| September 18, 2007 | Tuesday | Ramazan 05, 1428 |
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Victimisation at school
Withstanding future storms
Iraq and Vietnam
Deportation of Nawaz
A piece of advice
Cracker of a contest
Observations about Muslims
Health hazards
State of hockey
Parents need to change
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 vice chairman of the PPP, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, has announced that Benazir Bhutto would be coming to Karachi on Oct 18 after ending her eight years of self-exile.
The presidential election is going to be held early next month, and on Oct 12 Gen Musharraf would also be completing his eight years of rule.
Ms Bhutto has several times spoken of establishing the rule of democracy in Pakistan and has come back with her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s slogan of roti, kapra aur makan which he had used during his party’s election campaign in the early 70s.
But to mark a specific date for establishing democracy in Pakistan, it would have been more ideal for Ms Bhutto to return on Oct 12 which is remembered as ‘coup date’, as Gen Musharraf took over the charge of the country in a bloodless coup.
But Ms Bhutto is returning on Oct 18 which means she, as well as her PPP, does not want to become a hurdle in the presidential election. There is little possibility that any further talks will be held between the president’s aides and Ms Bhutto, rather it is quite possible that PPP members may resign from parliament in protest against the election rules that are amended for the president by the election commission.
After the forced exile of Nawaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia on Sept 10, now only Ms Bhutto is left in the field who would want to become PM for the third time.
Perhaps President Musharraf may have given a serious thought to making Ms Bhutto PM for the third time, but in the present scenario the president does not seem have any choice other than listening to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who has once again assured him that the PML-Q would re-elect the president for another five-year term.
A majority of PML-Q members do not want President Musharraf to indirectly or directly talk with Ms Bhutto or her party members about sharing power or developing consensus on issues, as this will put PML-Q members in a much awkward position.
What will be the new political setup in the country, one will only come to know when the general election is over. The president will then ask the head of the majority winning party to form the new government.
But for Ms Bhutto to become PM for the third time, it is necessary for her to face the cases pending in local courts. Once the cases are decided, there should be no impediment to her way in filing nomination papers with the election commission.
Members of the present or future National Assembly also need to pass a bill with a two-thirds majority that a two-time prime minister can also hold the office of prime minister for the third-time.
In Sindh, the largest political party, MQM, has also welcomed the announcement of Ms Bhutto that she would be returning to Karachi on Oct 18. It is quite possible that people of Karachi would once again witness a big rally that will come out when Ms Bhutto will land at Karachi airport.
There is no doubt Ms Bhutto would once again mobilise the party workers but it entirely depends on how things move politically. The PPP can only dominate the country when it will secure a two-thirds majority in parliament.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
THE government of Punjab could not conduct middle standard examinations this year due to some reasons and, as a result, has promoted the children to the next grade, i.e.Class IX, (so that the students might not lose another year again in the same Class VIII.
The new session at schools has started and books have been distributed in most of the schools. The registration fee for the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, which amounts to
Rs450, has also been collected in the government schools in most of the cases.
However, it is very sad to say that at a school for girls at township, Government Practising Girls High School, near the Bomb Disposal Squad Office, the administration of the morning shift is forcing some students to quit the school against the government policy (which has declared all the students passed).
Almost 13 girls have been forced to quit the school in the morning shift. It is interesting that the students finding no other option have to join the evening shift to continue their studies and the headmistress of the evening shift has no objection to their admission in the school.
Our sister is also among these students who are being forced to quit the school without any reason.
We tried to contact the relevant authority but we were put off. We regret that the situation at the government school at township has become such that one cannot even protest against the excesses being perpetrated. The higher authorities are requested to look into the problem.
SOBAN AHMAD
Lahore
A RUDDERLESS ship or one without a destination is certainly the most undesirable and dangerous situation at sea, even in calm seas. This holds equally true for nations as well, particularly our own these days. September and October generally are regarded as the months of hurricane, cyclones and typhoons the world over. Unfortunately more political storms are brewing up in our country (foreseeable) in the coming months.
We have neither learnt from our past bitter experience nor from our unpleasant history so far. Lack of foresight and sincerity not only divided our country in half but still haunts the nation with uncertain future and unpleasant dreams.
I am not a pessimist but the prevailing dark political scenario shows few ‘beacons of light’ which only if availed in time to navigate us out of the troublesome waters may lead us to smooth sailings which our Quaid’s dreamed of.
There must not only be determination but also sincerity of purpose in our leaders, as well as in individuals, if the nation is to survive the present stormy season and march towards true progress and stability, political and economic, like other respectable and civilised nations.
IJTABA ZAIDI
Karachi
PRESIDENT George Bush keeps on insisting that the Americans withdrew from Vietnam too soon. The fact is that Americans did not withdraw from Vietnam; they were rather chased out of Vietnam.
Americans were given a deadline to leave the territory and from the evacuation scenes that I saw on the television, I remember that towards the closing stages they got into such a state of panic that they were almost falling over each other in order to get out fast. With the morale of American forces being what it was, their exit would have been rather difficult to delay.
Now, there is talk of victory and defeat and of the American soldiers losing life and limb for Iraqis. It is made to appear as if the Americans are making great sacrifices in order to better the lot of Iraqis; the truth being the exact opposite.
As a consequence of the unjust invasion of Iraq, a few hundred thousand Iraqis got killed, many times that were wounded and a few million forced to seek refuge in the neighbouring countries.
Those staying in Iraq are living in misery due to continuing violence and collapsed infrastructure; decent localities turned into heaps of rubble by indiscriminate bombarment. In these circumstances, any decent, caring person could not even dream of describing the situation in terms of victory, now or any time in the future. It is a defeat, pure and simple, for everyone and most of all, for the Americans and their collaborators who initiated this death and destruction.
S.R.H. HASHMI
Karachi
A SECTION of people think that Nawaz Sharif should not have been deported. Don’t they know the real story which took place eight years ago?
Gen Pervez Musharraf, chief executive at that time, was coming back from Sri Lanka in PIA plane and its destination was Karachi. Nawaz Sharif, the then prime minister of Pakistan, ordered the pilot not to land at Karachi airport under any circumstances.
The plane was full with passengers which included 250 students of a very prestigious school. Why was the then PM not allowing the plane to land at Karachi? What was the real intention because he had already terminated the services of many heads of the many institutions?
The Pakistan Army must have been watching all his unfair actions, so while Gen Musharraf’s plane was in the air, the Pakistan Army took over the control of the government.
The anti-terrorism court (created by Nawaz Sharif’s government) sentenced Nawaz Sharif to a 25 years’ imprisonment on a charge of hijacking a plane. He was jailed but he started begging through the foreign governments to obtain a pardon for him and allow him and his family to go out of Pakistan for 10 years. He signed an undertaking at that time to stay outside -- Saudi Arabia -- for 10 years and not to be active in politics.
The worth of that undertaking is so important and great that he enjoyed a life of luxury in Saudi Arabia with all comforts, instead of sitting in a jail cell. Now on what basis some people think and very conveniently they utter that every citizen of Pakistan has a right to come back. Every citizen does not give an undertaking that he or she will not come back.
KHALID R. QURAISHI
Karachi
I AM writing this letter to let you and the people of Pakistan know that our army should have never gone into the tribal areas to fight terrorism or extremism. This was an area that Pakistan never had problem with.
These tribal people were living a very peaceful life and never bothered the Pakistanis. As a matter of fact, these people fought very well in the past against any external forces who attacked Pakistan.
These tribal areas provided Pakistan a buffer zone against Afghanistan and India. These people are and have been good fighters and very patriotic to Pakistan. They deserve respect and listening ears. We should do more good than harm to them.
I think President Musharraf made a big blunder to listen to foreign governments and sent the army to fight these tribal people. We are having problems in Balochistan, NWFP and Sind. Life of an ordinary citizen is not safe. We are all Muslims first then Punjabi, Baloch, Sindhi, or Pathan. It is a very hard and difficult road that Pakistan has taken.
Fighting against each other inside Pakistan might lead to disintegration if we are not careful. The people in power should preach peace, hard work, and getting along well with our brothers and sisters in Pakistan and other Muslim countries.
Pakistan is a very rich and proud country with excellent resources and hard working people. Nobody should tell us how to run Pakistan.
All matters should be resolved peacefully and Pakistanis should work toward progress, improving their lives and their country. We need to practise jihad which is not to fight each other but to control our tempers, develop a habit of listening to others, even if it is a critique.
To become a better Muslim, one should become a better human being first. Muslims have earned a bad name in the past. To eradicate that stigma and black mark, we must live an exemplary life and work hard to better ourselves.
We must control our population growth because Pakistan is running out of land. It has created so many social, economic, family problems.
Many people have four to six children with no source of income and they rely on others’ help. The leaders should launch a big campaign of “fewer children, more prosperity”.
MOHAMMAD FAROOQUE
Virginia, USA
IT could have been a fitting end to a tremendous contest. big crowd, colourful atmosphere and topping it all up an Indo-Pakistan contest in the Twenty20 contest and what more could we have asked for than a tied match between the two traditional arch rivals. But the officials wanted to ruin the party by introducing a farcical rule.
Under normal circumstances Pakistan would have been definite winners by virtue of losing fewer wickets but the ‘bowl-out’ allowed India to run away with the game by hitting their targets thrice compared to their adversaries who could muster no points at all.
Such rules are applicable in soccer and hockey only when the fate of the game and the contest has to be decided on shootouts when regular time and extra time end in stalemate.
But here both teams had qualified for the contest. Once Pakistan could not get to the target in 14 overs or thereabout, it was needless to produce a forced result.
In a purely tied encounter had the points been shared, Pakistan would have topped the group and had Pakistan won on losing fewer wickets, the outcome would have been the same.
Strange are the ways of the ICC. But all in all a highly entertaining and absorbing contest, perhaps the best this contest has witnessed this far.
MANSOOR RIZVI
Karachi
I HAVE felt, reading letters in these columns, there is always a concern how the Muslims in India go through. I am sure they have genuine concerns of what their aspirations are and what fears do they live in.
My profession as a paediatrician, catering, for over 10 years, to an area that has a sizable Muslim population, I have the honour to closely interact with them.
These are my observations:
a. They are simple folks, God-fearing, amenable to suggestions if it falls within the tenets of the Holy Book.
b. They have generalised opinions of what is going on in this world, based more on what is told to them than processing the information themselves. This would cover anything from Palestine to Iraq.
c. They would rarely enter into a discussion over Kashmir. If they do, they want it to be with India. Remove the fear of having an independent opinion from this, because they are my good friends.
d. It seems to be a society that moves in small interactive whirlpools. It seems to be churned like the synchronised wheels of a clock. The local mullah churns some part of the society and, on the other hand, the daily rigours of life churn the other wheels.
e. Getting an education is a priority, be it in government schools.
f. Economically, they seem to be getting better off, than say five years back.
g. They have a soft corner for Pakistan. It is not the way some Hindu organisations percieve. It is like a phantom pain. I know of an old gentleman who died of a heart attack, when India lost an ODI.
h. The number of children in a family is slowly getting to three, at least in the families I know.
i. Muslim women are getting more enlightened and free. They understand that the future of their children lies in good education.
j. The economic threads between Hindus and Muslims are strongly interwoven. Over a period of time I have seen that the jobs that are education-based are being taken by young Muslim boys. Many medical representatives, smartly dressed, confident are young Muslim boys.
DR VIMAL RAINA
New Delhi.
OUR children read in the City School, Darakhshan Campus A, Clifton, Karachi, and are exposed, along with other students, to health hazards as the basement of the school building where classes would be held earlier has now stagnant water from the last rainfall.
I would request the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to drain out the rainwater from the premises of the school.
WORRIED PARENTS
Karachi
IT is sad how ill informed our hockey moguls are. How can we expect them to be of any benefit for hockey in this country?
Pakistan finished fifth by defeating Argentina in the last Champions Trophy and qualified for Lahore CT.
As FIH has moved the CT from Lahore, Pakistan still has the right to play in the tournament.
ASRAR AHMED
Karachi
AS far as the grooming of children is concerned, the focus of our entire society is to impose orders and restrictions on them. Generally, parents think this is the best way to inculcate values and traditions in their children. If you look around, you will find most parents asking their children to offer prayers, specifically daughters to wear hijab and asking their sons to stop listening to music.
But have these parents ever thought about the consequences of the way they are grooming their children. Highlighting the effects, I must say most children become passive and frustrated. As a result, children do not want to share their personal feelings with their parents. Children hide all their negative deeds and opt for other ways to listen to music, do smoking, etc.
What we need to change is our thought process. Can’t the parents consume their energies on character-building instead of imposing orders and restrictions? Are the parents wanting to groom their children in such a way that children themselves differentiate between good and bad? Can’t the parents try to strengthen and stabilise the characters of their children?
Let’s believe in development of the following things in the characters of the children: modesty, bravery, honesty.
If a child is modest, that automatically means he is decent, courteous, has high dignity and self-esteem, humbleness and is affectionate.
If a child is brave, that means that he has the courage to surrender his own rights to fulfil the rights of other human beings, he is strong enough to deal matters with assertiveness, instead of being passive or aggressive.
If a child is honest, he will also be stable enough to do justice to others, he would be committed, responsible and prioritised.Let’s put some light on the consequences of this type of grooming of children. The child will himself be able to decide what to do and what not to do, how to follow values and social norms, will be open-minded and straightforward with his parents to share his problems, the negative experiences and then take guidance from them. He will increase his self-esteem and will become strong enough that people cannot force him to do something wrong.
Although parents may motivate their children to follow religious obligations, they should not neglect the part of character-building. Man is good or bad in terms of the impact his deeds and actions are having on society. Only asking children to offer prayers and abstain from songs will not serve the purpose.
Parents need to change their approach to change the enigma of society. The future of every individual lies in character-building because it is one’s character which influences society the most. It is not the situation itself but our perception of it which matters the most. So, you need to change your perception.
ABDULLAH BIN KHURRAM
Faisalabad
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