| November 05, 2006 | Sunday | Shawwal 12, 1427 |
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Murders most foul
Poverty reduction
Persistent painful prices
Woes of Clifton
Our devil’s bargain
Pakistan’s foreign policy
Killing of journalist
Suspension of flights
Pakistan and the Taliban
Advice on fumigation
PTCL responds
Embassy website
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 French administration should not have done what it did. A tragedy experienced in the past has been gradually dragged by Europe’s unilateral political pressure to the point of strangling freedom of speech.
By ignoring the pain of the Muslim Turks murdered by Armenian gangs and blocking the path of truth, we have come to a fork in the road where Turkish-Armenian relations have taken a negative turn to the disadvantage of Armenia. So who won?
What has France, the so-called centre for democracy and freedom, gained by criminalising even the professional expressions of historians and scholars on a certain subject? Who in the European Union can now walk tall when France’s embarrassment stands? Who can gain credibility in his attempts to defend the expansion of freedoms while violating human rights? There are many cases similar to this in history. Why did France persist in its mistake in spite of a series of common sense warnings issued by Europe?
There are two Europes with regard to Turkey’s EU membership. One is able to appreciate Turkey’s importance and understands that a Europe without Turkey cannot be a universal actor. This Europe perceives and accepts the benefits of universal peace that would emerge from the admission of a Muslim country into the EU against the possibility of more serious conflicts among civilizations.
The other Europe surrenders to fear and says, “We are a Christian club. What have Turks got to do with us?” This Europe is tired and timorous, and gradually sliding back toward racism. And it is this Europe that is using France.
France did not do what was befitting of it; however, we should do what befits us. I know very well that groups opposed to Turkey’s EU membership have gotten the opportunity they have long yearned for. Now, they have a trump card with which to taunt those bolstering the process of Turkey’s membership and are tacitly going to exploit the situation as much as possible. Therefore, we must steadfastly and vigilantly continue to defend our own truth. Whether Turkey’s membership materialises or not, we must not be the side that backs out. After all, Europe has a conscience.
The expansion of freedoms should be carried out not because we must acquire EU membership but because we need them at home. For example, the most positive answer to France could be the abolition of Article 301 that criminalises insulting Turkishness, the military, police forces and the like. The recommendations of Sami Selcuk, the honorary president of the Court of Appeals, should be taken into consideration by the government. France’s decision should on no account be exploited for the sake of domestic politics.
The French themselves say, Le sens commun n’est pas si commun (Common sense is not so common). So let patience and common sense prevail. Let’s ignore those who are fighting tooth and nail to irritate us by exploiting our feelings. Yes, France underestimates us and disregards our honour. However, if we do not make mistakes, France will ultimately be the loser.
FAIK DALBASTI
Karachi
WHAT do President Bush, Prime Minister Blair and President Musharraf have in common? Near zero credibility. This fact is demonstrated most glaringly by the Bajaur tragedy.
The first obvious question is who did it? All pointers indicate the US. Firstly, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have gone on record several times threatening to attack “targets” in any country in pursuit of “terrorists”. Secondly, the US and its protege Israel routinely rain death and destruction and do not bother much with “collateral damage”. They prefer this method of combat to taking the risk of facing the enemy on the ground.
Thirdly, the Waziristan agreement between Pakistan and tribes in that area has been under attack both by the US, NATO and Afghanistan although it brought a peace of sorts to the troubled area. They claim that the agreement is directly linked to an increase in Taliban activity in Afghanistan. An agreement in the Bajaur area along the same line was imminent and needed to be scuttled before it got off the ground.
Fourthly, President Bush is faced with perhaps the most difficult election of his life and is thrashing about desperately for any news or development, natural or contrived, which could provide his party with a lifeline. What a boon if Ayman Al Zawahiri (who was suspected to be with the massacred people at the time) was killed at this time!
Why were Pakistan’s generals in such a hurry to own up to the massacre if they were not the perpetrators? Obviously they wanted to save themselves the embarrassment that would be caused by passive acceptance of such a murderous intrusion into Pakistan by a foreign power. Not having the spine to confront America on the issue, the rulers appear to have preferred to take the only course left. They are now basking in the glory of praise of their action by President Bush.
The military rulers are doing a great disservice to the country by bringing the army into more confrontation with the people by firstly filling most civilian career positions with serving and retired army men and increasingly by killing one’s own countrymen for money (by the President’s own admission) or out of fear of the supposed super power.
Writ is established by justice and fair play not by brute force. Wise rulers aim at ruling minds not bodies.
WAJID NAEEMUDDIN
Karachi
IT IS unfortunate that General Musharraf justifies his claim of poverty reduction by the number of cars people have acquired. These cars (symbol of prosperity) belong to less than two per cent of Pakistanis. The situation is much more worse for the rest of population living in the country.
To eradicate poverty, basic requirements need to be met: education for all, access to clean potable water, provision of proper sanitation in living environments, promotion and cultivation of hygiene education, progressive farming innovations and development of allied opportunities for producing better and sufficient foods with adequate nutritional values, development of water to support agriculture, fisheries, lakes as well as development of dry lands for future development, realistic and functional family planning, development of emergency response programs that meet basic requirements for food and health, disease prevention through immunisation programs and health training, eradication of child labour through stringent legislature, integration of women in the main stream society and provision and protection of their equal rights.
How much progress has been made during the last seven years of Musharraf’s administration on these fronts?
We have fewer jobs in the public sector than ever before. We have failed to attract the foreign investors the way India or China has done in the past 10 years. We have more school buildings, but lesser trained teachers. We produce more doctors than before, but there is no effective healthcare infrastructure. We have more jobless graduates on the roads and this number keeps on rising. A common man is still scared of the police, which is supposed to serve and protect them. We have almost no trained people in fields other than in medicine, IT and army. Can a country run only on these?
Mere claims of high economic growth will not satisfy the people, unless the benefits of the economic prosperity really trickle down to the grass root level and bring about a visible change in the standards of living of both the rural and urban folks
QAZI ASIM NAEEM
Hyderabad
THIS is with reference to Sultan Ahmed’s article: “Pricing the POL less painful” (Nov 2). Mr Ahmed has quoted Dr Ashfaq Hasan Khan, the economic advisor to the finance ministry, as saying that the POL prices cannot be reduced until the Saudi light crude price comes down to 54 dollars per barrel from the present 58-60 dollars; and that the government has lost Rs.83 billion by subsidizing POL products between May 04 to Oct 06.
I have two reasons for not accepting that. One, it was proved by Aziz Suharwardy in his letter: “Oil price calculations” (Sept 18, 2005) followed by my observations, that the government was pocketing Rs.20/= on each liter of refined petrol. In addition to that it also stomachs extra dough on petroleum by-products. Also huge profits are pouring into accounts of foreign oil companies - some of which would be understandable but the other ‘some’ is definitely illogical. When last year NAB was entrusted to fix petroleum prices, it refused after being threatened by foreign oil companies of closing down the outfits if it examined the composite oil pricing that would have exposed the strangling taxes, levies and inexplicable charges in the price structure.
Two: the general public cannot be rebuffed for their demands to reduce oil prices with the drop in the international market. Dr Khan’s contention that the government has ‘lost’ some rupees in subsidy is not tenable. If only government stops pocketing profits, there would not be a need of subsidy - and the prices would still be less than the existing.
Mentioning of ‘losing’ Rs.83 billion in subsidy by the government as Dr Khan says is an intimidation. It is the weakness of the economic managers and oil administrators of this country, which caused the huge unnecessary payments to foreign oil companies. Tomorrow these ‘experts’ would intimidate the nation that the government has ‘lost’ Rs.130 billion in the uplift and development projects in Balochistan. We do not need such fat-salaried parasites they naively call ‘experts’ and ‘managers’. We need the professionals who could read the nation’s pulse.
S M KAZIM NAQVI
Karachi
IT IS unbelievable how the Clifton Cantonment Board has not paid any heed to the fumigation drive against mosquitoes to curtail the spread of the Dengue virus. The irony of the fact is that despite being fully aware of the dire situation, the Clifton cantonment authorities have now started gutter cleaning in Block 2. The workers are cleaning the gutters and throwing out the garbage on roads resulting in more and more filth — and mosquitoes.
I would like to request the concerned quarters of Clifton cantonment Board to please start the fumigation in Clifton immediately without further delay.
RIAZ A. QURESHI
Karachi
IN his column on the tragedy in Bajaur (Nov 3), Ayaz Amir raises three pertinent issues: distorting the facts or covering the truth, compromising our sovereignty for perpetuating personal power and missing the opportunity for peace in the tribal areas.
It is rather unfortunate that the common perception about our rulers telling the nation ‘the whole truth’ is very low. Somehow our rulers sitting in ivory towers are totally divorced from ground reality and believe that whatever they say will be taken as the gospel truth.
They are totally oblivious of the fact that people can determine the truth for themselves. It is pathetic to watch some of the ministers on different TV channels in their efforts to cover up the truth. Suffice it to say that we can hide the truth for sometime but not for ever.
By doing what we did in Bajaur cannot be condoned even if we were to believe the government’s version of the incident.
Killing human beings without providing them the opportunity to prove their guilt or innocence is a crime against humanity. Who are we trying to please? Are we trying to do it since this is the only way through which the present regime can perpetuate itself or are we trying to help the Republican party in the US to win Congressional mid-term elections?
For all intent and purposes, the Bush administration is losing the war both in Iraq as well as in Afghanistan because of its own faulty policies. They are desperate to convince their people that they were right in waging this unwarranted war to fight terrorism.
Let us not follow them blindfolded. We must keep our own national interest supreme. This is the only way we can earn respect as a people in the world.
Dialogue, negotiations and working towards a peaceful solution to all human problems regardless of their complexity, and even to contain terrorism is the only way to check it. Any other course will be a recipe for disaster.
DR ZAFAR I. QURESHI
Lahore
THE habit of Pakistan’s government, army and civil officers as well as the vested interests to have a seven star lifestyle, far beyond the country’s resources, is the devil, which has ensured that the proverbial begging bowl comes out at every opportunity in front of foreign countries and even their officials visiting Pakistan.
As we know, “Beggars can not be choosers”.
No wonder Pakistan can not have ‘sovereign’ foreign policy.
VIPUL THAKORE
London
FOREIGN Minister, Khurshid Kasuri told a Senate Committee on foreign relations that Pakistan would have met similar treatment like Iraq if we had not helped the US in its war against terror.
When America invaded Iraq, at that time it was opined that the next target would be Pakistan. President Musharraf had strongly rejected this idea and said that Pakistan is a nuclear power and we can not even be at number 100. There is a contradiction in both the statements. If our foreign policy or internal law and order situation is subject to either foreign pressure or dictation, then how can we say that we are an independent nation?
We have bombed, or allowed the bombing of, innocent students of a religious madrassah under pressure from America. The killing is against all norms of international laws. Even a rival army during war is allowed to surrender but we have martyred our own children without giving them any chance to surrender and clear themselves of the charge of “terrorist activities”. The area is strictly under the control of the government where the incident occurred and the inmate could easily have been brought to justice.
MUHAMMAD RIAZ
Thana Malakand Agency
THE murder of senior journalist Malik Muhammad Ismail Khan is a brutal act which shows how the journalist community in Pakistan is still in the line of fire. The veteran journalist was known for his courage and commitment to uncovering stories and he was very involved in promoting a positive image of journalism in Pakistan.
The manner and cruelty of his death would suggest that there may have been a story against the “powerful”. The government must take immediate and stern action and trace his killers and provide appropriate security to the community so that they can perform their duties without any fear and apprehension.
M. FAZIL BUKHTIAR QURESHI
Sialkot
PIA’s decision to suspend its Boeing 747 flights to UK, US and other major destinations will indeed cause huge revenue losses to the national carrier.
However, I oppose the airline’s decision to operate A310-308s instead of B-777s on Heathrow bound flights from Karachi, which were previously operated by B747-300 and B747-M. Keeping in view the passenger load in almost all seasons, only the Boeing 777s are equipped to handle that load.
M. SALEH SHAH
Karachi
I fail to understand how Pakistanis are supporting a Taliban movement when the Taliban have created so much of religious hatred in Pakistan. They are directly involved in sectarian killings in Pakistan and they condone suicide bombings. Their inhuman attitude towards women is no secret now. The ideology they are spreading is against basic Islamic principles. Islam has never been as rigid as the Taliban depicts. The whole world thinks that the face of Islam is the same as that of Taliban which gives a very bad name to the religion.
I am not for the US but I am also against those who are hidden criminals. The Taliban started killing Muslims after the Russians left. That is what they will do when the US leaves Afghanistan.
The sectarian differences which they are spreading will weaken Pakistan from inside and outsiders will get the chance to come in. This is why I urge the people of Pakistan to fully reject Taliban if they want to remain united and strong and safe from outside attack.
NADEEM ZAFAR
Atlanta, USA
THIS is with reference to the city government’s fumigation drive in major cities in lieu of the dengue virus. We must be aware and take precautions during the spray/fumigation, since most insecticides can be a threat to health and the environment. It is important to protect food items that are being sold openly on the streets as well as food related stuff at people’s homes. One must wash all the utensils, pans, and plates that were left in the open during the fumigation.
It is very important to protect oneself, especially children and senior citizens, from directly inhaling the fumes during and soon after the spraying has been done. Open the doors or windows of the rooms that would need ventilation after the spray is complete. Make sure that during fumigation time, kitchen/dining area and children’s rooms are closed.
Sensitive plants should be protected. And we should not forget our pets in this process
ABDUL QADIR
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter titled “Phone out of order” (Nov 03) regarding telephone number 4945935.
PTCL would like to clarify that the issue was rectified by diverting the Diversion Pair (DP), as the previous was damaged by the City District Government Karachi during development work in city.
SALEEM KHAN PRO STR-III
Karachi
THE new address for the Pakistani embassy website in the US is http://www.embassyofpakistanusa.org/.
Unfortunately, the people responsible for these sites didn’t leave a forwarding address or link at the old web address.
FARHAN HUSSAIN
USA
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