| March 11, 2008 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 2, 1429 |
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Petroleum prices
Marriage between cousins
Music in TV news
Unpopular countries
Jumbo cabinets
Ulema’s role
Illumination
Education
Polio drive
Reading the subtext
Constitution is not a tank
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
A VERY violent and dreadful state of law and order has cropped up which has virtually taken society hostage. The country has seen some very important personalities killed by these cowardly acts. We should understand in very clear terms the root causes of these terrorist acts and the safety measures to be adopted. In this regard, the following facts are enumerated for the benefit of the general public and the people concerned.
• All terrorists are hell bent on achieving their designs, dictated by their masters – handlers, who are in total control of their lives.
• Bombers are laying their lives drugged, motivated and then blackmailed, ultimately dictated to carry out these suicide blasts to reach the heavens and life Hereafter.
• Almost 100 per cent terrorists’ activity is west to east in direction and mostly found sponsored by outside forces. The Dara Adamkhel and Swat blasts indicate this vividly.
• Then who are they, if they are not natives and what are their motives?
The answer lies in the present political, religious and economic turmoil which the present regime has gifted to the nation in the last eight years. However, some short-term measures are worth giving some importance by all at the helm of affairs.
• All entry points must be fully guarded like Khairabad Bridge, Ravi Bridge and Motorway entry by electronic measures.
• All Afghans should be 100 per cent kept under watch and sent back as soon as possible.
• Afghans are mostly in link with terrorist organisations and are sponsoring the tribal dissident elements to destabilise Pakistan; of course helped by India and some other powers that are levelling the scores.
• Internal security is the police’s responsibility but they are so indifferent and untrained in handling these affairs that in the nearest future it looks very bleak that they would be able to handle it successfully.
• Sniffing dogs, CID and protection of vulnerable points (VP) and soft targets like congested areas, parking places, railway stations, bus stands, schools and colleges and congregations are main targets. Therefore these must be guarded under a plan.
• A very swift and powerful blow at the known bases of militants should be given every time they strike a peaceful area so as to make them realise the resilience of the nation.
• Award or reward is the key world in this game, but at the same time the whole nation must be alert and should keep an eye on their surroundings.
• Coordination between agencies is most important in eradicating this menace.
• Cities should be divided into small pockets/zones for quick action and surveillance.
• Counter -intelligence activities should be geared up and the government must have the guts to strike the enemy in the heart – never show weakness of intent and action in this scenario.
• Success lies in resilience, determination, strength and unity. Restructured administration has totally failed to deliver and civil bureaucracy has been marginalised, which must be restored immediately. Commissioners, deputy commissioners in districts are the requirement of the country with immediate effect.
At present no tier of the civil administration is functional. Militancy is the menace gifted to us on our becoming the most ardent ally of the US, providing an opportunity to the MMA to grab power, sidelining tribal traditions and not involving the local tribal influential in decision-making. Tribals are extremely versatile, loving, patriots and true Pakistanis and they must be involved in the main stream of decision-making in the country. If we desire to achieve peace and some stability in the country, democracy is the answer.
ANEES AHMAD KHAN
Via email
THE decision of the caretaker administration to increase petroleum prices may be widely unpopular but is nevertheless a responsible move, based on concerns of longer-term economic necessity rather than short-term political expediency.
The price hike will push up inflation in its immediate aftermath, but it will help contain the fiscal deficit, which is far more important to economic stability.
It is not the government’s responsibility to subsidise petroleum prices, nor is such a subsidy sustainable, especially given that escalation in oil prices is a global trend that has been prevailing for the past five years and is likely to continue in the foreseeable future.
Sustained increases in oil prices must be passed on to the end consumer on a regular basis. Subsidies promote misuse and abuse of resources whereas higher prices are likely to foster more efficient and prudent usage of fuel.
This newspaper has criticised the administration for implementing such a large price hike in one go, suggesting, instead, that the increase should have been staggered over a period of time. This is precisely what would have been the case if the government had not stepped in to provide a subsidy in the first place -- oil prices would have increased in line with international trends at a more measured pace than what we are witnessing right now.
As it is, staggering the price increase will do more damage than good. A one-time shock causing a jump in fuel and transport prices will force a commensurate increase in salaries and wages, thereby providing some relief to the common man. A slower increase will not allow for effective adjustment in individual incomes and will erode purchasing power. This will hurt the common man much more than a large, one-time increase in oil price will.
Suggestions have been made that the government reduce the taxes on petroleum products. This is worthy of consideration in the context of such a move being made revenue-neutral. The revenue lost from a tax reduction from oil prices must be offset by additional revenue gained by increasing taxes elsewhere.
Taxes on oil products are regressive. They represent a larger tax burden on the common man than they do on higher income individuals. Reducing petroleum taxes would be a welcome move, but it must be accompanied by a progressive tax in a related industry, such as an additional tax on high-end automobiles.
HAROON SETHI
Lahore
REFERENCE is made to the news (Feb 15) regarding the Bradford Teaching Hospital, UK, reporting 10 times higher than general population birth defects such as deafness, degenerative nerve disorders, small heads, and learning disabilities in the children of Pakistanis giving birth. The researchers attributed this to inbreeding and the practice of marrying cousins.
There was an uproar in the Pakistani community and their organisations after statements on the subject were made by some British politicians. These people took objection to the connection of the inbreeding practice to Islam made by the politicians. I learned that marriages between cousins is practised by Jews as well, after I myself went through this tragedy of sickness and young age deaths of my two daughters who were born with cerebral palsy. The second daughter’s birth was monitored in the US and yet that did not help.
The doctors told me and my wife, who is also my first cousin, that all of us have minor defects of some kind not obvious or affecting our lives but if close relatives such as first cousins who share 25 per cent of genes marry, then there is a good chance that those shared defects will have a synergic effect and thus severely impact the lives of their children.
Marriage between cousins is practised by Jews and Muslims because it is cultural (Middle Eastern practice) and also because their religions do not prohibit these marriages. For Muslims, the Holy Quran in the Surah An Nisa (refer 4:22- 4:24) does not include marriage between cousins on the list of the prohibited marriages and thus it is allowed. The Holy Prophet (peace be on him) married his first cousin Zaynab (bint Jahsh) whose mother Umayma was the sister of the Prophet’s father Abdullah. Also, his daughter Fatima was married to his cousin Ali, son of Abu Talib.
Pakistanis and their leaders, rather than taking offence and politicising the research reports and statements from the British, should note that those marrying close relatives such as cousins are taking a chance and risk of birth defects in their children. The message that they should refrain from marrying close relatives, if they want healthy children, should go out to all young and old in the rural and urban areas alike.
Later, in a letter (Feb 20) the writer referred to a saying of the Holy Prophet that one should marry away from one’s relatives. Social workers, religious leaders and community heads should refer to this saying of the Holy Prophet while conveying the results of the medical research statistics to prevent them from taking this risky step.
ABDUL MUQTADIR
United States
THIS is in response to the letter, ‘Music in TV news’ (March 6), by J.A. Chohan regarding music being used in news and advertisements.
All international news channels have a particular signature music that is played before any news begins. It is a trend that our channels have also been following and I don’t see anything wrong with it. It is decent, corporate music and on similar lines as the international channels and to call it ‘drum beating’ would be a bit of an exaggeration.
As for music used in advertisements, well, music is a universal language and no matter how much anyone denies it, it is a very important part of our culture.
I agree that in some cases, dancing gets a bit overboard but in most cases, it does not cross any boundaries of decency.
So I would advise Mr Chohan not to worry about such petty issues as music in news channels. I think there are much bigger issues when it comes to news channels such as the accuracy of the content and the tendency to exaggerate and blow things out of proportion at times.
ZAINAB GHANI
Karachi
AN article, ‘Unpopular countries’ (March 10), portrays a misleading picture of what ordinary Americans think about certain countries. The Gallup’s 2008 world affairs survey, as it is called, puts Pakistan among 10 most unpopular countries in the US.
A total of 1,007 Americans were interviewed for this survey. This means about 20 people from each state of the US. Is this figure representative of the whole state? Did the survey organisers take into account the ethnicity, age, education, occupation, gender, etc., of the respondents before presenting the results as facts to the unsuspecting recipients of the report?
In addition, how were the questions framed? The report also states that the popular perception endorsed the official US policy as all these countries are also denigrated by the US administration. Is it not the other way round, the administration’s policy being the reason for the development of these ill-feelings against certain countries?
SAIFUDDIN KAMRAN
Karachi
FORMER prime minister Shaukat Aziz had inducted nearly 70 ministers, excluding those who had the status and perks of ministers, advisers and planners, experts, etc. Imagine the cost of governance which this poor nation had to bear – the people who stand from morning through evening to buy a bag of flour and stand in long queues to get a pail of water at the municipal water points.
The assembly speaker of Mr Aziz’s cabinet, who is no more, rode a bullet-proof Mercedes and lived in a palatial house costing the exchequer millions of rupees. The same gentleman will be administering the oath of office to the newly-elected legislators. The forthcoming cabinets will be from the union of many political parties, both at the centre and in the provinces, one can guess the number of ministers which such coalitions will generate.
In the run-up to the formation of the government in the NWFP, the minimum number of ministers between the two parties has already been announced to be 21, which is likely to be doubled when the government is sworn in, and perhaps the entire number of legislators in the Balochistan Assembly will be ministers. The Punjab and Sindh will also not be lagging behind in the jumbo setups.
What an extravaganza at the expense of taxpayers’ money. At the moment, many legislators at the national level, especially the independents, have camped at Islamabad to strike bargains and in the process to recover and perhaps double their election expenses by eying the slots on ministries and ministers of state. Pakistan does not need more than 13 ministers to head the core ministries at the federal level under a prime minister.
Pakistan, being a federation, should have four ministers from each province and the 13th should be prime minister. It is the secretaries in Grade 22 or 23, most of whom are already superannuated and on extensions, who are available by the dozens to work in the ministries and divisions. A minister with competent and experienced federal and provincial secretaries can oversee the functioning of two or three divisions clubbed together into one ministry.
You don’t have to have a cotton minister, maize minister, wheat minister, buffaloes minister and drain this poor nation of its resources to the last drop and tax the poor to extra-feed the already fat and rich bellies.
Similarly, the provinces should not be allowed to have more than eight to 10 ministers. Let the overstaffed and overage bureaucrats work and deliver.
It is time the size of the cabinet was legislated and kept to size and the blood suckers are kept away from the body mass of this nation or bring back Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. He shall trim the extra fat on a prayer of public interest filed by the lawyers of Mr M. D.Tahir class.
AIR CDRE ( r) ISHTIAQ AHMAD KHAN
Chaillianwala, Mandi Bahaudin
THIS is apropos of Alya Alvi’s letter, ‘Suicide attacks and ulema’s role’ (March 8). I first want to congratulate her for bringing so many beautiful Quranic revelations to light. It would, however, be only superficial not to ponder over questions like:
Why and how have suicide bombings become so frequent on Pakistani soil when once such a ‘trend’ never existed before? Is it not thoughtful that since Pakistan accepted a role in the war against terrorism, it started experiencing these bombings?
How can we not expect innocent people to retaliate after their houses and families are bombed in Waziristan, Balochistan and Swat?
And when they do, why do we bring Islam in between by giving them names such as Islamic terrorists, Islamic extremists, Islamic fundamentalists?
Doesn’t it seem that some power is making us disrespect and disvalue our own beliefs?
Once you delve deep, you will get to the causes, and realise that in case of suicide bombings it is more important to know who brought all of this hell to Pakistan (it was the US) and who allowed it to expand (Musharraf).
Consulting ulema is a good idea. Yes, they have some responsibility but don’t we as well? Isn’t it every Muslim individual’s duty to know what’s in the Quran and why is it important to follow Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). If we do this, you mark my words, we won’t be running for every little thing to our ulema nor would we be blaming them for everything. Instead, our lives as Muslims will dramatically improve.
RAQIM HAQUE
Via email
RABI-ul-Awwal is approaching and we already see the city being illuminated despite the fact that we are faced with an acute shortage of power. Is it allowed in Islam to use ‘kunda’ for religious purposes?
Can any religious scholar tell me the wisdom behind such extravagance by illuminating during Rabi-ul-Awwal even when the birth date of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is still some days ahead?Instead, this money can be used in several other ways for religious purposes.
FAISAL AMIN
Karachi
THIS is apropos of the letter, ‘An obsolete education system’ (March 5), regarding a new system developed in England and in other European countries under the name of ‘International Baccalaureate’, which replaced O and A level examinations.
However, the writer has ignored to elaborate the system and, therefore, he is requested to give such information for public as we have no knowledge as regards the IB system.
AZIZ TAYYAB
Karachi
THE government’s effort to save the future generations of Pakistan is indeed heartening but what is required is to complement these initiatives in letter and in spirit. After every few months, the government carries out polio eradication campaigns.
Lots of media hype is generated through advertisements and teams are assigned to administer polio drops to children. However in all these efforts sincerity of purpose seems to be missing.
If that’s not the case, then why do these teams visit the localities during day time when most of the children aged three years and above are in school and if at all these teams have to come in the morning, what stops them from going to the schools to administer polio drops.
Alternatively, the government can set Saturdays and Sundays for these campaigns as children are mostly at home on the weekends.
My children have missed the last two campaigns because of this reason. I hope the government looks at my concern seriously and try to rethink the way this campaign is currently being initiated. Otherwise one fears that all these efforts will not bear the required fruit and our future generations will be left to fight this cruel disease on their own.
AYAZ F. FAROOQI
Karachi
APROPOS of your editorial, ‘Reading the subtext’ (March 8), oxymoronic or whatever, the underlying statement is sagacious.
Let it not be said that yet again political leadership was found wanting in rising to the occasion to weld together the much-touted democratic societal structure free of vested interest and anchored in unyielding integrity, merit, equality and justice for each and every citizen regardless of station, creed and class.
M.J. AS’AD
Karachi
ON the issue of restoration of judiciary, the spokesman for President Musharraf says that according to his ‘understanding’ ... etc.
With all due regard to the spokesman, he should be reminded that his ‘understanding’ of the Constitution may not be better than Mr Aitzaz Ahsan’s ‘understanding’ of a military tank.
We can only make progress when all of our professionals start spending their time and energy on their own professions.
FAISAL N.
Islamabad
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