| May 23, 2008 | Friday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429 |
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Widening budget deficit
A lame excuse
Rote learning
PTCL strike toll
Tax the rich and relax the poor
Loadshedding hits students
Fata students
Food wastage
Stranded Pakistanis
Hypertension drug
US wisdom
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
THIS is apropos of Dr Ahmad Faruqui’s scholarly piece, ‘A war like no other’ (May 19). So much has been written and spoken about the West’s so-called ‘war on terrorism’ that the real issues are lost in the fog that it has created.
To confuse matters even further, there is no universally accepted official definition of terrorism as such. Efforts in the UN to formulate an internationally-agreed circumscription of the term have been stymied by the US and Britain. It leaves them free to decide who is a terrorist and who is not. Terrorism is an abstraction. One goes to war against countries, nations or tribes. Military actions against abstractions are incongruous.
All acts of terrorism, regardless of who commits these and where they take place, are criminal deeds. These must to be investigated and prosecuted with due process under the law. It gives rise to a plethora of doubts when some of the acts, like those committed by IRA or ETA, are treated as such while others are dealt with summarily through massive indiscriminate bombardments, destruction of peaceful communities and occupation of entire countries, without first providing any tangible proof of guilt.
Inevitably, motives are called into question. This is particularly the case in Afghanistan and Iraq. If the aim had been to remove the Taliban and Saddam Hussein from power, logically Nato forces should have withdrawn shortly after it had been achieved. But, when large permanent military bases are set up and there are no signs of vacating the occupation, one wonders as to the real intentions.
It is untenable that military presence is needed to maintain peace. Paradoxically, it is the western occupation that has given rise to the insurgency in the two countries. If peace were the objective, it could have been achieved far more easily, cheaply and effectively by placing Afghanistan under the UN control and replacing the US troops in Iraq by an Arab League force. Since the proposition is not even considered, one may justifiably suspect if the real motive had not been simply to occupy the two countries.
When viewed in this perspective the situation becomes much clearer. The US needs uninterrupted supply of cheap oil from compliant regimes in the Middle East. It is best ensured by maintaining a permanent military presence in the area. The occupation of Afghanistan serves a dual purpose; it ensures access to Central Asian resources, at the same time, it enables the West to control energy supplies of both China and Russia.
Given this scenario, the so-called war on terrorism takes on entirely different colour. By not allowing an agreed definition of terrorism from being adopted, it becomes so much easier to label anyone with the epithet, including those fighting against foreign occupation of their land and resources.
Terrorism, as it is being portrayed, is not much more than a ruse to keep the people in the West frightened and looking to their leaders to protect them from mostly imaginary hobgoblins.
This has become a war without end, not because there is an ever-present threat from terrorism but because there is a need to create the perception of a threat to justify continuation of the occupation. The cost is horrendous. More than a million innocent, mostly Afghan, Iraqi and increasingly Pakistani, lives have already been lost and terrible devastation inflicted on peaceful flourishing societies. Since the price is not paid by the West, as erstwhile US secretary of state Madeline Albright once put it so succinctly, in their eyes it is worth paying.
K. HUSSAN ZIA. AHMED
Lahore
The federal government’s decision to cut Rs80 billion in the development budget of the current FY 2007-08 will produce a negative impact. With the cut, the pace of ongoing development work will not only slow down, its level of volume may also plummet. This will add more to unemployment.
Development works initiated for the people’s welfare in the country provides employment opportunities for the people. Moreover, the development budget also works as a fuel to a variety of small businesses. The cement industry, engineering sector and manufacturing sector get momentum, which provides thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities.
According to ministry sources, the decision to cut development expenditures during the current fiscal year has been made to bring the widening budget deficit under control.
Sources claim that oil price hike in the international market has added more pressure on the oil import bill, driving up the trade gap further and the budget deficit beyond its target limits.
It is a fact that the spiraling oil price has led to a plethora of problems for the government, which is not a result of its policies. Instead, it is because of the events taking place on the international economic scene, which have gripped almost the entire world.
However, the recent rupee depreciation against dollar in the Pakistani current market is a result of inefficiencies of the country’s economic managers who fail to control such artificial activities.
Therefore, steps like cutting down the non-development expenditure, encouraging public savings and foreign remittance, and boosting foreign investment can help halt the budgetary deficit from widening any further.
Also, the country’s political situation must be stabilised and, more significantly, effective measures must be taken to improve the law and order situation for a vibrant momentum in the economic growth.
MOHAMMAD SALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
I AM working on a project at university in Switzerland dealing with the future impact of melting glacier in Switzerland on the country’s electricity production.
When I read the news item, ‘Comprehensive plan for power conservation: clocks to be advanced by an hour, markets to close at 9pm from June 1’ (May 15), my interest was roused by an article on loadshedding saying that the coming months will even prove worse than last year’s.
Now the new minister for water and power, Raja Pervez Ashraf, has told reporters that the shortage of 4,000 MW during the coming summer months will be because of slower melting of snow. Interesting, I thought for a second. And thought again. Temperature is rising all around the planet, only a few glaciers around the planet are actually growing, the amount of water generated from ice melt is increasing steadily.
Power companies here in Europe are constantly pushing to increase the height of their dams to cope with the expected increase in water which will reach its maximum at an expected temperature rise of 3.75 °C until 2050 (www.occc.ch) only around 2020-2040.
As far as I know from a short phone call to a friend in Bagh, this winter has brought a lot of snow in Kashmir and the north of Pakistan, especially compared to last two years. Also, this spring was not especially dry in the north as far as I know.
And although the glaciers in the Karakoram and the Himalayas do indeed decrease at a much slower rate than European or for example New Zealand glaciers, they are still getting smaller and are thus generating more water.
Just two years ago a big piece of Ultar Glacier in Hunza rocked the Ultar Valley which, I believe, was a result of decreasing ice masses.
Instead of blaming the immense lack of power (50 per cent reduction!) on less melt water, which is just wrong information and a lame excuse, he could have blamed the old government.
That would still have been foolish but at least half right, since the men in charge over the past years wasted precious time in improving the hydro electric power system in Pakistan which will this summer again cost many poor people’s lives.
Even better though still would be a commitment from Raja Pervez Ashraf to do something about it.
JAKOB STEINER
Switzerland
THE teacher of my psychology class, while discussing the end-term syllabus, declared: “You must also remember when the theorists were born. Negative marking if you don’t.”
And this is happening at one of the most prestigious universities of the country.
Regarding rote memorisation, I accept the point that in their times, this might have been the popular method of learning but as a business student (studying psychology as a minor), I find it hard to accept how that really adds to my knowledge. And this is not just one incident.
A lot of business schools here have teachers who demand minute details to be rote-memorised, and it makes no sense that even at university level the ‘rote learning’ trend is being encouraged. Knowing when Freud was born seems as useful as knowing when he lost his first baby tooth.
Today, things have changed; we don’t have to resort to searching through heavy encyclopedias to find a certain fact. The Internet and Google have made that process very simple.
Why is there no focus on whether a student has the ability to apply the concept, instead of bogging him down with remembering ‘word for word’ definitions and charts from the book?
These are things that discourage students from learning because their focus diverts to gaining marks instead of educating themselves. How will we really progress when the teachers tell us to walk the line and ask no questions?
MARIAM HUMAYUN
Karachi
WITH reference to the PTCL new telephone connection advertisement in the national media, I would like to clarify the advertisement. It’s just for registration of a new connection on one call.
Practically, the customer will have to wait for some time to get a new connection as new connections are linked with the old devices.
I applied for two new telephone connections and broadband facility at the existing number at the month’s start but the PTCL official on helpline said that my telephone connections and broadband were in resource confirmation process, and it might by delayed because of the employees’ strikes on salaries issue.
The PTCL team should advertise in the media after solving the internal issues of the employees to assure valued support to the customers.
NAZAKAT HUSSAIN
Islamabad
PAKISTAN is faced with a VIP culture where the common man is undergoing hardship in the face of shortage of flour, power, POL, an abnormal inflation and increase in prices of daily commodities. All measures taken by the government benefit the poor nominally and the rich many times over.
The situation demands that the lucrative benefit of the rich should be passed on to the poor, and the VIP culture is eliminated. Here are some suggestions for the parliamentarian, in particular, and the rich, in general, to provide actual service to the poor instead of making tall claims.
Flour: To overcome the shortage, flour should continue to be distributed to the poor through fair-price shops at subsidised rates. No dinner should be served in any state function. In general, only valima functions should be allowed to serve dinner and that too with tax in geometric proportion on the number of invitees. No individual should invite for dinner more than 25 guests at a time at his residence.
Power: Not only should it be that the poor and industries are provided with uninterrupted power supply but also at minimum possible rates. The poor should be provided relief while the rich should be made to pay more.
This can be achieved by controlling wastage and avoidable use of excessive power. Marriage halls and streetlights should be turned off after 10pm and no hoarding should be illuminated for at least one year.
All electricity bills with less than 125 units of consumption per month should be charged at half of the present tariff rate to give relief to the poor. Users of over 125 units should be charged at higher rate in geometric proportion.
Loadshedding, if necessary, should only be done in areas having plots/houses on 240 square yards and above as most of them have generators/UPS. No government/semi-government official should be provided free electricity, rather the employees be given allowances. Special tariff should be allowed to industries consuming 1,000 KW or above as an incentive to set up industries.
POL: The expenses on POL consume a bulk of our foreign exchange. To have the economy to use POL, the rich should sacrifice for the poor, and all wastages be avoided. All schools/colleges having over 200 students must compulsorily run transports for all. The less privileged should be charged at reduced rates and those having proper income should be charged at different rates.
Substantial saving in POL will be achieved which is being wasted by individuals. Similarly all commercial offices/establishments with the strength of over 50 and above should also run their transport.
Strict discipline should be enforced on traffic movement to avoid jams due to indiscipline, traffic and VIP movement which will save consumption of POL substantially. No government/semi-government official should be provided free use of car/POL, instead they should be given a proper allowance.
All officers of government/semi-government/autonomous bodies should be allowed to use 1300 cc cars only.
VIP culture: Parliamentarians should get rid of this culture by setting examples. Property tax on plots of over 120 square yards and below should be exempted and plots over 120 square yards and above be taxed in geometric proportion.
All prestigious educational institutions must provide scholarship to at least 10 poor students per year with all expenses paid. Also, all large commercial and industrial units must provide scholarships to five to 10 poor students of Classes IX and X every year.
All functions in hotels and marriage halls should be taxed for guests over 100 in geometric proportion with a minimum of Rs50 a guest for the first 100 guests. Foreign trips should be banned for all parliamentarians/bureaucrats and generals for at least two years. Foreign visits of the president/PM should be restricted to two in a year.
ABDUL HALIM
Karachi
THERE is no denying the fact that our country is passing through an electricity crisis. Along with some cosmetic steps, the government has increased the hours of loadshedding in the entire country, which is affecting students of all ages from nursery to the university level, where they feel exhausted while studying.
I don’t say that loadshedding is wrong but it causes great discomfort to students who are the future of this nation. Some measures should be taken that there is no power outage during study hours.
AFTAB AHMED JUNEJO
Hyderabad
(II)
This refers to the decision on advancing the clock. We as Muslims do not go by the clock but by the sunrise and the sunset.
I strongly support the idea given by Mr Faisal Amin Wavdiwala to revise the timings of offices and industrial sectors instead of moving the clock one hour ahead.
DR. A. Q. MUGHAL
Islamabad
A PROGRAMME of scholarship by the USAID has been initiated for Fata students. Very few universities have been included in this package.
Due to reasons unknown, institutions like Kohat University and Gomal University, where the largest number of Fata students is studying, most of which come from weak socio-economic backgrounds, are excluded from this list.
Whereas students of very high-profile universities like LUMS can enjoy this privilege. Through these columns, I request the president and the governor of the NWFP to kindly consider our concern.
IQTIDAR UL HASAN ORAKZAI
Ahmad Khell village, Kalaya
TO overcome food and power shortage, at least partially, there should be a total ban on wedding dinners at five-star hotels, clubs, marriage halls and other places.
Also, dinners on such occasions as valima, mehendi, maayun and mehfil must also be banned. Hosting valima dinners at one’s own residence for 10 to 15 close family or friends will be enough.
These measures will help to ease the burden of rising food prices.
Additionally, electricity will be saved greatly once these dinner parties are banned.
A CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
THE Bangladesh high court has ruled that the children of ‘stranded Pakistanis (commonly known as Biharis) born in the present Bangladesh are Bangladeshi citizens. Considering the historical animosity toward the ‘Biharis’ in Bangladesh, the high court’s decision is laudable.
However, several hundred thousand people are still not covered by the ruling. They will continue rotting in camps like they have been since 1971.
It is still not too late for the Pakistan judiciary to do what it should have done years ago and recognise the ‘Biharis’ for what they manifestly are: citizens of Pakistan.
Looking at the suffering of the ‘Biharis’ we have ignored for years, I am reminded of Thomas Jefferson’s words regarding African misery in America: “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
SAAD GUL
USA
TENORMIN 50mg, marketed by ICI Pharma, is an essential drug used for management of hypertension. The drug is not available in the market for the past several weeks which has caused much inconvenience to patients.
It is said that a row is on between the company and ministry of health over increase in its price.
I would urge the ministry to either adjust the price or ask the company to manufacture and make it available in the market.
Needless to say that this medicine is a daily intake for the hypertensive.
FOUZIA IRSHAD
Karachi
THE French foreign minister has confirmed that a retired ambassador met Hamas officials, stating that ‘having contacts is necessary’ (May 20).
The US state department, however, has a different view and its response was quite predictable as stated by its spokesman: “We don’t think it is wise or appropriate”.
This self-professed claim to wisdom is nothing but delusional.
An old quote that I have often heard from my father aptly describes such situations: “One’s own wisdom and another person’s money always appear to be greater” (Apni aqal aur doosray ka paisa, hamaisha ziyada lagte hain).
HASAN BIN HAMZA
Australia
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