| September 19, 2007 | Wednesday | Ramazan 06, 1428 |
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The emerging scenario
Taking control of our destiny
Women bankers
Defence residents’ woes
Where all the money goes
Journal of European Studies
National language
Re-election
Twenty20 team selection
From maund to kilogram
Bullet-proof car
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
POLARISATION and tension is at its peak. If all that is being threatened by various politicians translates into reality, the country may suffer grievously.
Now briefly, to what was said. In a TV talk, the MMA participant threatened they will never let elections take place if the present dispensation goes ahead with it. Short of using the word “we will use weapons”, he repeated there would be riots, bloodshed and chaos.
In another programme, Ghulam Mustafa Khar predicted blood on the streets, sort of civil war and devastation if the elections take place as planned.
In yet another, repeat of the February 1999 television clip, striking MMA leaders led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed were shown calling Nawaz Sharif a traitor and encouraging the strikers towards heavy resistance, strikes and disturbances. That was February 1999. In 2007 the MMA is now, jointly with the PML-N (the former traitor party), calling for resistance and strikes again after enjoying a marriage of convenience for seven years.
When Amiruddin (MMA) was asked as to why they have aligned with Mr Sharif when in 1999 he was a traitor, the answer was: “Mr Nawaz Sharif sent Kulsoom Nawaz to MMA headquarters and a patch-up took place.” Further saying that Mr Sharif has sought forgiveness for his mistakes and in the true Islamic spirit the MMA has forgiven him.
According to ‘My Feudal Lord’, there should be no deal with Benazir Bhutto because she (as stated by Ijazul Haq) had stashed away $1.5 billion in foreign accounts. He then requested Gen Musharraf for amnesty for all, including Ms Bhutto and PML-N leaders. He did not challenge the figure of $1.5 billon.
On apparently humanitarian grounds he made a fervent appeal for amnesty though it is not known whether he had the permission of Ms Bhutto and others to act as their advocate, only he knows.
The MQM representative pleaded that they should not be marginalised and discriminated. This was done to the East Pakistanis in 1970-1971. He was apparently referring to the one point agenda against the MQM (of the parties which went to London) and the hearing of the Sindh High Court.That, right or wrong, is being differently perceived.
There was an implied viewpoint that never has such serious notice been taken of events, e.g. Pucca Qilla or massive killings in the NWFP, Balochistan, Waziristan and suicide attacks in various parts of the country. He repeated that the MQM is being unfairly treated/discriminated .
For some one who has witnessed 1970-71 and then the PNA movement of 1977, all of this sounds familiar. What was the result? We keep saying we do not learn from history.
This is history right here in the making. Are we to stop events immediately, before they get out of control or are we going to have bouts of brinkmanship till a mistake takes place and a wrong shot is fired. Quite a few wrong shots have already been fired by all sides .There is hardly room for more. There is only one path and that is for all to act maturely.
Sanity must prevail. Words must be weighed. Actions must pacify and not aggravate. The ongoing vicious ‘blame game’ will lead nowhere. It will only make matters worse. The media should play its part. It should not lead participants into a mutual bout of words. That causes slippages. Once out of the mouth it cannot be taken back. We need sacrifices from all and a spirit to work for the team which comprises beautiful and innocent Pakistanis residing in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Frontier, AJK, Northern Areas and I specially add Waziristan.
Can’t we have a single leader who can take this team to victory through sportsmanship rather than warring and who can say: “I will work for peace, reconciliation, harmony and integrity of the country. Does’nt matter if power eludes me, I will lead Pakistan to victory and far away from bickering, infighting, mudslinging and character assassination. I will lead the country towards one goal and that is prosperity for the 160 million people, so frequently talked about but who really are not being counted in the present wrestling and street fighting.”
Can we request our leaders to please reconsider.
SHAMS ZAHEER ABBAS
Lahore
SOME 10 years back, Helpline Trust had organised a straight talk dialogue on ‘Whose Pakistan is it anyway?’ One of the speakers who had participated in the dialogue at that time was the military analyst, Ayesha Siddiqa, who is now well-known for her book, Military Inc.
At that time and now again in the book, Ayesha had highlighted the fact that the military is one of the largest landowners in Pakistan. The Fauji Foundation is involved in banking, pharmaceuticals, cement plants, etc., and the Army Welfare Trust is the largest business organisation of the country.
Moreover, the NLC is the largest goods transportation company, FWO the biggest contractor for building roads and collecting tolls and Fauji Oil Terminal and Distribution Company, the nation’s largest petroleum-handling facility. Then there is the Shaheen and Bahria Foundation, cantonments and housing estates that have directly built 46 money-making housing schemes, etc.
And as this battle for democracy in Pakistan is fought on the world stage, our past and present leaders and our upcoming elections have also become a joke. There are reports of ‘deals and dheals’, with or without the general, broken promises and compromises, moral obligations and personal sacrifices, defiant statements and every trick in the book. All in order to win the much-coveted price, the prime ministership.
It is being reported that members of the armed forces, senior sleuths and bureaucrats have been spending the taxpayer’s money lavishly, travelling first/business class and staying in expensive hotels, while negotiating with Benazir Bhutto in London and Dubai.
They seem to have forgotten that their oath of office clearly forbids them from any such activities. But this has become irrelevant in the name of protecting our freedom and democracy. Nobody wants to admit that this ‘nura kushti’ has nothing to do with the welfare of the citizens, free and fair election or democracy.
And what amazes me is that nobody is asking whether our ‘leaders’ have any plan, after being elected, to dismantle the army empire and disengage its stronghold on our politics. How will these leaders tackle corruption and rebuild the destroyed institutions?
We have just celebrated 60th independence anniversary but we have still not been able to mould ourselves into a nation. We have already lost six generations and it seems we might lose another.
Arrests have already started, roads are being blocked and there is talk of dissolving assemblies, declaring an emergency or even martial law and all things nasty. And, as always, all this will be done under the doctrine of necessity “to protect our freedom, democracy and all things nice”.
And despite the broken promises of the past, the government is still planning to hold another ‘fair and free’ election, the result for which has already been decided and announced by the winner, who has proudly and defiantly stated: “I will be elected at any cost”.
Despite the brazen disregard of what the citizens think, we, the citizens, are still being urged to exercise our constitutional right and vote for a government that is of the people, by the people and for the people. What a joke!
So why are we spending millions of rupees and going through this charade and making a mockery of democracy and our election process? The result has already been decided and the general has declared himself the winner. Perhaps the only pragmatic solution, to avoid a violent and bitter struggle for power, is a deal between the existing setup and the one of the past leaders.
As for myself, I will exercise my constitutional right, stand in line under the hot sun and cast my vote. It will be in big, bold, black letters: “None of the above.”
H. MAKER
Karachi
I AM writing with reference to Riaz Ali Toori’s letter (Sept 7) on Fata and its residents not being treated as part and parcel of Pakistan. I agree whole-heartedly with his position regarding it being a part of Pakistan.
However, there is an underlying assumption in his comments that the rest of Pakistanis are treated better. Frankly, I don’t really see any evidence of that assumption in the remaining parts of the country. By and large 95 per cent of our population is struggling through life to put two meals on the table. This is an abject failure of two generations of Pakistanis.
The Pakistanis themselves are to blame. They are waiting for an angel of deliverance but and no one is coming. There is a saying, “God helps those who help themselves”. I feel that it has taken one individual (Mr Toori) from Fata six decades to state the obvious, and that too by passing the buck on to the chief justice.
Yes, a lot of things need to be done, can Mr Toori initiate and follow one to conclusion? Imagine how much could have been achieved if people of Fata as well as the rest of Pakistan had worked for those six decades to claim their heritage. Let’s stop waiting and take charge of our own fate.
SYED RAHEEL MAHMOOD
USA
BANKING, especially in Pakistan, is a tough job. It requires long duty hours along with physical rather mental labour. The official timings from 9am to 5pm is only a showoff.
As a matter of fact, there is a fixed time for the start of duty but no fixed closure time for employees. In this situation, the male bankers can manage their social matters but the case is not the same with women bankers. How a married woman banker can spare time for her family/children, kith and kin and other social and family matters if she spends 10 to 12 and even more long hours in the bank daily?
She is thus left with no time to look after her children and their educational requirements. Not only this, she has not much time to even talk to her children.
I think that the reasons behind these long working hours and the mental and physical labour are: (1) the old and manual (unautomated) banking system, (2) the minimal use of ICTs, especially the advanced banking software packages, (3) the self-made complicated and lengthy procedures and (4) the unsympathetic mindset of the bank administration.
I would suggest that the official bank timings, 9am to 5pm, may strictly be observed by the bank administration, and the employees may not be forced to stay beyond 5pm, especially in the case of women bankers.
There should be two holidays, Saturday and Sunday, in a week rather than one, especially for women bankers. Moreover, the banking system must be upgraded as per advanced international standards and practices.
PERVAIZ AHMAD
Islamabad
AFTER the recent rains in Karachi, due to the utter negligence of the authorities concerned, the residents of the DHA suffered disruption in their normal routines as well as experienced considerable mental anguish.
In certain areas they continue to suffer even after a lapse of more than a month. Some of the residents also suffered losses to their property and household items.
The Defence Society Residents Association has been demanding of the authorities concerned to compensate the affected residents for their losses.
We are requesting all such affected residents to collect the claim forms from our office by calling 5880519. All the claims will be forwarded to the DHA and CBC and if not honoured, a legal team will pursue other means to demand justice.
It is time the real owners of the DHA, i.e. its residents, got representation on the DHA and CBC.
ASAD H. KIZILBASH
Hon. General Secretary, DSRA
Karachi
LAST month one happened to attend the Urs of Hazrat Suleman Parus by the bank of the Jhelum River. There was nothing inscribed on the tomb to indicate his date of expiry or any other information about times and life of the saint. No reputable grave tender was around to throw some light on the subject.
The Auqaf department’s office nearby was approached but the functionaries were busy enjoying ‘langar’.
Here again nobody was of any help. Where all that money goes from the offerings? After about 50 years since Auqaf took over, none of the officials ever thought of even coming out with a simple brochure.
Here in Gujrat the mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Daulah is visited by hundreds of pilgrims daily and the offerings are fabulous in hard cash or otherwise. There is a grave adjacent to that of the saint but nobody knew as to its identity. Through a painstaking research one found out that it belongs to his wife Haneefa.
Eventually, a couple of years ago, through my efforts, a tombstone was erected as to this effect. I have written a book, The Story of Hazrat Shah Daulah, Saint the Engineer, available for free.
One has only to ask for it but the resident Auqaf staff never bothers. It seems their only interest lies in money.
The minister in charge of the cabinet division, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, told the National Assembly that Bari Imam shrine’s three-year income was over Rs53 million. The expenditure totalled Rs23.84 million. How about the rest?
According to a letter published in these columns last year, the estimated total cost, involving perks and privileges, for each MNA per year amounts to Rs32 million.
Kunwar Idris (Aug 19) points out that in 1999 the expenditure on the staff and household of the president was Rs75 million, now standing at Rs309 million, and on the prime minister from Rs98 million to Rs367 million. Even the former presidents and their families are well looked after by the state.
Pays and perks of corporate bosses is a different story. Six years ago, the chief executive of Hub Power Company Ltd was earning Rs36 million. The president of the country’s largest bank, NBP, earned Rs32 million the year ended Dec 31, 2006 (April 29).
Against all this money floating around, as pointed out in the Senate, the Quaid’s family is leading a miserable life in Karachi. PPP Senator Envar Baig remarked:
“If the army of ministers can be provided with bullet-proof cars worth millions of rupees, why can’t members of the Quaid family be provided with a respectable living.”
At the end it is alleged that Rs7.4 million had been allocated for presidential gardens and the prime minister spent Rs3 million on sterilisation machine of his shaving kit.
DR P. NASIR
Gujrat
APROPOS of Prof (Dr) Naveed Ahmed Tahir’s letter, ‘Area Study Centre for Europe’ (Sept 14), it is clarified that the issue raised by Prof Tahir is based on lack of information regarding the approval of the Journal of European Studies by the HEC.
The Journal of European Studies published by Area Study Centre for Europe, University of Karachi, is already recognised in ‘Z’ category and is already placed at serial No. 97 on the HEC website. There is no error in the website in this respect.
The case of upgradation of the journal will be considered as and when the required documents are provided to the HEC.
SAMINA WAQAR
Director-General (Public Relations)
HEC, Islamabad
THIS has reference to Manzoor Chandio’s article, ‘National language tangle’ (Sept 14). One generally forgets while debating the language issue its basic purpose as a means of communication.
In a changing and shrinking world scenario, the need is to develop and promote ‘khichdi’ (a mixture of all) languages, which though are developing unofficially everywhere, so that one is able to express to the maximum numbers of people of all nationalities/regions.
All those who raise local language issues, in the name of cultural identities, always seemingly have motives other than linguistic. It is time the common people realised the masked motivations of power-hungry politicians who try to divide people by using ‘language themes’ as their handy tools.
In fact, all languages should be given free hand to develop into newer and more communicable versions for the real development and freedom of man.
BALVINDER
Former Principal, Govt College,
Chandigarh
I WAS in Lahore during Musharraf’s first referendum. I had opinion that this man looks very sincere, it will be blessing for Pakistan. I got up early to cast my vote and I was the first one to cast my vote. But to my surprise the ballot box was full. What is the fuss about his uniform and re-election result every one knows.
IJAZ MIR
Penang, Malaysia.
FAWAD Alam was declared the best player of the last Twenty20 tournament played on a countrywide basis. Nearly all the Pakistani One Day- and Test-playing squad participated in that tournament.
Many cricket lovers fail to understand why he is being excluded from the team this time round. May I ask the learned and experienced chairman of the selection committee as to what one needs to have in addition to be the best player for inclusion in the playing squad?
An early reply would be appreciated. And please don’t give the excuse that he is out of form without even being tried in a match.
MOBASHIR H. SHAKIL
Karachi
THE prices for our major cash crop cotton are still quoted in maunds though we have already adopted the metric system.
Do our growers and commission agents in the mandi still not understand how to work out the price in kilograms?
For a long time in India all grains and oils are quoted in quintal (100 kgs).
The government should take steps to stop this practise and quotation should be in kilograms for solids and in litres for oils.
INAYAT ULLAH SHEIKH
Karachi
THIS has reference to a news story, ‘Benazir’s move for bullet-proof vehicle’ (Sept 15). But didn’t she say she was returning to rid the country of the Taliban? I think she might well be bringing along a bullet-proof car for each of her countrymen as well.
NASSER YOUSAF
Peshawar
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