| June 02, 2007 | Saturday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1428 |
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Tribute to Dr Haq
Who wants to live in peace?
Scholarship issue
Misuse of mobile phone
Misuse of mobile phone
Dark times for Karachi
Islam and secularism
Hats off to Wapda
ICAP’s result
Rules of game
Power station lying idle
Kidney trade
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
HISTORY is not there to be taught and read in educational institutes; it provides us with guidance to set our future plans and patterns. One can evaluate formulas from one’s past to be a success in future. We can make an analysis of our merits and demerits from our past and can make better decisions for our future, so that we can avoid committing the same mistakes we made in the past.
Let me take you to the late 70s. Iran underwent an Islamic Revolution; which of course was against the regional interests of superpowers. So they planned to instigate Saddam against Iran to sabotage this revolution or make it less fruitful. Saddam agreed because as a dictator he wished to get international support to legitimise his dictatorship. Thus both the countries were put into the hell of war. At the end of this eight- year- long war, there was neither a loser nor a victor; both the countries were in a weak enough position to accept the sanctions imposed by the superpowers. After that Iran concentrated on indigenisation and self- reliance but Saddam was badly trapped and was used as bait for the interests of the superpowers.
Saddam being unaware of the conspiracy formulated against him by the US supported their interests in the Middle East quite unintentionally. His sad story was ended with his unjust killing by the same supportive state.
In the same era the US wanted to eliminate the communist forces in South Asia. For this purpose they used the Taliban. They provided them with their full substantial and moral support. But as the US achieved its goal; the same Taliban were declared terrorists. And these people are at the top of US hit list.
So what about Iran? Iran is still a strong and developing country challenging the interests of the US in the Middle East. To eliminate this hurdle, the US has been propagating against Iran for her involvement in nukes and missile development and trade. As the same allegation was put against Iraq to legitimise its encroachment; the US is still unable to prove anything to support their allegation. So they cannot convince the rest of the world about attacking Iran. Second, they cannot afford another battlefield due to their economic conditions.
Now the US is looking for some bait to achieve its goal against Iran. This time they have chosen Turkey. They are formulating the conspiracy to create some conflict among Turkey and Iran and to force them into declaring war. This is the only way for US to enter her forces in both the countries, having the title of “peace force”. And at the end both the countries will have to face the situations as that of Afghanistan and Iraq.
War is not the solution of any problem. So whatever the disputes are both the countries should solve it through negotiations and table talk.
SHAHZAD HUSSAIN MEO
Okara
THE death of Dr Abdul Haq Khan has left thousands in grief. Most of us who knew him would agree that we have indeed lost a part of ourselves.
What a man! If there was any tradition of sainthood or canonisation in our faith, he certainly would have been the prime candidate.
Whosoever met him was touched for life. It is a rare opportunity to meet such a person in one’s lifetime and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had such a saint as my physician.
He had all the time in the world for everyone except for himself; a true selfless physician, with an exemplary lifelong mission to serve the people.
I first met him in 1972 when he joined the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi, pioneering the cardiac evaluation laboratory and later establishing cardiac catheterisation and angiography service in Pakistan.
After his duties at NICVD, he devoted rest of his time in clinical cardiology practice, mostly doing free consultation.
His cliental was so large that he would see patients up to 2am in his Clifton clinic, then proceed to his second clinic in Saddar and around 4am head home in F.B. Area, only to be back at the NICVD at 8am sharp.
This extraordinary routine went on for many years except when he discontinued his Saddar clinic.
On inquiring why he chose to discontinue his Saddar practice, he said: “Oh, because my poor patients started getting looted by the police in the wee hours of the morning”.
Jokingly, I once asked him why he drove all the way to the other side of town at four in the morning, barely getting there only to turn around and drive straight back to the NICVD to be on duty at 8am. He laughingly said: “But that is the only time I have when I can relax and play on the computer”.
Most medical specialists, including myself, flaunt around pieces of paper mentioning magic letters like FRCP, FRCS, etc, which actually only confirm the ‘level of incompetence’ (of Parkinson’s Law) achieved by us. It is only when doctors start treating people that their real worth can be assessed.
Dr Haq never needed the crutch of these magic letters to prove his worth. I chose him to be one of my physicians because of an absolute trust in his capability and the care, concern and affection he had for me.
The yardstick with which we measure the real worth of our professional colleagues gets derived from years of interaction.
It is not easy to hand over your body (and those of other patients’) to a doctor unless you have total trust in him/her. Can you imagine being operated upon by a surgeon, who, you wouldn’t allow to touch you with a barge pole, even in your less- than- saner moments?
The fond memories of Dr Abdul Haq Khan, an epitome of gentleness, shall never die in my heart.
PROF HASAN AZIZ
Karachi
P.V. IYER, an NRI (non- resident Indian) from San Jose CA (USA), ended his letter (May 27) thus: “Such a fear in the Pakistani mind (that India wants to undo Pakistan) should no more eclipse efforts to live side by side in peace.”
That Nehru deliberately invaded Kashmir to have a toehold in it in the confidence that, being bigger and more powerful, he can undo Pakistan in no time.
No wonder that he withheld Rs550 million which was Pakistan share of the liquid assets of British India, stopped share of Pakistan in military and civil moveable assets, manoeuvred meanly to deny to Pakistan the single ordnance factory of Ferozepur which was in a Muslim-majority area, sent a container of army boots of only right foot, etc., hoping Pakistan will not be viable.
Quaid- i- Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, whose integrity was acknowledged even by the most anti-Muslim Hindu extremist leader, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, when he left Delhi for the last time in August 1947 from Palam Airport, wished peace and prosperity to the Indian government and the people -- not ceremonially but from the depth of his heart.
A thought has been making rounds in Pakistan for long that if Nehru had not invaded Kashmir in his short -sightedness, maybe Pakistanis may not have united as well as they did but would have been overwhelmed by the flood of India’s cheap consumer goods and Bollywood movies and ignore the growth of their own industries and be carried away so much as to fall back into India’s lap without any deliberate attempts by New Delhi to undo Pakistan.
P.V. Iyer may please decide who earnestly wanted India and Pakistan to live side by side in peace – Quaid- i -Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah or Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his fellow leaders.
JALAL AHMED
Karachi
THE Higher Educational Commission (HEC), apart from its other activities, offers to the students’ scholarship for higher studies after 16 years of studies.
Although scholarships are also offered by other institutions also, the majority of students opt for HEC scholarships due the credibility, sound reputation and foremost their heavy trust in the institution.
But if we have a closer look at the subjects offered for advance studies, then we will conclude that only the students of sciences, technology and engineering can avail themselves of scholarships as assistance is offered for the subjects like physics, genetics, chemistry, electrical engineering, and economics most often.
We can hardly find a scholarship for the students of humanities. Subjects like sociology, psychology, history, literature, international relations and mass communication are totally ignored by the institution which is responsible fot taking care of higher education in the country.
So my question to the authorities concerned is: will a person specialised in metaphysics teach British history to the university students in the future? Don’t we need sociologists, historians, psychologists and journalists anymore?
The HEC should give a serious thought to the matter and should satisfy the concerned students with its answers.
FIZZA HASSAN
Karachi
WITH the expansion of communication network, use of mobile phones has greatly increased. At present this most modern facility has become so pervasive that even the remotest corners of the country are not deprived of the benefits of this hi-tech marvel.
In big cities, owing to the mushroom growth of telecom companies almost, every second person tends to have a cellphone. Obviously this development reduced the distances and made life extremely convenient.
However, apart from the fact that it has become a life hazard as the cell snatchers do not mind killing the unfortunate owner, it has also become a source of entertainment bordering on vulgarities.
I have seen in many gatherings that even people, mature enough to be qualified for the category of grandparents, exchanging offensive jokes, even stripped pictures with friends and acquaintances without realising the degenerating moral impact on the sender, receiver and those with whom such jokes are shared.
In the hands of younger generation, however, a cellphone has become more a tool of entertainment than service; increasing number of messages and as a result boosting the revenue of telecom companies.
This is merely an abuse of a facility intended for the advantage of society; not acceptable from any moral and ethical perspective.
MANSOOR UL HAQUE SOLANGI
Karachi
WITH the expansion of communication network, use of mobile phones has greatly increased. At present this most modern facility has become so pervasive that even the remotest corners of the country are not deprived of the benefits of this hi-tech marvel.
In big cities, owing to the mushroom growth of telecom companies almost, every second person tends to have a cellphone. Obviously this development reduced the distances and made life extremely convenient.
However, apart from the fact that it has become a life hazard as the cell snatchers do not mind killing the unfortunate owner, it has also become a source of entertainment bordering on vulgarities.
I have seen in many gatherings that even people, mature enough to be qualified for the category of grandparents, exchanging offensive jokes, even stripped pictures with friends and acquaintances without realising the degenerating moral impact on the sender, receiver and those with whom such jokes are shared.
In the hands of younger generation, however, a cellphone has become more a tool of entertainment than service; increasing number of messages and as a result boosting the revenue of telecom companies.
This is merely an abuse of a facility intended for the advantage of society; not acceptable from any moral and ethical perspective.
MANSOOR UL HAQUE SOLANGI
Karachi
FOR the last many days the power cut- off or loadshedding (the sarcastic name of this breakdown and institutional ineptness) in our area starts at 10am and goes on for almost three hours.
These hours happen to be the most productive and useful hours for any working office. It does not stop here, then the power outage starts in the afternoon, sometimes at 3pm or 4.00pm and it goes on for a couple of hours, till the day is done.
Almost the entire day is lost in frustration. (Not to mention the sleepless nights of the population at different hours and in different localities due to this torture.)
We are a small design office like thousands of other small- scale offices whose business suffers endlessly.
The big companies install huge generators with ATS which has become a part of the survival plan.
But the problem is that we are not through with the torture even when the electricity comes through the lines.
The power fluctuates, at times so much that it burns up your expensive equipment, anything that has a transformer in it.
I have lost a few airconditioners and other equipment. The irony is that the citizens have to pay for all this from their hard- earned money. What a misfortune.
A lot of people in Pakistan still wonder as to why as a nation we have not developed or progressed. We seem to be going backward instead of forward.
We really don't need a genius or a great statesman like Lee Kwan Yu to inform us about our misplaced priorities and failed state.
If I remember correctly sometimes back when he was invited to our country to advise us on developmental issues, he packed up his back and left abruptly in the middle of this planned tour with a simple remark:
"Why do you guys talk about development when you can’t even provide basic things like energy, transport, and communications to your people?"(At that time the mobile giants had not entered the market.)
He was probably not aware of other lists of basics that the citizens are deprived of -- protection to life, justice and basic amenities, education, medical facilities… the list is long, and less said the better.
Mr Ghayoor Ahmed writes (Dawn, May 23) in the article, ‘The Karachi mayhem’ : “May12 was a black day for Karachi….”,but haven't we seen loads and loads of black days for the last few decades but nothing seems to happen.
This time around it was the legal institution’s darkest hour. But haven't we failed on almost every front….The people in general have become frustrated, desensitised and apathetic, simply trying to survive on a day- to- day basis in these dark times.
But they also frequently talk about and pray for Imam Khomeni- like leader for Pakistan.
There were times when I used to wonder why? But not anymore.
DANISH AZAR ZUBY
Karachi
THIS refers to the article ‘Islam and secularism’ by Dr S. Saeed Ahmed (May 20). I don't agree with the writer on many points. Surely, there are certain clashes between secular and religious bodies.
The religion, of course, is based on fundamentals of divinity and its interpretation dedicated to spiritual mostly and the matter with the relation of man with God.
Secularism is based on self-interpretation of the worldly phenomena and its scientific explanation in order to resolve the questions and issues.
Both groups are opposing each other and claiming to be the best perceiver of the world and its understanding.
Securalism intends to be non-religious itself. Whereas religions are very emotional about divinity and think that there must be relation between state, religion and society.
So far we cannot blame religion for the current crisis in Pakistan as secular democrats and dictators have been the rulers since 1947s. It is the need of time that ulema and scholars take the charge.
M. MARATIB ALI SHAD
Lahore
WE are very good at inventing euphemisms. Wapda calls it loadshedding. I hear whenever our police want someone to confess a crime, they don't let him sleep. They do so because they know that it is the worst kind of torture.
Every night at 2am, Wapda gives me the same torture. For no fault of mine, they deprive me of a restful and well- earned sleep. Now I know why so many in our society generally do not show healthy personality traits.
Well done wapda!
NASEEM ULLAH KHAN
Chaklala
ONCE again the result of CA has been announced by ICAP. Many students were overjoyed when they came to know that they had cleared their papers, whereas many students were shocked to see that their paper had been cancelled.
When they asked the ICAP management why their paper had been cancelled, they got the answer that they had written their names at the end of the letter question in their Functional English paper of Module A. That’s why their paper had been cancelled.
Once you failed in any paper of CA, you have to give all the papers again, no matters whether you were successful in other papers or not. I want to ask the ICAP whether it is just to cancel the whole paper of students because of a very small mistake. Is it right to waste their thousands of rupees which they have spent on their tuition fees? And most of all, is it just with the students to waste their precious time of six months.
MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR
Karachi
MUSHAHID Hussain Sayed, secretary-general of the PML-Q, while briefing the media after the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the PML central executive committee recently, has said his party will hold dialogue with opposition parties to evolve a code of conduct vis-ŕ-vis the upcoming elections.
Given the abnormal circumstance the country is passing through, there rests a great responsibility on the political leadership to agree on rules of game.
When we have set democracy as our destination, the political change has to come through only ballot. The dialogue among political parties is necessary not only on the matter of upcoming elections but also the issues related with security and economic development of the country.
The political parties should develop a consensus to work for the supremacy of parliament vis-ŕ-vis the rest of the institutions of the state. The more the legislators will attend to their business, the more Pakistan will get a chance to be on the path of peace and prosperity.
DR SHAISTA GUL
Karachi
I WOULD like to draw attention of the power and water minister and the Wapda chairman to the fact that in Sukkur a thermal power station of 50MW has since been lying idle, with reasons best known to the authorities.
This thermal power station was set up under Canadian aid and was functioning in the past, but now is lying closed. In order to reduce its operational charges, it was converted from fuel to gas, and successful trial was conducted, but again laid off.
If the government is able to put the plant to work, it would meet the power requirement of at least the Sukkur city and its industrial estates. It is pertinent to state the staff of this thermal power is already available and sitting idle and drawing salaries.
MIRZA IQBAL BEG
Secretary, Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Sukkur
I AM writing in response to the news item in Dawn regarding the kidney trade and involvement of doctors. I feel ashamed to be identified as a doctor in the context of this news. Through your esteemed daily I would request the CCPO to investigate this matter urgently and "name and shame" those responsible for this heinous and most unethical act.
All those doctors responsible for this must be given a exemplary punishment, and their cases must be sent to the PMDC to impose life long bans on their medical practice.
This news also highlights the need for effective legislation to regulate organ donation and propose punishment for those soiling their hands in this unethical practice and play with lives of innocent citizens.
Dr M. I. HASAN
Manchester, UK
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