| May 08, 2007 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 20, 1428 |
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The root of the problem
Lahore welcomes CJ
A glorious example
Ayub’s diaries
IISS and Dr Khan’s case
A cleric let loose
Barrier reef
Unlit streetlights
Revamping tax collection
Hill Park
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 ‘Meeting of the challenge of MDG” (Dawn, May 3) Sultan Ahmed has highlighted most important economic issues of our country. He also writes:
“Despite the challenge to his data, Shaukat Aziz has reaffirmed that acute poverty in Pakistan has come down from 34.5 per cent in 7 years to 24 per cent. He asserts that urban poverty has come down from 20 to 15 per cent and rural poverty from 39 to 28 per cent.
“He maintains that as a whole 13 million of the 160 million people have come out of acute poverty. Per capita income in Pakistan will reach next year 1,000 dollars, having crossed 950 dollars this year. That is the average of the income of the richest man and the poorest put together. He admits 25 per cent of the 160 million of the people are acutely poor and that comes to about 40 million people as 25 per cent of the population and they are not amused by the projection of a sustained 10 per cent annual growth soon.”
The question is how many people in Pakistan understand these figures, what they really mean and how they are reached? The answer is obviously very few. And even fewer have any faith in them. Then why use a language which the listeners don’t know?
There are good reasons for this credibility deficit. Half, if not more, of our economy and the assumptions on which development projections are calculated happen to be undocumented and at best very weak guesstimates.
Secondly, people are becoming wiser about the worth of these statistics since the times of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, and the likes of Sartaj Aziz, Khalid Ishaq Dar and other number-rattling economic ‘wizards’, who talk about all good things happening in the elusive future tense, and percentages.
However, publishing one true statistic of the past eight years would be revealing: foreign exchange wasted on private import of generators for the desperate citizens.
On the other hand, people do understand economic indicators that are more relevant and less challengeable.
For instance, after almost eight years of absolute power, what do the escalating street riots against electricity supply in the country prove? Has the water availability for drinking, industry and agriculture become better?
Have the government schools and educational standards (including those of universities) become better? Has the health sector improved?
The less said about the judicial system and the law and order situation the better. Has our country managed to crawl out from under the recognised international ratings for standard of living, investment-friendliness, quality of life and corruption? Hardly. Has the middle class expanded, or has the polarisation between the rich and the poor shot up? Is bulk of the population upbeat and optimistic about its future? Not at all.
Which facet of our country is not worse than it was eight years ago? It is a long enough period for any government to convincingly show its worth on the ground, not on paper.
IMTIAZ PIRACHA
Karachi
THE attack on the federal minister of interior was not on the person of Mr Sherpao but against the policies of the government. This is the answer to the wrong policies followed by the government on the dictates of the US (who are totally unaware of ground realities) forcing Pakistan to use force in the tribal areas.
I recall that at partition a piece of advice from the British rulers to the Quaid-i-Azam was that this was the best time to send Pakistani troops into the tribal areas and to secure it by ‘force’. An act which Britain was unable to perform in the 200 years of their stay here because of the intense tribal resistance.
This advice was based on the fact that there was a spirited surge for Pakistan and the tribals would accept the Pakistani troops. The Quaid-i-Azam heard the advice and thereafter personally visited Waziristan and addressed a jirga of Maliks and elders and told them that the British had given this advice to him but said he trusted the tribals as true Pakistanis who would fight for Pakistan and, therefore, the Pakistani troops shall not be sent.
The tribals offered the traditional ‘lamb’ for sacrificing and to show that they shall be true Pakistanis. Why the Quaid did so was because he was aware of the feelings of the the tribals. Later the tribals did their bit for Pakistan, both in Kashmir and in Afghanistan.
Since partition the tribal areas had not posed any serious problems and, in fact, they fought the war in Afghanistan and drove the Russians out. What did we do? Bombed their areas and sent Pakistani troops to kill and fight the tribals.
What the British could not achieve in 200 years, we ventured to do. This, therefore, is the crux and root of the problem. Having put our head in the beehive, we can expect the bees to sting us.
The Americans who are far, far away from the scene have placed us in this difficult situation when we see bombs flying from Karachi to Khyber.
The solution lies in trusting the tribals, not touts, and requesting them to act as true Pakistanis and save their Muslim Pakistani brethren from death and destruction. Who can do this? Not those who initiate military actions but those who know, understand and can win the tribals on our side.
In the process, the Americans should be told to support us for in it lies the solution to the problems of the entire area. In order to do this, the Pakistan authorities will have to show a large trusting and brotherly attitude to the tribals but the handshake should be firm and fervent.
MAHER ALAVI
Karachi
THE historic welcome given to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry by the people of Punjab, all along the GT Road from Islamabad to Lahore, is a manifestation of the resentment against the present government.
It also brings to the fore the credibility gap between the established political leadership and the masses, who came out in the thousands to express their allegiance to the head of the superior judiciary for his courage to stand up.
At least over a million people showered rose petals and welcomed him as he passed every town, village and city, on his way to Lahore. No other large-scale spontaneous display of public sentiments has been witnessed in Pakistan, except the welcome given to ZAB, when he toured the country on a train after he left Ayub's cabinet.
The people of this country are fed up with escalating prices, unemployment, oppression, poor law and order, defiant plunder of national assets, and corruption scandals like Stock Exchange, Steel Mills, real estate scandals, etc. There is a message for men in uniform to submit to rule of law and stop meddling in politics.
People are also angry over the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The regime has shortage of funds to invest in health, education and provision of basic needs like clean drinking water, but abundance to waste on buying several aircraft, luxurious limousines and frequent foreign junkets by VVIPs, with scores of hangar, all paid for from the national exchequer.
Our judiciary must also understand that the people of this country have the political maturity to appreciate a judge, who stands up for human rights and takes suo motu action to help the common man of Pakistan.
This nation has condemned former members of the judiciary like Justice Munir who did not listen to their conscience and decided to sell their soul, and seal the fate of millions of the poor.
T. MALLICK
Lahore
IT has become the fashion these days to employ highly-paid consultants and re-hire retired bureaucrats and generals for dubious jobs at hefty salaries often running into high six- or even seven-figure payouts, metaphorically called ‘packages’.
This group of corporate raiders preys upon their allotted fiefs with a cavalier attitude of total abandon and devil-may-care cynicism.
In this environment of get-rich-quick carpetbaggers, and fly-by-night adventurers, one might mention an example of a man from our neighbouring country which might not make many heads hang in shame but would surely be a sobering thought to some.
E. Sreedharan is a career railway engineer who is credited as the spirit and the prime mover behind India's two mega railway projects, namely, the Konkan Railway, from Mumbai to Mangalore, and the Delhi Metro.
These multi-billion-dollar projects, long considered an engineer's and a planner’s nightmare, were made possible by this genius within the shortest possible time.
His only condition to the government before he took up these jobs after his retirement was that he would brook no political or other interference in his mission.
He is now 74 years old and has been persuaded to stay on to finish work on Delhi Metro by 2009. His last reported salary was Rs38, 000 per month.
MUHAMMAD ASHRAF
Lahore
EXTRACTS from General Ayub’s diaries are being published in papers. Needless to say the purpose of the writer of the book is to further malign Bhutto, a leader who was unjustifiably hanged as stated by some eminent jurists and judges.
How far will the writer of the book go to further punish and distress the family of the departed soul? To me that seems to be the only objective. I feel for a person long dead who cannot reply back. The publication of the diaries seems to be in bad taste.
Instead of flogging a dead horse repeatedly, wouldn’t it be better to look to the present and the future. Let us talk about the living who are not worthy of the offices that they hold and the deeds that they are infamous for. That may serve some purpose.
It may be appropriate to add that Ayub Khan abrogated the 1956 Constitution, brought in martial law and was responsible for the unnecessary 1965 war. Furthermore, he handed over power to Yayha Khan and his cronies. They and others caused devastation to the country, the magnitude of which cannot be described in decent language.
Is it then not a case of the pot calling the kettle black? It may not be out of place to mention that Mr Bhutto has recently been credited for initiating and promoting the nuclear programme.
It is important to learn from the mistakes made in the past. And t is essential not to repeat those mistakes. We can only have a better future if we work on the present to ensure that we are not repeating what has caused destruction, loss and agony to the country and the people.
SHAMS ZAHEER ABBAS
Lahore
THE International, Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) of the UK has prepared a dossier titled “Nuclear Blackmarkets: Pakistan, A. Q. Khan and the Rise of Proliferation Networks” (Dawn, April 28).
It reportedly explores the question whether A. Q. Khan sold to North Korea and Iran the weapon designs that he had given to Libya and “apparently offered to Iraq.” The dossier seems yet another western attempt to reopen the Khan case and is slated to provide a compelling history of “the global enterprise run by the nuclear scientist”.
Furthermore, it repeats a pet allegation of Dr Khan’s western detractors by detailing, “how Pakistan developed a nuclear weapons capability in 10 years after Khan brought stolen technology for the enrichment of uranium from the Netherlands.”
It claims that though the Pakistan government put Khan out of business and reformed its nuclear command and control mechanisms, many people consider that the case is not yet closed.
The answer to this and some other questions can be found in the book, Dr A. Q. Khan on Science and Technology (Lahore: Sangi-i-Meel Publications; 1997), which is a collection of papers presented in various forums and articles published in the Pakistani press until 1996. Regarding the fundamental allegation, he had given a very compelling reply on July 31, 1996:
“A most vicious propaganda campaign was launched against our programme by the western press and ... there were sanctions, embargoes and even character assassination. The case against me in Holland is a classic example .... Flimsy charges were levelled against me and I was accused of having stolen nuclear secrets by acquiring some highly classified information.
“Apart from the fact whether I had acquired information and how classified it was, this case is a classic manifestation of the bias and discrimination that is being held by the advanced countries against the developing countries. Later in the courtroom, certificates of six world renowned professors from Holland, Belgium, England and Germany were submitted, stating that the information concerned was of ordinary nature and had been fully available in publications for many years.
“The charges were subsequently quashed by the Amsterdam high court. The Dutch government graciously admitted that there was no substance in the case. The fact is that I had requested the said information from a friend as at the time we did not have a library or the relevant literature. I had full faith in the Dutch judicial system and I was not disappointed.”
This certainly shows how the media, think tanks and officials in the West are greatly biased against us. Interestingly, last year a Dutch judge had reported that the entire file of Dr Khan’s case had been stolen and had held the CIA responsible for it.
It is clear that whosoever committed this crime was not content with merely getting a copy of the information contained in it, which could have been done without the authorities even finding out. The real motive appears to be to prevent anyone else from knowing what it contained, including the facts mentioned in Dr Khan’s clarification, which absolve him of any wrongdoing.
Instead of pestering and blackmailing Pakistan, the West must realise that China, India, Israel and, indeed, every nuclear power before them had resorted to underground deals to acquire restricted information or equipment and materials, as pointed out by our president and foreign minister a number of times. Dr Khan could not have met his nuclear needs unless some manufacturers and suppliers in the West had collaborated.
As the nation’s hero had written in 1985, “Nobody is asking India ... where it got the klystrons or likewise triggers from, who supplied the fast storage oscilloscopes and diagnostic coaxial cables for her atomic explosion in 1974 .... The Indians managed to cheat the world and have got away with it.”
Let everybody know the case is finally closed and people with double standards who are trying to bully the Muslims won’t browbeat us. As far as Iran and North Korea are concerned, there are many other nuclear scientists in the world, e.g. from India or the former Soviet Union, who could have obliged.
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
YOUR editorial ‘Cleric let loose’ (April 29) reproving the detestable act of clerics in the tribal area, compelling the lady health workers to resign from their jobs and campaigning against vaccination of polio under misplaced notions, is highly commendable.
The 4,000 hapless parents who have refused the vaccine for their children probably do not understand that the denial has only jeopardised the life and future well-being of their children.
Similarly, 70 lady workers' resignation from their jobs in the past week under duress will be a bad omen for the extremely poor female medical services in these far-f lung areas.
I was amazed to know while going through ‘Letters on England’ by Voltaire, an 18th century French renaissance thinker, that it was Muslim Arabs who introduced inoculation /vaccination when the Christian Europe till 17th Century abhorred it almost as blasphemy.
Now sadly the successors of those very enlightened forerunners are rejecting it in the name of religion. Before it gets too late, civil society must react to these obscurantist and inhuman designs which will be capable of taking us back only to mediaeval times.
ISHA M. KURESHI
Karachi
AFTER the blast at the American consulate in Karachi, the US consulate cordoned off the lanes around the building, later the footpath on the main road was encroached upon with blast barriers, subsequently more blocks were placed which took over an entire lane of the busy thoroughfare.
The British embassy and other consulates also erected similar barriers around their enclaves, which also happen to be located on busy arteries.
The government of Pakistan should instruct the consulates to install their barrier reefs within their respective perimeters. The removal of these obstructions will greatly alleviate the problems faced on the main roads during peak hours.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
THERE are unlit streetlights in I-8/4 sector, Islamabad. Most of the parks in the area have no streetlights, making it almost impossible to have a late evening walk in the parks because of fear of snakes or other poisonous insects.
I would request the Capital Development Authority to conduct a survey in the area and do the needful.
TARIQ IJAZ
Islamabad
It is reported that the CBR is thinking of ways to revamp the tax collection system in the country. Unfortunately, whenever the CBR decides to increase revenues, it concentrates on those who are already paying taxes while ignoring those who indulge in massive evasion.
It will be recalled that during the days when Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister CBR officials were conducting a survey of shops in Lahore’s Liberty Market. However, they were forced to withdraw after being threatened with dire consequences by politicians of the ruling party. This is why Pakistan is in such a sorry state today.
The smugglers, tax evaders and unscrupulous importers all indulge in declaration and others like them are able to evade payment of taxes because they have friends and relatives in high places. And that is why the CBR will never touch them.
SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
HILL Park is an old park with a unique location. A number of men and women come to the park for walking and jogging. Besides, a number of families visit it daily. The number increases at weekends, specially in the summer season.
There being no proper jogging track, people use parking space nearby for the purpose. Unfortunately the maintenance and cleanliness level at the park is highly unsatisfactory and there is much room for improvement.
Further, the unutilised space can be better utilised. Now, when the city government is taking keen interest in developing new parks and revamping of old ones, it is hoped that this old park will also be given proper attention.
A beautification plan should be made out for the Hill Park, creating more recreational facilities at the unutilised space.
M. JAVED
Karachi
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