| June 10, 2007 | Sunday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 24, 1428 |
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Federal Board’s new exam pattern
Jinnah, lawyers and democracy
Mini-Pakistan
Overcoming the power shortage
Remembering Ayub Khan
A comparison
Examination rules
The rebirth of Goebbels
Religion and the state
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
PRIME MINISTER Shaukat Aziz has suspended the implementation of the recently amended Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra) Ordinance which was issued by President Gen Pervez Musharraf on June 4. There was a tremendous outcry not only from the media but also the people of Pakistan. Now, on putting the new ordinance on hold, a six-member committee has been appointed to review amendments to the new ordinance.
The committee consists of three persons from the media houses and three from the government.
Whilst the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) extends its congratulations to the journalists and lawyers, including organisations from civil society, for their successful protests and demonstrations throughout the country against the curbs on the freedom of the media through the amendments made recently, the battle is not yet won.
The AHRC firmly believes that any discussion on the implementation and amendment to the ordinance would be more fruitful if it were to be withdrawn altogether. The committee may then sit down and discuss a realistic Pemra law that will ensure freedom of the media. Any dialogue on the repressive ordinance will not serve the cause of freedom of the media in any way until the government withdraws the ordinance which was issued on June 4.
Then a more meaningful dialogue with the organisations of the media, including working journalists, will be possible. A dialogue on freedom of the media through open discussions will benefit the government as well.
The formation of Pemra laws are themselves very controversial, so it would be more practical to have a discussion on freedom of the media and the necessity of ensuring this freedom and then have a discussion on the ordinance.
President Gen Musharraf must realise that the freedom of expression is guaranteed in the county’s Constitution. Furthermore, as in the case of the suspended chief justice, the president has once again miscalculated the will and determination of the people of Pakistan.
The people rose up against his suspension of the chief justice and they have done so once again in protest of the Pemra ordinance.
SPOKESPERSON
Asian Human Rights Commission
Hongkong
MANY years ago I had gone with a few friends on a ‘crabbing’ boat trip at Keamari in Karachi. Yes, at that time, despite considerable pollution, there were still crabs you could catch in the Keamari bay.
Late in the evening, the boatman started to cook the crabs by throwing them live into boiling water. The crabs obviously cringed in pain and their hard shells cranked against each other and the walls of the large silver container.
I was surprised and taken aback at this new sight and ‘sound’. I darted to the cook and protested about the way live crabs were thrown in. He gave me a blank look, and then seemed to understand what I was saying and moved swiftly to put a lid on the container.
With a victorious smile, he claimed to have solved the problem.
As the media curbs were announced on June 1, I couldn't help think of the ignorance of the boatman and draw parallel with our president-general. There was one difference though. The boatman did not have any air of false ‘holier than thou’ pretence. He was just trying to please his passenger and did it without intended malice to the crabs.
Our government cannot live in denial and put a lid on things when people make a noise.
NOMAN QADIR
Karachi
A FEW complaints have surfaced in the media that some of the question papers, in particular of the HSSC Part-I examinations, based on the new pattern, at present being conducted by the Federal Board, were trivial and beyond the scope of the prescribed syllabus.
All such complaints were given serious attention, and the related question papers were closely examined by separate panels of senior subject teachers and head examiners for each subject and found to be totally within the syllabus.
The problem seems to lie in the fact that the examination papers this year were curricula-based and not restricted to any textbook. This policy was widely publicised through the press and all schools and colleges were specifically informed of it well in time.
In support of the new examination pattern, workshops were organised for training of teachers all over the country and abroad to explain the making of new examination papers and requirement of teaching thereof. Sample model papers for each subject were provided to every single school and college affiliated with the Board.
But old habits die hard and some students and teachers may, as per past practice, have stuck to the old method of selective coverage of the syllabi and have missed the parts asked in this year’s papers. That does not make the examination papers outside the course.
The Board is cognizant of the fact that the changed style of questions in this year’s examination papers, which aims at encouraging students to understand what they have studied rather than just learning by heart, would require some adjustment period for the students, as well as for the teachers to get used to.
While many students have expressed anxiety, it is reassuring to note that the vast majority of students, teachers and institutions have taken it in the right spirit and appreciated this type of examination and the move of the Federal Board in this direction.
Thanks to the popularity of ‘rote learning’ and ‘selective study’, the quality of education and the credibility of our qualifications have become extremely dubious. In view of this, remedial measures could not be delayed any further.
The new examination policy will prove to be a blessing in disguise for all those who may be unhappy with it at the moment. In the longer run, it will be good for individuals, their teachers and parents, and the country at large.
The Federal Board is also conscious of the brunt the first batch of examinees has to bear because of the change in the examination policy. They should have no worries on this score as the mechanism in-built in the system of the Board takes care of the difficulty/easiness of the question papers and, accordingly, dictates the marking of answer books. The Board will ensure that no student suffers unduly.
Besides, the option for cancellation of the papers so found difficult or the entire class XI examinations and then reappearing in these along with class XII papers is available to the students. This option is only offered by the Federal Board. Students can always treat their class XI examinations as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the real examination.
Quality of education is the need of the hour and should in no way be compromised. This is what is exactly behind the new pattern of examinations.
MUZAFFAR-UL-HASAN,
Controller of Examinations,
Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education,
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to the letters, ‘Jinnah for lawyers’, by Khalid Hasan Khan (May 27) and ‘Sorting things out’, by Salahuddin K. Leghari (June 5).
Mr Khan has criticised our lawyers for resorting to violence instead of emulating the lofty examples set by Mr Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. While I myself believe in using peaceful means to achieve objectives but, unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to work in this lawless environment. There are several ground realities that should also be taken into account.
Mr Jinnah was not just one in a million, but one in hundreds of millions type of persons. It is unrealistic to expect people to have his kind of self-control. We have seen how an innocent teenager protesting against the disappearance of his father was publicly stripped in Islamabad within a stone’s throw of our seats of power. Also, how even our chief justice was humilitated with the apparent blessings of those who call the shots.
If Mr Jinnah had happened to be around and a twist of fate had by now made him a leader of the opposition, I am quite sure he would have been dragged by his collar in Islamabad and fired upon in Karachi, his status as Father of the Nation notwithstanding.
He would have been too disgusted and simply quit politics, as he had done during the early stages of India’s freedom movement. To achieve one’s goal in such a nasty environment does drive people to adopt desperate means.
Still, one should appreciate the CJ, who has not resorted to any undignified actions or words and does provide a worthy example. Nevertheless, the lawyers should try to exercise as much restraint as possible and show forgiveness.
Coming to Mr Leghari’s letter, I normally find myself in almost complete agreement with and appreciative of whatever he writes. However, I was quite shocked to note how he has tried to get the president off the hook by suggesting that the present assemblies not only reelect him (even if for three years) but that he should be allowed to retain his uniform as well.
Forgive me if I sound cynical, but the Pakistanis have been burnt too often by the results of such advice to those in power: does it have anything to do with the benefits likely to accrue to Mr Farooq Khan Leghari, who is an ally of Musharraf, in case the latter retains power?
S. KARIM
Karachi
A MEETING of the Save Sindh Committee was held recently in Karachi and was attended by politicians, intellectuals, writers, lawyers, human rights activists and others, that included some well-known names (June 2).
According to your reporter, they also took strong exception to the use of the term `Mini-Pakistan’ for Karachi, which they considered a deliberate and calculated move to get control of the port city from the Sindhis. They also expressed concern over the continuous influx of people from other provinces, as well as countries, into Sindh.
This is very surprising because the intelligentsia involved in the meeting should be aware of some facts. In Mumbai, people from all over India keep coming in search of livelihood. Similarly, many of the largest cities in Asia, such as Istanbul and Tehran in the west, and Dhaka, Bangkok, Jakarta, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo in the east have expanded so much only because of the residents from all over the respective countries.
Likewise, this phenomenon is witnessed all over the world, mainly in the capitals or port cities, including London and New York. The reason these cities keep growing is that all the newcomers make their own contribution to their development and commercial activities. It is unrealistic to expect that Pakistan or Karachi should be any different.
The problem is that the nationalists in Sindh and other places view themselves first as a provincial group rather than as a Pakistani.
M. AHMED
Karachi
THE other day, Lt-Gen (r ) Syed Mohammad Amjad, the new CEO of the KESC, announced that the residents of Karachi would have to face electricity outages over the next five years. The figures that he presented about the enhancement of power generation over the next five years do not match with the electricity demand that we would be generating during the same period.
We are at present going through the worst electricity crisis in Karachi. Every day, the residents are faced with loadshedding for four to eight times, ranging in duration from half to two hours at one time.
On top of it, the timings of loadshedding are very odd, adding to the miseries of the people. I am at a loss to understand as to how the system is overloaded early morning, afternoon, evening and midnight. Under the present critical situation, the easiest and the quickest method to minimise loadshedding would be to stagger the timings of the offices, shops and industries in the city. That should not be a problem if the private sector is taken into confidence and a plan is worked out in consultation with the representative bodies of trade and industry and implemented in letter and in spirit.
The government should also make it mandatory for upcoming housing and commercial projects, as well as for major new industries, to make their own arrangements for power generation. The government should come forward and allow the existing and upcoming projects and industries to import duty-free generators and also extend credit for the purpose at concessional markup rates. Over the last 60 years, we have remained dependent on hydro and thermal power generation. We did not take any initiative in developing and using alternative energy sources. We are far behind the developed countries in harnessing solar energy, wind power, and tidal power, just to name a few alternative energy sources, to cater for our growing energy needs.
Solar energy, one of the major sources of power, is derived from the sun. The total energy we receive from the sun each year is estimated to be 35,000 times the total energy used by mankind. Karachi is blessed with sunshine throughout the year. To begin with, we can use solar energy for streetlights, kutchi abadis and low-cost housing projects.
Wind power is another major alternative energy source that can be used along the coastline, right from Karachi to Gwadar. We have the desired weather and wind velocity along the coastline.
Power of the sea tides is also used to produce electricity. The tidal process entails the use of the natural motion of the tides to fill reservoirs and then slowly discharge them through electricity-providing turbines.
It would be better to generate power from sources which will neither diminish nor cause environmental hazards. Using gas or coal to run power plants will obviously deplete our gas and coal reserves, unlike sunshine, wind and tides.
We should learn from other countries and, learn fast, to work out plans and also implement on top priority to harness alternative energy sources for meeting the present and future energy needs of our country.
At present China is moving fast into the development and utilisation of alternative energy sources. Being close to us in relationship, as well as physically, we should waste no time in approaching Chinese organisations to lend a helping hand to us.
MUMTAZ A. PIRACHA
Chairman, Citi Help Line
Karachi
MR Mansoor ul Haque, in his letter, ‘Remembering Ayub Khan’ (June 6) , specifies two major reasons for not remembering Ayub Khan as a hero. These are: Ayub Khan introduced army into politics and depoliticised civil society.
There may be another reference of remembering Ayub Khan: neither a hero nor a villain but a moderate leader who contributed substantially and significantly to a state in its infancy in spite of his many judgmental errors and omissions.
Ayub Khan paved the way and featured a context that gave rise to emergence of a massive middle class during the late 1960s and 1970s. The extensive canalisation, undertaken throughout country along with mechanisation, did not only boost production but also created an opportunity for the downtrodden, the economically excluded poor to get involved in mainstream society.
Green Revolution was complemented with establishment of infrastructure in order to extend social services to vast rural areas.
A network of primary schools and dispensaries was launched under the local board system in all districts. For the first time after independence, the children of the poor were enrolled. Special scholarships were granted for rural students and a cadre from these schools was grown, groomed and exalted on higher ranks of civil services.
Small towns were linked with the market through construction of metalled roads. Rural commodities of agricultural and livestock got access to the main market, and the process of transformation from barter to cash economy initiated.
While there may be personal differences of opinion with the great leader, it is altogether myopic view to condemn all his achievements. I belong to that generation of the 1970s who took advantage of the opportunities that Ayub Khan had unfolded for common citizens. Had he not established the old school in a village of remote Thar, I would not have been able to write these lines today.
ALLAH NAWAZ SAMOO
Nagarparkar
LAL Masjid deputy in-charge Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, while extending support to the media in its struggle against the government, has said: “Criticising wrong policies of the government and speaking truth before a cruel ruler is also a jihad” (June 6).
This reminded me of the American president Thomas Jefferson’s saying: “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” At least there is some common ground between the two gentlemen.
M.Y. KHAN
Karachi
BEFORE we complain that we have financial constraints, we have to start a vision to remove hurdles in our way to higher education, especially when plans are to produce 1,500 PhDs a year. One such hurdle is given below:
The University of Karachi voids all the passed papers with scores less than 45 per cent if you fail in one paper. You will have to reappear and clear the ‘cleared papers’ again and again and again until you clear the one failed paper. This is documented as ‘devil’s trap’ or so by the university itself in its rules.
President General Musharraf is analytical in his approach. I wonder how he overlooked this rule of the University of Karachi before spending 2.7 per cent of GDP on education.
As I have suffered from the rule that not clearing one paper voids other passed papers and one has to keep on repeating the subjects.
I am positive if Gen Musharraf knew about this ‘devil’s trap’, this rule would have seriously been taken up for immediate cancellation. Don’t we need more MAs before more PhDs?
ABDUL QUDDUS
Karachi
AFTER listening to the minister for information and broadcasting, Muhammad Ali Durrani, I honestly have started believing in the rebirth of human beings. I am sure he is the rebirth of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister in Nazi Germany and known for his ‘Big Lie’ technique of mass propaganda.
BARRISTER USMAN ALI
Canada
GENERAL Musharraf like all other rulers in Muslim countries will continue to use Islam as a tool of power — for example with Lal Masjid, Imam of Ka’aba’s visit, Waziristan, terrorism, the military and so forth.
Democracy and Islam are two opposing system. All Muslim countries authoritarian dictatorships will keep them in top 24 most corrupt countries of the world. Only separation of the mosque and the state can offer any hope of democracy and its fruits in distant future. Despite present optimism offered by judiciary crises, one can safely bet that Musharraf will remain uniformed president for life like Zia-ul-Haq.
I H MAHMOOD
Northants, UK
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