| October 22, 2006 | Sunday | Ramazan 28, 1427 |
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Musharraf's version of events
North Korean nuclear test
A non-technical chairman
The veil controversy
True heroes
Handling cement project
The Armenian ‘genocide’
Police beating
Plan to check crime
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
APROPOS of $43 billion project to develop two island resorts near Karachi, with 85 per cent equity in the project, Dubai-based Emaar will build apartments, offices, resorts and entertainment facilities at Bundal and Buddo Islands over 13 years' period. Pakistan's Port Qasim Authority, which has 15 per cent stake in the project, will provide the land to Emaar. The approval for the project was given by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sept 27.
According to Emaar, this is its single largest project announcement and supersedes the $26.7 billion King Abdullah Economic City project in Saudi Arabia. Emaar also recently signed some MoUs worth $18 billion with Pakistan to build a mixed-use development comprising homes, hotels and a golf course in Karachi. It also plans $2.4 billion of its signature masterplanned communities in Islamabad and Karachi, due for completion by 2011.
Emaar is also said to be aiming at tapping real estate demand in Pakistan, a $129 billion economy forecast to expand seven per cent this fiscal year, compared with 6.6 per cent last year.
However, it is also to highlight that Emaar's stocks have been declining as evident from the fact that it is being traded at AED 14.2 in October 2006 as compared to AED 26.2 in October 2005, a decline of 45.8 per cent over the past one year period.
While a development initiative of $43 billion is welcomed in any economy, in reality it depends on the potential and capacity of the local engineering and construction industry.
In this respect, $43 billion development over 13 years would mean spending Rs198.5 billion in one year or Rs16.5 billion a month or Rs551.3 million a day. These statistics are monumental. Considering the capacity and competence of national construction companies, it is unlikely that these companies would ever be able to achieve this financial target even if all of their current resources are put together collectively on this single ambitious project.
Another issue is that the cost of the households is likely to be more than Rs20 million per unit as this is what Emaar's price tag is on its recently announced projects in Pakistan. According to the statistics on earning/spending capacity of the general public (excluding the elites), this development will be out of reach for a common citizen, period.
Then the most logical question would be for whom are we developing these islands, especially when we consider the fact that the citizens of Karachi do not have access to clean water, healthcare, decent public transport system, and free education, which are the rights of the citizen, and the governments are responsible for providing all of the above to the public?
More than half of Karachi's population is living in squatters. The development in focus and other developments are aimed at targeting middle and high class customers. There is no plan for low-cost housing, which may not be attractive for Emaar but indeed a responsibility of the government.
It would have been wise if the government had extended this concession to the developer with certain conditions attached, such as mandatory requirement of constructing 100 low-cost housing units for every Rs1 billion (three per cent) of investment so that the benefits of development could be trickled down to the sizable population of the city as this would yield construction of 258,000 units of households for low-income group families that would provide house for 1.5 million people considering six-member family household.
Such houses could be constructed on land where existing illegal settlements are constructed with an objective to properly plan those areas and let the same families settle over there.
There is an urgent need to reconsider our action plan. We must prioritise projects in a manner that their implementation benefits all.
FAZLUR RAHMAN KHAN
Abu Dhabi, UAE
APROPOS of Dr Tariq Rehman's article, 'Musharraf's version of events' (Oct 10), his advice that serving government officials should be allowed to write their account of important events is dangerous.
Consider what would happen if the armed forces' chiefs or their subordinates started writing. Obviously, they are not going to fill a book with narration of how good or bad they are at playing golf or about their travels but would inevitably discuss professional matters.
This is highly likely to lead to revealing of state secrets or their own mental processes (that may benefit the enemy); self-projection or sycophancy to please their superiors or a desire to make money from authorship and royalties by neglecting their work, all of which would be bad for the country.
Another important consideration is how many junior officers or civilians would risk inviting the wrath of someone like president Musharraf or the chief of staff by publicly disproving their controversial claims?
Furthermore, the time and resources spent on writing a book should better be devoted to attending to their professional duties. It is for a good reason that high officials in any country are discouraged from venting their views publicly. Historians can surely wait for a few more years until after these people have retired to complete their research
As far as Gen Musharraf's book is concerned, Dr Rehman has likewise defended it. However, the pertinent people have denied many of the accusations made by the president. On his part, Gen Musharraf says he has documentary proof of all he has said therein (Oct 13).
In that case, it is exceedingly important for him to disclose the evidence concerning the alleged threat by Mr Richard Armitage of bombing Pakistan back to the Stone Age. The nation must know if a senior American official actually gave such a dire warning or it was merely a case of miscommunication so that our perspective and future policies can be adjusted accordingly. It would be a great disservice to Pakistan if that were not done.
About Dr A. Q. Khan, I believe it was unethical of the president to attack someone whose hands are tied and lips sealed. Besides, it is in national interest to strictly avoid any commentary on issues related to the scientist. The nation's hero should be facilitated in every way to recover from his serious illness and pass his days in a happy and peaceful way.
A READER
Karachi
DEMOCRATIC People's Republic of Korea shocked the world on Oct 9 by conducting its first nuclear test at Hwadaeri. The test perplexed the world, and DPRK received the worldwide reprimand.
In my view, DPRK was convinced by certain reasons that resulted in the nuclear test. First, the country is languishing in poverty thanks to the economic embargo imposed by the United States of America.
Second, due to America's aggressive attitude towards DPRK and looming threat in the shape of bulk of American and South Korean combat troops stationed on the DPRK border, it left the country with the Hobson's choice to develop tactical weapons in order to create deterrence in the region.
Now the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are taking stock of the other possible sanctions on DPRK. According to analysts, it will be tantamount to further ruffling the feathers of the already volatile region.
In the meantime, the selfrighteous America, along with other major powers, should engage with DPRK in constructive and meaningful overtures following the lifting of earlier sanctions on it. That is the only way out of the current imbroglio in the region, as well as in the world.
However, what boils down to the prevailing unrest in the world is owing to America's stratagem through the 'war on terrorism' ad nauseam to espouse its expansionist tendencies. The world was a tranquil place to live in before the fateful day of 9/11. After 9/11, the world is being jolted with the sound of bombings and, since suicide bombings are in vogue among the insurgents throughout the world, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq.
While commenting on North Korea's nuclear test, an Iranian government official said: "The root cause of this (test) should be sought in the policies, behaviour and method adopted by US rulers.
Nevertheless, in such a biased circumstances acquiring/developing tactical weapons is quite overarching essentially for forestalling a pre-emption attack by the US or its stooge Israel on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction.
FAHIM A. MEMON
Sukkur
AFTER having seen Mr Shaharyar Khan bowing out and Dr Nasim Ashraf taking over as the new PCB chairman, one can say we do not learn from our past mistakes - a nontechnical chairman making way for another non-technical chairman of the PCB. It shows we do want to run the affairs of our cricket board in a way that is beneficial to the game of cricket in Pakistan.
The question is: if no former cricketer with integrity and innate administrative qualities was available, then a good number of persons from the civilian setup with these qualities must be there to choose from. But some people know the art of how to reach the top. They do not mind biting the hand that feeds them or undermine the interests of their well-wishers in a clever yet unethical manner. They wait for the right opportunity to strike with a vengeance.
But who has turned out to be a loser at the end of the day? The outgoing chairman or someone else? Of course, it is neither the outgoing chairman nor someone else but it is the game of cricket which is the ultimate loser. But cricket is certainly bigger than any cricketer or any cricket manager. When the cricket of Pakistan suffers, it is ultimately the name of Pakistan that suffers. But who cares about it? We repeat our follies and do not learn from our past mistakes. And that is a blunder we commit in the process.
TAJAMUL BUKHARI
Lahore
TONY Blair and Salman Rushdie have both jumped in to defend the former British foreign secretary Jack Straw in the row created by the latter's criticism of the use of veil by Muslim women (Oct 11).
Salman Rushdie said that none of his three sisters or anyone from his 'very large female Muslim family' would have accepted wearing a veil. Also, that "the battle against the veil has been a long and continuing battle against the limitation of women. I think the veil is a way of taking power away from women."
The point is what gives such people the right to make life difficult for those Muslim women who opt for the Islamic attire? A couple of months back the results of a survey carried out in many Muslim countries had showed that the majority of women using the scarf or a veil did not see it as a restriction of their liberty. Personally, I wouldn't force women to wear a 'naqab' or a burqa, but I wouldn't stop them, if they wanted to do that.
Tellingly, an American woman named Elizabeth, who is a former US Air Force National Guard personnel and who lost eight relatives in the 9/11 attacks, embraced Islam last year (Dawn, Sept 12). Now known as Safia Al Kasaby, she wears a hijab and her 10-year-old daughter Natalia says her mother's religion is 'cool', while Ada, 18, appreciates her transformation and defends her against people who make fun of Islam or stereotype Muslims.
British writer Madeleine Bunting has also defended the Muslim women and castigated Jack Straw in her article, 'Straw unleashes storm of bias, intensified division' (Dawn/The Guardian News Service, Oct 10). Some of the points raised by her provide much food for thought.
1) Recalling a visit to a nunnery as a child, she says: "(These) women ... had chosen complete segregation from the world as a part of their strict spiritual discipline; we talked to the ... mother superior through the bars of a grille that symbolised their retreat from the world. No one accused these nuns of 'rejecting the values of liberal democracy' - yet they were co-religionists of the IRA terrorists of their time."
One would like to point out here that it is much more difficult and requires far more selfcontrol and courage for the veiled women than the nuns living in isolation to dwell within this world of temptations. More so in a hostile society that calls them names like 'obscurantists', 'extremists' or even 'terrorists'.
2) Ms Bunting also asks: "Does it not occur to men (like Mr Straw) opining on their sense of 'rejection' at the naqab (part of veil covering the face) that it could equally be prompted by separatist lesbians?"
3) The writer further observes: "This debate about the naqab is the flip side of another, parallel debate (led by women) about the oversexualisation of another subset of women who dress very provocatively (no men complaining here). One of the impulses for women who choose to take the naqab is how highly sexualised public space in this country has become.
“How do you signal your rejection - even repulsion - at what you regard as near pornography blazoned over billboards? A minority of young women are so repulsed by the offer of femininity in Britain - rapidly rising alcohol abuse, soaring sexually transmitted diseases - that they have adopted such a drastic option as naqab."
Ms Bunting ends her article by noting that the job of a political leader at this historical juncture is to help overcome our prejudices and "recognise how much we have in common, how much of Islam we non Muslims can ... admire. How much Islam can contribute to the greater problems we face. We shouldn't be hounding those nervous and pious women in their naqabs. Their choice of clothing is irrelevant ...."
In the examples set by the western converts like Elizabeth - of whom there are many -- and the wise words of the non Muslim Briton Madeleine Bunting, there are lessons for the Pakistani feminists and others who are pressuring our women to discard their modest dress and way of life in favour of the western ones.
RIFFAT REHMAN
Karachi
IT doesn’t take a genius to realise that cricketers like Abdul Razzaq have won us more matches than the likes of Shoaib Akhter. Moreover, people like Razzaq are more humble, down-to-earth, and reliable than cricketers like the fancy Shoaib Akhter.
Even after the recent positive dope-testing, companies are not ashamed to bombard us with advertisements featuring Shoaib Akhter speeding around on a motorbike, or showing off new cell phones.
I can’t decide what’s more sickening: the drinking of protein shakes on TV or the news articles about Shoaib’s new haircut? Let’s select some true heroes instead of wannabes who’ve let Pakistan down when the country really needed them.
OMAR MALIK
Islamabad
PAKISTAN played some fantastic cricket the other day to beat Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy match. It was an entertaining game and Pakistan truly deserved to win. I think the Pakistani public should support their team after the turbulent time the team has gone through. We here in India are happy for the Pakistani team because the courage with which the Pakistan team played was commendable.
Playing with just 12 players in total is something fantastic. It’s better to forget the drug abuse episode and move on. It will be better for the team and for Pakistani cricket.
ANNA MARY
Bangalore, India
PAKISTAN Steel Chairman Maj-Gen (r) Muhammad Javed has said the Quaidabad flyover, which was started in May 2005, will be completed in June 2007. This bridge is being constructed with the help of M/s Railcorp (Pakistan Railways), (Dawn, Oct 4).
The two giants specialise in steel. While one is the biggest producer of steel in Pakistan, the other has the biggest inventory of steel items.
One wonders why they opted for constructing something in cement of which none is an expert. The complex RCC Shah Faisal Colony flyover on the busy Sharea Faisal was completed in a year’s time, this one is going to take more than two years. Now we know why.
S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA
Karachi
THIS refers to the article, ‘‘The Armenian genocide is no secret’’ by Robert Fisk, who remarks ‘‘it will be an honour to stand in the dock with my Turkish publishers, to denounce a genocide which even Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish state, condemned’’… The article is full of mistakes, and he is confusing Mustafa Kemal Ataturk with Mustafa Kamal Nemrud.
As a matter of fact he got this false information from the French writer, Paul du Ve'ou, who in his Le De’saste d’ Alaxandretta wrote in a footnote that Mustafa Kemal had appeared before a tribunal in Istanbul on January 27, 1920, and had made a statement that placed responsibility on the shoulders of the Ottoman state for the ‘‘Armenian massacres’’. As a matter of fact Mustafa Kemal Pasha - later Ataturk - was in the Black Sea city of Samsun on May 19, 1919 and had started the movement for the liberation of Turkey.
Ataturk described in detail the atrocities of Greeks and Armenians in his famous Nutuq (Nutq in Arabic) 1927.
Readers are advised to see the following works in English: Ataturk, UNESCO publication; ‘‘A Statement Wrongly Attributed to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’’ by Prof (Dr) Turkkaya Ataov, Ankara University, 1984; The Deportees of Malta and the Armenian Question by Bilal N. Shimshir, Turkish Historical Society, Ankara 1984, Ataturk, Lord Kinross, London, 1965.
DR MUHAMMAD SABIR,PhD (Turkology)
Former Chairman, Department of Islamic History,
Karachi University
TO add more to my letter on police killings (Oct 14), attention is invited to the front-page picture (Dawn, Oct 13) showing policemen beating PML-N supporters. Also, the previous night the TV showed policemen beating even after the protesters were loaded on a bus. The throat of one person was so pressed that his breathing could be affected.
Lately, I had read in newspapers that a police sergeant had ruthlessly beaten a vehicle driver. Who is answerable for such inhuman acts? Those at the top have to take notice of such inhuman behaviour, otherwise one would feel that they are also part of such actions.
S. FARID AHMAD
Karachi
ACCORDING to a news item (Oct 5), a meeting presided over by the prime minister discussed a strategic plan to check street crime in Karachi. The plan seeks to identify the modus operandi of street urchins and actual and potential criminals and interrogating suspects.
How about a plan at identifying the causes of street crime and developing a plan for eliminating them?
All plans to check crime, including traffic violations, so far have only increased the misery of innocent Karachiites at the hands of law enforcers.
ARIF HASAN
Karachi
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