| July 09, 2008 | Wednesday | Rajab 5, 1429 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Resolving PIA’s problems
Duties of a policeman
Wrong policies
Need for dialogue
Right of divorce
Dangerous prescription
Cricket vs education
World’s top 100 intellectuals
Nation taken for a ride
Many tails, many dogs
Marriage season
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 in response to the report, ‘Militancy, food crisis real issues: Boucher’ (July 3). Mr Boucher’s so-called casual and scheduled visits cause quite a raucous in Islamabad. I would like to comment on his statements.
He says: “Pakistan has issues of energy crisis, rising food prices and loadshedding”.
Well, Mr Boucher, had you and your predecessors not sent free market-oriented, Milton Friedman-loving, West-idolising bankers to this country and instead sent or lobbied for good, pro-people policymakers, we would not be having such problems.
Had you not treated my beloved homeland as another foreign policy instrument in your strive for dominating the world, life would have been much better in this once great land of five rivers.
“Pakistan has a rising problem of militancy and suicide bombings”. To this I respond : Had you and your predecessors not used Ziaul Haq, his connections to Maulana Maudoodi, to exploit my religion and the poverty and helplessness of my people that were led to fight your ideological, political war for global militaristic and political domination, we in Pakistan would not be so scared of suicide bombers.
Furthermore, if only you had an exit strategy for your war in Afghanistan, if only you had used that opportunity to rebuild that country rather than let people suffer in their misery, if only your country would have stepped up efforts, life would have been different.
Instead, you celebrated your victory while Afghanistan suffered in agony and Pakistan was left to deal with Zia and the remnants of his regime, its politics and economy, and the social and ethnic complexities of this nation.
The “US is willing to work and cooperate with Pakistan if Pakistan tackles the rising problem of militancy”.
To this, I angrily summon all the leaders of this nation: “Why can’t you, all of you, tell the Americans that Pakistan is willing to work with the US only if certain conditions are met.”
Why can’t it be the other way around? No nation in the world can deny US hegemony but simultaneously no world power can deny Pakistan’s strategic location, our leaders should capitalise on this and exploit this in our economic, political and military relationships. Just once, stand up and make 160 million people proud!
SYED ALI NADEEM
Islamabad
I AREE with the suggestions set out by Rafique Ahmed Siddique in his letter, ‘Resolving PIA’s problems’ (June 20). PIA, though a government-owned airline, is admittedly a commercial organisation in all respects.
And according to the business prudence, a venture when it comes under financial crunch tends to make necessary modifications in its modus operandi and does not indulge in unprofitable activities which result in greater losses.
Thus seldom has a commercial entity, especially surviving on government aid and dole-outs, afforded lifetime benefits and perquisites to its employees/executive as has been done with impunity in the case of PIA.
Surprisingly, chairmen/ MDs/directors, who have retired during the last 60 years, even those under whose stewardship the organisation has suffered immeasurable losses, for which they are accountable to the nation, are enjoying the complementary privileges such as free passage in the shape of first class airline tickets, medical facilities, etc, for them and their families that cost the airline millions of rupees per annum.
It is for these gratuitous pecuniary benefits that even the secretary of defence, who otherwise heads PIA, prefers holding additional portfolio of the chairman.
I request the PIA board of directors to rescind the above un-businesslike and non-profit practices by withdrawing immediately all benefits given to the former chairmen and executives forthwith so that an important national asset can be saved from bankruptcy.
QAZI SHAFQAT HUSSAIN QURESHI
Hyderabad
OLD people used to say: ‘When a horse is unlucky, it is yoked to a tonga; and an ill-fated man joins police.’ It is, indeed a hard and arduous job to be a policeman. The government maintains a large army in order to defend the national boundaries and preserve sovereignty; likewise it has to keep going a police force for maintaining internal order and peace and to protect the lives and property of the people.
The present disorder and unsafety of life and honour in the country is solely due to the inefficiency of our police force. Policemen are lowly paid servants. They have to keep themselves fit by doing regular drill and exercises.
A policeman is supposed to be a friend of the public. He is the guardian of law but it is not so nowadays. As a class, policeman is highly corrupt from top to bottom. Therefore, the people have lost all confidence in the police.
The people are heard saying: “The police are quite useless nowadays”. Their sense of duty is poor and they are not honest, and so people are not afraid of them. Some defy them and even give good drubbing.
We generally see the police in foreign films in TV features. They are highly vigilant, honest, dutiful and helpful, and defy all risks. Here is a model for our police; they must copy them if they want to restore their image.
It is not just the duty of a policeman, the government is also responsible for this because they are not providing the basic needs of our lives, when they are bound to do this. It is time for our government to wake up and take action.
I hope the authorities concerned will pay serious attention to the above suggestions.
SITWAT HASEEN
Karachi
ON July 4, addressing the businessmen in Karachi, President Pervez Musharraf advised them to reduce their expenses and increase their income to meet the ever - rising trends in prices of all the inputs of industry. Very well said, Sir. During the preceding year our total GDP was generated by the various sectors of economy as follows:
— Services sector, including banking, insurance, retail and wholesale trade 54 per cent.
— Agriculture: 26 per cent.
— Manufacturing: 20 per cent.
The above table shows that we failed to achieve our targets in agriculture and manufacturing which was down to 4.4 per cent against 19.3 per cent a year ago. We have to increase our supply side by increasing production of agriculture and manufacturing for local consumption and exports.
We have to export much more at competitive prices which we don’t have because of increased prices of oil, gas and, last but not the least, our interest rates.
These are highest in our region and in fact the ‘spread’ of our banks is more than 7.5 per cent which makes the banking business most profitable in Pakistan.
Mr President, by increasing the discount rate of the central bank to 12 per cent, we cannot control inflation. There are other fiscal measures to be taken. In the name of controlling inflation and increasing discount rates, we are ruining our industries and making it most expensive.
Famous Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) once said: “It is easy to write 10 volumes of philosophical writing than to put one principle into practice”.
INAYAT ULLAH SHEIKH
Karachi
THERE is an urgent need for dialogue between the privileged class (traders and others) and the less privileged class (white-collar) of civil society to make efforts to redress the suffering of the most deprived class of society, who are already with the last straw on the back.
The most deprived class is the third force (not third class), which may become aggressive when pushed to the wall. Although the government has the primary responsibility, civil society should rise and stop exploitation on the pretext of price hike, to differentiate as to what is genuine profit and what is profiteering. It should rise to the call and make a meaningful contribution as far as the national grievances are concerned.
RAFI HYDER
Karachi
THIS is with reference to an article by Meera Jamal, ‘Women’s right to divorce – an under-employed provision’ (June 30). I wish to draw your as well as the general reader’s attention towards some gross inaccuracies in the said article.
The option given in Section 18 of the ‘nikahnama’ is not the right of a woman; it is the exclusive prerogative of a man whether he wishes to delegate his right of divorce to his wife or not. No woman can claim the same as of right because pronouncing ‘talaq’ upon his wife rests solely with a husband as the right of ‘khula’ is with the wife.
A husband can delegate his right of divorce to his wife or to any other sane and adult Muslim, if and only if he wants to (he does not have to agree to anything).
The point to note here is that women, in either case, are on stronger footings. They can persuade/request their prospective husbands to delegate the right of divorce to them but a woman’s right of khula cannot, as per law, be delegated to anyone, not even her husband. There is no right, whatsoever, granted to a woman under Section 18 of the ‘nikahnama’.
Therefore, absolutely no question of a woman being taken away her right arises. The fundamental right of divorce shall always remain with a husband and he may delegate the same to whomsoever he wishes or keep it to himself, there is no theft of right from a woman in this case.
OMER FAROOQ KHAN
Lahore
IN his article, ‘Clinging to survival’, Cyril Almeida has made the case that the Americans should pound the militants in Fata and elsewhere to “put a new kind of fear of God” into them (July 2).
This is a very dangerous prescription and can only embolden American and other forces to take matters into their own hands and violate Pakistan’s sovereignty with impunity.
The gentleman is apparently an avid supporter of Washington’s war on terror, as was also evident from his earlier piece, ‘The supremacy myth’ of April 8.
If we consider how the US attack on Iraq opened the floodgates of terrorism and sectarianism, whereas previously these were virtually non-existent and how the invasion of Afghanistan has brought the majority of Pakhtuns on both sides of the Durand Line into the opposing camp, the consequences of widening the operations by bombing the Pakistani Taliban can be easily guessed.
Similarly, the intervention in Somalia, through Ethiopia as well as direct attacks has made a mini-Iraq out of it.
The game plan of Washington’s neocon imperialists and the situation in the northern region should become very clear from the article, ‘US and insurgency in Swat’ by Zeenia Satt (July 3).
Instead of getting sucked deeper and deeper into the quagmire of Bush’s failed policies, Pakistan must do all it can to keep itself from getting hurt irreparably.
IBNE RAHIM
Karachi
THESE days our children are seen doing homework in candlelight while cricket is played in floodlights (hundreds on end).
How much electricity is being consumed on this account is only one’s guess.
I wonder whether countries’ development is based on education or cricket. It is a million dollar question. I request Wapda and cricket organisers to have mercy on Pakistan.
Please spare these children from loadshedding to study at night and play cricket during the day.
HASMAT. A. KHAWAJA
Islamabad
THIS month’s Foreign Policy magazine and Prospect Magazine recognised prominent Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gulen as the top public intellectual among a list of 100 nominees. This is according to a reader poll in which 500,000 people voiced their opinion on FP’s website.
Bangladesh’s Muhammad Younus and Pakistan’s Aitzaz Ahsan too are ranked among top 20 public intellectuals, who are predominantly Muslims.
This can be seen as recognition of Muslim thinkers’ dedicated efforts in counteracting Muslim-bashing with positive action based on global dialogue and accepting everyone as they are.
While Gulen, a well-respected contemporary thinker and social renovator with over 150 books written and available in 40 different languages, was chosen at the top of that list, Aitzaz Ahsan and Muhammad Younus, a democratic civil rights defender and a realistic economist who offers tangible solutions to the poor, appeal to the common sense of large masses.
The list of public intellectuals reminds us of the fact that in this day and age the world’s intellectual balance of power is gradually slipping towards Islam and the Muslim World.
While the likes of Chomsky and Eco rise into prominence due to their critical approach to the West, Muslim thinkers like Gulen rise into prominence through their positive action and constructive thought which pledge with the wisdom to bridge the intellectual divide between the Muslim world and the West.
OMER DAGISTANLI
Islamabad
AT a time when the country is facing oil demand and supply issues, no serious action is being taken by the government to sort out problems.
A recent price shock in CNG was let loose but without any embarrassment or apology, various silly statements are coming from relevant authorities like it was a slip of tongue, non-availability of a calculator, etc.
This shows the government’s non-serious attitude towards public interest matters. If this was done by mistake, then the authority responsible should have resigned.
NAILA SIDDIQUI
Karachi
IT is apropos of Kamran Shafi’s article, ‘Many tails, many dogs’ (July 1). I fully appreciate the way he exposes masked faces of state criminals in Pakistan. Perhaps looting the country is their only aim of life. They must be identified and punished.
I, however, feel his real punch line is about the operation against militants on western borders of Pakistan and the recent visit of Congressional delegation. Boucher was given three doses by our Third World rulers.
What Pakistan has done in the past was more than enough, what we are doing is enough and let the US throw more dollars in the gutter. Can Americans digest this kind of dose?
I believe this is the right time for us to realise that militancy on western borders is eroding the writ of the government and that it is in our national interest to crush it once for all.
The tribal belt has given us a lot of trouble in the last 60 years. Kalashnikov culture, narcotics and so-called suicide bombers have nothing to do with Islam.
Let us not waste this opportunity. The whole world is after us to eliminate warlords and narcotics mafia from this region.
M. SHAHJAHAN BHATTI
Dera Ismail Khan
LAST week, I happened to attend a lavish marriage at a five-star hotel in Karachi. On entering the hall, one could easily see the enormous amount of money spent on the occasion. The huge hall (not to mention the hundreds of guests), numerous waiters, and the wide-ranging cuisine being served, all gave evidence of the fact.
Given the fact that the marriage season is under way, it is safe to assume that throughout the season massive amounts of money will be frittered away for the same purpose. Money is thrown on everything from the extensive assortment of foods, the bride’s dress (the cost of which can go up to Rs100,000) and the extravagant decorations.
This recent trend of ‘wasting money’, as one could put it, has obsessed our population so resolutely that people tend to think they would appear diminutive in status if they didn’t spend as much on their son’s or daughter’s marriage as their friends did. Consequently, we even find people who take loans for such functions, further burdening themselves.
Through these columns, I would like to ask the Sindh government to enforce the rule of serving only drinks or a maximum of one to two dishes on such occasions. On an individual level, people should contemplate on the following verse of the Quran in which God says: “But spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily the spendthrifts are brothers of the Shayatin and the Shaitan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.”
HAMNA HANIF
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.
