| July 22, 2008 | Tuesday | Rajab 18, 1429 |
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US attacks on civilians
Defying people’s will
Cabinet expansion
Cadet pilots
Bring back the bulls
Unity, Faith & Discipline needed
Rising gas prices
Back to the tonga
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 your editorials ‘Carrot or action’ (June 28), ‘One-way responsibility’ (July 15) and ‘Taliban ultimatum’ (July 19) covering Hamid Karzai’s baseless allegations and threats to Pakistan, the US government’s concern that the next 9/11 will come from Fata, and their blaming Pakistan for not ‘doing enough’ in stopping militants from crossing the border and attacking US/Nato troops in Afghanistan.
This is ludicrous. Afghanistan’s tough terrain and fighters defeated every army, most notably the British and Russian forces (Russia had over 300,000 personnel in Afghanistan in 1986). Now the US and Nato are seeing the same fate, but this time it’s because of 10,000 ragtag militants in Pakistan?
This is a painful joke which is costing many innocent lives by the hour. If the combined might and intelligence of US, Nato and Afghan forces can’t stop opium production in Helmand (which broke all records last year in producing 3,000 tons of opium), then this is obviously bad news for security in South Asia.
How can Karzai criticise Pakistan for not doing enough to stop ‘infiltration’ when only last year he vehemently disapproved of Pakistan wanting to fence and mine the border to end all movement coming/going though both countries? Since then hundreds of young Pakistan Army personnel have lost their lives.
As for US fears of a future terror attack on its soil, it should be noted that there hasn’t been a peep in terrorist activity in the US since 9/11. Why do we remain so fearful, when in reality it is Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan taking the brunt of the world’s terrorist attacks?
Hamid Karzai’s limited functions as ‘president’ are also now being painfully realised. Although no fan of Pervez Musharraf, I at least give him credit for being in touch with all corners of Pakistan at all times. Has Mr Karzai ever visited Laghman province of Afghanistan? Talked with villagers in Zabul or Helmand? Even in the US riots broke out in New Orleans when President Bush didn’t visit there until a week after Hurricane Katrina.
This illustrates how important it is for a leader to be in touch with his people. Sadly, Hamid Karzai has not shown that vital quality. Instead, all he does is rant from the security and bliss of his presidential palace in Kabul that all of his country’s problems are because of its neighbour.
Considering how many Afghans have found a life in Pakistan over the past 25 years, this is most sad. The fact that ex-warlords and drug barons make up a sizable part of Afghanistan’s current government is a total joke and obviously won’t help matters.
If the US and its allies wish to finish the Taliban once and for all in military terms, then they must sweep southeast through nine provinces in east and southeast Afghanistan, whereas Pakistani forces must sweep northwest through northern Balochistan and Fata (as well as sealing off Chitral for possible escape routes), giving no room for militants to run.
As regards the whereabouts of OBL, Mulla Omar and other key Al Qaeda persons, one cannot rule out their presence in Fata. However, the Konar and Laghman provinces of Afghanistan would be overwhelmingly the best places to hide. These regions possess some of the most awesome peaks, caves and terrain in the world, making the mountains of Fata and Swat look like foothills.
ERIC CARNES
San Diego, California
THE way the US has been attacking civilians and now even our troops is very disturbing. To add insult to injury, the Americans at least initially deny having carried out any raids or killed innocent civilians.
To take some examples, when 11 Pakistani soldiers were killed in Mohamand Agency on June 10, some senior US officials said the attacks would continue (June 13), while the National Security Adviser to President Bush, Stephen Hadley, at first tried to deny that such an incident had happened at all. He said US officials “have not been able to corroborate” claims by Pakistani officials that 11 of their troops had perished.
This tactic should be viewed in relation to another very tragic bombing in Afghanistan on July 6 by the US-led forces. According to initial eyewitness accounts, dozens of people from a wedding party had been killed. However, coalition media officer Capt Christian Patterson rejected the allegations, saying: “It was no wedding party, there were no women or children. We have no reports of civilian casualties” ( July 7).
But the eyewitness reports led President Karzai to order an inquiry by a mission headed by the deputy speaker of the Afghan senate. He has now reported that 47 civilians, all of whom except three were women and children, got killed in the air strikes — including the bride, while nine were injured and 10 are missing, thought to be trapped in the rubble (July 12).
According to the same story, 64 Afghan civilians have died in recent US-led strikes. This shows two things: (1) How little regard the Americans have for the Muslims’ lives and (2) they first try to deny such happenings, perhaps in the hope that tempers would have cooled down until the truth surfaces.
Now, a new incident has resulted in injuries to at least six Pakistani security personnel (July 12). When some journalists asked our foreign minister after his meeting with Dr Condoleezza Rice in Washington if US attacks in Fata were not unfriendly acts, he said: “It is a harsh statement.” This is shocking. If the government is not concerned about the civilian deaths, it should at least be worried about the soldiers, who are defending the country and are bound to get incensed by the American attacks.
Your correspondent’s report, ‘Shift in US strategy: Fata operation, hot pursuit feared’ (July 12), hints that President Bush may have ordered the increased operations in the region in order to capture Osama or some other senior Al Qaeda leader before his term in office ends.
I would like to add that the targeting of Pakistani troops since June 10 is probably meant to test the will of the Pakistani government and masses, whether they would react strongly to this violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty or bear it silently.
ARIF M
Karachi
IF anyone had any doubts about what the Pakistanis want, that should have disappeared after the publication of results of yet another poll by the International Republican Institute (July 18).
A survey by another American organisation had yielded pretty much the same findings some weeks ago.
Among other things, it shows that: a) 86 per cent of the people think Pakistan is headed for the wrong direction, b) an all-time high of 85 per cent want president Musharraf to resign while 83 per cent said he must be removed from office, c) 83 per cent are desirous of the deposed judges restoration and, d) 71 per cent wish for the militancy problem to be resolved through dialogue.
Interestingly, another poll conducted some time back in the US had revealed that the majority of the Americans also believe their country, too, was headed for the wrong direction.
It is no coincidence that Bush and his ‘tight buddy’ are implicitly or explicitly held responsible for leading their countries in the wrong direction.
A. HAQ
Karachi
APROPOS of your editorial, ‘Cabinet expansion’ (July 13), I would like to say that there was no time more appropriate and more suitable for cabinet expansion than now.
The exchequer overflowing with increased taxes on gas, petrol and on utility services must be utilised for paying new ministers.
I would, however, like to suggest some new portfolios for the new ministers.
First, there should be a minister for graves. People killed due to general lawlessness, American bombing and military action deserve to be buried honourably.
A minister can look after this in a more dignified way. He should, however, memorise ‘namaz- i-janaza’ before taking the oath.
We definitely need a minister for nutrition for ensuring that the food prices should only pinch the poor and must not rise beyond the reach of rich people, and rich people do not have to fly to Dubai or London for a good lunch or dinner.
An experienced hand from the KFC or Mcdonald’s should be preferred.
We need a minister – to be called ‘renaming minister’ – for renaming all bridges, hospitals, airports, mental hospitals, all to be named after some living or dead personalities.
He should also rename some people, for instance, as Ishtiaq Jinnah Leghari, Yusuf Jinnah Mazari, etc., to give them a touch of greatness.
Lastly, I feel that a few advisers should also be appointed to satisfy the greed of non-elected partymen.
These advisers will be more loyal to the party leader as they have no support among the masses.
WASIQ SHERWANI
Islamabad
This is with reference to the advertisement in Dawn (July 7) by PIA for induction of Cadet Pilots. I remember correctly a letter appeared in these columns a couple of weeks ago whereby cadet pilots already cleared through all the selections procedures had been enquiring about their fate.
They mentioned that they have paid approx, 50-60 thousand rupees per head as flight check/ medical charges and have successfully cleared all evaluation tests/ interviews and are waiting for their training to start.
It is really fishy that when a batch is already waiting for their placement a new batch is being recruited with the instructions that “Candidates who have already applied need to apply afresh”.
Already the current government is losing its reputation regarding hiring in govt. and semi-govt. organisations, this act of defiance of logic and merit seems to play havoc with the careers of many qualified pilots.
To add fuel to the fire, the add mentions that ‘2 per cent quota is reserved for disabled as per rules’. Is the PIA trying to enter its name in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ by hiring disabled pilots? Is the International Civil Organization (ICAO) aware of this giant leap? Are we witnessing history in the making?
A CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
APROPOS of the letter, ‘Holocaust at the stock exchange’, it appears the authorities, including the SECP, have ignored all the submissions proposed in the letter.
I again reiterate a three-prong strategy to set at rest the inimical forces that threaten the health of this market.
Financial ratios like RSI of major scrips like NBP, PSO, POL and FEC are highly attractive but for the passion of big players who undermine it to the level for making hefty profits at the cost of common man. The following is a brief resume of the proposed measures:
a. Mutual fund industry and financial institution should be encouraged to start buying to make their presence felt.
b. Risk assurance should be made sure-footed through downing of lower circuit break into a maximum of two per cent.
c. Formation of an opportunity equality market support fund of Rs 20 billion.
I emphatically commit that fundamentals of this market are heavily positive and would respond bullishly as it only lacks support and a visionary handling. I request the finance minister to see that his schemes for launching GDRS and privatisation progamme would only succeed if the market reflects a hard-hitting robust posture. Let the indifference of big wigs be effectively set at naught through your noble professional stance.
AMJAD HUSSAIN MALIK
Executive Director (Technical)
Gammon Pakistan Ltd
Rawalpindi
I WANT to draw the attention of the countrymen to the three words spoken by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, i.e. Unity, Faith and Discipline. At this time when Pakistanis are at loggerheads with each other, they can take a cue from the words the Quaid uttered for the first time in a speech on Dec 28, 1947:
“We are going through fire: the sunshine has yet to come but I have no doubt that with Unity, Faith and Discipline we will not only remain the fifth largest state in the world but will compare with any nation of the world. Are you prepared to undergo the fire? You must make up your mind now.
“We must sink individualism and the petty jealousies and make up our mind to serve the people with honesty and faithfulness. We are passing through a period of fear, danger and menace. We must have Faith, Unity and Discipline.”In 1943 Mr Jinnah said: “In a few years we have made of the Muslims of India, who were only a crowd, a nation. They were a scattered mass, disorganised and apathetic. The Muslim League has electrified them from their stupor and knit them together.”
As Mr Jinnah had started advocating that the Muslims of India constituted a nation, these three words were intended to strengthen the concept of nationhood by Pakistanis having faith in themselves, faith in their country and faith in their God, as they marched ahead as citizens of the new state of Pakistan with unity among their ranks, without falling prey to parochial and sectarian differences and discipline in their ranks so that they may follow and comply with applicable laws and rules of human behaviour which would lead to the Muslims of Pakistan becoming capable of meeting challenges that lay ahead.
M. ALI AKBER
Karachi
RECENTLY the price of gas has gone up by 31 per cent. Also the CNG price has gone up by Rs13 per kg.
The government is still giving a subsidy of Rs2.390 billion on the prices of gas and CNG.
Whenever there is an increase in prices of gas, the prices of bread and bakery also increases, which directly affects the common man.
However, the fact is that gas in Pakistan is locally available, it is a gift of nature.
So, the government should provide gas on a very low price so that the common man gets some relief.
HAMMAD MIRZA
Karachi
OIL prices have gone up exceedingly high and will keep going up still higher. So what do we do to meet this challenge? The answer is we can do little. Perhaps we can improve our economy, reduce consumption, find alternative fuel and energy sources, direct aid in the form of subsidies and reduce taxation on it.
There is another thing we can do, that is find an alternative which, though not as efficient an energy source, will at least save us from being blackmailed and paralysed. We should build alternative roads to reach our destination on tongas.
Yes, please don’t laugh at me. I am being very realistic. When people face starvation, they eat tree roots etc to survive. So the tonga industry has to be revived on modern lines. This can be done by planning a five-year programme for building separate tonga tracks for reaching different points in the city.
I remember that in the early 1960s I used to travel from near the Regal bus stop on The Mall to Aitchison’s College on a beautiful tonga by paying just one rupee (this was when I had the whole tonga to myself. The tonga when shared divided the cost on all the occupants).
So the answer is to build this communication system as an alternative for people to enable them to at least reach their workplaces. The system should be organised on modern lines and multinationals should be invited to invest. There should be modern stops for longer distances, with proper restaurants offering food, water and shade where carriage and horses can be changed at regular intervals and fresh ones taken.
The raw material for the tonga are all indigenous and no foreign exchange is needed. We need horses – which will lead to horse breeding. We need coaches which will be made from wood, and for its driver the demand will develop our human resource and provide employment opportunities.
The food for the horse, i.e. grain, grass and fodder, is all available locally. Let us embark on this project without wasting a single minute. I would request the prime minister to take this suggestion seriously and begin.
When done, this will certainly help the poor and the middle classes and our students who will at least reach their workplaces and educational institutions. We should have beautiful horses, elegant smart coaches, secure and fast tracks. This may even attract the tourists in due course.
AHMAD SIBTAIN FAZLI
Lahore
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