| July 28, 2008 | Monday | Rajab 24, 1429 |
Letter to DHA
Confusion mars release of women on bail
It had been a perfect summer holiday. The small family comprising a young couple and their two little sons had gone for a vacation to Dubai where they spent a fun-filled fortnight and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. But all good things come to an end and it was time to head back home.
It was a very satisfied and content family that came out of the Karachi international airport that evening. They quickly hired a radio-cab to take them to their house located in Defence. As it stopped at the gate, another car pulled up from behind and two well-dressed men walked up to the unsuspecting family. Needless to say they had guns and demanded cash and jewellery. Disappointed at finding no gold-laden females or dollars and dirhams, they made off with the luggage.
Initially there was utter shock and disbelief, anger too, but at the same time there was a sense of immense relief that the family was safe and no bodily harm had come to anyone. The loss of a few suitcases seemed meaningless when one is faced with gangsters.
As the family relives those moments of terror and comes to terms with its looted possessions, the female member says she is pretty sure the robbers must be busy feasting on those yummy chocolates that she bought.
Ironically, security personnel later told the family that there had been four similar cases within the week in the very same locality.
The fact of the matter is that no concrete steps are being taken to bust these gangs, many of which are allegedly operating with the connivance and knowledge of men who are supposed to protect the lives and property of the common man.—Rukhsana Ahsan
Fleece the flock
They flock to it like bees to honey, especially on Thursday night, which many believe is sacred as compared to other nights and the chances of their aspirations, dreams and hopes can be better realised on this night.
Invariably while returning home these days on Thursday nights, thanks to the dug-up storm-water drains and the ineptitude and procrastination of the DHA, the driver is compelled to make a detour and eventually gets the vehicle snarled up in traffic jams near the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi.
The shrine is located in the heart of Clifton, where the ill clad, ill fed, unwashed and poverty-stricken multitudes as well as the cleaner and nobler gentry of society flock to seek the intercession of the divine saint to fulfil their worldly and spiritual aspirations.
On Thursday nights there is a carnival-like atmosphere, with people from every nook and cranny of the city in a festive mood listening all night to qawwalis and dancing to mystic music and falling into a trance. Many believe the shrine protects Karachians from the dangers emanating from the sea such as tsunamis, tidal waves and massive flooding.
Ironically, the area surrounding the shrine, especially its façade, is a haven for drug addicts, pickpockets and petty criminals who manipulate the religious sentiments of the people for that extra buck.
I, too, although not being a very pious person and only after having the fear of death and horrors of the grave drilled into me, have on occasion trudged up the steep steps of the shrine for some soul-searching and salvation.
The surprising feature is that commercialism has entered the hallowed portals of the shrine and money is fleeced by none other than the shoe-keepers who take care of the shoes and slippers of the devotees who go up to the shrine.
The standard fee for the shoes is Rs2 but being short of change they never return the remainder and charge a rupee or two extra. When questioned about the extra charge, the contractor says the rates are fixed by the Auqaf department.
A concerned devotee raised the matter with officials of the Auqaf department, who in turn called the contractor. The man had the gall to say that if he charged two rupees extra he would have more than Rs60,000 with him, whereas he had nothing of the sort.
Chicanery, lies and deceit within the saintly premises of a shrine? When, if ever, will we learn?—Syed Ali Anwer
Public held hostage
When incompetence turns nasty, everyone suffers. Just before the PTCL workers’ strike, many people around Karachi found their phones disconnected or out of order.
Often no explanation is given. The phone just doesn’t work. Or, they use the excuse that you haven’t paid your bill. It doesn’t matter if you have paid the bill, or if there is time left on the bill, or that they deliberately mail the bills late … your phone is disconnected. And it will remain disconnected until their demands are met. They even refuse to see a paid copy of the bill as they seem to be having a three-hour-long lunch all the time, closing everything down while they “eat.” This is a habit with the DHA Phase II exchange, which is notorious for its corruption.
This is a new way to hold the public hostage, nothing more. Why should we be the pawns of any grievance they might have with their owners or with the government? Since at least a week now, they have been messing up our DSL, with speeds dropping to nothing. And now this? It is not hard to see this was all planned.
The PTCL’s workers protest in front of the Karachi Press Club to publicise their demands, yet in their own incompetence, they mess up the Internet connections of the press. This method of protest makes no sense.
PTCL workers have been known to bug subscribers for chai/paani in the past, but they were tolerated. However, times have changed and perhaps the new owners have a right to lay off workers they deem inept.
I suggest to the owners of the PTCL that they should totally overhaul the DHA Phase II exchange. We can live without a phone or two for a few days. But induct professionals so that we are rid of ineptitude once and for all.
—Shahzad Hasan
New record
I am now absolutely convinced that our illustrious utility company — the KESC — is vying for a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the power utility with the greatest number of power outages in a city on any given day.
Karachi, of course, will earn the distinction of being the only metropolis in the world where power generation is a joke and where its people rejoice when they have electricity.
It may seem that my paranoia is working overtime but I am quite sure that in a country which has a drug mafia, a land mafia and a transport mafia, a certain electric power mafia would be operating to ensure that the hapless Karachians have prolonged and agonizing power outages.
This power mafia must be hand in glove with the generator manufacturers and suppliers as well as the UPS makers to enable them to boost their sales, which also must be touching record levels. The irony of the matter is that no one seems to be accepting responsibility for the state of affairs.
Mismanagement, ineptitude, utter disregard for the public welfare and sheer callousness seems to be the order of the day with every department blaming each other.
The new government has run its course of the trial period. The people have given them the power to rule. All they want in return is some decent and efficient (electric) power. Surely, it is not asking for too much.
—Shahbaz Ali
Compiled by Syed Hassan Ali
karachian@dawn.com
Sir,
We, the residents of 10th Street between Khayaban-i-Mujahid and Khayaban-i-Badban, are writing in reference to the construction work that has been going on in the DHA for the past few months.
While we appreciate the work being done in order to construct drains in our area, we have a couple of grievances that need to be resolved:
1) The work started with barely any intimation to us. We were told a few hours before the workers arrived to take whatever we wanted out of the house as the gates would become inaccessible after the construction started. It’s a matter of common courtesy that one should be informed at least a few days prior to the blockading of their gate.
2) The whole street was dug up before the drain was laid. Would it not make more sense to dig up small patches and finish the work on the patch and move on and dig up another patch?
3) A few days ago an unpleasant incident occurred where one of the residents of our lane vandalized some of the equipment being used and abused your workers. We do not condone such acts, especially against workmen who are just performing their duties.
RESIDENTS OF 10TH STREET
Via e-mail
Oil terminal safety
Sir,
This is apropos of the news item ‘Vital oil facility vulnerable to terrorism’ (June 14).
As a student of mechanical engineering, I fully understand the dangers associated with the vulnerability of the Keamari Oil Terminal and the concerns expressed by the Terminals Association of Pakistan (TAP) officials regarding its safety.
POL products and other volatile and inflammable chemicals require some air and an ignition source to ignite.
This ignition source may not necessarily be a gunshot, as feared by the reporter, but it can also be the discharge of static electricity or a spark resulting from the rubbing of two metals. Throwing away burning cigarettes can also provide this ignition source.
In view of the stringent health, safety, security and environmental (HSSE) regulations being observed globally at such facilities, only trained personnel are allowed to enter and are required to keep their activities in accordance with the regulations.
It is, therefore, quite surprising for me to know that armed bandits are allowed to freely plunder and loot at this important oil installation.
Any malpractice from the bandits which may cause the pipeline to puncture or any other activity can inadvertently kindle probably the worst fire this city has ever witnessed. Besides, the threat of a shoot-out or a deliberate terrorist attack are also present.
This lack of security poses a great threat not only to the safety of the facility but also to the health and safety of those working in the vicinity and residing nearby.
I therefore request the authorities to take cognizance of this grave issue and take adequate measures to strengthen the security of the Keamari oil terminal.
MUHAMMAD ZAIN SIDDIQUI
North Nazimabad
Bill without electricity
Sir,
The electricity of Tahir Plaza was disconnected on 9/4/2008 on the eve that fire broke out.
I regret that the same has not been restored up till now though more than two months have lapsed, which is inhuman. Consequently, the tenants of Tahir Plaza and their clients are in misery and facing great hardship without the operation of the lift, computers, AC and other equipment.
Since the tenants are mostly advocates, their business is suffering badly.
I further regret and wonder that despite the non-provision of electricity, the KESC has sent us (including me) bills of electricity consumption misrepresenting the facts therein.
The KESC is therefore requested to kindly withdraw the bill and restore the electricity of the building, failing which we shall have no option except to take legal action against you for damages and mental and physical agony being caused to us on your cost and expenses and consequences, which you kindly note.
NOOR MOHAMMAD
KHANZADA
Via e-mail
Discrimination by KESC
Sir,
The residents of Zamzama are daily subjected to a minimum of three two hour shut-downs of unannounced and arbitrary load-shedding, with an additional two hours occasionally late in the night.
Whilst suffering six hours daily without electricity in the hot and humid conditions, there are several residential blocks on Shahrah-i-Iran and Khayaban-i-Saadi where there is no load-shedding at all.
I attended a dinner recently in the PECHS, just off Kashmir Road.
The electricity went off, but our hosts assured us after switching on their generator that the outage would only last 20 minutes, for load-shedding in the area is resorted to for only 20 minutes daily.
The courts are not functioning normally due to the lawyers’ agitation/boycott, and we have no remedy available to obtain relief from the discriminatory action of the KESC, except to draw the attention of the utility through your columns.
ZAMZAMA RESIDENT
Karachi
city@dawn.com
WHEN an alleged narcotics peddler, Farzana, was granted bail by the Peshawar High Court two months ago her poor father was at a loss as he could not fulfil the conditions attached to her release. She was granted bail under a law which ensures the concession of bail to female accused in most of the cases sans murder, financial corruption and terrorism. As her trial is pending before the special judge (control of narcotics substance) in Kohat district, the high court on May 25 ordered that she should furnish bail bonds of Rs1 million with three sureties each to the satisfaction of the trial court who should ensure that the sureties were local, reliable and men of means.
The woman belonging to Charsadda district was married to a person in Bara, Khyber Agency. Her husband had died before her arrest by the Anti Narcotics Force in Kohat district in Sep 2007. Being a poor person her father could not arrange for sureties in Kohat district. Her counsel again filed an application before the high court requesting that the amount of surety bonds might be reduced and his client should be allowed to produce sureties from her native Charsadda district instead of Kohat. A single bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Raza Khan reduced the amount of surety bonds to Rs500,000 and allowed her to present sureties from Charsadda district.
Four days ago Farzana and her two daughters, who were also staying with her in the prison, were released after her father managed to furnish bail bonds. She had to stay in prison for two months even after she was allowed bail by the court. Earlier, she had filed bail application before the special court on Nov 26, 2007, and the court rejected the said application after more than four months on April 2.
The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 2006, was promulgated by the President of Pakistan on July 8, 2006. The law amended Section 497 of the CrPC, dealing with bail matters, and ensured releasing of women on bail in most of the cases except three categories of offences -- terrorism, financial corruption and murder when such offence is punishable with death, imprisonment for life or ten years. As the constitutional life of a presidential ordinance is four months, therefore, it was subsequently re-promulgated in Nov 2006, March 2007 and finally in July 2007. Following the imposition of emergency on Nov 3 the ordinance was not re-promulgated as it was given protection under the PCO.
While some of the courts in NWFP accept the law completely some other courts, especially the lower courts, decline to accept it. In various cases even if the court allowed bail to female applicants it attached strict conditions for their release like in the case of Ms Farzana.
“The law is clear on the subject but still some of the courts have not been following it and due to same reason scores of women continue to remain imprisoned,” said the chairman Voice of Prisoners, Advocate Noor Alam. He added that courts normally discouraged bail to females when they were charged in heinous offences like drug trafficking as there were chances that the accused-female would turn absconder after her release. Moreover, he added, various foreigners were imprisoned on charges of drug trafficking and they had to remain imprisoned as they lack local sureties to produce for furnishing bail bonds.
The Peshawar High Court in one of its recent judgments termed the said law discriminatory and suggested to the legislators to reconsider it. “The legislature may re-consider the provision of the relevant ordinance and to suggest appropriate amendment so that the discrimination is avoided and the mafia should not be allowed to misuse the women for their nefarious designs of committing heinous offence under the cover provided to them in the garb of the ordinance,” observed Chief Justice Mohammad Raza Khan in one of the cases.
The court observed that by the said statutory provisions a blank cheque had been provided to the women to commit the offences of drug trafficking, theft, robbery, moral corruption and human trafficking etc. “A time is about to come when instead of raising the claim of ‘emancipation of women’ the male person charged with similar offences shall be justified claim ‘emancipation of men’ as the extraordinary legal concession granted to the ladies is unprecedented,” the bench observed.
