| September 16, 2007 | Sunday | Ramazan 03, 1428 |
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The Raja protests too much
‘R’ for road-rollers
Visitors to Saudi consulate
Mental Health Ordinance
Amazing Bangladesh cricketers
Shoaib’s fate
Elitist consensus
Cellphone use in jails
Musharraf and Laloo
Amendments to FCR vital
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
THANKS to Eric S. Margolis for writing an objective assessment of the ‘War on Iraq’ ( alias ‘Crusade on Islam’). His column at least acknowledges the failed war. The Americans are a great people, though they grabbed America from the British when they first colonised it, the worth of the land (continent ) became known to them at a much later stage. They eliminated the local population, re-established slavery and promoted it as a tool for development, but it goes to their credit that they eventually abolished it. They however, have not been fair and just to the original population.
They were not miserly and invited immigrants from all over the world to come and help in developing this prize piece of real estate. Today America is great for two reasons: one, it succeeded in enticing the brains of the world to come here; two, its forefathers had a penchant for research and progress.
Armed with these two ingredients, the Americans have used the great wealth at their disposal to create a refined society in which those who strive for advancement have a reasonably level playing field.
One has the option to live a quiet civilised life and the state (through taxation ) ensures the maintenance of facilities, infrastructure, legal systems and societal controls to keep their world on the right track. It has also pursued its military development to become the sole superpower. That said, it is not Utopia.
Having achieved a higher living standard, man does not look kindly on elements which tend to disrupt his way of life, that’s human nature. The murderous attack of 9/11 has left a major scar on the American psyche, the perpetrators have still to be indicted in a court of law. America needed to react, but in doing so it ignored international law and attacked the wrong people.
Any attack decision should first have been processed through the UN, isn’t that why it exists? The existence of Al Qaeda was known to the Americans, somehow it metamorphed into an organised force, the Americans used them as ‘the jihadis’, which were gathered, nurtured, funded, trained and armed by America itself to fight its Cold War in Afghanistan.
Thse mercenaries did not represent the Muslims of the world, they simply took control of Afghanistan in the same way as the colonists took control of America more than two centuries ago. The Afghan population, much like most of the Muslims in the world, are largely uneducated, to them life is a struggle to put two meals on the table, it doesn’t go much beyond that.
The Americans should be able to recognise the fact. Afghans have never had a representative government and if the 9/11 attack was planned and organised by the controlling group in Afghanistan, the civilian population was decidedly not responsible. Yet it is largely the civilian population which is being killed in the ‘war on terror’. In some parts of the world such killing is called genocide.
America is displaying the same hyperbolic curve of social and material development which reaches a peak and then declines. It has made big advancement in many respects but has lost its way in many others. Its way of dealing with 9/11 has belied its own lofty principles of integrity, law and justice. It has reverted to its Wild West dictum, shoot first, ask questions later.
American voters have realised that all is not well at the top, they have already voted for the change, but, their democracy is not the best of role models at this point, funding rules the roost and the reverse gear is missing.
I would invite the attention of all Pakistanis to see how important it is to have the ability to stop and change direction, once it is established that we are on the wrong track. The people who made America the greatest power are helpless in their efforts to change course, so Pakistanis must learn from it and if ever given the opportunity, they must devise a constitution and system which creates checks and balances to re-direct the government’s course of action if it strays, it has strayed in the past and no doubt it will in future.
RAHEEL MAHMOOD
USA
RAJA Zafarul Haq of the PML-N is right. There are few countries which permit as much interference in their internal affairs by foreign countries or foreign individuals as Pakistan.
However, the good Raja did not protest, nor the Sharif brothers object, when Saudi Arabia interfered in Pakistan’s internal affairs, with Saad Hariri of Lebanon facilitating the interference, in springing Nawaz Sharif, and Brother Shahbaz, from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, to the comforts of a palace in Jeddah.
Not once was a squeak let out by anyone in the PML-N complaining against interference in the internal affairs of the country so long as the Sharif family continued to live off Saudi largesse.
If it is wrong now for Saudi Arabia to ask Mr Sharif not to return to Pakistan but abide by the agreement he signed with them, it was wrong then for the Sharifs to sign such an agreement and accept Saudi Arabia’s intervention in springing them from jail.
The good Raja and his party began by strongly denying there was a written agreement against which the Sharif clan was allowed to leave for Saudi Arabia. Their denial became weaker when a copy of the agreement was produced by the government. It turned into a farce when the signed original of the agreement was produced by Saudi Arabia.
There was also insistent denial by the Raja of his leader’s foreign benefactors asking Mr Sharif to abide by the agreement, forcing the benefactors to come to Islamabad and make their advice to him public at a press conference, and to also produce the signed agreement.
For Mr Sharif to now claim he was ‘verbally assured’ by his Lebanese interlocutor that the period of his expulsion from the country would be five years, even if the agreement states this to be 10 years, at best seems like a last-minute wily tactic to save whatever little there may be left of his genuineness.
On top of all above, the good Raja and his leader cannot seem to stop droning on about the Constitution and rule of law. As if it was not the ‘heavy mandate legion’ of their party, but the French foreign legion, which mounted the famous 1997 charge on Supreme Court premises and which will undoubtedly count, with the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, as one of history’s more famous charges.
S. KHALID HUSAIN
Karachi
ONCE upon a time road-rollers were used to build and repair the city roads, alas no more in our cities now. Children’s alphabetical picture school book in our schooldays depicted ‘A’ for apple, ‘B’ for bat…… ‘R’ for road roller, etc. I am sure most of our younger children today would fail to recognise the good old R/R (with steal rollers drums) if they ever come across one by chance (not certainly on city roads). This is one reason why our newly-constructed roads suddenly buckle down even on less than the approved loads.
For some unknown reasons in the last two or so decades it has now become a regular practice to spread gravel, sand, shingles, reti and bajri on the road-building sites and leave the rest to the poor motorists. This goes on for at least a few months till the contractor feels fit to lay a thin layer of bitumen in order to get the last set of his bills passed promptly.
Besides causing several thousand sets of prematurely worn motor vehicle tyres (to the pleasant advantage of the tyre manufacturers perhaps), it certainly causes a lot of inconvenience, traffic hazard, accidents, delays to commuters, environmental pollution and dust allergies to innocent citizens (old and young).
The Karachi city government is requested to make it mandatory for all road builders to use road rollers which would not only speed up the work but avoid the related public health hazard.
IJTABA ZAIDI
Karachi
As Muslims we all aspire to visit Saudi Arabia for Umra/Haj and in search of employment. People of all ages, including women and children, have to queue up at the outer gate of the Saudi consulate in Karachi under the scorching sun. Until recently all visitors were allowed to enter the building and show their papers at the desk whence a clerk would direct them to the relevant window.
I find that these days a man stands up at the main door and checks the papers before allowing the person to enter the building for further processing of the work. This entails more waiting time under the scorching sun.
One can see people sweating and exchanging hot words with others who try to bypass them Some time even there is fist fighting or shoulder dashing against each other.
Is it not possible that the consulate should put up temporary fibre sheds to cover the open area between their office and the footpath side as already they have put up a heavy concrete removable wall to avoid movement of the outsiders.
Will some one look into this agony of the visitors and earn blessings of Allah during this Ramazan’?
ABDUR RAHIM
Karachi
DR Asma Humayun’s article, ‘Fate of the ordinance’ (Sept 13), highlights the pathetic state of mental health in Pakistan. The fact that despite the promulgation of Mental Health Ordinance in 2001 nothing has changed on the ground reflects the apathy of the government and the low priority accorded to psychiatry in Pakistan.
The need now is to make the Federal Mental Health Authority (FeMHA) functional with full powers. However, the government must take care in appointing the right people to this body. Having a title of ‘professor’ or ‘head of department’ should not automatically qualify people for this. Their biggest challenge would be to appoint people with the highest psychiatric qualifications which are exam-earned.
Those with minor or honorary qualifications should be excluded. Members should also have a proven record of impeccable ethical standards in their personal and professional lives. The worst that can happen is to appoint incompetent, unethical and poorly qualified people on the basis of cronyism and favouritism. This will be a great injustice to the marginalised and vulnerable psychiatric patients of this country.
PROF MURAD M KHAN
Aga Khan University Karachi
ONE could explain the phenomenon in any way on likes, but Bangladesh, like England, has come up in a big way in world-class cricket, displaying batting prowess during the recent World Cup and now on Sept 13 at Twenty20 World Championship at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Even as Pakistan defeated Scotland, the Bangladesh cricketers trounced West Indies, the former world champions, with a comfortable margin of six wickets, while their run rate was extraordinarily high throughout the match, closing at 9.17.
Interestingly, this was also the first victory for Bangladesh against West Indies in any form of international cricket, playing 13 ODIs, four Tests and one Twenty20 match. As bad luck greeted them, West Indies have been eliminated from the most exciting World Cup of cricket in the first round following their eight-wicket defeat against hosts South Africa in the inaugural match on Sept 12.
Earlier, sent in to bat first, West Indies scored a fighting 164 for eight wickets in quota 20 overs with opener Devon Smith making 51 off 52 balls. Bangladesh, riding on a 109-run third-wicket partnership between skipper Ashraful and one down Aftab Ahmed, easily reached their target of 165 runs with two overs remaining for the loss of four wickets. Ashraful, however, was the most expensive of the Bangladesh bowlers conceding 55 runs in four overs for one wicket. But his excellence in batting with 61 runs off just 27 deliveries with seven fours and three sixes overshadowed his expensive leg spin bowling conceding 55 runs for a wicket so lavishly.
Aftab Ahmed with 62/49 balls (not out) and skipper Mohammad Ashraful (62/27 balls) quickly reached their team to victory stand with their fine runs. The 23-year-old right-handed batsman’s rare feat in the 20-over-a-side international came of just 20 balls that featured seven fours and three sixes. Ashraful reached the 50 mark with a mighty six to overhaul Sri Lankan batting sensation Sanath Jayasuriya’s record of fastest 50 off 23 balls in the Twenty20 cricket. Ashraful wrote his name in the history of international cricket scoring the fastest ‘50’ in the Twenty20 International against West Indies and was adjudged man of the match.
Bangladesh have thus already secured their place in the next round. One is not very sure if they have overcome the ‘pressure’ tactics from the opponents. Since the course of sports is unpredictable, one has to only eagerly await the outcome of the finals of Twenty20.
DRA BDUL RUFF COLACHAl
New Delhi, India
SHOAIB Akhtar is a great fast bowler. It will be tragic if his indiscipline were to lead to punishment that would stop the world from seeing him bowl. The Pakistan Cricket Board is entitled to fine him heavily for his misbehaviour and Mohammad Asif is certainly entitled to charge him with assault. But to deny a man the right to work in the only manner he knows would be, to my mind, unfair.
It would also deprive cricket watchers of one of the most stirring sights in world cricket: the Rawalpindi Express steaming in to bowl.
AAKAR PATEL
Mumbai, India
THIS has reference to Ishrat Husian’s comments on Tasneem Siddiqui’s rather well written article under the above caption. Mr Husain is an author of a number of books and instead of feeling slighted by an odd remark, he should be proud to have been quoted.
Mr Husian is right when he says that in his book on Pakistan’s elitist economy, he had included the military amongst the guilty elite. But during his six-year tenure as governor of the State Bank of Pakistan did he ever raise his voice against the killing burden of defence? Perhaps, he is one of those who believe that development and such huge defence expenditure can go together.
Coming to his assertion that access to credit to 4.5 million applicants from the middle class, small farmers, SMEs, has the potential to breach the elitist domination of the economy, one can point out two fallacies in his argument: (a) most of these borrowers belong to 20 per cent urban middle and lower middle classes who have always been beneficiaries of government policies, and (b) in a country where 75 per cent population survive on two dollars a day, access to micro finance, even if available, hardly makes a difference.
There is ample evidence to show that for majority of the poor living in rural areas, mere availability of micro finance is not enough. Most important thing for them is to have a piece of cultivable land, potable water, sanitation, farm-to-market roads, veterinary services for their cattle, good health and provision of education for their children. Without these basic requirements, micro finance is just a slogan, signifying nothing.
JUNAID SHAHID
Via email/
Pakistan is in the grip of terrorism and has been virtually turning out to be a criminals’ den. Hardly a day is passed without murders, dacoities, etc. The criminals are let loose and too smart for the law enforcers or the law enforcers are not serious to bust these gangs.
Even if criminals are caught and put behind bars, they enjoy full liberty and top facilities. The most important and serious thing which the authorities turn a blind eye to is the use of cellphones by the top criminals, including murderers, who are able to run their gangs effectively with the use of cellphones. Jails have become top criminal dens.
I would suggest that a proper legislation should be made against the use of cellphones in jails and top quality jamming devices should be installed in all our jails.
VAQAR NAQVI
Peshawar
GEN Musharraf must be very impressed by Indian politician Laloo Prasad Yadav. By nominating his wife Sehba Musharraf as his covering candidate, he is using the same tactics Laloo used when he sensed he was having trouble getting himself re-elected.
NUSRAT VOHRA
Karachi
BRINGING amendments to the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) is the need of the hour. The FCR comprises a set of laws enforced by the British Raj in the Pakhtun-inhabited areas. They were specially devised to counter the fierce opposition of the Pakhtuns to the British rule, and their main objective was to protect the interests of the British.
The FCR dates back to the occupation of the six Pakhtun-inhabited Frontier districts by the British in 1848. The regulation was re-enacted in 1873 and again in 1876, with minor modifications.
With the passage of time, the regulation was found to be inadequate and new acts and offences were added to it to extend its scope. This was done through promulgation of the Frontier Crimes Regulation 1901
The FCR advocates collective punishment and many human rights activists argue it promotes human rights abuse.
According to the FCR, despite the presence of popularly elected tribal representatives, parliament can play no role in the affairs of the area.
Article 247 of the Pakistani Constitution provides that no Act of Parliament applies to Fata, unless the president so desires. Only the president is authorised to amend laws and promulgate ordinances for the tribal areas.
Sections 22 and 23 of the FCR territorial responsibility and collective punishment could not be imagined in a civilised society. Political agents’ decisions and punishments are not based on any law and order and these can’t be challenged in any court of the country, even in Supreme and high courts of Pakistan. There is no concession for women and children under this black law.
All over the world a government is responsible for protecting the rights of people living in the country but under the FCR it’s the poor tribal people who are made to protect the government interests.
Under the FCR the common man is not allowed to even speak before the political administration. The political administration includes one political agent, an assistant political agent, a few tehsildars and political moharrirs (lower division clerks) who consider themselves to be above everything.
Many women, men and children are punished under this law. The minor punishments include imprisonment (from one day till death), high fines, destruction of homes and properties and locking of shops and in some cases execution. These punishments cannot be challenged in any court of Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan should form a committee of Supreme and high court judges to prepare a feasibility report so that Fata can be brought under the Pakistan Constitution.
In this regard some political government of Pakistan did try a little to remove the FCR but they have always depended on the feasibility report by political agents who never want Fata to come under the Pakistan Constitution.
RIAZ ALI TOORI
Malana village
Parachinar
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