| November 03, 2006 | Friday | Shawwal 10, 1427 |
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Ghulam Ishaq Khan
In the line of criticism
Dope tests
Street crime
The blame game
Beachfront, coastal areas’s development
Drainage water
Cowasjee’s police escort
Phone out of order
Economic indicator
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 Quaid’s dream for Pakistan, based on some golden principles, magnetised the entire Muslim India to achieve Pakistan, despite all odds. These included strictly honest democracy, justice, rule of law and, above all, his dream to the effect that “Pakistan will be a laboratory, in which Islam will be practically demonstrated for the world to see and adopt.”
This was clearly heard by my own ears, in his speech at Aligarh, irrespective of what some people try to misquote his speeches, out of context to conclude otherwise. How far we have lived up to his above quoted golden principles is for us to seriously ponder and try to rectify most urgently.
Democracy and honest rule of law were trampled for 38 years out of 59 by civilian bureaucrats and military dictators, after the assassination of the first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, leading to the dismemberment of the Quaid’s Pakistan within 24 years of independence.
This trampling was condoned by the supreme judiciary under duress, despite dissension and resignations of many honest judges, on the crutches of the so-called doctrine of necessity, of the self-appointed dictators, totally against the interests of the nation and the Quaid’s golden principles.
Whatever a few short periods of democracy emerged after mass struggles were short-lived followed by military coups on some pretext or the other, solely to enhance their budgets, primarily due to the stalemate of Kashmir, a conspiracy of the British to re-enslave both, through neo-colonialism.
Now that both the countries have nukes and cannot afford to fight, yet they are unable to settle this problem, thus serving the world power’s interests of sales of military junks at high cost.
The type of democracy adopted is against its very definition, as instead of offering consensus of all people, it offers 100 per cent power to the representatives of hardly 20 per cent people at high cost, while defence, debt servicing, etc, leave little for poverty alleviation and development, leaning dependence on more debts.
The only remedy to get out of this vicious circle is to adopt cost-free democracy, offering proportional representation to all parties in power, besides slashing defence expenses through reservists, as done by the West, to avoid any further disaster.
S.M.H. RIZVI
Karachi
I TAKE strong objection to Dawn’s editorial on Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s death (Oct 29) as it was extremely uncharitable to the services of the deceased president. The editorial completely ignored Mr Khan’s massive contribution to Pakistan’s nuclear programme without which it would never have been a success.
He was the defence secretary when the nuclear programme started, he remained associated with it as the finance minister and then later as president. Even our western and Indian foes have acknowledged his pivotal role.
Had he not been there, we would have long lost our only defensive shield against India. As long as he was alive, there was no proliferation. Mr Khan could have easily enriched himself by spilling our nuclear secrets to the US and other western powers.
The editorial also criticised his actions as president. There should be no doubt that his use of Article 58 (2B) was controversial but one should not forget that he was one of the few constitutionally elected presidents in the country’s history whose victory in the presidential election is a record.
Nobody ever got that many votes. It is he who established the foundations of Wapda and State Bank. He was a deputy commissioner at partition, when many a petty government servant enriched himself by allotting evacuee property. Many of our top personalities today are scions of these people.
Had GIK wanted, he could have easily been the richest man in Pakistan but he missed every opportunity to enrich himself. He had to borrow from the HBFC to build a home and that was the only residence he owned.
He did not even have a house in the federal capital where today every civilian or military bureaucrat owns a plot. Are these not magnificent qualities?
Finally, Ghulam Ishaq Khan was privy to tons of secrets but he behaved like a model retired read of state and kept mum. Compare this to the situation today where everyone seems to be trampling the National Secrets Act.
Mr Khan did not come to the presidency through coup d’etats or palace intrigues as in the case of Ghulam Mohammad or Iskander Mirza. He would never bend before a phone-call.
He was far better than his successors Farooq Leghari and Rafiq Tarrar who started a party after quitting office, ran for elections and remained in public eye through press statements.
He gave the country a world-class university in the form of GIK Institute of technology. In the light of these facts, GIK was a towering figure who is born only once in a while.
OSAMA MUSTAFA
Islamabad
A LOT of deserved hype has been generated by the bestseller In the Line of Fire”. The entire opposition has become hysterical. There are group discussions on various TV channels mostly condemning the memoir. At least, this is proof enough that there is adequate freedom of speech in Presidents Musharraf’s government.
In fact, the book is excellent reading -– simple, educational and vastly informative. The writer’s account of Pakistan’s political history, international rollercoaster image, economic crises, and endless sovereign challenges is a succinct history lesson for the MTV generation, and a harsh reminder to those baby boomers responsible for almost burying our country’s future under piles of corruption, greed and incessant power trips. Shame on them. Mr President, start writing part II of your memoir.
Mr Munawar Ali, in his letter (Oct 21) under the title ‘Born to rule’ has missed the point completely. The ‘shadow’ in context is but the ‘shadow of death’. Anywhere, anytime the president could become the assassin’s target (God forbid). His repartee: “Could I have written the book after my death?” was apt and fitting.
Furthermore, why should he not have written a book while in office? Is there any law, regulation or precedent that forbids the same? Quite simply, those that negate his courage in writing it are either those that have not bothered to read the memoir (very likely as Pakistan, sadly, is not a reading nation) or the ones with deep tunnel vision (these ‘old school’ kinds are quick to pronounce rejection but slow to exclaim constructive opinions). Ah yes, there is the third type — the mindless followers.
One would well sum up the hype that the bestseller has generated as a simple case of ‘khisyani billi (read ‘billiyan’) khamba nochay’.
DR SALMA MOHSIN
Karachi
THIS refers to the statement issued by the PCB doping tribunal banning Shoaib and Asif (Nov 2). The present predicament illustrates the unprofessional and chaotic state of affairs conducted by the PCB during the past decade.
Given the facts that more than 50 per cent of Pakistani players are not proficient in the English language, and that the drug prescriptions in Pakistan are not regulated, the onus was on the PCB official to educate players regarding the banned drug rules, potential use of banned drugs and their implications.
It is interesting to note that the team is coached by a foreign coach who uses English to communicate with the team. One can well imagine the effectiveness of communications/coaching when using a foreign language.
The present head of the PCB is an opportunistic figure who does not know an iota about cricket. Like all other domains of the government, the PCB too needs professionals and not mediocre men to head it.
Since Shoaib and Asif were recovering from major injuries, it is plausible that to recover quickly from their injuries they might have taken medicines which could have contained steroids. The PCB should have given them the benefit of the doubt and should have ordered fresh tests.
It is also very unprofessional of PCB tribunal to indulge in a character assassination of Shoaib: it shows a bias against him.
Both players ought to hire lawyers and take the PCB to court to claim their innocence.
DR A. KHAN
Illinois, USA
I STRONGLY suggest that total control of street crime will only be possible if “weapons up to a limited bore will be allowed free from licence to all the citizens of Karachi.
Some training schools in Karachi may be created for at least a couple of years. You will get the best results out of this practice.
When any criminal knows that most of the people have weapons on them and anyone can use this against them, this act of street crime will reduce day by day and within a couple of months you will feel a good change in society.
Crimes committed in the streets of Karachi are generally not found in the NWFP because in the NWFP at least 50 to 70 per cent people carry weapons as a tradition or due to their personal clashes.
Everybody knows this reality. The percentage of people carrying weapons in government statistics may be more or less.
SAJJAD H. ZAIDI
Karachi
MR Muhammad Rizwan’s article ‘The blame game’ (Magazine Oct 29) is a precise image of malevolence our civil society is suffering these days. He is absolutely correct that people, in general, have become so nonchalant that they do not look beyond tips of their noses. When dealing with others, they become moralist whereas in their own matters they apply policy of pragmatism. These dual characteristics over a period have penetrated so deep in every stratum of society that even palpable indiscretions and illegalities done in Day-to-day affairs are being accepted as norm.
This indifference is reflected in almost every segment of society. For instance, some of the most important city roads round the year are either broken or after excavation for laying pipes, etc., are left unattended causing immense damage to vehicles. But it does not create angst in those negotiating unsuccessfully with the potholes and crater causing severe damage to their vehicles. One more glaring illustration is non-compliance of construction laws. The quality of inferior material used in multi-storeyed buildings is common sight. More conspicuously ugly are the edifices whose exterior is left without plaster obviously for the reason that it does not hurt aesthetics of the owners.
Such types of unfinished constructions present to beholder a look of devastation. On the top of it, overflowing gutters, heaps of untreated garbage at every corner of the street and encroachments of footpath make the environment highly repulsive.
Another example of apathy is the exit points of almost all major cities of the country. For instance, the approaches to and from Karachi, either by road or railways, are a case in point. Both sides of the Super Highway connecting upcountry are occupied by truck mafias who dump sand excavated illegally from the Hub river for sale to builders. In addition to that, innumerable giant construction machines are parked wherever some space is found, giving look to the entire area of a war-devastated territory. The flats built in the vicinity are either rented out or in unauthorised possession of the mafia members.
The Super Highway being the most important artery connecting upcountry with Karachi port is an all-time busy road. The unauthorised occupation of both sides of this road at Sohrab Goth and constant movement of heavy machinery and trucks carrying construction material have not only damaged the highway but has caused numerous accidents claiming a number of lives. One fails to understand as to why the institutions such as city government and the police department are silent about unauthorised occupation of public properties and nuisance created by these unauthorised dealers who neither pay taxes nor abide any law of the land.
Nevertheless, be that as it may the apathy of people towards declining social values is not intrinsic but having roots in extraordinary circumstances they have gone through, and that has destroyed the social ethos gradually.
Going back to pre-independence era one can find that despite colonial rule, the laws and procedures were strictly adhered to. The people were fully aware of their rights and obligations towards society. However, due to socio-political instability and least participation of the general public in day-to-day affairs of the country throughout 60 years of its existence the consideration of disillusioned people has been reduced to individualistic wasted interests. This myopic approach has given rise to impassiveness towards greater good of society and, consequently, failed to develop in people a sense of ownership for public assets.
I agree with writer that there is no simple solution to the malice of double standards, yet we need to create such conditions with conscious efforts, involving educational institutions, NGOs and city governments with active government patronage and try to bring positive change in the attitudes, systems and methods so as to create in people constructive emotional feelings and a sense of ownership beyond the periphery of their houses.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
IN recent weeks there has been a spate of news regarding the development of Karachi’s beaches and coastal areas which is cause for concern. The crux of the matter is that these developmental schemes are being undertaken at a time when there is zero confidence in the entities that are going to be responsible for these schemes, be it the city government, the DHA or any port authority.
This lack of confidence stems from the fact that the city government has spent millions of rupees in building roads that collapse and melt away even before they are opened for use, have usurped open drains and covered them for building purposes, have turned a blind eye to a shoddy public transport system, the scarcity of water and electricity for the teeming millions in this city.
The KPT has destroyed the mangroves in Boating Basin and has reclaimed land from the water channel, resulting in the loss of its original beauty and natural value.
As far as the DHA is concerned, it is one of the only residential societies in the world, controlled by the armed forces, who are the biggest land owners in the country.
Nowhere in the world does a residential society undertake commercial ventures of this scale which not only threatens the peace and tranquillity of a residential area, but also turns the beach front into a permanent carnival.
If we are to cite the examples of Dubai and Thailand, a short visit to those countries will make it clear how the beaches are maintained and kept as natural as possible, without any man-made intervention, and how residential societies uphold a peaceful and serene atmosphere for their residents, first providing them basic amenities.
The DHA owes it to its residents to conduct a poll, asking them if they want to turn the DHA into a mela, with worse traffic jams than ever before. It is quite clear that the DHA is doing this to generate funds.
The DHA owes its residents an open audit of their accounts to show where and how the development charges that have been collected from the plot owners have been utilised to date. Moreover, the residents have a right to know about and uphold the green belt law pertaining to the beach front.
It is about time we stood up and said no to further exploitation of Karachi’s resources, both natural and otherwise. Karachi has been a cash cow for vested interests long enough and its time that the country and its citizens started giving back rather than milking it dry.
I laud all the NGOs and private citizens who are raising their voices to prevent the degradation of Karachi’s beaches and coastal areas.
S. ZAFFAR KHAN
Karachi
NOWADAYS haemorrhagic fever is posing a threat to the lives of Karachiites. Hundreds of people are suffering from this virus.
In this context I should like to say that I reside in Scheme-33, Sector 15-A-1 in Sadaf Society. Behind the Bismillah Complex Sector 15-A/1, there is a big pond formed by drainage water, which is emitting a foul smell. It has been there for a year but no action has yet been taken by the authorities concerned.
The authorities concerned should do the needful.
ZAFAR IQBAL
Karachi
SEVERAL interesting points have been raised on this issue, one of them being that since Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee is outspoken on many issues, he deserves security afforded to him by government and by extension, taxpayers.
To which I ask, is Mr Cowasjee the only outspoken journalist in the whole country? Don’t all journalists deserve to be protected in that way?
That has, of course, nothing to do with my personal opinion of his writings, replete as they are in rhetorical fatalism. Isn’t anyone else in the 160 million insignificant others deserving of such security?
Mr Cowasjee graces the board of many corporations – surely his resources would allow him to hire private security like million others are doing. What about thousands who are killed annually by wayward drivers, or bombarded upon in the name of curbing extremism, or a certain scientist named Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan?
I wonder what Mr Cowasjee’s views would have been had he witnessed anyone else utilizing state resources for his personal safety. Not charitable, to be sure.
TALHA BIN HAMID
Karachi
SINCE August my telephone number 4945935 has been out of order and despite numerous complaints, I have just been informed that it is because of a cable fault.
Second, whenever I tried to lodge a complaint at 18, I was given a new complaint number but to no avail. And when I tried to contact the operator, the line would just disconnect before I could even speak to an available operator.
This is all despite the fact that I am regularly paying the monthly bills for the line rent, besides suffering from mental unrest due to non-availability of the telephone service. Could anyone responsible from the PTCL clarify whether my phone would be operative, and when?
ROOFI ABDUL RAZZAK
Karachi
OUR president and the prime minister appear to tag increase in cellphones use in Pakistan as a vital economic indicator (Oct 7).
About two years back, my outgoing daughters’ desire to have cellphones enabling them “to contact the home in case of need”. I had to barrow the money to buy. For an appropriate economic indicator of a nation’s progress and prosperity, a basketful of pre-determined consumer items and not to pick up merely one by choice is a better proposition.
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
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