| July 11, 2007 | Wednesday | Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1428 |
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The Ghazi brothers
Hamas, hummus and cheese
Tolerance needed
Pakistani dramas
Kidnapping & hostage survival
Blair’s new role
Milk pricing
To the rescue of storm victims
Corporate farming
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
THIS has reference to Kunwar Idris’s response (July 4) to Munir Malik’s article (June 27). Mr Idris has not said if the move to the judiciary of the 13 deputy commissioners named by him was routinely done, made on request, or as a punishment.
Was the move back to the executive from the judiciary of the three deputy commissioners named by Mr Idris a routine move, or was it the result of vigorous and sustained networking by the three, with an obliging godfather lending a helping hand?
It is no great secret that the prospect of a permanent move of former CSPs to non-executive appointments, including in the judiciary, was viewed as one of more dreaded hazards of service, especially by the wives. Not so, however, if such move was to a lucrative agency or international body overseas.
Executive positions in the government were virtual no go for officers from any other service, except for selected officers of the army. This was not apparently under a reciprocal arrangement. No deputy commissioner is on record of moving to the army, especially to the army’s elite force, the SSG.
Mr Idrees is right that justice under the British colonial rule was not a complete myth, perhaps even less so than under the system, or systems, the country has been ruled since partition. However, if justice conflicted with British interests, the interests took precedence, as they did over everything. Like their British forebears, the post-partition lot of Pakistani deputy commissioners also faithfully served the head that wore the crown, or the largest turban and starchiest outfit in their district.
With unbridled executive power, mixed for good measure with judicial power, the Pakistani deputy commissioners were an anachronism in a free country, where the need was for development of resources, and people, and where the DC’s prime role no longer remained to impose Section 144.
The CSP was patterned after the Indian Civil Service but there must be something different in the training of the CSPs, for they seemed to have missed out on the ICS work credo, and wrapped up to the awe-inspiring demeanour of ICS officers, which they put on to inspire awe for the Raj. The natives, for the CSPs, remained natives.
If one spends time in the British library in London reading what the British deputy commissioners of their time have contributed to the knowledge of history, culture, social forces, agriculture, and a lot more, of the districts they served in, the scholarship of the writers is impressive. Apparently such written treatises on their districts were a service requirement of the ICS cadre.
All said and done, the CSP is no more even if valiant efforts by some to keep the image alive have not ceased. Let the diehards soldier on.
KHALID HUSAIN
Karachi
THE government operation against Lal Masjid culprits on July 3 was a bold action that should have been undertaken a long time ago.
However, one wonders what is still keeping the government from arresting and bringing to book both the Ghazi brothers since there are a lot of valid charges against them like: possession of highly illegal and prohibited firearms like AK-47s, MP5s, M-14s and M-4s, brandishing and firing openly with illegally possessed weapons in the capital, arson of government and private property/vehicles and trespassing on government properties, maiming of, and firing upon, innocent civilians and uniformed personnel and carnage of uniformed personnel and innocent mediamen.
The Lal Masjid gangsters have done everything but to hang banners in front of the mosque stating that they are the terrorists and they’re graduating terrorists within its confines.
The sooner this menace is quelled, the better it would be for a state whose president has vowed to eradicate terrorism altogether.
ZILLE REHMAN K. NIAZI
Islamabad
ONE must not mince their words of praise for the patience and endurance President Musharraf and his government have shown during the whole Lal Masjid crisis. The way he persistently handled the affair by giving the Ghazi brothers enough time to surrender and saved the lives of many brain-washed girls and boys inside the vicinity of mosque and Jamia Hafsa is unprecedented.
Everybody in the government, from the opposition and more importantly the general public, urged the president to storm the mosque but the president proved he is not a cruel man. This was test of his nerves.
There might have been no reaction from the public if the security men had stormed the mosque, demolish Jamia Hafsa and killed all inside. But President Musharraf, in an interview, said: "We don't want to desecrate the mosque, we don't want to take lives of hundreds of innocent girls and boys."
So rounds of negotiations held. The Ghazi brothers rejected them all. It was the height of patience the government showed. It was the height of prudence and endurance President Musharraf showed.
ALVINA MAJAZ
London
HIS captors finally released BBC journalist Alan Johnston, 16 weeks after kidnapping him in Gaza. Not just the Britons but the Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere, including this correspondent and journalists in Pakistan, had been doing whatever they could to help secure his release.
According to Dawn's front page report (July 5), Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, who had been very active in trying to win Mr Johnston's freedom, invited him for breakfast at his home in the Shatti refugee camp where the joyful journalist was offered hummus (a Middle Eastern appetiser of pureed chickpeas and sesame oil with garlic and lemon) and cheese.
In a BBC broadcast (July 4), he had observed that for the past two weeks, ever after Hamas had taken control of Gaza, his kidnappers had looked worried and he had started feeling that the time for his release could be near. Sure enough, some of them were arrested by Hamas on July 2 and he was freed a couple of days later. These events show that this party and its leaders do not bear any ill will towards the Britons or anyone else, but their quarrel is only with Israel.
On his part, the British prime minister acknowledged the major role played by Hamas in the outcome but said that there would be no change in London's policy towards the Palestinian group (that had come into power after free and fair elections early in 2006). Obviously, the American and Israeli pressure to toe their line is simply too great for the British government to ignore and keeps it from adopting a just stand towards the real representatives of the Palestinian people.
One wishes that Mr Brown had exhibited greater gratitude and much rather said ‘cheese’ instead of giving this dour statement after his compatriot’s long-awaited release through the good offices of Hamas. Being fair and sympathetic to the oppressed Muslims undergoing foreign occupation in many parts of the world is the sure way of winning the Ummah's hearts and minds rather than spending billions on fighting the nebulous Al Qaeda of the alienated Taliban.
ABDULLAH
Karachi
THIS is in response to Dr Zainab Waqar’s letter, ‘Tolerance needed’ (June 24) regarding society’s need to be more tolerant than it is today, but I hold a different opinion on the actions of the said couple. Amongst the definitions of ‘male’ found on Princeton’s wordnet website, the one relevant to our discussion is “an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilise female gametes (ova)". Thus I do not think that Shumail Raj can be classified as a male, or at least could not be classified as such at the time of the marriage.
As Sheikh Sa`ud al Funaysan, former professor at al-Imam University, Saudi Arabia, says: "In Islamic law, once a physical hermaphrodite's dominant sexual orientation becomes clear, the hermaphrodite is thereafter considered to be of that gender.” If Shumail Raj was lacking male organs, he has to be considered female.
Sheikh `Abd al Rahman al Jar`I, professor at King Khâlid University in Abha, Saudi Arabia, holds the opinion that sex change operations are forbidden in Islamic law. I have as yet not heard another opinion on this matter from any Islamic scholar. As far as the Islamic law goes, their actions cannot be condoned, and unless ignorance of the law is pardonable, then I for one say that the court did take the proper step.
However, we as a society do need to reflect on what has happened. The matter could have been handled in a far more civilised manner. We need to educate ourselves and the people around us so that we take no action that goes against the norms of our religion. A woman has the right to refuse a marriage offer and cannot be forced into a marriage. We need to take steps to make sure that cases such as these do not happen again. And for that we will need to combine the currently separate institutions of higher religious learning and those of welfare and legal issues.
M. ADEEL HASAN
Karachi
I AM an Indian living in the US and never miss a chance to watch Pakistani serials on DVDs. I must say that these dramas truly represent the good and the evils that plague society and the locations chosen to shoot them are beautiful.
I get a chance to see Pakistan outside of the studio. The serials are short, natural and precise and the actors have real life-like emotions and are very talented.
I must confess that Indian dramas don't stack up in front of Pakistani ones. They are long and usually have the same boring story right out of the box every time, for example, one daughter-in-law is good, the other one is bad, one son is good to father, the other one is planning ways to inherit all the money, etc.
These stories have nothing new in it, they simply twist it just to make it more sensational through heavy-duty music. They don't bring in new ideas in society or help expose the dirty linen of society.
If Pakistani drama writers can produce such wonderful dramas, why not movies? You have all the talent.
SURINDER K DHUPAR
USA
APROPOS of the CPLC chief’s letter (July 1), I would like to draw the attention of the authorities to the alarming increase in the kidnapping incidents throughout the country, with special reference to the city of Karachi.
Previously, it used to be the wealthy men who were targeted for kidnapping for ransom. Now, the kidnapping has taken a new turn. Kidnapping for ransom is talking place in all segments of population and income groups. It is the lust for money and a short-cut to make money that is instigating the peers, relatives, neighbours and domestic servants to get involved in the kidnapping for ransom. The tune has come when you cannot trust anybody for the safety of yourself and your family. So, everyone has to be extra careful in the present situation.
As far as the tips for the prevention of kidnapping are concerned, these are undoubtedly useful as precautionary measures. However, the problem is that the criminals are least bothered about the time, place and security. Carjacking, mobile snatching, armed robberies in homes, offices and shops, and mugging are taking place in broad daylight and crowded places. At times, even the presence of security guards and police mobiles around does not deter the criminals.
The Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, since its inception in the 90s, has played a pivotal role in providing back-up support to the police through a variety of services such as the sketches of criminals, computerisation of record of stolen vehicles and mobile sets, graphic description of patterns of crime and criminal activities, guiding the victims’ families to tackle the kidnappers and helping the police in capturing the kidnappers even at the risk of life of the CPLC members.
Under the Police Order 2002, 18 branches, divisions, bureaus and sections were to be created in each province. Among these units, enhanced focus was placed on crime prevention, criminal identification, intelligence, watch and ward, information technology and research and development. After a lapse of almost five years, the police order is yet to be implemented in its entirety.
The crime prevention should be the responsibility of the watch and ward and the intelligence wings duly supported by the research and development and information technology wings. The urgent need of the hour is to recruit, train and induct a new watch and ward force with better pay and perks and necessary gadgets, weapons and patrol motor vehicles. The presence of watch and ward patrols in the city will serve as a major deterrent to criminals.
The computerised records of crimes and criminals are to be maintained, updated and provided to the departments concerned for identification, arrest and investigation purposes. The police cannot deal with the criminals who are better equipped, trained and competent. Inter-provincial exchange of data will also help the police in each province to arrest the criminals.
At the end, I beg to differ with the CPLC chief's advice that when somebody is kidnapped, the family should inform the CPLC or the police on 15 for assistance. I would suggest the police should be informed only through the CPLC. We must not forget the kidnapping and murder of the son of the owner of Bhoja Airlines when the family informed the police first. Our police are not trained, equipped and competent to handle kidnapping cases. The Citi Help Line has also provided contact information of the of the CPLC's offices on its website www.citifor immediate reference.
MUMTAZ A. PIRACHA
Chairman, Citi Help Line
Karachi
TANVIR Ahmad Khan's beautiful article, ‘Blair's new role’ (July 2), has not only sized up Tony Blair very aptly, it has also caused anguish at what additional mischief he may wreak upon the Muslims in the Middle East.
On the one hand Mr Khan has quoted the veteran British journalist Patrick Seale, who had asked Mr Blair whether he was a peacemaker or a warmonger, on the other he cites the well-known Robert Fisk's observation. Namely, that Blair is "totally discredited in the region, a politician who has signally failed in everything he has tried to do in the Middle East."
IT is only due to that crusader-in-chief, George Bush, that his able assistant has landed his new job. There is a saying:
A Christian is a man who feels, Repentance on a Sunday For what he did on Saturday
I think for the ex-premier this can be changed to read: “Blair is a man who feels no repentance for what he did to Iraq, nor is he likely to feel it for what he may do to Palestine.”
Benjamin Disraeli had said about someone: “His Christianity was muscular.” This seems equally true for Mr Blair. May God save the souls of the Muslims from this (dis) honest broker!
ABDUL ALEEM
Karachi
I DO not blame the milk seller for not giving me milk at Rs32 a litre. It is not his fault as he explained to me that he gets the milk at high prices from the wholesalers and if he sells it at Rs32 he’d be in losses.
I do not understand this because recently newspapers have reported that the Sindh High Court had fixed Rs32 a litre as the interim retail price of milk because the wholesalers were going to get it at Rs28 and supply the retailers at Rs30 a litre. So what was the use of the exercise if we are still getting milk at Rs34 a litre or more?
Some of the milkmen take advantage of innocent citizens because it has still not been mentioned how much people should pay for milk because it’s different in different areas.
Recently I was listening to a radio programme in which callers were saying how much they were paying for milk. Only two callers were getting milk at Rs32 whereas the rest were paying more.
My concern is how much more will we have to pay? Why are the milk sellers not abiding by the court’s interim price orders? Why haven't we been given some proper fixed prices in every part of the city?
SHUMAILA A.R. KHALAQIYA
Karachi
OVER 200 human lives have been lost and there is no expression of grief or feeling of remorse. On the contrary, a blame-game has started with one responsible office blaming the other.
As a first step, the provincial government, if we have one, the city government, if in any effective control, or the cantonment boards, if they have any consideration for human lives, all these either individually or collectively submit to the people the amount collected from those whose billboards fell and having compiled the total should charge 10 times this amount from all such agencies whose billboards collapsed.
All the amount so collected should judiciously and responsibly be disbursed to all those who died and or were injured.
I am aware that our greed has grown so much that even zakat money is misappropriated. Moral degradation has sunk to the lowest.
Hence all this exercise of money collection and disbursement should be done by an independent agency controlled by the AGPR.
Moreover, the roads need to be repaired soon if such catastrophes are to be avoided. I hope someone is listening and would act for the welfare of the people.
MAHER ALAVI
Karachi
I FULLY agree with the views expressed in the editorial, ‘Corporate farming policy’ (July 1).
Given the issues highlighted in the editorial, it is most likely that the corporate agriculture farming policy will not achieve the desired outcomes of food security and greater farm productivity.
In addition to the concerns expressed, I would like to draw attention of all concerned to the fact which has been empirically proved by various researchers that there exists an inverse relationship between the farm size and productivity.
Also, by inviting foreign investors we will be handing over another valuable asset of ours, ‘the motherland’, to them.
Instead, we can distribute this land to landless framers and tenants in reasonable chunks.
They should be given incentives to grow the desired crops. Long-term soft loans can also be provided to them for the establishment of these farms through DFIs engaged in microfinance.
In this way we can create a win-win combination where all the stakeholders: government, farmers and nation at large: will be winners.
YAWAR NAWAZ
Islamabad
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