| July 03, 2007 | Tuesday | Jamadi-us-Sani 17, 1428 |
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Poverty alleviation fund
Negligence during uplift works
KESC’s abject failing
Wheat export policy
Fallout of Afghan conflicts
Online voters’ list
NSS policies
Seven per cent growth
Iskander Mirza
Child labour
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
I REFER to your editorial of June 30. I share your analysis and, indeed, shall be happy to be proved wrong if Mr Blair does achieve his goal and win a Nobel Prize in the bargain. The two-state solution of the much touted 'roadmap' is all but dead. In any case it was in essence inequitable for it did not take enough account of the great tragedy of the Palestinians, both emotionally and territorially.
Indeed, since the Balfour declaration in the beginning of the last century, politics surrounding the whole of the Middle East have hardly been less than murky. It would not be far off the mark to opine that this state, given present dynamics, is not likely to change until such time that new technology or commercially viable alternative energy for industry and transport becomes available to sustain, if not further improve, the grand living style of the affluent nations, for instance, the G-8.
The tragedy is that this quest of the affluent is in cruel disregard — maybe only up to the level of lip-service — of the poverty-stricken half of this planet.
Cynically, sometimes one feels that this may be deliberate for it is more profitable to fish in troubled waters — the fossil fuel-rich countries of the Middle East and Central Asia. Let us not forget that the presence of a stoutly supported Israel, given more to belligerence than collaborative peace, is a handy instrument in this equation.
Even if half of the platitudes uttered by the West of Palestine were to be assumed sincere, then one wonders why the West has yet to stumble to the self-evident fact that, after 60 years of bloodshed with lethal secondary fallouts, the problem cries out for a globally-sponsored solution under the aegis of the UN and determined by chapter seven of its Charter.
I say this because I think history will support me that the wrong perpetrated on the Palestinian people by the UN General Assembly in 1947 remains tainted by coercive chicanery of a power with unprecedented clout after WWII. As such, it is only proper that this wrong is now righted on the very floor of the UN General Assembly.
A fruitful course would be to convoke a special session of the General Assembly charged with the task of working out modalities to put in place, however painful the scars of the cruel event, the original partition plan.
Notwithstanding all the physical and emotional suffering gone through by the valiant Palestinian people through all these years, I would strongly commend to them that considering the experience of the last 60 years and projecting the present ground realities, they should set out on this peaceful approach with sincere steadfastness of purpose and put the whole world on notice that they are willing to go the extra mile through peaceful negotiations abiding, and always remaining within norms laid down by international humanitarian law, by the principles and provisions of the UN Charter provided the world, through the UN and its organs, including the International Court of Justice, will ensure that all the players involved in this rather worrying game will, for the very survival of our civilisation, do likewise.
This will need the collective will and effort of the whole world. Merely putting Mr Blair in an office on the West Bank is not going to take us anywhere.
M.J. AS’AD
Karachi
THIS has reference to your editorial (June 15) which contains references to Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). PPAF is a leading apex institution of its kind in the world whose performance has received the highest rating by the World Bank.
Sponsored by the government of Pakistan and financed by the World Bank and other leading donors, PPAF represents an innovative-model of private-public partnership.
Since 2000, PPAF has disbursed more than Rs25 billion for various interventions through 70 partner organisations working in 27,000 villages and more than 65,000 communities in over 111 districts across the country, with initiation of approximately 14,000 community infrastructure projects.
Under the head of micro credit facility alone, PPAF has disbursed Rs15.53 billion among the poor to help them carve out their future while the total number of micro credit loans exceeds 1.3 million with 100 per cent recovery rate.
PPAF has the largest share (54 per cent) of the microfinance market in the country and has driven growth and development of the sector over the last six years.
PPAF has been given responsibility for reconstruction and rehabilitation in 34 quake-hit union councils of the NWFP and AJK.
It has been assigned the responsibility of providing funds and ensuring reconstruction of 100,000 (approximately) housing units under the guidelines issued by Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority.
Furthermore, rehabilitation of health, education and infrastructure facilities, caring for people with disability and livestock replacement programmes for vulnerable women-headed households is also being undertaken.
As a private sector entity, PPAF is fully compliant with covenants of Companies Ordinance 1984 and regulated by Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
Its performance is regularly assessed by the World Bank through a regime of semi-annual monitoring and supervision mechanism. All PPAF disbursements are quarterly and subject to assessment and on-site verification visit by the unit concerned.
PPAF has an elaborate financial reporting and disclosure system and external audit by a leading firm of chartered accountants in addition to the activities of PPAF internal audit department.
Independently commissioned third party studies have documented clearly demonstrated impact on the poor and disadvantaged.
In view of the foregoing, we would welcome the opportunity to brief you on “where has it all gone” and to “what effect”.
MUNZIR ELAHI
Islamabad
EVER since the city district government of Karachi (CDGK) has started development work, peaceful living has been badly disturbed. The daily routine of citizens in all walks of life such as driving on roads, movement on service roads, pedestrian walks, healthy environment, conservancy, landlines of the PTCL, Sui gas and, above all, the supply of water and drainage system by the KWSB, has been completely destroyed.
Under the haphazard and disorganised process of development work, without supervision of professional engineers, the operators deployed on equipment are digging ground surface in complete ignorance of existing underground network of the KESC, the PTCL, the KWSB, Sui gas, etc., which are hit and damaged at several locations, and, as a result, the residents are deprived of water connections, telephone lines, Sui gas supply and drainage.
These problems, on account of negligence, carelessness and ignorance during CDGK development works, are in addition to the dug-up roads, blockage by elevated mountains of dug soil, crushed stones, wet mud by rain and sewerage water flowing over roads. The areas between Jauhar Morr and Jauhar Chowrangi in Blocks 15 to 19, specially around Jauhar Bridge and Jauhar Square, are the worst hit.
Most ironically, the authorities of tax and engineering departments of the KWSB, despite plenty of reports by citizens, refused to come to the rescue of emergency repairs of damaged water connections and clearance of drain.
On the one hand, inspectors, supervisors and linemen of the KWSB demand money to carry out emergency repairs for restoring water connections and, on the other hand, the crane operator and manpower wants money for filling with soil and levelling the dug-up trenches to ground surface after laying the underground pipes. In both cases, it is the CDGK which is depriving the residents of basic amenities of life, even in emergency.
On June 21 at 1630 hours two underground electric cables on service road facing the Rufi Lake Drive flats complex in Block 18 were hit and cut by the blind digging by the CDGK and, as a result, the electric supply had remained cut for 16 hours to all flats in row, till one of the cables was repaired temporarily. This misery in addition to regular loadshedding caused hell to about 15,000 residents.
The remaining underground cable is yet to be repaired by the KESC. The authorities concerned are requested to expedite the development work with utmost precaution.
WAHID GABOL
Karachi
THIS refers to your editorial (June 7) on the subject. You have brought out the new owner’s inability to come up to the expectations of consumers. The situation is further deteriorating.
There are frequent and long power outages, causing power riots in Karachi. In conclusion, you see “no light at the end of the tunnel and chances are that there will be no respite for consumers until 2009 or possibly even 2010”.
While many questions arise on how and why the KESC has fallen down to such an extent, one question comes to mind repeatedly is what was the bureaucracy in provincial/federal water and power ministries doing all these years?
They were required to oversee the operation of the utility for the benefit of the people. Instead of waiting for the KESC to collapse completely, they should have intervened to put the things right. This is outright criminal negligence.
The bureaucracy did not act because they are least affected by loadshedding.
Only poor masses are severely affected. In the event of loadshedding or power breakdown, the bureaucracy have generators procured at public expense to enjoy cool comfort or luxurious lifestyle.
If the performance of the KESC has to improve, ban the generators of bureaucracy, asking them to face the music with the masses.
In that event the bureaucracy shall be breathing on the neck of the KESC management to keep up utility service running satisfactorily.
It is a fit case for superior courts to take suo motu notice of the criminal negligence of bureaucracy for failing to monitor the KESC affairs.
ABDUL SAMAD KHAN
Karachi
FOR the last few weeks export of wheat has been the subject of discussion by flour millers, traders and representatives of some kisan-related organisations. Lately it became a matter of concern for the general public because of rising prices of wheat/flour in the local markets all over the country – more so at Karachi.
Millers and traders have vehemently opposed this decision of export stating that the decision of the government is premature and should have been delayed till complete harvesting of the crop so as to have a correct assessment of the crop size.
On the other hand, the representatives of kisan-related organisation supported the decision equally strongly. Besides other reasons, the main argument put forward by them was that in the absence of this export decision, as well as in the face of expected bumper crop with significant carryover stock of wheat, there will be glut in the market and the poor farmers, already hard pressed, will be awfully exploited by the millers/traders/middlemen and government agencies (food and Passco).
Now after a lot of deliberations and after transfer of the top bureaucrat, perhaps as a show or to make him a scapegoat, it has been decided at the prime minister’s level to suspend the wheat export with immediate effect.
I, being a farmer with the first-hand knowledge of field conditions, wish to explain very briefly the position to put the record straight.
The whole process from supply of ‘bardana’ to purchase of wheat followed at purchase centres is kept painfully slow and time-consuming in order to fleece the farmers in the form of compulsory cash donations to peons, chowkidars, and bamboo walas, and, finally, a full bag for the inspector from each trolley. This exploitation remained in full swing even this year till the buying spree by exporters picked up speed.
Under the circumstances the basic decision to export wheat was correct. But what went wrong is that the decision was half-baked, that it did not have backup support of proper financial analysis based on local and international prices of wheat.
As is now widely known that the export price of wheat at Karachi port (FOB price) is around Rs550 per 40 kg, and the exporter was earning in the initial stages around Rs3,000 per ton. Consequently this stirred a mad race for money giving rise to price hike.
The answer to this dilemma is not outright suspension of wheat export, at least for the LC’s already established, but to impose a reasonable export duty to remove the distortion caused in the local market.
It, however, remains to be seen if this decision was designed to enable a privileged few to make fortunes at the cost of poor masses or based on sheer ignorance on the part of the staff of the ministry of agriculture.
CH. BASHIR AHMAD
Islamabad
THIS has reference to the news item, ‘Author links current chaos with Afghan conflict’ (June 25). Faryal Ali Gauhar who authored the book, No Space for Further Burials, which deals with present-day Afghanistan, says that our society's chaos is due to Pakistan's intervention in Afghan affairs since 1979.
There is some truth in both denial and affirmation. It is the way of looking at the problem with healthy or jaundiced eyes. The accusation snarls: “We (Pakistanis) bear particular responsibility for it”. She is referring to her own words that weaponisation of Pakistan and lawlessness is the direct result of its interference in Afghanistan's affairs.
First, it was not the interference in Kabul's affairs during the Soviet invasion. It was actually a help to expel the invaders. They should have thanked Pakistan when the Soviets were driven out in 1988. Second, the present invasion by the US is because of Kabul's own blunder.
It provided sanctuary to Osama bin Laden. Pakistan siding with invaders could again be considered a help: assisting them to flush out the chief terrorist' and his Al Qaeda accomplices.
The sooner Al Qaeda is caught or destroyed the better. That will end the main cause of intrusion by the US. The US would, hopefully, then go away from Afghanistan. Pakistan is helping to bring that day closer.
Pakistani society has been so devastated by the fallout of wars Afghanistan had with Russians and Americans that the destruction caused by three wars Pakistan had with India seems peanuts.
The Afghan deserters, we so naively call refugees, who fled to Pakistan in as many numbers as 4.5 million, brought guns, heroin, crimes and economic burden that Pakistan could not bear. Ms Gauhar should amend her assertion that Pakistan has destroyed Afghanistan; actually Afghanistan has destroyed Pakistan — economically and socially at least.
M.K. NAQVI
Karachi
I WAS provided a form to register my name in the voters’ list, which I had done. Several other persons came to my house from time to time for completing the form and I advised them that I have already submitted my name.
I do not know whether my name is included in the list. I have neither the time nor spirit to visit a display centre.
Is it not possible that the voters’ list is displayed on a website so that people are able to check their names and if need be, make corrections or register online.
A.G. HABIB
Karachi
THIS has reference to Ibne Shafiq’s letter (June 21). This is perhaps the only budget in many years wherein the government has neither announced any increase in the profit rate nor it has provided any relief for pensioners/widows. Either the government has had enough money collected or it is not interested in the welfare of senior citizens anymore. When it comes to slashing the rate of profit, it comes heavily (16 per cent to eight per cent) but the increase is no more than an eyewash.
Last year, when profit rates were increased, I had written twice in these columns requesting the government to allow old depositors the increase. But nothing happened. Such is the state of conscience of the people sitting at the helm of affairs. So, be patient and get crushed under the wheels of inflation. We will never improve.
HAJI ASHFAQ
Karachi
FOR some time now we have been hearing and reading a lot about the seven per cent growth in our economy. Yes indeed, it is an achievement, and those responsible for making it happen must be congratulated. In fact, it should be a matter of great satisfaction and pride for them.
But then let us visualise, how does the man in the street feel about it. First, he just does not understand or comprehend what is gross domestic product or for that matter GNP. Seven per cent growth, therefore, fails to touch his mind, body and soul.
His entire interest and concern is in the prices that he pays for his ‘roti’ and ‘kapra’, the rent that he pays for his hired ‘makan’, inavailability of electricity to keep lights on in his humble home – and if he has a fan to satisfy that it keeps operating – and to ensure that he has clean water to drink, good roads to go to his workplace in some public transport by paying a reasonable ticket charges, and if he is unemployed, to go on walking on these roads in search of some employment.
He is also concerned that his domestic trash is disposed of quickly and does not convert into ‘delicious food’ for ants, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and even crows.
I am sure your readers will not agree if some irresponsible critics were to tell them that the population of these insects and crows is registering perhaps a growth of more than seven per cent per year. But indeed on a personal note I do not agree with these irresponsible critics.
M.A. OMARJI
Karachi
THIS reference to Shahid M. Amin’s article, ‘Prerequisites for democracy’, (June 25).
The writer has mentioned in the third column, paragharaph three, that Iskander Mirza, the then defence secretary and later president of Pakistan, was a "retired army officer".
According to my knowledge, the late president Iskander Mirza was not a retired army officer but an ICS officer. The title of major-general bestowed upon him was honorary and, therefore, he is called as Maj-Gen Iskander Mirza and not retired Maj-Gen Iskander Mirza,.
The history of Pakistan would have been different had Iskander Mirza been a retired army officer.
It may be of interest to readers that he served as deputy commissioner of Mardan district (NWFP) for quite some time. He was quite fluent in Pushto, the language spoken in that part of our country. He was one of the three who were admitted to the brotherhood of Yousaf Zai tribe/clan of Pushtoons.
The other two were Zhou Enlai, the prime minister of China, and Shah Jehan, the Mughal king of India.
ABDUL WARIS KHAN
Islamabad
APROPOS of Tayyaba Anwar’s letter on child labour (June 29), I would like to mention that many families are also indirectly promoting child labour.
I have noticed so many families hiring child as young as eight years so that they can take care of either their infants or do work at their homes like cleaning. I request all families to think about that approach.
DR. MUHAMMAD ATIF
Bristol, UK
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