| August 02, 2008 | Saturday | Rajab 29, 1429 |
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A nation’s hero
Sorry state of motorway
Pakistan: agricultural importer
Some lessons from an unarmed robbery
Saying ‘no’ to open trade policy
Controlling ISI
Politics versus democracy
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
Dr S. R. POONEGAR, former federal secretary, ministry of water and power, in his letter (July 30) stated routine bureaucratic ‘reasons’ for Pakistan’s failure to use Thar coal as fuel for power generation which would take care of the country’s power needs for virtually a century or more.
It is always the same with bureaucrats, serving or retired, who recite the ‘deterrents’ to resolving any issue or problem, chant the ‘reasons’ why an opportunity cannot be availed or a challenge cannot be overcome, and carry on pushing files and manoeuvering for the next higher grade or service extension.
The last drama enacted on Thar coal was by the PPP government in the 1990s when a Chinese coal tycoon recommended by the then president, Farooq Leghari, who seems to specialise in recommending all the wrong things, was invited and a lot of brouhaha made on hours’-long televised signing ceremony of an agreement for mining of Thar coal.
The bureaucrat who played the starring role in this charade was Salman Farooqi who fled the country, as dozens of others like him, when Gen Musharraf took over. Farooqi is now back and will no doubt be starring in the present government’s productions.
Thar coal will lie buried where it has for a million years while our politicians and bureaucrats make merry figuratively, or literally as a YouTube clip shows, or until an outside agency or entrepreneur comes along and offers to mine the coal, with personal incentives for the rulers included in the offer.
The Saindak copper/gold/silver mines in Balochistan were managed by the government until its managers cried uncle and recommended that the mines be closed down as uneconomical.
Enter the Chinese. The Chinese contractor signed a 10-year agreement to mine the metals from Saindak mines and has been mining over 24,000 tons every year which includes over two tons of gold and over four tons of silver.
The Chinese contractor’s output from Saindak mines is to be monitored by the government.
However, two non-technical directors on the board nominated by the government are doing all the ‘monitoring’ as, according to the government agency involved, the country lacks technical and financial know-how and competency to monitor a project of the complexity of Saindak mines.
Thar coal can rest in peace.
S. KHALID HUSAIN
Karachi
(ii)
I TOTALLY agree with S.R. Poonegar’s suggestion of tapping the coal reserves in Thar. With unpredictable crude price, any source of energy lying unused in Pakistan has to be tapped. The sooner the government realised this the better for the country.
ERVAD PAURUSASP D. MAGOL
Ahmednagar, India
THIS refers to Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column, “A nation’s hero” (July 27). He quoted extensively from a book, ‘Deception’, by Adrian Levy and Scott Clark.
I was shocked and livid because I have always been extremely careful about confidentiality.
Since the Institute of Behavioural Sciences (IBS) case was in court, the press, the self-appointed negotiators and government and not-so-government people came to talk about IBS. I was aware about the fact that many of my friends were labelled as my patients. As if I do not have friends. I was, therefore, very cautious.
I agreed to talk about IBS but never mentioned that Dr Qadeer or Hanny were my patients. Having said that, I searched the book ‘Deception’ and went through voluminous 450 pages to discover that I was quoted on page 96 - 97 and 397 - 98 on the basis of an interview taken in spring 2006.
Besides the claim that Dr Khan was my regular patient, there are many other quotes which are totally wrong, like: taking over of IBS by his brother Mr Qayum.
In fact, Dr Khan himself supervised the operation, and that I was dragged, also is incorrect because I was not there at that time. Also I did not go to the court first but had to defend myself.
The ethical practice of psychiatry is my only humble possession in life, of which confidentially is the spirit. I repeat that Dr Khan has never been my patient.
I am going to ask for correction by the authors and publisher, otherwise I will be free to take any action I find necessary.
PROF. S. HAROON AHMED, MD
President , PAMH
(II)
THIS refers to Aslam Khan’s letter, ‘A nation’s hero’ (July 31). Prof Haroon Ahmed ‘divulged’ nothing to me. What I have written has been published in the book, ‘Deception -- Pakistan, the United States and the Global Nuclear Weapons Conspiracy’, by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott - Clark (published in 2007, Atlantic Press, London).
This was clearly stated in my column of July 27.
ARDESHIR COWASJEE
Karachi
I AM a frequent road traveller and have had the opportunity of journeying several times on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M1), since it was launched. It’s been almost a year now since this motorway has been launched and still things seem to be out of control, making driving on it a dangerous and horrific experience. One would expect things to improve with time, however even on my recent trip this month one sees no respite from the violations.
As soon as one crosses into the NWFP close to the Swabi interchange, things seem to go haywire. All along up to Peshawar the roadside fencing is cut or does not exist at several places. This becomes especially serious as one approaches Peshawar, where it does not exist for a good few kilometres.
Owing to this one can see a number of trespassers, both human and non-human, conveniently crossing the motorway to go across from one side to the other.
The most shocking incident that I have seen, even on my most recent trip, is when motorists get their cars off from the sides of the main motorway and go through the broken fences into the areas alongside. Besides this, lane violations, people travelling in open pickups, overloaded vehicles, road diversions and undisciplined motorists are also common.
One is disappointed to see the lethargic attitude of the motorway police to the situation. All one sees them doing is sit casually with their speed guns and issue speeding tickets.
On more than one occasion I have called the motorway helpline to report violators, but nothing seems to come out of it. It is also surprising to note that at several points along the motorway, the local police has been posted for surveillance and can stop vehicles at random.
I travel more frequently on the Lahore Motorway, but such violations are rare. The NHA and the Motorway police need to take serious notice and set things straight, lest this part of the motorway becomes worse than the GT Road, already one is afraid of travelling on this motorway after dark.
These violations pose a serious security and safety threat as someone coming in from the M1 does not expect any of this to happen and several times is forced to break in emergency. The 125-million-rupee robbery of an exchange company cash van that took place on this motorway a few months ago should be an eye-opener enough to get things done; or are we waiting for several other disasters before pulling up our act?
UMER ASIF
Lahore
APROPOS of the report, ‘Export of sugar halted’ (July 27), I would like to emphasise that the daily economic monitoring committee recommended to the commerce ministry to immediately stop the export of sugar, and that measures were said to be taken to set the stable prices for import of sugar. On the other hand, the food ministry has planned to import 2.5 million tons of wheat to supplement domestic stocks.
Pakistan is an agricultural country and 70 per cent of its requirements should be met through agricultural export, but the current situations are contrary to what should happen. False feasibility reports of crop given by the previous government can be a reason of this shortcoming but the feudal system/wadera system is the biggest drawback that is hindering the agricultural development along with the economic development in Pakistan.
Cultivatable land should be owned by the government of the state in order to meet the crop demand. Along with that, farmers should be encouraged and irrigation should be promoted. This, on the one hand, is going to result in surplus production of crop and, on the other hand, will maintain the area population balance in cities and villages.
India demolished the jagirdari system in 1948 while we let the roots of this system penetrate deeper and stronger into our country. An agricultural country importing wheat, rice and sugar does not make any sense.
HIRA MEHMOOD
Karachi
THIS is apropos of a report in a section of the press (July 16) in which two unarmed bandits robbed a staffer of a security exchange company, located in the Karachi Stock Exchange building, of Rs4.5 million.
The robbery took place on the night of July 14 despite the presence of 20 surveillance cameras, 40 security guards, one police picket and a Ranger’s mobile at the Karachi Stock Exchange premises.
According to the report, two men entered an elevator on the 4th floor as an employee of the security exchange company, Mohammad Asif, stepped into it carrying a cash-filled bag. On reaching the 2nd floor, the two suspects disembarked the elevator, along with Asif.
They engaged Asif in some conversation and entered his company’s office with him.
During the conversation, the suspects threw some ‘intoxicating powder’ on Asif’s face and made off with the bag containing Rs 4.5 million.
The incident was immediately reported to the KSE security staff. Shortly the area police and Rangers cordoned off the premises. A search, with the help of sniffer dogs, began but produced no result. It may be mentioned here that the KSE building has only one gate, both for entry and exit.
The police also could not find any clue of the suspected persons in the video footage.
According to the report, the bandits did not use any weapon or physical force and made off with the money without getting caught by the surveillance cameras and in the presence of security guards, police and a Ranger’s mobile at the premises of the KSE. We draw the following lessons from the incident:
a. Elevators should always be manned by lift operators and surveillance camera should also cover the interior of elevators, the entire staircase, corridors and all entry and exit doors/outer gates of the building.
b. Big cash should never be carried by one person, without an armed escort.
c. Employees handling the cash should always be kept under close observation for any suspicious behaviour or activities, including persons visiting them.
d. Antecedents of all employees should be verified from the local and hometown police within a month after they are employed.
e. Security guards should also become aware of such tricks of the criminals, who after engaging them in some conversation might suddenly throw some intoxicating powder, spray poisonous gas on their face/eyes or prick their body with a poisonous needle to make them unconscious or to paralyse their body.
f. Security guards should not be put on duty for more than eight hours at a time in their shift to keep them fully alert.
In our country guards of private security companies are made to perform 12 hours’ duty every day for seven days a week. Guards are some time asked to continue their duty on completion of their 12 hours’ shift for another two to three hours or some time allowed to perform double duty, making it for 24 hours to cover up the absence of their relieving guards by giving them an incentive of overtime allowance.
This makes them heavily fatigued and they become dull and drowsy during the last four hours of their 12 hours shift. Besides, their working efficiency and alertness drops to zero level gradually. So with this routine they are not expected to be alert, vigilant and smart while on duty.
Interestingly, clients also themselves ask security companies to provide guards on a 12-hour shift basis to save money, because they have to pay more if they hire three guards on an eight-hour shift basis to cover 24 hours’ duty. Nobody has ever realised that by doing so the life and property they are supposed to guard is at stake.
Similarly, there are no instructions laid down in the Private Security Agencies Act and Rules regarding weekly off to guards and the number of hours in a shift a guard can be put on duty. The authorities concerned should look into the matter.
SQN LDR (r) S.AUSAF HUSAIN
Karachi
WTO talks have collapsed and it is an opportune time for Pakistan and other Third World developing countries to withdraw from the policy of open trade that benefits only the developed countries.
Pakistan should protect its own markets from access by putting up trade barriers and giving relief to its economy and people.
Despite tall claims that efficiency and productivity will improve, it has further depleted margins and competitive advantages that our geographic location provides us.
It is time Pakistan devised its own trade policies and scrapped the World Trade Organisation straitjacket.
JAWAD N. KHAN
Lahore
TO bring the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and military under civilian control of a particular ministry, a comprehensive legislation needs to be drafted and passed by parliament and this does not really need any approval of the unelected president or the military.
I wonder if it cannot be done within a few months, then the question will arise: is this parliament sovereign or is this a real democracy which should control the army, the navy and the air force and the Inter Services Intelligence.
Any other excuse for not doing it will draw a natural conclusion that the military and the Inter Services Intelligence are still controlling the governance.
SAM BAIDYA
Toronto, Canada
PRIME Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s assertion before leaving for visit to the US, and during his stay there, that ‘war on terror’ is our own war has strengthened the viewpoint that like dictatorship a democratic dispensation is also not representative of the people’s aspirations.
In fact, what we are witnessing in Pakistan is that America and Britain, which oversaw the formation of the coalition government in Pakistan, are actually trying to give legitimacy to the ‘war on terror’ by supporting the democratic government in Pakistan and, in return, asking it to own the war on terror.
So western interest in promoting democracy in Pakistan is not to have a government where the people get to choose what the government policies should be, this never happens in a democracy, rather the West is backing democracy in Pakistan so that the civilian leadership can give legitimacy to the highly unpopular ‘war on terror’.
Instead of making policies reflective of the aspirations of the masses, the civilian leadership of Pakistan is trying to mould and change the opinion of the people according to western interests, using the media and state machinery.
This is analogous to what we witnessed at the time of the American invasion of Iraq.
The democratic leadership of America used the state machinery and media to change the public opinion according to its own interests, leading America to an immoral and inhumane war.
Like dictatorship, democracy has also failed the Pakistanis.
MOEZ MOBEEN
Islamabad
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