| April 12, 2007 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1428 |
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When enough is enough
Karachi elevated expressway
Siding with Bangladesh
Sectarian violence in Parachinar
The eyesore that is Keamari
Lahore zoo
Broadening the tax base
Life and death
A wagging tongue
More funds for Chitral
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
IN his letter (April 6) S.M.H. Rizvi writes, "The first stumbling block in the way of real democracy is feudalism, which does not permit 70 per cent people to freely exercise their right to vote. This can be rectified by giving permanent tenancy rights' to the tillers through an executive order.
The diagnosis is correct, but the remedy he has suggested cannot be applied because of the existing socio-economic and political conditions. How can an assembly where 75 per cent of the members come from the feudal class be expected to axe their roots that nourish their lifestyle and prosperity? Each military regime in Pakistan's history has found it necessary to establish some kind of mutual support agreement with the feudal class to enable it to rule the country. Therefore, an executive order -- even by the most dictatorial military regime -- cannot be issued and implemented.
The remedy lies in full blown concentration and action by the government and the people to bring about an industrial revolution in the country through self-effort. Improvements in technology and economic systems should be conceptualised, experimented and implemented by Pakistanis themselves.
Dependence on foreign technology is a matter of shame and an index of lethargy and intellectual bankruptcy of the academia and intelligentsia of the nation.
Expanding industrial, educational and other professional service sectors will attract the agricultural workers way from agriculture into higher income industrial and professional services job raising common man's standard of living. Manpower shortage in agricultural field will make an economic sense for the smaller farmers to join together into farming co-operatives and bring in the economies of large scale mechanised farming.
The feudals will be deprived of tenants and landless tillers to enjoy their toil and use them as their vote bank. They will have to work themselves on their large tract of agricultural land to improve productivity or sell their idle agricultural and virgin land with the objective of increasing their income to be able to maintain their standard of living.
Purchasers would be the newly emerging industrial entrepreneurs with a scientific and engineering background.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of newer cities and towns will spring up around the clusters of industrial and professional services centres. Larger proportion of population will shift from rural to urban areas carrying their voting power away from the reach of the feudals.
Newer urban areas, demarcated into newer constituencies, would be able to elect their representatives and send them to the National Assembly. The hold of the feudals over the National Assembly will be over, enabling the newer assembly members representing industrial labour and professional people to function in a true democracy.
The path of industrial revolution will lead to democracy.
HUMAYUN ZAFAR
Toronto, Canada
IF the guardians of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa had commissioned a mission of mercy, attempted to resolve sectarian divides, taken up cudgels against illiteracy or poverty, or simply initiated a local cleanliness drive, the silent majority would have taken up their call with fervour.
But what hopes can we pin on people who themselves dwell in illegally occupied property, perched atop moulds of garbage, with a twisted sense of justice and morality?
They forget that every person will lie in his or her own grave and will be answerable for their own deeds. Individual sins are a person's own concern. They are a matter between God and the sinner and it is for Him to impart justice.
Before pointing accusing fingers, these people should look at their own deeds and truthfully decide whether they are pious enough themselves to judge others.
Their ranting and raving on loudspeakers and their incessant singing of praises devoid of melody or tune, is totally without concern not only for students trying to study or sick people needing tranquility but also for any other person who wants to read the Quran or pray quietly to God.
The government and these ulema might have their own vested interest in all this mess but the sufferers are the common people of Pakistan. Let the silent majority not remain silent any more and say enough is enough.
We are not morons and can make our own decisions and choices.
Everyone should just live and let live. God has blessed us with the intellect and power of reasoning.
If anyone wants to preach Islam, they should do so by self-example and by this I do not mean five times prayers only. I mean justice, fair play, tolerance, kindness, cleanliness and moral integrity.
Let them clean up their own act first. When they understand the true essence of Islam themselves, they will automatically attract followers - not rowdy troublemakers but silent true Muslims who will come willingly and not due to threats.
NIGHAT KAMAL AZIZ
Islamabad
THE choice for the people of Karachi between an elevated expressway and the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is not merely one between two modes of alleviating the noise, congestion and pollution at present experienced on the roads of Karachi, but is more importantly a choice between two opposing lifestyles. (‘A flawed project’, editorial, April 8)
The elevated expressway option is based on the American experience where people continue to travel wastefully in expensive private cars that require ever-increasing volumes of fuel to operate, as traffic jams add to travel time.
The import of cars and of the fuel required to power them will be a constantly escalating burden on the country’s dwindling foreign reserves. And how many more expressways and freeways will Karachi need to keep pace with the growing vehicular population? They will never be enough, as witnessed in Los Angeles where despite marvels of highway engineering people still spend hours stuck in traffic jams.
How many trees will we cut and how many grassy areas will we pave for the sake of the motorcar? Is the luxury of travelling individually in private cars greater than the need for clean unpolluted air, trees and grassy expanses? No, decidedly not.
The urban railway such as the KCR is the better option, and is the preferred mode in Europe and Asia. It is clean, efficient and economical. Moreover, the KCR already exists in the city, and can rapidly evolve as the ideal environment-friendly solution to the city’s transport problems.
Opposition to the KCR seems to come from the land mafia eyeing the prized land over which the KCR network at present lies, and from the automobile sector which sees it as a threat to their business interests.
But the masses come first and foremost, and it is their convenience and comfort that should take precedence over all other considerations.
ASAD SIDDIQI
Lahore
THE victory of Bangladesh over South Africa in the super eight round of the World Cup provides a very different perspective to what the cricket world will be like in the time to come.
There isn’t much hope for Pakistan’s recovering from their present dilemma any time soon, so I guess cricket fans will have to resort to taking sides with Bangladesh if we want to find some moments of pride and joy in cricket.
Because the recent performance of the Bangladeshi youngsters has been truly phenomenal, I wish them much improvement and luck in the tournaments to come.
MARIAM ALVI
Karachi
THE match between South Africa and Bangladesh was a treat to watch. The latter played with full dedication and zeal.
Their spin bowlers put the big burly South Africans into a tail spin, thereby humbling an otherwise strong side. The Bangladeshis deserved to win as they were playing as though their life was at stake. Their victory was no fluke. In fact, they can truly be called ‘cricket jihadis’.
ALI AKBAR
Karachi
GERMAN Field Martial Rommel’s greatness as a five-star general during World War II has been being applauded around the world. There was a comment - by whom, I am unable to recall - that if Rommel, who started as a private in the German army, had joined the British army he would have remained a private all his life.
Watching the Bangladesh team beat South Africa, which was at the top of the list of international teams, by 67 runs and recalling how youngsters like Asim Kamal, Hasan Raza and Salman Butt have been ignored by the PCB establishment reminded me of the comment about Rommel. I wonder if the PCB would ever come up with a youth-dominated team like the Bangladeshi side.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
ACCORDING to the report from Parachinar, a sectarian clash causing 65 deaths, 140 injuries and 82 torched shops was due to poor management by the political administration.
It is mentioned that the administration was informed that a few miscreants in the procession of Eid Miladun Nabi were waving anti-Shia slogans and shouting insulting chants.
When the administration failed to take appropriate action, a group of enraged Shia took out a separate procession which was fired at by militia killing two protesters, thus opening a floodgate of burning, injuring and killing.
Kurram is the only agency where Al Qaeda or the Taliban could not make a firm base because of its significant Shia population.
It is well-known that a vast majority of Shia in Pakistan oppose the Taliban and Al Qaeda: Kurram Agency is no exception.
In the past, there had always been a balanced politico-military administration comprising Shia and Sunni officers. General Zia changed that arrangement creating anxiety among the Shia population who are in majority in Upper Kurram. Since then this agency has become a burning pot of sectarian violence.
I hope that the government will order a judicial inquiry not only to find out the cause of the present disturbance but also to explore the reasons as to why the administrative setup was changed and come up with feasible proposals how to permanently rout the sectarian menace from this otherwise peaceful agency.
DR GHAYUR AYUB
London, UK
A FEW days ago I had the misfortune of heading out for a fishing trip from our national port - Keamari. It was the state of our port, which I saw after a few months of being away, that astounded and shocked me.
Sure, the government has banned plastic bags. There was even one tiny oar propelled boat with two extremely disgruntled individuals trying to gather up all the filth around the jetty.
However, I believe that this is a case of “too little, too late.” Keamari is without a doubt the most pestilent, disgraceful and filthy port that I have ever seen in my life.
The colour of the water is an oily, chocolate brown and is probably highly toxic. The congestion and sheer number of boats is unbelievable and the general state of affairs is so appalling that it makes me ashamed to see it.
There was a time when we would catch crabs and bottom fish inside the breakwater. This is a joke now. What on earth has happened to our port? Yes, it was never the cleanest of ports, and perhaps expecting to catch crabs inside the port ever again is now wishful thinking and a myth that we will tell our children.
But to go from a sorry state of affairs to an actual health hazard and toxic risk to the public, who already have a severe lack of healthy entertainment, is a sin and a reflection of the attitude of whoever is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of Keamari.
Anglers are in a unique position to comment on the degradation of the marine environment by virtue of the fact that we spend substantial quantities of time at sea and observe seasonal trends and changes that affect our sport.
There are a host of problems plaguing our marine and freshwater environments. However, it does not take an expert to see the extent of pollution in Keamari. There is a fantastic fountain that lifts my spirits every time I see it. But at the same time, that money would have been so much more useful if it were used to clean, and train the relevant people to keep clean our national port. After all, just like the airport, a port is the first impression an outsider gets of our country when arriving by sea. Those responsible for this state of affairs should truly be ashamed of what Keamari has become.
ALI MUFTI
Pakistan Game Fish Association,
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news item captioned "Stray dogs kills 28 peacocks in Lahore zoo" (April 10). While the incident is in deed unfortunate, to ask the poor watchman to pay Rs66,500 is just about the most bizarre form of justice I can imagine.
The fact that the dogs sneaked in through a broken portion of the fence speaks volumes of the state of disrepair the zoo is in. I could not help wonder that if P.J. Mir had been the media manager for the zoo, would he have put this incident down to excessive involvement with religious activities. After all, the watchman should know better than to pray five times a day. Has he not heard of being "moderate enlightenment"?
More fascinating is the thought that if the zoo had our president as patron, may be the watchman could resign and then hope that it will not be accepted. May be it is time we edit thesauruses being sold in Pakistan to make ‘power’ or ‘contacts’ synonyms of justice to help prepare our children for the realities that await them.
DR AHMED JAVED
Missouri, USA
THE chairman of CBR, Abdullah Yousuf, has stressed the need for broadening the tax base (Dawn Supplement, March 28). Since this is election year, I would like to suggest that only the NTN holders (not CNIC) should be allowed to vote. This will encourage all political parties to ask their followers to register with the tax department. And thus a 10 years’ plan may be achieved within a few months.
Also, it is understood that almost all candidates spend huge amounts of money on buying party tickets and to run their election campaign. The government must allow only those candidates to participate in election who would have paid one million or more in tax by June 2007 (this is peanuts compared to their election expenditure).
Thus the government is guaranteed a huge sum given the number of candidates for all assemblies. Apart from this revenue generation, there would be many other advantages, such as election cost would be much less, and I assume taxpayers will choose wisely whom to elect as it is their money he would be spending.
Needless to say, the CBR will profit from this exercise for years to come due to increase in registered taxpayers, especially if they impose a minimum Rs100 compulsory tax on all NTN holders.
NAVEED ASGHAR SHEIKH
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter by Ardeshir Cowasjee (April 5). I am surprised that a letter on such an important subject by such an eminent person has caused no ripples -- anywhere! No letters, no editorials no official cognisance.
Have we, as a nation, become so insensitive even to matters of life and death? Or, have we satisfied our conscience by blaming the situation on successive military regimes and the long rule of President Musharraf?
Or, is it that we are all afraid of the possible repercussions of opening our mouths? (after all, “Jo quaid ka ghaddar hai, woh maot ka haqdar hai”).
I, for one, would take the liberty to advise my educated, cultured and sensible brethren in Karachi that the time has come for them to dissociate themselves from a semi-fascist party. It will increase their power and say in national affairs, not decrease it.
ABU HASHIR
Sargodha
SOMEONE once asked a sage, “What is important in the presence of a wagging tongue”? “Absence of body”, the sage replied. The caption of a news item reads “Man jailed for abusive remarks” (March 30). Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Hashmi, the district chief of MMA in Kasur allegedly passed abusive remarks against the president and the prime minister at a public meeting. He was prosecuted by an anti-terrorism court and promptly sentenced to five years in prison.
The maulana's abusive language may have no justification, but what about the adage about selective morality being immoral. A law minister can be abusive, heard by millions and still retain his official status. Meanwhile the highest judicial officer of the country is manhandled physically for all to see.
The exalted ruling elite and their cronies can get away with almost anything, but an ordinary being gets incarcerated for a wagging tongue. We have descended into a morass where examples like these only widen the chasm between the rulers and the ruled.
We, the ordinary mortals of this country, are abused many a times a day as we plod on with our daily lives. An effort, however fragile it may be, to better these lives would only strengthen our resolve that the creation of Pakistan was worthwhile. A positive effort from the top can prove to be a life-saving drop of water as it trickles down to revive parched Pakistanis.
MIR ADNAN AZIZ
Abbottabad
INTERESTINGLY, close on the heels of the district nazim’s announcement about the three billion-rupee development fund for Chitral, a former Chitrali MNA, connected with the ruling party, has revealed to the great surprise of the impoverished people that the federal government would spend over Rs30 billion on development projects in the district. But he did not offer details to substantiate his tall claim.
The poor people feel that these announcements are political stunts to attract and motivate the electorate to vote for their respective party candidates in the next general elections.
Needless to say the poor masses, plagued with the abject poverty, rampant unemployment, ill health and the chronic dearth of the basic necessities of life, are reluctant to believe the political leaders. Apparently, the leaders fail to understand that promises alone would not tilt the scales in their favour.
To quote Jonathan Swift: “Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken”. It is all the more true about political promises which are seldom fulfilled. The truth is that Chitral, which is priority-wise low on the development-to-do list, will remain poor and backward.
SARDAR ALI AMAN
Chitral
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