| December 27, 2007 | Thursday | Zilhaj 16, 1428 |
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Fake pharmacies
Fleecing PTCL packages
Jail for nothing
Why is SPSC defunct?
History and curiosity
Vote or not
Honesty the best policy
Wheat crisis
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
THIS is with reference to a seminar on the ‘role of public libraries in the social-intellectual development of society’, held at Defence Central Library’s auditorium as part of its 16th anniversary celebrations (Dec 14). Eminent writers, scholars and publishers who attended the proceedings lamented declining reading habits in Pakistan and desired the need to open up access to private libraries.
I found Ameena Syed’s disagreement with Rahat Kazmi’s claim that ‘people don’t read books in Pakistan’ rather misplaced.
Fast disappearance of bookshops from the city like Karachi is ample evidence to prove his point. Most of the bookshops are converted into jewellery, cloth or shoe businesses in major cities like Karachi and Lahore.
Islamabad being the capital is an exception. Otherwise even in large cities such as Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Multan and Peshawar, there is hardly a bookshop worth mentioning.
A few bookstalls are left, which too are surviving now on supply of books to public/government libraries, otherwise their counter sales are almost negligible.
It is for this reason that even the OUP (restricted to a few big cities) is always extremely choosy about topics and does not print more than 1,000 copies of a book.
In fact, our reading habit has gradually died down. Before the 1970s a major factor that contributed greatly towards developing reading culture was the privately-owned small libraries and roadside bookshops in every mohalla of big towns. These were small outlets which used to offer books and magazines to the interested readers on a daily rent at a paltry sum of one anna a book.
Now these small entrepreneurs are nowhere to be seen because lending books is no more a profitable proposition. The owners of these small bookstalls were forced to switch over to other gainful businesses. Moreover, reading rooms, maintained by local bodies/municipalities in every town not long ago, have also been closed, depriving people of an opportunity to read books.
Another setback to the reading habit was the closure of ‘Pakistan National Centre’ (PNC), established during the Ayub era in almost all divisional headquarters.
These PNCs were not only providing the public with the facilities of good libraries stocked with the latest publications and reading rooms, where local as well as national dailies and magazines were available, but also had extended services for cultural and educational activities.
On July 15, 1994, these centers of educational and cultural activities were officially closed as ‘commercially not viable’.
As a result, the only avenue left for the reader is to either purchase a book, the cost of which being exorbitant and not affordable for a common man, or to visit some public library, which are very few and normally located in some posh locality of the town, therefore not easily accessible to the reader.
Thus the idea of making the private collections available in almost in every city and even small town to the readers is worth admiring. One such private library with a fine collection in Pakistan I had an opportunity to visit was in Garhi Yasin, established by Agha Badruddin Khan Barakzai, ex-deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly, a great bibliophile.
Apropos of your editorial, ‘Food for the mind’ (Dec 17), your suggestions for encouraging reading habits , if pursued, can certainly bring immense transformation in the learning of the masses.
Lastly, even after Mongol depredation of 1258, when Baghdad was sacked and hundreds of thousands of books were burnt, Muslim civilisation in Spain and Maghreb remained unaffected.
Moreover, the Muslim rule thereafter encompassed a greater part of the world. The Ottomans, Mughals and Safffavids are a few notable instances to quote. The decline of Muslim civilisation essentially started in the 11th Century when the doors of Ijtihad (creative thinking) were closed, as a result of conflict between Mutazilite (rationalists) and Asharite (predestinators); leading Muslim societies to stagnate and not sack of Baghdad as asserted by Ameena Syed.
ISHA M. KURESHI
Karachi
I want to draw your attention towards the Punjab Drug Rules 2007.It was a great step taken by Punjab government to curb quackery at medical stores and the provision of quality pharmaceutical care under supervision of qualified graduate pharmacists who may have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University.
In fact this step should have been taken earlier but this area was ignored for the long time.
These rules are in the interest of the public at large because a pharmacy runs under the supervision of professional pharmacists, having studied about drugs for four to five years will definitely result in helping people make the best use of medicine.
There are many drug related problems which occur due to misuse of medicine. People are unaware about the hazards of indiscriminate use of antibiotics and other controlled drugs due to the missing role of a pharmacist at pharmacies. This usually results in drug resistance and other life threatening complications.
Pakistani pharmacists are serving abroad but theses Drug Rules 2007 will encourage them to start their own pharmacy resulting in a “reverse brain drain”. All the pharmacists pay tribute to ex chief minister Punjab for such a heroic step, winning the hearts of pharmacist fraternity.
We must look to the long term benefits for people instead of a few “unqualified chemists”. They should be encouraged to enhance their qualification as many universities are offering Pharmacy Degrees besides the public sector. It is the only way to curb quackery at medical stores.
FAROOQ BUTT
Lahore
I HAVE since long been observing that most of the packages floated by PTCL are aimed at fleecing subscribers, one way or the other. The latest in the row is “Pakistan Package” that PTCL has one-sidedly activated for all its subscribers at Rs199 per month. It may be lucrative and useful for those making frequent nationwide calls but absolutely unwanted and useless for the others.
The PTCL’s ad says that a subscriber may opt for “de-activation” of “Pakistan Package” by calling at their helpline 1236. It is wrong that it brings an extra duty for the subscriber to get it “de-activated” if not interested. I don’t want to subscribe for Pakistan Package. I have been trying to get it “de-activated” through PTCL help line 1236.
However, to my utter dismay, despite countless repeated attempts I could not succeed as the pre-recorded message always terminates telling me that my request could not be entertained as the network was busy. I have to get it “de-activated” before the end of the month to save me making compulsory payment of Rs199 for a service which was neither needed nor utilized.
Think of the thousands of PTCL subscribers like me who would be paying undue extra money. This is nothing but merciless swindling of the innocent subscribers. The dishonest marketing tricks would cause a disastrous collapse of the PTCL very soon. I have made up my mind not to pay the next month’s bill if PTCL includes Rs199 in it. There are private phone companies offering far better and honest packages with true “after sales services”. PTCL loses one subscriber.
SHAHID AHMAD KHAN
Karachi
I READ with interest and sadness the story of a taxi driver who was sent to jail for 15 days just because he took his wife in labour pains to hospital on a VIP route. How sad this is! And what kind of justice is this? In medical emergencies such simple violations are condoned. Otherwise ambulance drivers should also be sent to jail for rushing heart attack patients to the hospitals. Dawn has previously reported many deaths and medical causalities due to so called VIP movements.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Pakistan has been turned into a banana peel country by the VIP culture. Banana has some substance but its peel makes people fall down and get hurt. The poor taxi driver at most could have been fined but to send him to jail when his wife and newly born baby required his utmost presence reflects our callousness. It is high time to inject the true moral and ethical values in society and eliminate imprisonments as punishments. These are punishment to the innocent and not to the culprits (not the taxi driver in this case). The jails are crime universities and a big burden on tax payers.
DR ANWAR UL HAQUE
Islamabad
The institutions like the Public Service Commissions are established in order to advertise various governmental posts, conduct examination for such posts and recommend to the concerned governments the appointments of those who pass the examinations successfully after great toil.
We, in Pakistan, barring the FPSC which recruits for federal services, have four Public Service Commissions, one for each province. It has been observed that except the Sind Public Service Commission, the other Public Service Commissions conduct combined competitive examinations annually. They also advertise various posts, conduct examinations and recommend the appointments of the successful candidates on a regular basis.
The SPSC has not only failed to conduct combined competitive examinations regularly but has also failed to intimate the reasons of not conducting the written tests of Mukhtiar Kar’s and Excise Inspectors, the forms of which had been submitted about two years ago and one thousand rupees were paid as an examination fees, nor has it declared the result of written test of lecturers held in January, 2006.
This indicates that no one in the Sindh government has cared for the candidates who are working hard to become the part and parcel of the administrative machinery of the government. So, the concerned authorities, i.e, the CM and the Governor, Sindh, are requested to please investigate the matter and have the examinations conducted regularly and results declared promptly.
ZUFIQAR ALI LANGAH
Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze
“The first and simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind is curiosity”. — Burke
“The element of curiosity has played an important role in shaping, changing and reconstructing history, because it has always urged human beings to unfold the mysteries of nature and uncover the forbidden and the untold”, as rightly held by Dr Mubark Ali (Dec 9).
He has, however, talked about the Bible where crossing of the existing knowledge was prescribed being ‘lust of the eyes’, that hampered creative thinking extensively without referring to the role Islam played in relieving human mind from the bondage of superstitions and bigoted notions of centuries-old dogmas.
It was basically with the dawn of Islam that instinctive curiosity of human mind got a fillip and science overwhelmed superstition and rational thinking triumphed over bigotry.
The first verse revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was (96:1-5): “Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has Created man from a clot of congealed blood. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.” Verse (7:179) enjoins: “Those who do not use their faculties of thinking, reasoning and deliberating are not human beings; they are living their lives on the animal level, even worse than that. These are the cursed people”.
Men are urged to contemplate in verse (45:13): “The heavenly bodies and earth have been brought under control for you (human beings) by Allah. There are signs in them for those who think and reflect”.
The Holy Quran also emphasises use of logic and reason based on rational conclusions: (2:164): “Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alteration of night and day ... and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky ... and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds ... are indeed signs for people of understanding.”
Thus individuals have been asked to draw their own conclusions based on their own perceptions and understanding; laying down the concept of freedom of thought. The search for rational foundations in Islam may be regarded to have begun with the Prophet himself.
His constant prayer was; “God! Grant me knowledge of the ultimate nature of things”. He further said: “It is obligatory for every Muslim to acquire knowledge. Allah likes those who seek knowledge”.
At another place, he said: “Allah opens the path of Paradise to one who takes a step on the path of acquisition of knowledge”.
While Europe was immersed in the Dark Ages, degradation of human intellect being rampant, superstition holding sway over logic, reasoning and rational explanations, the emergence of Islam brought with it the urge to explore and invent. Scientific activities were taken up at places like Baghdad, Kufa, Basra, Cairo and Cordova. Within 300 Muslim scholars and scientists made immense contribution towards the study of astronomy, medicine, mathematics, geography, etc.
Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna) was the most learned physician who wrote the famous book ‘Al Qanun fil Tib’, the only textbook for medicine used in western universities for several hundred years.
Similarly, Jabir ibn Hayyan, known as Giber is considered godfather of modern chemistry. Al Kindi, Abul Wafa, Al Khwarizmi, Al Battani, Al Ghazzali and Al Farghani contributed to the study of mathematics, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, astronomy and geography, respectively.
Ghazzali and Ibn Khaldun have left their mark in the field of political philosophy. Ibn Khaldun’s immortal piece, ‘Muqaddamah’, bore great influence on political scientists like Montesquieu, Machiavelli, Adam Smith and Karl Marx. It was the Arabs who introduced to the West works of ancient philosophers through translations/commentaries.
In Greek mythology, Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes, and not a ‘rebellious woman’ as maintained by Dr Mubrak. Similarly, Eve’s breaking of vow is based on Biblical teaching. Whereas, according to the Quran (II: 35-36) both Adam and Eve were misled by Satan.
Marco Polo (1254-1324), famous Venetian traveller, has written an account of ‘Paradise on earth’ created by Hassan b. Sabah at fortress of Alamut (Eagle’s nest). However, when Marco Polo, who travelled to China in 1271, was still in infancy, fortress of Alamut with its paradise was already in ruins being destroyed by the Mongols under Halaku, in 1256.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
I AM facing a dilemma whether to vote or not to vote on January 8. And if I vote, then for whom. I am being constantly reminded of “good men elect bad politicians by not voting”. But what can one do when there is not much of a choice and all are bad? All one can do is vote for the lesser evil.
Some say one should vote for the unknown, if there is one in the run. But Cowasjee says ‘unknown’ could be more risky. Oft repeated clichés are once again doing the rounds, “the cure for bad democracy is more democracy” and that “people will reject corrupt politicians next time”. Well, this has not happened in the past — at least not in our land of the pure. Politicians seem to have a long life and the masses a short memory. Same old faces are found again, some with changed party colours. Five years are too long a ‘semester’ to educate the masses in electing the right leader.
I would, therefore, suggest a short-cut to it. Each ballot paper should have a ‘box’ for “None Above”. If someone does not want to vote for anyone of them, he/she could stamp this box. This would be a valid ‘NO’ vote like the ‘Yes’ vote and the ‘Abstain’ vote.
If at a polling station, there are more NO votes than the highest number of votes polled by any one, all contestants from that constituency should not only be unelected but also debarred from further contesting. Fresh voting with new contestants should be held there. In this way, the unwanted contestants will be eliminated.
COL. RIAZ JAFRI (RETD)
Rawalpindi
ONE feels proud to know that there are still a few people who believe in honesty.
I went for dinner at a restaurant in Sindhi Muslim Society with my wife and kid. After having a pleasant dinner, we left the place but my wife forgot to pick her handbag carrying cash and cell phone.
It was a shock when we got to know that she missed her bag at the restaurant. I made a call to verify whether it is stolen or in safe hands. It was a sigh of great relief when the manager of the outlet received the call and assured us that they have retained the phone and there is nothing to worry. Hats off to the restaurant staff for showing exemplary honesty.
ADNAN TURAB ALI
Karachi
THE wheat and flour crisis continues to get worse day by day. The inherent problem is that world market prices of wheat have gone to record levels, primarily due to crop shortfalls in Australia and Europe amongst other factors.
Therefore, massive quantities are being smuggled out to Afghanistan and even India as the domestic price in Pakistan is still less than the international price. The result of this is that flour prices for the Pakistani consumer has shot up to Rs18/20 per kg. However neither the government nor the farmer has benefited from this huge price increase. The government bought wheat from the farmers at Rs425/maund. The government continues to supply flour mills at the rate of Rs460/maund.
Although the market price of wheat has increased to Rs625 to Rs650/maund, the government states that by selling wheat at those prices to the flour mills, they are ensuring that the flour mills are able to sell flour at the government mandated price.
The reality is that the flour mills are selling wheat at ex-factory price of Rs680 a maund, at a gross profit of Rs 220/maund.
Taking into account the conversion charges of grinding wheat into flour of a maximum of Rs40 a maund, the millers are still making Rs180 a maund. That is a profit of 39 per cent, which is unheard of in a basic industry such as flour milling, where regular margins are between 1.5 per cent and 3 per cent.
The government is basically handing out free money to the millers. Would anybody sell you gold for the price it was six months ago?
So, the millers are making billions which should have instead gone to the farmer or the government.
Now the government is importing wheat which will cost it Rs1,000/maund and the government will take a massive loss of billions to subsidise this.
Sadly to say, the prime benefactors will be the flour millers and those government personnel who are busy taking bribes from the millers rather than taking any action.
Until we let the laws of supply and demand to operate, there will always be market distortions that will be exploited by a few to enrich themselves at the expense of the nation.
A. NIAZI
Karachi
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