| October 03, 2006 | Tuesday | Ramazan 9, 1427 |
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The ideology question
Creating confusion?
Sharif’s disclosures and rapprochement
Statements on F-16 deal
The rule of mediocrity
Hot seat
Actions speak louder than words
Crusading venture
Why this secrecy?
Wheat price
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
REFER to the news story ‘Rs245 million being spent on fisheries: Arbab’ (Sept 26), in which Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim and provincial minister Sardar Manzoor Panwar were asked questions in the Sindh Assembly regarding fisheries.
Giving details of the ongoing schemes, Dr Arbab said Rs16.447 million alone was the estimated cost of marine fisheries surveillance in coastal areas of Sindh. Whereas the provincial minister for fisheries, Sardar Manzoor Panhwar, said that surveillance was being done to ensure that banned nets were not used in fishing.
The people at the helm of affairs at the marine fisheries department are well aware that prohibitive illegal and destructive fishing nets (Bola, Gujja and Katra) are regular practice in Sindh waters for over three decades. Over the last few years, bigger and more powerful Gujja (now with motor winches) and Katra netting boats have surfaced and the devastation that they are causing to marine life and eco-system is unimaginable and unpardonable.
The Gujja boats (called gund ka jehaz) are scooping up everything that swims by scraping the sea bottom like dredgers with their leaded nets and motorised winches. It is now hauling out three times more than when they were without the winches. Then come the Katra boats (called wire boats locally) with nets barely bigger than mosquito nets. While the Gujja boats are catching over 70 per cent trash fish and other marine organisms like weeds, shells and mollusks, the Katra boats are netting out billions of gamefish like barracuda (kund) mackerel (surmai) trevally (kakkan) when these fish are in the juvenile stage.
Areas like Cape Monze, Beauchamp Reef, Churna Island and Kaio Island have been cleaned by the Katra netters (executioners of fish). Again, Bola nets (estuarine set bag nets) ESBN, are devastating the creeks and estuaries with impunity. Due to illegal fish netting compounded with over-exploitation and excessive fishing, some species have not been able to sustain and are close to extinction.
As a concerned environmentalist I have the following questions for the chief minister: which agency has been entrusted the job of doing the surveillance to ensure that the ban on illegal nets is implemented? How many boats and nets have been confiscated to date? What penalty and fines have been imposed on the habitual offenders and how much? Will the chief minister ask the marine fisheries to come forward with the past and present records of confiscations and fines on illegal nets and make it public?
Why are the people managing the marine fisheries department behaving like ostriches and letting the marine food chain get destroyed? How can the shrimps, fish and other marine life sustain under such pressure from illegal netting?
If we love our marine environment and wish to retain whatever is left of marine life and want that it should revive, then the time to act on a war footing is now. Otherwise Pakistan may be the first nation to go down in history to have destroyed its marine life without having studied its wealth and resources.
SYED AZIZ AGHA
Member, Shehri-CBE
IN his article, ‘The ideology question’ (Sept 22), Mr Tahir Mirza has repeated the same old tired logic which some secularists have been using after 1971.
Perhaps he has either not read the excellent supplement published by Dawn on Aug 14 or his secularist prejudices kept him from seeing the truth in the various articles pertinent to these questions.
Incidentally, while commenting on that supplement, former senator Javed Jabbar profusely praised it, suggesting that it be translated into Urdu and the regional languages and made a part of the curriculum at university and college levels (Aug 25).
In one of the articles therein, ‘An ideological state or a state with an ideology’, Prof Sharif al Mujahid has dealt with the question of ideology, and the Quaid-i-Azam has been quoted several times. On June 18, 1945 he had said: “Pakistan not only means freedom and independence but the Muslim ideology which has [got] to be preserved ....”. At another place, Mr Jinnah had stated:
“We wish our people to develop to the fullest spiritual, cultural, economic, social and political life... in consonance with our own ideals and according to the genius of our people.”
This reference by Mr Jinnah to the Muslim or Islamic ideology rather than secularism and the priority given to the spiritual life over political or other matters, while referring to ‘our own ideals’ rather than those of the West, conclusively settles the issue of ideology for ever.
But people like Mr Mirza appear to have closed their hearts and minds to these truths found in dozens of Quaid’s sayings and keep on repeating the theme of a secular Pakistan just by misinterpreting the only statement they could manage to find, i.e., his address of Aug 11, 1948. But, Prof Mujahid has clarified this, too, towards the end of his essay.
In another write-up, ‘Muslim nationalism or the search for an alternative paradigm?’ Dr S.K. Allama has noted that according to Allama Iqbal it is not the unity of language or country or the identity of economic interest that constitutes the basic principles of our nationality; it is because we all believe in a certain view of the universe... that we are members of a society founded by the Prophet (peace be upon him) of Islam. After lqbal’s death, even Mr Jinnah had acknowledged being inspired by his views.
Regarding Bangladesh, Prof (Dr) F.A. Shamsi (‘Two-nation theory and Lahore Resolution’) has very nicely explained the issue. He says that the fact that it neither acceded to the Indian union nor even re-united with West Bengal confirms most of the five components of the two-nation theory enumerated beforehand. It is in total agreement with the 1940 Lahore Resolution, he concludes.
M.Y. KHAN
Karachi
EVEN though I hardly consider myself to be an expert, I have the answer to Ardeshir Cowasjee’s question in his column entitled ‘An exercise in futility’ (Sept 17). The answer is actually very simple.
The minorities in Pakistan are free — they ought to be — to profess and practise their religions and to develop their cultures. Mr Cowasjee should know though that all freedoms and liberties have their limit. The freedom of movement of my arm is restricted to where his nose begins.
The freedom of profession and practice of the minorities’ religion is likewise restricted to where it begins to interrupt the religious freedoms of others.
This country was created in the name of Islam, and even the fundamental principles of democracy ought to define the restriction of minorities’ rights over those of the majority. This was the reason why I suppose the word ‘freely’ was omitted from the Objectives Resolution. This doesn’t appear to me to be a very difficult concept to understand, or something that needs to go to great experts for clarification.
My question now is, what is Mr Cowasjee’s objection to this modification? What is it that has changed or is likely to change in the lives of the minorities as a result? What were they doing before 1985 that they could no longer do after? Or is it just an attempt to create mischief and confusion through filibuster?
I take offence also in his misrepresentation and distortion of the Quaid-i-Azam’s statement of September 11, 1947. The quote from the Quaid’s speech is: “You may belong to any religion, or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State…” .
With great audacity the columnist translates this statement as: “When Jinnah said that religion had nothing to do with the business of the state that is exactly what he meant.”
Even an elementary school child can tell that a distortion is being committed here. I suggest that Mr Cowasjee look into his own linguistic gymnastics before throwing stones at others, he may well find himself living in a glass house.
In the end I’d just like to remind him that there isn’t anything more self-evident than that the great majority of this country wants to embrace democracy.
So far, however, they have not elevated the Quaid-i-Azam to the rank of a prophet, or his sayings to that of ‘hadith’. If they want the religious forces to govern them, I think they ought to have the right.
FARHAN ZAINULABDIN
Lahore
THE motive behind Kuldip Nayar’s article (Sept 23) simply seems to be to cast aspersions at the credibility of President Musharraf with a view to sabotaging the understanding reached by him with the Indian prime minister on some bilateral issues on the sidelines of the Non-aligned Movement conference held in Havana by comparing Nawaz Sharif’s version of the Kargil episode with the president’s and tacitly accepting the former’s viewpoint.
Mr Sharif says that he did not know about the Kargil operation until the Indian prime minister informed him while the general says that Sharif was duly aware. Nayar further states that Sharif’s assertion is that he was assured that the attack would not create any problem and that no lives would be lost. These two positions taken by Sharif are self-contradictory. Such assurances would obviously only be extended prior to the commencement of an intervention. Is it also not ridiculous to believe that there is going to be a war without loss of any life? What sane person would extend this assurance to Sharif?
In his book Musharraf makes mention of the carpet-bombing during the Kargil war. Nayar has tried to deny this using the account of the war by V.P. Malik, ex-Indian chief of army staff, who takes the position that carpet-bombing was not possible without crossing the LoC. If V.P. Malik’s version is accepted, the question is what was the cause of huge casualties numbering 2,700 claimed by Sharif?
That the carpet-bombing in the Kargil sector was impossible without crossing the LoC is a question which should be answered in detail by our military experts. There seems to be no substance in Malik’s argument.
Sharif’s claim that the ISI is independent of the government and the army is laughable. It is true that in Pakistan the armed forces have the upper hand in all matters, but the claim that the ISI is not reporting to anyone, even the armed forces, is totally unbelievable.
GHULAM MUHAMMAD
Karachi
ACCORDING to a report carried by a section of the press (Sept 19), Foreign Minister Kasuri has said Pakistan will not be purchasing remote-controlled toys worth $5 billion from America but such latest models of F-16s that will fulfil the nation’s defence needs.
He also said that all the terms and conditions have been finalised and if the PAF chief approves these aeroplanes, only then will they be bought, otherwise not.
While buying the fighters and other armaments we will also ensure that our money does not get stuck, as had happened in the past. Before that, the air chief had said that people are objecting to the presence of American personnel who will accompany the F-16s but technicians had been coming from the US, China and other countries in the past also.
These statements do not resolve the people’s worries. Instead of clarifying the concerns caused by the statement of Mr John Hillen, the US assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, the foreign minister and the air chief have only given vague responses. For instance, Mr Hillen had unambiguously said that the conditions being placed are unprecedented: they will not allow any modification of these planes; the carrying of nuclear weapons; will only be able to fly for a limited duration in a foreign country’s airspace and won’t be able to penetrate heavily-defended environments (such as would be encountered in India).
Also, that the latest technology normally supplied with these aircraft will not be made available to Pakistan.
As far as the PAF chief’s assertion about technicians arriving in the past is concerned, he should know that this time it is different in that the Americans have said they will be sending ‘experts’ to closely monitor the movements of the F-16s. Besides, Air Cdre (r) Iqtidar A. Khan had also expressed his disquiet about the terms of the sale with reference to Mr Hillen’s testimony to the US lawmakers (Aug 20). Air Cdre Khan had in the past dealt with the purchase of F-16s and would certainly know about the technician business and other matters.
In view of this confusion, apparently the only way out to ensure that Pakistan will not get tied down in any manner even after spending such a huge amount of money is for the Pakistani legislators to question the government closely in the National Assembly and the Senate about the terms and conditions that, Mr Kasuri said, have been finalised. They should also ensure the air chief is not under pressure from any quarter to buy these planes.
A CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
ANWER Mooraj rightfully describes mediocrity as one of our depressing social indicators (Sept 25). It seems to me that we are facing the clash between mediocrity and the intellectualism.
The epidemic of mediocrity is evident everywhere. Last night, I watched the interview of Ted Turner, a philanthropist and founder of CNN.
Mr Turner, being critical of US foreign policy, was asked at the end of the interview if he would like to run for the president of the United States.
Like any other intellectual and humanist, he avoided the question by mentioning Al Gore as his choice for the presidency.
The interviewer told the audience that he had asked many great personalities like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet the same question and they all seemed to refrain themselves from politics.
According to him, it is a pity that politics is then generally left for the mediocre and the opportunist.
I wonder how Pakistan’s political landscape would look if some of the distinguished political writers and columnists of Dawn held political positions.
I am sure the country would be spared the mediocrity that has often been exhibited by the people who have been running the country.
NASEEM KHAN
Chicago, USA
I SAW President Musharraf’s appearance on the popular ‘Daily Show’ hosted by Jon Stewart. It was like a breath of fresh air that a leader from Pakistan can not only talk in English with confidence but can repartee as well as anyone.
In the past we have had a leader who could not talk, we have had leaders who raved and ranted, and we have had leaders who were arrogant know-alls with their adenoidal Anglo-Indian accents.
Just so people know, it is not easy to face Jon Stewart because his show is a fast-talking show filled with double-talk.
The president highlighted all the issues we have had with the American governments since the end of the Afghan-Soviet war, including all the injustices that Pakistanis have faced like sanctions, the F-17s issue, etc.
During another interview on the PBS he gave very honest and frank replies to questions about ‘alleged terrorists from London visiting Pakistan’ among other very hot issues in the media here, as well as in Pakistan.
I do hope that there are people who keep him updated on American media trends and slang because there was a moment of lapse during the interview.
I hope PTV will broadcast the president’s interviews in Pakistan. Well done, Mr President.
Dr NIGHAT PARVEEN ALI
Chicago, USA
THIS is with reference to the news item ‘Pakistani pilgrims killed’ ( Sept 24). It is reported that the ‘Jund al-Sahaba fil-Iraq’ or ‘Soldiers of the Companions in Iraq’ claimed responsibility for the first attack in Ramazan in which 31 people lost their lives.
Most of the victims were women and children who were waiting for cooking fuel.
May I ask our religious leaders at home and abroad to issue a fatwa against all the jihadi organisations that kill innocent people in the name of Islam?
It is time that the religious leaders united to crush the greatest enemies of Islam who shed human bled and take pride in claiming responsi-bility.
They have tarnished the image of Islam and it’s due to their brutal and inhuman acts that Muslims are labelled as terrorists by the West.
RAKSHANDA OVAIS
Karachi
A REALISTIC and true humanitarian has stressed the need to make efforts for bringing down the exorbitant prices of drugs. While speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Hanifa Suleman Dawood Urology and Transplant Centre at Karachi, Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi, the director of SIUT, had stated that another factor that played the basic role in the survival of patients was drugs, which had been made costlier in the country without any rational by pharmaceutical companies.
He disclosed his planning to hold a series of seminars and campaigns aimed at bringing the end-users, the media, industries and the government together to address the crucial issue of survival of the ailing human beings (Sept 23).
Let us wish the kind-hearted doctor success in his crusading venture which will be opposed tooth and nail by the medicine manufacturers and the doctors who are lured by these companies under coveted obligations to prescribe their costly drugs.
In this context, Los Angeles Times write-up, ‘Doctors under influence’ (Dawn, Sept 19), spotlights the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and the physician which had been closed down due to intervention of American universities.
We in our country have no such academic culture. Nonetheless, hopefully, our pious doctor whose motto is not to let anyone die, ‘because he or she cannot afford to live’, will break up the unholy relationship of the drug manufacturers and the men of noble profession reared up at the cost of human lives.
Currently a chemotherapy injunction costs about Rs16,000 and a cancer tablet is priced at Rs200 and that too without invoice.
GHEEWALA A.G.M.
Karachi
THE Election Commission has been informing the public about using their right of vote and its importance through TV and huge newspaper advertisements.
I have been closely watching these advertisements but failed to find out the addresses and telephone numbers of the officers deputed to collect the forms.
What if the person deputed to collect the forms does not turn up or he does not find us when he comes?
The Election Commission has kept this information a closely guarded secret. Why?
S. MUSLEHUDDIN AHMED
Karachi
WITH reference to the headline appearing in your newspaper (Sept 28) “Wheat support price raised by Rs10 a bag’, may I respectfully point out that support prices are always quoted in units of 40kg or maunds.
Indeed the support price of wheat was Rs415 per maund before the government’s recent announcement.
ALI JASSIM
Lahore
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