| August 18, 2008 | Monday | Sha'aban 15, 1429 |
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Impeachment of president
The madness is here
Silence of religious parties
Devaluation of rupee
US senator’s goodwill
The economic chargesheet
Local bodies system
Return for small investors
State of the state
Relentless criticism
Supporting MDGs
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
YOUR editorial, ‘Control petroleum subsidy’ (Aug 12 ), has rightly observed that due to ambiguous petroleum price mechanism subsidy is often enjoyed by the supply chain rather than the consumer to whom it was meant. It is on account of this malfeasance that the adverse impact of the rise of oil in the world market hit the masses hard, whereas the profit of companies is burgeoning by leaps and bounds.
As reported in a well-researched article, ‘Oil price: hype and reality’ (Economic and Business pages, July 21), in seven years the pricing anomaly had caused more than Rs200 billion losses to the consumers, and refineries have earned more than 300 to 400 per cent higher per share profit than their counterparts in Singapore and the Middle East.
Likewise, during the period profitability of local refineries has increased between 200 and 300 per cent. Obviously these profits are in addition to the gains earned by oil companies and refineries because of higher international prices.
Thus under these extenuation circumstances the government should not envisage withdrawal of subsidy, which even otherwise is recovered in the shape of GST etc. However, if withdrawal is considered essential for functioning of ‘economic ideal’ — free market — then levy of GST, a regressive form of taxation which hits the poor hard, should be withdrawn.
The accruing gap can be filled, exploring fresh avenues, i.e. by broadening the tax base in real sense and auditing the incomes of high profit-earning sectors such as oil, cement, sugar, flour, banks, real estate, automobile and telecommunications to recover lawful tax and also removing unfair exemptions of stock exchange dealers, etc.
After the fresh jump in the petroleum products, considered to be the highest in recent past, the people have lost confidence in the palpably iniquitous system of pricing. Although after much hype, price mechanism has been checked and an excess of around Rs5 per litre was reported but instead of passing on the same to the consumer it has been adjusted against subsidy. Under the given circumstance when oil in the international market has also substantially come down, not allowing benefit of difference in the price to the masses is extremely unfair.
It is suggested that the Oil and Gas Regulatary Authority should make the ‘price mechanism’ public, showing per barrel actual import cost of each petroleum product, and the expenses and taxes such as amount of GST recovered, fees allowed to marketing companies, premium paid to oil refineries, commission allowed to dealers and any other cost incurred.
It is also reported that some oil companies have established offshore groups through whom they are importing the petroleum products. Such manipulation causes more hikes in this end-price of the product, whereas the companies siphon substantial chunk of profit. This aspect also needs to be investigated.
MANSOOR UL HAQUE SOLANGI
Karachi
AFTER lengthy meetings between Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif the in country and abroad, the resultant agreement to impeach the president and reinstate the deposed judges thereafter does not sound appropriate in the prevailing circumstance.
One wonders how Nawaz Sharif gave up his key position on the judges’ issue and succumbed to the proposal to impeach the president first of all.
Doubtless, both the issues are of great significance from the national perspective and need to be resolved at the earliest but the only question is of setting the priorities.
Now that the president has been targeted first, he will be extravigilant to backlash as vigorously as possible for him to safeguard his position. The whole presidency would turn into a flurry of activity, including consultation with many legal experts who would be hired for advice, thus shelling out a lot of public money. The president’s foreign mentors and sympathisers must also do their utmost in every way to prop him up.
Then, the number game in parliament would go interminably involving expensive horse-trading etc., further draining the public exchequer.
Above all, according to the president’s prominent legal adviser, Hafiz Pirzada, the president will have the option constitutionally to go to the apex courts against any adverse parliamentary move against him.
Now, the sitting PCO judges are supposed to be favourable to him in his predicament. Where will the coalition partners, particularly the Nawaz League, go? Here recall the APDM ultimatum to the government to restore the judiciary by Aug 31 or they would start agitation. So, what are our politicians bent on doing?
In this bleak atmosphere, the only ray of hope emerges in the shape of the lawyers’ movement that is predominantly concerned with the restoration and strengthening of the judiciary – a movement unique in the history of the world.
The lawyers have given a new lease of life to the anaemic political spectrum in the country and will, hopefully, keep their struggle for independent, strong and clean judiciary vibrant till its logical end in the best interests of the people of Pakistan.
MOHAMMAD ALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
(II)
VERY soon President Musharraf is destined to leave. He chose undignified place for himself in history. He thought usurping power through illegal, unconstitutional means made him to own the country.
The patience of nations should never be underestimated, nor the quiet nature. It grinds slow but very fine the brute, dishonest, unjust and arrogant.
Let the future rulers keep this in mind and fear the Power that never sleeps: sees you not only in the darkness of night, in the light of day: also hears your midnight whispers, writhing cinders, immortal connect and your unseen, unheard tears.
WARISS SHAW
Samundri
AFTER reading Cyril Almeida’s latest column, ‘The madness is here’ (Aug 13), it appears that, whether intended or not, it will accomplish two objectives.
First, it is highly likely to make the two coalition partners, the PPP and PML(N), fight with each other, by making it appear that Asif Zardari has been fooled into taking on Musharraf. Second, it will sow doubts about Gen Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani’s sincerity regarding keeping the army out of politics.
He claims that ‘Asif has been battered into submission’ by agreeing to impeach Musharraf and has been made a hostage to the junior coalition partner. Mr Almeida’s statements, such as, “Nawaz might as well have dragged Asif by his collar and flogged him in front of the cameras until he whimpered his consent to impeachment,” can only serve to inflame the PPP co-chairman’s and his party’s emotions by making them feel insulted.
Likewise, talking of Gen Kayani, he says people are forgetting that he has been the ISI chief; but then tries to suggest he has great ambitions through the words: “In which case you must necessarily wonder about career ambitions: corps commander, ISI chief, COAS, full stop – or next stop? (meaning the progression on to Pakistan’s helmsmanship, like Musharraf)”.
As a justification for his arguments, the columnist asks: “What purpose does impeaching Musharraf serve? For one, it will satisfy Nawaz whose bitterness is palpable. But beyond that? Nothing.”
He is forgetting two very important things: (1) Through the Feb 18 election, the nation had made it clear they want Musharraf and his party out, and (2) other opinion polls, as well as the events since March 9, 2007, have clearly shown that about 80 per cent of the Pakistanis want Musharraf to be fired and Iftikhar Chaudhry and the other deposed judges to be restored.
What Nawaz Sharif has been doing is to merely get the people’s will honoured. His sincerity is evident from, among other things, the oath taken from all the PML(N) legislators at the very outset that they won’t back out of trying to get the judiciary reinstated.
He had taken no such vow regarding the impeachment of Musharraf. Mr Almeida is being unfair in imputing other motives to him. Any Pakistani, if he/she is truly a democrat at heart, would not try to thwart physically or psychologically the will of the majority to have the twin objectives fulfilled. Also, at this most critical juncture in our history, we must not say or do anything that will sow discord among those striving to oppose dictatorship, nor should we cast aspersions on the new COAS, but should show our appreciation for his stance.
Q. IQBAL
Karachi
I SUPPORT R. Matif’s accusation of religious political parties’ silence over the intention of spreading violence by Taliban in the country. Not condemning the spread of violence to other parts of the country is a silent support to Taliban’s destructive intentions.
I consider it criminal. And because of that, and as a result of Taliban and their supporters’ ignorance, such writers as Naseer Khan warn us that ‘Ignorance takes a front seat’ (Aug 13). If I was Mr Khan, I would have said: ‘Ignorance takes a driving seat’.Right from the beginning I was against religious organisations’ taking part in politics as political parties. I thought, and still do, that religion is different from politics – or rephrasing it differently – politics has nothing to do with religion.
Muslim history is so full of turmoil, tribal and inter-faith wars, evil deeds and maladies because of religious and irreligious people mixing politics with religion that the world describes the Muslim history as if we can see running horses, their hoofbeats kicking dirt, sabre rattling, war cry, fire, smoke, the smell of blood and wailing of women and children.
I have a bad habit of asking questions, particularly annoying questions. Is it not like which came first: chicken or the egg?
How did the war between madressah militia and the government begin? (This madressah militia assumed the name of Taliban – ‘students’ in Pushto). History tells us that tribal people – propagating to be fiercely independent – never accepted authority of any government. The rebellion is their cherished pastime.
The maulvis and mullahs of all sorts, kinds and sizes are breast-beating that military action in tribal areas should be stopped as it is oppressive, tyrannical and cruel. They don’t tell the rebels to stop the fighting.
These maulvis and mullahs seem to be saying that the government has started the war. If the government is such a fool to initiate hostilities in tribal areas, why does it not show its foolishness in Sindh and Punjab?
M.K. NAQVI
Karachi
THE value of the rupee has depreciated fast during the last few months. It is mainly due to bad planning and mismanagement by the government and an indifferent attitude of the State Bank of Pakistan. The main reasons appear to be as follows:
a. Increase in import of items like automobiles, mobile phones and many other luxury goods.
b. Speculative buying of the foreign currencies in the hope of getting profit, taking them as investment instruments.
c. Buying of foreign currencies by panic-stricken affluent classes to shift their assets out of the country through hundi system.
If corrective steps are not taken by the government and the SBP immediately, the situation can worsen further. The following measures are suggested:
1. Immediate ban should be imposed on the lease financing of passenger cars. It will help save foreign exchange on the import of cars and also reduce the import bill of oil.
2. Open market sale/purchase of foreign currencies should be banned forthwith. Only the SBP and other authorised commercial banks should deal in this business. Foreign currencies should be issued by banks on genuine authorisations by competent quarters.
3. The bonus voucher scheme which was in vogue in the 60s and 70s should be revived and foreign currency vouchers should be issued to exporters by the SBP at predetermined FC rates.
Imports should be allowed only against these foreign currency vouchers which will be available in the market. The intending importers will have to buy these vouchers at the prevalent market rates to pay for their import bills.
The above steps will appear to be a bit harsh but to control a contagious disease, administering strong medicines sometimes become necessary.
M. IQBAL CHAUDHRY
Lahore
ACCORDING to a report, the senior American senator, Tom Harkin, has urged President Pervez Musharraf to step down and asked the coalition government to restore all the sacked judges (Aug 14).
In his message, he called the Pakistani people as the ‘longstanding friends of the Americans’ and stressed that “it is time for the violence, bloodshed and fear to cease and confidence of the Pakistani people to be restored.” Senator Harkin further observed:
“I have great respect, admiration, and affection for the Pakistani people. I have spoken out many times in the US Senate for closer ties between the peoples (of the two countries). My hope is for a better life for all Pakistani people, under a rule of law, in free, open, democratic society.”
It may be noted that Senator Harkin is a 4th term Democratic senator from Iowa, chairs the powerful Senate Committee on Agriculture and is also a ranking member of the Senate appropriations committee, which gives him a controlling influence over US assistance to other countries.
In 1996, the senator had co-sponsored the Brown Amendment, which led Pakistan to receiving $368 million of US arms. The amendment also undid the infamous Pressler amendment that had blocked US military and economic aid to Pakistan. Recently, the gentleman played a key role in arranging $115 million as food assistance to help Islamabad deal with the current food crisis.
One can recall with pleasure that this great friend of Pakistan as well as of democracy and justice had, in April 2007, emphasised upon his government that the US ought to be on the side of Pakistan’s lawyers and Supreme Court. Also, that “cold war or hot war, in every war they (Pakistanis) stood by us. If it were not for Pakistan, I dare say the Cold War would not have been won.” (April 28, 2007).
All this shows that Tom Harkin has been a real supporter of Pakistan even in its time of need. As a Pakistani, one would like to thank him profoundly for his goodwill and help for this country. The Pakistanis are not a thankless people at all, but tend to be altruists and a very friendly and hospitable people (especially when treated right), which is why, as also noted by Senator Harkin, they have always stood by the US and their other friends, regardless of the price they had to pay for it.
In the end, it is requested that Mr Harkin help out the Pakistani neuroscientist, Dr Aafia Siddiqui, and her children, who are in their pre-teens and one of whom was reportedly murdered during captivity, at the age of six months, to return to Pakistan. They have been under FBI detention for the last five years, without any trial or any credible charges against Dr Siddiqui, even though the FBI denies it. The lady was not only injured by bullet(s) but believes a part of her intestines has also been removed.
The family’s plight is causing enormous disquiet to all Pakistanis and will badly hurt the US-Pakistan ties. The senator could talk to her and her American lawyer, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, to find out the truth.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
APROPOS of Dr Pervez Tahir’s article, ‘The economic chargesheet’ (Aug 12), I would like to say that this is the first carefully thought-out analysis I have read of the Musharraf-Shaukat era economic ‘miracle’. As an ‘insider’, Mr Tahir is a very credible analyst.
Cooking the books to produce the ‘desired’ results is nothing new. One of Shaukat Aziz’s first acts was to accuse the Nawaz Sharif government of doing so. He reported this to the IMF and they fined Pakistan millions of dollars as per their rules.
DR MEEKAL AHMED
Virginia, USA
THIS is with reference to the much-maligned local government system. While the system need not be abolished, it needs major surgery, to make it compatible with the needs of the public.
The major flaw of the system is that the police have become a law unto themselves. The abolition of the executive magistracy has left an administrative vacuum. There is no one to implement the provisions of the criminal procedure code, such as the summary vacation of illegal occupation under section 145 CrPC. Qabza groups and mafias are ruling the roost. SHOs are effectively untouchable because of their political connections, and there is very poor or no departmental oversight.
The deputy commissioner was both the district magistrate and collector of revenue. While the DCOs and nazims should continue collecting revenue, the post of an independent district magistrate should be revived in each district. The district magistrate should be appointed by the provincial government for tenure of three years, and should not be liable to premature transfer without the concurrence of the chief justice.
The DM should be assisted by a team of executive magistrates. The service rights of the DM and the magistrates under him should be protected and made justiceable.
The police should be made subordinate to the DM, who should have the power to transfer SHOs and to inspect police stations.
I am sure that if these changes are implemented there would be a distinct improvement in the law and order situation, and the public would heave a sigh of relief.
ASAF ALI SHAH
Lahore
THIS is apropos of Afshan Subohi’s article, ‘Return for small investors’ (Aug 11), which meticulously narrated the predicament of small investors.
The crux is rampant inflation much higher than accrual return on various secured short-term and long-term options available for investment to small investors.
Under such an adverse scenario, the best alternative is to ponder over either to invest in self and children’s grooming in Pakistan or abroad in various fields appropriate to age and size of the fund or indulge in lucrative and comparatively safe business of small / medium-scale agency / commission business of estate, equity, travel, commodity, insurance, etc, or import / export indenting / buying agency.
In most of these trades, technical know-how is virtually not indispensable, keeping in mind an adage that secret to success is never to give up.
SIDDIK S. JAANGDA
Karachi
AYESHA Siddiqa’s article, ‘State of the state’ (Aug 15 ) outlines the pre-requisites of a state functionality but fails to address the ground reality that in Pakistan’s short history the minorities of the country expect more from their elected representatives than from the government.
Although the MQM is a minority party countrywide, it represents the majority in Karachi and, historically, given the apathetic nature of the state, the people of Karachi have always depended on their own for resolving issues.
Taliban do not come fully announced, they creep in, and before our shortsighted government has time to react, Karachi will suffer as it has previously done.
Let us assume, for the moment, that Pathans migrating to the city are not Taliban but people displaced from their areas as a result of actions taken by the state. Is it not then the state’s responsibility to rehabilitate these people in their own areas?
But then our government has more important issues to deal with, like the demonising of Pervez Musharraf and the restoration of the defunct judges. It seems that the resolution of these issues will arbitrarily and automatically rectify all that ails the country.
Elected representatives are answerable to the people that elect them; the confidence of the people has to be acquired for further elections. If the MQM feels that the unusual presence of Pathans in the city legitimises the investigation, then so be it. Issues involving Karachi are often put on the back burner by the powers in Islamabad; to solicit reaction, let alone help, from the state is impossible until the damage is done.
What needs to be done is to investigate, confirm and implement the appropriate action to cull the flow of Talibinisation.
SALMA SHAKIR
Karachi
I ENDORSE Asma Qadir’s opinion about Shehzad Roy’s new video, ‘Laga Reh’. Not only is the video much overrated, it makes it a point to target and ridicule everyone who is against President Musharraf, i.e. the general public, lawyers, and politicians. The song, a very ordinary composition, is nothing without the video.
The message in the song is cynical and is designed to echo the sentiments of many Musharraf loyalists who imply that this country can only prosper under military rule.
Shehzad Roy seems not to have much in the way of subtlety and has hammered his stance (i.e. no stance, just doom-saying) onto his audience. What does he want is never made clear in the video — just incessant criticism on everything and everyone except the military and the bureaucracy.
TALHA BIN HAMID
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the decision by the coalition government on not releasing pending and due funds to the National Commission for Human Development, a first-ever public declaration that has led to making 80,000 employees on commission jobless.
Neverthless, this was the fast track initiative by the Musharraf government that realised it had pledged at the world summit the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which need the continuity of commissions by 2015.
Refusal of funding will mean a refusal to the world community and to the pledge made with them. Besides, the fate of 80,000 employees is sealed.
ZULFIQAR ALI NAREJO
Mirpur Mathelo
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