| April 29, 2007 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1428 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Inspection centre for CNG kits
Fixing priorities
Burqavaganza
CSS exams
Decision on Kalabagh dam
Operation in Balochistan
So little in return
Questionable coverage
Urban eye
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
YOUR editorial (April 24) with the above-mentioned title takes the government to task for its dawdling on the issue of the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa. The government is chided for ceding more and more ground to the clerics, thus further emboldening them.
The editorial is an example of the military government's success in leading a majority of the people on a wild goose chase while it continues to faithfully serve its foreign masters at the expense of the Pakistani nation. In his book If I am assassinated, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto wrote that America encourages the undermining of all institutions in the Third World except the military. We now realise that this is because the military serves as an excellent viceroy to execute the new outsourced neo-colonialism.
The Lal Masjid issue is the latest successful bluff the military establishment has pulled on the people of Pakistan. It is interesting that so many people believe that a few thousand teenagers smack in the middle of (what is effectively) the military cantonment of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, can make a stand against Musharraf's government. It is even more intriguing that they were able to acquire a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including the ability to make bomber vests to carry out suicide bombings.
What the government is asking us to believe is that within the 17,000 yards that the mosque and seminary occupy there is a virtual mini-state capable of carrying out mass destruction. I, for one, refuse to believe this. What is far more likely is that the two persons making regular appearances on television are on the government's payroll and are making these poor students part of their shadow play.
In his article ‘Living through history’ (Dawn, April 22), former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed wrote: "The Jamia Hafsa crisis is serving a two-fold purpose: it has diverted attention from the judicial crisis, and it is also flagging a ‘scarecrow’ to the outside world, especially the US, not to relent in its support for Musharraf and for his new five-year tenure in uniform. What an ingenious move".
It is time the rest of us understood this too and focused on the more important issues such as poverty, unemployment, lawlessness and what underlies all these problems: the military's disregard for the rule of law and Constitution of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, as the nation was focused entirely on the Lal Masjid issue, the makers of the documentary ’Planet Earth’ on the Discovery Channel made a certain revelation to Newsweek magazine.
They could not film in the Khunjerab National Park area (well inside Pakistan, along the Chinese border) as US marines were hunting for Osama bin Laden there. May I ask Pervez Musharraf if this is true and if so, does Pakistan have any sovereignty over its own territory? Are we an independent country at all?
KHWAJA SHAMAAS
Lahore
THE government of Pakistan has offered a number of incentives for encouraging the use of CNG in the country. This has provided a boost to the industry. As on March 1, more than 1.3 million vehicles are using CNG as fuel and 1,300 CNG stations are operational in different parts of the country.
According to International Association for Natural Gas vehicles (IANGV) statistics, Pakistan is ranked No.3 in the CNG-using countries after Argentina and Brazil.
At a recent meeting in Karachi, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan stressed the need for having a system to check fitness of CNG cylinders and to monitor CNG kits installed in vehicles.
The governor issued a directive that the process of outsourcing vehicle fitness system should be pushed ahead and certification of CNG cylinders should be a regular feature. Under the CNG laid-down regulations, checking of CNG kits after every five years is compulsory for every vehicle. In Karachi alone there is an urgent need of 20,000 buses. The federal government has provided Rs5 billion subsidy for the induction of environment-friendly CNG buses and shortly 250 CNG buses would be on the city roads.
To ensure better movement of CNG buses, the governor has stressed the need that necessary infrastructure in this respect be ensured, including the checking of fitness system of CNG cylinders, filling stations and other related matters.
It is shocking to note that in the whole of Sindh province there is only one place in Karachi situated at Korangi Creek, close to Pakistan Refinery, where inspection of CNG cylinders can be made under the management of Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) qualified staff.
This inspection centre is run six days in a week. Vehicle drivers take vehicles for inspection from Monday to Saturday between 10am and 3pm and on Friday up to 12 noon.
However, the HDIP staff can only manage to inspect 15 to 20 vehicles in a day and it takes at least three working days for the HDIP staff to inspect the entire CNG kit and once the CNG test is over, the vehicle drivers are asked to collect their CNG kits from the HDIP centre. During the period of inspection, vehicle drivers have to run their vehicles on petrol.
A large number of people are converting their vehicles on CNG in the country, as the cost of CNG compared to the price of petrol is much cheaper. There is an urgent need for the ministry of petroleum and natural resources to address this issue and establish a adequate number of centres for inspection of CNG cylinders in the country under the aegis of the HDIP.
If the HDIP-managed CNG inspection centres are not established early, it is feared that drivers will keep on running their vehicles beyond the five-year period when the outdated CNG cylinders will pose serious risks to the precious human lives and will become walking bombs for the drivers, as the expired CNG cylinders may explode any time.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
ONE has noticed the starkly different approaches of two of your columnists to the action taken against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Mr Ayaz Amir has adopted a very bold and clear stand and written some marvelous pieces in support of the CJP, which have pleased one’s heart and are in perfect tune with most Pakistan’s sentiments.
On the other hand, Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee appears to be sitting on a fence. He has refrained from any strong criticism of the president and, in his second comment on the incident, “Straaaaawberry jam” (March 25), had actually appeared to be tacitly advocating that Justice Chaudhry should visit the general to mend fences with him.
This can be inferred from an anecdote he narrated regarding his personal experience with Gen Ziaul Haq. To begin with, Zia offered to make him an adviser on ports and shipping, which he ‘reluctantly’ accepted. The first day in office was spent in meetings and greetings, but on the second day he found his office locked, reportedly on the orders of the commander 5 Corps, with Mr Cowasjee’s tiffin basket (valued as a family keepsake) inside. He checked first with the young officer and, on his suggestion, with the said commander, but was told that “orders are orders” and he had better meet the president. On reaching ’Pindi he found out that the problem had been caused by some admirals but Zia was able to `settle’ their misgivings and the columnist was duly reinstated.
Mr Cowasjee then continues that the CJP, too, must realise that orders are orders, obviously meaning that the latter should also meet the president. However, there could be no ambiguity here because four or five generals had reportedly accompanied Gen Musharraf when he asked the chief justice to resign.
Now, in his column of April 25, he has lambasted the lawyers for neglecting the under-trial prisoners due to continued strikes and has also been cynical about their `token hunger strikes’. He should realise that when a nation is in a state of war, we encourage the soldiers to defend our freedom and independence instead of telling them to look after the prisoners’ rights, etc.
The whole country, including the under-trial inmates, is caught in the war between the executive and the judiciary. If the judiciary does not win, everybody, including the prisoners, will lose. The inconveniences we suffer are the price we all have to pay. Mr Cowasjee must get his priorities right and also decide whose side he is on.
M.Y. KHAN
Karachi
WITH reference to your news item (April 27) regarding the government’s double retreat in the NA, it is disheartening to note that the government is conceding to the demands of religious extremists. The burqa is a cultural item.
If it is made fun of, the jest could at most be construed to be in bad taste. But to ban a play because it pokes fun at burqas seems to elevate the burqa to almost a level of something sacred, thus making any negative remark against it a form of shirk.
Also, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's remarks on shooting people if they shout anti-army slogans really do speak of the hypocrisy of people in power. While on the one hand, when extremists (Lal Masjid administrators) threaten to use suicide bombers against Pakistani civilians, they are negotiated with. Though I am quite sure the Lal Masjid types would follow through with their threats of murder.
On the other hand, anyone who dares to make a remark against the army deserves death as punishment? This is an example of poor leadership.
Important issues are conveniently ignored. Health care, education, the threat of militant Islam and corruption are examples of what could be discussed and resolved. But Pakistani leaders are more interested in killing people who speak against the army, banning those who make fun of burqas and are pleased to appease religious anarchists who are the real threat to the country.
NAVEED AFRIDI
Fargo, USA
IT was sad to read ‘Patriot's’ letter (April 17) in which he has expressed his shock at being failed (in the CSS examination) in a subject in which he held top local and foreign qualifications.
This takes me back to a time just before partition when I too had appeared in a similar (all-India at that time) competition, in which although I held a first class first Master’s degree, I had been given lower marks in my subject than in my optionals.
Such distortions do occur and are not always indicative of a candidate’s true worth. Be that as it may, I feel confident that if ‘Patriot’ tries once again he will achieve his goal of joining the foreign service.
I recall reading a report, published by the Federal Public Service Commission in the early 1960s, in which it had been emphasised that it was not the intention of the government to attract the talented youth of the country towards service in government, because such talent should be better utilised in the fast-growing state and private sectors of commerce and industry.
It is, therefore, a sad comment on Pakistan’s development in these two vital sectors of our economy that 40 long years later our talented young men and women should still prefer the ‘safe haven’ of service in government.
S. ASIF MAJEED
Karachi
APROPOS of Mr Aziz Narejo's letter ‘Decision on Kalabagh dam’ (April 16), it may be clarified that the President of Pakistan had already announced on Jan 16, 2006 the construction of five dams in Pakistan (including the Kalabagh dam) by the year 2016. Construction of the Kalabagh dam was held hostage to a quagmire of provincial politics. The president should be supported by all Pakistani people for his courage on this important issue.
He does not personally benefit from it. Construction of large reservoirs, including the Kalabagh dam, is essential for economic survival and well-being of the people of Pakistan. Most of the politicians, especially when they are in opposition, look for any issue that they can talk about and use it against the government in power.
Most of them have little knowledge of the issues and provoke the public -- which is mostly ignorant of such issues as well -- against what may well be a just cause.
In the first phase of implementation of the five dam projects, land acquisition is envisaged for which block provision has been made in the PSDP 2006-07. In case of the Kalabagh dam project, as Wapda chairman has stated (March 25), the land acquisition process is now in progress.
We are paying heavy charges for every bit of energy we are consuming (almost Rs7.50 per unit). The reason is obvious. The ratio of production cost of thermal energy to that of hydro-electricity is almost 10:1 and ultimately this cost is being borne by the end-users. Are we that rich a nation to be able to afford it?
The need of the hour is to find a concrete solution. One would like to ask those who oppose the construction of the Kalabagh dam to come forward and give an alternative and viable solution. Surely they must be having some thing better to do than oppose this project. If we continue to oppose the construction of the Kalabagh dam just for the sake of opposition, we would continue to pay the price in the shape of high energy cost.
Pakistan needs the Kalabagh dam to help mitigate water and power shortfalls. What a painful paradox. While our Sindhi farmers are suffering because of unprecedented water shortages, we let as much as 35 million acre feet of surface water go to waste into the Arabian Sea every year.
It happens for want of a large reservoir such as at Kalabagh to store surplus river flows. It is indeed regrettable that a small lobby in Sindh is in the forefront to oppose the Kalabagh dam.
The fact of the matter is that Sindh needs the Kalabagh dam more than any other province. There is plenty of technical information on the Kalabagh dam to satisfy even the most conservative or sceptical of engineers. It is hard to understand why engineers like A.N.G. Abbasi oppose its construction. We all need to think logically and unemotionally for what is good for our country.
AHMED KHAN BHATTI
Former Member (Water),
Wapda, Lahore Cantt.
ACCORDING to BBC morning service on April 17, bombardment by planes and helicopter gunships took place in Kohlu’s suburban areas that killed several women and children. Also, several Marri folks were abducted, as confirmed by the BBC correspondent at Quetta.
Earlier this sort of operation was started by the ZAB government. The Marris, in retaliation, had severed ears, noses, etc, of the soldiers captured and killed.
It is a plain truth. Action begets reaction is but natural. Very soon, severe reaction in the shape of killing ground forces will ensue. Have ever the authorities initiating and conducting the operation witnessed the scenes of sorrows emanating on the arrival of bodies of soldiers in their native places. Perhaps not.
The authorities deem the death of forces as a part of their duty which, according to religious and moral point of view, is charade. It looks strange to hear of Muslim pilots operating against meek and unarmed Muslim Marris living in shanty tents. Either the pilots go drunk or appear bereft of religious commandment that any Muslim killing another innocent Muslim, except in self- defence, preventing mischief, etc, amounts to killing the entire humanity.
The ongoing inane and spineless action confirms the tenet prevalent that the army is the main perpetrator of all the excesses against Balochistan.
SHEIKH GHULAM MURTAZA
Karachi
DR Ishrat Hussain's article, 'How critical is US assistance?' (April 17) dispelled many misconceptions and illusions about US assistance to Pakistan and went a long way in setting the record straight.
There is another aspect to the issue -- what Pakistan has lost in the process of receiving this paltry assistance. Some years back the US central command website had listed all the material and logistical support that Pakistan had provided to support its operations in Afghanistan. One paragraph from the posting is reproduced for the benefit of readers:
"C. Effects of Operation Enduring Freedom on Economy of Pakistan.
“Operation Enduring Freedom adversely affected the already fragile economy of Pakistan. Major losses were caused to the civil aviation, tourism, investment and shipping due to rise in the rates of insurance. Besides this, Pakistani exports also suffered adversely and foreign investments experienced a visible decline. According to a rough estimate, Pakistan's economy suffered a loss of over US$10 billion since October 2001."
Knowing this, one can only say that perhaps no country in history has done so much for another country for so little in return.
KANEEZ FATIMA
Oakville, Canada
I HAVE been a regular reader of your esteemed paper since my college days. To me Dawn has been a newspaper that has an independent and balanced policy. However, I was disappointed to see your issue of April 21 which carried a four-column banner heading on the front page titled ‘Abhishek,Aishwarya tie the knot’, along with a coloured picture of the occasion.
I know that these two Indian stars are popular in our country, but I do not understand why their marriage was given such heavy coverage by our print media and TV channels. I do not recall any such coverage being given to any of our own celebrities on any occasion.
The Bachan family has never spoken well of Pakistan. Their prejudice can be judged by the fact that none of the leading Muslim stars of Indian cinema, including the legendary Dilip Kumar, were invited on the occasion. So why this show of our love for them?
SYED ZIAUL HASAN
Karachi
I AM shocked that a reputed paper like Dawn would place news regarding Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai’s wedding (April 21) on its front page as headline news. This event is not so important and should not have been a headline. You could have placed it on the inside pages. For Pakistanis there are more important matters than the wedding of some Bollywood stars.
FAWWAD SHAFI
Lahore
THE photograph that came on the front page of Metropolitan (April 21) with the above title is remarkable and outstanding. Very creative and thought-provoking. Unique part of the picture is its framing and placement in the newspaper. It remains to be a mystery unless one unfolds the newspaper and looks at the full photo. Surely, an international competition standard. Good luck to Mr Abro.
NAQVI MUSTAFA
Karachi
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.