| January 12, 2008 | Saturday | Muharram 02, 1429 |
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The West’s favour
US obsessions
Need for an autopsy
Wapda’s clarification
Insecure bank cards
Film about Benazir
Tribal strife
Power crisis
Punjab police
60 years of Dawn
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
PAKISTAN is slowly albeit grudgingly moving towards the general election on Feb 18. All major parties are agreeing to participate in the election while maintaining a pressure on the government by demanding a fair and free election.
The statements made by the PPP, the PML (N) and the PML (Q) leadership suggest that the election will not achieve the end, which is a stable political environment in which people can feel safe and advance their lives.
PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has gone so far as to claim that the next government will be formed by the PPP by winning the election. PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly demonstrated that they will not accept the leadership of President Musharraf. The PML (Q) leadership is targeting their opponents with negative campaign slogans which are countered by Asif Ali Zardari.
In this environment the nation is nervously watching the next phase of their volatile life while the prices of basic commodities are skyrocketing beyond the reach of the common man. The question no one is willing to answer is: how do they define a fair and free election?
In the absence of any balance of power between the various institutions it is natural that various parts of the government will strive to gain maximum advantage from any future set-up. The military leadership uses ISI to maintain a dossier on civilian political leaders, which is not part of its mandate. These secret files are used for political manoeuvring.
To conduct a fair and free election it is important that the political wing of ISI should be rolled back. Also, the Chief of Army Staff should ensure that the ISI will focus more on fight against terrorism and prevention of external threats.
Election duties are performed by low-paid education department and district officers. These subsistence-level people are already stressed for the mere survival. It is hard to believe that these officers will jeopardise their jobs if a higher officer in the civilian and military establishment demands certain unfair actions from them during the election.
Unless the election staff is fused with certain national ideology, it cannot be expected that they will risk their livelihood as well as their lives for an election result that do not matter to them much.
Foreign powers operating in Pakistan are well aware that a fair and free election might produce results that are not in their interest. They have already experienced this scenario in Algeria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Turkey where Islamic political parties gained widespread support in the elections.
A fair and free election is the responsibility of an independent judiciary. On Nov 3, President Musharraf fatally struck at the independence of the judiciary by removing the dissenting judges. Now the nation has no institution available that can work as an arbiter among political parties if they want to seek justice against unfairness in the election. On the other hand , the judiciary needs a strong police force that can execute its decisions. The morale and condition of the police is so deteriorated that they cannot stand the pressure exerted by the establishment, military or powerful landlords.
Independent media plays a pivotal role in maintaining transparency of the electoral process. It also plays a significant role in disseminating the message of different political parties. During his struggle for re-election the president has struck a serious blow to the independence of the media by forcing the cable operators to pull plug on many channels. In order to continue their operations media outlets have to agree to an amended Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance which imposed many strict broadcasting conditions on the channels.
In this hostile environment it cannot be expected that the media will be able to point finger at irregularities during the election.
Also, we have to agree that the country belongs to all of us and we have to work together to build it. A stable government is one of the necessary components for a nation’s prosperity and progress.
ABDUL QUAYYUM KHAN KUNDI
USA
THIS is in response to an opinion piece, ‘Vying for West’s favour’ by Farhat Haq (Jan 10).
There are a number of omissions and misrepresentations in this article that must be pointed out. This is not accurate that Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf are the only ones vying for the West’s favour.
The list also includes Nawaz Sharif, Aitzaz Ahsan, the retired chief justice and a number of smaller players .... the latter group also organised a number of marches in Washington DC and Boston.
It is also important to recognise that the ‘West’ does not mean just the United States, it also includes Britain where Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and others created as much ruckus as they possibly could.
But for all those who did not like Mr Musharraf, targeting him alone in the western media was not enough. All of them, from Nawaz Sharif to Benazir Bhutto and everyone in between vying for the West’s favour also explicitly targeted Pakistan’s national institutions and the international aid it receives — without remorse and with total disregard for the nation or its interests.
I am not a professor of political science but I do understand politics — today, Mr Musharraf is the only one on the scene who is not promoting his son, his daughters, his brothers, his nephews, nieces, cousins, uncles, aunts, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law to be the next leader of Pakistan or of some political party.
The democracy and freedom that these leaders so desperately want — from Nawaz Sharif to Benazir Bhutto — is not even available to the rank and file within their own parties. Mr Sharif jumped up and down to score points when Ms Bhutto was killed but none have ever expressed a word of sympathy for the thousands of innocent servicemen that lost their lives to the suicide bombers in the line of their duty.
The unfortunate thing is that the West or no West, there is little understanding within Pakistan of the global game that is being played with Pakistan.
It all began when Mr Musharraf resisted the US pressure for pre-emptive strikes on targets inside Pakistan ... the rest is history.
AMJAD WYNE
Washington DC
THESE days Pakistan’s nuclear assets and its transition to democracy are easy target for anyone in the world and particularly for the USA. The US senators and presidential hopefuls find it quite easy to raise the bogey of Pakistan’s nuclear assets falling in the hands of extremists. They issue catchy statements in this regard and then start considering themselves as great statesmen.
Do Mr Galbraith and his likes think that Pakistan’s nuclear assets are stockpiled on shelves (ready to use), and anyone can steal them? I’ll advise Mr Galbraith to do some research work to find out the number of times US nuclear bombs found missing, remained untraceable for almost 36 hours, US air force planes loaded with live nuclear rockets by mistake and they remained in the air for an unspecified period.
No such incident occurred in Pakistan. Mr Galbraith should advise his own security agencies to safeguard US nuclear assets, rather having unfounded worries about Pakistani nukes.
On Dec 30, Mr Galbraith, in his obituary of late Benazir Bhutto has almost written off Pakistan from the world map. Ms Bhutto’s death is of course a great tragedy, but does it mean that with her death Mr Galbraith should lose all hope and declare Pakistan a failed state. Any country can go through such a crisis situation. The US also has gone through its share of crisis since 1776.
If Mr Galbraith had been living during that Wall Street Stock Market crash followed by Great Depression of 1929-1933, during 1861-65 US civil war between North and South (still remembered by N and S), assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, again assassination of Kennedy in 1963, he would have written off the US as a failed state and would have left in search of some greener pastures somewhere in the world.
We are only 60 years old and most of our problems are mainly due to self-centred policies of the successive US governments. We Pakistanis are determined to overcome any crisis and would never even imagine of leaving our great country.
ABID MAHMUD ANSARI
Islamabad
QAZI Faez Isa’s brilliant analysis, ‘Evidence reveals the truth’ (Jan 8) misses out one essential piece of evidence that has been put beyond reach: the physical remains of Benazir Bhutto without an autopsy. The hosing of the crime scene is not the only loss of material evidence. The secret of her death may now be buried with Ms Bhutto for ever.
As she herself said regarding the death of her brother, Murtaza, in one of her last interviews: “The body does not lie”. Actually it is more than that. The body also does not withhold the truth.
According to the medical report of Dr Mussadaq and party, there was only one opening in her skull. If so, the projectile, bullet or pellet, must lie in her head. That, if extracted, would have pointed out, with precision, the kind of weapon from which it was fired. With knowledge of the weapon the group (rogue elements within the system or the terrorists without) could have been identified.
In fact, given the nature of the projectile and the inevitable markings on it, more precise information may have been obtained. Moreover a probe into the passage that the projectile made in her head would have line of fire corroborating or demolishing the theory of multiple assassins.
Finally, if there was more than one opening in her skull, then the report itself is false. But who is to check now? To exhume her body would inflame the entire country.
Burying any murder victim without an autopsy is against the law. It is punishable under Section 201 of the PPC to seven years’ imprisonment. In fact, the police cannot take a murder victim’s body back from the hospital and hand it to the heirs without a proper post mortem.
In this context questions are also raised about the hasty burial of such an international personality. Doing so was, at the least, ill-advised and, at the worst, criminal. The doctors, the police and some other persons owe an explanation to the people.
With the body buried without a proper autopsy, and the crime scene washed out comprehensively, what can the Scotland Yard do? This murder will go like that of Liaquat Ali Khan at the same spot.
TAHIR AHMED KHAN
Lahore
THIS refers to Muhammad Saeed Piracha’s letter, ‘Well done Wapda’ (Jan 10).
It is clarified that since October 2007 the government of Pakistan has bifurcated Wapda into water and power sectors.
Now, Wapda is looking after only the water sector, including dams and hydropower projects in the country, while the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) is responsible for the power sector, including thermal power generation, transmission, distribution and billing of electricity in the country, through its various corporate entities commonly known as GENCOs, NTDC and DISCOs. Hence, the matters pertaining to load management / loadshedding now fall under the purview of PEPCO.
ABID SAEED
Wapda, Lahore
I READ with interest Imran Ayub’s article, ‘Fraudsters out to grab bank cards’ (Dec 24) and Sqn. Ldr (r) Ausaf Hussain’s letter, ‘Beware of fraudsters’ (Dec 30), issues that have been highlighted time and again in the past few years.
The suggestions seem to say that it is the card-holder’s fault that he or she is targeted and the card is misused – exactly what the banks want us to believe. The issue is really about shrugging off responsibility by the banks and merchants and the repercussions of such a situation.
Banking Mohtasib’s Report of 2006 mentions more than 200 reported cases of credit card fraud for 2006 only (imagine the number that has gone unreported in the last few years) and classifies this problem as one of the ‘systemic issues’ which “could result in serious issues in the future”. The report goes on to suggest that banks make it incumbent upon merchants to verify signatures and take proper identification.
One needs to understand the business mode which perpetuates this cycle. It is imperative to realise that banks (both card issuing and merchants’) as well as the merchants make money when the card is used and not when it is blocked. Hence, it is not in their interest to stop fraudulent usage of the card.
Unfortunately, during various discussions the term ‘worldwide practice’ comes up which seems to imply not only merchants do not check signatures the world over but are also not required to do so. The first part of the statement (merchants not checking signatures may have some truth), however every document in the world (even in Pakistan) expresses that not only merchants are required to check signatures, but have also taken responsibility if the signatures are counterfeit. This means that abroad the merchants would have further training for sales clerks, CCTV systems, the bank would have pro-active card spending patterns monitoring.
Frauds such as the one highlighted will not stop, until the regulatory authority forces the banks to follow their own advertising/guidelines as well as international policies and the recently-enacted Payment Systems and Electronic Funds Transfer Act, 2007, which holds the merchant and bank responsible for any fraudulent activity.
Unfortunately, without the above requirements the whole system breaks down without any surveillance/monitoring requirement/responsibility at the bank or merchant side, defeating the purpose of carrying secure cards – as opposed to not-so-secure cash.
HASAN RAZA
Karachi
IT is being circulated around the Internet that the Karachi-based Skies Unlimited is planning to make a film about Benazir Bhutto in collaboration with India-based Vishesh Films.
According to the reports, Shilpa Shetty is being considered to play Ms Bhutto.
In the recent issue of Images (Jan 6), there was a report of Shabana Azmi expressing her wish to play the role of Benazir Bhutto in a film.
I, being a Pakistani, definitely love the idea of a film about Ms Bhutto. But I think it would be much better if a Pakistani lady played the role of Ms Bhutto.
After all, Ms Bhutto laid down her life for Pakistan. So only a Pakistani should play her character in a film.
Also, I think it would be a better idea if the Skies Unlimited consulted a Hollywood production to make a film about Ms Bhutto.
I hope the members of the PPP will pay attention to the concerns of Benazir Bhutto’s supporters like me.
KHUSHBAKHT VAKA
Karachi
THE situation in Pakistan’s tribal areas has been very fragile and there are vague reports about what has been going on there in the last week or so, especially when we talk about sectarian violence.
We, the citizen of Pakistan, are worried about the worrisome conditions in our tribal areas, in general, and the dilapidated conditions of Parachinar, in particular.
The two-week-long curfew there is more than enough to shatter one’s peace of mind. The government should intervene and solve the issue that caused mayhem in those areas.
The role of the government is very important, considering the chaos that shook the country at the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The people of Pakistan have been very apprehensive about the conditions of the country’s tribal areas as there has been no independent media coverage.
MUHAMMAD FARHAN
Karachi
PAKISTAN is currently confronted with severe power shortages, resulting in massive loadshedding and rolling blackouts throughout country.
This is due to criminal neglect of the sector during the last five years. No new investment has been made, nor any new projects launched, rather the previously-initiated projects have been delayed due to poor projects management of the power company concerned.
JAVED.N.MALIK
Lahore
THERE are many questions that come to mind when we look at the modus operandi of the recent bomb attack in front of the Lahore High Court. Were the jawans of Punjab police the real target or was it an indirect message to the lawyers?
Before we look into the motives, causes and aftermaths of this attack, I would like to mention this very fact about the Punjab police. In the past, the jawans of Punjab police proved their mettle no matter how huge and inhuman the calamity has been, despite the ferocious tides of lawlessness, the Punjab police had always been on top of every challenge.
Whoever planned, mobilised the resources and executed the attack where a 14kg bomb exploded was unable to distinguish between khaki (army) and black (police) uniforms.
The Punjab police had no blood on its hands if the Taliban of Waziristan and Nnorthern Areas were to be blamed for this heinous crime. We could generalise the motive behind this attack which could precisely be instilling fear in the hearts of security forces and public.
Was this attack carried on prematurely? It might have been meant to sabotage and demoralise the lawyers’ movement and because of one vigilant policeman who tried to stop the suicide bomber at the barrier, many lawyers had been saved.
Many questions had been raised but this incident has reinforced one fact in the minds and hearts of the general public. The Punjab police have written another chapter of sacrifice and martyrdom and gained high moral grounds by acting as a shield to protect innocent lives.
RIZ WARRAICH
Lahore
I MUST congratulate you for providing your readers with Dawn every morning during the most difficult time after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto. The edition ‘Sixty years of Dawn’ is also a remarkable attempt in providing your readers with precious material / happening of past years. However, I fail to understand why the period before the partition has been excluded.
Your readers are entitled to know that Dawn started publication much before independence in Delhi. In the beginning, your paper was approved as a weekly and after some months it was upgraded as a daily. Dawn was printed at Latifee Press near Delhi Gate and we who had been subscribing to other papers switched over to Dawn. In the beginning Mr Pothan Joseph was its editor. Subsequently before coming to Karachi, Mr Altaf Husain of East Pakistan took over. The present generation as also the present staff of Dawn are entitled to know this fact.
S. FARID AHMAD
Karachi
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