| July 31, 2008 | Thursday | Rajab 27, 1429 |
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Fata situation
Tawana Pakistan Project
Collective apathy
Textile export problems
Clarification
Pakistan Railways
Confidence vote
A nation’s hero
What a surprise!
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
The Mangrove Action Day has just passed, ie July 26. It is an annual event observed all over the world to conserve and restore mangroves. This year’s theme, as proposed by the Latin American Mangrove Network, is: “No more death, no more misery, no more shrimp farms, long live the mangroves”.
I take this opportunity to put forth the plight of the Indus delta mangrove forest and request the authorities concerned to restore and manage it. A few decades ago the Indus delta mangroves were regarded as the fifth largest mangrove forest of the world, with a cover of about 350,000 hectares, but now their cover has drastically reduced to about 78,000 hectares.
Several factors have been responsible for this sharp decline, with the foremost being hyper-salinity due to sharp cut in the Indus River flow into the Indus delta proper, overexploitation of mangroves for wood and fodder and urbanisation.
The FAO in its recent report on World Mangroves (2007) points out that Pakistan has so far lost 196,000 hectares of Indus delta mangroves, although the actual figure is higher than that.
Recently it was in the press that the mangroves of the area, including Karachi, are indiscriminately and overwhelmingly cut and thousands of tons of wood are being sold. This situation is extremely alarming and will bring catastrophe to the already stressed mangroves.
The mangroves provide many multiple benefits and services to mankind, including some important ones like sustaining shrimp fishery, preserving biodiversity, serving as a sink for greenhouse gases and bio-filter for industrial effluents and protecting coastal infrastructures from erosion and destruction by storms and tsunamis.
It is, therefore, suggested that, besides other remedial procedures, strict legislation should be introduced to curb the overexploitation of mangroves and immediate action be taken to afforest the denuded areas.
The mangroves of Karachi need special attention because they help keep the city clean by absorbing the green-house gases and also the toxic substances contained in its industrial effluents. In case of a storm or tsunami they will act like a shield and prevent both human casualties and damage to coastal installations.
PROF (DR) S.M. SAIFULLAH
Botany Department
Karachi University
Analysis of the current Fata situation described in Adil Zareef article, ‘The time for peace now’( July 28), brings to a close very valuable tip that “it is finally time for the US to allow a UN peace mission to pinpoint the underlying causes behind the rise of Al Qaeda, extremism and terrorism”.
There are no reasons to disagree with this. One wonders whether the achievers of this muddle take it for granted. The answer is a big ‘No’.
However, the media can play a powerful role in highlighting this suggestion in today’s critical condition of sorrow and grief, while taking into consideration the fact that we have to live in this crunch for quite longer periods of times ahead.
There are no quick fixes. We may accept this fact. Gone are the days of peace. For improving the situation, the media can easily find out other challenging issues of the region — especially the food crisis — we are facing with eyes closed.
Doesn’t it look like that a section of the media is supplementing the war on terror by creating horrors in society? Which is, too, the only visible objective of the terrorists.
The observations call for further investment in human development rather than in bombs as the latter destroys lives and seals the future of the people and their land. Adil Zareef’s account is very convincing, especially when one looks at agriculture. We have a mindless crowd of specialists in almost all disciplines over here. A PhD degree does not necessarily mean that we have scientists on board.
The position is that we only take genetic materials from others, put them in national yield trails and then pick out the best material that has been tested, as also pointed out by Dr Zafar Altaf in his article on agriculture.
This sector needs human resource development from top to bottom on a war footing basis to cope with the food crisis in the Pashtun region that will lead to catastrophe in near future if not handled seriously.
Compliments to the writer and Dawn who are doing nothing but talking truth in times when they are very difficult to tell.
FAZAL MAULA ZAHID
Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy,
Peshawar
THIS is apropos of the news about Tawana Pakistan Project (July 20). I think the responsibility of what happened to Tawana lies squarely on the ministry concerned.
The project started under the aegis of the ministry of women and population welfare when Dr Atiya Inayatulla was the federal minister. When Dr Atiya was no longer the minister, the secretaries ruled the roost for some time.
Later the ministry was split, and Zubaida Jalal became the minister of social welfare and special education, and Tawana was placed under this ministry.
With the new minister came a new secretary, and also an official who headed the National Implementation Unit of Tawana.
The new team soon started talking of ‘changing the design’. In December 2005 they closed the project as it was being run, and started afresh with the new design — replace freshly-made meals prepared by women, with biscuits and milk/juice delivered by contractors.
Before the milk and biscuit package, village women collectively planned and managed a feeding programme.
The notion of balanced diet was introduced to them, and very soon analysis of their menu showed that over 75 per cent of the meals had the three required food groups.
Furthermore, focus was on the locally available food, and the value of the food was taught to the women.
The village women in the form of School Tawana Committee (one committee per school) managed the funds for the feeding programme.
They had opened a bank account, or a post office account where banks were not available. This in itself was no small feat, but the women did it.
The committees received Rs7 per child per day for the feeding programme, and Rs1,000 per month to be used at their discretion for the benefit of the school and the girls in the school.
Tawana was probably the only government programme in which bulk of the money was being managed by rural women. Perhaps that is why the design of Tawana had to be changed.
From 2002-2005, Tawana was implemented by 11 NGOs in 29 districts of Pakistan. Through this letter I appeal to these NGOs to share what Tawana did for the districts in which they worked.
Tawana had demonstrated that malnutrition can be reduced, and enrollment increased.(See Tawana report on www.aku.edu/chs)
KAUSAR S. KHAN
Karachi
IT was heartening to read your courageous editorial (July 23) about our apathy as a nation and the historic blasé attitude of our government about our cultural heroes — artists, scholars, poets, academics, sportspeople, etc. — individuals who nourish the organic life of the nation with their toil and rigour. Examples are legion: Pathana Khan and Jalib readily come to mind.
And, while Faraz, a rare exception of a poet being sought all over the Urdu-speaking world as a superstar of sorts, is relatively well-off materially — and nobody should grudge that — we have our well-known anthropologist, the animated spirit around our rejuvenated Lok Virsa, Dr Adam Nayyar, who is suffering at Shifa because of misdiagnoses and the callousness of our doctors, without much resources to meet his medical expenses.
Our collective apathy towards such icons reflects a startling paucity of national character and grossly misplaced priorities.
AMIR HAMID
Department of Communications
Davis College
Elkins
EVERY day we hear about problems faced by the textile industry in Pakistan, with high cost and low prices offered by buyers.
I have been working as a buyer in a sport apparel company in New Jersey for three years and before that I was an assistant buyer for a home textile importer for almost two years. I have worked with many companies from various countries.
My experience with Pakistan’s businessmen is that many are not good salesmen (exceptions are there). They don’t know how to get better prices for their product. We buy huge quantities of apparel from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but their salesmen are tough negotiators as compared to Pakistan’s.
If I tell a Pakistani salesman that I am getting X prices from his competitor in Pakistan, then this gentleman will immediately reduce his prices by five to 10 per cent, without even giving second thoughts. In fact I was just bluffing and the salesperson falls into my trap.
This is just one example of our Pakistani exporters’ mentality to just cut the prices to get orders and then cry that our competing countries give us tough time, but in reality I am buying goods at higher prices from other Asian countries.
I request the government and local textile associations to have a base price for Pakistani product and make sure no one sells below this price so that Pakistani goods can fetch better prices. Our government should also discourage (by imposing taxes) or ban export of yarn and fabric to the competing country, to enable our garment exporters to have a little edge over others.
Our exporters should use common sense that ours is a cotton-producing country, and many Asian countries, with huge textile export, actually import cotton and fabric from Pakistan itself. How can then they produce cheaper goods, as cotton makes more than 50 per cent of the cost, whereas labour and other expenses have much less percentage in cost factors?
I know it for a fact that Pakistani goods can match product of any country where quality is concerned as I personally compared it with similar products from other countries and most of the time I find our quality better.
High prices and inflation have hit all countries, forcing exporters to increase their prices accordingly. Even we are forced to buy at higher prices. I don’t know why Pakistani exporters cannot get higher prices and only come up with lame excuses?
I would suggest to Pakistani businessmen to hire good salespeople if they cannot sell for themselves. If they are themselves selling, then they should be proud, confident and prepared before coming to sell. There are quite a few Pakistani exporters who in even today’s market are very successful and get better prices from importers.
MOHAMMAD TAHIR
Bellmawr, NJ, USA
THIS is apropos of S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza’s letter, ‘Khaab’ (July 27). The writer has mentioned the price of Textile City, Karachi, with reference to a news report, ‘Prohibitive investment cost in Karachi’ (July 21), by Sabihuddin Ghausi.
Pakistan Textile City Ltd has been incorporated as a public-private joint venture company and is committed to develop and manage the first state-of-the-art world-class infrastructure, with uninterrupted utilities including a 250 MW power plant, 20 MGD water pipeline (being laid by Karachi Water and Sewerage Board), WTO-compliant combined effluent treatment plant, dedicated to serve value-added textile industries only.
Development works are in progress at our site at Eastern Industrial Zone, Port Qasim.
On the behalf of Textile City management, we wish to clarify that our land is not offered at Rs25 million per acre and the reference was perhaps mistakenly made to some other projects in Karachi.
In fact, we have never offered the land for sale yet as the booking launch campaign of our project is scheduled by October this year. Our land is reasonably priced and all relevant information will be prominently advertised in the media at the launch.
SHOMAIL AHMAD
Senior Manager,
Marketing and Sales,
Pakistan Textile City Ltd
Karachi
RECENTLY I had a chance to travel in a Pakistan Railways express train, Buraq Express, from Karachi to Islamabad in lower A/C. The scheduled time for departure was 1915 hours but it could only depart at midnight.
The reason for delay was that the train from Rawalpindi reached the Karachi Cantt. Station only on 2210 hours and so even proper cleaning and washing could not be carried out.
Throughout the journey, it was observed that railway tracks on various sections were not fit for such an express train as it was not properly being maintained.
The train thus had to make unnecessary stops and slow down time and again, causing undue delay.
Similarly, conditions inside and outside the train were not suitable for such a long journey, as taps in bathroom were broken causing leakage of water, no cleaning during midway stops, and seats were infested with bugs.
Quality of food being served at stations was not good and in most cases not fit for human consumption.
As per the train’s schedule, the journey time from Karachi to Islamabad is around 26 hours but surprisingly enough no dinning car was available.
Condition of food sold at the stations was not up to the mark and the passengers were compelled to eat biscuits and such other things instead of proper food.
Who has stopped our railway minister from looking after the routine affairs of railway and taking remedial measures for improvement in its services?
AZHAR GHUMRO
Karachi
Congratulations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for winning the confidence motion in Indian parliament. He is an able and honest prime minister. Truly, as the news channels now chant, ‘Singh is king’.
Indian MPs have been wise in voting to continue the existing government till May next. A general election in India costs $700 million to $1 billion. India cannot afford to squander such money.
Second, now India should endorse the Indo-US nuclear deal. It is to India’s long-term advantage.
RAJENDRA K. ANEJA
Dubai
This has reference to Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column, ‘A nation’s hero’ (July 26). What transpires between a patient and a doctor must remain confidential, especially in the field of psychiatry.
If Dr Qadeer Khan sought Prof Haroon Ahmed’s professional help in his stress-related condition, then this relationship demanded confidentiality, and this fact should not have been divulged to Mr Cowasjee.
The following is an excerpt from Madrid Declaration on Ethical Standards for Psychiatric Practice, adopted at the General Asssembly of World Psychiatric Association in l996:
“Information obtained in the therapeutic relationship is private to the patient and should be kept in confidence and used, only and exclusively, for the purpose of improving the mental health of the patient. Psychiatrists are prohibited from making use of such information for personal reasons, or personal benefit.
“Breach of confidentiality may only be appropriate when required by law (as in obligatory reporting of child abuse) or when serious physical or mental harm to the patient or to a third person would ensue if confidentiality were maintained; whenever possible, psychiatrists should first advise the patient about the action to be taken.”
ASLAM KHAN
Karachi
YOUR readers will be astonished to know that the Websters’ New World College Dictionary, published by Simon and Schuster, Inc, New York, on its page 1586 shows our K-2 and Nanga Parbat mountains as under India.
That this gross error has continuously been shown ever since its first publication in 1970 is not a small matter to be glossed over.
Frankly, the irony is that none of us the students, teachers, professors, academicians, diplomats and our press attaches abroad have bothered to point out this glaring folly to the publishers either directly or through the courtesy of your esteemed newspaper.
In contrast, I reckon, had there been any such misinterpretation against the interest of our eastern neighbour, am sure all hell would have been let loose in no time.
Apparently, need of the hour is that we shun apathetic attitude in matters concerning Pakistan and broaden our outlook to the extent that even trivial national interest do not suffer the least.
HABIBULLAH
Rawalpindi
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