| April 10, 2008 | Thursday | Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429 |
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Students vandalized
Renaming NWFP
Soaring fertiliser cost
Any ray of hope?
Latif University in the doldrums
Student unions
Judicial reforms
Food shortage
Olympic flame
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
EVERY civilised person condemns the deplorable maltreatment meted out to the former chief minister of Sindh, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, on April 7. We desperately expect Pervez Musharraf to reiterate the logic that he used after the tragic murder of Benazir Bhutto that she herself was responsible for the incident.
It would absolutely be correct in the case of Arbab Rahim to say that it was his own person and policies as chief minister that caused such resentment, frustration and anger among the people against him.
It was indeed a very regrettable incident but it, however, highlights the consequences of manipulating national institutions and thwarting all possible and lawful means of seeking redress of grievances and wrongs caused to the people either by the highhandedness of the partisan government or by the deliberate indifference of the people who wield power at their whim and in an arbitrary manner.
It is quite tragic that those were the norms during Mr Rahim’s tenure as chief minister of Sindh. The people of Pakistan, not only the citizens of Karachi, still remember the tragic massacre of innocent people on May 12, 2007 and the complete indifference of the administration at that time which was headed by Mr Rahim.
The administration even refused to investigate the matter which caused resentment and anger among the masses all over the country. It was quite sad and people still remember that the MQM never chose to boycott the Sindh government over the atrocities of May 12, and now they have rushed to boycott the assembly, which shows the priorities of the popular party of Karachi.
It was also observed, quite regrettably indeed, that even before any inquiry or investigation, the electronic media aired biased views of certain people who not only blamed rather gave their final verdict regarding the involvement of the PPP in the incident.
We expect much more responsibility from our media than any other institution because they have the greatest access to the masses, and responsibility demands that they must lay more emphasis on imparting awareness and importance of institutions instead of having resort to sensationalism. In order to avoid such incidents in future, it is the duty of every citizen, political party and institution to emphasise and ensure the proper working of institutions and neither become party nor allow anybody to thwart the working of institutions for ulterior purposes and petty gains, particularly of those institutions which redress the public grievances.
WAHEED MAZHAR
Lahore
HAS Pakistani politics remained no more than a platform for displaying irrational and irresponsible behaviour? The recent manhandling of Dr Sher Afghan by the so-called lawyers of our nation does more than degrade the country; it is a shameful blot on the reputation of Pakistani politics and our justice system. Lawyers, the name should evoke pride; not disgust.
They of all people should know how to convey their feelings in a civilised manner; their recent behaviour has been anything but civilised. Manhandling a respected citizen, chanting wild slogans while wearing the traditional black suit of the lawyers of Pakistan, ironic isn’t it?.
These actions do nothing to further the lawyers’ cause; even those who sympathised with them will turn against them. What they did is unacceptable.
If this is democracy, then I shudder to think what the state of the country would be in a one-party rule. This is indeed a dark, dark day in Pakistan’s history; may God guide our leaders and lawmakers.
ZAIN SAEED
Karachi
First Arbab Ghulam Rahim was manhandled by PPP workers and now Sher Afgan was beaten up by lawyers. Shame on the political party workers and lawyers! With this assault on Sher Afghan, the so-called lawyers’ movement has nosedived.
After peeling away that thin veneer of right-to-speak, you would find an unruly, savage crowd that never had any respect for rule of law. It is a depressing reality to cope with.
ALI HASAN CEMENDTAUR
Santa Clara
I AM a student of the topmost government college of Karachi, but I am sorry to say that I am losing all the respect I have for my college.
Our college is infiltrated by a students’ political party. And since they have been given freedom, they think that they have the authority to actually slap any passerby.
I had finished my examination early. According to the rule, a student must remain within the college premises for at least an hour after the start of an examination. The total duration is of three hours. I completed my paper in two hours and intended to go straight home.
But I was stopped at the gates and was told by the members of that student party to go back to the class. Since I had finished the paper in a reasonable time, I had every right to go home.
I asked them the reason for stopping me from leaving the college, and in reply I received a resounding slap on my cheek. I didn’t retaliate, nor did I fight back, rather I inquired the reason for being slapped. I got no answer but some swift ominous moves from my attacker. I rushed to the principal’s office but was stopped by another member who showed me the exit. I was assaulted by a member of that organisation but I was not even allowed to complain.
I wonder how the rest of the government colleges are. It is a pity! I also heard from my fellow students that many are assaulted in such ways. My mates have had their bags soiled, money stolen, etc.
Once a group of the same organisation took a fellow mate’s bag and ordered the poor fellow to buy them food.
One can only say: “Wow, now I’ve seen everything.” But actually the list goes on. Once some other fellow students were also assaulted by the members of the same organisation.
They complained to the principal but the only action he took was to order a peon to open a secondary gate for them to leave the college.
If this is the way we are treated, no wonder everyone hates the government colleges and that hatred comes on to the government. We want justice.
UMAR FAROOQ KHAN
Karachi
LAST week I read two letters concerning renaming of the NWFP. Opposing Pukhtunkhwa, both the writers suggested some names, including Nooristan, Alamaniya, Karimzar, Abaseen, for the province.
One must remember that the NWFP people want to rename their province because the present name does not represent their identity and they want the name which represents them.
So if the province adopts the names suggested by the writers, it will complicate instead of solving the problem. It is not possible for we Pukhtuns to become Nooristani or Abbasini.
One reason cited for opposing the name ‘Pukhtunkhwa’ is the objection the people of Hazara may have to this name. I myself belong to Hazara and want to clear that this is just a propaganda that the people of Hazara are opposed to renaming the NWFP as ‘Pukhtunkhwa’.
There are three kinds of people in Hazara: (1) Those who speak Pushtu, (2) those who speak both Pushtu and Hindko and proudly call themselves Pushtun or Pathan and (3) those who speak Hindko but write themselves as Pathan in their domiciles and very proudly claim that they are basically Pathans.
So, if approximately all the Hazarewals call themselves Pathan, then there is no room for them to oppose a name which provides them their identity.
I also want to clear it that renaming the NWFP is the matter of the people belonging to this province, and Pukhtuns know better what should be the name of their povince.
NAZIR ALAM KHAN
Karachi
I THANK the prime minister for allowing some relief to the grower by raising the wheat support price to Rs625 per 40kg. Although 65 per cent of the rural farmers, who have sacrificed for the sake of 40 per cent urban consumers by selling wheat at half the price of the international market, are still not being given a fair deal by the government as far as fertilisers are concerned, especially DAP.
Engro, Fauji and other fertiliser importers are selling DAP at Rs3,200 per bag from their stocks on which they have already enjoyed a heavy subsidy as no fresh stocks have been imported in the last nine months.
The subsidised imported DAP was to be sold at Rs1,234 per bag, but they are selling it at Rs1,600, which again was subsidised to the extent of Rs900 per bag.
Moreover, Engro’s Zoorwar was to be given on even smaller rates but from the same subsidised stocks importers are minting money from farmers as well as the subsidy that they have already enjoyed.
In India DAP is supplied at Rs768 per bag and urea is sold at Rs465 per bag and the wheat support price is raised to Rs876 a maund.
If prices of DAP and urea are not rationalised at the earliest, the good impact of increased support price will be zeroed, earning a bad name for the present government.
DR ZAHID HUSSAIN JATOI
Mehar, Dadu
THIS is apropos of Farrukh Shahzad’s letter, ‘A ray of hope’ (April 8). After Ziaul Haq’s death in a plane crash in 1988, was the democratic dispensation not given the full liberty to provide the nation with that ‘ray of hope’ from 1988 till 1999, but which translated into the most unbecoming corruption of ‘horse-trading’, ‘looting of banks’ with non-performing loans, ‘commissions’, etc, resulting in the musical chair episodes of four governments being dismissed?
Farrukh Shahzad need not mention that the 4.5 million pound (sterling) Rockwood Estate in Surrey (UK) was a figment of imagination, as may be the Cotcetna case of commissions and money laundering, which the government (naturally the PPP ) has requested the Swiss courts to drop.
With regard to the Nawaz governments during that period, the BMW cars import, manipulation of duties, and sugar export/import scandal, the less said the better.
Now with these old wines in new bottles in place, in only weeks the country’s FE reserves have dropped from $16 billion to $13 billion, and falling; the rupee exchange rate has dropped from Rs61 to Rs63 and is further falling, and wheat prices are increasing. So where is this “ray of hope”?
RAFI AHMED
Karachi
DEVELOPMENT of institutions holds key to national progress but unfortunately in our country no serious efforts have been made to build institutions. Instead, we have systematically destroyed them on the altar of personal gains. As a result, our institutions are decaying and have become a new source of our misery and mayhem.
One such institution that is facing chaos is Shah Abdul Latif University. It was basically established by the government of ZAB in 1976 in the backwaters of Sindh with the aim to provide students higher education so that this underdeveloped area can be uplifted and integrated with the developed parts of the country.
But this dream of ZAB has been turned into a nightmare due to the fact that Latif University has become the hub of every conceivable institutional vice due to reckless policies by different university administrations.
Indeed, this collusion of unscrupulous elements has severely damaged the development of Shah Abdul Latif University as a respectable institution and given rise to rampant corruption and mismanagement of its resources.
Its first project failed due to massive corruption in the construction work. It was the first example of its kind that the brand new campus was abandoned before a single class could take place. Today the plight of the university is not different.
It can be judged from the fact that it has become a factory of issuing fake degrees, and recently 72 fake degrees were issued to various people, including the son of a former prime minister belonging to Balochistan.
However, with the appointment of Dr Nilofer Shaikh as the first woman vice chancellor in Sindh, there was hope that the fate of Latif University would change.
But the administration seems to be more focused on the HEC projects, which are a major source of corruption in the university.
Various audit reports point to massive irregularities but no action is coming forth.
All expectations have so far proved to be mere pipe dream as the university continues to suffer from bad governance, favouritism and political patronage of teachers/employee groups loyal to the university establishment.
The worst example of political patronage and favouritism was witnessed recently when the university selection board, convened under the chairmanship of Chancellor Dr Nilofer Shaikh, appointed professors in BPS 20 when, in fact, the post of the professor has been upgraded to BPS 21 under the new HEC policy and there are different conditions for grade 21.
According to sources, these professors don’t fulfil the conditions for grade 21, so they are first appointed in BPS 20 and then will be moved to the next stage under the upgradation scheme announced by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz. But these teachers have already been moved from grade 18 to 19. And, according to a source, this upgradation facility cannot be availed twice.
Moreover, upgradation is not automatic but subject to fulfilling the conditions of higher grades as laid down by the HEC.
It is ironic that these appointments are being made under the old criterion which no more exits. According to one view, it is all being done to favour the teachers closely affiliated with the vice chancellor as these people don’t fulfil the new conditions.
Teachers’ bodies have criticised the university administration’s partisan action and demanded that all teachers who qualify under the old policy should be promoted instead of those unduly favoured.
MANZOOR ALI ISRAN
Shah Abdul Latif University
Khairpur
THE prime minister’s decision of lifting the ban on students’ union is welcomed by all quarters. This ban was imposed when the university hostels were converted into hideouts of criminals and university campuses had become battlegrounds of the students groups.
To avoid such situations in future, there should be some rules and regulations for governing the mechanism of students’ unions, which can create a healthy environment for learning on the campuses. In my view, the main points which should be the basis of these rules should be as under:
— The national political parties should not have their satellite student parties or affiliated groups in colleges and universities. However, if some ideological groups are formed in universities, then the office-bearers of such groups should not take part in students’ politics and should be barred from contesting the union’s election. They only should be confined to promoting their ideology among students.
— The student contesting for these elections should do it individually without any string of group or panel. If such rules are formed to govern students unions, then only those students should be elected in these elections that are most popular among students and work genuinely for the betterment of students. Then could the union strive to create an environment of learning and inquiry that can boost free thinking and curiosity among the students, which is most essential for research and knowledge.
MIRZA SHAHID BARLAS
Karachi
The newly-inducted law minister has recently hinted at comprehensive reforms to make our judiciary more attractive for youngsters and independent by enhancing financial benefits.
He must have taken guidance and inspiration from Asif Ali Zardari who has experienced and seen the judicial system from very close quarters during the long period of his captivity.
Farooq Naik has advised the legal fraternity to have patience, confidence and faith in parliament for the positive outcome of their goal in the best interest of democracy and the country rather than continuing to fight their battle on the streets. Let the parliament bring about the judicial reforms.
S. A. NAQVI
Karachi
THIS is apropos of Ummad Mazhar’s letter, ‘Food shortage’ (March 24), on the effect of globalisation, which is proving to be disastrous for poor countries, which have become food importers. Pakistan, basically an agricultural country, is importing edible oil persistently and wheat and sugar frequently and now is importing cotton recently.
The basic food requirements of the common people are cereals, pulses, vegetables and edible oil and only affluent people can afford eating poultry and meat regularly. Green chillies are at present sold at Rs200 per per kilo.
The purpose of writing this letter is that it is easy to grow chillies and herbages like coriander and mint in the backyard of houses. In the city of Karachi, urban ignorance about plants has severe environmental and psychological and economic consequences on city dwellers.
The fresh vegetables and herbage produced in the backyard (kitchen garden) contain many phytochemicals that is full of taste and flavour. Kitchen garden in a house in Karachi is an outdoor gymnasium that offers physical exercise of heart and mind.
Working in the lawn of a house or in the backyard for planting flower and vegetable plants, watering plants is likely to sustain into old age. Such kitchen garden farming may save money spent on vegetables and herbages and may be attractive to retired people. There is a need to popularise agricultural science.
DR. M. JALALUDDIN
University of Karachi
OLYMPIC flame, the global symbol of peace and freedom, is coming to Islamabad for the first time during its world journey from Olympia (Greece) to Beijing (China) where it will set on the main Olympic stadium to mark the beginning of the XXIX Olympiad.
The Pakistan Olympic Association has given me the honour to carry the Olympic torch on April 16. I have been interested in Olympic games and culture since my early teenage but unfortunately Pakistan and our media have no interest towards this mega event.
I hope both will show interest and cover this historic event from the capital so that people of Pakistan can understand Olympic values, importance of culture and peace.
I would be leaving for Islamabad for Olympic torch relay on April 13.
ZAIN HASAN
Karachi
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