| August 27, 2007 | Monday | Sha’aban 13, 1428 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
National savings organisation
Ownership rights for G-6 residents
Fighting Taliban: an American view
Celebrating Independence
Pharmacists’ role in healthcare system
Annie’s obituary
Pakistanis in Bangladesh
Kasuri’s remarks
HEC’s denials
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
REPORTS of Benazir Bhutto’s deal with Gen Musharraf have been in the news. There are some aspects of this supposed deal that I find greatly problematic. First, Ms Bhutto wants Gen Musharraf to remove the number of times a person can be prime minister. Second, and more subtle, the tone of this deal is very conciliatory towards the general and this agreement seeks to win an unfair bias in favour of Ms Bhutto from the current administration during the upcoming election campaign.
It is unbecoming of a self-proclaimed democratic leader to try to undo term limit for the prime minister’s office. Such term limits are quite common in developed democratic countries -- the most obvious example being the US -- where the same person cannot be president for more than two terms. Nobody wants Pakistan to become another Egypt, Iraq or Zimbabwe where the same person continues to rule the country for decades in the name of democracy. Why must Ms Bhutto’s personal agenda to become the prime minister yet again pollute the PPP’s democratic credentials? Why is she against the idea of a term limit for the office of prime minister? Ms Bhutto continues to act solely to protect her own interests even if it costs Pakistani people dearly.
There is some wisdom in providing Gen Musharraf an exit strategy to accelerate a return to democracy in Pakistan. However, Ms Bhutto’s suddenly subdued, nay fully muted, public criticism of the general does not shine a beautiful light on the principles she lives by in her political life. Compromise on principles cannot be the backbone of a strategy to return to power. A truly honest and fair deal for the people of Pakistan would have been between Gen Musharraf’s administration and the combined opposition – that is what could have served the basis for a level playing field for all the parties in the upcoming elections.
In my view, the Pakistani people will be better off without such a deal. And anything that can be done now to take the focus away from Ms Bhutto’s deal with Gen Musharraf and to undermine it will be very welcome. This brings me to my last point – Nawaz Sharif’s role in all this. I believe that in the view of the Supreme Court’s decision Mr Sharif should come back immediately. This will create three things: first, it will help build up on the momentum in Nawaz Sharif’s favour; second, his personal entry and presence in Pakistan will be more news worthy than anything that Gen Musharraf or an out-of-the country Ms Bhutto could ever do; third, Mr Sharif’s return will make the deal less appetising from Gen Musharraf’s point of view because he will suddenly be dealing with the second most powerful/popular politician in Pakistan. This is truly a make or break opportunity for Nawaz Sharif to surge ahead of Benazir Bhutto and turn the political table on her!
HAMMAD M. MALIK
Edison, NJ, USA
HOW about it if both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto declare that they will remain their respective party leaders and work only to strengthen their party policies and the political democratic institutions of Pakistan? And that they shall not contest or be candidate for any designation as Altaf Hussain has done with the MQM?
This will defiantly help strengthen the future political institutions of Pakistan and will allow young leaders to come up and take the reigns. It will be a very positive step from our main stream political leadership if they are sincerely contemplating promoting democracy in Pakistan. I request common citizen like me to debate/comment/suggest on this opinion.
ZIA KHAN
Lahore
PAKISTAN is a poor country belonging to rich people. In the absence of many reliable savings schemes in the country, the schemes on offer at the National Savings Centres are a relief to the ones who choose to save.
This financial institution owned by the government is probably one of the richest in Pakistan and attracts more investments than any other offered by a local or a foreign bank.
A lot of retired people have trusted this organisation with their lifelong earnings to make a decent living. For a lot of widows the investment made here is the only source of their income.
However, this department can be clearly seen in a shambles. I have always dreaded going to the National Savings Centres, for one has to witness the inefficiency of the staff.
Unfortunately this weekend, I had to visit a National Savings Centre on Ferozepur Road in Lahore. Since I had to deposit some money, I thought it should not be too much of a bother and should not take very long. So I went to the centre at 1pm and took my parents along. I was under the impression that I would be welcomed and treated with patience, since that’s the practice at any local or foreign bank. To my anguish I was welcomed with many a frowned face of all the Bashirs and Saghirs sitting behind their tables. Returning home, I was only praying for the safety of my hard-earned ‘white money’ and on which I pay taxes.
Having said this, I’ll blame the Regional Directorate of National Savings for poor upkeep of the premises, and for not training the staff on some essential customer care skills. If nothing else at least some mannerism must be instilled in them.
I’ll blame the ministry of finance for continuing to use Stone Age systems in an age of technology. Imagine, in a time when sitting in one’s chair one can transfer funds 24 hours a day, this financial institution operating from 9 to 1. What about the safety of record,
God forbid, if a centre catches fire, what will become of the record that has piled up over decades? Won’t the centre cease to operate?
HAROON JAN
Lahore
IT has been widely reported in the national media that the prime minister has announced that the government will give the right of ownership to the residents of government-owned quarters in G 6 sector of Islamabad.
One wonders what is the rationality of this decision It seems as if the decision has been taken without considering its long-term implications and just to win cheap popularity in the election year. Moreover, it would set a wrong precedence for others to follow. Does this mean that the allottees of other government residences elsewhere in Islamabad, and even in the country, should refuse to vacate the residences and start claiming ownership after certain period of time?
It may also be noted here that there are 6,000 quarters in all and are located on prime land situated in the heart of city worth billions of rupees.
If the government is so adamant on accommodating the G 6 residents, it can do so somewhere else in the city. The quarters should be demolished and the land should be auctioned at market rates. Revenue so generated may then be used to accommodate the present residents at some other place.
Alternatively, multi-storeyed flats can be built on the land of these quarters and after accommodating present allottees, a large number of other government servants can also be accommodated there. The argument, however, still remains there that G 6 quarters constitute public property which cannot be doled out at the sweet will of rulers. It is in fact the duty of the officers of ministry of housing and works to inform the prime minister that giving ownership of government accommodations would set a very wrong precedence, which must be avoided as a matter of principles.
HASSAN ALI
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to Ayaz Amir’s column, ‘Fighting someone else’s war’(Aug 17). I think there is a fundamental flaw in his argument when he says:
“The English-speaking libretti of Pakistan is living in a strange world. The threat of Talibanisation it fears comes not from the suicide bomber. It comes from the conditions producing suicide bombers. Just as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian occupied territories are products of Israeli arrogance and intransigence, the Pakistani suicide bomber is a crazed product of American atrocities – yes, atrocities – in Afghanistan.”
Here he is trying to say that jihadis were created because of Soviet invasion and then because of US occupation. But he is conveniently forgetting that between Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and American forces landing there in 2001 there was a period of 12 years when there were no foreign forces in Afghanistan and still we had suicide bombers, heroine traders, mercenaries, Taliban, AL Qaeda, etc.
So I don’t think you can blame the US for the surge in violence in the tribal belt. Incidents like Lal Masjid are due to Pakistani policy blunders and not due to American war on terror. It is in Pakistan’s interest to have rule of law over all the territories under its control.
President Musharraf knows that selfstyled jihadis with AKs and other weapons are a danger not just to the US or Europe but to Pakistan and the entire world. Withdrawing Pakistani forces from the tribal belt will not solve the problem: it is like brushing it under the carpet and waiting for a time-bomb to explode.
PETE MCKENNA
Nashville, TN
MY parents told me that the Independence Day was celebrated with much fervour. We took it to the streets as one nation, riding our bikes, brandishing our flags, lighting the sky up with fireworks. Political and religious differences were muted, if not completely silenced, and there was a show of unity in our hearts and prayers for peace and prosperity came from every place of worship. We were one nation under God and the general.
I celebrated my nation’s Independence Day far away from home in another nation’s capital, Washington DC. I did it the technological way, listening to patriotic songs on YouTube, watching the national parade on Dawn News, reading what the political commentators had to say on MSNBC. I felt joy in my heart and pride in my mind but I did it from far, in a nation that pledged itself to be one nation under God.
We had defied political soothsayers and were celebrating 60 years with another 100 and more to come, God willing. Yet, all this is shadowed by the current situation. We are still trying to break free of dictatorial rule. The country is in a state of disarray. The average Pakistani is deprived of basic necessities. They long for fans to cool them during the summer heat, water to cleanse them and safety so that their kids may play in the park without fear. All we can do is pray to God, the general does not have the answers to our problems.
The larger question that looms is this: Have we been reduced to “one nation under God and the general” or can we break free?
YAWAR HEREKAR
Washington, DC
PHARMACISTS’ role in the healthcare system is rising with the development of new drugs, emergence of new resistant microbes, and the changes in healthcare delivery systems. Pharmacists are the third largest healthcare professional group in the world but they still have a long way to contribute a significant role in the healthcare milieu of Pakistan.
Building new pharmacy institutes is the need of the hour; however, they face the serious challenges posed by the country's infrastructure and a shortage of trained staff, but above all they suffer from the lack of a comprehensive pharmaceutical education policy and clear objectives to aim for.
While producing more pharmacists is equally important, it is also imperative that, with the increasing number, one expects a change in the medicine use situation in the country. There must be some improvements in how drugs are manufactured, distributed, sold, and used.
The weakness in pharmacy education has marginalized the pharmacy profession and hindered pharmacists from consolidating their role. As a result, pharmacy practice has been affected and subsequently poses adverse effects on the country's healthcare sector. There are no independent drug information services at public hospitals and this provides opportunities for drug detailers and medical representatives to disseminate biased drug information to doctors. Medication errors and adverse drug reactions go unreported because of the lack of pharmacy support services.
Hence, this is the time for the Ministry of Health (MoH), along with the Pakistan Pharmacist Association (PPA) and Pharmacy Council Pakistan (PCP), to commission a working group that can work on pharmaceutical education, research, clinical practice and policy reforms.
Job opportunities for pharmacists should be expanded in all areas of pharmacy practice such as clinical, community, hospital, pharmaceutical management and industry
Appointments should be made available for pharmacists in Drug enforcement administration, Department of justice, and in the National Institute of Health.
Pharmacists may serve as noncommissioned or commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
ARIF ALI ARAIN
Karachi
THE obituary of Qurat-ul-Ain published in your paper seems to have been prepared by somebody who did not know much about her. Amongst friends she was simply known as 'Annie'.
We lived in the same area in Lucknow and went to the same university. She was a couple of years ahead of me. However, we only became friends when she came to Pakistan and we saw quite a lot of each other until I left Karachi in 1953. She was employed by the Department of Advertising, Films and Publications (DAFP). I met her from time to time again in 1959 when I was suddenly dragooned into the Bureau of National Reconstruction.
Annie's problem arose with the publication of Aag Ka Darya which reflected the history of sub-continent over the last 4,000 years or so.
The central point of the theme was the relationship between the Indus valley
and the Ganges valley civilizations.
Since the Ganges valley was far more fertile the power located in the Ganges valley tended to dominate the Indus valley from time to time. At other times, the Indus valley separated becoming either an independent entity along with portions of Afghanistan and occasionally even as a satrapy of Persia.
One of the senior members of my civil service also in the Bureau took exception to this novel because he considered it a treasonable activity. The matter was further enhanced by her friends which hyped the problems she may have to face in view of this development. To save herself she stole away from Pakistan around 1960/61.
Whenever I went to Delhi I met her - the first time in 1962 when I was sent off as the political commissar to oversee the behavior of a cultural delegation invited by the Government of India. It was featured by David Lowe, in a cartoon as "Outbreak of Politeness amongst Indians."
ZAFAR IQBAL
Karachi
THE Supreme Court’s decision regarding Nawaz Sharif is commendable in recognising that Pakistani citizenship cannot be snatched at the whim of the government, and no Pakistani citizen can be stopped from returning to Pakistan.
Under these principles, it would be appropriate for the Supreme Court to recognise that the Pakistanis in Bangladesh, living in wretched conditions for almost four decades, are also Pakistani citizens.
Let us show that Pakistani justice is as applicable to the poor, unpopular and disenfranchised as it is to the wealthy and powerful. The poor Pakistanis and their children will be grateful to the Supreme Court for rectifying this old injustice.
SAAD GUL
USA
SPEAKING in the Senate, Foreign Minister Kasuri made several claims about the success of our foreign policy (Aug. 23). One of them was that we did not send troops to Iraq (despite US pressure).
President Musharraf had also made this claim some time back. However, both of them have not been honest in taking credit for it. The event is too recent for the people to forget that it was the severe pressure of many Pakistanis that kept them from doing so, although, like the move for recognising Israel, the rulers had been very anxious to send our soldiers to Iraq.
Above all, it was the MMA that had spearheaded this movement by warning that they would physically prevent our armed forces personnel from being sent there. While one doesn't agree with some of their other words or deeds, yet they undoubtedly must be given the credit for saving our army men from becoming sacrificial lambs in the deadly killing fields of Iraq.
Mr Kasuri also said that Pakistan can't afford to antagonise US. One may add here that nor can the US afford to antagonise Pakistan because of our strategic importance to their objectives. We must learn a lesson from Turkey that had refused to allow Washington to use Turkish territory for raiding Iraq. Did the Americans nuke Turkey into the Stone Age for that?
We, too, must not allow ourselves to be bullied by the Americans into attacking our own people in Waziristan or getting sucked into the Afghan imbroglio, as beautifully explained by Mahmood Shah in his article, "Jirga: an exercise in futility?" (Aug. 19).
IQBAL
Karachi
IT is somewhat amusing to read the Higher Education Commission’s press statement in which it denies its role in the vice chancellors’ appointment. In fact, the guidelines for the selection procedure of the VCs were laid down by the Chancellor’s Committee headed by the President of Pakistan and spearheaded by the Higher Education Commission.
This press release by the HEC also asserts that the chancellor in each case appoints a person as VC on the recommendation of a search committee consisting of five “eminent scholars and citizens”.
Let us look at the search committee set by the chancellor for selecting VCs for the general universities of Punjab. It comprises a businessman, a politician, a retired lieutenant general and two serving young bureaucrats.
One wonders why are the chancellor and the chief minister of Punjab reluctant to reconstitute the search committee for the VCs? One presumes there are a few scholars left in Punjab to sit on the search committee for vice chancellors.
SAIRA ALI
Lahore
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.