense. Many of their projects are a testimony to this. One just has to take a look at the commercial areas in the DHA, especially one infamously called Khadda Market, to see the mess that has been created both in terms of traffic and unsightly planning.
This market area in particular is contributing to pollution and aggravation of the residents’ nerves. It lacks aesthetic value but attracts a high crime rate. Clifton Road was once the most prestigious avenue in the city.
Now with its poorly planned shopping plazas and mediocre apartment buildings, it is just another road taken over by the denizens of bad taste and worse civic sense. Zamzama has fast become a bottleneck for traffic as there is virtually no parking space, and the lanes of this so-called posh locality can easily be compared to the katchi abadi streets that the PRO is trying to protect us from.
If the DHA beachfront developments are allowed to continue as described by the PRO’s letter, there is no proof that it will not become a living nightmare, turning the rare beauty of the beach into a garish mockery.
The trend all over the world is to develop eco-tourism and preserve at all costs natural beauty that has been untouched by human hands. The most that should be done to develop DHA beaches is grass and tree plantations similar to the ones in the DHA Golf Club. We can also learn from the beautiful way in which Daman-i-Koh has been developed in Islamabad, using material that blends in with nature. The beach is a place where one goes to relax, not where one seeks frenzied entertainment.
Man-made amphitheatres, water parks, promenades, performance decks as described by the PROs letter are only going to help degrade the natural balance of the beach and be an eyesore to boot, as well as overloading the almost absent garbage collection system.
One just has to visit DHA land around the Juma bazaar to see the ecological disaster caused by thousands of plastic bags strewn across this stretch of land. One shudders to think how the ‘pristine’ beauty of the beach can be preserved after the proposed development.
For the DHA to publicly use the excuse that development will prevent encroachments and katchi abadis from springing up in the area is just another sign of mismanagement. If the DHA is interested in developing a mega recreational centre, my suggestion is that they acquire some land outside the city and develop that, rather than develop beaches that are in the heart of a residential area.
S. ZAFFAR KHAN
Karachi
MR S.H.Tehsin in his letter ‘Crumbling infrastructure in SITE’ (Sept 5) has rightly given the pathetic state of SITE industrial area, but it should have been more justified if he should have mentioned similar or worse condition of the Korangi Industrial Area (one of the largest industrial area of Pakistan) also, which gives a picture like that of war-torn Lebanon.
Though massive construction activities at a snail’s pace are going on in Korangi, its toll in the form of ditches, potholes, craters and dirt track diversions gives it a look of a war-torn area.
Our government time and again gives passionate calls for investment but seldom thinks or plans to improve the lot of people who have already invested in Pakistan, or develop infrastructure necessary for investment and industrialisation.
We are without water, without sewerage, without active phone connections, faulty electricity supplies and broken down roads.
I would like to invite the authorities concerned to visit the Korangi industrial area on a daily basis to observe what happens to their precious time and government-provided luxury vehicles.
Advertisements and appeals for investment are of no use till basics are corrected and life of citizens made liveable, not miserable.
ISMAIL SONI
Karachi
I AM shocked to see the condition of boys and girls bunking from school. Nowadays the trend of bunking from school and colleges is on its peek. The students who bunk their school pass their whole school time while playing snooker, video games and smoking.
The ideal place for bunkers is Boating Basin because that is the place where you get breakfast, snooker clubs and video game shops under one roof. I request the authorities concerned to look into the matter. If they do not pay attention now, it will be a great loss for younger generation.
OSAMA RAZAQ
Karachi
IN the metropolitan section of your newspaper (September 2) the main headline reads: “Strike paralyses life in Karachi”.
On the same page, it is reported that 31 cellphones were snatched on that day. It seems that not everyone was on strike after all.
AKHTAR ISMAIL
Karachi
I AM regular reader of Dawn on the net. I have been quite amazed at the level of impartiality with which you manage the show considering the society you operate in. Kudos.
I recently read Ayaz Amir’s article about the Kashmir process. I guess he has hit the nail on the head by calling it ‘listless’ but missed the reasons by a mile.
The truth is that in India amongst the public Kashmir is no more a priority. This stems from the belief that our quest to become an economic superpower will naturally attract Kashmiris to align with India, making Pakistan irrelevant.
Hence the priority to make it big economically. A gap in economic status will make the border dispute pretty similar to the one between the US and Mexico.
No prizes for guessing which is Mexico. With the recent events Pakistan has been clearly named as a fountainhead of ‘terrorism’. The popularity of this notion can be safely assumed, considering the mention of the same in the recent Fredrick Forsyth’s novel.
Hence if Pakistan continues its so-called ‘moral’ support to the ‘Kashmiriyat’, it would only alienate Pakistan in the world forum. The West which considers Gen Musharraf a good friend today will think of him as a dangerous ‘nuisance’ tomorrow.
Who knows George Bush, in one of his early morning blues, might decide to pack off Gen Musharraf and install a pliable ‘democratic’ government.
Done deeds, however good they may be, are as valuable as overdrawn credit cards. Now as most of the Indians see it, for Pakistan the options are very simple. Drop Kashmir and join the party, or hold on to Kashmir and sink with it. In any case it is a lost case or as they would say ‘the last hurrah’ for the Pakistan army.
Kartik
Via email
US President Georgre W. Bush allocates $90 million to change regime of Fidel Castro in neighbouring Cuba. The most unpopular trying to depose the most popular of the century?
Due to the plane bomb threat on flights from Britain to the US, air passengers not allowed to take any type of liquids in their hand baggage. But all European and US airlines continued to serve alcoholic drinks on board?
Israel air force bombed civilian residential areas of south Beirut on the pretext of Hezbollah’s rocket-launchers hidden there. In all the videos telecast by the BBC World, Sky News, CNN and great supporter of Israel, the Fox News , not a single damaged or destroyed rocket-launcher was sighted among the rubble.
ABID M.ANSARI
Islamabad
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