| August 01, 2007 | Wednesday | Rajab 16, 1428 |
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Indian politics
National Internship Programme
‘Judicial Day’
American attack plan
PMDC
Furnace oil
Rehabilitation of KCR
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COL (r) George Singleton (July 17) is unkind in putting the blame on the Palestinian and Hamas. The fact remains the Israelis are the occupiers. Today, as many observers put it, the Palestinians are virtually living in a prison. Israel is the fourth largest military power whose weapons of mass destruction range from cluster bombs to thermonuclear devices. In the last six years the Israeli forces have killed 4,000 Palestinians, half of them children.
According, to Dr Derek Summerfield (British Medical Journal) two-thirds of the 621 children killed at checkposts, in streets, on the way to school and in houses died from small - arms fire directed (in over half the cases) to the head, neck and the chest -- 'the sniper wound'.
In another study (of Palestinian children) 99.4 per cent of the children suffer trauma. Of the study group 99.2 per cent children’s homes were bombarded; 97.5 per cent were exposed to teargas, 96.6 per cent witnessed shootings, 95.8 per cent witnessed bombardment and funerals. Twenty-five per cent either had a family member killed or wounded.
After Hamas won the popular vote, Israel should have started a dialogue through a neutral third party, preferably Norway. An opportunity was lost, especially when Hamas is known to have offered 10 - year - ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the death and destruction continues against the Palestinians. As Gideon Levy
(Israeli journalist) puts it: “Hungry and sick Palestinians in Gaza roam the ruins as shadows -- they only know one thing that the Israeli army will return and once more they will become prisoners in their own homes for weeks, more death and destruction in monstrous proportion”.
If Mr Blair is a sincere man, he should ensure that Israel abide by the UN resolution 242.
SYED MUNIM
London, UK
I APPRECIATE George L. Singleton’s interest in this disputed division of Palestine by Brits in 1947. During post - WW II era division of India and Palestine was done. While Indo - Pakistan partition didn't prove to be bloodless or smooth, after three wars and escalations to max deterrent level, the subcontinent has settled in with compromises and open dialogue.
Since 1947 the people of Palestine, divided in West Bank and Gaza, have been struggling for justice, recognition and rightful share. The people of Palestine, dislocated in 1947, are still homeless and have not been able to get better life than makeshift refugee camps, which often get bombarded, under siege in Lebanon at the time of this letter. Lack of resources and frequent raids from government of Israel were not conducive to a unified voice for Palestine.
Severe poverty and gazillion air sorties, destruction by Israeli armed forces had broken Palestinian people into pockets of "resistance to Israeli aggression". While Palestine remained as back lawn for Israeli atrocities, the US and the UK had no interest in the well - being of Palestinians. Although the recent kidnapping of two Israeli solders and BBC reporter was act of a radical jihadi group, yet whole Palestine got a collective beating.
Recent actions of the UK and the US need no elaboration due to occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Thousands of civilians have died in the name of ‘war on terror’, Israel had already been doing that for long.
Due to Tony Blair's known affiliation with neocon and Nazis, I don't think anybody will accept him as fair and impartial broker of peace in the Middle East.Mr Blair has his hands coloured with blood of Iraqi and Afghan people; he can't be trusted as unbiased peace broker.
Regarding the unclaimed share in revenue for Palestinians, I hope distribution goes fairly for West Bank and Gaza, Hamas being representative is not recognised by Israel. But why people of Gaza get treated differently in revenue and release of detainees than West Bank?
Thanks for suggesting that Israel should have equitable approach (for Hamas and Fatah).
HECTOR
Toronto
RIDDEN by anti-Muslim feelings and spreading hate politics, India for quite some time has been trying to woo the US - led West not only by readjusting its nuclear ‘credentials’, but also by practising the western ‘cultural ethos’, probably on an experimental basis. Now that anything can be done to Muslims in India without fear and accountability, such nonsense is not condemned by the media and governments in India. Neither the UN or its various human rights agencies nor any tall leader in India could question injustice done to them, nor the Indian ‘patriotic’ media busy with themes like anti-Pakistanism, anti-Muslimism and Islamic terrorism would care to protect the rights of Muslims as enshrined in the Constitution by calling for administering justice to them.
It has become a fashion to parade women in nude in western societies, but now the trend seems to have spread in India too, where the Muslim women are paraded nude in the streets. The ghastly ‘show’ took place in Uttar Pradesh (UP) in north India where Hindu woman chief minister belonging to a regional party, BSP, has assumed office recently.
Relatives of a Hindu cabinet minister of UP on July 10 conducted the ghastly open parading of Muslim women in the streets of Lucknow, a well - known cultural centre of Muslims in India, but, shockingly, neither the government of UP nor the Central government was aware of this dirty parading for nearly a week.
All India Radio that behaves like anti-Islamic radio and committed to the anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan as well as terrorist propaganda with its so - called discussions and talks by the anti - Islamic persons freely available in India, has not reported the ‘cultural feast’ from India, because it would tarnish the image of the so - called secular and cultured India. The private media have also kept a total silence about the matter.
Needless to state that the anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmir stand being pursed by the central government has emboldened the state governments to permit similar anti - Muslim actions without caring for any decency. The hidden role being played by the leading national parties like the Congress in promoting such nefarious activities for political gains by the Hindus against Muslims in the country requires no elucidation.The ‘ugly street’ incident in Lucknow once again reveals hypocrisy of the state machinery, as well as of the politicians. The Lucknow dirty game clearly shows that the security of the people of a country depends more on the morality of the people who run the government than on its law and the constitution.
Politicians play with religious sentiments just to corner a few votes and make fortunes for their ‘services’ to the nation. As the media (both government - sponsored and other) play havoc in the lives of Muslims by cruelly projecting them as something undesirable elements in the ‘great’ Indian society, they are made to feel that they are under constant siege. It seems there can be no hope for any remedy to protect the common Muslim in India. Who will then safe-guard the genuine interests of these Muslims and help them live as honoured citizens of this ‘largest democracy’ of the world? The nexus between the politicians, bureaucrats and media magnets is too obvious to be described here. And would the trend continue in future too?
Indians who live quite comfortably in India and abroad are still so proud of their country’s ‘cultural heritage’ that they are intolerant to hear anything bad about real India.
They trumpet around saying that Indians are great and tolerant and the Muslims are terrorists and bad guys. Let them now say if what has in luck now reflects their concept of Indian culture.
DR ABDUL RUFFF
Jawaharlal Nehru University
NewDelhi
THE president proclaimed a scheme of engaging people in the country who are holders of postgraduate degrees in subjects that keep pace with the ever-changing condition of planning of complicated programmes and being capable of using their expertise to ensure success of the programmes, ultimately leading to the progress of the country.
The above-metioned scheme, when made public, provided great consolation to the talented people as the doors were opened for entry into organisations of their choice where they found environment to use their expertise and learn methods of doing things,
But to their dismay, the age condition prescribed in the scheme frustrated their hopes. It was just like barbed wires laid down around the scheme for entry of only those who are perhaps the favourites of the scheme planners.
December 31, 2006 was fixed as the date on which the eligible candidates were required to be 25 years old. Thus only those candidates who had acquired the degrees just a few months before the proclamation of the scheme were entitled to enter the contest.
It is quite safe to say that the scheme planners preferred entry of their children discarding others easily.
Although the objective of the scheme as observed is that the government wanted talented people with modern knowledge that is conducive to the use of expertise to face the complication of preparation and implementation of various programmes in the country so that it may boast of the position that Pakistan is a country having no dearth of the people possessing knowledge and expertise in the current condition.
But favouritism, nepotism and corruption, though discarded on the paper by the government since the inception of the country, are openly practised/implemented and maintained at the cost of the right of poor candidates who possess knowledge par excellence but are ignored on pretext.
In case the above-mentioned malpractices are not eliminated, it will shake the foundation of the country, as has already destroyed the network of society, which is no more a secret.
The president should give second thoughts to the date mentioned in the scheme to do justice to all.
SOFIA BHATTI
Hyderabad
THE greatest day in the history of Pakistan was Aug 14, 1947. The second greatest day was July 20, 2007 which ended in the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry — who had refused to bow down before a general-president — and with which began an era of supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.
For that the credit is also due to the lawyers' fraternity which fought with total unity and to the very end. The people of Pakistan owe a great debt to the CJ and the lawyers.
This day must never be forgotten and I suggest that it should become a part of the country's history and to do that the government must take the following action:
a. July 20 must be notified as the ‘Judicial Day’ and should be celebrated every year with seminars, symposiums and educative lectures in schools and colleges all over the country.
b. A plaque should be affixed at the most prominent place in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to commemorate the victory of the Constitution and the rule of law.
c. If possible, a design for a sculpture should be invited from leading artists and commissioned to be placed outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
4. On July 20, 2008 the post office should issue a specially-designed stamp to commemorate this historical event.
The people of Pakistan should not be allowed to forget this day, for I warn that if they do, they again will slip into an era of tyranny and injustice. May the blessings of Allah be upon Pakistan.
F.H. PUNTHAKEY
Karachi
FOLLOWING the recent troubling reports about the US plans to launch attacks inside Pakistan against Al Qaeda, the New York Times has cited the debate going on in the Bush administration on the subject and the three main options that have been considered (Dawn, July 23).
They are said to be as unpalatable as the ones facing former president Bill Clinton. These are: (1) to initiate aggressive campaigns of “deniable covert action,” and pray that American special forces or CIA officials do not get caught, (2) to use air strikes against known terrorist compounds in the tribal areas and (3) carry out a large -scale ground offensive across the border from Afghanistan — sending troops to rumble through villages in the hunt for the wanted men.
However, this last option seems practically eliminated for two reasons: (a) most military experts see it as least likely to succeed in dismantling Al Qaeda’s base of operations, (b) it could doom Musharraf’s government. As for the air strike, military and intelligence officials think that the whereabouts of the top terrorists is rarely precise enough to justify bombings that could cause many civilian casualties and a failed air strike could shut this door for the future.
One official was quoted as saying: “You do a hit-and-run really quick. But that better be one damn good strike, because there ain’t going to be another.”
The experts’ apprehensions are quite valid. Nevertheless, one would like to remind the Americans of a few facts. First, the Clinton-era strike on Afghanistan in 1998 using hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles had failed to accomplish anything other than flattening some mud-house compounds that were the ‘training camps’ of Al Qaeda without harming the leaders and only served to greatly antagonise the Muslims on both sides of the border.
Second, the killing of Al Qaeda’s top leader in Iraq, Abu Mus’ab al Zarqawi, did not result in the end of its operations in that country. Similarly, eliminating Osama bin Laden and some other leaders here won’t finish off the network. Besides, they won’t be foolish enough to hang together in large groups so as to be sitting ducks.
Such a venture, just like the Operation ‘Infinite Justice’ whose name was, upon Muslims’ objection, changed to ‘Enduring Justice’ or something like that, can only be called ‘Operation Infinite Folly,’ for, like the invasion of Iraq, it will create more problems for America and its allies than it will solve.
British journalist Timothy Garton Ash, who has generally been supportive of Bush’s Iraq campaign, recently noted in a Los Angeles Times’ article that the consequences of the Iraq war range from bad to catastrophic. As a result, the world is a more dangerous place for the US. He says: “Looking back over a quarter of a century of chronicling current affairs, I cannot recall a more comprehensive and avoidable man- made disaster” (July 20).
Meanwhile, American journalist Eugene Robinson, in an article(‘Bush has lost touch with reality’, July 21), writes: “(Bush recently said) it’s more of a theological perspective. I do believe there is an Almighty, and I believe a gift of that Almighty to all is freedom. And I will tell you that is a principle that no one can convince me that doesn’t exist.”
One would like to ask Mr Bush what makes him so sure God wants him to arrogate to himself this right of ensuring freedom for the Muslim countries (which either have a lot of hydrocarbon reserves or are otherwise of strategic importance to the US)? Has his invasion of Iraq made life easier for the Iraqis? Has he been able to ensure justice and freedom to determine their own future for the Palestinians, Chechens, Somalis and Kashmiris?
The solution to this problem lies not in attacking Pakistani territory but in assisting the Pakistanis in getting the real democracy that they yearn for. It should be ensured that such sensible, moderate Pakistani politicians gain power who aren’t American agents. This will discourage extremism and be good for the US, too.
M.Y. KHAN
Karachi
ACCORDING to media reports, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) at its 108th session on July 9 recommended the recognition of over 30 medical institutions. The reports say that recommendations were made without examining their inspection reports, without which the requirement of PMDC rules are not met. The indecent haste shown by PMDC in recommending about three dozen institutions in one go is indicative that all was not right with the process.
Doubt in this regard is further strengthened because representatives of most of country’s well- established medical institutions were not invited to the Council's session. The need for imparting quality medical education cannot be overemphasised. This compelling necessity puts great responsibility on PMDC. That PMDC should be seen to shirk its responsibility by adopting a somewhat cavalier approach while according recognition to medical institutions is deplorable, to say the least. Fortunately, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Punjab has reacted to this recognition and has vowed to contest thematter before the Supreme Court.
It is common knowledge that standard of medical education being imparted in Pakistan at present leaves a lot to be desired. There is hardly an institution in the whole country whose degree is recognised internationally. In the circumstances any move like granting recognition to medical institutions without properly verifying their credentials, etc as that would aggravate further the existing low standard of medical education in the country should be vigorously resisted.
KHALID IDREES
Islamabad
SINCE Feb 1 there has been an indiscriminate increase in the price of furnace oil from Rs20,148 to Rs27,748, i.e., Rs7,593 PMT. This amounts to 38 per cent increase whereas during the same period the federal government has maintained the price of other petroleum products through the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.
The pricing of furnace oil is a privilege of the oil marketing companies and apparently there is no check on them as they are making a windfall profit. As a result of exorbitant increase in the price of furnace oil, the industrial consumers are badly hit and their production cost has gone up, making their products uncompetitive.
We request the government that likewise other petroleum products the control of price of furnace oil be also entrusted to OGRA.
MUHAMMAD ATIF
Karachi
THROUGH its various reports, Dawn newspaper has made a very convincing case for KCR which is also backed by specialists and experts of repute and integrity. Statements have also been made at the highest levels of state about full rehabilitation and expansion of KCR, giving time-frames, which have all passed uneventfully with nothing significant to show for all these years.
It was stated that the week before, Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on the floor of the National Assembly that revalidation of a feasibility study was being done by the Pakistan Railways through international consultant who would submit the report within two months. The two months are up now but as per past experience, no real break-through is expected.There is no guarantee that the present incumbent will continue in his position and the new-comer may have his own ideas and priorities. All this means is that a final decision has to be made soon otherwise the KCR would be dead and gone for ever which would be a shame really.
One might hope that the superior judiciary, which has lately taken considerable interest in public matters and taken suo motu action on many issues, will take note of this matter as well which concerns a very large segment of Pakistani population and involves huge amount of state assets which will just waste away with KCR being in limbo.
S.R.H. HASH
Karachi
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