| October 08, 2007 | Monday | Ramazan 25, 1428 |
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Taking global realities seriously
Suo motu action on traffic jam
Where are we headed?
Water for Lyari
Islamabad police
Eradicating the menace of beggary
The other side
US official’s advice
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
I WAS appalled to read Vipul Thakore’s letter, ‘Economic credibility?’ (Oct 1) in which he has confronted the government’s statistical claim of GDP growth for the year.
According to Mr Thakore, actual growth of Pakistan was seven and not eight per cent, which was raised only to earn laurels. In support of this thesis, he has cited a report of ‘Economists Intelligence Unit, London,” that appeared in The Economist, London.
According to this report, because of unreliability and manipulated statistics Pakistan has not been included in the list of emerging markets of Asia whereas China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam are prominently placed in the list.
In the absence of national census, for the last more than three decades our entire economic structure is based on estimates and guess works.
Thus with no scientific method available, the fudging of figures has no more a novel phenomenon as will appear from various statistics, for instance the GDP growth rate, rate of poverty and estimates of wheat production, though as regards wheat the government has backed out from its earlier estimates without any remorse.
Like the above manipulations, the people at the helm also played havoc with the population growth rate of Pakistan. According to the World Population Data Sheet (Population Reference Bureau, Washington DC), in the year 2001 the total fertility rate of Pakistan was 4.1 and the population growth rate was 2.1 as against Bangladesh’s 3.3 and 2.0, respectively.
The rate of growth was increased thereafter, and in the year 2006 it was 2.1. Surprisingly, in the year 2007 this figure has been steeped down to 1.8. What were the special circumstances for decline in the growth of population during one year?
Whereas all indicators, such as spread of literacy, employment, and reduction of income inequality, are negative and the departments such as population planning and social welfare institutions are inactive, the huge decline in the population growth is also fudged to show significant improvement in amelioration of poverty, which also surprisingly all of a sudden has come down from 33 per cent to 25 per cent.
Those who are manipulating with the economic figures at national level are doing no service, rather they are playing with the destiny of the nation by ruthlessly damaging its image abroad and at the same time creating chaos and uncertainty within society.
I hope these disclosures would not fall on deaf ears and those who have distorted the image of Pakistan just for their short-term and myopic personal praise should be taken to task whatever the status and position may be so that the lost credibility of the nation can be restored.
DR ALI AKBAR M. DHAKAN
Karachi
YOUR claim (editorial ‘ Her master’s voice’, Oct 3) that Benazir Bhutto has lost touch with ground realities in Pakistan may be true given the long years of exile that Ms Bhutto has spent away from the country. But there are few Pakistani leaders who have shown themselves to be as aware as Ms Bhutto is of global political and strategic realities.
As someone who travels abroad frequently I have found that Pakistan and Pakistanis are increasingly viewed with suspicion as terrorists or supporters of terrorism. Virtually every major terrorist outrage abroad, attempted or carried out, is traced back to our country. By playing a deceitful double-game of simultaneously opposing and protecting a jihad policy established long before him, President Gen Musharraf has recklessly whittled away any goodwill that Pakistan enjoyed.
The two things that worry the world most about Pakistan are our nuclear weapons and the threat of our jihad policy spinning out of control. It is a reality that the nuclear programme was made vulnerable due to proliferation activities, and that particular chapter is not about to close soon. Is it not better that any future discussion of nuclear proliferation take place at a technical international forum such as the IAEA where Pakistan has a voice, rather than in a midnight call from Washington DC?
It is also a regrettable reality that US aircraft carry out raids in our territory with the secret consent of our government. Is it not better that the rules of engagement along our Afghan frontier, including those pertaining to hot pursuit, be agreed formally and openly. The present practice leaves our government tongue-tied and the people confused. The fact is that Pakistan’s sovereignty already stands compromised. Do we have the ability to accept this reality and to put matters back into a defensible political framework?
Pakistan is a globalised country with a globalised people. Our economic survival depends on expanding interactions with the outside world rather than cutting ourselves off from global realities. Whatever our opinions of Ms Bhutto, we do need a leadership that takes global realities seriously and helps to find workable solutions in a responsible manner. The world out there has no more time for the lies and deceit that have been characteristic of the present regime.
HARIS GAZDAR
Karachi
RECENTLY watching a case proceeding in the Supreme Court, Karachi registry, on public interest issue, i.e. traffic jams, attended by top echelon of city officials and the city nazim was a pleasing experience for me.
The city mandarin seemed to have burnt midnight oil as it was evident from their well-prepared and detailed explanations. Each department passed the buck to the other and observers were at a loss to understand as to who was steering the city affairs.
The speech delivered by the city nazim, earned him applause from the bench. At one stage he even educated the bench by retorting that management of traffic was out of his purview and it was the sole responsibility of the police to control and manage the road traffic.
After watching these proceedings, I have some suggestions to make so that such proceedings on issues of public interest can be made more objective:
a. The cases of suo motu action may be televised live to enable people to watch full discussion taking place in court room.
b. The public may be invited to help the court by their suggestions through email or by other suitable means. Web site may be created where people should send their feedback.
c. The court proceedings must start in accordance with the prescribed timings.
d. Lengthy discussions consume much of the court’s time and people whose cases are on a regular cause list cannot be heard due lack of time and they have no other choice except to take the next date for their petitions. The possibility of conducting suo motu cases on Saturday or even on Sunday may be evaluated.
e. There is exclusive space for judges and lawyers where they spend break time and take refreshment. The petitioners and visitors are human beings too and some space may be earmarked for them where they can take refreshment against payment during break.
f. The people who follow their petitions in person must be treated with utmost respect as they cannot afford exorbitant fees of lawyers and they have already drained their limited resources.
g. The petitioner after getting relief from the court faces harassment as staff demands gratification. People must be saved from this unhealthy practice.
h. There were no lavatories for public use in the building. Toilets adjoining with the mosque in the premises were found in highly bad state and heavily smelling. In fact, these were being used as street toilets.
S.BUKHARI
Karachi
I AM writing this in response to the news in a section of the press (Sept 30) regarding the damage caused to a historic statue of Buddha by the militants in Swat.
This is the second time when the statue has been blown up. According to deputy curator of Swat Museum, ‘’The fresh attack caused irreparable loss to its head and also damaged its shoulders.”
The blown-up statue of Buddha, in Swat, was the last complete relic of Gandhara art, after the historic statues of Bamyan (in Afghanistan) which had been destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001.
Why are we so intolerant toward the rich cultural heritage of our region? Do the civilised nations behave like that?
In the same backdrop, being a nation we are very indifferent to our historical legacy, this is why we are unable to protect them.
And many other historical sites, which belonged to the Indus Valley civilization, as well as to Gandhara culture, are at the death-bed due to our negligence.
The state of these sites has become very fragile. It is also a pity that the valuable artifacts from these sites are smuggled to foreign countries but who cares?
What is the government doing to protect the historical sites which are supposed to be the living history of any nation?
To prevent the same incidents in the future, the government should, in general, and the ministry of culture, in particular, take early steps toward the preservation and security of these historical sites, otherwise we will lose these living histories of this region.
KHALID MEHMOOD
Karachi
APROPOS of the advertisement (Dawn) regarding supply of six million gallons of water to the residents of Lyari, the question is how many residents of Lyari will actually read the advertisement regarding the additional water supply? If the numbers are correct, a very small number of Lyari residents will read the ad.
Then who is this advertisement for? This seems to be another act of self-praise by the city government.
It is the responsibility of the city government to provide an adequate amount of clean water to all its residents to fulfil their needs.
The government should blow its trumpet only when: (1) people stop boiling or filtering water and start drinking from the tap without fear of getting ill, or (2) it is able to provide plentiful, fresh and clean water to every house in the city, or (3) the water bottling companies go out of business because the tap water is fresh, clean and potable, or
(4) the children stop dying of diarrhoea and dehydration in this city.
ANWAR HASAN
Karachi
THERE have been demonstrations recently in several cities. Everywhere the police did use force occasionally but not much. However, there has been nothing anywhere in the country like what happened in Islamabad on Sept 29 or even on earlier occasions. To know the real reason behind the brutality of the Islamabad police, you have to understand the system under which they work.
In Islamabad, the deputy commissioner is the head of the administration. He is a bureaucrat, answerable for all his actions only to the chief officer and ultimately to the interior secretary. His bosses control his posting, transfer, rewards and punishments. So, he cannot refuse to obey their orders, whatever the public and media may say against him.
In Islamabad, the deputy commissioner controls the police. In case of a law and order problem, he asks a magistrate to accompany the police. He gives orders for the use of force whenever necessary. If there is any complaint of excessive use of force by the police, the deputy commissioner, as the district magistrate, orders one of his magistrates to hold a judicial inquiry. Then he decides whether any action is necessary against any policeman.
More often than not, there is nothing more than a warning. The immunity makes the policemen reckless This is the same system that prevailed during the colonial rule and 50 years after independence.
By contrast, in all other districts of the country, district nazim is now responsible for law and order. He does not get orders from anybody. Being a politician and people’s representative, he does not hesitate about talking to the relevant parties whenever there is a law and order problem and defuses the situation through negotiation. That is why there have been practically no strikes and agitations anywhere, except the political ones. Under the local government system, the police are independent in their operations. When they have to use force to maintain law and order, they do it on orders of their own officers. If there is a complaint of excessive force, a judge holds an inquiry and gives punishment under the law.
Since the judge is under the high court, he does not have to obey orders of any executive authority. So, the guilty policemen cannot escape punishment. And no policeman wants to get punished for the sake of any boss.
The change is because of the separation of the executive and the judiciary at the local level, something provided in every constitution since 1956 but never implemented. In fact, the Supreme Court ordered the separation in 1993 but the bureaucrat and the politicians in power never bothered because they wanted to continue to use the police for their own purposes. Finally, the local government system, introduced in August 2001, met the demands of justice.
The journalists and lawyers of Islamabad should not be satisfied with the suspension of the deputy commissioner and senior police officers. Suspension is no punishment, nor even a transfer. After the inquiry, the deputy commissioner and police officers will be reinstated and transferred. Their successors will not act differently. So, there will be excessive use of force in future also. The journalists and lawyers will howl in protest again but nothing will change. Not even the Supreme Court may intervene every time.
If journalists and lawyers of Islamabad really want to save themselves and others from police brutality, they must demand the introduction of the local government system. And, if they can go further, they should also demand that the civilians in all cantonments in the country must also come under the local government system. If something is good for the entire country, it can’t be bad for the federal capital and the cantonments.
MUHAMMAD ABD AL HAMID
Lahore
THE number of beggars in Karachi has been growing steadily but nothing is being done to stop this. These beggars can be grouped into two classes:
a. People of all ages, mostly men who are mentally OK but handicapped, either at birth or have become after an accident. The government should ensure jobs for them so that they become useful subjects and can earn a decent living. Insist on factories to enhance their quota.
b. Very old men and women (mentally sound but unable to work. They claim to have no children to support them, so the government should encourage NGOs to establish and run ‘old people homes.’
With regard to all others who have grown with the passage of time in the absence of any checks and can be easily eliminated if the government, aided by the police, were serious about rounding them and their family members who have forced them into this nefarious activity, details as follows:
i Young women perfectly healthy (with or without sucking babies) mostly claim that their husbands are drug addicts who have forced them into this trade.
ii Young men more than healthy who have no excuse except that they find beggary more lucrative and easy.
iii Young children, mostly under the age of 12, have been driven into beggary by their parents.
iv Eunuchs, mostly young, all painted up and well dressed, have historically been involved in dancing/singing but have now taken up beggary during the day. No longer interested in taking up a job as it affects their independence.
It is earnestly hoped that some thought is given to this problem as it casts a very poor impression of our country on all, particularly outsiders, and puts you off for the whole day.
MUNEER MUHAMMAD
KHAN Karachi
THIS has reference to an advertisement, ‘A strong economy… like never before’ (Sept 25).
In this context, it is pertinent to note that minimum wages have risen from Rs1,500 in 1999 to Rs4,600 in 2006-07 whereas KSE 100 index, a barometer of market capitalisation, has risen from 1,283 in 1999 to astronomical 12,366 in 2006-07.
Obviously, hapless wage earners of Rs1,500 in 1999 or Rs4,600 in 2006-07 are not beneficiaries of fruits of strong economy as minimum investment in the recently-floated IPO was Rs23,500 for barely 100 shares.
SIDDIK S. JAANGDA
Karachi
ACCORDING to a BBC report (Sept 30), the former US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, who is known for his very hawkish approach, has said that Pakistan is passing through a very critical time and America and its allies must support president Musharraf. Otherwise, the Pakistani militants are likely to get hold of the nuclear weapons.
It is ironic that officials of the only country to deploy nuclear weapons so far now have to live in fear of such weapons themselves. This is indeed poetic justice and illustrates Louis Kossuth’s wise words: “The power that is supported by force alone will have cause often to tremble.”
Now, the gentleman wants a military dictator to be propped up whose popularity rating at 38 per cent is the lowest for any political leader in Pakistan. He is reminded that Gen Musharraf isn’t immortal and one day or the other his ‘one bullet regime’, as labelled by British journalist Gwynne Dyer in one of his columns in Dawn a few months back, is bound to end.
Wouldn’t it be much better to earn the goodwill of the 160 million Pakistanis, most of whom are fed up with the incumbent who is trying to prolong his rule through all sorts of undemocratic means, by supporting their aspirations instead? Besides, his scary prediction is untenable, given that President Musharraf’s handpicked generals, along with 500,000 troops, are holding sway over the country and its strategic assets.
Most Pakistanis were and are lovers of democracy and moderation, as demonstrated in recent months by their support for the judiciary and rule of law. It is only after 9/11 that Gen Musharraf’s unswerving support for Bush and his crusade has increasingly alienated and in some cases radicalised the Muslims of Pakistan (as of other countries).
Wisdom demands that instead of following the same self-defeating policies, America and its allies must give the Muslims a break, which will be good for everyone in the long run.
I. SIDDIQUE
Karachi
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