| April 15, 2008 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 8, 1429 |
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Judges’ retirement
The same road taken
Undue fees for summer holidays
Consumer protection
Constitutional protection
Shoaib Akthar needs support
Looting spree
Wrong decision
Respect the mandate
VC’s response
Drug addiction
A RECENT report says that, according to official sources, President Pervez Musharraf believes that if he steps down, a number of ill scenarios are likely to take place in Pakistan (April 7).
Some of these include:
a. The Americans will consider direct military attacks on our tribal areas, which they haven’t done so far due to the president’s strong personal links with George Bush.
b. The US will also take away Dr A. Q. Khan for interrogation, from which it had desisted until now only because Mr Musharraf had resisted all pressures and kept the nuclear scientist in safe custody at home.
c. The Gwadar project, which many countries, including the US, have opposed, will be adversely affected if he leaves the scene, resulting in a setback to Pakistan’s time-tested relations with China.
Looking into some facts will show that the incumbent’s thinking is contradicted by his past words or deeds. First, some months back he had claimed that if he were to go, the extremists in Pakistan would not only capture power but also take control of our nuclear weapons. As later events showed, this was only meant to scare the West into continuing its support for him. Now, he is obviously trying to frighten the nation into giving up its opposition to him.
This is apparent from the fact that after seeing the disturbance his words had caused overseas, he immediately reverted to his stand and said that nobody could steal even a bolt from an army unit equipment, so there was no question of nukes falling into the wrong hands. Furthermore, the chief of the Strategic Plans Division, Lt.Gen. Khalid Kidwai, also had to take some unprecedented measures to allay the West’s fears, such as meeting the western media and revealing the steps taken to ensure the safety of our nuclear facilities and weapons.
Second, he is purporting to be the benefactor of Dr Qadeer Khan but in his memoirs and some public statements he tried his best to defame the national hero. As far as Dr Khan’s safety is concerned, it is no secret that not just Nawaz Sharif but many Pakistanis have voiced the desire to make him the country’s president.
How could anyone dare to take him away for interrogation? Besides, the new COAS, Gen Kayani, has impressed many top American officers and spymasters who met him and have “come away gushing about his military prowess and his commitment to disentangle the army from domestic politics” (April 3). He can certainly take care of Pakistan’s security issues.
Third, the Chinese are known for their wisdom and patience. Our friends in Beijing surely understand the games being played about Gwadar and can protect their own interests and those of Islamabad regardless of Mr Musharraf’s status.
Fourth, if the Americans attack any areas in Pakistan, they will only make 160 million more enemies.
Time has proved the president wrong on several occasions, leading to extremism and violence, and not peace, in the country.
QAMAR
Karachi
This is with reference to the news item appearing in the section of the press that the government is considering a new law by which the tenure of the Chief Justice of Supreme Court will be fixed to three years.
At present, a judge retires when he reaches the age of 65 years. In America, no judge of the Supreme Court retires. This is being done so that the government gets rid of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. Otherwise he might haunt them till 2013. Such intentions on the part of the government are malafide and against the Murree Declaration and will of the people who have given a mandate for this cause as well.
It is the irony of fate that decisions are made to suit a certain class of people alone to cover their misdeeds. If Pakistan has a person like Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in the legislature, executive, judiciary and other institutions as well, then we can change the destiny of this nation. Institutions are strengthened only if the person governing them is strong and upright. As Iqbal has rightly said:
Afraad ke haathon main hai aqwaam ki taqdeer
Har fard hai millat ke muqaddar ka sitara
No one has raised a question regarding his caliber as a judge. It is the experience that is needed to reach such a level of excellence. On the one hand the government is trying to cut short the tenure of C.J. while on the other, there is a re-employment policy. The justification given is to re-employ a person with experience. Isn’t there a contradiction? There is a violation of the fundamental right. The personality of the C.J. should not create doubt on the pretext that several political parties, persons, organizations have backed the movement. We are a living nation and it is the right of every person to raise a voice when they see that injustice is being done.
I can only hope and pray that the government restores the judiciary as it existed on November 2.
DR ATTIYA MARUF
Lahore
The recent appointments made by the new Prime Minister seem to have taken everyone by surprise. Pakistanis have pinned their hopes on the new PM and his first few speeches have been praiseworthy but does he really mean what he is saying or is he just flirting with the vulnerable masses?
People like Salman Farooqi and Rahman Malik have been appointed as advisors to the PM. These people were once known to be the most despicable personalities in Pakistan.
It is said that the appointments were made by Mr Zardari and not by our PM. Why does the PPP think that they can continue to take the same road that was taken in the past and no one will notice? Mr Gillani has to please Mr Zardari to stay into power but having such people around him leads us to question his credibility.
We want to believe that he means good and is willing to take Pakistan to greater heights but following Mr Shaukat Aziz’s footsteps would only lead to mistrust on the present government.
Mr Gillani should appoint men of integrity who can be trusted by the people who voted the new government into power, if he wants his party to succeed in any way as there’s no shortage of honest and competent people in Pakistan.
MRS A MAHMOOD
Lahore
I would like to bring an important issue to the notice of this political government through your esteemed newspaper.
The primary and secondary education, being on low priority, does not receive appropriate funding due to budgetary constraints in Pakistan.
However, the government can assist parents through regulatory interventions. The collection of full tuition fee/dues for the summer holidays from students is collected since long by government and private institutions but the act does not seem justified.
During these holidays, the schools save a lot on account of energy, security, transportation, teaching aids and other allied heads and they often lay off teachers just to reduce the salary bill and appoint fresh teachers, in the beginning of the new session.
Such saving should benefit the parents whose kids are studying in these schools.
Moreover, the transporters engaged in pick and drop service for school kids receive full transport charges for the summer vacations, despite the fact that they are not spending a penny on fuel and drivers are kept engaged in other income generation activities during the summer vacations.
Two of my kids are studying in an elitist school, and out of 365 days, the school hardly remains open for 150 days, whereas the dues at Rs4,700/- per month per child is paid.
I suggest that the educational institutions should be directed to collect half charges for summer vacations and transporters be directed to charge half dues for these summer vacations.
M. MASOOD ASGHAR
Karachi
I offer my thanks to the Consumer Protection Council for taking care of many letters published in these columns complaining about the unprecedented and unchecked prices spiraling for about one year in every commodity.
The URL address of their website which they have provided in their letter will definitely be made use of to pinpoint to them cases of shop keepers bullying the masses. This is what hurts people as shopkeepers or manufacturing companies depend on consumers and if consumers can unite themselves through a platform, like Consumer Protection Council, and boycott the misbehaving shopkeepers, they will ultimately kneel down before the masses.
However all hopes are pinned on the new government. I wish the government creates a department or even at a high level a ministry to deal with anti-exploitation of consumers in the country, give their inspectors magisterial powers to impose penalties from price increase to misbehavior by shopkeepers. The government’s Ministry should arrange to read through all complaints filed in the print media or a website should be created for this purpose. Also they should act swiftly to catch hold of the culprits, then only this dare-devil attitude of the business community will change, else no hope. Will you believe that one shop keeper in DHA Ph.II commercial demanded Rs50 for one ltr. Nestle milk, taking advantage of the time. These are the kind of people whose shops should be closed for a week or ten days to teach them a lesson to behave themselves.
However the point remains that consumers have to unite themselves first and find alternatives to live without all those commodities of which price spirals are created. Next action should be taken by the government’s ministry, as proposed above.
M. M. KHAN
Karachi
IN view of the mayhem we are facing in this country, it would be appropriate that the government introduced a constitutional amendment to give protection to the office of president and also restore the chief justice.
Constitutional protection to the president would serve as a shield to the presidency in case of any action from the Supreme Court. This is the only solution to the problems which have now gone out of our hands.
We as the citizens of this country cannot afford any repetition of May 12, 2007, Nov 3, 2007 and April 9, 2008.
SHAMS MOHIUDDIN ANSARI
Karachi
THE PCB has shabbily clamped a five-year ban on Shoaib Akthar. It is certainly an attempt to sabotage his already dwindling career. The PCB has accused Shoaib Akhtar of breaching its so called code of conduct.
This justification for banning Shoaib Akthar for five years is ridiculous because Shoaib Akthar is not a signatory of the PCB’s central contract. That is why he is not at all required to abide by the central contract clauses. As Shoaib Akhtar is not contracted to the PCB, they can’t gag him.
Shoaib Akthar is a national hero. He has done wonderfully well for Pakistan over the years. The PCB has been falsely pinpointing him on every other petty instance. The PCB’s current administration always tries to portray him as a cantankerous person. Everywhere else in the world sporting heroes are given a special status. They are respected because they bring laurels to their respective countries. But here in Pakistan instead of doing that, the PCB is maligning him. PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf trumps up various cumbersome issues against him every other day.
Perhaps Shoaib Akthar’s fault is that he isn’t an obsequious and servile person. That’s why he is being nibbled and cavilled. But I believe Shoaib Akhtar is a chivalrous person. He can’t be cowed by this lunacy on the part of the PCB’s bigwigs.
This ban, if came into effect, will prove hugely disastrous for our cricket. But Dr Nasim Ashraf is bent on destroying Pakistan’s cricketing future. Here I am not going to appeal to President Musharraf because he is least concerned about it. But I do earnestly request the newlyappointed sports minister, Khwaja Mohammad Asif, to seriously look into this matter. The minister should take serious and immediate note of this extreme highheadedness of the PCB. He should ask the PCB chairman to mend his ways or otherwise pack his bags. The ban should be revoked without delay.
MUHAMMAD ZAHID
Dera Ismail Khan
Nothing will change after the general elections of 2008. All those who plundered and looted national wealth are back enjoying a good reputation; their sins have been forgiven, thanks to the National Reconciliation Ordinance. In the past, it used to be someone’s era for a few years, to loot and enjoy followed by the other one to do the same. Now, “sub mil ke lootein gey.”
DR SYED HASNAIN MUJTABA
Karachi
I totally agree with Alam Masood’s letter, “A wrong decision” (April 06) on the NRO. He is absolutely right when he says that if the media is free and honest, why are they so numb and anaesthetized on this ugly law? If the present government supports this, which they are, then what is its credibility?
These people who have eaten up Pakistan like anything will do it again and again. I just don’t understand why they are asking to “forgive and forget”? It is probably because they have to start looting all over again.
I ask those who are supporting this law that, if politicians are “forgiven” for their all bad/ unlawful deeds, then why are the poor pocket-pickers, robbers and minor law offenders still in jail? Why not free them too? What lesson are we giving to our kids, and message to the world around that we can twist law whenever we want?
S. RAHMAN
Australia
THE people of Pakistan have given a clear mandate to political parties in the recent election on the promise to change the system in and out. These parties promised people that the current regime, which made the country a mess, will be changed and deposed judges reinstated.
But it seems that one of the political leaders is turning his back on the promises made and is trying to hobnob with the current regime to scuttle the boat of the people of Pakistan when the destination is around the corner.
In order to protect the mandate of the people, the parliament should pass the law and give power to the election commission whereby any political party that renegades from its agenda should be disqualified. That is the only way to protect the rights of people and the only way by which mandate of people will be respected.
It seems, one leader of a major party who has quite a few skeletons in his cupboard, trying to find a way out of promises they made to the people and is trying to sell the will of people for short-term personal gains.
If the leaders of political parties are wise enough to read the writing on the wall, they should avoid any misadventure for personal gains and learn to respect the will of people.
SHAKEEL NIZAMANI
Calgary, Alberta
Referring to the news item on manhandling of the KU teacher, (April 4) the Pakistani civil society seems to be operating in a surreal, parallel world.
In another news item on April 1 in which a case was registered against the teacher, the VC of the institution responded without any sense of irony, “I don’t know what response I should give to this since it is an individual act.”
If the chief executive of any organization, who has a legal duty to care about its employees, has to ask as to when he is unwilling or unable to act, the answer generally is: resign.
R MATIF
London
Approximately 5 million drug addicts in Pakistan are not only destroying their lives but also affecting every sector of society, including the business sector causing accidents, reducing or loss of productivity, poor work and absenteeism as well as other serious adverse effects, says a report prepared by Pakistan Drug Free Foundation. Drug addiction affects all parts of society as the rapidly increasing number of drug addicts in the country in the business sector as the ratio of the drug users in labor class and lower middle class increases day by due to one or other reasons.
Approximately an addict spends Rs150 per day on drugs. There are 5 million drug addicts in the country, so 500,000 addicts spend Rs750 million in just one day, in a month 22,500 million and in a year Rs270 billion. These are the direct expenses on drugs. There is no data available on the losses borne by our economy due to absenteeism, wastage of time, low productivity and accidents of drug abuser in workplaces.
One of the consequences of drug abuse in the workplace is that the economy of Pakistan pays a big price for it - employee accident and errors, high illness rates, wastage of time, low productivity and absenteeism are just a few examples of the affects of illicit drug use.
A survey conducted by the United States’ health and human service indicates that drug abuser functions at approximately 65 per cent of their capacity.
Up to 40 per cent of industrial fatalities and 47 per cent of industrial injuries can be linked to drug abuse. Employees who abuse drugs are 3.6 times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident and five times more likely to file a worker’s compensation claim. An estimated 500 million work days are lost annually due alcohol and drug abuse in America.
• Employees who abuse drugs are more likely to request early dismissal or time off, 2.5 times more likely to be late for work.
• Illicit drug users are more than twice as likely than those who do not abuse drugs.
• Employees who abuse drugs cost their employers about twice as much in medical claims.
• According to the United States National Institute of Drug Addiction, almost 10 per cent of all employees use drugs.
According to the data mentioned above, the problem of drug abuse at workplaces is more in the developed countries of the world. This problem also exists in Pakistan but no authentic data is available about the financial losses incurred due to drug abuse at workplaces.
At this point, some questions are raised for the authorities who are responsible for such a financial disaster.
There is a strong need to launch a grand operation to eliminate the silent killer by government and the business community.
HAIDER MEHER
Planning & development manager
Drug Free Pakistan Foundation
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