| June 28, 2007 | Thursday | Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1428 |
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Ayub’s diaries
Thinking as a nation
Help Iraqi hostages
Mazar-i-Quaid & KESC
Overcoming the price hike
Impoverished post office
Bee in the garden
Democracy through surrogacy
It only happens here
Correction
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
IT IS painful to see how a few hundred people from inside and outside of Pakistan have, through their violence and extremism, managed to earn the label of exporters of terrorism for a people most of whom are otherwise steeped in hospitality, modesty, friendship and philanthropy.
In contrast, many non-Muslim states and religious groups engaged in terrorism against the Muslims are ignored by the world.
Ironically, it is not just the western newspapers like the Washington Post which sarcastically advise President Musharraf to ensure that Pakistan becomes known for exports other than terrorism. Even some Pakistanis here and abroad get taken in by this stereotyping of their country.
For instance, Jameel Faridi wrote from the US: “In Britain, Pakistanis seem to have sole proprietorship and patent over terror plots” and that “terrorism is rapidly replacing textiles as our number one export.” Also, “How can any sane overseas Pakistani defend a state that has only succeeded in spewing out terrorists...” (letter, May 22).
He is being cynical and focusing only on the negatives without making any effort to find some good among his compatriots. Let me give some examples. Somebody whom I know very well had migrated to the UK. As a student, he happened to find a job in a store run by a British Jew who was single. The young fellow worked most sincerely and diligently and set high examples of good conduct. The owner was so impressed that he left the business for him in his will.
Instead of trying to improve the nation’s image by finding such examples, Mr Faridi, too, has succumbed to the poisonous propaganda that paints all of us, including many of his relatives and friends who must be living here, as being some kind of demons.
The gentleman may also have read of tribute paid to the famous cardiologist, Dr Abdul Haq Khan, who died recently. One correspondent wrote, “the news ... has hit me like the loss of a family member (May 22),” while another said, “(his death) made me feel as if a part of me has died (May 24).” Dr S. Adibul Hasan Rizvi called him “a cardiologist with a heart of gold” (May 20) who treated 70 to 80 per cent patients free. We do have many people who make us feel proud.
Another incident happened last month when a lady doctor living next door informed me that a pigeon was hanging from a kite string on the locked-out upper floor of our house. I was very concerned, and a maid working for us became visibly restless. Since it was about twelve feet up and couldn’t be reached otherwise, so I went to a neighbour to see if he had a long enough bamboo to get the bird down. He didn’t have one but immediately joined the rescue effort. We found it from another neighbour and were able to free the poor bird. The physician’s young kids, too, were taking a keen interest in the effort and tried to feed it. The pigeon seemed badly traumatised and spent two days, enjoying their hospitality, until it was able to fly off by itself. This incident shows the true nature of many of us.
Finally, a quote from a letter by a Canadian lady named Jocelyn Smith (April 28) who visited many places in Punjab, the NWFP and the northern areas of Pakistan in March and April along with her husband:
“For both of us, our holiday was a trip of a lifetime .... We were greeted everywhere with warmth, dignity and enthusiasm. The hospitality that we received in Pakistan is unlike anything that we have experienced in any other country .... We both feel truly lucky to have visited Pakistan .... Clearly, one trip isn’t enough, (we) both hope that one day we will return to your extraordinary and beautiful country.”
KHALID NAQSHBANDI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the debate on ‘Ayub’s diaries’ going on between President Ayub’s son Gohar Ayub Khan and Mr Sajjad Haider. In the June 11 rejoinder, Mr Haider seems to be seething with anger against both Ayub Khan and General Muhammad Musa whom he thinks was an incapable commander.
Mr Haider has accused Gen Musa of turning a near victory in the 1965 war into a massacre of soldiers in Kashmir, Wagah, Attari and Berki. He sounds as if it all was done deliberately by Musa himself. People can make mistakes – sometimes unknowingly. That seems the case with Mr Haider.
He has not taken the historical facts in the right perspective. Does he mean that there was no hand of any other person or institution? Does he think that the Indian army was not involved in it? He should know that all that untoward incidents took place, happened because of the Indian army. After all, it was a well-equipped large army capable of defeating our army’s intentions — which is any army’s first priority. When the Pakistan army was advancing in Kashmir, the Indian army opened new fronts in Lahore and Sialkot to thwart their advance; The Pakistan army pushed back the Indian army which had invaded Lahore on Sept 6, 1965. It is every army’s job. So it was not Gen Musa’s inefficiency.
As for his ‘near victory’ lament, I would like to ask him to look at this elusive victory from another angle. The Indo-Pakistan conflict of 1965 is a unique war in recent history — both had won it. Both countries had one goal in the political and military leaders’ mind – to win. India’s morale was not very high after the defeat in the China-India war of 1962. It was Pakistan’s first big war. It had to win or die. So Ayub and Musa did their best and won.
For Indians it became a political war. If they cannot win militarily, they argued, they can defeat Pakistan by not letting it take Kashmir – which they did. Pakistan won militarily and lost the war politically – Kashmir is still in Indian hands.
M. K. NAQVI
Karachi
MR Brown's succession to the Labour Party's top position has put another once great, ambitious yet now spent force Tony Blair into an oblivious past.
For the most part of its existence Pakistanis have always welcomed each new British prime minister with the curiosity of a child opening his eyes for the very first time in the world, hoping against hope that perhaps this is the Caesar who would at least show some inclination towards the just causes of a nation paralysed by a pinch of paper democracy, a table spoon of dictatorship and a ‘tarka’ of violence.
Sorry to say but the dish prepared in such a comic manner has very few takers in the world today. Why should the Tony Blair era be any different to us than others?
His successes and failures are there for all to comment on, but I doubt that he would be awarded any laurels or given detention for doing Pakistan any favour or applying to us the age-old policy of stick and carrot which has worked so wonderfully well for us as far as they are concerned.
Our greatest obsession has been with ourselves being mentioned in the world policy statements, even as extras, but as far as the new world order of economic supremacy is concerned, it is marked for China and India.
After each hard blow by the West, whether it is the Salman Rushdie fiasco or being labelled a nation of fundamentalists and terrorists, we do come back with a stroke of brilliance by congregating on the doors of the National Assembly, demanding the withdrawal of ambassadors, burning the effigies of the world’s prominents and thinking that this would do the trick.
However, time for such theatrics is perhaps long gone by. We need to stop acting as a mob and start thinking as a nation. We might crumble sometimes, we might even face some unrecoverable falls. But by God such falls would teach us a lesson far greater than any aid or rescheduling of foreign loans ever could.
OMER BIN NAWAZ QAISRANI
Multan
IRAQ was invaded and occupied by the US and the UK in March 2003 and now the whole Iraqi population remain hostages to foreign forces, armies or foreign insurgents. Those who know Iraq very well, know that in the last 50 years there may not have been a single sectarian murder (apart from the brutal killings done by Saddam, who killed Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Iranians, Indians, Pakistanis, etc.)
No doubt the fall of Saddam was the best news the Iraqis had in the last 30 years, but they got the worst news of the last century when the Samarra shrine was bombed in February 2006. The intentions of the occupying forces have become clear now when the whole of Samarra is in total control of US forces. The shrine has again been targeted and bombed recently in order to create sectarian tension and killings between Shias and Sunnis to break Iraq into several pieces so that the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds keep fighting in future.
I have visited Iraq many times for pilgrimage to Karbala, Najaf, etc, before and after March 2003. I could not visit Samarra during my last three visits because of total blockade by US forces. When I used to go to Karbala and Samarra, all Sunnis and Shias used to pray together and specially in Samarra where nearly all the staff of the Imam Naqi (AS) and Imam Askari (AS) shrine were Sunni but had no hard feelings.
The true axis of evil is creating trouble for Muslims all over the world pitching brother against brother, e.g., in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Sudan.
If only the Muslims would unite, they can free Iraq and Afghanistan and the only way for the Muslims to counter the US and UK conspiracy is: (a) to stop using their currencies as medium of exchange, (b) to stop using their products, (c) to stop sending their children to serve these countries and (d) to stop lending them land for use for ulterior motives.
TAQUI JAFFER
Karachi
I RECENTLY visited the Mazar-i-Quaid and found that loadshedding is adversely affecting the horticulture of the Bagh- i-Quaid, and its scenic beauty is being damaged. The pumping station supplying water to the Mazar is affected due to loadshedding and, as a consequence, water supply gets drastically cut.
I was interested in visiting the museum but unfortunately could not enter it since it was like an oven due to airconditioning not working and the visitors could not see anything in pitch dark. I think in this weather the items kept in the museum must be getting destroyed due to excessive heat. I was surprised to know that there is no standby power arrangement for the museum and foreign tourist roaming around were astonished and commented that a place like this, a national monument, should have some standby power supply.
Hopefully somebody who matters will look into it and make necessary arrangements for removing this shortcoming.
AN OBSERVER
Karachi
THE city council adopted a unanimous resolution, supported by both the treasury and the opposition benches, at its meeting on June 12 at Karachi, expressing its serious concern over the ongoing price hike. The council members demanded the opening of a utility store in each union council and the appointment of magistrates to hear and redress public complaints.
The prices of almost all items have assumed alarming proportions with practically no relief in sight. It is a very wrong notion at the government level that the prices can be controlled by magisterial actions. Such actions do not last long and the price control campaigns are often halted due to excessive pressures from the market forces.
The right path to achieve the goal of affordable prices lies elsewhere. The cost of production of any item of daily use, particularly the food items, such as atta, ghee, cooking oil, sugar, milk, tea, pulse, rice, vegetables, meat and chicken, which consume 50 to 70 per cent of the household budget, never rises in the same proportion as does its retail price.
The magic lies with the middlemen who carry the agricultural produce from the grower end to the retailer end and who apply the geometric progression formula in fixing the prices. In the case of manufactured goods, it is the owners of the manufacturing companies that do the wonders.
The prices of the items of daily use can easily be reduced up to 40 per cent straightaway if the government so desires and is willing to support the initiative without fear or favour. We give here a few examples.
The cost and freight of refined cane sugar from outside Pakistan is $260 to 280 per metric ton which means Rs16 to 17 per kg. The price of locally produced sugar is Rs26 to 28 per kg. The cost and freight of best Kenyan tea is Rs140 to 160 per kg whereas the selling price of branded mixed tea is Rs260 to 280 per kg.
The procurement price of fresh milk from rural areas is Rs18 to 20 per litre whereas its selling price in tetra pack is Rs38 to 42 per litre.
What I would suggest to the city council is that they should open community stores in each union council and sell only the major consumption items of daily use such as atta, ghee, cooking oil, sugar, tea, rice, and pulse to begin with. The city district government should buy these items in bulk from the direct source to take advantage of the lower price, pack them in polythene bags printed with the brand name of ‘CDGK’ and sell them through the community stores. This will also force other general stores to reduce their prices.
As far as the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan is concerned, it has only 1,000 outlets throughout Pakistan. Karachi alone has 10,000 private general stores. With the enormous resources at its disposal, the USCP is capable of expanding its network and selling items of daily use at much lower prices than those of the private general stores.
It can also give franchise to private general stores for selling the items under its own brand name ‘USCP’. All this would be possible only when the USCP operates as a commercial organisation under the leadership of a dynamic, growth-oriented, professional chief executive from the private sector, who is paid better than the private sector, given full authority, assured irrevocable tenure of minimum three years and his family and self well protected against harassment, intimidation and threats of vested interests.
MUMTAZ A. PIRACHA,
Chairman, Citi Help Line,
Karachi
THERE is only one post office located in the dense residential area of Block-14 of the sprawling Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Karachi, supposed to cater to the postal needs of 20 blocks, commercial interests, and banks.
Much has already been written by the residents about this, but the difficulties faced by them are not realised by the postal department.
It may be recalled that last year and year before it, the postal authorities had sent an inspection team which after meeting the area people had come to the conclusion that the present location was quite inappropriate, and the staff posted was also inadequate.
It was promised by the visiting team that in the first place it will be seen that the post office was shifted to the main road to be accessible to all. As the post office was robbed more than once, the demand for provision of a fool-proof security during the duty hours was very genuine.
Whether as a result of the recommendations of the inspection team or otherwise, only cosmetic changes have been made in the post office.
Counters have got plastic plates to show that this is for money orders, registration of letters and parcels, or for sale of postage stamps, and for receipt of utility bills.
As the staff that works is scared for life and official cash, utility bills are not accepted after a certain time in the evening shift. The post office does not have UMS or airex service. Sometimes revenue stamps are not available.
The post office should be brought out of its hermitage on the main road to facilitate the public. Also, each of the 20 blocks should be provided at least with one sub-post office and the existing post office in block 14 should be declared as the general post office of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, equipped with full facilities.
Seeing is believing. The PMG, Sindh, may like to visit the existing post office and see for himself what the post office needs in public interest.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
ON May 12, when the chief justice of Pakistan entered Karachi, 42 innocent people were killed. Now again, he is planning to visit Karachi and more people may be killed.
An Urdu poet has written a remarkable verse: “Magas ko bagh mein jane na dena, ke nahaq khoon prwanon ka ho ga.” (Do not let the bee enter the garden, or the blood of many innocent admirers will be shed for no rhyme or reason). This seems apt for the government as well as for the chief justice.
A. Q. ANJUM
Rawalpindi
THERE is a lot of discussion about President Musharraf’s re-election by the present parliament, which is close to its completion for the first time in the history of the country. Everyone, including constitutional experts, ministers, politicians and so forth, has given arguments in favour as well as against this proposal.
This reminds me of the concept of surrogacy in which a woman (surrogate mother) agrees to become pregnant for the purpose of gestating and giving birth to a child for another couple to raise. She may be the child's genetic mother (the more traditional form of surrogacy), or she may be implanted with someone else's fertilised egg (gestational surrogacy).
If our present parliament agrees to act as ‘surrogate mother’ to deliver the required results, a new chapter would be written in the history of the land of the pure with the title “Democracy through surrogacy”.
MIR TABASSUM MAIRAJ
Islamabad
ON June 15, the Chamber of Commerce declared that “businessmen are the backbone of the country.” The same day a sudden increase of 107 per cent sales tax — from Rs2,500 to Rs5,600 — was imposed on the shipbreaking industry.
Shipbreakers stopped import of ships, thousands of poor Baloch labour became unemployed, a low developed province was struck badly and a huge revenue loss occurred on the national exchequer.
Nowhere in the world are taxes suddenly doubled nor does a government break the backbone of a running industry. I request the Chamber of Commerce to be more careful in future in releasing such irresponsible statements, which might upset government officials. How dare they only appreciate businessmen, and not ministers or generals, the owners of this country?
SIDQA A.
Northridge, CA, USA
THIS is with reference to my article, ‘The question of press freedom’ (June 19). The lecture referred to in that article was the annual Zamir Niazi lecture and not the Hamza Alavi lecture as inadvertently printed.
I was invited to deliver the lecture by Rahat Saeed on behalf of the ‘Pen and Art for Peace’ Anjuman Taraqqi Pasand Musannifin.
DR TARIQ RAHMAN
Islamabad
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