| May 12, 2008 | Monday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 6, 1429 |
Reel issues
Sir,
I would like to draw the kind attention of the higher authorities of the National Bank of Pakistan as well as the State Bank of Pakistan regarding the functioning of the Site Shopping Centre branch of NBP.
The Site branch was ransacked during the Dec 27, 2007 disturbances. But despite the lapse of a considerable amount of time, the branch is still not fully operational.
The account holders face great difficulty as they have to stand in long queues under an open sky outside the branch in the scorching heat.
Keeping in view the above circumstances, I hope that the high-ups of the National Bank take immediate steps to make this branch fully operational as early as possible for the benefit of account holders.
AN ACCOUNT HOLDER
Karachi
City government or land mafia?
Sir,
We, the residents of Block D, North Nazimabad, want to highlight a very unfortunate issue which raises some pertinent questions for the authorities. A playground of about 10 acres, which was used for recreational purposes by the residents, is now being allocated for plots for private housing by the city government.
The ground was already closed for the general public when a private company had plans to build a water park earlier. But now, in an already congested area, the area residents are being deprived of a playground.
We plead to the authorities concerned — the governor of Sindh and the leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement — to stop this menace. We, the residents of Block D, protest against this illegal, unethical and unconstitutional step.
We would be very thankful to all of you for this kind gesture.
MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH
Block D, North Nazimabad
Unjust fee
Sir,
I want to bring an important issue to the notice of the vice-chancellor of Karachi University. The law colleges in Karachi are charging Rs2,500 (LLB I & II) and Rs2,000 (LLB final year) for the examination fee, which is unjust, unlawful and unethical.
As per a notification of the KU examinations’ department (Ref Exam/Law-A/08) dated April 9, 2008, the examinations fee is fixed at Rs1,840. The unfair raise in the fee has created anxiety among students. The VC is requested to order forthwith an enquiry probing why law colleges are not complying with the university’s notification.
ZAKI ALAM
North Karachi
Who is responsible?
Sir,
Being a Karachian, I want my fellow citizens to ponder over who is responsible for unrest in the city.
Karachi has gone through tough times in the past where strikes, killings, extortion, bullet riddled bodies and gunny bags were common.
Coming straight to the point, since Feb 18, 2008 till the end of March, more than 80 political workers — mainly belonging to the MQM-Haqiqi and Sunni Tehreek — have been killed. My question is: who is responsible?
Why has Karachi been so vulnerable? The city is said to be the backbone of Pakistan and provides a substantial input to the national exchequer. All political forces of Karachi should join hands in order to eliminate the factors responsible for unrest in the city and those found guilty should be brought to justice.
Had the culprits of May 12, 2007 been brought to justice, there would never have been the incidents of Dec 27 and April 9.
A free, fair and transparent judicial set-up without any political affiliations is the only solution to our problems. The day our courts take decisions on merit and the guilty are penalized, we will be heading for a brighter future. If our MNAs, MPAs, ministers and bureaucrats are made accountable for their deeds, Pakistan will start to prosper.
Serious efforts need to be taken by the government in order to maintain law and order in Karachi.
MUHAMMAD ZAFIR
Karachi
Declining library culture
Sir,
Libraries are the brighter side of a nation. Nowadays, the love of reading and library culture is all but dead. Sincere efforts from the government as well as educated people of the country are needed to reinvigorate libraries. The government can play a vital role in this regard by arranging seminars and book fairs to create awareness about libraries and reading culture.
In this regard, the Depart-ment of Library Science, Uni-versity of Karachi, recently organized a walk. The main purpose was to promote the declining reading culture and create awareness about libraries and books. We feel celebrating such occasions at all our educational institutions is very necessary.
STUDENTS OF B.L.I.S
University of Karachi
Noise pollution
Sir,
Noise is a nuisance in industrial cities like Karachi. Noise pollution is a chronic problem due to factories, motor vehicles, pressure horns and other such factors.
On the road, rickshaws are considered the main culprits causing noise pollution, yet motorcyclists, minibuses, omnibuses and cars follow close behind. The sound of rickshaws causes a number of physiological changes in the human body as a direct result of exposure to noise.
Some of the symptoms observed in persons affected by noise pollution include lack of tolerance, irritation and frequent bouts of headache.
The government, specifically the Karachi city district government, is requested to take the necessary steps to curb the amount of noise pollution in the city.
ALMAS HAMID
Karachi
city@dawn.com
Cinema in Pakistan has not been worth bothering about for a long time. There have hardly been any praiseworthy movies except for one or two recent exceptions that one would actually go and watch. On the contrary, Bollywood is expanding like never before. Pakistani actors are struggling to grab some work in Bollywood flicks while local movies aren’t exactly the biggest draws, at least in Karachi’s theatres.
However, one got quite a few insights into the world of cinema by attending a lecture by French professor Philippe Jalladeau at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi over a couple of days ago. Discussing the topic of cinema and its history in South Asia, the professor remarkably narrated the basic process involved in film-making, from the initial stages all the way to distribution. He said that almost 50 years ago, there had been film production in countries of the so-called Third World, or countries of the south as he defined them, which included Egypt, India and Argentina.
Talking about the decline of art movies, he said in most countries, movie theatres were being shut down and replaced by malls. “One can well imagine what kind of movies will be played in shopping malls and what sort of audience will be there,” he observed. He claimed that only five per cent of the movies made worldwide could be termed ‘artistically made’ and that appealed to the aesthetic senses and left one in awe with the realization of having watched something brilliant and new.
About cinema in Pakistan, he said it would take a long time for it to develop and the hope for it lay in the cinema schools opened in both Lahore and Karachi. “Unlike the rest of the world, Pakistan does not produce many movies and those produced are too loud, and are not aesthetically made,” he said.
Apart from Khamosh Pani, there hadn’t been any movie in quite some time that had been co-produced with any foreign director. He described the basics for any movie to be universal human values and cinematographic language or technical support. Prof Jalladeau concluded by emphasising that the script was equally significant and that less and less good craftsmen were being seen in the field.—MJ
Of kids and writing
“Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them,” says a French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, (1900-1944).
Not too different was the case with Hafza Anwer Alvi, who was only six when she started writing letters to her parents and siblings to explain things to them. However, it seems she started enjoying this method of communication, and little did she know then that her angry letters would be compiled into a book many years after they were written.
Warning Letters to Parents were written as a reaction to either someone’s rebuke or refusal to meet some of her genuine demands. Her parents got all her letters published without making any changes (and even allowed minor mistakes to go) so that her natural anger, wit and arguments were represented in their true sense.
With a clever combination of satire and humour, the letters make interesting reading not only for those with an interest in child psychology, but also for book lovers in general.
For instance, in one of her letters addressed to her father she says: “In this house, talking is a crime, going (out) is a crime, asking for something is a crime… Here, everything is a crime… You owe me Rs300 and yet you don’t buy me a swimming pool? Here you ask someone a question and he scolds in return… Neither do you take me for an outing nor do you let me go to Madiha’s!”
Another letter to her elder sister Sarah says: “You said me that first learn to talk, and then you talk with me! Shame on you! Such a big girl saying to a child, and listen on the Day of Judgment, when God will punish you, so you can’t talk because you said me like this, so God will also do this to you. Don’t think that He will spare you!”
—Asrar Hussain
A novel concept
It goes without saying that civic sense or civic responsibility is severely lacking in this city and car owners do not give two hoots where and how they park their cars.
Cars are often seen double parked or even triple parked, which makes it very difficult for pedestrians to walk. There does not seem to be any specific plan to regulate parking, except in some areas like Saddar, where contractors charge money for parking.In this context, the DHA has come up with a novel concept for parking in the Zamzama area (novel for Pakistan that is, as it is very common in the West.)
The Defence Housing Authority has come up with Rs55 million plan whereby traffic on Zamzama will flow in one direction and parking will be strictly prohibited. A multi-storied building is being constructed adjacent to Zamzama Park, which will be exclusive for parking.
Initially, the idea was to have four storeys to accommodate more than 2,000 cars. But retired military officers and other residents of the area objected to it and now, cars will be parked in two storeys.
This will really solve the parking problem in the area as it is one of the upscale areas of the city and needs to have an adequate parking and traffic system.
A multi-storey parking plaza is also being set up near the Empress Market by the CDGK. One hopes the city government will set up similar projects in other areas. It will surely help ease congestion and improve the system to relieve the citizens of the tension and frustration of chock- a-block traffic chaos.—Syed Ali Anwer
Lost lambs
During routine load-shedding, it is expected that the people ‘managing’ it would be half-efficient.
Not so.
After a session that went way beyond what is considered normal, one complained just to find out if something else was going on. They said, yes, there was, but that has been fixed. We will get power shortly.
After waiting an hour, one walked out of the house for some cool air and found the KESC truck wandering around looking for the sub-station from where the power was to be turned back on.
“Hey,” one of them said. “We are lost. Can you tell us where … ???” They were about to leave and go back to wherever they came from otherwise.
We took them to the sub-station and the power was restored.
This was quite confusing. They switch power off from the same place and get amnesia when they try to find their way back to switch it on? Are these lost lambs?
When it comes to making life painful, they are very efficient. Like when they de-linked a whole street circuit and re-linked it to another source to ensure that a recently elected provincial minister got uninterrupted power while the neighbours slept in the dark.
But when it is time to switch the power back on, they forget their way!
–Shahzad Hasan
Compiled by Syed Hassan Ali
Email: karachian@dawn.com
