| September 29, 2007 | Saturday | Ramazan 16, 1428 |
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Subversion of the law
Stand by our man
US presidential candidates
Pensioners at NBP branch
With love from India
Phones out of order
Redesigning manhole covers
Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway
Combating daily traffic jams
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 decision of India to open the Siachen glacier for tourism may damage the ongoing peace-building and dialogue process. Siachen glacier is one of world’s longest mountain glaciers. It lies in the Karakoram range system of Kahmir near India-Pakistan border, extending for 76km north-northwesterly to south-southeasterly and is the source for the 80km-long Nubra river, a tributary of the Shyok.
The area is so difficult and so inhospitable that no fighting took place here in any of the wars fought between the two countries. There was no change of control over the territory in the region in the wake of 1965 or 1971 war. The terminus of the Line of Control resulting from the ceasefire of Dec 17, 1971 remains the same as that of the 1949 ceasefire agreement.
In the early 1980s India started sending army patrols to the Siachen area in violation of the unambiguous stipulation in the Shimla Agreement prohibiting any attempt to ‘unilaterally alter the situation’. Thus hostilities in the vicinity of the Siachen glacier started in the winter of 1983-84 when India by sending a brigade-strength force occupied a part of the glaciated area.
After a series of rounds of talks, an agreement was reached between the two parties in June 1989. It stipulated, “There was agreement by both sides to work towards a comprehensive stalemate based on the deployment of forces to reduce the chances of conflict, .......... and the determination of future positions on the ground so as to conform to the Shimla Agreement”.
But this agreement was never implemented because of recalcitrant and lukewarm attitude on the part of the Indian government. In 2007, the Indian army began to stress that it would not withdraw from Siachen unless the authentication of positions is done. In fact, India has opened the glacier for tourists at the time when political uncertainty is prevailing in Pakistan, merely for the purpose of capitalising on the situation and milking it for all its worth in its favour because the ultimate purpose of India is to open the glacier to trekking for foreigners.
But here it needs to be realised that if the two countries could not resolve this issue, our efforts for promoting peace between two hostile neighbours will not fructify.
NAUMAN ASGHAR
Punjab University
Lahore
THE other day I almost fell out of my seat — out of shock and utter disbelief — while reading the following in the New York Times:
“Ahmed Raza Khan Kasuri, a firebrand lawyer who represents the government, strongly objected to the appointment of Mr Ahsan as ‘amicus curiae’, questioning his impartiality and saying that Mr Ahsan was politically opposed to President Musharraf.”
The extent of hypocrisy in pursuit of personal goals has reached a level that’s beyond disgusting. Dare I ask, where was Mr Kasuri’s sense of impartiality and neutrality when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was being humiliated by judges who had political motives against
him?
What had happened to his sense of ethics and fairness when the military regime was spewing garbage to malign one of the greatest icons of the country while he was caged defenceless in a prison or in the courtroom?
Let’s remember when judges and Mr Kasuri himself were polluting the minds of the international community through interviews etc.
Detailing the despicable acts committed by a previous military regime in the name of justice in collaboration with Mr Kasuri is beyond the scope of this letter.
It is, however, very important that the people of Pakistan realise which party Mr Kasuri was associated with then, and which one he’s associated with today. Therein lies the core of the problem in Pakistan.
HASNAIN KHAN
University of Alberta
Canada
This refers to M. Ziauddin’s dispatch from London (Sept 16) wherein he quotes about Gen Musharraf readily obliging US Gen Zinni, then commander of Centcom, regarding free access to the arrested Al Qaeda suspect Pakistani nationals.
It will not be out of place to mention that immediately after Oct 12, 1999 president Clinton sent a rather strict letter to Islamabad. Forgoing the protocol, the then ‘chief executive’ called none other but Gen Zinni who was at that time in Cairo in company of his boss, defence secretary William Cohen.
With Cohen’s permission, Zinni took the call and lent a sympathetic ear to the promises of a quick return to democracy (of substance not sham) and rule of law and political freedom which promises (according to Zinni) he went back on later.
Zinni in turn pleaded with Washington. Then on it was Zinni who was used by Washington to get any work done in Pakistan. (‘The Mission’ by Dana Priest — W. W. Norton and Company NY 2003 pp 112-114)
In his book, ‘Battle Ready’, co-authored with Tom Clancy, Gen Zinni mentions that he was later told to cut off communications with Musharraf which order, though he thought stupid, he complied. He also says that whenever he asked for a favour, Musharraf threw in several other favours. (G. P. Putnam and Sons 2004 pp 348-349)
Interestingly, when asked why Zinni got no mention in his book, Musharraf said: “He was not that important.”
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi
IT is time Pakistan quickly re-evaluated and re-shifted its foreign policy before the damage of siding with the American bloc starts taking its toll. One US presidential candidate after another, while not even being in power yet, is blatantly clear in threatening to invade Pakistan. What other wake-up calls are we waiting for? Are we so naive as to consider this as mere rhetoric? Once they get into power, they will practically be itching for an excuse to harm us; and failing to find one, will create one, like they always did in the past.
Clearly no amount of pleasing has earned us their pleasure. As a self-respecting nation, that should not have been part of our foreign policy, to begin with. But with misplaced priorities, we somehow felt very ‘special’ in being appointed ‘the frontline’ state in the war on terror. I hope we are not so far down into this hole that we cannot come out of it alive and healthy.
I am optimistic and still believe we can set our course right, even now, when their full war machinery is right next doors. As a first step, we should say bye-bye to the US and stop doing its dirty work. There is nothing global about war on terror. It is their self-cooked-up war for pursuing their own selfish agendas.
Second, we should join the Russia and China bloc and start commerce and military cooperation with them. In 60 years, the US friendship has only harmed us. It is time to try a different strategy.
Russia and China both are an excellent role models to follow in our modern times. It hasn’t taken Russia even 20 years to get back its pride, status and power that it had lost after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. China, in the last 10 years, has emerged as the world’s most influential country.
All over the world, everywhere everything is now made in China. Not a single country can afford to aggravate, or alienate China. This is how true proud nations work – by forming a long-term strategy and then executing on it diligently, year after year, almost as if running a business. Each year, each quarter, results are analysed, strategy adjusted, corrections made, and progress is made towards the goal.
We are a hard-working nation. It would not take us even 10 years of dedicated work to achieve supremacy if only we had a clear-cut national goal and a sincerity from the leaders to work towards that. For this we have to chose those leaders from the common masses who understand the need to work for something.
AHMED QAZI
USA
Time and again the senior citizens have been voicing their grievance over getting their monthly EOBI pensions from the National Bank of Pakistan. Besides overcrowding in a bank branch like that of Nazimabad, the long queues of infirm and old men and women standing for hours to receive a paltry sum are a normal sight on any normal working day between 5th to 15th.
Responding to the pensioner’s plight, EOBI had promised remedial measures, but nothing has been done so far. While the pensions of retired government employees are credited to their accounts in NBP branches, EOBI pensioners are made to suffer hardships for receiving their dues.
The basic premise upon which our entire bureaucratic and managerial mechanism works is caution and safeguard in payments to the workers and lower grade employees. While the system can ill-afford pilferage and overpayments to any, it remains generous to elite classes by writing off their debts in billions.
Imagine the great loss to the exchequer in case a month’s pension of a poor employee is paid through neglect or otherwise after his death! Such is the rationale for devising an intricate and protective procedure which makes the old and weak stand waiting in a queue for hours together.
We can be sure that if retired generals and senior bureaucrats so desire, these very institutions will overnight develop such a quick payment system for them that their PROs will be asked to deliver them pensions at their morning tea with bouquets.
I will falter if I do not express my thanks to the two young men who disburse us pension at the NBP Branch, Nazimabad, despite the cumbersome payment procedures reminiscent of Mughal times. It is futile to expect any measures in this behalf from the governors and directors of our ‘modern’ banking system. They remain engrossed in the cobweb of monetary and financial econometric and cannot see the forest for the trees.
We should not any more drag our judiciary in all such matters, but justice demands that the heads of all these institutions who are showing a callous disregard toward old people be asked to receive their salaries at the NBP’s Nazimabad branch, standing in a queue with us until they resolve our problem.
AHMED RAZI SIDDIQUI
Karachi
WE Indians thoroughly enjoyed the Twenty20 final cricket between India and Pakistan. Thank you Pakistan for being worthy opponents. The ending ceremony though din’t portray your (Pakistan) captain Shoaib Malik in good light. What did he mean by thanking Muslims around the world for their support?
Does he think only Muslims support Pakistan? We Indians always support Pakistan except when they play against us. Religion has nothing to do with it, Mr Malik. Plenty of non-Muslims are also Pakistan cricket fans.
Don’t insult them and my advice to you is to love the game and play it for the love and glory of sport and not to drag religion into it.
We are proud of the many religions we share among our countrymen and have enough love for all of them. Thank you Mr Malik and we hope that you will lead Pakistan cricket into a new era, on where brotherhood and love is promoted alongside the excitement of the game and not to alienate your fans on narrow religious lines.
Thank you once again, your team has played super cricket to entertain all of us. With love from an Indian
STALIN D
Mumbai
THE phone at my Gulshan-i-Iqbal residence (No. 4976473) has been out of order for the last several days and has not been restored even after repeated calls to the complaint centre.
This is the second time in the last two months that the phone has been found ‘dead’ for a stretch of time. The last time it happened, it had remained out of order for three long weeks. Ironically though, the monthly bill never reflected the position.
Apparently, the PTCL privatisation has turned out to be for the worse as far as the ordinary subscribers are concerned. I never had a problem with my phone in the last many years, but now twice in three months and that too for long periods of time. Is somebody listening?
IFFAT NAZ
Karachi
My phone, 2785239, has been dead since Aug 10, rendering my office non-operational. A personal visit to the exchange proved to be useless.
But the PTCL is very efficient in billing and levying a charge for the service not provided.
M. A. SABZWARI
Karachi
THIS has reference to Asghar Z. Attarwala’s letter (Sept 22) as regards the open manhole covers causing deaths. Although the writer is generally right about various aspects of the problem, his views need some scrutiny.
First, poverty and ill education cannot be used as an alibi, instead the providers of these manholes should be held accountable since they are the ones expected to check the technical faults.
The maintenance crews unhindered by the consequences of their negligence seldom acknowledge the fact that these manholes are not death traps but are meant for public convenience which requires cleaning of sewers on a regular basis, to check that domestic waste water is flowing in U-channel inside the manhole without any gaseous emission.
Maintenance crew must place covers after the cleaning process is complete. The cover should be evenly flat, with the pavement, so that it will neither interfere with the traffic nor cause excessive wear of the pavement.
Second, the problems with the manholes are that they are not properly gripped onto their latches due to the design faults inherent in them. A proper design would make the frame rest on concrete wall with 1½ projection inches outside and 1½ inches embedded inside concrete for resting of concrete covers three inches thick, surrounded by a half-inch thick steel plate.
Third, cast iron manhole covers and frames are also manufactured in several standard weights for different traffic conditions and provided with locking arrangements which could serve as a better substitute than concrete or fibre glass.
Last, the drawbacks to fibre lie in its uncertain design life and its susceptibility to structural failure if it is improperly installed. Very careful placing and compaction of backfill is required to ensure structural stability.
A. Ahmed
Karachi
PESHAWAR-Islamabad Motorway has been under construction for years. The construction of this motorway will really be a boon for the people of the North-West Frontier Province as it will save them from the hassle of travelling on Grand Trunk Road which is always found dug up in Peshawar-Nowshera section, resulting in mental agony for the commuters.
Till now, only one section of the motorway, i.e., from Islamabad to Burhan interchange, has been opened for traffic. It is really a pleasure to drive on this section.
The rest of the motorway couldn’t be commissioned due to the delay in the construction of three important bridges.
The dates for the completion of the motorway have been changing from time to time but its completion is nowhere in sight.
Could the National Highway Authority give a firm date once for all for the opening of the said motorway? At least the authority should respond to the queries appearing in various newspapers pertaining to this mega project.
AIR CDRE ( r ) AZFAR A. KHAN,
Rawalpindi
WHILE travelling the world, observe the traffic patterns and you get a fair idea of how disciplined and educated the people in that country are, in general. Just building more flyovers and underpasses in our country will never solve the problem permanently.
It requires not only effective implementation of all the traffic rules and laws but also basic education about them at all levels. People must know the rights, not only their own but also of all others on the roads. Be it a poor pedestrian, a cyclist or any kind of vehicular traffic driver on the country roads. The topmost and essential requirement, however, is ‘patience’, of which we have very little left, at all national levels, unfortunately.
True, the complexities of the problem multiply with the increase in population of the cities, as well as of the vehicles on the road. With the ever-increasing and out-of-proportion number of motor vehicles hitting the roads, almost three new series of number plates added every month or so for the last three years, Karachi alone has almost half of all MVs in the country on its battered roads now.
The CDGK, the TEB, the traffic police and all other departments concerned may have worked hard to combat the problem at their own levels, but on a temporary basis, to achieve only a limited success so far. A lot has yet to be done if all kinds of traffic hazards have to be reduced. Forget about eliminating them altogether, for the time being at least, because it has been only a pleasant dream of the daily commuter in the last decade.
It is long past the time that serious notice of the problem should have been taken by all authorities concerned, at all levels. A few suggestions, almost none new, for immediate action by the relevant departments and authorities as the top priority:
1. Minimum qualification for a MV driving licence to be increased to Inter level.
2. Strict enforcement of the traffic laws, public transport and heavy vehicles in particular, including their fitness and road worthiness, parking at designated stops away from corners, signals, bridges and public places, etc.
3. Removal of all encroachments from all roadsides and footpaths with no exceptions whatsoever. After all, our roads are not so narrow as they appear to be during the day time. A look in the early wee hours will confirm to this statement for almost any congested/overcrowded road in Karachi.
4. Introducing more multi-storeyed car parking in the city business areas.
5. Disciplining the public transport, car showroom and inter-city bus owners.
6. Introducing multiple ‘pick and drop lanes’ near school and colleges situated on busy roads, in the spaces for the service lanes and regulating the vehicle movements at opening and closing of the schools.
7. Strictly implementing one-way traffic in the ‘up and down’ traffic lanes at all crossroads and signals in order to avoid blockage of ‘on-coming’ traffic from the other side (a major factor for traffic jams now).
8. Increase in the salaries of the traffic police to reduce corruption.
IJTABA ZAIDI
Karachi
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