| August 06, 2007 | Monday | Rajab 21, 1428 |
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Extra marks for ‘huffaz’
A metaphysical analogy
Karachi Circular Railway
Comfortably numb
Controlling dust pollution
NED project
Committing political hara-kiri
KIU as peace agent
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
ACCORDING to the report, ‘Sindh property fee revenue plunges …” (July 28), the Sindh government lost Rs360 million in revenue during the 2006-07 as the registration of property sale deeds plunged by 10,649 over the previous year, showing how poorly laws are made for property owners and enforced by the Karachi Building Control Authority which works under the control of the city government. According to the figures released by the registration wing of the Sindh Board of Revenue, about 250,761 property sale deeds were registered during 2006-07 against the 261,430 sale deeds that were registered in 2005-06.
According to the official figures, the total revenue generated from registration of sale deeds in 2006-07 was Rs340.55 million against Rs705.74 million fetched during 2005-06.
It was only due to the ‘black law’ introduced by the KBCA that no sale deed of the property should be registered with the sub-registrars, unless an ‘occupancy certificate’ is obtained by the individual owner of property from the KBCA.
The district registrar of properties, government of Sindh, in this respect has issued a notification to all sub-registrars of Karachi that no sub-leases/conveyance deeds should be executed by sub-registrars whether it is a commercial or residential property without obtaining a “no objection certificate” (NOC) from the KBCA.
The order relates to ‘occupancy certificate’ as required under Section 6(2) of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979. The NOC has become a must for commercial and residential properties owners to obtain. The new rule, which is a called ‘black law’ by property owners, is applicable to all properties which fall under the jurisdiction of the KBCA.
According to the KBCA notification, a commercial or residential building constructed prior to 1979 within the jurisdiction of the KBCA does not fall under this rule and, therefore, does not require an ‘occupancy certificate’ or ‘NOC’ from the KBCA.
The question arises: have all property owners, builders and developers who constructed commercial or residential properties prior to 1979 obtained ‘completion certificate’ from the KBCA or the defunct Karachi Development Authority? Or all such properties constructed in Karachi prior to 1979 have been regularised by the KBCA?
By introducing such ‘black law’, the KBCA has unnecessarily created problems for the individual commercial and residential property owners. Due to sub-registrars’ refusal to execute sub-leases/conveyance deeds in favour of new buyers of properties, the earnings of government of Sindh had decreased many times.
Now where should the commercial or residential properties owners go? They have to run after the builders and developers to obtain ‘completion certificate’, otherwise the property owners cannot sell commercial or residential property units. If the property owners want to sell their properties, they have to stand in the queue for months to obtain an NOC from the KBCA or grease the palms of its officials and sub-registrars to get their sale deeds registered with the sub-registrars.
This has created a negative impact on the real estate market, as the KBCA has made responsible occupants/owners of the various building apartments, houses and commercial properties to obtain NOC, whereas it was the sole responsibility of the KBCA to make the builders and developers responsible for obtaining ‘completion certificate’ of individual building constructed before handing over the vacant physical possession of apartment/shop unit to individual buyer.
The district registrar of properties, government of Sindh, should revoke his previous office order and all sub-registrars should be asked to register the sale deeds of the properties without seeking the ‘occupancy certificate’ or ‘NOC’ of the KBCA, as most of the builders who have not obtained ‘completion certificate’ from the KBCA after handing over possession of the properties to individual buyers have shut down their offices once and for all, or either are not traceable.
The city nazim should rescue the Karachi property owners by cancelling forthwith the ‘black law’ of the KBCA which is used to accumulate illegal wealth by its officials instead of enforcing the law to generate more revenues for the government of Sindh.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
ACCORDING to a report (July 24), the Christian community in the UK has protested what it calls discrimination of the Pakistan government towards Christian students seeking admission to educational institutes.
A letter sent to Pakistan’s high commissioner says that the Pakistani law earmarks 20 extra marks to Muslim students who are ‘hafiz’ Quran. They say that it not only contradicts the claims of equal rights for minorities but is also against the Constitution of Pakistan and international human rights.
These arguments ignore several facts. First, it maliciously makes it appear that the Christians are exclusively being discriminated against. The fact is that it gives an advantage to those who have memorised the Holy Quran over all others, including Muslims who haven't done so, as well as Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and others, why aren’t the Muslims complaining?
Let us consider a hypothetical example to understand the issue. Suppose there are three students, H, M and N, who are equally good in studies and score a total of 700 marks out of 1,000 in the examination. If, after having spent hours and hours, month after month, ‘H’ becomes a ‘hafiz’ and is given an extra 20 marks, taking his total to 720, why grudge it? The Muslim ‘M’ and the non‘N’ spent this time on enjoying themselves and, if they had put in this huge amount of effort on their curriculum, they could probably have scored 750 or even more.
Second, soon after the 1965 war, the government had started a programme probably called the National Cadet Corps in which students (both boys and girls, regardless of religion) could participate in a military training routine for a certain period of time. On completion of that, they, too, were given additional 20 marks. I don’t know if it is still operative now, but, if it is, then those who don’t want to or can’t learn the Quran by heart could benefit from it. The authorities encourage what they deem good for the country.
Therefore, instead of trying to create impediments in the way of the Muslims aspiring to be ‘huffaz’, the complainants can put in a fractional extra work and get more marks. As far as their argument about equal rights or international human rights etc is concerned, Pakistan is a unique, ideological country created by the Muslim League on the basis of ‘two-nation theory’ for the Muslims, who made enormous sacrifices for it, yet there are just a few differences and the will of the majority shouldn’t be hijacked. That is why its head of state or government cannot be a non-Muslim and we folks end up paying the zakat, which the non-Muslims don’t have to.
Z. A. JALALI
Karachi
HAZRAT Inayat Khan was a well-known Indian saint of the Chishti Order who had gone to Europe and the US around World War I to spread Sufism. One of his foremost American disciples was Samuel Lewis, who had travelled the world around and knew saints from many religions, has narrated the following incident in his diary published in the 1960s.
A Hindu saint used to make much of his spiritual attainments and detachment from worldly things. Once, a Buddhist divine known to Mr Lewis went to visit this Hindu gentleman. In the drawingroom there was an expensive crystal vase placed on a table. The Buddhist monk moved rather clumsily and knocked the table over, as a result of which the vase got broken.
The sadhu was furious and reprimanded him for causing this loss. The Buddhist holyman smilingly pulled out several 100-dollar bills from his wallet — which was a big sum of money for the early 20th century and wasn’t normally carried around — and gave it to the irate saint, saying, “I thought you weren’t attached to worldly things!”
Reflecting on how intensely attached many of our politicians, very specially Musharraf and Benazir (in spite of two stints in power), seem to be to the idea of ruling over Pakistan, while explicitly claiming that they are only interested in serving the country and implying that they are actually very detached from acquiring power due to self’s desire, often brings to mind this anecdote.
As any mystic or metaphysician will tell you and may also have been noted from experience, those people who seem overly anxious to rule aren’t really suitable for it whereas the person who, in spite of having the requisite abilities and talents but isn’t hankering after such a position, is the one we should look for.
M.P. CHISHTI
Karachi
LOTS of development schemes like expressways, overhead bridges and underpasses are going on in Karachi. This is all very commendable but, being a very large city, Karachi also needs a fully-rehabilitated and expanded KCR plus underground trains, whenever they come.
Through its various reports, Dawn newspaper has made a very convincing case for the 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 the KCR, giving timeframes, which have all passed uneventfully with nothing significant to show for all these years.
I do not have to go into details because it has all been done by Dawn and published in their reports, some recent ones appearing in Dawn of April 23, May 21, July 16 and editorial of July 18. In the report, dated May 21, 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 breakthrough is expected.
In a few months, we will be in the thick of the election fever and soon after the election there will be the question of the division of portfolios, so not much will get done in that span of many months. Also, there is no guarantee that the present incumbent will continue in his position and the newcomer may have his own ideas and priorities. All this means is that a final decision (and not just an expression of interest and good intentions) 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 the KCR being in limbo.
S.R.H. HASH
Karachi
I HAVE read Yousaf Ali’s letter (Aug 2). I am a Pakistani by choice and conviction and I close all options of seeking a different citizenship or nationality.
On Aug 15, 1947 as a five-year-old I walked a long distance from Ferozepur with my family to cross over to Pakistan. That crossing-over was not only to a new country but also to independence and freedom. Since then I have confronted many enticements and temptations to the charms of the so-called civilised world and to, as they say, greener pastures. My observations and acuity, therefore, are not tainted with the tuition of alien systems and styles, which unfortunately are at variance with the views of the writer, who, it appears, is in mental conflict with the divided social values and cultural predicaments ever so common amongst the young Asians in the West.
1. Road signs in English: Pakistanis are illiterate and are in need of proper education is more of a slogan than reality raised by those who wish to deprive the people of their due rights. Urban populace is quite comfortable with the English road signs. They are also convenient for the foreign traveller.
2. Self-proclaimed doctors: A glance at the hospitals during working hours would show how many people value the services of qualified doctors, and a visit to pharmacy or the chemist would indicate how many drugs are sold on prescription. There is no doubt that the nexus of doctors, chemists and pharmaceutical companies wage relentless wars against any and all kinds of alternative systems of treatment. This creates a sense of mistrust in the allopathic system of medicine that appears to be unfairly serving the interests of huge pharmaceutical giants rather than the poor little patient.
3. Traffic police: It is not the traffic policemen who have failed but the traffic engineers who are unable to understand the problem. While most roads are adequate in their dimensions and in many cases under-utilised, the traffic management at intersections and crossings is atrocious and the root cause of the chaos.
4. The writer appears to be in conflict with the reality and his mental conditioning. Young healthy and beautiful people all over the western world present the visible face of an organisation and are always positioned in the front of the house where there is maximum flow of visitors/clients while older workforce is at the back of the house guiding and policing the young. I wonder if he has ever visited a shopping mall, a corporate committee room or a reception counter. How many young men are censured daily for attending office in an unkempt manner, can they claim harassment protection?
5. Unity, Discipline and Faith: This is too sweeping a statement. We are united, a little disciplined and highly faithful, ask the USA. Minorities are not discriminated against in Pakistan like they are by the so-called civilised world. More Muslims are killed in Palestine by the Jews, more Muslims are killed by the Hindus in India, more Muslims are killed by the Americans in Iraq, more Muslims are killed by the Europeans in Afghanistan, more Muslims are killed in Chechnya by the Russians. And Muslims are discriminated against by all of them. It is unfair to be so naïve or so biased.
6. Politicians: Propaganda unleashed by vested interests against our politicians is to be taken with a pinch of salt. Perpetuation in power of people likeYahya Khan, Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharaf has destroyed the very fabric of our political system. These dictators ruthlessly crushed labour unions, student unions and ideological parities and free-thinking individuals to serve the interest of the powers that have savaged and plundered independent and sovereign states and have made billions of dollars in contracts for their reconstruction. Two names, Dick Chaney and Donald Rumsfeld would suffice to say it all.
7. I agree that one has to remain ‘comfortably numb’ to live not only in Pakistan but in this world of ours. By the way, who the hell is Pink Floyd?
ZUBAIR OSMANI
Islamabad
A LOT is being said about pollution and its hazards. It seems to be no more than simple lip movements. These days our city government is leading the show by ignoring some very basic facts which even a nursery-going child can understand and which are becoming a main source of dust pollution in the city.
It has been observed right from the day one of start-up of development projects that no consideration is given to the problems of commuters in matters of alternative routes.
First, these routes are so crude and full of potholes that at times they might damage vehicles. One fails to understand why, if an alternative route is to be in use for months, it cannot be made properly.
Almost all such routes are without any layer of bitumen resulting in so much dust that people living in the area feel miserable. Second, since the completion of the underpasses, the whole momentum seems to have been lost. All the side roads are in the same shape as they were five months ago. Sometimes small portions — up to five metres — connecting the two main roads, are left out without bitumen, thus becoming a source of dust.
Our nazim should go round the completed projects and get these small pieces done which will go a long way in controlling dust pollution.
DILAWAR HUSAIN
Karachi
THIS refers to the news, ‘Karachi: NED research project on transport Launched’ (July 31).The NED in collaboration with the USAID and University of Mississippi (USA) announced initiation of a three-year research project on metropolitan intelligent-based transportation system for the proper management of vehicular traffic in Karachi. Everyone knows that the traffic in Karachi has already passed the critical limit on the existing roads.
Anyone with commonsense will agree that any city in the world where there is already a critical problem with the vehicular traffic would change drastically in three years. Projects are already under way to ease the traffic by building overpasses in Karachi. Any research completed in three years and recommendations made will be obsolete by then. The money, time, and effort put in such a long project do not seem to bring the benefits in proposing solutions and their implementation. Time is essence.
DR MAJID KHAN
Richmond, Virginia
THERE is no doubt that the People’s Party still enjoys political support mainly among the deprived segments of society. Particularly Benazir Bhutto’s popularity in the rural Sindh is a patent reality. To strike a deal with an army dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, will be detrimental to her image and will also cause a loss to her vote bank. People by and large are fed up with the army’s role and they no longer want to perpetuate it any further. Her deal will be a historic blunder because many of her associates will not support her for any kind of political bargain with the dictator.
The need of the hour is a sound political culture where parliament is paramount, the judiciary is totally independent and the executive operates within the constraints provided in the Constitution. All these institutions should, of course, be accountable to the people. The judiciary has gained its due prestige and recognition in society in which Aitzaz Ahsan has played a commendable role. People are not prepared to accept Gen Musharraf either in uniform or otherwise.
A new political setup may emerge in Pakistan to ensure properly civilian rule in the country and the army is restrained only to protect the frontiers of Pakistan. The supremacy of the civilian is the psychological need of the people of Pakistan. Ms Bhutto’s deal will create a dent in her party and may be some democratic and liberal elements form a new alliance and may be able to get full support from the people.
HURRIAT MEHMOOD
Rawalpindi
KARAKORAM International University has been playing an effective role in inter-sectarian peace in the Northern Areas. The yearly organised week-long cultural festival and the peace walk of the university attracts thousands of people from Gilgit and surrounding areas to attend the programmes.
Even in the worst circumstances of the city, the people of Gilgit have equally participated in these programmes. It has worked to bridge the communication gap among the people which is a major element for sectarian hatred and violence in the area.
SYED MUJAHID ALI SHAH
Munich, Germany
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