| November 12, 2006 | Sunday | Shawwal 19, 1427 |
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KU: an appeal
KPT pensioners’ woes
WB loans & Punjab cities
Kargil: what might have happened
Airport security
We need the army
Star city
GT Road
Pak-Afghan border
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
INNOCENT Pakistanis who joined our armed forces to defend their country were killed in Dergai, following the unfortunate and brutal killings in Bajaur. The state should have established its writ, through rule of law in Bajaur. It has at its disposal the police, the judiciary and paramilitary forces to enforce the rule of law. There are laws which the state should have enforced to prevent unlawful activities, if they were occurring in Bajaur.
It does suit our national interest to pit our armed forces against the people of Pakistan. Our national security is jeopardised if our armed forces are perceived to use force more than is necessary to curtail illegal activities. It is unfortunate that brotherly ties that bonded our valiant soldiers with their civilian brethren have been strained, by repeated periods of military rule.
Violence breeds violence and the state cannot justify resorting to violence against its own people. The only constitutional role of our national armed forces is to defend against external aggression.
NAZEER ABRO
Hyderabad
THIS is with reference to Mr Hayat Malick’s letter (Nov 10). Mr Malick’s patriotic and timely suggestion of backing “the government to eliminate terrorism from society” is highly appreciable. One wonders, however, whether we should try to practise what most of us Muslims, both scholars and laymen, try so hard to convince the Americans about: that terrorism cannot be stopped just with the help of arms; that there is an increased need to look deeper into the causes that compels a man to blow himself up in order to kill other innocent people; that the genuine grievances of our estranged brothers should first be addressed and then ask them to live and let live. That by doing so we will be able to end the very conditions in a society on which some miscreant elements capitalise to serve there own vested interests.
The prevailing situations in Afghanistan and Iraq are precedents of the inability of military might, no matter how great, to force troubled mind to live in peace. We must not have any illusions that we can win the hearts of these ‘terrorists’ by labelling them so and then killing them resolutely. Elimination through killing is no answer to addressing terrorism. You kill one and create 10. Persuasion through dialogue for a just settlement is the answer.
SHAMEER ADIL
Islamabad
A SUICIDE bomber killed 42 army men in Dargai. Besides the killing of soldiers who were supposed to die in defence of our country, I was shocked that this terrible incident happened very close to my hometown Mardan. The government must seriously re-think its policy towards extremism-turned-terrorism in Pakistan.
I don’t understand why many people cannot accept the fact that these extremists are terrorists and some madressahs are terror training camps. While socio-economic conditions are responsible for families sending their children to such places, there is no justification for them to become killers.
These leaders who preach hatred are the biggest hypocrites themselves. I personally know many such leaders who would on one hand incite others into sending their sons to madressahs and locking their daughters inside the boundaries of their homes but send their own children to foreign universities. They quote examples of the Prophet (pbuh) to reflect the significance of jihad but live in large bungalows and move around in expensive cars. If jihad is such a great thing to die for, why don’t they do it themselves?
I strongly urge those who think the Bajaur operation was a brutality to use their heads. I strongly support it no matter who was behind it. Pakistanis should support General Musharaf in his war against these elements. These fanatics have turned our lives into hell both inside and outside of Pakistan and we must get rid of them at the earliest.
NAVEED ALI
Manchester, UK
I AM sure many Pakistanis have realised that leaders like Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Fazlur Rehman, Shamsul Haq and our cricketer-turned-confused politician Imran Khan have not condemned the suicide attack against the army. Instead they have blamed the government.
This sends the wrong signal to these terrorists that they are doing something right. Anywhere else these leaders would have had to face the music.
AZHAR HUSSAIN
Florida, USA
KARACHI University is the most important public sector university in Pakistan and has undoubtedly produced the largest number of outstanding Pakistanis. Its master plan and buildings were designed by the famous French architect Echochard who was the most outstanding disciple of Le Corbusier, the great master of the modern movement. In 1995, as a student in Paris, I visited Echochard with the hope of working with him, a hope that did not materialise. However, he was angry with Pakistan for having mauled his designs and layouts for reasons of a lack of culture, an understanding of the modern movement and competency.
In spite of this ‘mauling’, the architecture of the University of Karachi is without doubt far superior to anything produced in Pakistan to this day and is of an international standard. The buildings are beautifully proportioned, using Le Corbusier’s modular, and are climatically-appropriate and energy-conserving. They are a lesson for architects and architectural students of Karachi.
The new buildings being constructed at the University are climatically unsuitable, functionally inefficient, aesthetically disproportionate and in an undefined language that neither beautifully contrasts with Ecochard’s work and nor do they reflect it in anyway. Master planning on the other hand does not exist. Buildings are placed in an ad hoc manner which pays no attention to the original plan of the great master and caters mainly to the automobile and not to pedestrian requirements. Could there be anything worse for a university?
To save this universal heritage from destruction it is recommended that an all-Pakistan architectural and planning competition should be convened to select the best designs for the university master plan and buildings. This competition can be held by the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners in association with the Institute of Architects and perhaps with the involvement of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
The competition should be judged by an international jury and the winning architects should be given a free hand to develop the university campus in keeping with Ecochard’s vision or in harmony with it. Given that this is Ecochard’s work, architects from all over the world will be interested in this exercise.
It is the responsibility of the architectural profession to protect the physical built-environment and the rapidly disappearing heritage of Pakistan in general and of Karachi in particular. Let us begin by protecting Ecochard’s legacy.
ARIF HASAN
Karachi
PENSIONERS, old and infirm, male and female (employee's widows), come from all corners of the sprawling city to Keamari at the KPT hospital for treatment. When a prescribed drug is not available in the hospital, it is to be obtained from the market.
In the past two private medical stores were on the KPT's approved panel, from where patients obtained such medicines.
Both were located in Keamari not far from the hospital. So, patients could conveniently go from the hospital to the medical stores and get the medicines, all in a single trip, and start the treatment immediately. This arrangement was functioning smoothly for more than three decades.
But when the incumbent chief medical officer joined, he abruptly had the two medical stores cancelled and replaced by Bahria Medical Store. This store is located near the Cantonment Railway Station, far away from the hospital.
Now, if a prescribed medicine is not available in the hospital, the patient is asked to visit again on the following day. Meanwhile, the hospital collects such medicines from the Bahria Medical Store through its own staff. But if the medicine is not available readily in the Bahria Medical Store, the patient is asked to call again on the next day and the next day until the store is able to supply the medicine.
Thus, the patients are subjected both to physical and financial strain, having to travel to the hospital from distant places at least twice even if they are fortunate, and more if they are not so lucky. In any case, they cannot start the treatment the same day.
The harassed pensioners look to the KPT chairman to revive the old system of supplying medicines from stores located at Keamari.
MIRZA YASEEN HUSSAIN QUZILBASH
Karachi
THIS refers to a news item (Oct 22) stating: "Loan agreement signed with WB for $750,000 loan to help finance preparation activities for the Punjab large cities development."
The report further states that the grant would support activities required for the preparation of the project and might include preparation on the feasibility studies and workshops, surveys and provision of technical services.
However, the project does not qualify for execution with borrowed foreign money. This should be done with own resources. The foreign financial institutions are eager to lend and the ruling class, mostly corrupt elements, in the Third World countries are equally eager to grab foreign loans/grants.
Therefore, in collusion, they contrive projects as above which do not have any relevance to the ground requirement. In the end, most of the loan amount is embezzled, and the consultants, contractors and bureaucrats, etc., become richer but the ground realities remain unchanged.
We are already in debt of $38 billion. The government had paid tax-payers' money Rs56.335 billion and Rs48.720 billion as foreign loan repayment and foreign loan servicing, respectively, in the last budget (Dawn, June 17).
Since the bureaucracy is addicted to loans/grants, they take the loans offered from any source, unmindful of the consequences. There is no one to stop them except the Supreme Court, which may have mercy on the coming generations, take sou motu notice of the situation.
ABDUL SAMAD KHAN,
Karachi
THIS refers to Brig (r) Javed Hussain's above-captioned article (Oct 21) in which he has made a strategic suggestion from the Indian army's perspective which is, in his words: "What might have happened if, instead of attacking the heights, they (Indian army) had captured the Skardu airfield in a surprise attack by airborne troops and followed it up by a massive airlift of troops to rapidly build up a force of the size of infantry division, closely supported by the Indian air force, which was two minutes away in Srinagar."
I am surprised that a brigadier who must have attended War College should talk like a clueless soldier. An airborne operation only succeeds when it is followed by a link-up operation on the ground and not supported by air force. In this case, the Indian army was totally incapable of developing any military operation to link up with their infantry division which the writer contemplated to airlift to Skardu. So this infantry division was bound to be surrounded and annihilated.
In the summer of 1999, Skardu was humming with activities related with military operations in Kargil not far off from Skardu. Headquarters 62 Brigade was entrusted the task of protecting the Skardu airfield. A battalion or two was already earmarked to meet any eventuality. If the Indians had chosen to make any such blunder of dropping a battalion or two initially over Skardu, they would have been easily wiped out. May I remind Brig Javed that the Skardu valley could not take concentration of an infantry division size force as it is narrow and surrounded by steep mountains.
Even on sighting Indian air force (C130s) dropping paratroopers near the Skardu airfield, F16s could have easily scrambled from the Chaklala air base and taken them on, literally indulged in duck/partridge shooting. The local population (who have not forgotten the oppression of Dogra rules) would have joined the army in hacking the Indian troops. The element of surprise could not be achieved, as it was the Pakistani troops who had surprised the Indians first and occupied Kargil heights.
To borrow an Indian writer's phrase: "They were caught yawning". So Pakistani troops all along Siachen and particularly at Skardu were more than vigilant.
Now coming to the link-up operation itself: could it materialise? Nay, it would have been a disaster from its inception. Our army had effectively the blocked following accesses leading to Skardu: (i) Chulung La-Khaplu-Skardu, (ii) Gyong La-Goma-Dansum-Khaplu-Skardu, (iii) Sia La-Karmanding-Dansum-Khaplu-Skardu, (iv) Convoy Saddle-Concordia-Shigar Valley-Skardu.
Indians dared not move on Minimarg Burzul Pass-Astore Jaglot axis with a view to capturing Gilgit. Pakistani 80 Brigade is looking after this sector. Therefore, all Indian move would have been blunted, futile albeit suicidal.
In a nutshell, Kargil was a limited war or border skirmishes. Neither India nor Pakistan wanted to escalate it. Pakistan's bold action was very much justified on the plea that Indians did the same in 1984 in Siachen. The only difference being that they are still there, we had to vacate Kargil heights under intense US pressure. Bill Clinton unabashedly chanted the mantra of sanctity of LoC. Of course, a wider conflict would have triggered a nuclear exchange.
SAFIR A. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
IN OUR “own wisdom” we have adopted a security check system at our airports which is unlike anything in the rest of the world. We used to follow international guidelines — scanning baggage and putting a security strip on the checked baggage, weighing and tagging the baggage at the check-in-counter, issuance of boarding pass, travel towards immigration and finally to the gate for entering the plane by passing through another body and hand-bag check. However, now that we are the biggest players in tackling international terrorism, we have adopted a stupid system.
The scanning machines that were present at the airport entrance have been removed. Right from entering the airport without any formal check (except for the brief Customs briefing) the passenger goes direct to the CAA/Airlines check-in-counter. Here the passenger gets his baggage weighed and boarding card issued but has to go to a counter where an ASF officer sits with a scanning machine. The passenger puts his baggage on the scanning machine and the ASF expert questions him about the contents. This process would be more practical if the scanning machine is kept at its original place as it reduces the threat to security.
At the CAA check-in-counter, a nice woman official was inquiring passengers if they had any liquid in their hand luggage. I told her I had a bottle of mineral water as well as a soft drink bottle. She told me the security staff would not allow it. When I began to take the two bottles out, the lady told me not to inconvenience myself at this stage and advised me to remove these bottles at the last leg of my security check-in.
I then passed through the security check where I had to even put my watch, pen and eyeglasses through the scanning machine, was given a body check but no expert told me to remove the bottles from my hang luggage. Is this a wonderful and wise new security process?
MUHAMMAD JAVED
Karachi
A FEW days ago the nation witnessed an innocent, poor young man trying to memorise the Quran, get blown up in an army installation that killed 42 army men. Who cares about our troops? They are the same people who listen to President Musharraf but most people hate the president, because he sides with the Americans.
Most people loathe the US although if they offered us immigration, we would happily accept. We use their aircraft, their technology, but we resent every aspect of them. But we can fight the US with our fearless zeal.
But how can we change our attitude towards our army? These are the men who believe in moderation. They get the lowest wages, they sit in Siachen to save a small piece of our land; they help us in floods and earthquakes; they help us in the law and order situation in any city; they provide us security internally and externally when all other civilian institutions fail. They are the people we trust when we go out to buy our groceries (CSD’s nationwide), or when deciding to buy houses (cantonments and army housing schemes) or our children’s schooling (army/air force schools).
Yet we hate the army because they killed “innocent” people in the tribal area; the same innocent people who were busy in religious studies and some physical/military training.
Our country’s army, from a sepoy to a general, is an integral part of Pakistan. A suicide attack on the army will have adverse effects on the army’s loyalty and motivation, not to mention the anger that the beleaguered families of the innocent soldiers of the Punjab regiment must be going through. Whatever the circumstances may be the army is your strongest link to a prosperous and a peaceful life.
FAISAL JAN
Peshawar
REFERENCE letter 'Star city' (Oct 21), no doubt the builders of the star city are of good reputation because of the past record of completing of their projects in time.
However, the well-published star city project got a good response in booking, though on exorbitant prices and allocation of ample car parking spaces.
The relevant authority should know that the advertised car parking is not given to unit holders, and builders are contemplating extracting more money to the tune of Rs100,000 to Rs200,000 from unit holders -- this should not be allowed.
It is necessary to have the unit holders' association to safeguard their rights and claims of parking facilities without payment of any further dues.
ABDUL MAJEED
Karachi
RECENTLY I travelled to Lahore on GT Road after three years. The road has been reconstructed well but I noticed two things. One, there are toll plaza after every 15 kms or so and the charges were Rs20 per stop as opposed to other toll plazas charges of Rs 10 per stop. This negates the concept of it being a highway. I had to stop at four points before I reached Sheikhupura.
Two, traffic throughout the journey was mismanaged. Although it is a two-lane road, I found cars moving on the wrong side of the road. The motorway police should look into this matter.
RAHEEL AHMED
Faisalabad
"NETHERLANDS wants US to seal our border with Afghanistan" (Nov 5). No wonder that, then, some ministers, members of our National Assembly and mayors, etc., may not be available to Pakistan in time to come.
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
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