| September 13, 2007 | Thursday | Sha'aban 30, 1428 |
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Deportation of Nawaz
Property tax collection
Traffic jams
A medico-legal case
Northern Bypass bridge
Remembering Tabish Dehlvi
Tennis in Pakistan
Safety precautions
Withstanding future storms
Khar
Three amigos
Double standard
New terms
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
APROPOS of Tasneem Siddiqui’s article, ‘Elite consensus under strain’ (Aug 30), I should like to say that in the rapidly developing scenario the white-collar citizenry is losing its say in national matters, by keeping aloof from political processes, particularly abstaining from casting their vote or protesting on streets or participating in political ‘jalsas’, etc. They have acquired a habitat for themselves which is quite ‘exotic’ for general populace.
Only a microscopic minority (mostly comprising persons who are surviving beyond their expiry date) listens to the high-profile political discussions on electronic media. How many of us are knowledgeable enough to read and digest the sedate and sobre feature articles published in newspapers?
Because of the almost total abstinence of the white-collar elite from civic obligations, the basics of polity and statecraft are fast slipping out of hands of those who are supposed to carry the onus of society at large. The vacuum thus caused is being filled by vested interests, extremists, fundamentalists, etc.
Not to speak of participating in any general assemblage of protests, they consider it below their prestige to come out, even to stand in line with the commoners to cast their votes. It is a fact that no one from the so- called ‘upper class’ or cream of society has ever gone through the process of elections. Those who contest for some office also themselves do not cast their own vote. They know they do not have to do so because they are born to rule, and they and their succeeding generations continue to maintain ascendancy of their region.
It is time each and every citizen, particularly the educated ones, the crème de la crème, came forward, owned this country founded by them and their elders and took active part in the socio-political processes aimed at evolution of self-respecting nationhood.
This is particularly incumbent on those, howsoever old and senile, who have gone through the rigours of this country’s birth to come forward and contribute their bit before it is too late. The younger generation needs exposure to Pakistan.
With three million ‘mukti bahnis’ waiting in every nook and corner, we may not have much time left. Please read the writing on the wall and overcome the complacency now.
DR. M. SAYEDAIN JAFFERY
Karachi
I WOULD like to register my strong protest against the ‘abduction and deportation’ of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
I feel very embarrassed and ashamed because of the irresponsible actions of the law enforcement agencies at Islamabad airport in violations of the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. If the civil servants of Pakistan don’t heed the court orders, they do not deserve to be kept on the pay rolls of the state.
By using the public servants to deport Nawaz Sharif, Gen Pervez Musharraf has once again proved that he has no regard for the laws and Constitution of Pakistan.
MAJID QAZI
Toronto, Ontario
I AM an ordinary Pakistani and hence you can call me public. I must state that I am not from any political party and hence I will try to highlight general public opinion about the issue.
I am shocked to hear that this defiance of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision was done to “safeguard the interests of the Pakistani people and protect the country’s stability.”
Oh please stop doing anything in our name and for our benefit. Do you really believe that the Supreme Court wanted instability in country?
Our benefit lies in the rule of law and justice. The ‘agreement’ which the Saudi intelligence chief showed was nothing in the eyes of law as was declared by the Supreme Court and everyone shall do everything to uphold the law.
Whenever the chief judge used to pass a judgment, it was blindly followed by the executives and the order used to be implemented in letter and in spirit and that’s the history of Islam but alas the opposite thing has been done.
If there is any legal case against Mr Sharif, he should have a chance to defend himself in a Pakistani court and not by keeping him hostage in his Saudi jail.
UMAR KHALID DAR
Via email
THE Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF), Karachi, collects house and conservancy tax from the areas falling within its jurisdiction in Gulistan–i- Jauhar. The pensioners of the government and semi-government departments are given 100 per cent rebate in house tax, but sadly no rebate is given in conservancy tax, which the pensioners find very ironical.
The pensioners are required to provide their particulars every year to seek the rebate on the plea that the CBF wants to make sure that the property is not let out and is in the use of the owner himself or herself. The particulars submitted once can be got into CBF computers, saving the pensioners the hassle of submitting the same year after year.
If a pensioner is dishonest, he can seek the rebate, even without his or her living in a flat or a house on which tax is levied. This old stereotyped procedure needs further simplification.
The CBF has nominated only one branch of the National Bank of Pakistan, which has now shifted from its old CDD area, Sharea Faisal, Karachi, to Rufi Mall, Block No. 18, Gulistan-i-Jauhar.
The providers of the utilities like electricity, gas, telephone and water have now arranged with all banks and their branches to accept their bills, but in case of the CBF there is only branch of the NBP.
The CBF should allow other banks also to collect their property tax bills for the convenience of senior citizens, some of whom are pensioners. Besides, the CBF has made the bank to charge Rs15 for service on each and every bill, which is also required to be borne by the CBF, as other providers of the utilities are doing. It will come as further relief to the pensioners whose pension is already measly.
Hope the CBF will give a sympathetic consideration to the requests being made for rebate in conservancy and allowing other banks to accept their taxes, and also see that bank service charges are borne by CBF itself.
A PENSIONER
Karachi
A MAJOR traffic jam recently in Karachi’s Orangi township, especially the portion between Banaras Chowrangi and Abdullah College, will be remembered by a happy couple and also by some mourners.
A lady on way to a hospital in the taxi gave birth to a baby, who could not wait; she was stuck in the jam. ‘Thanks’.
Three patients died as no medical attention could be provided to them in time; their vehicles were stuck in the jam. ‘No thanks’.
Would it be any wise to figure out who was responsible for the traffic jam? Or who is accountable for all the traffic jams anyway? Now the blame game — the popular sport in our society — would begin.
The traffic jams have become commonplace in Pakistan. Aren’t we proud that we have so many cars in our country, that is, we are so rich? Are we ashamed that our vehicle drivers are so uneducated, wild, hasty, obstinate, arrogant and unmindful of other people’s predicaments? Are we embarrassed that our half-a- million-strong police force is useless? Are the city governments also a contributor to this havoc?
Even the Supreme Court had to take suo motu action to find out the reasons for such traffic jams as the historic one we have seen on Karachi on Aug 14.
But then, we have seen a way out of such confusion on Aug 31 — the strike by the oil companies; there was no petrol pump open and not much traffic was seen on the roads. I wish it could continue. These companies are fleecing the government in the shape of exorbitant profit.
M.K. NAQVI
Karachi
ON Aug 23 at 3.45pm my daughter was shot at point blank in the thighs and her money was snatched. The two culprits then escaped. She was profusely bleeding. I took her to a nearby hospital which is well-equipped with necessary instruments and employs proficient doctors. I very earnestly requested them to provide first aid to stop the bleeding but they declined, saying they could not touch it as it was a medico-legal case and only the Jinnah Hospital could handle it.
On the way to the hospital the ambulance wailing was partly heeded by car drivers, to whom I am very thankful, but some of them did not budge an inch. We covered a distance of 14km in 48 minutes. The overcrowded emergency section provided the patient with X-ray and first aid and asked me to take the patient back home. At home we found that she was still bleeding and the service at Jinnah Hospital was just an eyewash.
To take the patient to a better hospital we ran after an ambulance again which was again trapped in a traffic jam. We could provide the required treatment at 10.15pm.
I request the government to allow local hospitals to provide first aid to medico-legal patients to reduce their sufferings. Next I request the vehicle drivers to provide space to the ambulances (with and without patients) in the name of humanity.
RAEES AHMED KHAN
Karachi
THE sudden collapse of the Northern Bypass bridge has raised several questions about the safe standards, quality of material used and durability of all flyovers, underpasses and roads already constructed and being used as well as about all those projects still under process of construction at different locations under the development programme of Karachi by the city district government of Karachi.
Whosoever is directly or indirectly responsible for this tragedy must be exposed to justice without fear and favour of any one regardless of his status. To avoid repetition of such incidents, the following measures have to be ensured:
a. Review of development plan and re-inspection of the site of all projects, newly constructed and under construction in Karachi.
b. Round-the-clock stationing of professional engineers at the site of each project under process of construction to ensure the fulfilment of the required standards.
c. Positioning of all required equipment at site to operate the rescue work, demolition of all old or newly-constructed projects constructed with imitated material and found below safety standard, if any, anywhere in Karachi.
d. Put the names of defaulters of the current incident on the ECL to ensure their apprehension.
e. Ensuring alternative way out with demarcation of boundaries, lighting of detours as a precautionary measure at the site of construction to minimise inconvenience to citizens.
The Jauhar Bridge in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, constructed more than a decade before and in frequent use of all kinds of light and heavyweight vehicles, is in a dilapidated condition and poses danger to the safety of citizens passing over it, requiring immediate review and inspection of the site.
There are many other projects under process of construction all over the city, including Gulistan-i-Jauhar, where no professional engineers are available to supervise the progress of work while unskilled labour is attending to jobs in a disorganised manner and no alternative way out arranged at site of dug- up trenches, causing inconvenience to citizens, in general, and residents, in particular.
The current incident as an eye opener for all authorities concerned to review the development work in Karachi, keeping in view the safety of citizens.
HASAN ADIL MALIK
Karachi
THE Northern Bypass bridge collapsed merely 20 days after being made operational. It was shocking to note that main contractor M/s NLC was not seen at the project site though the defect liability period of any project is at least one year, as per the standard contract condition after commissioning and handing over of the project.
The NLC should have immediately turned up with their engineers to design and deal with this emergency. Instead the CDGK, the KPT and the Navy were called to deal with the situation though they do not have any knowledge or know-how to deal with such kind of emergency.
In my opinion the main contractor NLC should take full responsibility for this disaster instead of shifting the blame on any other subcontractor and start the dismantling operation after proper designing.
It may be noted that after detection of the fault before the foreign experts were called in, a Pakistani expert who is in the field for quite a long time has suggested dismantling the same portion of the bridge and building it again but the suggestion was disregarded.
MOHAMMED NASIM GHAURI
Karachi
THIS is apropos of a news item (Sept 8) regarding a literary reference for Ishfaq Ahmed on the occasion of his third death anniversary at Pakistan Letters of Academy (PLA).
Ishfaq Ahmed was a respected personality in Urdu literature and he deserves more than a reference. Some research work should also be initiated on the various aspects of his literary life.
But at the same time the admirers of Urdu literature are justified in asking the PLA, in general, and Iftikhar Arif, in particular, whether there would be a literary reference for noted Urdu classical poet and writer Tabish Dehlvi also, whose third death anniversary is falling on Sept 23. Or will Arif keep on supporting literary figures of a particular group?
Tabish Dehlvi was a connoisseur of Urdu literature and his poetic splendour has left a long-lasting impression on the minds of the people. Urdu ghazal would never attain the same exalted status that it had achieved in Tabish’s dominion.
Be it nazm, nasr or heiko, Tabish proved his mettle in all.
It may also be mentioned here that as Masood Tabish he was acknowledged as an eminent broadcaster from the 1940s to the 1960s and remained a role model for younger broadcasters. He was a newscaster par excellence and ruled over the skies for several decades. In the post-1947 period he was regarded as the new country’s most prominent newscaster.
TASLIM HYDER
Karachi
IT IS extremely disappointing that overage players like Ahmed Aslam, Omar Babar and Tanweer Ashiq are still playing junior tennis. This does not show well on the Pakistan Tennis Federation which has a reputation for not implementing the age-restriction in junior tournaments. This not only discourages genuine youngsters but kills talent and further discredit Pakistan’s image.
BILAL HASAN
Canterbury, England
DURING my recent visit to a cinema house in the DHA, Karachi, the electricity went off three times. The exit signs were not lit and I realised that there was no emergency lights mechanism in the cinema hall. The walkways were not lit either. Also the emergency exits were non-existent.
God forbid if any fire erupts in this cinema, hundreds will lose their lives. The irony is that these measures do not require heavy investment either.
ARIF IRSAHAD
Karachi
SAILORS believe it is a ‘bad omen’ to see mice abandoning a ship in port, and consider it a sign that the ship is going to sink. After long years of service at sea I see it happening now. We all saw mice abandon the ‘Bush-Blair ship’ in the US and the UK.
And now we see our own country mice are abounding the ‘PML-Q, PML-N, PPP, PPPP’ ships, all with holes at bottom.
When forced by mother nature, the captain used to order ‘abandon ship’, but traditionally, he was either the last person to leave or he went down with the ship with honour. It does not happen any more.
We are in an era where (sometimes) ships are even deliberately sunk by their own captains, and they are flown to safety by helicopters comfortably.
Own (national) ship, after taking a battering in the last storm, seems to be seeking shelter in a ‘part of refuge’. And we don’t foresee a favourable wind in the near future; we must soon repair or renew our ropes and sails in order to be able to withstand any future storms.
The general could have created national history and secured a ‘place of honour’ by announcing his retirement on the 60th anniversary of the nation last month.
It is never too late and since another national day is coming after two months (Dec 25) before the New Year. An honest caretaker government of national consensus can still be formed but only if there is a will to avoid more collateral damage.
IJTABA ZAIDI
Karachi
IT is a great pleasure and very amusing to know that Ghulam Mustafa Khar got the job of Nawaz Sharaif’s spokesman as well as the bodyguard.
Mr Khar has now proved the old age is dotage or he is a rolling stone. He has qualm about Benazir Bhutto’s deal but why did he choose to keep mum or keep his lips tight over the Nawaz deal?
DR. NASIM AUN JAFRI
Karachi
THE country’s population is about 160 million and we can’t find one solitary figure capable and brave enough to take us out of this quagmire -- other than those tested three amigos. What will they do differently now, after the election, that they couldn’t or didn’t want do before?
Bury your head in the sand and expect the same or worse…
G PIRACHA
Guyana, South America
RECENTLY, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, an MNA of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, escaped from the court after his request for bail before arrest was rejected.
Mr Bijarani was found guilty of being involved in a jirga that ordered the handing over of underage girls to settle a dispute.
However he remains a member of the PPP headed by an ‘enlightened’ lady who claims she can save Pakistan from Talibanisation.
Will the party expel Mr Bijarani for his involvement in such an anti-woman act?
SAFEER ULLAH KHAN
Mansehra
AFTER having experienced the success of ‘enlightened moderation’, we have now been introduced to ‘enlightened deportation’.
SAMI KUREISHY
USA
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