| February 28, 2008 | Thursday | Safar 20, 1429 |
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Late confession
Graceful exit
Need for sagacity
Recommendations for new govt
Democracy for peace
Polio: a policy flaw
Showing restraint
Ensuring accountability
I had a dream
Women’s seats
Land dispute
Such a view, after eight long years of a constitutional dictatorial rule, apparently ignores all the ill effects left behind, including the import of suicide bombings all over the country, besides killings of thousands of our citizens in the vast Fata and Balochistan areas, leaving many more disabled for life, acute law and order, $40 billion foreign debt, $15 billion balance-of-payments deficit, foreign investments liabilities, besides endemic judicial crisis, high inflation, despite tall claims of high macro economic gains and high growth, etc.
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 the lead report, ‘PPP apologising to Balochistan for excesses’ (Feb 25). Demonstrating the qualities of a national leader with political courage, the co-chairman of the PPP has apologised to the people of Balochistan on behalf of the people of Pakistan, for the “atrocities and injustices committed against the Baloch people”.
The statement by Asif Ali Zardari about this is a first step towards reconciliation and assures our Baloch brothers that we in other provinces feel sorry for them, but apologising to the Baloch would not be enough.
First, we as a nation must also apologise to the people of Bangladesh for atrocities and killings of innumerable Bengali brothers, for not giving them the basic right to govern, not even providing the due status to the Bangla language it deserved.
The Bengali majority was never treated as the first citizens of the country. They were considered ‘low class’ citizens right from day one.
The Bengali language, one of the richest languages, was neglected and their beloved poet, a Nobel prize winner, was blacklisted from textbooks.
Before tendering a formal apology to the Bangladeshis, a gesture could help assuage the pain by naming some of the main roads, buildings and parks after the Bengali poets, writers and freedom-fighters of the Pakistan Movement. Mr Zardari, with all the other political leaders, members of civil society and, above all, the citizens of Pakistan must come forward to seek pardon from the people of Bangladesh.
It’s also time all our political leaders, following in the footsteps of Mr Zardari, apologised to the nation in general and to the people of the neglected provinces in particular, who had been called traitors, a security risk, or agents of foreign powers, for not even trying to remove their genuine grievances, for not taking them in the boat of patriotic citizens, for considering them simply ‘inferior’.
It’s time our leaders apologised to the nation for their past misdeeds, for their mistakes committed intentionally or unintentionally, for not giving the judiciary and the media the independence, for making fun of the highest judicial authority, for illegally dismissing the elected governments, for the judicial murder of an elected prime minister, for the various operations launched from time to time like ‘Operation Searchlight’, ‘Operation Midnight Jackal’, for massive rigging in general elections, for horse-trading, for attacking the Supreme Court, for inviting the army to interfere by writing letters to the army chiefs, for sidelining the real freedom-fighters and replacing them with the leaders of own choice, for distorting the history of the country, and for introducing the culture of extremism and suicide bombing.
Every citizen of this country must apologise for not paying taxes, for not observing rules and regulations, for remaining a silent spectator on the defeat of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah in the presidential election, for not raising their voices when the innocent students and intellectuals were killed in Dacca University, when Bacha Khan was forced to live in exile, when Liaquat Ali Khan was killed in broad daylight, and no sincere investigations were conducted.
It’s a long list of errors and mistakes not only on the part of the people in authority, leaders and ruling elite, but also the layman who is fully responsible for the present-day crises.
AAMIR AQIL
Lahore
The stunning admission by Maj-Gen Ehtesham Zamir, former deputy ISI chief, conceding to his participation in the rigging of the year 2002 polls and using the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as an active tool, has further validated what was widely speculated about NAB and its shameful role in framing politically-charged cases.
NAB was mandated to sway political loyalties to strengthen President Musharraf’s dictatorial regime. The naked aggression was unleashed to an extent that some of the detainees were crammed in the infamous 18th century Attock Fort and subjected to torture. Politicians, along with some bureaucrats, were later tried and convicted in courts on dictations by from the NAB headquarters.
The NAB’s mania began to fizzle out as Musharraf’s regimes started to gain strength. In an attempt to justify its existence, NAB took another turn and started running after people with alleged corruption of a few million rupees whereas opportunists who minted billions of rupees and swindled it aboard enjoyed the nectar of power under Musharraf’s so called ‘Pakistan First’ motto.
Gen Ehtesham’s revelation has indeed drawn curtains over NAB’s eight-year-long play. His admission unfortunately cannot undo the colossal damage done to its victims and the nation’s faith in the process of accountability.
Such revelations are, however, perfect grounds for the Supreme Court to take suo motu action against NAB and its activities over the past eight years. All those involved in this heinous crime of state terrorism be charged with high treason so that no individual in future could even think of committing such acts in their wildest dreams.
SYED SHAH
Canada
A graceful exit apparently requires adequate compensation for all these high disadvantages being left behind, by his pals and collaborators. It is hoped that this aspect will be considered by the top senator, Mr Biden, and his other partner party leaders.
It is hoped the newly-elected leaders will also consider these vital aspects to help overcome some of the prevailing crises.
M.H. SYED
Karachi
YOUR editorial, ‘Need for sagacity’ (Feb 22), is very timely, against “fruitless confrontation and making the judiciary issue a matter of ego.” This is besides reopening old cases after the poll verdict. All these matters may be left for the new parliament to decide, besides rectifying all the unconstitutional actions since 1999.
As regards the PCO of 1999, all the judges who had resigned and refused to change their solemn oath could be considered as automatically restored, while those who had changed their oath in 1999 could be reviewed by the restored supreme judiciary.
The real purpose of the entire legal system is to ensure speedy and affordable justice for all.
The foremost task before the elected leaders is to restore law and order and create an atmosphere of peace in the country, besides overcoming the acute shortage of essential items causing undue hardships to the people at large.
Success of the new leaders will be judged by their capability to address these important matters, apart from completing the initial formalities of establishing the parliament, which requires sagacity, avoiding any ego in its way.
S.M.H. RIZVI
Karachi
WHILE a new government is set to take over, a number of belated constitutional reforms are under consideration, most seem to be targeting provincial autonomy. The following acts would greatly help in stabilising Pakistan:
a. The creation of a much demanded Seraiki province comprising former Bahawalpur state, Multan district and the remaining Seraiki belt.
b. Creation of a Hindko-Potwari province, comprising the non-Pakhtun NWFP belt and Potwari belt of Punjab.
c. Merger of the remaining NWFP with Fata and Pakhtun areas of northern Balochistan.
d. Introduction of bicameral legislatures (apportioning seats on a land basis) in Sindh and Balochistan to allay insecurities among the natives regarding changing demographics due to downcountry migration to Karachi and Gwadar.
e. A constitutional provision that in the event parliament is dissolved other than due to expiry of tenure, the provincial assemblies cannot be dissolved by the chief minister or the governor until the parliament has been re-elected and is back in session.
SYED SAAD MANSOOR
Karachi
SO, our nation has gone democratic unlike many others who still lack political moderation for enlightened governance.
Hopefully, our instant dividend of democracy can be the end of terror without a war – the suicide and other kinds of bombardments and so also the attacks on government installations in Balochistan and other tribal areas.
So, we voted for “over to the new leaders”.
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
I have read your editorial, ‘Polio: a policy flaw’ (Feb 25), with interest and wish to thank you for highlighting the importance of working towards reaching zero polio cases in Pakistan in the very near future.
I wish, however, to clarify a few basic issues in polio eradication. The first and most important strategy in polio eradication is routine immunisation, which is purely a governmental responsibility. Unfortunately, this has not yet reached the standard hoped for. As an example, of the 32 polio cases reported in Pakistan in 2007, as many as 21 cases had not received a single dose of oral polio vaccine through routine immunisation and another three had received only one of the three routine doses required.
This means that 75 per cent of the cases that occurred were not reached by this basic and most important strategy. Because of this flaw in routine immunisation, it becomes necessary to conduct supplemental immunisation activities in order to reach those not reached in time by routine immunisation. These campaigns are indeed reaching many children who are missed by routine immunisation.
The national programme has, in fact, long recognised the importance of the mobile populations in maintaining viral circulation. It conducted an extensive study to map these populations and to identify the important characteristics relevant to viral spread.
Strategies were put in place to address these important but difficult-to-reach population groups and now the children concerned are receiving the vaccine at the crossing point and at their temporary residences.
In addition, the movement of children between Pakistan and Afghanistan is receiving very special attention. During 2007, as many as two million doses of OPV were administered to under-five children crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan at 13 crossing points between the two countries.
In conclusion, I wish to inform you that the technical advisory bodies of the polio eradication programme have expressed their expectation that poliovirus circulation in Pakistan can be stopped before the end of this year, provided that the national authorities address the few remaining important challenges facing the programme, by ensuring adequate planning and supervision, in addition to strengthening management at the programme delivery level.
The World Health Organisation and other partners remain committed to supporting the national authorities in this critical phase of the programme in order to reach the target we are all looking for, namely a polio-free Pakistan.
HUSSEIN A. GEZAIRY
WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
ONE of the most reassuring images of the election came from Larkana.
After a verbal altercation between Ghinwa Bhutto, leader of the PPP(SB), and Nisar Khuhro, leader of the PPP, the supporters of Ghinwa Bhutto physically assaulted Nisar Khuhro in full face of television cameras.
However, despite the provocation, Nisar Khuhro remained calm and did not hit back or allow his supporters to join in the fray.
After the incident, Nisar Khuhro issued a statement that he has no intention of taking any legal action against Ghinwa Bhutto and has, in fact, forgiven his attackers.
Such restraint is most commendable and needs to be emulated by all.
ZAHID F EBRAHIM
Karachi
THE DHA has a penchant for written applications on any and every subject that pertains to any changes made, no matter how minor, on one’s own property. However, that very same penchant is thrown out of the window when it comes for them to take up the mantle of responsibility and respond to any resident except to ask for various sundry dues.
I have requested for a copy of the specifications that was given to the contractor regarding the current ‘under-construction’ sewage lines and have offered and would be willing to pay an appropriate fee for that privilege.
Whether the consultants be ECIL Associates or Osmani Associates is of no importance to me personally, but at least the consultants to whom I would show this ‘specification’ would be aware of the originator of the report. However, it is doubtful that there will be any response to my correspondence let alone receive a copy of the hallowed top secret consultants’ report.
The DHA should be reminded of one fundamental truth: the above requested report, or any other report commissioned in the name of the DHA or the Cantonment Board of Clifton (CBC), belongs to the residents collectively, it does not belong to the DHA or the CBC. There are many defence residents associations, which have now collectively formed into the Association of Defence Residents.
The DHA and the CBC should jointly build a working relationship with the ADR to form an authoritative working committee with each partner being given an equal set of teeth. Let the triumvirate committee be given the consultants’ specifications or reports for them to scrutinise and endorse before they are given out to tender.
A democratic principle followed throughout civilised society is to ensure accountability. Then maybe, just maybe, we may get storm drains that discharge water into the sea, and not flood into residents’ houses, sewage lines that actually flow with a self-cleaning flow rate, but not flood into residential properties and roads that actually remain at the level they were originally constructed, whether they be 10, 20 or 30 years old.
The roads, the storm drains, the sewerage are not the property of the DHA or the CBC, to do with what they please; they are the collective property of the DHA residents! If the residents appreciate the fact, their inherent collective apathy may take a paradigm shift in the way in which they view their surroundings.
The residents’ taxes pay for their wages, these civil servants whether they be grade 1 to grade 25, the bureaucracy or the military, work for the collective benefit of the residents. They are responsible to us, the residents.
These civil servants should appreciate that though they may now be in the driving seat, when they retire and do not have the benefit of their former executive positions, they too will be on the receiving end.
MJAK
Karachi
I HAD a strange dream recently. I was ringing a doorbell and with me stood a motley crowd of people — a shirtless, malnourished boy from Karachi, holding an empty school bag and a begging bowl; an old woman from Balochistan whose son had gone missing three years ago; a young man from rural Sindh who was both hepatitis B and C positive; a widow from Bajaur whose son and husband had died in a missile attack; a father from southern Punjab who was forced to sell his kidney to feed his family; a mother from Rawalpindi whose son, a young doctor, had been killed by a suicide bomber; a man from Azad Kashmir who was only given money enough to cover the cost of wood to build his home destroyed by the earthquake; a young girl from Gilgit whose father and brother had been murdered in a sectarian clash.
All of a sudden the door opened. We all said in unison “Mr Musharraf, please, just go”.
ZAMAN ALI
Karachi
FIFTEEN women candidates have been elected MNAs on general seats which should suffice to represent women, particularly when the men MNAs represent women as well.
Previous performance of women inducted by the military dictator in the Senate and National Assembly has proved futility of the reserved seats for women occupied by family members of political families and professional politicians who only enjoyed pay, perks and foreign pleasure trips at public expense.
The PPP, the PML(N) and the ANP would do a great favour to the poor taxpayers if they are saved from financial burden of the reserved women seats based on votes of elected rich professional politicians, mostly men.
SAIFULLAH KHAN SHINWARI
Peshawar
THERE is a danger of a breach of peace in Baltistan Roundu Dambodass, Skardu, following a dispute over a piece of land shared by two people. Lately a mobile company has installed a communication tower there after signing an agreement with one of the parties, and will be paying this party Rs85,000 a year as rent.
After the installation of the tower, the party which has signed the agreement with the mobile company has also allegedly grabbed the piece of land that belongs to the other party. Hence the dispute.
The authorities concerned should intervene and persuade the mobile company to move the tower to some other place to save the situation from blowing up.
MOHAMMAD HUSSAIN
Baltistan Roundu Dambodass (Skardu)
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