| October 07, 2006 | Saturday | Ramazan 13, 1427 |
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Sword of honour
Dengue fever
Shareholder’s woes
The privileged and the sacrosanct
Waterfront development
A day to remember
A world record?
The best response
Running out of time
NTS test
Law & disorder
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 the people of Pakistan woke up on the morning of October 8, 1958 — 48 years ago today — and read in the newspapers President Iskander Mirza’s proclamation abrogating the constitution of 1956, dissolving the national and provincial assemblies, dismissing the central and provincial cabinets and declaring martial law in the country, they were neither shocked nor surprised. Reports in the press and rumours at large had created a climate of uncertainty.
In the East Pakistan assembly, the Awami League members had bodily lifted the speaker from the speaker’s chair in the midst of a session, declared him insane and locked him in a hospital. The ruling party killed the deputy speaker who had occupied the speaker’s chair. In the West Pakistan assembly, the Republican Party and the Muslim League were locked in a war of attrition, with no holds barred. Maulana Bhashani and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s National Awami Party consisting of nine members held the balance. The Republican Party and the Muslim League both had given a pledge to the NAP to break up One Unit in return for its support to form the government.
Khan Abdul Qayuum Khan, who had been elected president of the Muslim League after Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar’s death, was on the warpath. The Muslim League revived the National Guards and was poised to use them as a militia in challenging the authority of president Iskander Mirza.
At the centre, Malik Feroz Khan Noon’s Republican government was at the mercy of its junior partner, the Awami League, whose demand for portfolios was increasing and the cabinet was reshuffled almost every day. Sardar Abdur Rashid, leading a delegation to a conference in the US as minister for commerce, was appointed minister for finance in the midst of the session to his great embarrassment.
When he arrived at London airport en route to Karachi, the high commissioner informed him that he had been appointed minister for foreign affairs in yet another reshuffle. When he arrived at his hotel, he received the news that martial law had been declared and the cabinet had been dismissed. Nevertheless, the president’s orders to the high commissioner came through that Sardar Abdur Rashid was to be treated as minister on duty until his return to Karachi.
The country was teetering on the brink of collapse. President Iskander Mirza had made up his mind to act. He summoned Gen Yahya Khan, CGS, and gave him the text of the proclamation to show it to Gen Ayub Khan. Assured of his position as chief martial law administrator, Gen Ayub arrived in Karachi on Oct 6 to assume the responsibilities of martial law.
President Iskander Mirza has been accused of abrogation of the constitution which he had sworn to defend and protect although the constitution itself was the product of the worst type of political bargaining, blackmail and executive fiat and coercion. He has been charged with setting the precedent of imposing martial law.
Be that as it may, President Iskander Mirza presided over a country which was born in crisis and has remained in perpetual political crisis till this day. The areas that comprise Pakistan were most backward politically, economically and socially. Unfortunately, after the death of the Quaid-i-Azam, no government carried out a comprehensive programme of political, economic, and social emancipation of the people from the bondage of feudalism, tribalism, and religious bigotry.
SYED AFZAL HUSSAIN ZAIDI
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to Brig (r) Iqbal’s letter (Oct 4). I do not agree with him that there was no history made by Saira Amin. History was indeed made since one out of the six women officers won the award and beat all the men; there were 50 or so males and they were not able to beat her. It is exceptional that a woman was able to beat the men within a year of joining the air force. Saying that the calibre of men has probably gone down is absurd. The probability is that women are better at the job since they had to complete every task the men did.
The Pakistan Air Force did a great thing by inducting women, and other armed forces need to follow this example. The women officers are doing a great job and should be appreciated and supported rather than be ridiculed by members of the public giving excuses for their exceptional performance.
FAWWAD SHAFI
Lahore
KUDOS to Saira Amin for securing Sword of Honour at the PAF Academy. The brigadier’s letter, in fact, is a statement of misgivings on the role of women in the armed forces and reflects the mindset prevalent in our culture. The gender factor has been thoroughly evaluated in the modern armies of the world. It has been proved beyond any doubt that women are capable of performing duties in the forces as effectively as men. Therefore, there should be no surprise that a woman has secured the coveted sword of honour.
Ms Amin just happened to be the best student in a class comprising male and female cadets, each of whom had the opportunity to excel based on their hard work and talent and not gender. As far as the standard of induction for the male PAF cadets, I am sure it would have gone up a few notches since women are also in the run now. If induction into the armed forces continues to be based purely on merit, we may see a drastic change in the composition of future PMA courses, somewhat similar to the medical colleges where male students are an endangered species.
LT COL (r) ARIF MAKEN
New Jersey, USA
CASES of viral haemorrhagic fever (Dengue fever) are being reported in the press. Karachi has been hit by this disease quite severely but underestimated figures are being aired by health officials. There are no exact figures of patients being admitted with suspected Dengue fever, but the count may be as high as 100-200 a day in all hospitals of Karachi.
But only the few which are coming to government hospitals are being cited as data for representing the entire population of Karachi.
The health department is under severe criticism for, first, making tall claims that the situation is under control and, second, for not having made adequate arrangements to get rid of mosquitoes. Any patient with a high grade fever lasting for a few days with associated symptoms like abdominal pain and vomiting, etc, should be suspected of having this disease.
Almost all patients are being presented with a low white cell and a low platelet count. This level increases dramatically once the virus fades away from the body which on average takes a week.
In very severe cases, the situation can lead to Dengue shock syndrome in which the patient can bleed to death. With critically low platelet counts, infusion of platelets is the main stay of treatment. The most amazing aspect of the negligence is that the chief minister and the governor of Sindh are both doctors yet they are not fulfilling their task of getting rid of this menace. The only way to do so is to curb the mosquito population.
I have yet to see the so-called fumigation car drive past my home. On the other hand, platelets are a scarce commodity too.
Last night I received a call from a gentleman who had gone to a blood bank to get platelets arranged for his wife. He told me that there was a huge crowd of people waiting for the same. I wonder if we are prepared if, God forbid, a calamity hits this city.
DR SYED HASNAIN MUJTABA
Karachi
I AM a small shareholder. I served as a veterinary doctor in Saudi Arabia and earned foreign exchange for my country. Out of that foreign exchange during my stay in Saudi Arabia I purchased 3,000 shares of ICP SEMF. ICP SEMF offered me 1,500 right shares in 2003. I paid the money through bank draft No. 760161, dated October 17, 2003 for Rs37,500 drawn on the MCB, Karachi, in favour of ICP SEMF series A and sent the bank draft, as well as letters of rights Nos. 66440 to 66442, to the PICIC, Karachi. This was the beginning of miseries.
In spite of repeated requests on phone, I could not get the share certificates. In June 2005 I was informed on phone that I have not sent the correct portion of right letters, so the shares have not been issued. However, it was admitted that the bank draft had been received and deposited in the relevant account.
I dispatched all the remaining portions of letters of rights, along with photocopies of all I had with me, to the PICIC registrar in Karachi.
Two weeks later when I contacted again to know the position, I was asked to send the counterfoil of bank draft, which I sent to the registrar on June 27, 2005. Later on I was informed that I could not get the shares just because it was too late, however the registrar promised on phone to refund the money, which I refused to accept.
Now, more than one year has passed but I have still been waiting for my shares. Till to date I have suffered reasonable punishment for being a loyal Pakistani and a small shareholder.
I would request the authority concerned to send me my original shares, with all dividend paid, bonus shares as well as right shares, on my original 1,500 shares of ICP SEMF (PGF).
M. SARWAR HAYAT KHAN
Khanewal
THE letter on MNA’s perks and privileges (Sept 1) vis-a-vis those of MPAs in India made an informative and interesting reading. We should not grudge our politicians. They are not feeding on the poor. They live on the spoils of the loans, credits and grants from the donors club for the country.
The loans are serviced by fresh loans, though on more stern conditions. The process is perennial through all seasons. It does not make us any meagre for we are living well, but makes the country servile and subservient.
It is a common observation that a beggar lives better than a hardworking labourer. The former gets the dole for nothing while the latter has to toil hard to make some contribution to the community. So it is with us.
We are all living much better, compared classwise, than the industrious India. While glancing over the MNAs’ salaries brought out in the letter referred to, it would be quite interesting to know whether President Musharraf is drawing the salary of Chief of Army Staff or the President or both.
ZEHRA KHAN
San Ramon, USA
THIS is with reference to Syed Aziz Agha’s letter ‘DHA waterfront development’ (Sept 23). An unabated debate is going on in the media on the DHA’s Waterfront Development Project (WFP) for some time. This is more academic in nature than a realistic preview of the subject. The semblance of any infrastructure development of the project is yet to be seen on the ground. The project, however, is vehemently being opposed by certain NGOs and urban planners on the pretext of assumed apprehensions, which need to be evaluated before embarking on an emotionally-charged campaign against the project.
It is surprising that the real issues facing the community and environment are conveniently being ignored: instead non-issues on the basis of assumptions are discussed again and again, typical of ‘beating about the bush’. The real issue facing the DHA residents is shortage of water. To address this, the DHA is putting up a water desalination plant.
The DHA has been insisting through its various press statements time and again that the purported beach development project was formalised after due consideration of multi-faceted aspects. According to the DHA, value addition of beachfront is inherent in the master plan and no beach access would be denied to the visitors.
The DHA also claims to have got the clearance of the cogeneration project from the relevant environmental agencies, including environmental assessment and study of marine hydraulics, by the National Institute of Oceanography.
The DHA has been claiming that it wants to exploit the real potential of the beach by offering clean seawater, free open spaces, beach resorts, lights, decent sitting areas, boardwalks, jogging tracks, amphitheatres, developed sand beaches, public utility facilities and all kinds of recreational and water sports activities to the public. The authenticity of the claim needs to be verified through in-depth examination of the master plan by the NGOs and other stakeholders.
The real threat to the beachfront emanates from hundreds of tons of untreated sewerage water falling into the sea and polluting it beyond imagination. This includes the sewer of entire metropolis, including the hazardous discharge of effluent from tanneries and the Korangi Industrial Area. There is a dire need for making the sewerage treatment plants functional. However, with an independent sewerage treatment plant in every zone of the WFD Project, the DHA claims that it would be ensured that no raw sewer is pumped into the sea.
There is no use agitating about an issue endlessly without understanding the real issue. It is imperative that a public debate should be organised forthwith to settle the issue. The DHA must address the genuine concerns of the concerned bodies, if required.
The project is an iconic which when executed would give a tremendous boost to the economic activity, providing employment opportunities and making our development at par with the modern countries. Let us not deprive the people of Karachi with the precious gift of a developed beach on the basis of assumptions only.
ZAFAR IQBAL
President, Defence Residents Society
Karachi
WHY is 9/11 remembered all over the world so religiously? Is it because around 3,000 people lost their lives in the US or because some elements attacked the sovereignty of a free country? The correct answer is both.
By the same token one should also remember October 7 as it was on this day in 2001 that the world’s only superpower opened its cannons on the helpless nation of Afghanistan. US-led forces killed at least 15 times the number of people killed on 9/11.
If the people killed in the WTC were innocent, weren’t the Afghans killed as ‘collateral damage’ innocent as well? If ramming two Boeing aircraft into WTC buildings is an act of terrorism, what about the rampant use of daisy cutters, bombing of marriage convoys, schools, mosques, residential areas?
Before October 7, 2001 Afghanistan was a sovereign nation. Its rulers had the right to question the allegations made against them and their ‘guests’. These allegations were seriously questioned soon afterwards, not only by Muslims but also by western researchers. But who cares and who remembers?
S. AKHTAR
Karachi
THERE is no doubt the city government is doing a commendable job in some respects, and some projects have been completed or are fast in the process of completion. For instance, the underpasses have been built in record time and opened to traffic (only one track), and the flyovers at Hasan Square and Stadium are nearing completion. Similarly, some roads are a sight to behold. They withstood the rain in July and August and there was no drainage problem.
However, in one respect I suggest an entry in the Guinness Book of World Record. The work on M.A. Jinnah Road Extension began in June 2005, and the road is still incomplete. I am going to contact Guinness editors.
HABIB JALWA
Karachi
I PARTICULARLY enjoyed Irfan Husain’s devastatingly mild rejoinder to the Pope in his column ‘Faith and Reason’ (Sept 23), which persuades as no violent demonstration ever could. What better response to the dubious assertion that Islam is less compatible with reason than Christianity than for a bemused Muslim to point out embarrassing flaws in the Pope’s own logic?
MARVIN HUMPHREY
Oregon, USA
TIME is running out for the British-Pakistani Mirza Tahir Husain as he faces execution at the end of the blessed month of Ramazan for a murder in self-defence. Time is also running out for all those who judged him in the Shariat Court, the religious leaders, the head of government and all common men and women with a moral conscience.
Time is indeed running out for us as we turn a blind eye to an impending injustice in the name of Shariat. Shariat calls for justice and fair play in every matter. This is why the Quran clearly makes a distinction between an ‘intentional killing’ and an ‘unintentional killing, thereby enjoining different punishments for each. The Shariat clearly and indeed justly does not call for execution in case of an unintentional murder.
“It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake, and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and compensation (blood money, i.e., Diya) be given to the deceased’s family, unless they remit it…” (Quran, 4:92).
How can such a direct and explicit statement be ignored by those who handed him his death sentence and by those who are still in position to intervene and pardon him? If Mirza Tahir is executed, his blood will be on all our hands for not protesting to save his life. “And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (5:32)
HUMA IMAM
Dubai, UAE
THE National Testing Service (NTS) conducted test GAT-IV (GRE-based) on Oct 1 at a marriage lawn, Karachi, from 10am to 12 noon. There were around 500 candidates in the lawn, which was not fully covered. The candidates were full of sweat because of warm sunshine. There were 120 minutes for 100 questions.
In this type of test, candidates need a very pleasant environment because there remains a stress during the test. But owing to the unpleasant environment the test looked like a physical test rather than an aptitude test.
The NTS management should arrange a good place for the test such as a school, an institute, university classrooms and covered halls but not a sunny marriage lawn.
PARKASH CHHATWANI
Karachi
I WAS mugged in broad daylight at 11am on main Clifton Road near Teen Talwar. To the law-enforcement agencies: this is how much you are feared. MOHAMMED YUNUS
Karachi
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