| September 06, 2007 | Thursday | Sha'aban 23, 1428 |
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Leaving no doubts
Ramazan package
A plea to president
Lack of public conveniences
Wasteful expenditure
Purple sunset
Water filtration plants
A bank branch?
Absence of drainage system
Our own Nostradamus
Deterioration in banking services
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
THE Higher Education Commission’s list of approved journals provided at an HEC website for humanities/social sciences/liberal arts for the purpose of publication, appointments at public sector universities or at the HEC is cause for great concern to the academicians. There are some major difficulties with this list.
Many of our national research journals such as Islamic Studies of the Institute of Islamic Research, Islamabad; Journal of European Studies of Karachi University; Journal of American Studies of the Quaid-i-Azam University are enlisted as unapproved journals.
These journals are published by the institutes established by our federal ministry of education for the purpose of research to be carried through publications/seminars/conferences, course programmes, etc. The HEC’s disapproval of these journals is not understandable.
The truth is that these institutes through their journals have been for catering academic research activities since their inception in the 1970s and 1980s. Prior to them, there were very little opportunities for publishing research in the social sciences/humanities area.
There was a great dearth of research journals in Pakistan in the 1960s and 1970s. Iqbal Review of Iqbal Academy, Lahore, and Mujalla lqbal of Bazme Iqbal, Lahore, were some of the earliest journals of the 1960s and 1970s which were considered standard journals of the social sciences/humanities published regularly on a quarterly basis. Institutes of European Studies and American Studies were established much later in the early or the late 1980s.
Their research journals were blessing to academicians all over Pakistan. After all, how many papers could Iqbal Review, Mujjala lqbal and some other journals publish each year? These new institutes struggled along with higher education researchers to promote academic research culture in Pakistan. Now the HEC’s sudden disapproval of these journals is shocking to the senior researchers whose lifelong work is published in the various old and new journals mentioned above in those conditions where one had to wait for two to three years for getting the research published.
The rationale of disapproving of these journals by the HEC is not understandable. These journals have published works of eminent educationists and senior researchers from Pakistan and abroad. As an example, let us look at Islamic Studies issue of 1997, vol. 36, No. 4. Printed on fine offset paper, this issue includes papers of world renowned Islamic scholar Murad Wilfried Hofmann, famous Iranian philosopher/scholar Hossein Nasr, keynote address of former prime minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohamad, translation of a paper of renowned Algerian Muslim scholar Malik Bennabi, my own paper, and many other scholarly works. Similar is the case with other journals named above.
The question is: who will decide the merit of their works and how? Further, whether these journals were used for reference in earlier times, and whether they satisfy the current criteria of the HEC. These were the journals considered to be of high standard in the 70s, 80s, 90s and in 2000.
Should all the research publications of these and some similar standard journals published by government research institutes before the 21 century go down the drain? Should the significant professional work of faculties of various public sector universities, foreign scholars and eminent educationists be considered substandard because the journals do not meet the present criteria of assessment or evaluation of 2001 and onward? Can the new criteria of evaluation of journals be applied retrospectively?
The HEC needs to consider the difficulties that stood in the way of publishing a paper when good typists were not easy to find in the early years, when there were no fax, email, Internet facilities in our universities, when telephone facility was a rarity, when postal services were time-consuming and not reliable, when there were no easy means of contacting foreign journals.
The HEC should revise its criteria of approved journals of the social sciences/humanities/Islamic studies. Its efforts to promote academic culture in Pakistan are appreciated, but the criteria for evaluation of academic journals publication up to 2000 should be different from that of 2001 and onward.
DR ARIFA FARID
Former Dean of Faculty of Arts
University of Karachi
WHILE the independence of the judiciary is to be welcomed, a perception seems to be developing in government circles that pent-up animosities are finding an outlet through the judgments. The statement of Dr Sher Afghan is a case in point. This is obviously not true, but sometimes perceptions leave a more profound impact than reality. Everything the government says or does is not correct and everything that the opposition is doing is right after the events of March 9.
For all institutions to be respected, it is important that the operational parameters be respected. A war of words can well lead to greater conflict amongst the institutions which has to be prevented at all costs. The Sajjad Ali Shah versus PML-N versus Farooq Leghari war is one recent example.
Let history remind us about acting maturely, dispassionately and keeping the national and international implications in mind rather than just the imperatives of public opinion which often is in conflict with circumstantial evidence.
Paradoxically, the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by the Supreme Court is a reverse case scenario which did not take into view the massive adverse public opinion against the judgment. The administration of justice must not leave any doubts, ethnic biases, political preferences or perceived revenge exploding through letter or words.
SHAMS Z. ABBAS
Lahore
KHALID Mustafa in his letter (Aug 26) has very rightly pointed out that the Ramazan package, as announced by the government, is not going to give any relief to 150 million people of Pakistan.
As in existing practice of one month pre-Ramazan duration, the prices of basic food items have already started going up and by the time the holy month comes, they are likely to go skyhigh, causing difficulties and problems for common people.
The government, instead of restricting the sale of products on controlled price at utility stores only, should endeavour to control the prices of basic food items at all open markets and preferably at the source of main supply (wholesale) during Ramazan, so that each layman is easily facilitated in his own locality of residence where no utility store exists. In Saudi Arabia, the businessmen voluntarily drop their profits. A packet of 12 frozen kababs, samosas, spring rolls and various other eatables are offered on a ‘buy- one-get-one-free’ basis, i.e. if you buy one packet, get another packet free. Further, packs of mineral water, cold drink cans, dry packets of dates, yoghurt, milk, bread, fruits and even complete diet hygienically packed are distributed free prior to Iftaar and Sehri at most of streets, in general, and mosques, in particular, for people keeping fast.
In our conditions, the month of Ramazan is eagerly awaited for making money. The market mafia starts hoarding various eatable items prior to Ramazan and bring the same in the market gradually with ever increasing selling rates and exorbitant prices during the last 10 days of Ramazan.
While the black marketeers exhibit wilful selfishness, the government, despite its resources to control it, appears helpless. The imams in their Friday lectures should censure all such people who like to hoard food items to make extra profit.
MUHAMMAD SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
IT is a humble request from me and, I am sure, from all Pakistanis, asking you to spend your remaining days in office doing something for which we can always remember you.
Getting re-elected might not see your popularity rise again, but doing something constructive, such as reducing the electricity problem or ensuring that the flooded streets remain dry, might earn you respect in your final days.
WAQAS BALKHI
Karachi
KARACHI is a mega-city, which is now bursting out of its seams, but it lacks ‘public conveniences’ all over the city. Leave the middle class societies aside, they are not available even in modern posh areas of the DHA, KDA schemes and other near-to-posh areas. It is not understood why didn’t the city planners feel their urgency in the past and in the present planning of the city?
Sadly, the concept of public toilets has not been espoused even by the modern government or the private banks either, which are daily visited by hundreds of their clients. Rest-rooms, as our American friends call them, available in private clinics and shopping centres in the city are not kept clean or they are locked to public.
Gulistan-i-Jauhar, like other areas of Karachi, is these days under frantic digging by the city government for widening, repairing and recarpeting the main and service roads. It appears as if the city government has decided to give it as an Eid gift to the people of Gulistan-i- Jauhar. Good enough, if it can be done so.
Taking advantage of the ongoing developing work in the entire city, one may also request the city nazim to provide ‘public conveniences’ not only in the 20 blocks of Gulistan-i- Jauhar but also in other parts of the city so that people may not have to seek roadsides, nooks and corners of the buildings to answer the call of nature, which adds only more filth to the already filthy city. We lay so much stress on keeping the Quaid’s city clean, but it is hard enough unless a good number of well-maintained ‘public conveniences’ are available to the people. The ‘public conveniences’ can be run by paying a rupee or two by the users for its proper upkeep. The city government and the Cantonment Board, Faisal, are quick enough to collect huge taxes from the people living in their jurisdictions, they must provide the facility of public toilets for males and females to justify the taxes.
PRO BONO PUBLICO
Karachi
IT is one o’clock at night and I have just returned from attending the first of many dinners being held for the wedding of my nephew. I don’t know why we Pakistanis have to waste so much time on wedding dinners. There are at least five occasions when dinner is served, beginning with the religious sermon called ‘dars’ in which the speaker says nothing about the good habits of early Muslims who always ate frugally and went to bed early.
On two occasions (the ‘rukhsati’ and the ‘valima’), the number of guests can be anywhere from 500 to 5,000. I told my English friends about the really grand dinners given when Pakistanis tie the knot, when the number of guests often exceeds a thousand. They were amazed. “You call Pakistan a poor country?” one of them asked.
Unfortunately one has to go through the torture and keep a smiling face throughout the ordeal. Even though the invitation card clearly states that dinner will be served at 8.30 or 9pm, the guests are usually kept waiting until midnight before they get to stuff themselves. If someone is stupid enough to reach the venue at 10, he will find that even the host has not yet arrived.
SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
IT was pleasant to see Madam Farida Khanum appearing in an advertisement recently. This jingle brought back nostalgic memories of this great ghazal singer. One cannot help but admire her grace and heart-warming voice.
The respect given to her at the sunset of her career is appreciable, while the proceeds from the advertisement will greatly benefit her since a majority of the performers face extreme financial problems at the end of their career.
It is requested that other companies also follow a similar campaign so that more legends can watch the purple sunset with dignity.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
THE government’s initiative of ‘clean drinking water for all’ by installing water filtration plants in all the cities is, unfortunately, bound to be a disaster because of ill-conceived mechanism employed. Out of about 8,000 planned filtration plants for the entire country, a few hundred have been installed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
A visit to any of the plant would tell the story of its foreseeable disaster. The stench, uncontrolled growth of fungus, broken taps and broken lights would raise many questions in your mind. Is this plant really discharging clean water? Is there anybody responsible for its maintenance? Why did the planners and executors of this project worth Rs5 billion not pay heed to this aspect?
We can understand that no project plan is perfect but its flaws can be improved and removed through feedback and reviews as the project progresses. Are they not reviewing it? Why can’t we study the example of European countries, like Germany, which have been extremely successful in such an initiative?
We have the indigenous expertise and resources available to do it successfully. What we do not have is the will and sincerity of purpose. Otherwise, bodies like the CDA would not have been pushing forward with installation of more filtration plants at a cost of Rs6 million, according to a news report recently.
SHAHID MAHMOOD
Islamabad
SOME foreign banks have opened offices countrywide but on the face of it is written, “This is not a branch” of the so and so bank. If not a branch, then when all the banking services are being provided, what those offices are doing? Did the State Bank allow this?
INAYAT SHEIKH
Karachi
There is no stormwater drainage system in Bhittai Colony on account of which the whole locality has turned into a dirty stinking lake. All the roads have been submerged in water. Pedestrians as well as vehicle owners have been facing a lot of hardships. They have to wade through mucky stagnant pools of water that spoils their clean clothes.
It would not be out of place to mention here that there is a well-designed stormwater drainage system at the site of 5,000 years’ old Moenjodaro. But it is surprising why such system does not exist in the present-day Bhittai Colony? Why this important factor is missed by the town planner in the modern age is incomprehensible.
Recently there was an opportunity to compensate this drawback by including it in the present civil work but the authorities sitting at the helm of affairs did not care for it. When will the time come they will realise their mistakes and rectify them? All around there are swarms of flies and mosquitoes and thousands of frogs croaking in the darkness of the night and dogs barking ferociously to the discomfiture of the residents trying to have some sleep.
The high-ups of military lands and cantonments should visit the Bhittai Colony and do the needful.
KHALID UMAR CHHURA
Karachi
THE number of prophecies and predictions spelt out by our minister for railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, on a daily basis should qualify him as the Nostradamus of Pakistan.
With a platoon of ministries and ministers already in place, parliament will readily pass a bill for the new ‘ministry of astrology’ and appoint our honourable railways minister as its unopposed head.
DR IRFAN ZAFAR
Islamabad
Although the recent process of mergers and rationalisation in the banking industry has been phenomenal, accompanied by vast improvement in their physical infrastructure, IT systems, salary levels, and financial strength, the operating aspects have not kept pace, resulting in serious deterioration in quality of customer service
As far as I know, the State Bank of Pakistan requires every bank to send monthly or, at least, quarterly statements to account - holders. For a majority of personal and business account holders the periodic statements are essential, especially because banks debit charges to accounts without sending any advice, thus keeping client in the dark about his correct bank balance. Twenty years back banks used to send debit/credit; advice as well as account statements regularly in spite of manual record keeping.
You would find most of the staff in banks clueless about the matters which they are supposedly handling and they would blame the head office or the computer system for their lack of knowledge. Centralised record keeping, without fast liaison and communication between staff located in different premises, leads to buck passing. Not only the banks fail to mail the statements, but are unable to provide account statement when someone goes personally to collect it on the ground of computer being down.
They debit charges with alacrity but would take days or even weeks to refund wrongly debited charges. Some banks even charge Rs50 for providing an account statement. The staff seldom attends to their telephone calls and I have counted 25 rings without getting any response. On many occasions the staff concerned is absent and everyone else presents thus an excuse for refusing to attend to the customer’s grievances.
Once I had requested a foreign bank where our firm had a 10-year relationship, to open an LC for import. Keeping the status of our account in mind, the bank should have done the needful in two days but the incompetent officers told me that the delay in LC opening was the result of the bank’s lack of interest in small business. After three to four weeks’ delay I went to see a senior official who at first said that he did not attend to such matters but would look into our case.
When I impressed on him the urgency, he was still reluctant to make any time commitment. Only when I asked him to let me know the name of any person in the bank who could say: “The buck stops here”, he realised his responsibility and resolved the matter next day.
The major reason of this state of affairs is the great paucity of educated, intelligent and well- trained staff. The State Bank also fails to properly oversee the service quality. I tried to contact SBP officials on certain banking matter but gave up when after four days of trying their UAN I failed to get connected to the ‘mysterious officer concerned’.
Although the State Bank has achieved many improvements in our banking scenario, it has miserably failed in staff training, quality of service and its recent debacle in printing of notes and minting of coins of durable quality, size and design (being its basic responsibility) is before all of us.
S. H. TEHSIN
Karachi
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