| April 12, 2008 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1429 |
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Consumer protection
Article 58-2(b)
Getting rid of the ECL
Slaughter of greenery
No oath under a PCO is exempt
Happening at Sindh PA session
Time is ‘now’
Fuel of the poor
A vehicle of change
Nadra working
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
“NO government can be long secure without a formidable opposition. It reduces their supporters to that tractable number which can be managed by the joint influences of fruition and hope. It offers vengeance to the discontented and distinction to the ambitious; and employs the energies of aspiring spirits, who otherwise may prove traitors in a division or assassins in a debate.” – Benjamin Disraeli
After a spell of nine years’ autocratic rule in the country, elections 2008 have begun with euphoria of reconciliation. Undoubtedly, in a society marred with parochial, sectarian and inter-provincial bickering born of long shadow of dictatorships, reconciliation is the need of the hour.
It is, however, unfortunate that parties are not prepared to play a role of constructive opposition. A democracy without effective opposition is inconceivable.
In a democratic setup an opposition is not only a watchdog of the interest of people in the parliament — especially when treasury having numerical superiority at times adopts partisan and arrogant approach — but is also considered a shadow government or a government in waiting.
In Sindh this time the MQM though scored a sizable number of seats, yet it is the PPP which has achieved a simple majority and is in a comfortable position to form the provincial government.
Thus the MQM, which despite being minority in the previous regime ruled the roost with the help of the centre by enticing the independents and turncoats of the PPP’s, should now accept the reality and prepare itself to play a positive rule in the opposition.
The MQM’s demand of power-sharing on the basis of its claim of ‘urban mandate’, a newly-coined phrase, which even some media people are adopting, is highly unjustified. Sindh is a province like any other province of the country. Moreover, like any other province it has rural and urban areas with no separate and distinctive identity.
The concept of rural and urban was only adopted to eliminate enormous inequality in the field of education, as well in social sector, and over a period of time bring parity in both the areas. The elections are not contested on a quota basis: therefore, applying the same here will be a great injustice to the people of Sindh.
If the MQM believes in democracy and wants the same to take root, then it would be worthwhile for them to play the role of opposition instead of demanding a share and becoming part of the government. It is while sitting on the opposite seats that the MQM can guard the interests of the electorate better than by sitting with the government.
The electorate has provided them an opportunity this time to become a formidable opposition to ensure that the government does not go wayward. If they accept this role and prove worthy, in which case not only the entire province will prosper but this will also pave way for them to win more seats in the future elections.
The reconciliation between the two parties here means shunning hostilities once for all by respecting each other’s position. It is definitely in the best interest of the province and nation as a whole and this settlement should not mar the basic spirit of democracy by becoming an end in itself.
I hope that both the parties, the MQM and the PPP, will come up to the expectations of the people, and in the interest of the province and larger interest of democracy should sit at their respective positions as treasury and opposition and serve the people, instead of ‘sharing the power’, which is against the spirit of democracy.
SHAFIQUE ANSARI
Dubai, UAE
THIS is apropos of the views expressed in these columns over a period of time as regards the steep rise in the prices of consumers items.
We can protect the consumer interest only when there are consumer laws and courts to help them. Also there is a need of support from the media which should highlight consumer issues on a regular basis. Moreover, the political will is required to enforce the existing food and drug laws.
Unfortunately, in Pakistan there are neither consumer laws or consumer courts nor the political will to enforce the existing PSQCA, food and drug laws.
The Consumer Protection Ordinance, Sindh, was signed by Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan on Aug 12, 2004 but still has not been promulgated and has lapsed three times.
The only way to protect consumer rights is to establish consumer protection laws and courts, the political will to strictly enforce the existing laws, support from the judiciary and the print and electronic media and active support from the consumers themselves.
At the same time the biggest enemy of the consumers are the consumers themselves, as they refuse to check a product before purchase or demand quality and standards.
The only way to combat escalating prices is through consumer resistance. We plan to launch such a campaign in the near future, where consumers will be requested to boycott the purchase of meat, fresh milk and other essential items on certain days, unless they are sold at the prescribed government prices.
The success of such a campaign has been proved by forcing the milk suppliers to reduce their prices by refusing to be bullied by them and allowing them to go on strike.
We have also established a consumer complaint procedure through our website www.helplinetrust.org and consumers are requested to register their complaints through the consumer complaint form.
The only way to empower consumers is for the consumers to follow our call of ‘Jago Sarif Jago’. It is time for us to stand up and demand our rights and request the new government to introduce consumer protection laws and consumer courts without any further delay.
CONSUMER PROTECTION COUNCIL
Helpline Trust, Karachi
I BEG to differ with the contents of a letter published on April 6, supporting Article 58-2(b) of the Constitution. It is incorrect to say that if the performance of politician-led government is up to the mark, nobody would have the courage to enforce Article 58-2(b).
The said article was first injected into the 1973 Constitution by president Ziaul Haq in 1985. The civilian government, led by prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo, was working very smoothly when Article 58-2(b) was invoked by president Zia on May 29, 1988 and the governments in the centre and in the provinces were dismissed.
The reason for dismissal of the Junejo government was at least not corruption in the eyes of the people of Pakistan. Later on, president Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Mohammad Nawaz Sharif in 1990 and 1993, respectively; while president Farooq Leghari dismissed the government of Benazir Bhutto in 1996.
All the governments were dismissed on corruption charges, but corruption charges could not be proved against any of them in a court of law despite spending billions of rupees of taxpayers.
Rather parties headed by Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif came victorious in the Feb 18 election. However, in the last government of Shaukat Aziz, there were many occasions when the situation warranted the invoking of Article 58-2(b) of the Constitution on corruption, but he was allowed to complete his tenure.
The utterances by stalwarts like Chaudhry Pervaiz Ilahi, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and even Kashmala Tariq prove my point.
However, the people gave their verdict against those who were protected by the establishment in the last general election. It is time Article 58-2(b) was scrapped from the Constitution, reposing confidence in the elected representatives.
JAVED AHMAD MALIK
Lahore Cantt.
THORUGH these columns I would like to welcome the statement of Federal Law Minister Farooq H. Naik, appearing in a section of the press, in which he stated that the ECL was unconstitutional, and the government would soon scrap it.
He declared that there was no justification for stopping any citizen from going abroad. I agree that this ECL had mostly been used against opponents. It never served the purpose for which it was introduced.
Rather it often affected some honest, sincere and law-abiding individuals, including some senior businessmen who were incidentally highest taxpayers in the country.
Such persons are greatly honoured and respected in other countries. There were many who were acquitted honourably by the court of law, even then the sword of the ECL continued to hang over their heads and they were not allowed to leave the country.
I hope the government, as promised by the law minister, would soon issue a notification to undo this unconstitutional ECL.
I would also appeal to the new prime minister, who appears bent upon eliminating politics of intimidation, to constitute a committee to review cases of those persons who were unnecessarily harassed and haunted through false cases and even jailed for many years. Their whole business was almost destroyed because of government actions.
Such persons need to be compensated for the losses they suffered all these years.
K. MURAD BEY
Karachi
IT is really very painful to see on every alternate day the pictures of rampant cutting of trees, particularly in our big cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. On the one hand, plans are being prepared to make these cities greener and, on the other hand, the old trees planted by our elders are being ruthlessly felled, without making any programme for their replacement with other good looking, shady, ornamental plants. All such activities are beyond the understanding of a common man like me.
As a matter of fact, trees are friends of humanity. They are tongueless creatures but do teach human beings how to lead a cultured life on the earth. There is a common saying: “No culture without agriculture”. The silent spectators teach lessons of civilisation to mankind. They always follow the principle of ‘live and let live’ and look after the interests of others selflessly. The trees bear the vagaries of severe climates and weather for the benefit of life. They are really the symbols of extreme sacrifice.
Once during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, his governor of Kashmir informed him that the Jamia Masjid in Kashmir was entirely burnt due to a fire. The emperor deeply expressed his sorrow on this incident and expressed that the mosque could be rebuilt in a matter of time, but the centuries-old ‘chinar’ trees could not be replanted to regain their height and girth within a few years. They would need years and years for attainting the same height.
The authorities concerned should get the blank pits restocked at the earliest to give back the same grandeur and beauty to the city.
LALA FAZAL AHMED BELAEE
Hyderabad
ON a TV channel recently, the compere remarked that Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had also taken the oath under a PCO. Justice Wajeehuddeen Ahmed, who was being interviewed, responded by saying that the chief justice made a mistake just that once and had now repented. No retribution was thus called for.
Justice Wajeehuddeen Ahmed also said that the current incumbents of the Supreme Court were not legitimate because they had taken the oath under a PCO, three times.
Who is to decide whether it is all right to take the oath under a PCO once and repent, or possibly take it twice, but not the third time. This sounds like the law of divorce in Sharia where you can pronounce ‘talaq’ once or twice but the moment you utter the third ‘talaq’ the marriage is gone.
Surely Justice Wajeehuddeen does not subscribe to this kind of laxity in matters of supreme justice.
The reputed lawyer and retired justice himself said ‘No’ the very first time he was asked to take the oath under a PCO. If there is merit in his ‘No’, then there is none in Justice Iftikhar’s oath taken willingly under a PCO (Justice Iftikhar did take the oath a second time as chief justice as well).
Earlier on the Dawn News channel Aitizaz Ahsan condoned the oath of Justice Iftikhar under the first PCO for another reason. He said it had been legitimised by parliament afterwards; unlike the oath taken by other judges after Nov 2, 2007.
When Justice Iftikhar took the oath under the PCO imposed by Musharraf, he obviously could not be aware that it would be legitimised by a parliament some time in the future. At the time he took the oath the PCO was neither legal nor legitimate.
An elected government had been removed by force, parliament had been dismissed, the Constitution had been subverted, and a treasonable offence had been committed.
Taking the oath under a PCO at that point in time amounted to providing cover to an act of treason and made Justice Iftikhar an accomplice and accessory. Article 6 applies to both the subvertor and his accessories.
The 17th Amendment was extracted from a manipulated parliament. A dubious coterie of connivers like the MMA and the others sanctified it. This itself begs for legitimacy. It can in no way wash Justice Iftikhar clean of his involvement.
Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary and all the other judges were directly or indirectly abettors in the subversion of the Constitution the moment they took the oath under a PCO, any PCO; even if it was baptised to legitimacy later on and whether they took the oath once twice or three times.
Justice should not be selective and must remain blind even if dispensed on television.
All judges who took the oath under a PCO, should, without any exception, step aside. We deserve clean, apolitical, superior courts.
S. AFAQ RIZVI
Karachi
WHAT happened at the Sindh Assembly session on April 7 was extremely regrettable. What makes it more deplorable is that our electronic media, that seems to have all the licences in the world to project the ugly scenes across the globe, did not refrain from airing this too.
This was a shameful matter that was widely condemned inside the assembly as well. TV channels must have refrained from showing this.
A couple of months back, while watching a press conference of businessmen from Karachi on the “after-effects of Benazir’s killing”, one of the businessmen had rightly said that the media at that time also projected the burning of industries far and wide in Karachi.
This was obviously shown throughout the world by international channels too by just plugging in to their broadcasts.
The same happened on May 12 last year when one of the channels was repeatedly showing a person dying from a stab and bullet wound inside a bus on Sharea Faisal.
We must not project the bad side of this beautiful country. Already we are proclaimed offenders and wrongdoers.
We must project a better image and learn from around us. Freedom does not in any way mean lack of responsibility.
LUQMAN REHMAN
Karachi
ETHANOL is predicted to be the future fuel of the world. This bio-fuel has become the vanguard of the green tech revolution as an alternative source of energy. Ethanol is being produced from grain, oil seed, and sugarcane crops.
Ethanol from sugarcane is considered to be the most efficient form of fuel and even the world environmentalists support it.
Pakistan is blessed with quality sugarcane and it produces 60 million tonnes and has the potential of doubling this yield.
Unfortunately we are not producing ethanol and we are only exporting molasses, which is derived from sugarcane, due to non-availability of quality distillery plants.
The estimated size of 2010 bio-fuel market is $100 billion and it will soar rapidly beyond.
The new government should get its act together and set this as a high priority agenda. Foreign investors may be invited if local industry is not capable. If Brazil can become the bio-fuel global success story, then why not Pakistan. This is another opportunity which is knocking at our doors, and I hope it is not wasted.
AFAQ ZAFAR
Karachi
THE government is frequently increasing petrol prices, as petrol is considered to be a fuel of the rich.
However, the scenario in Pakistan is different as illustrated by the following statistics:
a. Out of two million cars in Pakistan, only one-third operate on petrol. The middle class owners of cars are rapidly converting to CNG, which is half the price of petrol.
b. There are now five million petrol-consuming motorcycles, which are mostly owned by low-income households. As the motorcycle population is increasing rapidly, consumption of petrol in motorcycles will exceed petrol consumed in cars within a year. Thus, petrol is becoming a fuel of the poor.
Since there is no subsidy on petrol, the government should not increase the price of petrol. Instead of increasing the price of petrol, the government should increase road tax and duty on large cars.
JAVED AKBAR
Karachi
I FULLY support your editorial, ‘A vehicle of change’ (April 2), wherein you have, among other things, advised the prime minister to effectively use the parliamentary committees to scrutinise and hone state policies.
You have further rightly pointed out that this should not only call for deliberations amongst the parliamentary committee members but should also include non-parliamentary actors as well.
By doing so, the parliamentary committees would have access to expert opinion from the public and this could be further supported by holding public hearings, maybe live on the electronic media.
After all, democracy is not the responsibility of the elected representatives alone. It is also the responsibility of the citizens’ to play their role, as an extension to the democratic process.
NAZIM F. HAJI
Karachi
THE National Data and Registration Authority has appointed a lazy staff that lags behind in helping to resolve public problems. I had applied for a change of address on Aug 14, 2007 but unfortunately to date I have not received my CNIC.
I visited the nearest Nadra office at Aisha Manzil, Karachi, but the staff had only a standard line to tell people off, i.e. visit the office after a few days. These few days turn into months.
Besides visiting the office a number of times, I have also lodged written complaints to higher authorities but all in vain. I request the authorities to either give me the corrected CNIC or return me the old one. I have been facing much difficulties in the absence of my CNIC.
FAIZ MUHAMMAD
Karachi
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