| July 23, 2008 | Wednesday | Rajab 19, 1429 |
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Underestimating public opinion
Court ruling on Dr A. Q. Khan
Edhi’s mission
Doing justice to women
Potential of Mediterranean Sea bloc
Ivory Coast halves govt pay
Stock market
Saving kit
NBP pension formula
Five-rupee note
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
APROPOS of Abdul Samad Channa’s letter, Sindh Social Relief Fund’ (June 27), I would like to say that the writer has probably failed to appreciate the purpose for which the Fund was created. Basically, it was for the relief of distressed and disadvantaged people of Sindh.
It is common knowledge that rural areas are deprived of civil amenities such as roads, health centres, quality education, jobs, transport and entertainment facilities, etc., which are available to the people living in urban areas or cities.
Owing to unemployment, meagre wages, lower crop productivity on account of shortage of water and standard inputs, the people in villages are forced to live on one meal a day. They are, therefore, suffering from the worst form of malnutrition.
They, therefore, cannot make both ends meet and have to pass a miserable life. Although they need a long - term help, under these circumstance they need immediate relief as well.
Mr Channa should ponder over the following aspects of the social relief fund and understand the quick and early disbursement to the needy as delineated in my letter (June 22 ):
a. The purpose of the Fund is to redress the economic problems faced by the poor people of Sindh.
b. The Fund was earmarked in 2005 but instead of disbursement, it was deposited in banks and earned interest on it which made the ‘halal’ (Islamic) as haram (un-Islamic).
c. It is the responsibility of department concerned to make immediate arrangements for utilising the fund for the purpose it was created, i.e. for the immediate relief of the distressed.
d. If we redress the problems of the people by providing those funds, it is not charity but a financial help for the poor.
e. The union council is the best institution to furnish the list of distressed people living in its jurisdiction.
f. At UC level — being root level — the best use of the fund can be ensured without any prejudice and discrimination.
g. Disbursement of the fund will be through legal source of the financial institution by way of payee’s account.
h. For the inability, inefficiency and negligence in disbursement of the fund the department concerned must be taken to task .
i. For the help of the talented but the poor who are not able to pay for their education, a list of meritorious students may be collected through educational institutions throughout the province and payments may be effected through crossed cheque by the educational institutions concerned.
j. In line with the federal government programme proposed in the current budget, the name of the fund may be changed to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Relief Fund.
DR ALI AKBAR DHAKAN
Member, Special Relief Fund,
Finance Department
Government of Sindh, Karachi
OFTEN we underestimate the power of public opinion in bringing legitimacy and power to a regime, even those not democratically elected. The people’s opinion matter, even when they live in a state that is governed by the force of despots and military kings.
The government, however, seems to be aware of the public’s power, just by approving or disapproving their policies and actions. This is why they often keep the public ignorant on issues of key importance, such as the deprivation of Baoch people or the legal status of Fata in Pakistan.
Saying this by no means asserts that there is a formal ban on information available on Fata and Balochistan. With today’s electronic media and the presence of national and international human rights watchdogs, it would certainly be difficult to achieve this.
However, there are many informal mechanisms and attitudes in place which blocks access to information about the regions, their governance situations, their political histories and the state of their human rights. This ranges in anything from intelligence agency intimidation of MNAs from Fata to raise issues of the region on the floor of the National Assembly to non-existent PTV reporting on Balochistan’s employment, education and health crisis.
Of course, big international donors and sections of civil society know what’s happening. They do their best to lobby government on these issues and in a sense the issues are seen as being ‘taken care of’ at the policy level. However, the history of political change demonstrates that unless mainstream public opinion reflects urgency for change on a certain issue, change will never be seen.
It’s the power of the pressure group, the crisis of public legitimacy that will get our leaders talking more seriously on any issue, be it Fata or be it the price of gas. The price of gas is available at every petrol station, but where does the common person access information on Balochistan’s historical grievances against the centre?
Confining the debate on Fata and Balochistan to experts from the region or international donors or corps commanders means you dangerously isolate these regions from the rest of your country.
It’s time for us Pakistanis to know more about our own country and the plight of its people in the valleys of Parachinar and desserts of Mand.
The only way we can make civilian leadership survive is by questioning it, working with it and demanding accountability, especially for the regions that need serious national attention.
AMNA JATOI
Via email
ISLAMABAD High Court Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam has announced the ruling, barring Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan from talking to the media about nuclear proliferation while he is under house arrest.
He has however been allowed to meet close relatives after security clearance. He has also been allowed access to health care of his choice, but would not be allowed to give media interviews.
The court has obviously taken cognizance of the sensitivity of the case and that of the information on the subject that is in the personal knowledge of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.
If that is the main reason for imposing such restrictions on Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, such restrictions to the extent of interviews to the media on this sensitive subject should also be imposed on other citizens of Pakistan.
Be it a very high-ranking official of the government, or of the state departments, and even the President of Pakistan, no one should be allowed to make statements on Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan’s role in this issue.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has mostly been giving statements in reaction to the allegations made against him in recent days.
Besides, he is our national hero who has given us nuclear capabilities, as a consequence of which the nation feels secured from attack by our enemy. We must remember that it was only because of this deterrent that India shied away from attacking Pakistan a few years ago, when they had massed their troop at our border.
ABDUL QAYUM KHAN
Karachi
IN Pakistani there are two personalities who have impressed me most: the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who, for the first time, made his politics subservient to the welfare of the common man. He was sincere to the cause of the country and its people and paid the price for it.
The second person is Abdul Sattar Edhi. From his younger days to this day he remains devoted to the poor and the needy. Now he has decided to feed two million hungry persons daily.
The government should also put into practice the mission of providing bread, clothes and house through Mr Edhi because his is the only network that can reach all parts of the country.
It is assumed that Edhi will be able to ensure that his charity reaches only the deserving ones. It appears that in a country where there is no population planning, Edhi’s idea may not go far. In a population of 160 million people, the figure of two million is a peanut. With the further rise in population, Mr Edhi’s efforts may not appear very helpful. So, besides continuing free meals, he should also work on population welfare to help birth control.
I have full faith that through his effective network and vigorous campaigning, Mr Edhi will be able to motivate people to have smaller families for their own good, as well as in the interest of the country.
The government in particular and society in general should extend a helping hand to Mr Edhi.
K. MURAD BEY
Karachi
IT is great news that the government of Pakistan is advertising the protection and promotion of women in Pakistan. But it would be extremely nice if they would also implement this.
It is ironic that I read in your newspaper that five police officers are involved in the rape and humiliation of women in a police station in Pakistan, and on the back page is a big advertisement where the government is spending millions trying to project that women are getting justice.
Hope the government looks into this matter and brings the guilty to justice.
HAROON YUSUF
Lahore
EUROPEAN countries in order to perpetuate their control on the North African Muslim countries endeavour to establish a new regional organisation of Mediterranean Sea Region Cooperation, which includes all littoral countries. It will consist of Egypt, Libya, Tunis, Algiers, Morocco of North Africa, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey of Asia, Greek Cyprus, Italy, France, Spain and other smaller countries of Europe.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to chalk out the contours of the Union for the Mediterranean, a new forum to bolster regional cooperation. Leaders from Europe, the Middle East, including Israel, North Africa and the Balkans, are contemplating materialising the concept of regional cooperation.
Syria would recognise Lebanon and torn its isolation by joining this new bloc. The amalgamation seeks to cement a partnership between Europe and the countries of the Mediterranean rim, including Arab countries and Israel.
Although Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi has boycotted the new grouping while analysts are sceptical about its potential to foster cooperation, given the hostilities between many of the member-states, especially Arabs and Israel, and the protection bestowed by the European Union on their illegal offspring and protégé.
The new cooperation would boost economic and social relations and may exert influence on Israel to relax its policy towards Arabs. The people of the Mediterranean rim would benefit from each other provided the concept is materialised in letter and in spirit as it will bring North African countries closer with European Union.
While Pakistan being a littoral state of the Indian Ocean is deliberately deprived of membership of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC), its strategic location is unique and important. Pakistan will reap the benefits of cooperation provided it gets its membership. Pakistan would take steps to become member of the IORARC, which has proven natural resources and potential vital for sustainable economic development.
PROF (Dr) ABDUL QAYUM MANGI
Sukkur
THE Ivory Coast government is halving the salaries of its ministers to pay for a reduction in the price of fuel.
Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said the managers of state-owned companies would also have their pay cut in half, to pay for a 10 per cent cut in fuel prices.
Ivorians walked to work during the last week’s strike.
“Having heard the people’s cry from the heart, the government has decided to cut the price of fuel,” Mr Soro said.
The announcement comes after a strike by public transport works in the main city Abidjan last week. On July 7 Ivory Coast increased diesel prices by 44 per cent and petrol prices by 29 per cent.
The government attributed the increase to rising global oil prices.
Mr Soro said running costs and investments in government departments would also be cut to help cope with the extra expenditure.
Overseas trips by government members would also be reduced to a ‘bare minimum’, he said.
Escalating food prices sparked violent protests in Abidjan in March and April, when housewives took to the streets banging pots and pans, youths built burning barricades and at least one man was killed.
NAJAM YUSUF
Sheikhupura
RECENT losses in the Pakistan stock market are nothing new. Here is a lesson for all of us to learn from:
Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
Seeing that there were many monkeys around, the villagers went out to the forest and started catching them.
The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at $20.
This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. ‘Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each.’
The villagers rounded up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys.
Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!
Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works
IJAZ MIR
Penag, Malaysia
THE Barbers Association, Fata, has a novel idea to protect barbers, clean-shaven men and security forces from the wrath of the Tabiban.
It plans to produce a special saving kit or wig with an artificial beard and long hair along with a cap worn by Taliban. This will facilitate movement across the NWFP.
A large-scale production is recommended for export to Nato forces as well. This will also earn dollars for their makers.
A. QADIR
Peshawar
THE NBP has recently revised the pension formula from 1.10 per cent to 1.25 per cent applicable to all its retired employees with effect from 1.1.2004.
The bank has also announced a 10 per cent special increase in the last basic pay of all the retiring employees for calculating their retirement benefits from 1.1.2007. This step is appreciated by the employees who retired between 1.1.2004 and now for availing themselves of interim relief in re-fixation of their pension.
The pension formula at the rate of 1.10 per cent was introduced by the bank in 1999 and no special increase was allowed at that time, though one advance increment was introduced prior to this period.
Thus the employees who retired on or after 1999 suffered much as regards fixation of their pension. They did not get any increment.
The bank is requested to reconsider the case of those who retired between 1999 and 2003 keeping in view the rising cost of living.
MAHMOOD AHMAD MINHAS
Ex-VP (NBP)
Lahore
A FEW years back the State Bank of Pakistan decided to withdraw the old five-rupee currency note and in its place introduced the five-rupee coin.
The production of the five-rupee coin cost unnecessary expenditure worth millions of rupees.
Now the SBP has again reintroduced the new five-rupee currency note which is nice because currency notes are easy to carry and handle.
I fail to understand when the currency note was to be reintroduced, there was no need to produce the coin. Moreover, why was the old note abolished?
The bad planning and inconsistent policy of the SBP has caused a great loss of tax payers’ money.
Will the SBP management withdraw and cancel the five-rupee coin in the near future?
ZAFAR IQBAL
Karachi
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