| December 03, 2006 | Sunday | Ziqa'ad 11, 1427 |
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Not stepping on others’ toes
More of Keynes
Prof Salam at KPC
Lack of security
Loans for Karachi projects
Problems of Aids
New taxes for abattoirs
Taking a stand
Afghan affairs
Whither CPLC?
Dirty environment
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
I WAS glad to read Syed Shahid Husain’s article ‘The wheels of governance’ (Magazine , Nov 26).
I agree with him that the present government has “added another bureaucratic chapter to its achievements by creating the National Commission for Government Reforms.
“This commission, established in July, has perhaps been created to provide an opportunity to the last retiring governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Ishrat Husain, to press into service his skills required in his previous experience…”
The chairman of the commission is assisted by a team of experts numbering 10, six of whom are fully paid.
The chairman has been given the status of a federal minister and pay and privileges as allowed to officers of MP-1 grade; hence “Mr Husain is a combination of a civil servant (as far as pay package goes) and a minister (as far as the status goes)”.
According to a press release (Dawn, April 15), the commission was blessed with the approval of both the president and the prime minister and was tasked to “remove obstacles in the way of efficient provision of services to achieve a visible improvement in the quality of life for the common man ... and to fill the gap between the formulation of policies and simplification of rules…..”
Notably, no time limit for the conclusion of the deliberations of the commission was intimated in the press release and to date I am not aware of it.
However, in the cautious estimation of Syed Shahid Husain, the commission should take at least 10 years of committed work to get anywhere near completion.
In the meanwhile, he rightly suspects that “the commission’s life might be suddenly terminated as it is likely to be co-terminus with its progenitor”. The writer has also posed a few questions regarding the reforming of the huge cabinet, beleaguered and demoralised civil bureaucracy clogged with army officers, high-profile scams done in ‘good faith’, changing the attitude of police, unjust taxes and, above all, improvement in the quality of life for the common man, which quality has become an extremely uncommon commodity in this country.
I am no pessimist, nor does Shahid Husain sounds to be from his writing on the subject.
But the hard fact is that over the past decades our governments had constituted several commissions to bring about reforms in various areas of our national life, which were headed by competent persons whose profound deliberations were also approved, but were those implemented consistently?
How many people now know about the first national commission on education, the Constantine commission on police, the Mitha commission on police, the Masudduzzaman commission on Karachi, etc?
As a matter of fact, we possess a rich store of advice and guidance but let it rot somewhere in the archives of neglect, after having spent a lot of public money in the process.
One can, therefore, suspect what fate the new Commission on Government Reform would most likely meet, however, strongly it may be reinforced.
Dr Ishrat Husain, having worked as a civil servant in government, also knows that there is already an in-built mechanism in the shape of O and M Division at the federal level and also at the provincial set-up together with a number of inspection teams working under the governors/chief ministers, aimed at cutting delays in official business, simplifying rules and regulations, weeding out corruption, creating coordination and harmony among various tiers of administration and, after all, “improving the quality of life of the common man” by redressal of his problems.
The said in-built mechanism can be modernised, strengthened, and utilised. Instead, commissions after commissions are saddled with the onerous task of reformation, and their expensive advice is thrown into oblivion.
In the circumstance, perhaps, it may be possible for the commission that instead of compiling the full report for approval by the government after years of labour, the recommendations be floated one by one and their implementation monitored in particular areas.
If they work successfully, the commission may proceed further. Otherwise one is afraid the whole exercise may end in futility.
MOHAMMAD ALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news report captioned ‘Pakistani Britons fighting a losing battle’ by M. Ziauddin. The article presents the real picture of Muslims living in the West. The most important matter of concern is their values and as Mr Ziauddin says:
“Most of the immigrants seem to be living by the values of the countries of their origin. Most of even those who were born here seem to have adopted the same values despite having been exposed to British values from birth.”
I would like to add that Muslims in the West are in a state of confusion and cultural pressure. Integration of cultures is not a simple mixing of two colours.
It’s a very slow natural process, which takes decades and centuries to happen, especially when faith is also involved. Immigration to the West is still a dream for most people. But before deciding to leave our ancestral homes for good, do we ever give a thought to the social changes we will have to come across? Does this question find a place in the list of priorities?
It’s not only an issue of the veil; it is the question of total transformation of identity which is not easy to accept. The major gains are peace, security, good education, better quality of life and economic uplift for the family.
Immigrants bring in new ideas and open up new avenues of thinking and contribute to the development and prosperity of their new homeland, even though they find it difficult to integrate in society.
The ability of the values of religions and cultures to rule the lives has decreased because of the constant preaching of openness and freedom.
Parents find it hard to adjust to the realities of time and environment and try to keep children close to their old values.
How does one maintain a balance between eastern values and the western culture, while keeping their values and beliefs alive? This issue needs a lot of internal debate with open mind and heart, keeping in sight the evolutionary changes of time and surroundings. Muslim scholars should try to see the West with a realistic, unbiased eye to find new ways of living in multicultural, multiethnic and multi-religious societies without stepping on the other’s toes.
MEHDI RIZVI
Pickering, Canada
SHAHID Javed Burki has missed the logic of the argument that he intended to advance in his article, ‘More of Keynes, again’ (Nov 28). The basic paradigm of Keynesian economic theory is sustained and vibrant aggregate demand. In the backdrop of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Keynes identified aggregate demand, of which public expenditure is one component, as fundamental force behind the dynamics of economic activity.
The government of Pakistan over the last five years has heavily relied on Keynesian prescriptions and has successfully expanded the volume of aggregate demand.
This fact is evident from 250 per cent expansion in public sector expenditure from Rs600 billion in 2000-01 to Rs1,500 billion in 2006-07.
So, Mr Burki’s assertion that “what they (government) have not done is to add a bit of Keynes...” is simply misplaced. “The private sector on the commanding heights” is yet another myth that Mr Burki is trying to promote.
The miserable condition of the textile industry speaks a lot about overall decay of Pakistan’s private sector. What all indicators suggest is that Pakistan’s economy is failing on supply side and not on demand side, contrary to the writer’s argument.
The fact that average availability of food, shelter and essential commodities to Pakistani citizens is fast deteriorating due to supply-side failure should not go unnoticed. In the end I would like just to say that “to be argumentative is good, but to be logically plausible is essential”.
ALEEM AKHTAR
Multan
HERE are a few lines in memory of a distinguished son of Pakistan, the late Prof Abdus Salam, whose 10th death anniversary fell on Nov 21.
About 28 years ago, on a wintry December Sunday noon, Prof. Salam came to Karachi Press Club to receive the life membership offered by the governing body.
Ziaul Haq had taken over the government in July 1977 and he had announced indefinite postponement of elections on Oct 16, 1977.
Zia had launched an Islamic fervour that was being brought on to the streets by Jamaat-i-Islami and other religious parties. The media was giving all support.
Ashfak Bokhari was president and Habib Khan Ghori was secretary of the club while I was its treasurer. Dr Zafar Hasan, a former chairman of the Karachi Cotton Association, informed me about the arrival of Prof. Salam and I asked him to use his good offices in persuading the late Salam to visit Karachi Press Club. I talked to my friends in the club and the governing body decided to offer life membership to the late Prof Salam.
On that Sunday noon, Professor Salam reached the club and to his amazement or amusement a crowd of about two dozen boys of Islami Jamiat Talaba received him at the gate. They were chanting: “We want Salam’s head”. Prof Salam entered quietly with a smile on his face.
Ashfak Bokhari and Habib Khan Ghori offered welcome remarks and then asked Prof Salam to address the members who had then packed the hall to the capacity. He was a bit hesitant and asked if he could speak freely.
“Our club is an island of freedom in this land of martial law”, Ashfak Bokhari said in his usually soft tone and asked the professor to express his views.
Prof Salam’s speech that day was perhaps the best given by any guest in the club. He interpreted nature’s phenomena and science in Quranic verses and looked convincing, rational and sincere.
After the ceremony was over and all members and Prof Salam had tea, we came out to see the Jamiat boys chanting the same slogan: “We want Salam’s head”.
“For a change, the Jamiat boys are asking for a right thing,” I told my friends. “May Allah answer their call and give them Prof Salam’s heart, as well as his head”, I prayed.
SABIHUDDIN GHAUSI
Karachi
MY wife and children were robbed in front of her mother’s house in Karachi after being in the country for a little more than two hours. They had only just arrived from the airport. Where is security for the common person? Isn’t the main duty of the government to safeguard its people? Moreover, I blame myself for sending my family to Pakistan.
I can’t fathom what my three children felt when the goons put a gun to my wife’s head in front of them. I guess no more empathy is left in Pakistan since among these criminals no one did think for a minute how they would feel if someone did the same to their family. I don’t care about the money or anything else they stole. I only care about the pain and bad memories they gave my family, especially the children. Picking on defenceless women and children is something only cowards do.
And to whoever is in charge, here’s a tip: take care of security in the country and everything else will take care of itself in good time. I still love Pakistan, just not some of the people living in it at this moment.
SHAHZAD ANSARI
Virginia, USA
AS reported in the press, loans for Karachi mega projects have increased from $900m to $1,700m, (Dawn, Nov 24). Your editorial (Nov 25) has rightly stated that this loan has to be repaid, apparently from the earnings from these projects. This can only be achieved, in case this is confirmed by proper feasibility reports, covered by the master plan, which is still in the melting pot. The editorial has very rightly emphasised this to avoid additional burden on the national economy, ending in debt trap, already over $36 billion foreign debts.
According to the editorial, spending such heavy amounts, without proper feasibility reports and master plan, amounts to putting the “cart before the horse”, ending in failed projects like the Karachi Greater Sewerage Project, adding Rs42 billion loan, which actually failed to solve the problem”, apparently for similar reasons.
Most of the schemes, now being implemented, at a very fast rate are road traffic-related, while the vehicle population of the city has suddenly jumped up by leaps and bounds. According to the principles of traffic planning, recognised all over the world, instead of adding schemes, which encourage increase of vehicle population, heavy rail metro is built, when the projected travel demand exceeds 40,000 persons per hour per direction on certain corridors of the cities.
In Karachi this figure has already exceeded on several priority corridors of the 1991 World Bank Consultant’s Mass Transit Master Plan, duly approved by the government, namely # 1 Tower-Sohrab Goth, # 2 Karachi Cantt-Orangi, # 3 N-Karachi to Tower, and # 4 Landhi-Tower, while the vehicle population has already exceeded far beyond the capacity of the roads. Thus any more flyovers or underpasses are likely to create more problems in the long run, which the editorial has rightly called “putting the cart before the horse.”
In view of this, implementation of all such schemes should be reviewed, including the federal government’s RTC Plan, as decided by the December 1975 CII meeting. As the author of that scheme I am sure this will be technically and financially viable and can be easily implemented with far less amount, capable of BOT operation, with proper self-financing aspects, avoiding the 1985 catastrophe, which could appear at any time with far worse dimensions.
S.M.H. RIZVI
Karachi
THERE are 40 million people in the world who live with HIV infection. The worst affected are the HIV positive people in developing countries that have limited opportunity for treatment, while in developed countries, since the past decade or so, HIV/Aids cases largely have access to treatment. Still, there were three million deaths reported worldwide in the year 2005.
In Pakistan behavioural factors associated with poverty, gender inequality and low literacy rates make the masses vulnerable to HIV/Aids. The lessons learned over two decades of global experience with HIV/Aids indicate that governments and society at all levels bear a special responsibility in the fight against the HIV/Aids epidemic.
The risk factors that would potentially lead to the spread of HIV in Pakistan’s general population, among many others, are unsafe collection and transfusion of blood and blood products, the use of improperly sterilised medical and dental care instruments, recycling of otherwise disposable syringes and needles and the general lack of attention to standard infection control procedures in both public and private sectors.
FOUZIA RAHMAN
Karachi
THIS has reference to the news item ‘City Council okays new taxes for abattoirs’ (Nov 15). As a citizen of Karachi, I appeal to the Karachi city council to inquire into the hygienic conditions in the slaughter-houses in Landhi serving consumers in Karachi.
It is also the duty of the Karachi city council to ensure that meat is sold under proper hygienic conditions by the meat sellers. Its transportation from the interior of Sindh or from the abattoirs in Lanhdi to the markets in Karachi in open vans is a health hazard.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
MAULANA Fazlur Rahman maintains that the movement against the government can still continue even if MMA members don’t resign from parliament. I believe this is the most crucial opportunity for a group, which has been an avid advocate of Islamic social and legal system, to prove that they can sacrifice power for the sake of their religion. At this critical moment the MMA’s credibility is at stake.
My advice to MMA leaders is that they should first follow the basic teaching of Islam which considers hypocrites to be the worst of people.
SABA OSAID
Mississauga, Canada
KHWAJA Shamaas, while referring to the former Iranian president Rafsanjani’s statement, has been uncharitable to Pakistan (Nov 30). He says that two generations of Afghans have known nothing but war, disease and suffering, yet its neighbours (Iran and Pakistan) seem indifferent to their misery because of their own vested interests.
Every country has a right to protect its interests. However, in spite of Indian-backed Afghan hostility towards Pakistan right from 1947, we helped them enormously in reversing the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. We also hosted four million Afghan refugees with an open heart whereas Iran had either tried to push them back or totally confined to camps those it could not stop.
S. KARIM
Karachi
IT was shocking to read ‘A tale of lodging FIR’ (letter, Nov 26).
This awful tale is an eye-opener and a clear-cut case of incompetency and irresponsibility shown by the CPLC’s main reporting centre.
There was no sense in sending the complainant to Town Police Officer or re-knock the door of the police station. The CPLC has plenty of FIR registration forms with legal authority to lodge FIR at its office inside the Governor’s House and huge funds to expend.
It seems that the CPLC is now patronising the police.
SYED SHAHID HUSSAIN
Karachi
IT is unfortunate that we care little to keep our homes, our streets and our city clean. Piles of garbage, plastic bags, overflowing gutters, frequent spitting on the roads and stairs, throwing banana peels on roads and beaches are a common sight.
The recent spread of dengue fever is the outcome of the dirty environment for which we are ourselves responsible.
QAZI ABDUL WAHEED
Karachi
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