| April 08, 2007 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 19, 2007 |
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Tribute to Ahmad Ali Khan
Shoaib Malik as captain
Pervez Musharraf airport
Operational skill for prisoners
Trojan Horse
Deportees suffer twice
Housing problems
Friend missing in Sri Lanka
Pensioners’ woes
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
THIS is as an appeal to the president from one of the women who are mindful of their freedom and rights in this state which was supposed to be secular as announced by the founder of Pakistan at the time of independence. Our ancestors did not sacrifice their lives for a suffocating Talibanised state. I am certain that I am no less a Muslim than the burqa-clad women of Madressah Hafsa who are defaming the name of my religion with batons in their hands.
At least I am not terrorising innocent citizens, forcing people to close down their shops or kidnapping women from their homes. This whole situation is so pathetic. This is the right time to stop them with an iron hand. Thousands of women like me fear for our freedom which is at risk due to the misguided actions of these extremists.
SARA KHAN
Islamabad
IF the occupants of Lal Masjid were not a religiously affiliated group but any other group of common criminals, the authorities would not be treating them with kid gloves. Hostage-taking, kidnapping of police personnel and theft of police property (the wireless sets) are all serious crimes - not to mention the illegal occupation of the library, the general threats of violence directed towards citizens, etc. The authorities should take the following steps immediately in order to end this stand-off: create a security perimeter as they would in any other terrorist/hostage situation, shut off the electricity supply, shut off the water supply, and prevent any food or other supplies from being taken into the premises. If this doesn’t work, send in a commando team to neutralise the hostile targets, rescue the hostages and retrieve stolen government property. The only way to prevent future occurrences of this sort is to take the hard line in dealing with these criminals. It is shameful that the government has not been able to impose the rule of law smack in the middle of the capital because it is afraid of being blackmailed by the so-called religious groups.
ADIL HUSAIN
Jiangsu, China
CAN someone tell me what qualifications are required for becoming the minister of religious affairs in this so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan? The present minister didn’t feel inclined to let the mullahs of Lal Masjid know that building a mosque illegally does not grant it immunity.
All such mosques should be torn down because they are a blight on the beautiful faith of Islam, that teaches only lawful conduct to its followers.
Maybe the administration in Faisalabad is more enlightened as they tore down an illegal mosque near the railway station when it was time to expand the road a few years back. Will the president please take action and stop trying to appease the mullahs. Otherwise, they will eat him for dinner and not even burp afterwards.
BUSHRA QAMAR
USA
MY first meeting with Ahmad Ali Khan after his first retirement was at the residence of humorist Mushtaq Yousufi. Khan Sahib surprised me by saying that many words of English are used in PTV’s programmes for which perfect substitute exists in Urdu. I made a promise that I will not use words of English in my Urdu programmes.
Some 25 years ago I had conceived and developed a programme in Lahore with Mr Rahat Kazmi as compere. One of the segments of programme was a quiz in which the participants were given broad hints to make a correct guess as to who the exact person sitting behind the curtain was. The first name that came to our mind was that of Mr Ahmad Ali Khan because in spite of being a very well-known person, no one had ever seen him in a photograph, in a newspaper, a magazine or on television. Later inquiries revealed that Khan Sahib was entirely unapproachable for a programme which projected him as a personality.
Consequently, I dropped the idea. When I came to Karachi I thought of producing a programme on him and his short story writer wife Hajira Masroor. From time to time I visited his residence to persuade him to participate in proposed biographical documentary but he never agreed.
Besides, he was extremely camera-shy. One day, however, I succeeded in cornering him. He reluctantly agreed to give an interview on the background and history of the Independence Day. We interspersed the narration, in the programme which was shown in our special transmission. The important thing was that Khan Sahib agreed him to be shown in a television programme after he had retired from the post of Editor-in-Chief of Dawn.
I will recall another incident. I needed some help from the back files of Dawn. I went to Khan Sahib’s office. Only to be told by the secretary that he never gives an appointment during office hours to visitors. And that it was pointless to contact him.
I was not discouraged. I persuaded him to send my visiting card in. It worked. Khan Sahib called me in. I explained to him my purpose of visit. He instructed the staff to let me use the library. The fruit of this initiative and the permission to use the library was generation of many unique programmes which I produced later.
Taking the advantage I recorded the headlines and text from August 14, 1947 to the present day, handling the camera myself. PTV went through the history of Pakistan through Dawn. I spent nearly one month in the library from 10 in the morning to 9 or 10 in the evening. I also read Khan Sahib’s articles, columns and editorials which showed him a very courageous and upright person.
The regards and tribute to Khan Sahib during his tenure as a working editor and after his retirement and death by the management and staff are without parallel.
ASIF ANSRI
Senior Producer,
Pakistan Television Centre
Karachi
THERE is a debate these days that who should be the next captain of our cricket team. Yunus Khan was elevated to vice captaincy after Imran Khan made public his displeasure over Inzammam’s ability as captain and propagated Yunus’s case.
Although Yunus is now amongst the seniors and can command respect of his team, he seems to be reluctant to handle the pressures of player power. This was evident in the Champions’ Trophy where he also failed as a batsman. It will be a big mistake to appoint an unwilling captain because this may lead to further conflict within the team.
Muhammad Yusuf, Majid Khan and Saeed Anwar have been three of the most elegant and delightful batsmen from Pakistan. Yusuf’s services to Pakistan have been tremendous during the last two years. As a senior he also commands respect of the players. But the question is whether your best batsman should also be your best captain. Yusuf’s credentials as captain are unknown. If Yusuf doesn’t prove to be a captain, he will be in a similar situation as Inzammam.
Some former cricketers are arguing for bringing in a very junior player such as Salman Butt as captain. This will be true injustice to these players and will put them under tremendous pressure that may lead to a failure. Shoaib Akhtar and Asif have a tainted reputation due to the drug issue. Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq find it difficult to retain a place in the Test side, even though Shahid Afridi has potential to be a great success as a Test bowler.
In this scenario Shoaib Malik appears to be the ideal choice for captain. He looks to be a fighter and highly motivated player who is always keen to take on a challenge. He started as a bowler and challenged the secure position of Saqlain Mushtaq in the One-day team. He imposed his presence batting well at the first three positions.
I remember him losing a 20-20 match as a captain because of greater designs. Although this was done against the spirit of the game, he apologised for it later. This shows he is interested in achieving greater goals. Since he is young and a person who relishes challenges, I think the PCB should think long term and invest in Shoaib Malik rather than others. Shoaib also seems to be street-smart (like Miandad) and apparently enjoys good relations with the rest of the team.
ADNAN RIZWI
Karachi
THE news and schematic diagram of the new airport in Islamabad is welcome. Apparently no name has been finalised for the proposed airport so far. ‘Pervez Musharraf International Airport’ would have been a good choice if the general had chosen to deliver on the seven-point agenda he promised the nation in October 1999.
There would even have been some support for naming an airport after him if he had held fair elections in 2002, transferred power to a civilian prime minister and had given up his military uniform as promised to the nation in a televised address.
The suggestion would still have had a few supporters amongst the general public if those responsible had been held accountable for the sugar, cement, stock exchange and Pakistan Steel mill sale scam.
However, needless to say, the day the president decided to meet the chief justice of Pakistan in military uniform and make him ‘non-functional’ any hope of having even a bus stop named after him dissipated.
Historians will record that the people of Pakistan gave President Mussharaf unprecedented benefit of doubt from Kargil to his Karachi hijacking, Agra to 9/11, Q-League to A.Q. Khan and Bugti to Bajaur but the president failed to reciprocate a similar trust in the people.
In the end he will not be judged for what he did, but for the vast good he could have done. He might some day regret his lack of action but he won’t be able to alleviate the disappointment of the millions who once believed in his promises.
HUMAYUN BASHIR
Canterbury, UK
ACCORDING to a news report, ‘Inmates get chance after decade to develop skills’(Dawn, March 25), the looms, repaired by a private firm, would be a source of income, besides offering the prisoners an opportunity to lead a respectable life after their release.
Equipping prisoners with skill to operate decade-old looms will only benefit prisoners belonging to Karachi and its suburb, in case the model of existing looms is functional in any textile mill/factory. Besides, the income derived from the output of looms will go to the government treasury. How would the prisoner be financially benefited appears queer.
However, to make the prisoner vocationally rehabilitated, trades like tailoring, carpentry, smithy, cobblery and carpet-weaving, as in vogue in Balochistan and Punjab jails, should be taught to prisoners. Even now, articles like folding chairs, ‘khaddar’, T.T. towels, cotton ‘durries’ and ‘jai nimaz’ manufactured at Central Jail, Mach, are in huge demand. The late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was a permanent buyer of ‘khaddar’.
In case, any technical assistance in the above vocation is needed, long-term convicts should be transferred to Punjab jails to acquire the skill, after concurrence with the Punjab government. At the start of the above vocations, items like uniforms for staff, clothing for jail inmates, etc, can be stitched, thereby plugging the supply through contracts and earning a hefty amount.
Even contract of supply of hospital bedding and clothing can be obtained, as used to exist in the Central Jail at Mach. To create a lure for skill, some amount should be paid as labour charges to labouring convicts, out of the 33 per cent claimed officially as convict labour charges. It would mitigate financial dependence of prisoners on their relatives and reckon as a landmark reform by the government of Sindh.
In order to embark on the afore-said plan, the administrative hold over the prisoners, at present lacking, is indispensable. I may point out that the Central Jail, Sukkur, which used to have 500 carpet handlooms in 1965 is now either without looms or have a small number of them. The entire factory section was over the period ransacked. The subsequent administration failed to restore the glory of the factory section.
There also prevails a fad of yielding to extreme lure of money and inside, as well as outside, pressure for exemption from labour. It acts as a slow poison, often embolding the prisoners to refuse to work, noticing their fellow prisoners enjoying exemption from labour on fake medical grounds, which is endemic.
A problem of lack of space, i.e., overcrowding, was pointed out by the adviser, which can be overcome by tentage accommodation, allowed under the rules. The tents can be easily installed in the courtyard of barracks, being spacious. Prisoners in ordinary offences or foreigners under Passport Act can safely be lodged in tents.
To strengthen security, convicted night watchmen may be lodged with them for doing watch and ward duty, as is in vogue in each barrack, as per rules. Appeal for donating tents can easily be met by philanthropists.
GHULAM MURTAZA
Superintendent of Jails (r),
Balochistan,
Karachi
YOUR editorial of March 30 rightly asks why the authorities concerned permitted the recent acts of lawlessness perpetrated by extremist religious seminaries in Islamabad.
The answer lies in a statement made the same day by a spokesman for the PPP in Islamabad, from which I quote:
“The regime is seeking to create the impression that Talibanisation has spread to Islamabad, with a view to deceiving the international community into believing that the choice in Pakistan is between military dictatorship and religious fanatics.”
Whatever the reality, events of this nature do point to the expanding danger of religious fanaticism (call it Talibanisation if you will), intruding on to the very seat of governmental authority. It is the Trojan Horse of yore spewing out its foot soldiers on to the streets of the capital.
Meeting this challenge with pusillanimity or hesitation is the hallmark of a needlessly weakened administration or worse still of a drift towards a laisse-faire which no government worth its salt can afford, especially now at a juncture when the embroilment in the Supreme Court has yet to be settled and elections are not far off. A line has to be drawn sometime, somewhere. That far and no further.
S. ASIF MAJEED
Former IG of Police,
Karachi
THIS refers to your news item, ‘337 deportees arrested’ (April 6).The people from poverty-torn areas in Pakistan proceed to Gulf countries looking for greener pastures. They are unemployed and unable to keep their body and soul together in their own country. After their deportation from the host country, FIA authorities register cases against them under section 17(1) of the Emigration Ordinance 1979.
These victims of circumstance have already undergone the ordeal in jails of Gulf countries. They again face the same ordeal in Pakistani jails. As these deportees live below the poverty line they are usually unable to afford expenditure of advocates, courts and furnishing sureties. As a result, they remain in jails for a long time without their case going to trial. When they come out of jail, they resort to crime.
The registration of cases against these deportees is neither human nor in accordance with the law of the land as they have already suffered imprisonment in the host countries.
The authorities concerned should avoid registering cases against the deportees in the interest of public good.
SIRAJ PANHWAR
Naushehro Feroze
THE citizens of Karachi are facing housing problems as the government search for new plots of land for building houses continues.
But the fact is that already vast vacant plots have been lying uninhabited for the last 20 years in Scheme 33 on the Super Highway due to lack of infrastructures.
Many people who have their plots leased in such societies as Sachal Sarmast Town and Gulshan-i-Rehman are living in rented houses/flats as they are not able to build their houses due to lack of infrastructures.
We request the government to revive these societies and develop infrastructures so that plot holders can build their houses.
M.A. HASSAN
Karachi
ON Dec 6 last my friend, Azhar Ashraf, 27, (Passport No: AB1841621 and NIC no 42301-9879162-5), the only son of Mr Ashraf Khuhawar, went alone by Air Lanka from Karachi to Colombo for a three-week visit of Sri Lanka. He has been missing since then.
Initially he stayed one week in a local Imperial Hotel (Room No 407) at Duplication Road, Colombo, and later he shifted for a few days to the YMCA, Colombo.
Of the first two weeks of his visit, he has been in contact with his family members in Karachi regularly through his cell No. 0094-72-4922001 but suddenly his cell disconnected and did not respond except once when some unknown person picked up his cell number and said: “He is sleeping”. Moreover, the said person was not willing to provide further information about him and switched off the phone permanently.
Later, his parents appealed, in writing, to the high commissioner of Sri Lanka in Islamabad, the consulate-general in Karachi, the Pakistan ministry of foreign affairs and the Pakistan high commissioner in Colombo to help find out his son but in vain.
Moreover, his parents have contacted the immigration office, the police and some NGOs in Colombo through emails but no positive reply has yet been received.
Furthermore, the validity of his air ticket expired on April 6, with no provision of extension.
Anyone who can help on a humanitarian ground may see his picture and get all relevant information on www.cindh.com or contact for any required information at infocindh@gmail.com.
The Pakistan and Sri Lanka governments are requested to help search my friend.
IMRAN KHAN SIAL
Karachi
THE authorities concerned should take notice of the suffering of EOBI pensioners when they visit the National Bank of Pakistan’s designated branch to receive their monthly pension.
Among the pensioners, there are a number of people who suffer from various diseases. They find it difficult to stand in the queue for two to three hours waiting for their turn to receive the pension. There is only one man deputed to do the job.
Moreover, as no toilet facility is being provided at the moment, some who need it urgently has to leave the queue, without receiving the pension amount.
I suggest the following facilities should be provided to ease the woes of pensioners: (1) sufficient benches be placed for sitting, (2) a token be issued on a first-come-first basis, so that they can sit at ease, (3) toilet facility be provided and (4) at least two persons should be deputed to take care of women and men separately.
NAZIR AHMED MULLA
Karachi
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