| June 26, 2008 | Thursday | Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1429 |
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Tackling food crisis
Admission fee policy for schools
Management of pain
Nadra’s mistake
Food for thought
So-called summer camps
An oracle
Neem hakeem
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
WHILE narrating the blessings of crime control and justice system in some countries, S. Bukhari in these columns has rightly pointed out (June 20) that the sustained bad governance (in this country of pure) reminds people of religious sermons where they are told loud and clear that “cruel rulers are punishment of God”.
The writer has also rightly said of Genghis Khan (1162-1227) who once said: “ I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you”.
He was, however, loyal to his own people, built up a vast empire and delivered to his nation unlike our present-day rulers, who are eating up resources of their people but in return paying them nothing.
In this age of white-collar crimes, I think I will be not wrong if the words ‘NRO-infected’ are affixed prior to the religious sermons to read: ‘NRO-infected cruel rulers are punishment of God’, the consequences of which may be far-reaching and more devastating.
The gift of NRO, which was authored by the then Army chief and president, Pervez Musharraf, under a US- and UK-brokered and -backed deal, was duly approved only by the top leadership of the PPP. The sole purpose of the bitterly criticised ordinance was and is to save Mr Musharraf’s presidency in the name of ‘national reconciliation’.
Looking at the present uncertainty and instability, economic, political and constitutional crises, bad governance and lack of decision-making, I am constrained to say that at least the sane, sober and sincere section of the people cannot have any expectations of a better future in view of the manipulations and manouvrings of various political players and stakeholders to reach the corridors of power.
This was also aptly pointed out by you in your editorial, ‘Reconciled to expediency’ (Oct 7, 2007). Some of its extracts are very true and meaningful even today, ie: “ In the case of NRO 2007, the prime beneficiaries are Ms Benazir Bhutto and her Pakistan People’s Party as well as Mr Altaf Hussain’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Pervaiz Musharraf also gains indirectly because the ordinance wins him new supporters and rewards existing allies, thereby making his future prospects more secure. ........ . Friday’s (Oct 6) ordinance is all about personal gain and has little to do with ‘national reconciliation’......... the ordinance strengthens the view that crime goes unpunished in Pakistan with official blessing”.
Tailpiece: Thus there are no two opinions that there is crime behind every fortune. “The corruption is a curse”, so said the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah . Pakistan cannot, therefore, make real progress and prosperity, rise and develop and be counted as a civilised country in the comity of nations unless corruption is eliminated or considerably reduced.
SYED IQBAL AHMAD
Barrister-at-Law
Karachi
ONE would like to salute Dr M. Jalaluddin of Karachi University for his very timely and illuminating letter on ‘Food crisis’ (June 13).
Agricultural research, whether it is in the area of fibre, fodder, food, fruit or vegetables, is still mediocre and the results are not spectacular, despite the fact that there are so many agricultural universities, agricultural colleges, government and semi-government research-oriented organisations in the country.
Services of the extension wing, responsible for taking the fruits of research to the field, are also not very satisfactory, due to lack of facilities and periodical orientation programmes for them.
What is needed is not only to improve the multidisciplinary agricultural research, but snags ailing the extension services also need to be removed.
We need a strong coordination between agricultural research and the extension wing services to pass on the research findings to the end-users. Agricultural scientists should be given due place and recognition for their onerous and time-consuming research pursuits.
Here, it may interest one to know that the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee — which is the only federally-controlled cotton research organisation in the country — with the minister for food, agriculture and livestock as its president, is victim of willful injustice. What happened to this august research organisation is an eye-opener.
Its headquarters, housing the secretariat, directorate of agricultural and technological research have all been dislodged from its leased land for the relocation of the US consulate on its land, throwing everything asunder.
The Pakistan Central Cotton Committee has not yet been able to make its own building for lack of funds and suitable location. It is making do only in the rented buildings on a periodical basis.
The whole scientific community and the other beneficiaries of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee’s services were a silent spectator to this macabre drama. Then how can agricultural research make any progress to be self-sufficient in production of foodgains? Status of the agricultural research should be elevated by providing more facilities to research workers to deliver the goods and bring a green revolution in the country.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
ONE is amazed that Sindh Education Minister Mazharul Haq should make such an issue about the Rs20,000 admission fee charge levied by Mama Parsi School, Karachi.
Most private schools, particularly the elite ones, charge much more than three times their tuition fees as admission charges.
(Incidentally when did the law change from one month to three months, I must be out of date in this matter).
If one was the management of the Mama Parsi School, the best girls’ school in town, I would not worry much in this matter because all such issues can be ‘fixed up’ by making the right moves of lucre.
In fact, the officials of the education department guide the institutions on how to go about in such matters.
Like change the nomenclature of the annual term fees, which is quite a hefty amount for the poor and middle class parents, to ‘development charges’ whether any development is in fact taking place or not.
As for the tuition fees, the sky is the limit. It goes up every year on the pretext of raising staff salaries, grandiose master plans providing airconditioned environment in classrooms, state-of-the-art furniture, modern and well-equipped laboratories and reading rooms overflowing with the latest books. One need not elaborate on how much of this is actually being done and by how many schools.
The education department is either unable to establish a reasonable equation between facilities and quality of education with the fee charged or prefers to look the other side – for a consideration of course.
ANWAR ABBAS
Karachi
BRIG (r) Salim in his letter, ‘Improving pain management’ (June19), rightly points out that pain drugs such as morphine are not freely available in Pakistan. His request to the health ministry for the free availability of analgesic drugs for patients is a very valid one.
It places no financial demands on anybody and will only help troubled human beings. However, given the insensitivities of our society, it is unlikely that anyone in the government will act upon it.
I recall a letter published in these columns not too long ago by the relative of a patient. He went from pillar to post to get some pain killers and kept searching till the passing away of his dear one. He never got the medicines. In a society where all sorts of narcotics are illegally available, it is unfortunate that the government should exercise such severe control over the availability of opium-based pain killers for the ailing and terminally ill patients against valid prescriptions.
As for the suggestions on research and education in pain management are concerned, these are good, but our society seems a long way from getting any benefit on these lines, we do not have clean drinking water yet. Besides, what research in pain management can take place where researchers themselves may not have access to pain killers against their own prescriptions.
PROF. A.S. NIZAMANI
Hyderabad
I AM an overseas Pakistani living in Toronto, Canada. It looks like I am being punished because I am a patriot Pakistani working abroad and send valuable foreign exchange to my country.
I have a complaint against Nadra. My NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) card was issued by Nadra with incorrect date of birth.
My actual date of birth as per my other documents, including the matriculation certificate, passport and birth certificate, is Sept 25, 1972 but Nadra issued my NICOP card with Sept 25, 1978, as my date of birth.
I applied for correction in NICOP card through Nadra online application this March. So far my case is still pending for verification.
I have sent them all relevant documents but still the correction is not done yet.
I also sent several emails to Nadra and called several times to Nadra’s headquarters but in vain. It looks like nobody is willing to help me and that my file is buried somewhere in some officer’s desk.
I have to visit Pakistan as I want to make arrangements for Haj through Pakistan, which would need a correct NICOP card.
As my Pakistani passport has also expired, the Pakistan consulate is not willing to make my new passport until my date of birth is corrected in the NICOP card.
My NICOP data base is Farhan Muhammad Form # ZA052616 NICOP # 4200007984803 Canadian Passport # JV325388 NADRA complaint # 1828626757.
I am being punished by Nadra because of a mistake made by it.
FARHAN MUHAMMAD
Canada
IN a recent statement Asif Ali Zardari said some political leaders and lawyers are using foul language for the president which is not moral.
I appreciate this approach of Mr Zardari. He has become a true leader. Whatever political differences may exist, utmost care should be taken in giving statements. Such statements by political leaders reflect the overall moral of our country and this is one of the major contributors to harming our soft image.
Another interesting statement of Mr Zardari was that very soon there will be a president who will be from the PPP. It seems that either President Musharraf would shortly announce that he has shifted his loyalties from the PML(Q) and has joined the People’s Party or Mr Zardari himself or Makhdoom Amin Fahim will became president.
Both the options are workable. Let’s ponder and take it as food for thought since other food items are very expensive.
DR HASAN THARANI
Karachi
THIS is to bring to the notice of the authorities concerned the gross misinterpretation of ‘summer camps’ being propagated by private schools and colleges in Pakistan.
Now if you look up the meaning of summer camp in any dictionary, it means outdoor camping combined with hiking, games as well as some activities associated with some educational work to make children active and enlarge their knowledge base about nature, environment, etc.
But what one sees in the private schools is extra burden of studies for the children and parents. Please save our children from such summer camps. Children would be much better off staying at home enjoying summer vacations rather than attending extra classes in such a scorching heat.
This is nothing but ignorance of the basic concept of summer camp.
ASAD
Via email
The PPP government will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court’s disqualification order against Nawaz Sharif. The appeal will be upheld and the bye-elections delayed to facilitate Mr Sharif.
This will not only ‘prove’ that the judiciary made up of PCO judges is ‘independent’ but also that the PPP, led by the one who has inherited the party, is ‘sincere’ about democracy and ‘true’ partner in its quest.
Mr Sharif’s stature will diminish when elected as a result of the PPP government’s intervention. He will remain a child of the ‘fairness’ of the PPP government and of an ‘independent’ judiciary made up of PCO judges. An oracle.
S. KHALID HUSAIN
Karachi
LT-COL (r) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt makes some tall claims in his letter, ‘Resolving PIA’s problem’ (June 15), coordinating with the CAA and following his suggestions, PIA can save billions of rupees and ‘can enter an era of profitability within just one year’.
This, he claims, can be brought about with ‘colossal savings on fuel’ by vectoring all international arriving flights to ‘07’ L/R (easterly runways) instead of making them land on ‘25’ L/R (westerly runways) thus avoiding long fuel consuming detours over Pipri and the Steel Mill.
The colonel, I am sure, knows that takeoffs and landings have to be made into wind. The prevailing winds in Karachi throughout the year, except for just a few days, are from the west.
Anyone building a house and looking for a west-open plot can tell you that. Therefore, ‘25’, the westerly runway, has to be used.
Takeoffs and landings are made in the same direction, from the same end of the runway, into wind. Even if we can somehow persuade arriving aircraft to land on Runway ‘07’, with a tail wind, in pursuit of the colonel’s fuel-saving idea, it would be impossible to persuade the captain of a fully loaded international flight to take off with a tail wind. He would insist on using Runway ‘25’ R, into wind.
For a takeoff in the opposite direction when we are using Runway ‘07’ for landing as per the colonel’s plan, the entire approach area and the runway would have to be cleared of all aircraft.
It would not only be time-and-fuel-wasting but would also become a nightmare for the air traffic controller.
Why would a captain insist on a takeoff from Runway ‘25’, throwing a spanner into the colonel’s plan?
On a balanced field takeoff, if an aircraft loses an engine, the pilot has to abandon takeoff immediately and stop within the limits of the runway or if he has passed the decision speed (V 1), he must continue takeoff and be able to cross the end of the runway at a minimum of 35 feet, with the remaining power. All calculations are based on these requirements.
If we cannot meet them, we cannot take off. Even with a light tail wind, the required takeoff run increases substantially.
The colonel is concerned about ‘back tracking’ at Rawalpindi. If we accept tail wind landings on runway ‘07’ at Karachi to save fuel, we could also accept tail wind landings at ‘Chaklala’ and land on runway ‘30’, completely eliminating the ‘back tracking’ problem.
Unfortunately tail wind landings have some hazardous after-effects: overheated brakes, fused plugs, flat tyres and once in a while an aircraft parked upside down at the end of the runway. Tail wind landings are bad medicine.
Usually an insignificant ‘parameter taxiway’ takes care of all back-tracking problems at most airports in the world.
With a fully loaded ‘jumbo’, the captain has a 360-ton giant under his palm tugging close to 500 passengers, hurtling down the runway at tremendous speed.
With the runway end closing in fast, every pound of thrust and every knot of wind counts. Seconds seem like hours. The ‘rotate’ call from the co-pilot is music to the ears.
He just about eases the nose up and the end of the runway disappears beneath him.
These are serious manoeuvres. We cannot trifle with landing and takeoff directions for saving fuel.
PIA’s deterioration began with mass inductions purely on political grounds, with complete disregard for skill, merit or need.
This excess baggage has to be dropped before we can prosper. But this is easier said than done.
It is nevertheless very heartening to see that for the very first time a PIA managing director has cared to introduce himself to his traveling public through these columns. This does inspire hope.
CAPT. S. AFAQ RIZVI
Karachi
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