| October 05, 2007 | Friday | Ramazan 22, 1428 |
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Transparent ballot-boxes
As you sow, so shall you reap
UN — key international issues
Lost resignation
Senior citizens and taxes
Hoping for a better tomorrow
Bhagat Singh: clarity & will to act
A victim of MDA
Primitive man
Cantt housing scheme
Respecting others’ opinion
Final toll?
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
SOME 260 army men and FC personnel were taken prisoners about a month back while they were travelling in vehicles and passing through the Mehsud area. The militants are still holding them and appear to keep them till the army vacates their area.
To hold soldiers as prisoners of war till the other party accepts the conditions set in for return is not understood. The militants appear to be on a much stronger wicket as despite three weeks of negotiations, the soldiers have not come back.
Another aspect to be noted is that the tribal jirga revoked to accept 10 detainees against 100 soldiers, already agreed a few days back. It shows the doubtful credibility of the jirga which may be trying to prolong the proceedings.
The militants, led by commander Baitullah Mehsud, had held about 300 soldiers since Aug 30, and had agreed to release one-third against 10 of the militants held by political authorities.
The negotiating jirga hails from the Mehsud tribe, and is led by an MNA hailing from the MMA party, Maulana Merajuddin.
According to impression conveyed by the media, it appears that the Mehsud jirga, mediating between the militants and the army, is playing a dubious role. The militants want army troops should vacate their area and also return their 20 detainees to the militants.
The event on Sept 18 shows that the Thal area is also getting under the sway of hostile militants.
Seven FC men are missing from a checkpost close to Thal. Previously, on the night of Sept 16/17, 15 SSG soldiers were dropped in the mountainous area near Shawal who had killed 16 militants while losing two soldiers as per the initial report.
Then the next report said that 15 soldiers were found tortured to death in the Shawal operation. The military situation in both the Waziristans is indeed worrisome.
We know that our soldier while discharging his military duty will accept any challenge at the peril of his life. Our soldiers have already given a lot of blood just to keep the writ of the government intact.
The 260 soldiers had not fired a single shot on the tribesmen to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Their killing hordes of security men shows the limit of hatred. The jirga system is one-sided; its leaders dare not annoy their tribesmen.
The audacity and means possessed now by the tribes beat the past. The flow of money and weapons, and target selection betray many foreign hands.
The scenario at the western borders warrants reduction of volatility in the area to get some recess to mull over the present situation and form a new strategy aiming at the least attrition of own troops in future interaction strictly within the ambits of the professional limits as on a battlefield.
Brig (r) A. Q. Anjum
Rawalpindi
THE nation is heading fast for the presidential, parliamentarian, local bodies and eventually the Senate elections, starting almost in that order in the very near future. ‘Transparent’ and ‘free and fair elections are in great demand not only from all corners around the country but also the world over.
There is a lot of external pressure, almost to the extent of threats, from the world communities though each working in their own interest, to hold transparent elections in Pakistan.
Our ‘most translucent elections’ were held in 1970. The results and after-effects of which (unfortunately continue to multiply and expand like the ever-expanding universe till today) have been repeatedly highlighted by many over the years. In particular in Ardeshir Cowasjee’s articles ‘perpetually’ in the last quarter of a century. Alas to no avail against the expectations of the poor nation so far.
Regardless of whichever elections are to be held (if any?) in Pakistan first from now onwards in order to be transparent, it is suggested that as a first, though not the most effective, measure towards transparency, ‘transparent ballot-boxes’ must be introduced immediately.
If short of time and money, they may be borrowed from nations already using them, there are dozens today which I hope will be glad to comply.
It will erase lots of doubts (though not all) because the ‘true count only’ is not all that finally matters in any elections. Clear-cut electoral rules and regulations providing a level playing field and honest, vigilant, effective, impartial and constant monitoring overall at each electoral point throughout the country are a few of the other factors which will definitely affect the outcome of an election.
Education, eventually in the long run, will bring about all these essential prerequisites in the time to come I hope, unless we prefer to remain as ‘blind, deaf and arrogant’ as we stand out today among other nations.
IJTABA ZAIDI
Karachi
DO Gen Musharraf and his followers believe they can suppress politicians, lawyers and journalists just with stick and stones? No, never.
There can be no justification whatsoever for the tragic events that unfolded on Sept 29 following the Supreme Court’s (six: three) majority order throwing out the petitions against the general’s eligibility to contest the Oct 6 presidential election.
The capital and the entire country plummeted in manic deterioration of law and order giving way to the worst police brutality this country has ever witnessed. There were most blatant and pre-planned violations of civil rights as the lawyers’ fraternity and the media alike received inhumane and barbarous treatment at the hands of the police and other law-enforcement personnel in plainclothes.
Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Asma Jehangir, MNA Zamrud Khan and Ali Ahmad Kurd, along with other lawyers and journalists, faced the state oppression and torture, but refused to bow down and continued to uphold the principles of justice, rule of law and the will of the people of Pakistan.
Barrister Ahsan was the main target for proclaiming again and again in the courts that a person in military uniform could not become president under Article 63. September 29 will long be remembered for the lawyers’ struggle.
The sacrifices made by the lawyers and journalists will be embedded in the nations’ hearts and minds forever. September 29 seems like a harbinger of a mighty storm. Those who have sown the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind.
SASSUI PALIJO
MPA, Thatta
The leaders of our world are outlining the key issues confronting the world in 15-minute speeches at the UN.
President Bush has spoken of human rights, Burma and the issues posed by Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe, North Korea and others. Sarkozy lamented a nuclear-armed Iran.
However, the key issue confronting the world is intense poverty, which is frequently the root cause of many conflicts.
In my view, the key issues confronting the world are:
a. Removal of poverty. Three billion people, i.e. 50 per cent of our world, live on less than $2 a day for food, clothing, housing.
b. Providing drinking water to everyone. One billion people, about 17 per cent of the world’s population lack access to clean drinking water.
c. Finding remedies for HIV Aids, cancer. It is unfortunate our scientists refine the means to kill through military weapons but cannot find cures to these diseases.
d. Ending the sense of alienation of the Muslim world, i.e. 1.6 billion people. Most of the conflicts in the Middle East are due to misunderstandings with the West, which need to be ironed out.
e. Resolving Iraq issue. The Shia-Sunni killings need to stop, and two million refugees must return home.
f. Ending military dictatorship, e.g. Burma. The shooting and beating of innocent monks and citizens is deplorable. Anyone who watches this and does not do anything about it is as guilty as those who indulge in such vandalism.
g. Management of nations like Iran and North Korea. Dialogue rather than military action should be the underlying principle.
h. Manage climate change. Global warming is sending flash floods to many parts of the world, without warning, endangering human life and property.
i. Ensuring equitable wealth distribution. The GDP of the 48 poorest countries is less than the combined wealth of the world’s three richest persons.
j. Healthcare for children. 30,000 children die daily due poverty and poor healthcare. Encouraging every citizen to have a sport to keep healthy.
RAJENDRA ANEJA
Dubai, UAE
MNA Hafiz Hussain Ahmad (MMA) made the startling disclosure on TV that his both resignations in original, given in advance by him personally one to Qazi Hussain Ahmad (JI) and the other to Maulana Fazlur Rahman (JUI) to submit them at the appropriate time, had been lost and as such he had to tender his resignation personally on Oct 1, directly to the speaker of the National Assembly.
If the great leaders cannot ensure even the safe custody of an ordinary document like resignation entrusted to them by one of their highly-placed colleagues, then how could they be entrusted with the safe keeping of the state secrets.
No wonder the US administration is having sleepless nights about our nuclear arsenal falling into the wrong hands after Musharraf.
Riaz Jafari
Rawalpindi
What a pity that the aged and the sick who invested their hard-earned money in the state's savings schemes are being penalised by imposing 10 per cent tax on the profits gained from these investments.
Prices of all essential commodities continue to rise, virtually daily, and the poor and the middle classes are being squeezed.
It is time the government exempted the old from all taxes and earned the good wishes of the senior citizens.
Exempting the senior citizens from the payment of taxes — even on their houses — and concessionary treatment in general are prevalent all over the civilised world.
EHSAN UL HAQ,
Karachi
I RECENTLY came across Fauzia Shamim’s article, ‘Increasing research productivity’ (Dawn’s Education section, Sept 23).
The writer has beautifully highlighted all the issues pertaining to research. I endorsed all her views and also regarding phenomenal pay increase.
Hats off to Dr Attaur Rehman, chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC), for making such a great move.
As we all know, research inculcates inquisitiveness and harnesses our mental faculties in accomplishing something innovative, but original.
Nurturing research anywhere in any stream is a mammoth task requiring funding and facilities both.
In Pakistan, although the HEC is continuously contributing to surmount these hurdles of funds and facilities, as far as my opinion is concerned, we have to change the mindset of our teaching community, especially in the research arena. For a better and prosperous Pakistan, we must generate independent thinkers.
Teaching methodology requires complete reshuffling. Problem-based learning is one teaching methodology which motivates the students to investigate evidences and issues, coming out with the solutions, if required.
Research must be the interplay of thinking of both the beneficiary and the benefactor, proving to be mutually productive in the long run.
After completing my master’s by research work in Pakistan, the experience of doing doctorate here in a Malaysian university is all in all a different task.
In contrast to Pakistan, the research supervisors here are so flexible that they inspire the students to be free and think independently, coming out with different topics on areas of interest.
Why do our professors not give enough space to research students to express their views? I agree that all five fingers are not the same but still there is much room for improvement.
I hope one day we all will feel happy doing research in Pakistan and we will have research supervisors like Dr Attaur Rehman.
Shazia Jamshed
PhD scholar
University Sains, Malaysia
I READ Dawn regularly (almost exclusively the columnists). I am a small entrepreneur in southern part of India, who aspires to leave this world making it a better, safer place than what I inherited.
I have clearly seen the dubious role played by religion as it is organised and preached, the ideologies that will maim and kill, and the societal hierarchies that make people blind and deaf to the suffering and the beauty of the world alike.
Apart from the little exposure that I have had about Bhagat Singh through my history textbooks (from which my impression was that of a charged-up, emotional youth who took part in freedom struggle, believing in extremist ideologies), I knew little.
Thanks for Jawed Naqvi’s article, ‘Would Bhagat Singh be a smiling citizen today? (Oct 1), through which I saw a clear thinking, very sharp, very concerned and living youth, who indeed made the supreme sacrifice because he couldn’t do anything else, as he clearly said.
And to think that he had this clarity and will to act and he did act and gave his life at such a young age indeed dumbfounds one. May this article become a fertile seed in me (and many other readers).
G.VENUGOPALAN
Coimbatore, India
In the late 90s, the Malir Development Authority had announced a housing scheme comprising flats, shops, bungalows, etc. In 1997 applicants were required to make monthly instalments starting January 1998.
I was allotted a flat, No. E-101, on 33 monthly instalments at the rate of Rs950 a month. The schedule of the total payment was as follows: total cash component being Rs151,000; expected loan being Rs144,000 and total cost of the flat beibg Rs295,000.
Up till now I have paid instalments as per the given schedule. The MDA has, so far, issued payment challans for the ground floor only, and has suspended further issuance of challans. Moreover, it has asked the applicants to start making payment towards the loans they expect to get through the MDA.
In my case I have paid this too, to the extent of Rs79,900. The total payment I have made comes to Rs154,750. Thus I am not a defaulter. The irony is that the project which was scheduled to have been completed in 2000 has not yet been completed.
On a visit of the site I have found that development work has stopped at the ground floor level whereas my flat will be located on the first floor.
A structuring done only up to the first floor and left exposed to the vagaries of weather will no more be of the original strength. Who will compensate for this?
It may be added here that the investors are mostly lower middle class people who have put their life savings in the project so as to provide a shelter for their children. I would request the government to come to the rescue of the small investors.
SYED ZAFAR ABBAS NAQVI
Karachi
ONCE again a brute show of force was witnessed on Sept 29 when journalists and lawyers were attacked with state fury.
The introduction of a new army of white devils who appear unarmed and have no identification badges is a serious matter. This white brigade assisted the paramilitary in inflicting grave injuries on the protesters.
The Constitution Avenue, which is exceptionally clean and devoid of any stones and rubble, was strewn with fist-sized rocks, perhaps brought here from elsewhere for the purpose.
This primitive behaviour suggests that the rulers still live in the Stone Age and their tall claims of good governance and enlightened moderation have been flushed in the toilet.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
OPPOSITE the best-maintained VVIP Golf Road is located the Rawalpindi Cantonment Housing Scheme on Jhelum Road, launched during the early 1960s.
Generally, the people, including courier service employees, are not aware of he existence of this housing scheme because it is without a name board and lane numbers.
The housing scheme roads have not been carpeted or repaired since 1960s. Cantonment sanitary workers never clean the lanes which are occasionally cleaned by private workers of the residents.
There are no streetlights except a few arranged by individuals. Wild growth on either side of the lanes gives the feelings of a passage through a dense jungle. And so on.
Numerous verbal and written requests of the residents, including those no longer alive, in the past were simply ignored by the authorities concerned.
Now the residents, including high-ranking retired army officers or their descendants, are waiting for God-fearing officials to help solve their genuine problems before they also join those who left this world without seeing any positive response from the Cantonment Board during the last over 40 years.
However, the worthy Cantonment Board can be credited for forcibly extracting fast-increasing house tax and conservancy charges regularly from the hapless and helpless residents to beautify and superbly maintain the VVIP living and travel areas.
RAJA M. ASLAM KHAN
Rawalpindi Cantt
IT is unfortunate that those very people who have been celebrating independence of the judiciary are now criticising the Supreme Court. Even a senior lawyer like Munir A. Malik has used a threatening language.
Some other lawyers had also threatened to besiege the Election Commission office and tear off the nomination papers of President Pervez Musharraf. Even a person like Justice (r) Wajiuddin Ahmad, a former chief justice, has criticised the SC verdict.
Moreover, police manhandling of the media people is regrettable. What is needed is a change of mentality which should exhibit more tolerance and more respect towards the opinion of others.
Independence of the judiciary does not mean that the apex court should always give a verdict to suit one’s choice and interpretation of the Constitution.
K. MURAD BEY
Karachi
I AM naming a few instances when the public never got to know a final figure regarding the respective incidents’ death toll. No final toll was given when many deaths took place in Karachi as signboards collapsed during the rains.
Exactly how many people died in the Lal Masjid operation? What was the actual death toll in the Northern Bypass bridge collapse?
Where is the freedom of the media in this case? I believe the public has a right to know.
ALI MANSOOR SHAHID
Karachi
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