| August 28, 2007 | Tuesday | Sha’aban 14, 1428 |
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Fatima Jinnah’s words
National School of Public Policy
Keeping them out
Unjust criticism of Benazir
Telephone out of order
Cricket fiasco
Travel by PIA
Forecast of new proxy wars
Democracy as a danger
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
DR M. Asif has raised serious objections to the accuracy of data in the chapter devoted to energy matters in Vision 2030 (Dawn, Aug 24) and has challenged the integrity of the whole document. I regret to point out that he is wrong in his facts and interpretation.
Dr Asif disagrees with numbers for global uranium reserves in Vision 2030, and claims that “the deadline of 2050 as provided here is absolutely baseless”. Our figures are based upon the expected growth in nuclear power in this century, with nuclear power becoming fashionable again, and I will refer him to the MIT study on the subject (The Future of Nuclear Power, 2003) which postulates “a global growth scenario that by mid-century would see 1,000 to 1,500 reactors of 1,000 megawatt-electric capacity each deployed worldwide, compared to a capacity equivalent to 366 such reactors now in service
The IAEA and NEA of OECD together estimate that the uranium reserves can meet requirements for about 85 years (Uranium 2005, Resources, Production and Demand, joint report by the IAEA and NEA), if nuclear power production stays at the 2004 levels. Dr Asif, of course, states that fast reactor technology can extend this to the year 2500.
Well, the Vision document also suggests that fast breeders could extend the life of these resources and hoped that the technology could be developed by 2030, (fast breeders are currently facing enormous technical and economic challenges).
Second, Dr Asif objects to our figures of a possible 50,000 MW of wind power available along the Sindh coast, which were based upon actual wind measurements done by the Met. department and calculations made from the data. I am afraid Dr Asif had access to data at very low heights (four metres) as was used by him in his paper published recently in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews where he writes about wind energies at metropolitan cities ( data at airports?) rather than the coastal areas of Gharo, Mirpursakro and Talhar along coastal Sindh. With the data at the appropriate heights, we stand behind the possibility of 23 to 28 per cent capacity factor at these sites in Sindh.
His complaint that we have given perfunctory treatment to solar energy is not accepted. The paragraph on Jacobabad (9.3.2) is an example of what is possible in Pakistan’s southern regions from solar energy; but electricity generation through photovoltaics will remain expensive for the medium term. He may also like to look for the current developments on higher efficiency photovoltaic generation as reported in scientific literature in the last few months, where 41 per cent is quoted for the new processes.
About energy conservation, Dr Asif accuses the Planning Commission of ignoring the conservation of energy at the consumer end in the industrial, commercial, transport and domestic sectors. What does the Vision Document actually say? In Section 9.4 it states that if energy T&D efficiency is improved, together with the efficiency of end - use devices, a lower ratio of growth rates of primary energy to GDP is possible, and this will reduce long - term energy requirements
About energy from biomass, the Vision Document discusses energy conversion through biomass and cellulose breakdown, but also advises caution about its impact in the context of ‘energy’ crops versus ‘food’ crops.
The author is right in pointing out, however, that the Vision document has not given references to data displayed. This was not required for the document, but it is clearly mentioned that it is based upon papers written by experts in the field, which are available in their entirety on the Planning Commission website, with references, of course.
I feel that Dr Asif is confusing the essence of a vision document with a detailed programme for implementing such a vision.
DR SHAUKAT HAMEED KHAN
Member, Planning Commission
Islamabad
GOING through some old issues of "Dawn" was a rather touching experience, for it made me realize how prophetic the words of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah were.
To begin with, the May 10 issue had a picture on the last page showing the office of Munir A. Malik, one of the CJP's lawyers, being unsealed on the orders of the SHC. The next day, a photograph on page 3 showed Mr Malik standing with his son and daughter near a bullet-shattered glass in his house, following an attack on May 10.
On May 13, one headline on the front page read, 'MQM holds anti-CJ rally' while the main story was captioned, `Riots disrupt Karachi calm', showing the casualties as 34 killed, 140 injured. Then, in the '50 Years Ago Today' column was a report of the speech by Miss Jinnah, made in Peshawar.
She said the Pakistan Movement was a democratic movement and Pakistan was achieved through democratic means for democratic purposes. It was meant to establish a society in which the will of the people reigned surpreme and they were free from want, dependency and privations.
Very interestingly, there were general elections coming up then as well and, referring to them, the Madar-i-Millat said it devolved heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the people. They should realise the value of their vote and elect only those men who could truly represent their views and interests. Also, it was unsavoury that people broke their pledges shamelessly and changed political parties for personal gains.
These farsighted words of hers seem to have been directed at all the undemocratic forces we have to contend with these days as well as the politicians who keep changing their loyalties.
In another very important part of her message, she declared that Pakistan was an ideological state and asked the people to strengthen their faith in its basic ideals. "Remember, one could always make up for material loss but want of faith in one's ideology was an irreparable loss." Miss Jinnah asked the citizens to create an enlightened and powerful public opinion in the country to safeguard this ideology.
She emphasised that the price of freedom was eternal vigilance and asked the people to be watchful of their rights and the fundamental ideal of Pakistan. This should make it clear to all those people who have been trying to murder the truth in recent decades by saying that Pakistan wasn't meant to be an ideological nation but a secular one. Obviously, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah knew better than them about the reality of the matter.
ADIL ABDULLAH
Karachi
THE National School of Public Policy, Lahore, through an advertisement, ‘Position Vacant’ (Aug 24), has invited applications to fill numerous vacancies from grades 1 to 17.
Surprisingly, the institution has failed to declare the number of vacancies so much so that in the ‘quota’ column, instead of showing clearly the breakdown of jobs available to each province, including rural and urban positions, what is mentioned is “as per Federal Government Instructions”.
The Administrative Staff College, Lahore, an institution for training officers of grade 20, has been converted into NSPP, through an ordinance in the year 2002.
Accordingly, all National Institutions of Public Administration (NIPA), located in each provincial capital to impart training to middle management officers, have also been put under the central authority of NSPP.
Since all the public administration institutions have now been centralised at Lahore, all appointments of staff, i.e., officers and ministerial employees, will be made at Lahore.
Therefore, it has become all the more imperative to disclose in the advertisements the number of posts available, together with the provincial quotas fixed under the Constitution, so that the people of smaller provinces should not feel deprived of their rights.
Besides, to give the process of selection transparency/authenticity, it is proposed that interviews for grade 16 and above must be conducted through the Federal Public Service Commission and for jobs of grade 15 and below the conditions of quota should strictly be observed.
The NSPP, Lahore, is requested to disclose in the right earnest the number of vacancies available and quotas of each province along with rural/urban breakdown by issuing fresh ad or a corrigendum so that such incomplete information does not become cause of germinating serious misgivings in the minds of the people of smaller provinces.
MANSOOR UL HAQUE SOLANGI
Karachi
IF Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are allowed to return to Pakistan and take part in politics again, including running for prime minister, then Gen Musharraf’s eight years as Pakistan’s leader will have been a complete waste. Both leaders will return to their plundering ways. In fact, they must be salivating at the $15.8 billion foreign exchange reserve that the country has because when Mr Sharif was last in Pakistan there was only $2.77 billion left.
Gen Musharraf is looking for political elements to marginalise and counter the MMA. The idea is good, but using Nawaz and Benazir rather than other politicians in the country is a serious blunder. The same Benazir and Nawaz who are praising the Supreme Court and judiciary today will be first to chant slogans against the judiciary if their parties lose the election. The loser will loudly proclaim, “The election was rigged.”
Consider for one moment the hypocrisy of Mr Sharif for praising the judiciary now that it has ruled in his favour despite the fact that he single-handedly tore down the rank and reputation of the judiciary when he was the prime minister.
Furthermore, Mr Sharif rails against Gen Musharraf today, yet he first got the taste of political power under the watch of Gen Ziaul Haq who was more dictatorial than Musharraf can ever be.
Similarly, Benazir and Nawaz now say that corruption cases are ‘fabricated’, yet they were the first ones to lodge corruption cases against opposition party members during their terms as prime minister.
It is not an exaggeration to say that allowing either leader to return to power will set Pakistan back at least a decade, if not more. The answer to countering the MMA lies with other politicians already present in the country.
As we sit and watch the ongoings from afar, a famous and often repeated phrase comes to mind: Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Even a schoolchild has heard this saying, but sadly Pakistanis have yet to learn this listen.
DR ALI RAZA
Connecticut, USA
THIS is apropos of Aisha Aftab’s letter (Aug 22) in which she has criticised Benazir Bhutto, quoting repeatedly the phrase, “having sold her soul”, from Shahid Kardar’s article. What she implies by it. Is she praising Mr Kardar for discovering some covert personality traits of Ms Bhutto or trying to define what the meaning behind this expression could be? Her criticism of Ms Bhutto is hollow as the latter’s contribution to Pakistan’s political is undeniable.
Ms Bhutto does not need to sell her soul. She has remained committed to her political ideals throughout her life. She has always fought for democracy, for the supremacy of parliamentary institutions and for the oppressed. She stood up and valiantly fought against dictator General Ziaul Haq. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged, her brother Shahnawaz Bhutto was poisoned, she was imprisoned for years and kept many times under solitary confinement. But her resolve to fight military dictatorship could never be broken. She remained defiant and refused to be cowed by state persecution.
The writer must keep in mind that except for two brief periods of 20 months and 36 months, during which she was the prime minister, persecution against her person continued unabated.
After Zia’s death, his remnants insured that she never got a breathing space. She was the prey and they were the hunters. Elections were rigged, overnight parties were created and winning candidates were provided state funds and were enticed to join the establishment’s bandwagon to prevent her from winning a comfortable majority in the parliament, leaving thus with her the only option of forming coalition governments. Although it is the prime target of every political government, the possibilities of implementation of manifestoes narrows down in coalitions. Only those aspects of manifestoes are turned into policies which have the approval of coalition partners. Yet her two governments can not be blamed for deviating from the socialist principles of ‘roti, kapra aur makan’, and the establishment of an egalitarian, liberal and democratic society.
She kept her forte despite a partisan and hostile establishment, lack of fiscal space, the burdensome foreign debts and the stringent conditionalities of the IMF. She refused to give in to pressures of wrapping up state enterprises and laying off hundreds of thousands of workers. Prices of food such as wheat and cooking oil were kept stable and fuel expenditure remained in control. She opened up our country to the satellite communication, allowed private channels (CNN and NTM) to be aired and linked up the country with the Internet systems of the world.
Those were the days when the whole world was going through a transitional phase. The Cold War period was over and a new system was in the making. The Berlin Wall had collapsed, Germany was unified and the Soviet Union had ceased to exist. The days of aid and grants were over. From state - controlled economies, we were moving into a globalised market economy system. In this backdrop, survival for any government of a Third World country was not easy, as far as the economic aspect of governance is concerned. From a political perspective, the hurdles created by the establishment against her government for a smooth functioning remains unprecedented.
During her second tenure, she assumed the office of the prime minister when the whole country was going through a severe energy crisis. For eight to 10 hours people had to endure loadshedding, many factories had to be closed down and our export was constantly going down, her government took up the task of resolving this issue. An energy policy was announced, which not only overcame the electricity shortage, but brought in billions of dollars ($3.5 billion) of foreign direct investment, a figure unmatched till 2004.
All propaganda against Ms Bhutto is based on sheer lies and that is why our poor and marginalised people could not be dissuaded from following her. They stand solidly behind her.
FAUZIA WAHAB
MNA and Central Coordinator,
Human Rights Cell, PPP-P
Karachi
MY telephone No. 021-5050379 has been out of order for last two months. I had registered countless complaints on PTCL helpline and regional exchange in order to restore my phone, but they didn't give any response in this connection. I had registered two complaints to PTA as well, one on July 12 (Complaint No.49551) and second on July 27 (50436). Despite this, neither my telephone has been restored nor I received any information regarding my complaints' status.
Therefore, I would like to request the authorities concerned to do me a favour in this regard.
ABDUL JABBAR
Karachi
IT is very interesting to see how the cricket board is handling the current situation of Indian cricket league. First of all it is a good opportunity for all the cricket players to play more competitive cricket just like county cricket. And it would be better for overall development of the individual and cricket overall.
The situation provokes two questions: 1) would the board have behaved the same way if this series was taking place anywhere but India? 2) When Dr Nasim Ashraf can’t handle the current cricket situation, is he capable of being the chairman of National Commission for Human Development?
HYDER BILGRAMI
Islamabad
IT was an awful experience to travel by PIA from London to Karachi. On the evening of Aug 3 we were made to sit in the aircraft at Heathrow airport without any airconditioning facility for more than an hour before take-off, on the plea that the ground unit for a/c was not available. All the passengers were complaining but the crew was absolutely unconcerned.
I also noted that our national flag carrier is displaying the flag of Pakistan on internal video system with a six-pointed star. It may be noted that six-pointed star is the sign of ‘beast’ and also depicts ‘worship of Satan’ according to Jew mythology. It is strange that officials in PIA are so ignorant. Do we have to wait for the Supreme Court to intervene or somebody will take notice of these laxities?
SYED MASOOD HAIDER
Islamabad
THE present situation in Afghanistan is not different from that of the 1980s when the Russians were engaged with the same people in Afghanistan. The only difference seems is the present stand of Russia not to support the resistant force apropos of what Americans did against Russian occupation.
But the currently fast deteriorating relations between the two powers may result in any kind of surprise at any time. As Mr Putin has already warned the UK, the USA’s closest ally, of separating his country from war on terror at the time; when both countries had end relations following the former KGB spy murder case in the UK.
On the other hand, the recent Russian statement, after the SCO summit in Bishkek, of supplying missiles to anti-American Syria is also an answer to the American decision to supply modern weapons to Saudi Arabia.
It clearly shows how the two countries want to defend their interests at home by fighting proxy wars in foreign lands as they did in the Cold War era .The already on-going war in the name of terrorism in different zones of the world may turn into wars of independence if long siege occurs in the occupied countries.
It will provide a new opportunity for Russia to play its cards which may trigger a new era of proxy wars.
SYED MUJAHID ALI SHAH
Munich, Germany
IN a recent roundtable talk show on the BBC on the subject of Islam, a former CIA senior analyst opposed democracy in the Muslim world for it would lack democratic ethics. Such democracy will let the Islamic junta to gain power which is against western interests, he said.
I think, along with a few detracted radicals who are harming the Muslim world itself, all the people of the Islamic world should not be named as expansionist. But apart from the presence of religion in the politics, it is indeed the political problems and interests that matter between two countries etc.
The analyst himself presented the experience of democracy in non-Muslim South America which, according to him, harmed American interests. That’s why presenting only the Muslim world as a monster against the West is not true.
S. KAZMI
Germany
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