| January 23, 2008 | Wednesday | Muharram 13, 1429 |
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Security of nuclear weapons
Comfortable exile
Cut in development budget
Change in academic year
Most hospitable nation
I do not concur
Selling flour bags
Buying air tickets
Similarities
A definition
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
EVEN in these sombre times politicians continue to grind their own axes. Musharraf-bashing is the order of the day. Rightly or wrongly, he still is the president. To bad-mouth him publicly at every opportunity is unbecoming even for a supposedly wronged, two-time prime minister and would-be Amir-ul-Momineen of yesteryear. One would have thought that the “go Musharraf go” and “imminent rigging” slogans would subside a bit. But alas Nawaz Sharif and Co. must have their pound of flesh even while the nation mourns.
The UNO does not have such a good track record. The Kashmir and Palestinian disputes are still gathering dust in their archives. Even president Hareri’s murder investigation is inconclusive. Pressure to somehow throw in Syria’s name into the fray pervades. It would be naive to think that the UNO or Security Council are not pliable. After all they are located in New York and are paid in US dollars.
A United Nations inquiry would only procrastinate the investigation. Their may be international connotations but this is not a dispute. Scotland Yard have been around for well over a century and are equipped and able to investigate any crime impartially if given a free hand and proper mandate; if not, they would not hesitate to say so. To cast aspersions on their ability or integrity is ludicrous.
No doubt some evidence has been hosed down quite mindlessly but the vehicle in which the assassination took place is intact and some body parts of the suicide bomber and much of the other evidence and clues are secure. This should be sufficient for Scotland Yard to get to the truth.
To let body parts and pools of blood lie about for very long on a busy thoroughfare in a state of decay, in full view of multi-storeyed apartments and shops, doesn’t seem quite the right thing to do.
Many policemen lost their lives in these attacks. That the hosing down was done by them at Karsaz (Karachi) or at Liaquat Bagh deliberately to destroy evidence is far-fetched. That the government was behind the assassination would also have to be the outcome of a very fertile imagination. Brain-washing a young man or woman to give up his or her life in return for a place in Paradise has to come from the cloisters of a mosque or madressah.
With the best technology and much smaller crowds, even the US intelligence and police could not stop the assassinations of the likes of president J.F Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. Our own sloppy, ragtag sleuths did not stand a chance.
The only conceivable security that can work seems to be a bullet-proof, completely impregnable podium or dais, with all the approaches, arrivals and departures therefrom made in a bullet-proof vehicle with completely closed and sealed doors, windows and hatches. Jammers can only block signals from a remote control or cellphone. They cannot stop an intent and motivated suicide bomber: nothing can.
Had Sherry Rehman or any of the other stalwarts sitting around her been able to hold her down, even at the cost of annoying her, Ms Bhutto would have been with us today. After all, these very people were around her in almost exactly the same circumstances in the aborted attack at Karachi. With threats from everywhere and memories of the Karsaz attack still fresh, they should have been alert and foreseen danger. Simply being very devoted and hanging around is not enough.
The remains of all prominent leaders from the Quaid-i-Azam to president Kennedy without exception were draped in their national flags. Draping Benazir Bhutto in a party flag and chanting political slogans amounts to reducing her stature. She was a two-time prime minister of all of Pakistan and a national and international leader like none else. She belonged to all of us. Her coffin should have been draped in a Pakistan flag: she would have liked that.
CAPT. S. AFAQ RIZVI
Karachi
MUCH hullabaloo is being raised in the world regarding security of nuclear weapons of Pakistan by different quarters, especially the western media, intellectuals, US presidential candidates, and, much to my disappointment, our own intellectuals have joined the chorus. This has created serious doubts and concerns among own citizens, particularly the youth.
In such a situation we should know why and who is behind all this hue and cry, their motives, and what are the measures taken on our part for the safety and security of nuclear assets.
There is only one Muslim state in the world which is nuclear: Pakistan. When Pakistan detonated nuclear devices in 1998, primarily pressed by Indian nuclear designs and its own safety concerns, it was hailed and sent a wave of happiness across the Muslim world, while it was negatively received by the West and rest of the world.
Sanctions were slammed on Pakistan in its aftermath. Those were borne bravely by the nation. Now these bombs are the warranty card of our country’s safety. Since then there are many hidden forces, who devoted all their efforts and resources to reverse Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
The anti-Pakistan forces working on the covert agenda of reversing its nuclear programme are being supported too by hostile states, and involvement of India and Israel cannot be ruled out. Unfortunately, also there are some political forces from within Pakistan, who joined hands with these force and are or were engaged in maligning Pakistan for their political gains. Nuclear assets of Pakistan is a national issue and it is quiet unjust to put political gains over the national interests.
The modus operandi of these hidden forces is lobbying and they support people and elements which are opposed to nuclear weapons.
They contribute discourses and essays in newspapers and research reports, fund media parleys and create an aura of catastrophe imminent in the public.
These lobbies mould public opinion which subsequently forces political leaders of the countries to do something about the impending calamity. No matter what we do to satisfy them, they won’t acknowledge it.
Essentially this is the reason for the debates carried out in canvassing campaigns of US presidential candidates. It is imperative that we focus on creating pro-Pakistan lobbies in the West and counter the noxious propaganda through the media, both domestic and foreign.
The propagandists justify their claim by citing the political instability, worsening law and order situation, killing of Benazir Bhutto, and the ever rising incidents of terrorism in the country. Unfortunately, our leaders have failed to rise to the occasion and take corrective measures.
As a signatory to the UN Convention on Physical Security of Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan has undertaken all the de rigueur measures to ensure security of its nuclear bombs.
It has also put in place a mechanism which prevents accidental launching of the bomb. Its labs are the world’s most secure labs.
Besides, the Strategic Planning Division is responsible for its deployment, of whom Army officers are not aware due to compartmentalisation of ranks and files. In such conditions, the possibility of falling of nuclear weapons in the hands of forces of the dark is well nigh impossible.
AHMAD SULTAN BALOCH
Quetta
THIS is with reference to Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column, ‘The sowing and reaping of destiny’ (Jan 20).
Now that the dust seems to be settling after the devastating storm that hit us on Dec 27, I am glad to see emotions are giving way to rationality in our media.
While we may express our deepest sorrow on the tragedy, we must not forget how it all transpired.
Mr Cowasjee has done us the good service by reminding us just that.
He wrote: “Benazir Bhutto, twice prime minister of Pakistan, twice dismissed charged with corruption and by the machinations of her political and military adversaries, was living in comfortable exile away from the turbulence of Pakistan.
This lasted until she was made a victim of the wisdom of the Americans and their British allies, who decided that as far as they were concerned, her return to Pakistan, with the guarantee that she would be made prime minister, would suit their global and national purposes”.
Ms Bhutto may well be a charismatic and courageous leader but we must not forget how she lived her life before returning to Pakistan.
Therefore comparisons with Lady Diana or Mother Teresa will be too far outstretched by anyone’s imagination.
Ms Bhutto’s tragic death will not erase her record. And her legacy will be determined more so by how she lived than died. In our troubled history, her chapter, however, will be an important learning lesson for those who intend to learn from history.
DR OWAIS A FAROOQI
Memphis, TN, USA
THIS is with reference to your editorial, ‘Cut in development budget’ (Jan 15).
To our great misfortune, every successive government has given a very low priority to the education and health sectors, and the results are there for all to see.
And instead of reducing expenditure, the present government has substantially increased the salaries and perks enjoyed by bureaucrats and legislators. It is urgently necessary to increase government revenue and reduce expenditure.
Why has the government so far not done anything to reduce energy consumption?
The huge petrol-guzzling cars continue to be imported and used, while marriage halls operate until two in the night, consuming imported oil which is getting more expensive every day.
If the government does not force shops to close by nine and marriage halls by 11, a day may come when it will be necessary to declare a dusk-to-dawn curfew every day.
As for increasing revenue, imposing sales tax on smuggled goods sold by the 25,000 shops in Karkhano Bazaar near Peshawer can fetch at least Rs300 billion every year, if not more.
I have personally observed the heavy amount of tax evasion there.
But I doubt if the government will ever do anything to tax the smugglers, whose influence in the corridors of power is even greater than that of the sugar barons.
SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
THE steering committee of the Sindh ministry of education has proposed to start the academic year from April 1. Press reports erroneously suggest a consensus on this and I must set the record straight.
The fact is that Father Paul of the Catholic Board, Seema Malik of the Teachers’ Resource Centre and I vocally opposed the proposal at a meeting called by the steering committee on Jan 12.
Many of us strongly believe that starting the academic year in April would be detrimental for the students of Sindh and we continue to respectfully advise the relevant government offices accordingly.
NARGIS ALAVI
Principal, Habib Girls School
Karachi
THESE days many insensitive or ill-informed people, who have never been to Pakistan or visited it for a few days at best, have started calling it the most dangerous nation. However, a totally different picture emerges when we see the opinion of those fair-minded souls who have travelled or stayed here.
First, one would quote what a like-minded Pakistani correspondent, Zill-e-Rehman Khan, wrote on Jan 16: “The truth is that the people of Pakistan are the most generous and hospitable as compared to any people in the rest of the world.
“But ... (the religious and political extremists) are responsible for blackening the name of Pakistan worldwide and causing discomfort to those who are a nice, law-abiding nation .... There are only two roads that lead to (stability) — democracy and justice.”
Some cynics may dispute this, saying that a Pakistani will only praise his or her country. But, some foreigners’ views are also presented. Incidentally, a report in the same day’s issue conveys the sentiments of American journalist Nicholas Schmidle and his wife Rikki, who were recently deported by the government.
Mr Schmidle said he never felt unsafe in Pakistan until the week before, when the security men and police officers started knocking on his door, telling him to leave the country (ostensibly for an article he wrote for the NYT).
He disclosed touchingly that all the friends they made during their two year stay in this country were in tears when they left. “It was actually more difficult to say goodbye to them than saying goodbye to my parents when I left two years ago,” he said.
Furthermore, he had very fond memories of Pakistan and would like to go back whenever allowed to do so. His eyes lit up when talking about the hospitality they had received over here.
His wife, who had been studying at the Islamic University in Islamabad, remarked: “I have never experienced such hospitality before” and, “hospitality triumphs over everything in Pakistan ... they are the best people in the world.”
If this isn’t enough for the detractors, here’s more. About six weeks back two American peace activists, Tighe Barry and (Ms) Medea Benjamin, had come here to get a first-hand assessment of the situation and also meet lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan.
Before getting deported by the authorities in early December, they were both quoted by Dawn’s correspondent as saying the truth and intensity of the Pakistani people have impressed them.
Mr Barry revealed he had travelled throughout the NWFP in his youth in the 1970s, and it is this special emotional attachment that brought him back.
He reminisced: “When I came here this was one of the coolest places on the planet... we went all around the Swat valley and Gilgit and it was a fun place.” (Dec 3).
Then there was this Canadian lady, Jocelyn Smith, and her husband who visited Pakistan last March.
She wrote (June 28, 2007): “For both of us, our holiday was a trip of a lifetime .... We were greeted everywhere with warmth, dignity and enthusiasm.
“The hospitality we received in Pakistan is unlike anything that we have experienced in any other country .... Clearly, one trip isn’t enough, (we) both hope that one day: we will return to your extraordinary and beautiful country.”
When India’s cricket fans had visited Pakistan in large numbers a couple of years back, they were also greatly impressed by our hospitality. These facts should convince all open-minded persons.
But, the advice to the government is, please don’t alienate such fans of Pakistan by deporting them, for they can help improve our image. Mr and Mrs Schmidle, as well as the two peace activists, should be flown back at government expense and their stay facilitated in every way.
Our leaders should put Pakistan ahead of themselves. If an ordinary person’s self deludes him, he may harm a few people, but rulers can destroy nations.
As a reality check, they must seek the counsel of wise people having no vested interests.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
THIS is apropos of Anwer Syed’s article, ‘One nation under God’ (Jan 13), saying that major reasons for the separation of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) from West Pakistan (Pakistan) were the differences of ethnicity, physical appearance, language, literature, script, song and dance, food, and dress the people of both sides wore.
It wasn’t the difference between the two wings that led to the separation of Bangladesh, rather it was the injustice done to the Bengalis by the authority.
The Baloch too have differences of ethnicity, physical appearance, language and literature from the rest of Pakistan. If the current situation persists in Balochistan, history may repeat once again.
It should be understood that it is injustice that compels a simple human to rebel and to stand against the establishment.
SAJID AZIZ BALOCH
Turbat
RECENTLY I happened to pass through Thatta. I noticed a heap of 10 kg flour bags being sold at Rs160 a bag. There was no rush, no queue. One policeman stood guard.
I wish the other DCOs should manage it similarly and save the product from being sold in black market.
RAEES AHMAD KHAN
Karachi
MY wife recently had to urgently travel to Lahore. I called the PIAC call-line, booked a ticket and took the PNR. Then went to Karachi airport to buy my wife’s ticket and see her off.
At the ticket counter next to the International Arrivals, I was told to buy my wife’s ticket from the electronic kiosk next to the ticketing counter since I was paying by credit card.
I did just that and paid Rs12,780 for the ticket. When I got the credit card bill, I had been billed for Rs13,125.36. When I called the credit card people, the answer was simple as it was absurd.
They said that PIA’s ticketing kiosks did accept credit card payments but for some God-forsaken reason routed the transactions through some Swedish bank and, hence, we were billed first in US dollars and then converted back into rupees.
Now that is an outright theft on PIA’s part. Using a rupee credit card in Pakistan for a rupee transaction and given a final figure, and then be charged in USDs is daylight theft.
PIA should have had the courtesy and the decency to advertise on the kiosks that the billing would be done in USDs. Shame on PIA if this is the way they want to make money.
SAJAN H. MALIK
Karachi
I RECALL visiting the site of Murtaza Bhutto’s killing on the following morning only to see the signs of a thorough washing of the road.
No empties were to be found. The evidence had been hosed. The arrested police officers have all been promoted and are free to pursue their careers.
In Benazir Bhutto’s case too the site of her killing was immediately hosed and sanitised.
This betrays a common modus operandi of our authorities after a Bhutto is felled by bullets on a street.
Can anyone shed light on this similarity?
S. SULTAN ANWER
Karachi
SOMEBODY had defined the diplomat as a person who lies abroad for the good of his country.
I think the interim government can be described as one that lies in place for the good of the president.
IQBAL
Karachi
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