| March 03, 2008 | Monday | Safar 24, 1429 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Managing electricity consumption
A happy note
Tribute to Darwin
Change for the better
Does anyone care?
Value of judiciary
Australia’s reluctance
Dangerous liaison
Local Bush
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
PEOPLE have given a great verdict against the military mullah - feudal alliance which has been working to sideline democratic forces. In the last eight years the nation did not get anything but flour crisis, power and gas outage, the rising unemployment, poverty, the widening rich poor gap, corruption, scandals, bad governance, political instability and institutional decay. All these have led to the weakening of the federation and state.
As a matter of fact, successful states are predicated on the five universally accepted principles of freedom, respect for human rights, welfare of people, law and order and justice. In the last eight years the political system adopted has failed to deliver these values. It has rather suppressed the freedom of the people, including civil society and the media. The respect for human rights has been dismal and the people are arrested and tortured without following any legal procedure.
Scores of people went missing at the hands of agencies and are still languishing in jails without trial. As regards welfare of the people, the regime has failed to fulfil even their primary needs, such as food, education and shelter.
The recent flour crisis is a glaring example of the regime’s failure to deliver to the common people.
The law and order situation is such that life and limb of the common people is not safe. The current spate of suicide bombings across the country, situation in tribal areas and Balochistan, the killing of Akbar Khan Bugti and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto recently are gruesome reminders of the disturbing law and order situation.
As regards justice, the situation is pathetic. Institutions that are supposed to deliver justice are being intimidated. The sacking of 60 judges of the higher judiciary is a case in point.
It is noteworthy that the anti-Musharraf verdict in the Oct 18 election is not without the struggle of civil society, especially the movement launched by the lawyers’ community after March 9. Because of this movement, people at the grassroots’ level got mobilised to seek their democratic rights.
It also goes to the credit of Benazir Bhutto that she returned home after eight years of exile and generated a huge pressure on the regime to hold the election. Basically, her politics was designed to generate internal as well as international pressure on the regime to hold a free and fair election, which finally proved to be the last nail in the coffin of dictatorship.
Hope when new government is formed in Islamabad, it would patiently take stock of the situation and will make efforts to correct the wrongs made by the previous regime of the Q League and redesign the whole structure of the state and its institutions in a way it must represent and reflect the aspiration of common people.
MANZOOR ALI ISRAN
Shah Abdul Latif University
Khairpur
THERE are a number of challenges which the new government is going to face and a major one of them is of the shortage of electricity, which will get worse as hotter days arrive. Addressing a meeting of industrialists and traders, the KESC’s chief executive officer has warned of the most terrible power breakdowns in summer.
According to him, in case the power company fails to get 700MW from Wapda, the crisis would be very severe. Loadshedding is already continuing from the winter season due to shortage of 200MW supply from Wapda.
Every summer the KESC runs a campaign in the media asking people to put off, between 6pm and 10pm, their lights and avoiding using airconditioners and other electrical gadgets, but in vain.
During 2005 and 2006 the then government had managed, using the shop Act, to save some power after forcing the shopkeepers to close business at 7pm. The power thus saved was made available to domestic users.
During the summer last year the traders refused to obey the government orders taking the plea of loss of revenue which they earn by keeping their shops open till late night.
This year the situation rather looks very grim as it is feared Wapda will not be able to supply additional electricity to the KESC, which will be forced to resort to prolonged outages ranging from 12 to 48 hours, as this had been happening in the past also. This is likely to create chaos and unrest.
At a meeting in January the caretakers had issued orders to shut down shops and bazaars at 7.30pm, but the traders refused to obey. Any attempt by the government this summer to get shops and businesses closed early is bound to draw a negative response. People are not ready to lose business or income because of sheer mismanagement in the power sector.
Of a number of options made from time to time to overcome or control power wastage, I would suggest the government should introduce two weekly holidays -- Saturday and Sunday -- in the country while on five working days the business should close at 7pm sharp. This way much electricity will be saved for use by domestic users. However, medical shops and others providing emergency duties should remain open till after 5pm.
The governments should make and enforce a ‘consumption of electricity law’. One should not light his office and home at the cost of others who are less fortunate and cannot afford to buy generators due to economic compulsions.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
IN his letter, ‘A happy note’ (Feb 22), Khalid A. has said that “American voters have become colour blind” because a majority of white male voters are supporting black candidate Barack Obama while a plurality of brown (Hispanic) voters are supporting his white rival Hillary Clinton.
It may be pointed out this does not necessarily mean what it appears to show. For one thing, the white males may be discriminating against a woman presidential candidate by supporting a man because of his gender, not due to his colour – of course the latter must have sufficient credentials to deserve their vote. This logic is also supported by the fact that most white women are behind Mrs Clinton.
The Hispanics are favouring the white lady because of the benefit they hope to derive from her policies and not to prove their lack of bias. The million- dollar question is, why is Mr Obama labelled as ‘black’ even though his mother is white and his stepfather was brown (Indonesian)? He can with equal justification be called white. It is really the prejudice inherent in the American society, of which one has had a first-hand experience.
Why see the glass as being half empty, rather than half full? Another sobering matter is the fact that some of Mr Obama’s opponents have tried to demonise him by suggesting that in reality he is a Muslim who is trying to enter the White House stealthily. Also, last year their first Muslim legislator, who happens to be black, was being denied his wish to take the oath of office on the Holy Quran rather than the Holy Bible.
Nevertheless, it is a good sign that that the Americans are willing to support what may correctly be called a ‘coloured’ rather than a black candidate, which has perhaps happened only because they are tired of the body bags returning from Iraq as well as the endless funds to finance the neocons’ adventures in the Middle East.
Not being a cynic but a realist, one would praise those American folks who are actually seeking to usher in an alternative worldview, in which coloured or black people or those of other religions are welcomed with open hearts and arms. I have personally known such persons in the US, which is their great redeeming feature.
Norman Thomas had very rightly observed: “To us Americans much has been given, of us much is required. With all our faults and mistakes, it is our strength in support of the freedom our forefathers loved which has saved mankind from subjection to totalitarian power.” To this one may add the suffix, “until George Bush arrived on the scene.”
KHALID P
Karachi
IN his letter, ‘The question of spirit’ (Feb 25), Manzoor H. Qureshi has stated that Muslim philosopher Ibn Miskawaya propounded the evolution theory, and that Darwin merely studied his work at Cambridge and usurped the credit.
For the benefit of the uninitiated, Ibn Miskawaya was a 10-11th century Muslim ethical philosopher from Iran, whose Al Fawz al Asghar draws heavily from the Plato (Aflatun) — Hellenic philosophical insights, and posits an Islamic spiritual maturing of the human soul into an angelic status. He was not a biologist, and his works were not on biological evolution.
I am amazed at this rather blatant attempt to discredit the originality of Darwin’s momentous discovery with obviously fake, recently planted stories doing the rounds on the Internet about Ibn Miskawaya’s works on the biological evolution of species predating that of Darwin’s.
However, at the same time, I must laud Mr Qureshi and others of his genre for their wonderful efforts at trying to modify the uncompromising stance of the faithful from a singular event, creationism, into a more scientific outlook (physical evolution of species via natural selection) through any means, fair and foul.
I urge Mr Qureshi and others to please keep up the good work. It would surely be a great tribute to Darwin on his bicentennial birth anniversary.
A.K. SIRCAR
New York
The people of Pakistan are anguished at the current evolving political scene. For 60 years their dreams were a nightmare occasioned by faulty leadership. They now hope for a change for the better. They expect their leaders in every institution and in every walk of life to rise above personal ambition, greed and partiality.
Pomp and show must come to an end. Reality is we are poor, but let us live with dignity and honour. Wrong moves at this critical juncture will thrust the nation into more decades of darkness.
The elected members and the president ought to settle the judiciary issue amicably and peacefully. The new parliament should bring back 1973 Constitution in its original spirit. Whoever agrees with me say “change for the better!”
DAWOOD DADABHOY
Karachi
IF anyone did, he would have, in the interest of health, productivity and improvement of our livestock and poultry wealth, got examined the following aspects of professional accomplishments, that are of vital importance and are pregnant with long-term sequelae, through an autonomous inquiry commission specially constituted under the aegis of the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council and the independent ministry of livestock and poultry. Then there would not have been an ineffectual ‘livestock wing’ working under the present overburdened ministry encompassing such multitudinous disciplines as of food, agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and cooperatives, etc, etc.
Findings and recommendations of such a commission shall help in designing policies aimed at arresting the rot and upgrading the productive faculties of livestock/poultry wealth:
1. What are the reasons of progressive decline in productivity of livestock and logarithmic increase in losses, particularly in poultry sectors.
2. How many types/varieties and quantum of medicines and vaccines, etc, have been allowed to be imported and manufactured locally during the last 30 years.
3. Was or even today is the field use of these imported chemical, biochemical and biological products allowed in the country from where these were and are being imported?
4. Has the possibility of the catastrophic repercussions ever been considered that may ensue consequent to the import of live vaccine that might contain an exotic strain of microorganism which has never been prevalent in this country?
5. How was it ascertained and who discovered it that introduction of imported exogenous live vaccines was congruous with the epizootiological scenario of our macrocosm? Has an epizootiological survey been ever carried out?
6. Were these imported products found homogenous and compatible with the indigenous antigenic configuration we already had, if so, by whom?
7. Was any institution or Individual of international repute, who specialises in the disciplines of microbiology – immunology – pathology, etc, ever consulted on the possible short - or long - term fallout of using live heterogenous strains of pathogen in an environment to which they may not be homogenous?
8. How was it ensured (and who did it) that the local entrepreneurs authorised to manufacture and sell medicines and vaccines did possess the specialised expertise and professional competency along with the specific high-tech paraphernalia needed for this type of a very complex technology based on interlinked intricate and sensitive procedures?
9. Were technical facilities and professional competency of any local manufacturer of medicines or vaccines ever examined by any authority? Does any such authority exist who can be entrusted with the onus of verifying/inspecting/monitoring the technological adequacy of the local manufacturer of biological, biochemical or chemical products?
10. Has any imported product, before its use in our country, ever been subjected to any test in respect of its pharmaco - kinetic, - dynamic, - genomic compatibilities and quality control, etc, and declared safe and compatible for our ambience; if yes, by whom?
11. Why was the responsibility of manufacture of vaccines not entrusted to the already existing institutes of veterinary/poultry education, research and vaccine production, in public/private sector, which were equipped with specific know-how about research, production and quality control of biologies?
12. Did anyone ever try to find out what was eating away at the vitals of such already existing high-profile research institutes so much so that they are now confronted with imminent extinction?
13. Instead of injecting the much needed wherewithals, in terms of trained staff, equipment, chemicals, regents and finances, etc, to revive the dying ones, why was a fresh laboratory with objectives identical to the already existing ones established in Islamabad involving colossal foreign exchange?
14. Has anyone thought of the long-term threat to the epizootiological ecosystem of our country, as a sequel to the import of adult animals?
15. Has any study ever been conducted to find out the efficacy of our quarantine system to monitor and block the introduction of exotic diseases along with the import of foreign animals and their products?
16. Why are veterinary and animal husbandry graduates, who are not registered with the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council, a mandatory requirement under PVMC Act, 1996, employed in public and privatesectors?
DR M.S JAFFERY
Former President
Pakistan Veterinary
Medical Council Karachi
ACCORDING to a report, an angry mob in eastern India dragged a murder suspect from his hospital bed and beat him until he lost consciousness, while police stood by and watched (Feb 25). The incident was caught on video and broadcast on several Indian TV channels.
The attack, one of several in which angry crowds have beaten criminal suspects in recent months, highlights a growing move towards vigilantism, a trend India’s president attributed to the public’s loss of faith in the judicial system, reveals the story.
Shocking as the news is, it has reminded me of the warning given by the deposed chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, before he got fired for the second time. While hearing the cases of the disappeared Pakistanis, he had said that unless justice is done to them and their families, people will start sorting out their problems in the streets instead of heading for the courts.
This is precisely what is happening in India and shows the wisdom and farsightedness of Justice Chaudhry. However, much to our misfortune, President Musharraf did not realise the damage he was causing by confronting and weakening the judiciary, culminating in the mind-boggling act of ultimately firing 60 per cent of its senior members.
The redeeming thing is that even the ‘illiterate’ folks of the rural areas had proved themselves to be smarter than their president by turning out in huge numbers to cheer the CJP during his road trips to various cities last year. The majority wants the judiciary restored.
Unlike the incumbent, the ordinary Pakistanis appear to understand the value of Joseph Addison’s words: “There is no virtue so truly great and godlike as justice”. Let’s hope the new rulers will live up to our expectations and reinstate the judges.
AHSANUL HAQ
Karachi
SAAD Shafqat in his article, ‘Why Australia is reluctant to tour Pakistan’ (Feb 27), has very rightly tried to convince Australians to visit Pakistan for the sake of the game of cricket.
He insists that bomb blasts go off in London and the USA and elsewhere in the world these days and no place is safe as such but cricket series keep on going everywhere.
The big difference, dear Saad, is that in other countries of the world a terrorist attack or any accident for that matter is thoroughly probed and resolved.
Whereas in Pakistan after a tragedy — be it a bomb blast, a suicide bomber attack, an assassination in cold blood, rain, flood, earthquake havoc or a flyover bridge collapse — high-ups in their starched suits and stiff necks grace the site of the tragedy, make sure that they are photographed and covered by the media, recite Fateha and disappear, and that’s all.
However, I wish the Australians to visit our country in sportsman spirit.
RIFFAT I. SIDDIQUI
Karachi
Under the prevailing political situation, President Musharraf has become the greatest threat to the nation’s security.
Apparently, his hopes of divide and rule seem to be fading in the light of the burgeoning cooperation and goodwill between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N), he has no choice apparently but to try to appease the American masters to let him hang on to power.
In order for him to get a lifeline from Washington, he would have to offer them something really big – such as a free hand for Washington to use Pakistani territory for military operations or perhaps a new level of transparency for Washington into the Pakistani nuclear assets.
I can’t recall another time in the last 25 years of Pakistan’s history when the threat posed by the internal agents far exceeded the external threats to the nation.
HAMMAD MALIK
New Jersey, US
“MUSHARRAF to work smoothly with new government” (Feb 20). In search of a local Bush?
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.