| September 09, 2007 | Sunday | Sha'aban 26, 1428 |
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Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan
Remedial measures
Misplaced optimism
Imminent political crisis
DHA today
Violation of UDHR
Clarification
Mediocrity can be fatal
Beach for sale — what next?
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
THERE are certain pacts and treaties between sovereign nations which go well beyond their actual wordings and proclaimed intentions. The fundamental motive behind such treaties is strategic.
One such treaty is the nuclear pact signed between the US and India. The obvious is the desire of the US to secure a large portion of the lucrative nuclear market in India, on the one hand, and the desire of India to obtain latest nuclear technology, on the other. This pact has ignored or mutilated the NPT. The same applies to Pakistan and the excuse given by the US is that Pakistan cannot check proliferation. Anyway, this pact has changed the concept of nuclear restraint for ever.
This pact will obviously turn India into a formidable nuclear power in future, notwithstanding the façade of protestations by the US. Unless there is a fairly full consensus between the US and India for the global realities and future developments in this area, such a treaty would not be workable. The obvious scenario is that the US expects India to act as its proxy in the area covering the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia and as a counter to China. This follows logically from the dream of Mr Nehru of making India a superpower in this area irrespective of Afro-Asian interests.
Pakistan should expect to be asked by the US to cooperate with India, in other words, coordinate with India its war against the so-called terrorism, thus allowing India to have bases in Afghanistan and the Gulf area. This is not far-fetched. This is logical if we consider that the US cannot afford, militarily or financially, to remain involved in this area indefinitely. All these moves are dictated by the possibility of US confrontation with China which requires cooperative India and Japan together.
Another underlying objective of the US behind the nuclear pact is to persuade India to award to the US the very lucrative contracts covering fighter aircraft etc. The US definitely expects India to take into consideration, while awarding the defence equipment contracts, the strategic consensus underlying the nuclear pact.
The pact would lead to very close cooperation between the US and India military establishments, the kind of cooperation which was seen in the 1960s onwards when Pakistan started receiving considerable military aid from the US. This kind of cooperation by its very nature requires close liaison and exchange of personnel between the military establishments. This is what happened in Pakistan leading to military dictatorships. When this happens in India, as it will, not only the political structure in India but also the balance of power in Asia would be destabilised.
The nuclear pact and its underlying objectives do not augur well for this area where the US requires collaborators and bases. The effort to establish bases in Central Asia evoked sharp response from China and Russia, resulting in the Shanghai Declaration and now joint military exercises in Central Asia.
The bloodshed and destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan are the result of the US anxiety to have permanent long-term presence in this area. A collaborator as powerful as India will considerably strengthen the US efforts to control the Middle East and Central Asia and to confront Russia and China.
In short, if India becomes the ally of the US, which the nuclear pact envisages, we can foresee a long period of instability and warfare in this area.
F. HASAN
Karachi
REFERENCE Anjum Niaz’s article in (Dawn Magazine, Aug 26) wherein she had stated that my father, Liaqaut Ali Khan, had married a Christian nurse, who “lived to serve women’s cause for decades”.
This came as a great surprise to me. We, as a family, have nothing against nurses of any religion and, in fact, my mother, Ra’ana Liaqaut Ali Khan, gave nursing as a profession great prominence, and encouraged women to take to nursing, as it was not looked upon favourably at the time of partition.
She herself, at the time she met my father, was Professor of Economics in the Indraprashta Girls College in Delhi. She had taken her master’s degree in Economics and Sociology from Lucknow University. She had then passed the Licentiate of Teaching examination of Calcutta University, standing first in both the theory and practice of teaching. APWA has recently published a book, Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan N.I., Biogrphy and Speeches, wherein detailed information on my mother is available to readers.
I am amazed that Anjum Niaz was not aware of these facts, since her mother, Begum Zeenat Fida Hassan, was closely associated with my mother in APWA.
ASHRAF LIAQAUAT ALI KHAN
Karachi
THIS has a reference to a news item, ‘No one can violate verdicts’: CJ’ (Sept 2), wherein the chief justice of Pakistan declared: “The decisions given by the superior courts were public property.” Hence 160 million eyes are glued on the Supreme Court and High Courts with awe and adoration presumptuously rejoicing and thinking that panacea of all societal evils has ultimately been found; however, it must urgently been realised that the judiciary is one of various pillars of the state having its own in-born limitations.
If the growing tendency of overburdening this pillar, emanating from all corners, is not curtailed soonest and the weight is not evenly distributed on other pillars, time is not far off when it would be near impossible to save the ship of the state from capsizing – God forbid.
Events are unfolding rapidly in such a manner that elites get flabbergasted easily. These are the times when the defining moments arrive and the weak-hearted cling to ‘status quo’ malaise. When I read M.M. Khan’s letter, ‘Beggary of a different kind’ (Sept 2), an idea came to my mind that the State Bank of Pakistan, being a primary and independent institution of the country, could comfortably provide a helping hand to the top adjudicators.
Mr Khan has vehemently lamented about the colossal loss to the state in the shape of write-offs and no recoveries. If the State Bank reopens the said cases, for instance Rs33 billion’s worth of written-off bank loans (as per Aug 25 editorial) could be bifurcated into the principal amounts and mark-up/interest amounts respectively. Later full recovery proceedings may be initiated against the chronic borrowers/defaulters stressing that the money falling in the former category would always remain public property; whereas the latter may be permitted as written-off heretofore. These remedial procedures would conform to the relevant SC 2000 verdict.
It may be recalled that Lt-Gen Amjad’s NAB recovered Rs24 billion, when Gen Musharraf was CEO; on the contrary the Central Board of Revenue doled out Rs74 billion tax refund. I have a hunch that tallying the subject files may reveal colossal public money if the two departments cooperate to take remedial measures as per the SBP pattern proposed. May Almighty give us the strength to rise above our petty interests.
Ameen.
MOHAMMAD AHMAD
Karachi
BETWEEN the year 2001, when Pakistan knew no suicide bombings and hardly any bomb blasts, and 2007, when we are second only to Iraq in these matters, life has become most uncertain and unpleasant.
However, instead of realising that despite having been at the helm along with his ‘unified command’ all this while, President Gen Pervez Musharraf has been a major part of the problem, rather than the solution, he continues to delude himself and the nation that, if re-elected, he would put everything right.
Similarly, Benazir Bhutto has gone into overdrive in trying to convince her western patrons that, in league with the army-backed Musharraf even alone, she would banish extremism and terrorism from the land.
She doesn’t comprehend that any leader seen as a liberal or a secularist, much less a western agent, stands no chance of getting the religious extremists and militants to adopt moderation. They will only take umbrage upon the prospect of Pakistan being ruled by such a person – that, too, a woman. Our best bet would be someone like the Turkish premier: modern yet observant of Islam, who is neither an enemy of the West nor its puppet.
IRSHAD SIDDIQUE
Karachi
ACCORDING to a news report the other day, the government is opening cases against the Sharif brothers to prevent their entry into Pakistan. This is very unfortunate being against the spirit of the Supreme Court’s verdict in this behalf. Regrettably, the government advisers have been consistently misguiding the president despite the reverses by the judiciary and adversely mounting sentiments of the people.
I am no political man nor do I favour any political party. But, as a senior citizen, I know that only the Nawaz Sharif government had done something for the welfare of senior citizens and poor people. For instance, small loans were advanced to people for self-employment of youth, yellow taxis were introduced, property taxes of widows were waived off and a package for senior citizens was announced.
A medical package was
also on the anvil which was blocked by the Musharraf government.
In fact, the common man does not understand macro-economy or stocks of foreign exchange (usually misused) until and unless the benefits reach them. There is nothing like ‘for the people’ so far by the Musharraf-Shauket Aziz dispensation.
The solution to the present political crisis is: all political leaders should be allowed to come back and take part in the general election; a caretaker government should be set up immediately; and the election commission should be allowed to do its duty without any interference or hindrance.
That will also be an honourable exit for the president in case he abstains from taking part in the election or he may do so as a civilian.
If the government decides to act on the wrong advice of its so-called well-wishers in the administration, it will be held responsible for the disaster that appears to follow. Hence, despite the promises with America or the American-backed deal of the PPP with the president, the wider national interest must be focused on.
MOHAMMAD ALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
IT was interesting to read Ijtaba Zaidi’s letter, ‘DHA today’ (Sept 3).
To add to the miseries of the DHA residents, I may draw their attention to the apathetic and lethargic attitude of the DHA administration.
In the road map of 22nd Street, Khayaban-i-Tanzeem, the road width of 40 feet is shown at the north of the street, adjoning Abdul Rasool Colony but the actual size is almost 20 feet, the rest is occupied by the land mafia. How could the DHA allow the encroachments and sit idle for many, many years?
Whenever I bring out my car I have to be very careful and vigilant (for want of sufficient space) not to hit the carpenter shop’s paraphernalia hanging around and nails scattered on the narrow lane. The carpenter is using the road as his workshop, making an unbearable noise while cutting woods at any time, no mercy on Sundays as well.
To deprive and misguide our visitors there is no signboard showing “22nd St. Khayaban-i- Tanzeem”, to prove it is a backward neglected area of the DHA. Maybe it is the price one has to pay for living in the so-called posh area. Very frequently the choked gutters flow like rivers giving a sense of village life. Yet one is required to pay high taxes for this ‘high perfumed’ environment.
May God help the DHA.
ASGHAR Z. ATTARWALA
Karachi
THE Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has served as the foundation for other UN human rights covenants which bar arbitrary arrest, detention or exile and guarantee everyone the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state and leave his own country and to return to it. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality etc.
It is strange that when the Sharif brothers were made to sign the ‘exile agreement’ under pressure, the other two parties did not sign it (i.e. the Saudi and Pakistan governments) thus making the ‘exile agreement’ null and void from a purely legal standpoint.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were probably aware of the UDHR’s international importance and, therefore, may have chosen not to sign the Sharif exile document due to any untoward international publicity this act may have caused them later.
The articles of this declaration that probably pertain to the Sharif brothers are Article 9, Article 13 and Article 15. In my humble view, the Saudi and Pakistani governments’ insistence that Nawaz Sharif should keep his promise violates the spirit of the UDHR.
M. N. KHAN
Columbus, Ohio, USA
THIS is apropos of the news item, ‘Pakistan urged to
comply with WTO standards’ (Aug 21), in which interpretations regarding the WTO agreements in relation to Pakistan’s market are incorrect.
The report implies that we are being dictated to comply with WTO standards, but the fact is that it is us Pakistanis who have realised that compliance with international standards are imperative to gain market access and increase competitiveness of our products.
WTO does not tell the government what to do. In fact, the situation is vice versa, members of the WTO, including Pakistan, decide certain parameters and take on certain obligations by choice (and not by force, as implied in the above-mentioned news item) in order to facilitate and improve the trading scenario to gain acceptability in the global market.
UZMA OSMAN
WTO Cell, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan
Karachi
IRFAN Malik’s article, ‘Mediocrity can be fatal’ (Sept 5) once again is brilliant to the pinching point and calls for whole-hearted support that the madness of so-called development of the city be halted and a master plan be prepared. In particular, the reckless sales of precious beach land should be stopped and the elevated expressway should be shelved for good.
All contracts for these projects awarded on a negotiated basis to foreign firms need to be carefully examined by a panel of honest town planners, reputable consultants and most reliable experts in the field of engineering. Indeed, “minting money through dubious means is one thing, playing with lives quite another”.
Enough is enough and we appeal to the nazim, Mustafa Kamal, to stop his TV sales talks and concentrate on implementing the repairs of roads, sewerage and water supplies to the citizens.
Mr Malik should know that there are specifications available on road making with the KMC and these are such that if roads were built in accordance with these specifications, the roads of Karachi would be solid and lasting.
We have seen these good roads being dug which could withstand the hammers of a sturdy, strong Pathan. But, of course, these roads were built by honest officials and contractors. We now learn that contracts are let out of which 60 per cent are siphoned as bribes and with a 20 per cent margin of profit, one can imagine what goes into road making. The bridge at FTC, Shahrah-i-Quaideen and Shaheed-i-Millat Road are already in tatters and need to be closely examined before yet another tragedy takes place.
We only hope that the city government and all agencies involved in the so-called development of Karachi would lend their ears to the voice of the people and give up undertaking mega projects and concentrate on implementing the ones undertaken.
MAHER ALAVI
Karachi
IN the present scenario of the so-called democracy our leaders through privatisation and otherwise have sold off some lucrative establishments like banks, mills, lands and God alone knows what else. This has been done on the pretext of paying off the foreign loans.
All that bragging of not carrying the ‘katora’ anymore now appears to be a whitewash to hoodwink the masses as our foreign debt has only been increasing all the time.
Now what about repayment of the huge loans borrowed from the local banks. I suppose we have to forget about it for the moment or, as the saying goes, this matter has been kept in the deep-freezer. The election is drawing nearer and nearer and lots of work have to be done to impress the voters, hence money has been required all the time.
By now our Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan Steel Mills, two of the robust earning entities, would also have been sold but for the timely notice by the judiciary. And now it is not over yet as plans are to sell PIA and more especially the Roosevelt Hotel of PIA situated in the heart of New York.
Newspaper reports indicate that efforts are at hand to sell this prime property at around half or even less than half the price. Luckily this matter has also been kept in abeyance.
The general public realises all this depreciation in value and also understands all this depredations but all these acts, or shall we say unnatural acts, are well conceived and carried out by the more affluent people.
The less affluent are worried about their wages so as to provide three meals to their families. Here again they are hampered by strikes, curfew, bomb blasts, etc. Some of them seek solace in relaxation, recreation and outing to the parks and the beaches. It seems that these simple enjoyments for the people are also going to be denied soon.
See ‘Expression of Interest’ (Aug 14). As an Independence anniversary ‘gift’, the Sindh planning and development department has invited investors and developers to develop the land around the Hawkesbay area. This has been only one of the two beaches where people normally flock on holidays for relaxation and fresh air, the other being Seaview.
The intentions may be good but has anyone taken into consideration that once the beach area is developed with luxury housing, commercial premises and waterfront, then it would be beyond the means of the poorer classes to venture there?
And what about the fishermen community who have lived there and earn their livelihood for decades? Besides, has anyone taken into consideration that Karachi is one of the best known grounds for turtles grooming and laying their eggs which is of immense interest to not only our own people from all over the country but also of foreign visitors?
We also have an organisation to save the turtles. If we cannot provide relief to the masses, then at least save the turtles. Perhaps the judiciary can take suo motu notice of this matter in the public interest and save this recreation spot.
KARAMALLY
Karachi
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