| November 01, 2006 | Wednesday | Shawwal 8, 1427 |
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Is this good cricket?
Imagining seizure of Skardu airfield
One step forward, two back
School children could suffer
Development at Bundal & Buddo Islands
A source of pride
Military and civilians: hand in hand
Political eidi
Cannabis controversy
Black and white
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 entire Bajaur episode is simply outrageous. No country in the world allows anyone to simply kill people without proof. The government claims to have information about the miscreants in that madrassah but who can determine the authenticity of this information? Even if there were some so-called miscreants, they could have simply been arrested rather than being bombed to hell.
As Pakistanis, I wonder how we can show such indifference towards an act that is atrocious any way you look at it. The army has lost more soldiers in times of peace during the past few years rather than during war. The locals are claiming that US planes carry out air strikes on a regular basis and one can’t help but believe them. It is high time that we as a nation raised our voices against such atrocities.
MARYAM IQBAL
Karachi
AREN’T states supposed to arrest culprits, try them in a court of law and let the judiciary decide on the verdict accordingly? Without such a process, the Pakistani government has reduced the army to a national vigilante force.
SAMI KUREISHY
Voorhees, USA
AS a student in the United Kingdom, I think what happened in Bajaur is a crying shame. Someone ought to tell President Musharraf and his puppet government that bombing innocent people is not the way to solve problems.
SHAH JEE
London, UK
MORE than 80 people have been killed in an attack on a madrassah in Bajaur. According to an eyewitness who does not wish to be named, Pakistani gunship helicopters showed up 10 minutes after the blasts that sealed the fate of the “suspected militants” who, according to locals, were all innocent students. Why was such an attack carried out when a peace deal was about to be signed on that very day? Also, some reports say that Nato was opposed to such a deal? Did Nato carry out the attack? Or were Pakistanis forced to act so that the peace deal may not be signed? Whatever the case may be, it was a sad and dark day in the history of Pakistan.
ALI M. KHAN
Lahore
AFTER seeing the bodies of the victims in Bajaur agency, I think President Musharraf ought to be awarded a medal on such a commendable operation. After all, it isn’t every day that a leader as powerful as Musharraf condones the killing of 80 innocent children. One can’t help but wonder if this is the way that our esteemed president intends on taking to bring about enlightened moderation and to establish a soft image of Pakistan?
UZMA SALAHUDDIN
Karachi
EMBARRASSING is the word that comes to mind after watching the annihilation of the Pakistan team by South Africa. Is this the ‘good cricket’ that Younis Khan promised us all through this tournament? In the recent past, the Pakistani public has not reacted too strongly to the teams losses mainly because of the teams commitment to fight till the end.
Unfortunately, the way the team wilted in the Champions Trophy has raised serious questions about the team’s ability to perform under pressure and against top quality oppositions.
Nevertheless this tournament is history now and the PCB has little time to react before the World Cup. Keeping the recent performances of the team in mind, I would like to make a few suggestions.
Prepare bouncy wickets for the West Indies tour, without worrying about the result. It is better to lose and learn than to score double centuries on dead wickets. Second, Imran Farhat and Shahid Afridi have no place in the team.
Unfortunately, both these players lack the temperament and technique required at the international level. Afridi’s recent bowling form has been unimpressive and his batting on seaming wickets has been shocking to say the least.
Give the opening slot to permanent openers and stick with them till the world cup. Mohammed Hafeez and Yasir Hameed are the best technical choices given the current scenario. In addition, Hafeez’s bowling has been exceptional especially in the slog overs.
Also, Inzamam should be made captain till the World Cup as we cannot afford to appoint a fresh leader given the time frame. As this tournament showed, captaincy is not something one is born with. Inzamam is an experienced captain and more often than not leads from the front with his exquisite batting.
If Pakistan can get Shoaib and Asif back soon, they could form a potent attack along with Gul, Razzaq and a specialist spinner. Otherwise Sami’s inclusion as a strike bowler is a must.
And finally, Bob Woolmer needs to stop playing video games on his laptop and concentrate on the batting technique of our openers.
SYED OMER SALAMB
Abu Dhabi, UAE
THIS is with reference to Brig (retd) Javed Hussain’s thought-provoking — but mind boggling — article. (Dawn, Oct 21) In my humble opinion the author is not even clear about the aim of his expose, which is evident from the structure and substance of the article.
The least that can be said is that he wants to sensationalise the situation to attract attention. He starts with describing the topography of the Kargil area and then he discusses the frontal attacks by the Indian troops. Thereafter, he goes into military history to prove that frontal attacks are costly and futile. Finally, in the end, he conjectures if Indians had captured the Skardu airfield, what might have happened to the Northern Areas and Kashmir.
I do not know what the background professional knowledge and experience is of the retired officer, but even a junior officer with mid-level training and professional exposure would agree that this is a gross over estimation of the Indian army’s and air force’s capability vis-à-vis their Pakistani counterparts.
Granting maximum to the enemy, let us presume that, they had seized Skardu airfield despite our air defence both on ground and in the air in a ‘swift and surprise attack’. How long could this force have sustained itself logistically without replenishments and ultimate link up with their ground frees, which is vital for a force like this which has been dropped behind enemy lines?
Link up in a mountainous terrain in an early time frame is highly improbable so the infiltrating force would have been sitting like a lame duck against the onslaught of the Pakistan army and air force.
I would like to request the retired officer not to create a undue alarm amongst the masses by such irrational assessments and conjectures.
BRIG (RETD) SHAHARYAR KHAN
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to Asaf Ali Shah’s response (Oct 14) to Dr Hoodbuoy’s article ‘One step forward, two back’. Mr Shah argues that “there is no such provision in the Hudood laws which says that a woman alleging rape will be presumed guilty of fornication or adultery, unless she can produce witnesses in support of her allegation”.
I would urge him to read the Hudood laws before lashing out in naïve anger. The following are the relevant articles of Hudood laws:
5. Zina liable to hadd:
(1) Zina is zina liable to hadd (b) if it is committed by a woman who is an adult and is not insane with a man to whom she is not, and does not suspect herself to be, married.
(2) Whoever is guilty of Zina liable to hadd shall, subject to the provisions of this Ordinance,
(a) if he or she is a muhsan, be stoned to death at a public place; or
(b) if he or she is not muhsan, be punished, at a public place; with whipping numbering one hundred stripes.
8. Proof of zina or zina-bil-jabr liable to hadd.
Proof of zina bil jabr liable to hadd shall be in one of the following forms, namely:
(a) the accused makes before a court of competent jurisdiction a confession of the commission of the offence; or
(b) at least four Muslim adult male witnesses, about whom the court is satisfied, having regard to the requirements of tazkiyah al shuhood, that they are truthful persons and abstain from major sins (kabir), give evidence as eye-witnesses of the act of penetration necessary to the offence: provided that, if the accused is a non-Muslim, the eye-witnesses may be non-Muslims.
One need not be a genius to understand these simple facts.
DR TAHMINA RASHID
Australia
I AM a resident of PECHS block six which is predominantly a school area and hundreds of kids use this part of Shahrea Faisal every day to commute, to be dropped or to be picked. Since the traffic cuts have been closed after completion of the Shahrea Quaideen bridge, commuters have to go all the way through the bridge to Allahwala Chowk and then back to Shahrea Faisal just to get to the other side of the road.
The school transport people, taxis buses and coasters wishing to go to KDA, Gulshan, etc., park their vehicles on the other side of the road and make the kids and teachers cross the road on foot to reach them. The overhead pedestrian bridge is too much for the small children. Some day this can cause a big accident and lives maybe lost. The relevant authorities should look into this matter and open these cuts again for the sake of the children.
ABIDA SOHAIL
Karachi
THIS is in response to the letter written by Fazlur Rahman Khan of UAE published in (Oct 22) regarding development at Bundal and Buddo Islands of Sindh. The development of any area can not de denied but it is vital to understand the issue.
All islands are the property of the government of Sindh and by virtue of the Constitution of Pakistan, land is a provincial subject; which means any transaction regarding land has to be carried out by that respective province. The referred transaction of islands has been not carried out by the Sindh government; as such its legitimacy is under question.
Secondly, the provinces on the request and requirements of the federal ministries and allied organisations provide land for specific purposes, to provide due facilities to the public and that province and it is always one of the conditions that any land not required or utilised for that purpose has to be surrendered back to the province.
The same situation developed in the case of spare land at Cantt. Station Karachi and it was agreed by the railways department that the owner is the government of Sindh and accordingly the matter was settled. Therefore, also in this case, Port Qasim Authority or any one else, does not have any authority to enter into any sort of transactions or terms, and if the islands are not required by the PQA, as proven by their actions, the islands automatically stand transferred to government of Sindh. SDF, a representative group of Sindhi intellectuals, is considering the option of raising this issue in an appropriate court of law.
Moreover, the concerned issues of environment and feelings of fisherman are also to be considered as development will jeopardise the livelihood of many poor people.
Development in our country particularly in the province of Sindh, has become a two-edged sword. The purpose of development is always to provide economic benefits, opportunities of employment, and subsequent and consequent privileges to the people of that province. If a development turns into “cleansing development”, a term used by the western world to colonise and capture the chunk of benefits, then why should we support or advocate such a disastrous development?
We believe this development is only to benefit the rich and not the indigenous stakeholders — the poor and deprived people of Sindh — who will not benefit from it, unless it is ensured that the benefits trickle down to the down-trotten people of the province, who are committing suicide due to unemployment (1400 unemployed in the last six months).
Therefore, it is very important to establish a mechanism which should guarantee involvement of indigenous Sindhis, redressing their grievances by assuring participation in development process, providing compensation for any losses and getting employment on the basis of census; 60 per cent to rural Sindhis, 20 per cent to settlers in Sindh and 20 per cent to people living in Karachi. We do not trust the present government of Sindh as it is in the clutches of undesirable people. As such a committee representing the stack holders should be formed by the developers, so that development is carried smoothly and a due share of benefits is given to the original people of the land.
ZULFIQAR HALEPOTO
Secretary, Sindh Democrats Front
FOR the past few days, every time I pass the Clifton underpass, I feel some sense of relief and hope. Despite the severe criticism and discussions that the underpass has stirred, especially after the monsoons, the beautiful art work now adorning the walls of the underpass at least contributes somewhat aesthetically to this city of ours. Instead of just slapping on ordinary tiles as it originally seemed like, the planners have carefully chosen a locally inspired, stylised motif design which lends simplicity and yet character to the development.
Also, for the minute or two it takes to complete the passage, one feels a welcome change from the mundane, chaotic situation usually prevalent on Karachi roads. What has been fascinating me even more is that for the past week or so, there has been no graffiti on the walls which is seldom the case. Maybe it is the presence of the artisans at the site that is acting as a deterrent, virtuousness inspired by the holy month of Ramazan or the over-vigilance of the authorities.
Whatever may be the case, I would like to request the citizens of Karachi to appreciate and preserve this and few other beautiful architectural landmarks we have like the Teen Talwar, Do Talwar, Mazaar-i-Quaid, Clifton Bridge and Frere Hall by not spoiling them with litter, pan stains and graffiti. They are our pride and should be enjoyed by all.
FARIDAH HEMANI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the article ‘The death of ideas’ by Ayaz Amir (Oct 20). At the end of his article he writes “Pakistan faces a choice of two competing legacies: civilian and military. Both have been incompetent, the vital difference being that while civilian governments have been incompetent and corrupt, military governments have been that and, as the icing on the cake, disastrous”
I agree with this statement but, in my opinion, this theory needs some further analysis. Whenever the military ruled the roost, it was no one but the civilians who provided the required strength to military rulers to take their rule beyond any limit , Bhutto colluded with Ayub, Sharif with Zia and now the Chaudrys with Musharraf, to name a few examples.
Whenever the country faced any political crisis, these civilians wrote letters to army to intervene; they all welcomed the military rule in some way or the other. They did not learn how to accept defeat. For them democracy only means their own power. Had Ms Bhutto and Mian Sahib behaved sensibly while in power, today we probably would be better off, there certainly would have been no need to sign any charter of democracy.
Democracy and democratic institutions are the only solution to the problems plaguing the country, and we have yet to take the first step in that direction.
DR MIRZA ALI AZHAR
Karachi
WITH the advent of the holy month of Ramazan, the people of Karachi were forced to give political eidi to a dominant political party of this troubled metropolis. They started collecting Rs40 as fitra from homes all over Karachi and Rs500 from commercial concerns. An enduring lot are we not, for giving away our hard-earned money as bhatta and financing the fancies of a few abroad?
CONCERNED
Karachi
THE sports report (Oct 17) concerning use of recreational drugs by Pakistani cricketers is extremely irresponsible as far as journalism is concerned. Cannabis is a recreational drug, while Nandrolone is a steroid. The sports reporter needs to stop trying to sell newspapers on the back of this incident, or at least report news in a way which educates people. Yes, cannabis is also an illegal substance but there was no need to bring this story right at this juncture in time.
Why didn’t the so-called ‘eyewitness’ step up before? It is claimed that “Asif, meanwhile, practised something similar in the privacy of his room on the hotel’s first floor. The eye-witness saw Asif pull out some of the tobacco from his cigarette to stuff it with the banned substance.” Was Asif walking around stuffing his cigarette or was the witness with him in the room?
I would ask Dawn to take this issue in serious light, and not let journalists ruin the reputation of a newspaper that many of us hold in high regard. With the advent of the Internet, people all over the world read your paper, so please do not make your own people look bad by emulating the tabloids of the West.
ADNAN KHALID MAHMOOD
Virginia, USA
I FULLY endorse the views expressed in the letter ‘Black and white’ (Oct 16). The national media, both electronic and print, has begun to show extreme insensitivity to various subjects in their programming and publications.
Over the last few years, with the growth in the number of channels and publications, we are seeing the quality of content moving from bad to worse. We see a cross dresser on prime time TV interviewing leading politicians and celebrities, as well as programmes that ridicule public personalities and sensationalise the news.
By turning such contemptible characters of the society into heartthrobs through uncontrolled and excessive media coverage, what kind of role models are we providing for our youth? On what moral and ethical values will our future generations be raised who grow up seeing such trash on TV since their formative years. At times the programming is not in line with reality.
If someone outside Pakistan watches the music videos, fashion programmes and comedy sitcoms, they would be extremely confused. From the way the youths are dressed in these programmes and the language they speak, one is forced to ponder if they even portray who we are?
ALI WAHAB
Karachi
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