| June 08, 2008 | Sunday | Jamadi-us-Sani 03, 1429 |
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Issue of local governments
Utilities fleecing customers
Plight of pensioners
Taseer’s credentials as PPP nominee
TOEFL/IELTS institute
Economist report
Thanks for laughs
A senator for PTV
The Lucifer effect
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 with reference to Aqil Shah’s article, ‘Demilitarising the bureaucracy’ (May 4), revealing the facts how the army has been controlling the bureaucracy by appointing the army personnel as head of civilian institutions, i.e. Federal Public Service Commission, Civil Services Academy, the National Institutes of Public Administration and the Pakistan Administrative Staff College, apart from creating statutory quota in the civil service, at entry as well as at upper level.
I had pointed out this fact long ago in these columns, ‘Army quota in civil service’ (Dec 12, 2004), that 10 per cent army quota has been fixed in the CSS examinations, and that the army personnel are exempted from written examinations and they only appear in the interview, unlike other candidates who undergo written examinations, psychology test as well as interview, which entails much hard work and labour.
Thus, the army personnel are given the jobs on silver platters, which is not only inequality in recruitment process, but a move to control the civilian institutions, for which the army quota should be abolished, as has been concluded by the writer in his article that “if military officers are really interested in working in civil service, they should be subjected to the same criteria of selection as civilians”.
I do agree with the writer that appointment of serving and ex-military men in the civilian institutions “distorts performance incentives for career bureaucrats as they are often denied posts to which they are entitled after years of service”.
Not only that, but in my opinion, they also do not have the required administrative aptitude to run the civilian institutions properly. I nourish this belief, as I passed the CSS written examinations, as well as psychology tests, in the year 2003, however, I was failed in the interview by the then chairman of the FPSC, who used to be a retired lieutenant-general, only due to a reason that we differed in opinion on one particular issue, which the general did not like, taking the interview personal, against the own rules of the FPSC.
However, those (army men), who never took the written examinations, were declared fit for civil service, against their fixed statutory quota.
I was not the only candidate who suffered in examinations after years of hard work and labour, there were scores of others who met the same fate, facing a retired general at the end of examinations.
IMTIAZ ALI
Larkana
IN the first-ever meeting of the National Reconstruction Bureau held recently, after the formation of the PPP government, regarding the fate of Devolution Plan introduced by President Musharraf back in 2000, representatives of all provinces and other stakeholders demanded the scrapping of the plan and going back to the Local Government Ordinance (LGO) of 1979.
They were of the view that the system introduced by Mr Musharraf was bulky, expensive, and inefficient, not in line with realities on the ground and had many inherent flaws. The LGO 1979 was a better piece of legislation and could be adopted again with all the necessary amendments, they unanimously recommended.
A debate on the topic ensued in the National Assembly in the following days. A large number of members from both sides of the divide took keen interest in the debate which went on for many days. Again the overwhelming majority of the participating members discussed every aspect of the issue, and demanded abolition of the present local government system on the basis of past experience and going back to the LGO 1979.
None of the participating members opposed the concept of strengthening the local government institutions but wanted this to happen under LGO 1979, which they considered a time-tested and better legislation.
The members belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party were in the forefront too in making this demand when one morning the newspapers carried the statement of Asif Ali Zardari that he wanted to continue with the present local government system.
All of a sudden, the tone and tenor of the members of the PPP changed; they took a U-turn and stopped talking about going back to the old local government system.
I would just like to know from Mr Zardari as to who is the decision-making authority in the present setup. In a parliamentary democracy, parliament represents the will of the people and takes decision on their behalf, then why does Mr Zardari thrust his decisions on the representative body of the people of Pakistan? What else is known as dictatorship?
E. ANWAR
Islamabad
WITH the issues like Constitution amendment packages and reinstatement of judges are engaging the attention of the government, on the one hand, and budget-making, on the other, the utility companies feel free to fleece the common man as they know that for the time being no one is going to hold them accountable.
The people assigned to ensure smooth functioning of utility agencies indulge in extravagant spending on their perks and privileges, putting their respective institutions to loss.
Then they fleece the masses on superficial grounds to make up for the man who made losses previously.
Recently the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company has sent inflated bills to all consumers. The bills carry a notice affixed by rubber-stamp in red colour stating that bills of airconditioners have been published in green colour and any objections may be sent to the subdivisional office concerned.
Incidentally such bills have been sent to every consumer of electricity without ascertaining if they have any airconditioner or not.
The notice is so vaguely worded that most of the consumers may not find it worth giving attention and in the following months the company will charge them for airconditioning connection on the plea that they never objected to bills with green print sent to them and thus they agreed having airconditioners installed in their homes.
Similarly, the Water Supply and Sanitation Authority of Hyderabad Development Authority has revised its charges three times since July 2006.
The bill of water supply and drainage for a house constructed on 80 yards of land which was Rs105 in July 2006 has gone to Rs137 since November 2007.
All such increases are arbitrary and have been brought about without seeking opinion of the public and without inviting any objections.
The PTCL is also not lagging behind. After introducing the controversial packages, the company simply reduced the time of local call from five minutes to two minutes making the telephone users to pay through their noses.
Recently the company made a lot of noise while doing away with the deduction of Rs7 per day on V wireless phone. However, they introduced some packages named ‘Bachat’ ‘Kifayat’, etc, and anyone opting for these packages is charged five rupees per day with no provision of returning to the old tariff rates where no deductions were made.
One wonders how long these utility companies will be allowed to fleece and swindle the masses.
ABDULLAH VEESER
Hyderabad
FROM time to time letters appear on the plight of pensioners, mostly government servants.
Ninety per cent of the retired people are not government servants or covered by Employees Old-age Benefit Institution’s scheme for factory workers.
Such retired people put their hard-earned savings in National Savings Schemes in the hope of getting a regular income to meet their living expenses when they are unable to work and earn.
Due to high inflation, the purchasing power of their savings is drastically reduced. Scheduled profit rates are inadequate to cover inflation. Investment in the stock market is sheer gamble and not at all understood by common people. High prices of real estate make it out of bound for common people.
It is suggested that the savings schemes should be tied with inflation rates.
In addition to the announced profit on deposit, the government should compensate depositors at the inflation rates accrued at the time of encashment.
This is the only way to save people from starvation. It is hoped that the finance minister and the prime ministers will take due notice of this letter.
M. N. SYED
Karachi
I READ Amna Piracha’s letter, Taseer’s credentials as PPP nominee’ (June 6) and was appalled at the concoctions, distortions and lies it contains.
I married my husband (Salmaan) in October 1983 and one week later he offered himself for arrest at Regal Chowk, Lahore, as part of the Movement for Restoration of Democracy and was taken to the torture centres inside Shahi Qila. For three weeks I did not know where he was. I met him four months later and 30 pounds lighter in Kot Lakhpat Jail. All this was long before BB’s return from exile (April 1986).
Since then he has been arrested 11 times and confined at Faisalabad, Jhang Camp Jail, etc. He was beaten up and tortured in Dharampura thana in Lahore.
He has been charged with murder and treason, bomb explosion cases have been framed against him and he has been dragged through every terrorist court in Punjab.
I have spent sleepless nights facing police raids, arrest and cases against myself for many long years.
Our family was financially ruined in this long struggle for democracy.
In 1981 he was exiled for two years because he spoke against Gen Zia and was charged under a martial law order for treason.
He joined the interim government as a professional to manage the ministry of industries. He has never spoken against Benazir Bhutto or the PPP. In fact he while a minister he said on ‘Business Plus’ television channel that he would always vote for the PPP.
After Ms Bhutto’s murder, while working as a minister, he wrote an eulogy for her and came on the Jasmine Manzur Show paying tribute to her. All this is a matter of record. He also visited Asif Zardari while a minister to condole Ms Bhutto’s assassination.
I think Amna Piracha should check her facts. She seems to have no knowledge of his political struggle and the huge response the PPP has given to his appointment as governor.
AAMNA TASEER
Lahore
SUKKUR is the third biggest city of Sindh that connects Punjab and Balochistan. Here there are thousands of students (male/female) who are getting education in different fields like computer science, business administration, marketing/finance, but unfortunately there is no registered English-language institute to train us for GRE, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS tests and other English courses that are a requirement for applying in foreign universities.
The UK high commissioner, in consultation with the Pakistan authorities, should do the needful to help the youngsters who reside in the interior of Sindh.
Many of those living in the interior cannot afford the expenses of hotels, travelling to Karachi, Quetta and Multan, as well as other costs.
SAJID H. MAHAR
Sukkur
THE Economist has reported that the government is fuelling rumours that President Musharraf’s days are numbered. The PPP wants a dignified exit for the president to ensure a smooth transition to take place, whereby some leaders of the PPP are calling him a ‘relic of the past’.
It seems to me that the government is becoming a relic in the present as well as of the future. There is disagreement between the PPP and the PML(N) over the need of a constitutional amendment to impeach the president or take away his powers.
Impeachment will not solve the woes the country is already facing. This will further fuel a crisis after another. The Economist also reports that Mr Zardari wants to restore the judges, but only at the cost of reducing their powers, i.e. suo motu actions. He is hoping that Mr Musharraf will quit.
Another crisis looming is the long march planned by the lawyers’ community demanding reinstatement of the judges and the ouster of Mr Musharraf. The country cannot take another crisis like this.
The lawyers should get this fact right and straight. The common man is fed up with the situation and they want food, a reduction of prices on commodities and jobs, and investments are also required to help generate jobs.
This fact is not being realised by the politicians and the lawyers and the influential members of civil society. The answer does not lie in the ouster of Mr Musharraf, but in using statesmanship and political wisdom which the lawyers and the politicians seem to lack.
SADIA BUTT
Peshawar
YOUR esteemed newspaper is usually known for its serious content, but a print on June 5 succeeded in keeping me in stitches from start to finish.
Page 2 had a glorious (and probably a very expensive) colour ad by the Environment & Alternative Energy Department, Government of Sindh, exhorting us to become ‘responsible’ for the environment and natural resources.
The irony of the advertisement was that the government of Sindh is directly ‘responsible’ for publicly flouting each of the 14 or so suggestions they sanctimoniously printed in the ad.
Where were they when the mangroves around the Mai Kolachi Bypass were destroyed to build a housing scheme for the KPT? The vehicles of the police department, and all other government departments, from the lowest to the highest ranks, are huge polluters of our city and province. Hunting of endangered species by government officials and their friends is commonplace. (P.G. Wodehouse said: “The fascination of shooting as a sport depends almost wholly on whether you are at the right or wrong end of the gun”.)
Irfan Malik’s article on page 6 on living in ‘Zardari time’ was priceless. P.G. would have been proud! Streetlights on in daylight hours, decorative lights on government buildings and streets on the smallest of pretexts — he correctly states that “the basics are being ignored”.
Finally, your article on page 16, where our super-banker former PM “blames caretakers for most economic woes” was the icing on the cake. I did not feel the need to turn to the comics section. Thanks for the laughs.
SAEED MOTIWALA
Karachi
PTV is the only news medium in the country that regularly refers to the PPP Co-chairman as Senator Asif Ali Zardari.
Will PTV kindly let its viewers know when Mr Zardari was elected to the Senate and when his term expires?
A VIEWER
Karachi
WE are not the only nation experiencing such upheaval that has destroyed tolerance. The title of this letter has been borrowed from a book by Prof Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist at Stanford University.
In 1971 he conducted the controversial Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). In the light of this experiment, he explains how good people can turn evil when given unaccountable authority. He placed a group of 24 physically and psychologically healthy middle-aged male volunteers in a make-believe prison at the university and divided them equally at random into prisoners and prison guards. To further dehumanise the prisoners, they were assigned and called by their inmate number and not names.
The experiment soon spun out of hand and the guards became more sadistic and violent while the prisoners became more accepting and developed learned helplessness (a psychological phenomenon where the victim feels powerless to control the outcome and so abdicate efforts to change things). It had to be ended only six days after it began instead of the 14 days originally planned.
While profiling the guards they found that there were three types: First, there were tough but fair guards who followed prison rules.
Second, there were ‘good guys’ who never punished the prisoners. And, finally, about a third of the guards were hostile, arbitrary, and inventive in their forms of prisoner humiliation, they appeared to thoroughly enjoy the power they wielded.
The SPE came to attention again in 2003 when pictures were leaked of the US atrocities against Iraqi civilian at the Abu Ghraib prison. The most disturbing part of all this was that some of the procedures involved in humiliating the prisoners at Abu Ghraib were the exact duplicate of the ones used in SPE.
Another experiment, called the Milgram Experiment, was conducted 10 years prior to SPE at Yale University by Stanley Milgram . He wanted to measure the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that conflicted with their personal conscience.
He wrote an article called ‘The perils of obedience’ in 1974 to summarise his findings. He also came to a similar conclusion and observed that most of the average population are capable of doing atrocious things under obedience from authority figures.
We see that humans have behaved in the most despicable manner throughout history. But in recent times we can draw examples of Nazi Germany, Balkan civil wars, Vietnam War, Rwandan genocide, creation of India and Pakistan, break-up of East Pakistan, Kashmir struggle, etc.
We have been experiencing the above in Pakistan for more than 60 years and our nation has gone into an apathetic slumber. We have not only experienced tyranny at the hands of military rulers but also by the so-called ‘democratic’ politicians.
We need to have systems which put in checks and balances on law enforcers as well as on authority figures.
The only thing that can slow the decay of our society is to make sure the rule of law is implemented ‘equally and across the board’. And this is not brought into effect by particular individuals but by making sure that justice is served to the common man. We need to stand up and accept our faults and apologise for our misdeeds.
Only true and unhindered justice will be able to reform our society. Why wait for someone to be reinstated and foster a belief that all is going to be well then. This can and should start from ourselves, we can stop offering bribes, finding short-cuts, looting customers, breaking traffic rules and using nepotism as tool for progression. Or can we?
DR YASIR ABBASI
Sheffield, UK
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