| August 02, 2007 | Thursday | Rajab 17, 1428 |
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Privatisation process
Comfortably numb
Overbilling to recover losses
Basic Health Units
Time to review verdict in Z. A. Shah case
Now the Aussie coach
Tony Blair
Maulana Rumi
Territory under terror
Proper burials
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 is apropos of Baqir Sajjad Syed’s report, “Attempt to ‘legalise’ organ trade foiled” (July 25), as well as of your editorial, “Revised but still flawed” (July 26), that the draft of the proposed Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Ordinance 2007 has been ‘revised’ by a federal cabinet committee.
The nature of these revisions remains unknown to those who have expressed grave concerns about the lacunae in the originally proposed Ordinance 2007. These included clauses which, under the guise of ending organ trafficking, in reality could serve as legal cover for continuing exploitation of the most disadvantaged to benefit the most privileged citizens of Pakistan and other countries.
Of special worry were sections that would legalise ‘payment’ for organs, a practice that is in direct conflict with recommendations of WHO International Tissue and Transplantation Guidelines that consider any form of monetary incentives for procuring human organs as exploitative and, therefore, unethical.
It is common knowledge that of the approximately 2,000 live kidney transplants that take place in Pakistan each year, the vast majority in private hospitals in Punjab, almost 70 per cent of kidneys transplanted are obtained from desperately poor, unrelated individuals for varying sums of money.
The ‘gurda piris’ of Pakistan composed of destitute and debt - ridden farm workers and labourers have enabled unethical healthcare professionals and hospitals to establish lucrative businesses worth millions of dollars each year. This is a matter of profound shame for our society, and a blot on the collective face of the Pakistani medical community.
Those currently involved in the process of revising, and approving, the bill in Pakistan need to be aware of the ‘Palermo Protocol’ of the United Nations which came into force in 2003 to address all forms of human trafficking, and included human organs as one component.
This protocol defines human trafficking as “exploitation of human beings – be it for sexual exploitation, other forms of forced labour, slavery, servitude, or for the removal of human organs.” It describes trafficking as a ‘criminal’ act accomplished through means that include “coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of positions of power or abuse of positions of vulnerability.”
Of crucial relevance to our situation is that trafficking is not merely defined as a ‘transnational crime’ across borders, but also one that applies to “internal domestic trafficking” in which exploitation is used to “generate revenue for a third party.”
Pakistan, a member state, appears to fulfil all the criteria for domestic and transnational organ trafficking as described by the UN.
With China having passed the Human Organ Transplantation Regulation Bill in May 2007, which makes illegal the buying and selling of organs, Pakistan now remains the only country in this region to have no legislation that addresses this issue. It is high time Pakistan too had a law. But this must be an honest law formulated with input from honest stakeholders and arrived at in a transparent manner. We need a law that conforms to internationally accepted professional standards and adheres to ethical codes in place for human organ transplantation.
DR FARHAT MOAZAM
Professor and Chairperson Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture
Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation
Karachi
RECENTLY the Supreme Court issued an order to stop the privatisation process of the Pakistan State Oil, which is an encouraging and bold step. Privatisation is the process which may be adopted to give economic and financial support to weaker industrial units for the betterment of society. But in our country the privatisation process has become a joke; it seems that the government is doing privatisation without any homework. They are just filling their pockets by selling strategic industrial units, which is an act of insincerity with the nation.
A common Pakistani is not getting any benefit from the privatisation while we are losing our important industrial units like the KESC, Steel Mill and the PSO.
How the government even thought of selling these giant institutions as they were already running in profit. If there was any deficiency in their performance, it could be created by the management or employees, which can be rectified by implementation of a better system. “Selling institutions’ mean selling household stuffs, which exist but are in possession of someone else.
Privatisation of the KESC has failed as far as facilitation of Karachiites is concerned because people are facing loadshedding on a daily basis, and the management of the KESC has said that this loadshedding will continue for further five years.
On other hand, the government had contracted to sell the Steel Mill at a very cheep price but the chief justice stopped it by his legal order.
I would urge the Privatisation Commission to adopt a crystal clear process of privatisation and put up before the nation the accounts of all assets privatised recently.
RAZA JAFRY
Karachi
AS someone born and raised abroad I would like to share with you some observations made following a recent visit to Pakistan. To some they may be obvious but nevertheless a different perspective is sometimes refreshing.
1. Many of the road signs are written in English in a largely illiterate country where people can barely read Urdu, let alone English. This is simply foolish.
2. In every house there is a self - proclaimed doctor. Access to medicines without a prescription is astounding. God only knows how much drug resistance has developed.
3. Traffic police are generally worthless and seem to just stand around chatting or talking on mobile phones. You can take a wrong turn in front of them without any consequence. I personally witnessed this several times.
4. Male chauvinism is alive and well in Pakistan. My sister - in - law recently resigned from a prominent bank where she was subjected to constant sexual harassment. The final straw came when she was invited into a room of visiting Arab dignitaries and requested to ‘apply makeup’ prior to entering the room and sit quietly in one corner. This is a person with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from London.
5. The populace is constantly reminded about “Faith, Unity and Discipline”, yet none of these qualities seems to be apparent in day - to - day life. Talk about irony.6. Minorities are constantly discriminated against or killed by virtue of their religion. Often this is done in the name of Islam.
Clearly Pakistan has been badly let down by its politicians who have emptied the coffers and lined their own pockets. They now hold meetings in distant countries where they are met by sycophantic dignitaries from the same country that they looted. It just doesn’t make any sense.
To live and exist here in Pakistan you have to remain, in the words of Pink Floyd, comfortably numb.
YOUSAF ALI
Rhode Island, USA
THERE is no denying the fact that Wapda has become the white elephant. It is plagued by heavy annual losses and the authorities at the top seem quite helpless to improve its financial condition.
Nevertheless, the PESCO (Peshawar Electric Supply Corporation) officials have taken cudgel to recover the losses by overbilling the consumers in D.I.Khan.
For the last few months, PESCO staff has been issuing the bills which do not match the units on the meters. When contacted, the officials concerned first put the blame on one another and, after checking the meters, assure the consumers that they will adjust the extra units in the next bill by putting less units.
However, nothing happens and more units are put into the next bill to punish the consumers and make them repentant for complaining against their excesses.
These PESCO officials are themselves responsible for making a mess of the corporation by being hand in glove with the power thieves. Moreover, why don't they go and get the dues from the government departments and big consumers like factories.
They are punishing only the common consumers to recover their losses. It seems only those who have the power and authority of some kind can survive in this country. A common citizen has no respect and finds he is helpless at every step of life. Has Pakistan ever been a welfare state?
A CITIZEN
D.I. Khan
THIS has reference to the news item, ‘All BHUs to have doctors’ (July 20) and your editorial, ‘Doctors for Lahore BHUs’ (July 22).
WE, in the Punjab Rural Support Programme (PRSP), would like to say that the PRSP is managing the BHUs and zila council dispensaries (ZCDs) located in rural areas of Lahore district. Urban health facilities do not come under the management control of the PRSP.
The incident related to selling of drugs by BHU staff mentioned in the news item pertains to the EPI centre, Sodiwal Dispensary, which is located in the urban area and is not under the management of the PRSP.
Your editorial indicates a problem about the doctors working at BHUs on a rotational basis and the patients not knowing whether their BHU has a doctor on call when they go there.
The people living in the catchment of each BHU are well aware of the days when the doctor is to visit that BHU. This is obvious from the high OPD of BHUs.
Every BHU prominently displays the doctor's days. In any case, the PRSP has now appointed a doctor at each BHU who will be available on all working days.
The PRSP is doing its best to provide primary healthcare facilities through BHUs/ZCDs in 12 districts of Punjab, including Lahore. We have ensured that every patient visiting these facilities must be looked after by a doctor or paramedic at a cost of only one rupee ‘parchi’ fee.
We have also ensured preventive healthcare through community and school health sessions in the catchment of BHUs and provided gynaecological cover to female population through female medical officer programme innovated by the PRSP.
The infrastructure of these health facilities has also been improved through repair and provision of medicines, equipment and furniture.
ABID SAEED
Chief Operating Officer (Management Services & Projects)
Punjab Rural Support Programme,
Lahore
SEVERAL judges had been sent home on one or the other pretext in the past. Such actions have never faced any significant resistance from the judiciary or the citizenry. Things somehow changed on March 9 when the chief justice of Pakistan was asked to resign but he refused to oblige.
The regime did not expect it. After all, the chief justice had earlier the taken oath under the PCO, along with other fellow judges who had later validated the military takeover in the Zafar Ali Shah case of 1999. In the verdict in that case, the Supreme Court had not only shown an unprecedented largesse and given the military dictator three years to rule the country but it had gone even further and had given him the powers to amend the Constitution. None of the previous judges had done that. Not even the trendsetter Justice Munir had gone that far. The interesting thing is that the military regime had not even asked for such powers during the hearing of the petition.
Whatever made the CJ take that bold stand on that fateful day, it made him an instant hero. His courage, the lawyers' relentless struggle and the overwhelming support of the masses made it possible for the Supreme Court judges to set aside the reference and reinstate the head of their institution. It surely gives a good reason to the lawyers’ community and the general public to rejoice.
The SC verdict is rightly perceived as a welcome break from the past. It gives a hope to the people that the courts would not be subservient to the military establishment in future, would not validate or uphold military rule anymore and the doctrine of necessity would be buried for ever. The people also have a hope that the courts would stand for the rule of law, would dispense justice and protect the basic rights of the citizens.
One should, however, be very cautious in celebrations. The military (or even civilian) dictatorship(s) may undermine the independence of the judiciary anytime. The lawyers and the people have to be vigilant against any such attempts and have to focus now to end the military rule, establish civilian supremacy and ensure that the military performs its duties according to the Constitution. They should redouble their efforts to establish a true democratic rule in the country as it is the best guarantee for the independence of judiciary.
The people should also be vigilant against any curbs on the media and make sure hat no military or civilian ruler subverts the independence of the judiciary in future. Similarly, the judiciary should also assert itself and uphold the constitutional rule. It should never allow any adventurer to destabilise or overthrow democratic governments.
It is also a right time to file a petition to review the verdict in the Zafar Ali Shah case of 1999.
AZIZ NAREJO
Via email
THE Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) ad hoc committee has appointed yet another foreign coach; this time an Aussie, Geoff Lawson, who is a former fast bowler, to coach our uneducated, unmannered, undisciplined and uncivilized bunch of eleven, who might this time attempt to preach him lessons of enlightened moderation, compared to the ‘Tableeghi’ lessons unsuccessfully imparted to the deceased Bob Woolmer.
Prior to the new appointment, the PCB chief, Dr Naseem Ashraf, and selection committee head Talat Ali claimed that the appointment was supported by captain, Shoaib Malik and other players. While we may hope that the new coach would be able to make our cricketers learn from the past mistakes but doubt would he be.
Previously, the one and only impediment that marred proper coaching of our stars was that there was lack of communication between them and Bob, which was evident from their low or no performance on the field. Secondly, our cricketing management did not subject the former coach to accountability for successive failures of our team in many contests, the aftereffects of which were clearly visible in the shameful exit of the team from this year’s World Cup against minnows, the Irelands.
The general impression and expectation was that the vastly experienced Dave Whatmore would be appointed who is well-versed as far as coaching in the subcontinent conditions is concerned, but the decision surprised everyone.
The fact is that Pakistan has always lacked proper training to our batsmen and it were the bowlers, who have so often come good for the team. Moreover, Lawson has only played a few tests and as many ODIs without an impressive record.
India has rightly sensed the negative fallout of keeping a foreign coach and has reverted to what is logical and suitable for the team by picking up a local for the job. Why didn’t we? By doing so, we could have saved both the taxpayer’s money that is lavishly spent on hiring foreign coaches and also produced agile and professional players.
It seems our cricket managing body is adamant to push this game into deeper crises because of their unprofessional behaviour, ineptitude and apathy.
YASSIR RASHEED
Rawalpindi
OF all the persons, Tony Blair, who was prime minister of the UK for almost 10 years, should know better. He has to actively work for the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Palestinian territories before its aggression, that is, to the Octo 5, 1967 borders. No ifs and buts!
JALAL HUSSAIN
Canada
I would like to share a few couplets taken from the Mathnavi of Maulana Rumi which rightly describe some of our present-day maulanas:
Not wanting people to mock them, these fools show themselves as all turbans and beards.
The work of man is light (enlightenment) and warmth, and the work of vile the vile deception and shamelessness.
The devil himself is embarrassed to appear before them: They keep on saying “We are of the saints and even greater”.
They steal many words of the wise, so that people may think they are really somebody.
They are destitute for the provision of heaven, but God has not thrown them even a single bone.
And for years the disciples have gathered at their door, depending on their promise of tomorrow that never comes.
Since there is many an Iblis (Satan) with the face of Adam, you must not entrust your hand for initiation to every hand,
The vile men steal the words of wise, in order to cast a spell on their minds.
IRFAN ALI KAZI
Sukkur
ACCORDING to John Hopkins University research, 650,000 Iraqis have been killed, two million exiled, 70 per cent Iraqis are deprived of clean water. Apart from these realities, America is trying to win a lost war in Iraq. About 4,000 US troops have been killed and more than 27,000 injured.
Moreover, two billion dollars is being invested monthly to maintain this occupation. Iraq has become the worst experience for the US. However, Gen Peters has said that the US will have to take 10 years to counter insurgency in Iraq. Thus, America is not going back.
In this situation, intellectuals and journalists should be urged to write against protraction of unjustified US occupation. Obviously, ‘war on terror’ has become terrifying for our territory. Pakistan is surrounded by the blunders of US policies; the reaction of victims is being defined as different misnomers; the only way to avoid being Iraq is to be free from effects of these blunders and misnomers. Certainly, end of ‘war on terror’ will be an end of ‘terrorism’.
NASIR FAROOQ
Karachi
I request international human rights commissions to include, in the already established list, the right to a burial in a decent manner according to the religious and family traditions, in a graveyard of their choice of the deceased or the next of kin. No authority should be allowed to violate this right under any circumstances.
FARRUKH SEER
Lahore
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