| February 16, 2007 | Friday | Muharram 27, 1428 |
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Kasuri’s claim
A gateway to progress
Not so welcome
Clients of deception
Cashing in on the dead
Secularism vs Islam
Erra erred?
Prohibition of smoking
Orange alert
Giving in to pressure
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 following incident shows how easily and smoothly the recent by-election for NA 250 was rigged. I did not cast my vote in the end but went through the entire process of getting not just one, but two false identities, with no questions asked.
On the morning of Feb 10, I went to the polling station at St. Michael’s School. I clarified to a worker at the PPP camp that my name would be on the new voting list to which he responded that they have not received those, which meant that I could not cast my vote. He, however, suggested that I should go to the MQM camp, where I would get an identification slip, even from the old list.
I decided to investigate this claim and see what would happen. I went across to the MQM camp which was much livelier in terms of young men hanging around and cars surrounding it than the deserted PPP camp. At the MQM camp, a woman volunteer asked for my name and address.
I gave them both, adding that my name would be on the new list. They also repeated that they did not have those but in the same breath a male worker said “but of course we trust you when you say that you live in this neighbourhood and we will give you the slip.”
The woman then scanned the voters’ list she had and ticked off a name which she copied on a slip of paper and handed it to me in a rather conspiratorial manner.
On it were the complete details of the name, household number, booth number and ID card number of some woman. She told me to go to the second booth. It seems in hindsight that there was an arrangement that all such ‘voters’ would be sent to booth number two.
I entered the polling station which had no voters, just the staff and guards, and went to the booth, showed the slip to the polling officer who could not find that particular name. She asked for my ID card. Again only to see how far I can go with this, I said I did not have it.
She looked at her list again and randomly picked a serial number with a different name altogether and asked me: “Yeh teekh hai na?” I said okay. She called out the serial number to the three young women who were the polling agents, none of whom had any objections, and they just crossed out that name from their lists.
I then walked across to the other polling officer. She asked for my ID card. I repeated I did not have it. There were no other questions, and she made me put my left thumb impression on the counter foil, copied the details of the slip which had been given to me originally, tore off the voting slip and handed it over to me. It was as simple as that.
A CITIZEN
Karachi
WHILE talking to some Pakistani journalists in London, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri claimed that Islamabad’s Middle East peace initiative had also sought to supplement Saudi Arabia’s efforts to promote unity among the Palestinian leadership (Dawn, Feb 13).
He was referring to the recently-signed accord in Makkah between Hamas and Fatah leadership. It appears that he wants Pakistan to share in the credit that rightfully belongs only to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia without president Musharraf and Mr Kasuri even bothering to meet the three Palestinian leaders, Mahmoud Abbas, Khalid Meshal and Ismail Haniya, during their recent trip to the region.
Additionally, King Abdullah had recently stated that it was appropriate for the Arabs, and no one else, to resolve the problems in Palestine, as noted in Mr Tanvir Ahmad Khan’s inspiring analysis, ‘Promise of Makkah accord’ (Feb 12).
That should be seen as a polite way of telling the Americans and the likes of Gen. Musharraf, who are running around at America’s and Israel’s behest (according to some analysts and correspondents), to stay out of the problem.
Furthermore, this is also reminiscent of the misleading claim made by our leaders right after the first-ever meeting between the Pakistani and Israeli foreign ministers in September 2005 that it had the blessings of the Palestinian president. However, the Palestinian deputy prime minister of the time had immediately issued a denial.
Besides, the Hamas and other Palestinian groups and individuals like Dr Ghada Karmi had also bitterly criticised the move.
Incidentally, a joint report by 16 US intelligence agencies appearing in the same day’s issue has warned that America no longer has the option of winning the war in Iraq.
This has been interpreted by several major US newspapers as a declaration of defeat, which has been obvious for quite some time. Washington and Tel Aviv (after its defeat in Lebanon) are plagued by problems and have commissioned some Muslim leaders to bail them out in Iraq, Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East. But, our leaders should realise that trying to please the US and Israel by displeasing the Pakistani and other Muslims is not the patriotic thing to do.
M.Y. KHAN
Karachi
THIS is apropos of your editorial ‘Gwadar: a gateway to progress’ (Feb 9). Undoubtedly, the Gwadar port is going to change the fate of Balochistan, especially the people living in and around Gwadar.
Being one of the most backward regions of Pakistan, Gwadar was expecting a miracle to happen and now it has certainly happened. Gwadar is an economic hub of the future, it will not only accommodate Pakistan’s strategic and economic interest but will also boost trade between Central Asian states; Gulf states, Iran, China and India.
More importantly, Pakistan will have another port. This will increase its strategic position and at the same time attract billions of dollars in term of foreign investment. It would be easy for Pakistan to reach out to the oil and gas reserves around CAS and Iran. It has already been named as “Energy Corridor”.
Pakistan and India both need the shortest possible route to trade with central Asian states, Iran and Gulf states. Gwadar is ready to benefit both of them. India can use this golden route provided that it is sincere in peace talks with Pakistan.
Being the world’s most populous country and ever growing economy, China has already shown that it is keen to invest in infrastructure of the Gwadar port. Today, the lifeline of Chinese economy is oil which can easily be made available to it through this Energy Corridor. This would also be the safest way to import oil, since the route by the Arabian Sea is vulnerable due to the presence of the American and Indian navies.
It is hoped that our government will take all possible measures to address the concerns of the local people of Gwadar. The port of Gwadar has provided us a chance to improve our relations with neighboring countries; the government of Pakistan should likewise use this opportunity to win over the people of Balochistan.
ENGR NIMAI
Karachi
THE residents of Karachi were put to the ultimate test yet again when the president decided to pay a visit, thereby resulting in total traffic gridlock and chaos. The fact that it rained the same day contributed to making matters even worse.
Traffic came to a standstill and those who were unfortunate enough to be in the police, rangers or those riding motorcycles were soaked from head to foot while endlessly waiting for the presidential motorcade to pass.
I shudder to think what thought must have been crossing their minds at the time. Similar visits by the prime minister bear equally similar scenarios and reactions.
I realise that the security arrangements for these gentlemen rival, if not exceed, that for the US president but why should the citizens of Karachi have to bear the brunt and suffer as a result?
Karachi is the lifeline of Pakistan and any disruption in its daily life can result in long-term repercussions.
Karachi is not a city that can cope with VVIP movements; they only result in total mayhem. It’s nothing personal but the inconvenience caused to all of us exceeds all levels of tolerance.
MOIN ABBASI
Karachi
THIS is in reference to your news item entitled ‘Clients of deception’ (Feb 12) regarding the practice of black magic by ‘amils’ and witch doctors. It was a relief to see that someone has finally taken up this subject.
The writer has rightly pointed out the damage this unethical practice does to society. Although he has done a bit of investigation, yet it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I feel that a proper and exhaustive investigation should be done and the people who for monetary gains or some other sort of satisfaction make the simpletons victim of their lust should be dealt with severely.
These ‘home grown ‘spiritualists’ play with the lives and honour of women mostly. I suspect some of them even trap their victims into forced prostitution. Their methods are foolproof and many times a victim cannot complain to the police owing to lack of evidence and perhaps fear of blackmail as pointed out in the report
The government should protect women from these vultures if it is sincere in any kind of ‘women’s protection’. These ‘doctors of the soul’ work out of homes in secrecy and are treated as demi-gods.
AN OBSERVER
Karachi
THE ambush in Attock that left six members of the Pakistan People’s Party dead is no doubt a gruesome incident but it is more than regrettable that the PPP’s top leadership is cashing in on these bodies of the activists for their political gains.
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar commented that the attack was meant to frighten party workers in a district where Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would contest upcoming general elections.
The PPP has always sought short-cuts to get power.
Once they are in power they have the opportunity to empower people but corruption cases have caused its top leadership to run away from Pakistan.
ABDUL KAREEM
Sialkot
IN his article, ‘Secularism is not against Islam,’ Mr Mansoor Alam has gone to great lengths to prove that secularism is not ‘ladeeniat,’ i.e., godlessness or being against religion (Dawn Encounter, Feb 10).
He has also claimed that “Islam is the first and perhaps the only religion to preach and practise secularism during the lifetime of the Prophet and Khulfa-i-Rashidin…” Also, that our ulema, who had opposed the creation of Pakistan, are deliberately sowing suspicion against secularism because they want the country to be a theocracy.
As one of the examples cited to prove his point, Mr Alam has quoted the incident mentioned in Karen Armstrong’s book, A History of God, about Hazrat Umar (RA), wherein he declined to pray in a church at the time of the conquest of Jerusalem. This, in spite of being invited to do so by its Archbishop, because he thought that the later Muslims might turn it into a mosque. The writer contends that this shows he was practising a principle of secularism.
The writer has conveniently ignored that Ms Armstrong – who is an expert on religions and well aware of secularism – has also written in the same book that secularism is a godless cult (p. 337).
Doesn’t it amount to a misrepresentation of her stance? Ironically, the same secularism whose freedom and other supposed virtues he has extolled are nullified by what a female western convert to Islam, Nakata Khaula, has noted when explaining why she became a Muslim.
She wrote: “I chose Islam rather than the illusory freedom of secular life… why are so many educated young women all over the world abandoning ‘liberty’ and ‘independence’ and embracing Islam?” It has also been pointed out that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, according to the National Geographic, The Economist , CNN and BBC.
The verses quoted from the Holy Quran and the examples given by Mr Alam about the Prophet’s covenant ‘Meesaq-i-Medina’ and refraining from converting anyone forcibly after the occupation of Makkah etc do show that full freedom was granted to the non-Muslims to practise their own religions and there was no compulsion on them. However, he has ignored the crucial fact that there was no separation of religion and state, since the religious head of the Muslims was also the head of state in those times, meant to serve as a model for the future Muslims.
He should also note that there is a great difference between a theocracy and a democratic, modern and Islamic state, which Pakistan has tended, or at least tried to be all along, unlike the post-revolution Iran. That is what most of us want, rather than a theocratic or secular one. In fact, Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, the foremost religious scholar of the partition era had declared in his speech on the Objectives Resolution (1949) that “an Islamic state does not mean the government of the Ordained Priests” (Dawn, Aug 14, 2006).
As far as some ulema’s opposition to the creation of Pakistan is concerned, that was their outlook in the 1940s; they are dead and gone. It has nothing to do with the present-day religious leaders, who are advocating a strong Pakistan secured by a nuclear deterrent and inclusive of Kashmir, instead of advocating the undoing of partition.
S. QADRI
Karachi
THIS refers to your editorial, ‘Still struggling to survive’ (Feb 5). You have all rights to say the glass is half-empty if you wish but the post-disaster task accomplished so far is by no means a small output.
Arranging food, clothing, shelter for almost all survivors within the first two months, making all the roads pliable within the first three months and functionalising more than 80 per cent of schools and health facilities within the first six months are indeed an impressive achievement of Erra.
However, something, somewhat, somehow, somewhere might have gone wrong in the process of, first, the identification and, second, the prioritisation of components and subcomponents of the whole plan.
We know that replacement of tarpaulin tents by corrugated iron sheet hamlets was later demanded by all survivors which caused extra expenditure. Revenue officials of lower level also played their negative role as the Argus-eyed deputy commissioner was no more there (that explains the different outputs in the NWFP and AJK).
Many firms and contractors working in the area too have no previous experience for such rehabilitation works. Backing out of foreign donors is also a factor we must reckon. That is all as to why and how the still-struggle-to-service scenario is a ground reality.
MUHAMMAD WAQAR ASLAM
Additional Secretary,
Finance Department,
Civil Secretariat, Quetta
THIS is with reference to the letter entitled “Tobacco investments” by Dr Javaid A. Khan (Feb 8).
I support his stance and would like to add that the prime minister should also reverse the decision of opening two luxury lounges dedicated to smoking in the Parliament building. (Dawn, Feb 8) What kind of message is the government conveying by opening these lounges inside the country’s highest political forum?
As a complete ban on smoking in public places comes into force by March 2007, the opening of these two lounges plus more in the pipeline is a mockery of the Prohibition of Smoking Ordinance, 2002.
SUMAIRA DADA
Karachi
THE retail price of oranges has reached a staggering Rs10 per piece. It is believed that this fruit in being exported to China etc to earn foreign exchange.
Our hearts grieve when these earnings are squandered on government-sponsored foreign trips and importing expensive cars. How long will the people be kept from enjoying the bounties of nature?
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
IT is a matter of great shame that the government has once again succumbed to the pressure of the hardliners. To end the confrontation over the illegally constructed mosque, the government has endorsed an illegal demand and thereby once again shown its weakness by being held hostage by such elements.
The agreement undermines the government’s authority and credibility and sets a precedent for such action across the country. If the attitude of the religious forces can be threatening and menacing, why can the government not act in the same way within its legal rights?
Had it been a group of unarmed human rights activists rightfully protesting, the government would have wasted no time in baton-charging and arresting them.
The demands of the hardliners should have been met only by eviction of the girls from their illegal occupation of the children’s library and not by inauguration of the reconstruction of the razed mosque by the minister whose late father, ironically, provided the impetus for the growth of such irregularities.
The government should have set an example that such behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances. It should have made arrests and charged those responsible with necessary action. Instead the government has once again shown its inability to deal with the religious forces and thus let the public down in favour of the hardliners.
ABBAS HAIDER
Karachi
AS the ulema celebrate their ‘victory’ (Dawn, Feb 13) over the attainment of permission to rebuild a mosque on unauthorised land, one cannot help but wonder why our government is so helpless.
Illegal occupation is against the very doctrines of Islam; this is especially disturbing as in this case it was done, ostensibly, under the pretext of building a house of God.
Adding to the irony of the entire situation, the reconstruction of the said mosque was inaugurated by none other than the federal minister for religious affairs.
How long will the ulema continue to wrestle the government into succumbing to their unreasonable demands? One fails to understand why the Pakistani nation does not realise the absurdity of the entire situation.
The country’s future is unfortunately being steered by these ulema to meet their arbitrary demands, which are merely satisfying their own narcissistic selves.
Withstanding the unreasonable demands does not seem an attainable task at least by the current government in the near future.
RASHIDA BASHIR
Waltham, USA
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