| April 26, 2007 | Thursday | Rabi-us-Sani 08, 1428 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Lawyers & judiciary protests
A place called Gharibabad
Energy conservation
Library science at KU
Madness on the road
A lesson to learn
Parha likha Punjab
State versus society
Calling cards
Unfair advantage
Writ of govt
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 with reference to the recent column by Ardeshir Cowasjee (‘I will not remove the uniform’, April 22). It seems that either Mr Cowasjee has missed the whole point of the uniform issue, or he is simply playing naive in the hope that the average reader doesn’t understand that he is trying to sidetrack the issue by making ludicrous comparisons with the uniforms of Gandhi, Napoleon Bonaparte, Marshall Tito and Prince Edward.
Mr Cowasjee should know that the Pakistani people are not concerned about the pomp and glory of a Pakistan army chief's uniform or its disciplinary character but what the uniform carries with it.
For all that it matters, people wouldn’t have given two hoots if the authorities had decided to change the colour of all the brigadiers’ uniform from khaki to pink to make it more attractive after the surrender to the Indian forces in 1971.
Mr Cowasjee is to the print media what Sharifuddin Pirzada is to constitutional law. Both have always supported military despots in uniform against elected representatives.
The real issue behind the uniform is that of ‘might is right’. That is basically, in a layperson's term, a case of ‘glorified defenders’ taking over the civilian house and telling its residents how to behave in the future. This is the crux of the problem.
In George Orwell's famous Animal Farm, the pigs took over the farm and told the other animals the rules of ‘good governance’. If you were living during the 80s, you will remember the 'glorified chowkidar’ in his mighty uniform gave sermons on Islamisation.
Nowadays, we are often reminded of ‘enlightened moderation’. Civilised societies are governed by elected representatives and not by the power that comes out of the barrel of a gun that is carried by a general in uniform. This is the core issue of the uniform.
Lastly, Mr Cowasjee has reminded us yet again of Mr Jinnah’s speech of August, 11 1947 and the recent proposal by Minoo Bhandara to make this speech part of the Constitution.
Can Mr Cowasjee also suggest to his friend Bhandara to add the following few sentences to the speech: "In any case, Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic or military state to be ruled by priests with a divine mission, or generals who take dictation from their masters in far-flung places across the oceans".
UROOJ HUSSEIN
Karachi
LAWYERS’ protest is gaining momentum day by day and judicial officers have started backing them. Many judicial officers and a Lahore High Court judge have tendered their resignations in support of the chief justice of Pakistan.
It would be pertinent to note that on April 13 at Sukkur judges of the Sindh High Court, namely Justices Zia Pervez and Nadim Azhar Siddiqui, welcomed the chief justice at the airport.
In a follow-up at Hyderabad on April 15 no fewer than 15 judges of the Sindh High Court were present at the reception of the chief justice. Mr Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, the senior pusine judge, was significant by his presence.
All this may construe that the superior court judges are also not agreeable to the reference against the chief justice. It is claimed that the chief justice, being made non-functional and sent on forced leave, violates Article 209 of the Constitution.
I may say that as long as an equitable and honourable compromise between the chief justice and Gen President Musharraf is not reached, the nation would face great turmoil and hardship.
Democracy and freedom in whatever quantum exists would be shattered and sepulchred and the three pillars of the state would pulsate perniciously. Let us not forget that the country is clandestinely ruled by the armed forces.
The apprehension first seems to relate to the president’s uniform issue and, second, to his election by the present assemblies for a further five-year term, but the
chief justice may not agree to these.
This has to be set at rest if the chief justice agrees not to adjudicate on these issues and leave it to his other brother judges to cast the die. Let both sides vacate obduracy.
SAIFUDDIN E. CONTRACTOR
Karachi
THIS refers to the report, ‘Residents of Attock to move court against inaction with regard to safe railway crossing" (April 4).
Sadly, countrywide this is a common enough problem.
A few weeks ago at Bahawalpur, where safety measures at railway tracks are very lax, six small children ran across the railway tracks straight into the path of an oncoming express train which instantly crushed them all to death.
Their distraught parents told a visiting journalist: "Our children have nowhere to play, they have no playground."
On further investigation, journalists discovered that these unfortunate people have little else besides, no running water, inadequate stinking drains, in fact no basic amenities whatsoever. They, the journalists, were appalled to see the squalor and deprivation within which these people existed.
We are certainly not short of funds. Enormous amounts of monies were used recently by the local administration of Bahawalpur in preparation for the Punjab chief minister’s brief visit here.
A fraction from those expenditures would have built a playground for those unfortunate children. Unfortunately our priorities have never been quite right.
We understand that the chief minister of Punjab has ordered a grant of Rs50,000 to be paid to each aggrieved parent of those unfortunate children. What price a life, one wonders!
After such a tragic happening a more appropriate and sensitive tribute would surely be for the local administration of Bahawalpur to demand a full and immediate inquiry into the whole affair and, thereafter, set about ensuring that these unfortunate people enjoy at least the basic amenities, which many of us take for granted as our right.
The railway authorities should hold an immediate inquiry to find ways to improve safety measures in order to prevent tragic accidents occurring again.
Sixty years on, since independence, nothing much, it would appear, has changed for the ‘Gharibabads’ all over the country.
Let us hope that some beginning towards improving the lot of these unfortunate and neglected people might take place, at this particular Gharibabad situated at Bahawalpur.
I. HAIDER
Bahawalpur
THE government is going to approve an energy conservation plan in the face of severe shortage of electricity and the resultant loadshedding scenario, which will be borne by the already pushed-to-the-wall citizens and not those who have actually caused this precarious situation.
Now if conservation is the only option left to the government, it should be started from the top.
There are a number of high voltage lights along the road between the Parliament House and the airport and to the camp office, which are especially erected to keep the terrorists under surveillance when President Gen Musharraf, his prime minister and other government higher-ups travel through this route.
Besides, there are heavy energy-consuming bulbs installed under bridges on the road, which often remain lighted till nine or 10 in the morning. These need to be promptly put out.
At the airport chowk, there always remain hung a couple of mega billboards, usually with portraits of Musharraf and Chaudhrys of Gujrat under the spotlight of big voltage lights throughout the night.
Along the same route there comes a big portrait of the Quaid-i-Azam, which has to be kept illuminated throughout the night with big floodlights, for the view of the motorists and pedestrians, which is also wastage of energy.
Erecting our founding father’s pictures at roadsides is an insult to his person since we have strayed far away from the path he carved for us to tread.
If orders are passed to remove these unnecessary lights it will set an example for ordinary people to follow by switching off unwanted lights at their homes and places of work. But the initiative has to come from the top.
YASSIR RASHEED
Rawalpindi
THIS is in response to an article by Jalaluddin Haider (March 25). We are students of library and information sciences at Karachi University and are studying in MLIS.
In our opinion when a person writes an article for a newspaper it must include some authentic information and should not be based on hearsay.
For example, contrary to what Mr Haider has written, our computer lab is one of the best such labs in the university and consists of 26 Pentium IV computers which provide 24 hours Internet access.
Furthermore, the curriculum is revised on an annual basis keeping in view the latest trends, such as inclusion of a complete course on digital libraries and teaching of important software like WINISIS and Microsoft Access database.
Further, in the third semester students are given two to three case studies of famous libraries which are then followed up by a course on planning and a thesis in the final semester.
The teachers in this department are highly learned, experienced and provide an excellent atmosphere to us.
We request the writer to please visit the department and observe the teaching standards at the department as well as the enthusiasm and satisfaction of the students.
ASIM AKASHA, HINA AHMED
Karachi
THIS is with reference to ‘Dumper on a killing spree’ (April 19) wherein a ghastly accident has been reported in which six-year-old Shazim Khurrum and his mother were injured seriously.
Road accidents taking precious lives have become a common feature.
These grisly incidents occur more often than not either through overspeeding or violation of traffic regulations, i.e., plying unfit vehicles or bringing heavy traffic such as dumpers in daytime on the roads despite a ban by the city government.
Overspeeding is mostly on account of untrained and unlicensed drivers.
Besides, the cleaners or helpers of vehicles, who are undistinguishable because of lack of specific badge or uniform, are allowed to hold steering. Such drivers are security hazards.
The antediluvian vehicles plied on the road are mostly out of shape and unfit because of lack of proper maintenance. For instance, in Karachi alone more than 80 per cent buses and mini-buses, owned privately, are, on the face of it, eligible for junkyards but are seen plying, emitting toxic fumes etc.
Road safety in the country, in general, and in big cities like Karachi, in particular, has been worsening day by day. When an incident is reported in the media, a message is passed on to the world about the apathy of our law enforcers and society as a whole because even a single fatality deprives a family of not only a near and dear one but in most cases a bread winner, thus destroying it emotionally and economically.
In order to make our roads secure for travel, it is proposed that the following measures should be adopted:
a. A uniform code should be established for the driver, allowing him a badge number, and his record, with fingerprints, be preserved so that in case of negligence he can be recognised and disqualified from driving.
b. Licences should be issued after proper tests and verification of record of the applicants. In case any licence is issued in violation of rules, the issuing authorities should be held responsible.
c. A vehicle plying on the road should be allowed only if it carries fitness certificate, duly displayed on the rear screen.
d. Vehicles plying on highways should immediately be asked to provide rear door etc. Besides, TV sets be removed as the music creates obstruction in driving.
e. The officer-in-charge of the area should be held responsible in case an accident occurs in his jurisdiction.
f. Owners of unfit vehicles should also be held accountable and in case of any accident be held responsible for financially compensating the bereaved family.
g. All heavy traffic should immediately be banned from 7am to 10pm and compliance enforced strictly. For any violation, the administration-in-charge of the area should be held responsible.
RAFIQ AHMED SIDDIQUI
Karachi
AS reported in an Indian national paper (April 18), a BJP member of parliament from Gujarat, Mabubhi Katra, was arrested at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport the other day after being caught trying to take a woman and a boy with him to Canada by using the diplomatic passports issued in the name of his wife and son through flight AI, which was due to leave for Toronto at 7.30am. The woman, Paramjeet, and the boy, Amarjeet, were also arrested. Investigation for impersonation and human trafficking has been initiated against the MP.
The party, moving swiftly in a damage-control exercise, suspended Mr Katara from the party after slapping a show-cause notice on him. Unlike this, here in our country in such situations, which are more frequent, the ruling party instead of taking any action against a criminal act provides protection to the doer. Example: a citizen was mishandled at the airport by a minister’s son but nothing was done about this. Another case was of a high government functionary using abusive language in a live talk show.
Avoiding taking any action for the only reason that the wrongdoer is on the right side of power is no excuse as it brings a bad name to the government and also encourages law-breakers, who are plenty in our society. I may recall that the only case where action was taken against a party member, and that too a sitting minister, for financial impropriety was in the days when the late Muhammad Khan Junejo was the prime minister of Pakistan.
MANSOOR UL HAQ SOLANGI
Karachi
Though loads of anecdotes have been uttered about the Punjab chief minister’s dream of a parha likha Punjab, the following news item, published in Dawn's online edition, quite succinctly summarises how far this dream is from becoming reality.
"The Higher Education Commission has stopped funding the Punjab University because of its failure to take action against the faculty members involved in plagiarism in their research work." (April 4)
The acting chief justice, while deploring the way the Punjab police beat up the protesting lawyers during lawyers' convention at Lahore, said: "Such things even never happen in countries like Ethiopia or Uganda. Alas! This all has happened in parha, likha Punjab! Peaceful protest is the democratic right of everybody" (March 21).
Such shocking comments and actions from the custodians of two vital national institutions clearly show that the Punjab CM’s education moment is nothing short of a political hoax.
MALIK SHARIQ KHAN
Manchester, UK
AFTER reading a very well-articulated article, ‘Struggle between state and society’ (April 19), a few questions came to my mind:
a. As what do we, the citizens of Pakistan, consider or identify ourselves, a Muslim or a Pakistani or something else or nothing?
b. How much do we (elites and common man) really understand the connection between capitalism, democracy and rule of law? and
c. How far are the present representatives of moderate and enlightened forces the real representatives?
IMTIAZ A. MALIK
Karachi
A NUMBER of private and state-owned companies have introduced calling cards, promising to provide better services to customers. The popularity of these cards is a precursor to the ease they provide to the consumers.
But, as they say, good things rarely last for the average person in Pakistan.
Some of these companies have professed rates as low as 50 per cent compared to others in the market, which sounds wonderful, but they are in fact misleading people because when one uses these cards, one realises that these are just clever marketing ruses for cheating people out of their money.
In reality, the money used for the calls is the same. A five-minute call becomes too expensive as Rs10 to 20 is deducted simply when one connects and even at connection there is disturbance in the call and the extra deduction continues.
A Rs250 calling card used for overseas calls only has eight minutes and a Rs500 calling card has merely 18 minutes.
In case of any disturbance, the amount continues to decrease while the call time ends, which is simply not feasible for the money used up.
So what does one do? As there are no rules or regulations to check such practices, the poor consumer has nowhere to go or complain.
The government should take note of such practices and do something about them, so that the people can be rescued from this fleecing.
ANUM SHAHID
Karachi
I WANT to draw attention to an important matter relating to optional subjects of the CSS exams. The CSS written examination consists of 12 papers out of which six are compulsory and six are optional. The paper-setters often change the pattern of some optional papers without any prior intimation to candidates.
Also, the level of difficulty in some optional papers is great compared to others. Marking standards also vary. As a result, some candidates get undue advantage because of the optional papers. The only solution is to provide a level playing field to all candidates by abolishing the optional papers. If required, the number of compulsory papers can be increased from the present six.
SAAD FAROOQI
Rahimyar Khan
ONE often gets to read and hear a new expression, ‘writ of government’, in the media these days. And only wonders as to what it really means.
Will anyone from the government please define the expression “writ of the government”? Will anyone clarify as to what measures are taken to ensure that the writ of the government (run from GHQ and camp offices) is in consonance with the writ of law? Will anyone explain the difference between writ of law and writ of the government?
In our almost 60 years of chequered history of existence on the world political map, how many precedents do we have wherein the writ of the government has been in conformity with the writ of law, in letter and in spirit?
SHAHRIAR DAUDPOTA
Hyderabad
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.