| March 26, 2008 | Wednesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429 |
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Bank versus shareholders
Journalism as an option in SPSC
Forget vengeful politics
Bangladesh’s independence
Refugees in Karachi
Apology to Balochistan
Fruits of democracy
In search of Nehru
Joint efforts key to success
Islam and evolution
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
YOUR editorial, “Crisis in agriculture” (March 17) ,has portrayed the agriculture sector’s predicament in the right perspective. This most important area which provides bread and butter to 160 million people and raw material to our textile industries, which employ more than 45 per cent of its workforce directly and 40 per cent indirectly and contribute 24 per cent to gross domestic product, is in total disarray.
After Gen Zia’s takeover, emphasis had been shifted to the urban sector. The growers were left to the shenanigans of the market forces, headed by glutinous middlemen and nova riche trader-industrialists deeply rooted in cities, controlling the media, print as well as electronic.
The members of this privileged class — elegantly attired, with expensive gold wristwatches — are now conspicuous in TV talk shows discussing ad infinitum the country’s socio-economic miseries, i.e. poverty, a breakdown of social services, shortage of power, water, balance of payments and many other issues. Nevertheless, their deliberations always resulted in more patronage and favours from the government to the business and industry.
The root cause of most of the problems lies at the behest of this very elite group. It is they who do not pay taxes and have always supported dictatorships as a quid pro quo that, in turn, provided all kinds of protection to them. For instance, the previous regime gave them Shaukat Aziz, a banker, first as finance minister and then as prime minister, who in order to benefit his clients (businessmen) contrived the tax system which shifted the burden of taxes from the business and industry to hapless consumers by relying more on withholdings.
Now most of the taxes are coming from withholding taxes, which the traders add to the cost of goods. The businessmen, on the contrary, have now another source of income in the shape of huge refunds on account of withholding taxes which they have already added to the cost of goods or services and recovered from the consumer.
Another great favour bestowed by the previous government on this rising elite group was the abolition of wealth tax, (tax applied on the rich in neighbouring countries) which alone earned them in billions per annum, but the burden of which was also shifted to the poor.
Such favourable policies obviously relegated the agriculture sector, which was already under severe strain of shortage of water and credit facilities, and meagre prices of crop. Major scams in sugar, wheat, oil shortages and stock exchange benefiting the group were allowed to take place at the cost of agriculture and the poor masses. The ever-rising food prices were eschewed, with references to the world prices without realising that besides social securities, salaries and wages, they are still much higher than in Pakistan.
The country faces the menace of inflation basically on account of twisted polices formulated by the previous regime to benefit the business sector. This blatant act of favouritism has caused more damage to the agricultural sector as the rise in prices was cashed in by a few favoured individuals.
The water shortage, unbridled increase in the prices of inputs, e.g. seed, fertiliser, pesticide, oil and power, non-availability of proper credit facilities and, on the other hand, increase in the cost of food, clothing and daily utilities, non - availability of health and education facilities with meagre price of produce have ruined the capacity of agriculturists to grow crop.
The World Bank, in the wake of food crisis, has realised the significance of agriculture and advised the developing countries to make huge investments in farming as mentioned in Sultan Ahmed’s article (March 17). This is a big challenge for Pakistan. It is time the government paid due attention to this sector. The government should learn from the Indian experience.
DR ALI AKBAR M. DHAKAN
Karachi
FOR the first time in the corporate history of Pakistan a certain corporate entity, through its annual audited accounts, announced a modest after-tax profit.
After no less than a period of whole 10 days, chewed its words and, withdrawing its earlier figures, announced a sizable loss-after-tax. In the process, investors who, believing the said entity’s word, invested in the unduly swollen shares, and lost heavily when these shares came tumbling down, on the ‘erroneous’ figures being withdrawn and substituted by ’corrected figures’.
However, no regulatory authority has come out with anything whatsoever to recompense the poor investor who lost due to the faux pas of the errant company.
To be specific, it is the NIB Bank Ltd, which announced after-tax profit and after 10 days substituted these figures, rather casually, by a loss-after-tax.
True, the KSE, where this bank stands listed, as also the SECP, has called for explanations from the bank. True that the SECP is also learnt to be intending to levy a substantial fine on the said bank for the bloomer.
If true, however, what is not being appreciated is that the fine too, if imposed, is bound to recoil upon the poor investor itself, inasmuch as the company’s share price at the stock market shall thereby suffer further, enhancing the investor loss still more.
That does not at all mean that, for the investors’ sake, the perpetrators of this tyranny should be allowed to go scot - free. Not at all so.
I would rather suggest, and do that very strongly, that rather than the banking entity, it should be the senior management, the directors and the auditors who should be made to pay, even if through their bleeding noses, from their personal resources so as to be precedent in corporate financial governance and a deterrent for the future.
M. FAISAL KOTHARI
Karachi
AFTER many years the Sindh Public Service Commission has recently announced the dates of combined competitive examinations for the post of deputy district officer and section officers. But to my utter surprise, the subject of the 21st century is missing from the list of optional subjects.
It is beyond one’s comprehension that subject like Persian, French, Latin, Sanskrit, German are introduced, but the major subject of journalism has not been included in the list of optional category.
Today the role of mass communication, including electronic and print media, cannot be ignored in the development of the thought process of our nation. In the era of information technology, everyone knows the importance of electronic and print media, which is called journalism. It is taught at the higher level in foreign universities. Journalism as a subject carries most influence in the lives of today’s generation.
Journalism is the timely reporting of the events at local, provincial and international level. It involves a chain of events based on knowledge and information. In simple terms, today’s generation cannot stay updated without the basic help of communication based on journalism.
It should be noted that this subject is also included in the category of optional subject in the combined competitive examinations at federal level (CSS). Many competitive students from different backgrounds prefer to opt for this subject of journalism for the examinations conducted by the FPSC. But to everybody’s astonishment, I fail to understand why the competitive students have been deprived of journalism as a subject which is missing from the list of optional category?
The chairman of the Sindh Public Service Commission is requested to include journalism as a full optional subject, as the other subjects are also included in the optional category, so that future officers of the country get exposure to the subject of journalism as well.
I hope that the high-ups of the SPSC would make a positive move and include journalism as a subject in the combined competitive examinations for the post of deputy district officer and section officers.
QAZI NAZIM NAEEM
Hyderabad
THE good news is that democracy has been restored to Pakistan, albeit through the intervention of a foreign power. However, the bad news is that the benefactors are unhappy the way the restored politicians are pursuing confrontational politics against President Musharraf.
The whole purpose of helping these guys was to bring the two contenders together in a hybrid governmental structure wherein both the civil and military would work together in harmony for the good of the country.
George W. Bush considers President Musharraf as the only person who can put a lid on tribal insurgency on the frontier. After all, Mr Musharraf has played a key role in apprehending some prominent Taliban operators and handing them over to the United States.
How can the US government sit back and watch Mr Musharraf be removed and humiliated by vengeful democrats who had promised they would work in tandem with Mr Musharraf if the US helped them get back into power.
More alarming to the US government is the news that the newly-formed democratic government of Pakistan wants to negotiate peace with the Taliban tribal chiefs in return for something, which is still to be spelled out by them.
It would be naive to believe that the insurgents will drop their weapons and go home empty-handed after talks with Nawaz Sharif-Asif Ali Zardari team.
My guess is that the insurgents will drive a hard bargain. They may demand refuge in Pakistan. They will most certainly demand a hefty monthly ransom from the Pakistan government, which they know will have to be funded by America. That is how Afghan tribes of the NWFP have lived throughout history.
I hope the new masters of the people of Pakistan keep their thirst for revenge aside, and try to work with Mr Musharraf by not jeopardising what has just been given them.
ZIA REHMAN
United States
ON the eve of the Independence Day of Bangladesh, I read with interest the article, ‘March 25: a watershed’, by Akhtar Payami (March 25). As a Bengali I found the essay all the more touching in its pathos, sincerity, and insight. With all due respect to the writer, I will take the liberty to point out that his facts are somewhat off on the point of the Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh.
Contrary to what Mr Payami alludes to, the Declaration was not made at a public meeting and nor were there any Awami League central leaders there, most of them having already fled to the safety of Calcutta.
In fact, the Declaration was read out on the clandestine Free Bengal Radio by Major (later General) Ziaur Rahman on behalf of the elected representatives of the Bengali people returned in the 1970 elections.
It is appropriate to note here that Gen Ziaur Rahman, while serving as president of Bangladesh, was martyred during a radical Islamist coup attempt in 1981.
ESAM SOHAIL
United States
I MUST respond to, though reluctantly, Mr I. Siddiqui’s letter, ‘Scarce resources’ (March 24), in which he fulminates about my remarks and position on your editorial, ‘More refugees in Karachi’ (Feb 28).
Interestingly, he finds the editorial ‘well-reasoned’ and at the same times my views ‘cynical’. He accuses me of “demanding that nobody else should henceforth be allowed to migrate to Karachi or Sindh.” On the contrary, my stand is in agreement with Dawn newspaper’s position, like any normal thinking person, that all Pakistanis (including from Waziristan) have every right to seek residence in Karachi and may access the same socio-economic opportunities available to other Karachi residents.
Whereas I did and still do question: Do sufficient and adequate health /educational facilities exist in Karachi? I fail to understand what in my letter has upset him, even so, Dawn mentions and most likely Mr Siddique suffers the “limited space and resources”, “and the already run-down civic infrastructure of Karachi”, which I agree, “will come under further strain.” All I am guilty of is that I have expressed my apprehensions regarding the trauma of forced migration, the pain of displacement and expectations and demands of rehabilitation.
In my opinion these are the victims of a war that Pakistanis find themselves into and are our national and collective responsibility; the burden of rehabilitation of these refugees cannot and must not be the sole responsibility of the city government of Karachi. It’s a national responsibility and we don’t want to take it away from them.
Of course, the Sindh province generally and the city of Karachi particularly have received all those displaced and rendered homeless; Sindh has graciously accepted us and we have always come here like one comes home without any reasons to explain. And that’s why I asked, and ask again if these refugees have a right to be rehabilitated elsewhere in Pakistan, including Lahore and Islamabad.
They are citizens of Pakistan, and the federation of Pakistan must provide them all the support. As our brethren in distress, they must not be made dependent on largess of our kind-heartedness or pity and altruism.
As far as the writer’s comments about my place of domicile is concerned, well, I live in the USA and have lived in the past in many other modern and civilised capitals of this, our, world (no I haven’t forfeited my Pakistani nationality or citizenship). And I daresay I am proud, fortunate, and honoured to receive here a clear understanding of education and freedom of mind.
AFTAB S. ALAM
United States
WITH reference to Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur’s article (March 24), I agree with the writer that the PPP’s apology from people of Balochistan on behalf of the people of Pakistan must be tendered in a very formal and decorous manner, like Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally moved a resolution in Australian parliament, and on behalf of parliament and people of Australia apologised for the injustices being done against the indigenous aborigines.
Balochistan is still bleeding, it has the highest number of paramilitary checkposts — 900 — the richest districts of Dera Bugti and Kolu are almost a battleground, more than 200,000 people have been displaced, 4,000 persons have disappeared, there is no access to the media and civil society, useless construction of cantonments are in progress, there is systematic discrimination against Baloch people in employment opportunities in Coast Guard, Frontier Corps and the police force.
Even Balochistan’s gold-producing Chaghi district has no electricity or a polytechnic institute. Labour for unloading wheat from the recently-docked ship in Gwadar was transported from Karachi. Still people in Islamabad expect that we should celebrate and not complain.
Baloch plight is appalling and the establishment policy seems unmoved towards traumatised province.
ABU BALACH
Nushki, Balochistan
WHAT should they do? The British prime minister has condemned the people who had climbed over a roof of the parliament house to protest against the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport. He says all decisions are taken in the temples of the parliament and not on a roof.
The prime minister may be right in the context of the British system. But in other parts of the world where no such system exists and where decisions are taken by a coterie of self-indulgent men, angry people could react in a weird manner. They would burn tyres, wreck vehicles, destroy hoardings and billboards and ransack banks, shops and financial institutions to give vent to their fury.
How else should they conduct themselves? Will the British prime minister please answer this question for the benefit of those who do not enjoy the fruits of democracy?
SYED AZIZ AKHTAR
Karachi
I DON’T know what was preventing the PPP from announcing the name of their prime minister. It is almost a month now. Neither the eligibility criterion was made public nor the process being followed to identify the prime minister was shared.
After one month the party has made its choice known to us, can we ask if they were in search of a kind of Jawaharlal Nehru?
MAZHAR LAGHARI
Islamabad
MAKHDOOM Yusuf Raza Gilani is the best choice. A smart man with smart politics, who begins his political carrier from the 1985 non-party election but once switched to the PPP, he stood through thick and thin and climbed to the slot of premiership by sheer dedication, commitment and hard work.
Makhdoom Amin Fahim proved his mettle of loyalties by saying that the PPP is in his blood. He is a real statesman whose objectives are much higher than such bureaucratic slots. Pakistan needs politicians of his calibre to steer the country out of dictators’ mess.
The MQM’s act of withdrawing their candidate must also be highly appreciated. It is a genuine goodwill gesture. By joining democratic forces, the MQM has done much good to its own ranks. The MQM needs to further part its ways with the PML(Q). The PML(Q) was the political strength of Pervez Musharraf and in this way responsible for all the tricks of the general.
The ANP, the MMA, the PML(N) all deserve appreciation. Pakistan is going through the thickest and oddest of its times after 1971. Joint efforts by all political parties, above self and party interest are key to success. We, the people of Pakistan, wish to see united, committed leaders to deal with national causes.
DR ABID RAUF ORAKZAI
Islamabad
A.K. Sirkar in his letter ‘Tribute to Darwin’ (March 3) has paid him tribute for accrediting earlier Muslim scholars and philosophers.
The life of any physical being is an ever-changing phenomenon. Body changes prepare a child to adapt to life ahead.
Sura Fatir (Ayah 1) is very clear on the subject of evolution and adaptation. For the purpose of inviting attention of scientists and scholars I quote from Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthal’s English translation… “Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who appointeth the angels messengers having wings two, three and four. He multiplieth in creation what He will. Lo! Allah is able to do all things.”
Here everyone knows that in order to keep a balance while flying, bodies need wings in even numbers. However, in this Ayah angels (flying objects) are some times provided with three wings.
Is it not adaptation? And that Almighty God in His Infinite Wisdom does cater for evolution as well as for adaptation of the creations so that these could live their lives as per dictates of ambiance and ecology.
S.M. ISHAQUE
Karachi
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