| June 22, 2007 | Friday | Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428 |
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Benefits of power outages
Gen Naqvi’s talk show
Islamic banking
Sacred cow
State of affairs at NED: a rejoinder
Dismal affairs
Reluctance to change
Need for a library
Turkish flag
Dark Ages
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
THE government announcement, in the budget 2007-08, to raise the education outlay to four per cent of the GDP to improve the declining standard of education is a welcome move but not sufficient to rehabilitate the facade of the system that has been badly vandalised over the years due to sheer mismanagement of the resources allocated to the educational sector, rampant corruption and maladministration.
Available data suggests that despite high spending, enrolment has decreased in the public sector educational institutions.
At the moment we are spending less than two per cent of the GDP, which is considered peanut in the light of educational budget of our neighbours. India spends 3.5 per cent, Sri Lanka spends about five per cent and Bangladesh about four per cent, and their standard of education is far better than that of ours.
Personally I think this is a misplaced notion on the part of the government that with the injection of more liquidity the standard of education will improve. Increasing educational budget is a good thing but this does not serve as panacea as we have seen in the past that the injection of more liquidity has led to more corruption in the absence of a viable system of checks and balances, which can only be attained if there is efficient but democratic system of governance.
For example, Shah Abdul Latif University has suffered much in terms of its physical and human development. Most of the critics attribute such predicament to the increasing financial indiscipline and deviation from the codal formalities.
For instance, the special audit 2002, released recently, accuses the university of flaws and instances of misappropriation, nonobservance of codal requirements, etc. While cataloguing the details, the report maintained that there had been total of 50 cases of misappropriation, fraud and doubtful cases amounting to Rs703.359 million, 71 cases of violations of rules and nine cases of non-production of record.
The audit reports carried out during the years 2003-2004, 2004-2005 also accuse the university administration of misappropriation and failings in reconciling the accounts with the bank.
As a matter of fact, the only way to check such irregularities could be through computerisation of data and reconciliation with bank accounts to which university has so far turned a blind eye.
In the country where universities are allegedly auctioned like police stations and the highest bidder is appointed as vice chancellor, the proliferation of corruption is not an unusual thing to happen. But if the government wants to raise the standard of education in the country, it has to change its policies and treat the universities as centres of learning and research instead of using them as job factories to recruit the workers of political parties and appoint them as teachers and researchers.
To turn universities into centres of knowledge, however, it is imperative to initiate sweeping administrative reforms under which the appointment of the vice-chancellor must be made on merit rather than political consideration as political interference has ruined educational institutions, resulting in the declining standard of education and diminishing enrolment.
This can be judged from the fact that recently the Higher Education Commission has spent about Rs70 million on the strengthening of the Department of Computer Science, Shah Abdul Latif University, but shockingly no student has turned up for admission this year. The apparent reason is the poor standard of teaching and the practice of favouritism and nepotism while recruiting teachers.
MANZOOR ALI ISRAN
Shah Abdul Latif University,
Khairpur
THE poor ministers must be feeling very bad about having to hear criticism every hour of the day. So I thought of thinking up the good things this government has done and how beneficial it has been for me.
The best job they've done is to privatise the KESC. There was a time, not long ago, when power supply was reliable and if ever it was disrupted, we had breakdowns which didn't last more than half an hour.
So most of the time I and my family remained glued to our TV sets we have, and we didn't have much to talk about, as we even used to watch TV programmes while taking dinner. Since we seldom looked at each other, I would sometimes fail to recognise my wife, and I honestly couldn't tell, when asked, what my children were doing.
Now, with three-hour power breakdowns being the norm, we head for the nearest park where we sit and relax and enjoy the sea breeze. We have started talking to each other, and I was amazed to find that my children have not only graduated but hold good jobs, besides being married.
And in the dead of night, when the power supply is disrupted, we breathe the carbon monoxide emitted by generators owned by our neighbours (being more concerned about the environment, I have bought an inverter which can provide electricity to four fans for three hours without fouling the atmosphere).
So, if the current power crisis lasts another year, we'll be those rare humans who are able to live for a few hours without oxygen.
But the best thing about the power crisis is that we now no longer go to wedding dinners and parties, as there is likelihood of my car being burnt by the mobs protesting against prolonged power breakdowns. The result, of course, is that I'm saving a fortune as I don't have to buy all that fuel which I would otherwise have to do.
So I say to our ministers, don't bother what the critics say, go on doing what you're doing, I think you're doing a good job.
SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
THROUGH these columns I would like to express the discontent I have felt about the suggestions made by Lt-Gen (r) Tanveer Naqvi in a talk show on a private TV channel on June 5 that the presidential form of government as is followed in the US is the only solution to problems facing Pakistan.
As chief of the National Reconstruction Bureau, he has turned the entire civilian administrative machinery topsy turvy calling it colonial and, thus. according to him, needed replacement.
After independence on Aug 14, 1947 India has continued with the same colonial administrative machinery and in a recent past Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had paid tribute to that civilian administrative machinery while addressing the officers of the Indian Administrative Services and credited them with a feather that it is they who are playing an important role in maintaining unity between the several states in India.
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 came into existence through consensus of leaders of all the four provinces and had we acted on it in strict accord with it without the intervention of the army there would have been no such evils as the civil society is suffering from.
Gen Naqvi is known to be a straightforward person and a close friend of the president and it would be better for him to tread that path which is his field. In the US and the UK and other European countries the service in the defence forces is rather compulsory. Even the great Churchill had served as a captain in the Indian Army of that times but he never used the word captain with his name.
In Pakistan, however, the retired Army, Navy, Air Force officers prefix their ranks before retirement with the name, rather show off their superiority in the civilian life.
It is now time that the said practice should be discarded and amendment made to Army, Navy and Air Force Acts to the effect that after retirement the rank held should be not prefixed with the names of the retired officers.
REHAN HASAN NAQVI
Karachi
THERE is an exploitation game going in the name of interest-free Islamic banking, while no such system, arrangement, instrument or product or any type of such banking is prevailing in the market in its true spirit.
In Pakistan the ratio of devaluation/deficit in value and rupee inflation is more than profit. The depositors and/or account holders in Pakistan are getting about average five per cent per annum, which is, in fact, a loss in principal.
It is a worst kind of exploitation, and the exploitation in the name of "non-interest Islamic banking", or the exploitation of the public and/or poor people at large is going under the grab of "interest-free Islamic banking", no doubt "interest-free modern banking" is the need of the time but specially in Pakistan, and even in the western countries interest-free banking system is just to grab the investment to get high returns and huge profit by exploiting the name of "Islamic banking".
The banks or bankers are looting innocent people of Pakistan in the name of Islamic banking and charging 13 per cent per annum to 36 per cent per annum and/or average 22 per centper annum interest by using different terms with which a common man is not familiar.
In Pakistan, there is a mockery in the name of Islamic banking while from Jan 1, 1985 the interest-based banking has vanished and under the law no interest-based banking system exists in Pakistan since July 1, 1985 as per State Bank circulars.
Religious scholars and/or Shariah advisers should protect the rights of people in respect of the Islamic banking in Pakistan rather than protect the prevailing system in order to protect their retainership and salaries as Shariah advisers.
SAALIM SALAM ANSARI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Col (r) K.M. Ismail’s letter (June 13) on the subject, as well as to the various responses from civil society.
The issue of civil -military relationship needs to be resolved once for all in the long-term interest of Pakistan.
Towards achieving this goal, I would like to quote Sir Hartley Shawcross, Nuremberg, 1946: “There comes a point where a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his conscience”.
May sense and commonsense prevail.
NAZIM F. HAJI
Karachi
THIS has reference to a report (Dawn, June 18) based on viewpoints expressed by some teachers and students about the general state of affairs at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi. A few important facts may be taken into account while analysing the views expressed by some individuals.
The university is entrusted with the foremost responsibility of producing quality engineers, architects, computer science and information technology professionals by the state. The management and teaching fraternity of the university has to adopt a rigorous system of teaching, counselling, guidance and assessment procedures whereby the appropriate standards of education are achieved.
In order to ensure the highest standards of quality, the university adopted a carefully-drawn quality management system that eventually led to ISO 9000 certification in 2002 by a well-known firm from the UK. Through a transparent process of internal and external audits, the university has been able to uphold the enforcement of its quality policy in all the relevant degree programmes.
Much of this information is available on website of the university to enable uniform access to all. To facilitate appropriate guidance and academic input to students, the university advises its faculty to be present on the campus during usual working hours and allocate proper time for student counselling in their academic work.
Closer interaction of faculty with students greatly enhances the performance of the latter, a norm applied in all the institutions of higher learning of repute.
Apart from teaching work, the academic departments undertake research, public service and publication work on a routine basis. This workload, most of which is for noble causes, makes the time spent by the teachers worth its salt.
The issue of 'outdated' curriculum being taught – as reported by some – is also unfounded. This university periodically reviews curricula of all the degree programmes and the necessary changes are duly incorporated as per the directives of statutory bodies. Needless to say that these bodies include academic and professional experts from the respective fields, apart from university teachers.
As far as the ranking of universities is concerned, the NED University has made its point of view very clear on more than one occasion. The list released by the Higher Education Commission has generated many concerns about which the relevant officials of the HEC were duly informed.
The significance, impact and qualitative importance of teaching, research, academic management and interface with the industry/society undertaken by NED were not duly accounted for in the ranking list issued by the HEC. Through newspaper articles, advertisements and other means of communication, this point was made clear to explain the position of the university.
It will be appropriate if all the above cited facts may be put on record while drawing any conclusion on the working of NED University.
DR NOMAN AHMED
Dept of Architecture & Planning,
NED University,
Karachi
THIS has reference to a bureau report (June 18). NED University stands undoubtedly high for maintaining a discipline status for holding classes strictly to academic calendar. All activities for academic progress, the scheduled administrative meetings are being held without any cancellation irrespective of local conditions.
This not only speaks about the university administration but it truly reflects the implementation of ISO 9000 for academics as well as for university administration.
The bureau report does not reflect the true picture of NED University teachers' affairs. The NED Teachers' Association categorically denies the views expressed.
RAZA ALI KHAN
President, NED Teachers’ Association,
Karachi
THROUGH these columns I would like to remind the president that I had made an appeal to him against the pronouncement of the federal ombudsman (March 16, 2006) in case No. H/8614/05/ NAS 1942, praying for his orders to set aside the decision of the ombudsman so that I may be paid by the Accountant–General, Karachi, the profit on the amount of residual balance of GP Fund which was denied to me.
My appeal was immediately passed on to the secretary, law, justice and rights division, Islamabad, on April 27, 2007 for due process under the rules of business.
Since that date a period of more than one year has passed away but there is no response from the law division.
The silence on their part lead to the conclusion that either they are not concerned with the case or they consider it below their dignity to pay any heed to the public grievances.
I am a retired accounts officer, (BPS 17) hailing from the Sindh Education Department and I have been waiting for return of my own money for the last six years after my retirement, viz., Jan 15, 2000.
I pray to the president to have pity on a retired government employee and order disposal of the case.
ALI BAKHSH BHATTI
Accounts Officer (r) Sindh Education Department
Hyderabad
THE restlessness in our society is due to our reluctance to change our habits. We all have become so used to comfort that we never wish to take any initiative to change our lives. This trend is a byproduct of selfishness.
We just think about our ownselves. The chaotic traffic that we witness on our roads is a case in point. Blowing the horn unnecessarily, wrong parking, violations of traffic rules are a result of our disregard for others.
We do not realise that some of our habits may cause irritation and inconvenience to others.
And unless we can change this attitude and start taking other people and their comforts into consideration, we will not progress and evolve into a healthy society.
We, the citizens of Pakistan, have to take care of each other. A little thoughtfulness on your part does facilitate others.
Think about it, it is very important.
SYED NEHAL ALVI
Karachi
SETTING up libraries, along with educational institutions, might not be a big task if the government seriously wants to do so. There are 86 registered and several unregistered schools in Gulshan-i-Hadeed (the labour colony of the Pakistan Steel Mill), but no library in the area.
The area, including Steel Town (the officers’ colony of the Pakistan Steel Mill), Filter Plant Colony (from where water is supplied to half of the city), Pipri (rice godown of the city), Port Qasim Colony, Shah Town, Ghaghar Phatak, Nishtarabad and Razakabad, has a population of half a million.
Students preparing for regular and competitive examinations have to go to the Liaquat Memorial Library in Gulshan Town.
They say that after a journey of one-and-a-half hours they become tired and cannot study properly. The other problem is that students cannot afford high fares of buses, which is about Rs40, and refreshment expenses. I and other fellow students from Gulshan-i-Hadeed urge Port Qasim and Pakistan Steel Mill authorities and nazims of city district government and Bin Qasim Town to set up a library in the area so that thousands of students preparing for examinations can study near their homes.
NIAZ HUSSAIN SHAR
Karachi
THE red Turkish flag on Pakistan’s new Rs1,000 currency note perhaps depicts the good relationship between Pakistan and Turkey. But the green colour with the white showing our minority would have been more appropriate.
The Rs5,000 note in a country where the minimum wage is much less than this amount and the chances of the majority of our citizens of not even seeing this note is probably the reason for it being so unassuming and having so much similarity to Rs20 so that the ‘haves’ may accidentally donate the ‘have-nots’ with this amount as happened by a man buying a corn and accidentally paying for Rs20 by a Rs5,000 note.
RIZWANA FAROOQ
Karachi
WE are still lurking in the dark ages and groping our way out of the mess created by our leaders. When we spend our nights in the agonising heat of summer and when our children wake up and start crying at midnight due to power breakdown, we wonder if these leaders belong to some other country.
M.T. MAZARI
Rawalpindi
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