| August 30, 2008 | Saturday | Sha'aban 27, 1429 |
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Whither Pakistan?
Tackling militancy
Leave him alone
Respect for teachers
Presidential contestants
Closure of PIA’s flight dispatch
Never-ending loadshedding
Helping the disabled
Campus clashes
Draining high achievers
Daylight saving scheme
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
SINCE independence no proper policies have been launched to develop rural areas from where we get all commodities we need.
Thus with the growth of population, we have witnessed a rise in unemployment that has created a sense of deprivation and distress among the people.
These unemployed people were forced to migrate from rural areas to towns and cities to earn their livelihood and lead a peaceful life, enjoying all civil facilities available there.
The burden on urban areas has been the cause of present turmoil and disorder in the urban towns and cities.
It is, therefore, our duty to consider the following suggestions for making the country prosperous and peaceful:
a. Do not concentrate at one place. It should be avoided by restricting migration of people from other places.
b. At every 50km, along both sides of the Superhighway and the National Highway, model industrial towns should be established where various industrial units and factories may be installed.
c. Separate funds may be allocated for such new places of industrial settlements.
d. Rural rather urban development policies may preferably be framed and launched.
e. All civic amenities, along with a security system, should be provided there.
f. Shopping centres may also be set up.
g. At other places, new roads may be constructed to link all villages and towns with the model industrial towns.
h. Industries may be set up at places where raw material for them is available.
i. Near the seaside, motorways may be built and alongside of them towns and villages may be established.
j. At the outset, all friendly countries should be approached for financial assistance.
k. All investors should be requested to take part in the new economic development effort.
l. All landlords should be asked to participate to make the country green and developed.
m. All educated jobless young persons should be given training and skills in different professions and businesses.
n. New schemes and projects should be prepared by local governments concerned in their vicinities.
o. The military people may be engaged to help civilians to work at new projects.
p. All the schemes will be from the private sector. Only the funds and security should be provided by the government.
q. Small-scale industries or cottage industries should be set up on priority.
r. Riversides should be spared for cultivation of crops, vegetables and fruits and gardens with necessary civil amenities.
s. Existing big cities and towns may not be allowed to expand and they may be made a source of providing all kinds of material and commodities that will be required in the newly-launched schemes and projects.
t. Remittances coming from other countries should be utilised for the new projects.
u. All the people working in foreign countries may be facililated to invest in such new development schemes.
DR ALI AKBAR DHAKAN
Chairman,
Sindh Development Foundation
Karachi
AFTER the fall of Dhaka in 1971 Henry Kissinger wrote in his memoir, White House Years, that a ‘new Pakistan’ with its territorial and population ratio, diversity and vitality would become economically a viable country. Where are we today?
Inefficiency, waste and corruption have remained the hallmark of every successive government, both civil and military.
Debt-ridden and majority of people living below the poverty line , our economy is afloat with external loans.
While the silent majority finds hard to survive, their shattered lives bring harsh reality to every dreaming youth. But who cares! Austerity measures advocated by the prime minister is being brazenly flouted by the people who should set an example to others.
Lofty living and deriving pleasures at public expense by the ruling elite must come to an end.
Umra/Haj trips at public expense by officials must be stopped forthwith. Similarly, foreign trips must also be halted/curtailed.
Holding official functions/seminars at five-star hotels is a cruel joke while the majority of people struggles to make ends meet.
The one-act wonder of the deposed chief justice brought an end to long years of dictatorship.
He, along with his associates, also carved the myth of independent judiciary into a near reality with which our political leaders are now so obsessed.
The idea of ruling with constraints are their dilemma now.
Judicial activism has paved the way for civil courage to emerge and emboldened the people to resist oppression.
However, it is still to be seen whether the judiciary will redeem itself and whether the rulers have reconciled to the new reality as desired by the people.
The love-hate relationship of two major parties has foreshadowed the serious business of state.
The long expected ‘split’ has taken place between them. Power struggle is peaking and battle lines have been drawn. Expectant poor electorate are confused and continue to suffer.
We as a nation have faced greater challenges in the past. An independent judiciary, a strong opposition in the National Assembly and an unbiased media are essential for strenghthening the fledgling democracy.
Together, we can overcome myriads of challenges that stare at us in the face today.
But most important is financial discipline and a coherent policy by the government. And only then we can be what Henry Kissinger 35 years ago said we could be: an economically viable country.
While all eyes are on the next moves of political warriors , my thoughts are with hundreds and thousands of innocent displaced people of Bajaur who fled their homes to save their lives from militants.
It is not for the dead but for the living that I cry ‘Jeevay Pakistan’.
WG CDR (r) MUSHTAQ AHMED
Doha, Qatar
IT is interesting to ponder what Dr Martin Luther King would have thought had he been alive today 40 years after his “I have a dream speech” the US electorate has nominated (and may elect) the first black man to the office of the presidency of the country.
People don’t need to think too far back to remember a time when racism was so deeply entrenched in the minds and psyche of certain segments of American society that the thought of a black man leading the nation would have been unthinkable and down right blasphemy.
No matter how much one may disagree with US politics and foreign policy, it is undeniable that the nomination of Obama is a testament to the values of free speech, democracy and equality for all, espoused by American society in general.
There are many parallels between the history of racism in the US and the rising militancy/extremism in Pakistan, which makes it insightful for us to learn what we can from the US.
How do groups of people living in the same country become so polarised against each other that it is impossible for them to reconcile and see things from the others’ point of view?
What are the sources and causes of hate indoctrination that prevents people from recognising each other as equal?
What are some of the systemic barriers or official government policies that exacerbate these differences? And, most importantly, what made people’s beliefs change and how did they manage to purge their society from racism to what it is today?
The question of militancy strikes at the very heart of our concept as a federation and, if not addressed properly, may jeopardise the survival of Pakistan as a democratic, forward-thinking, freedom-loving nation with rights and equality for all.
HUSSAIN KAKAL
Toronto, Canada
IT is interesting to see pleas from ‘enlightened moderates’ to leave Pervez Musharaf alone, now that he has resigned. Well, as they say, meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Mr Musharaf has left a formidable legacy of his agents within the government and every organisation in the country. This has resulted in a robust continuation of his policies, particularly regarding the judiciary, Fata and stubborn refusal to do anything about the power crisis.
Why should we leave him alone? Why shouldn’t we hold him accountable for the mental torture and tremendous financial loss he has imposed upon every Pakistani due to his inaction on the power front?
Why should we leave him alone, he who violated the Constitution twice, and allowed Shaukat Aziz and his cronies to forge a false picture of a well performing economy?
Yes, many people are mourning his departure. Usually they belong to the class which benefited from the food crop scams, artificial banking sector uplift, and the stock market frauds that gave the country’s urban centres a false sense of prosperity.
I am at a loss for words for people who think Mr Musharaf is ‘clean’ or was ‘sincere to the country’ while every ounce of physical evidence testifies otherwise.
I have talked to these moderates, who are blind to the carnage of the rest of their brethren in upcountry areas.
They are blind to the fact that the biggest achievement Mr Musharaf could speak of during his farewell address was a few pathetic parks.
They fail to imagine Pakistan going forward without Mr Musharaf. Perhaps it is this type of people Allah calls ‘blind, deaf and dumb’ in the Holy Quran.
TALHA BIN HAMI
Via e-mail
(ii)
THIS is apropos of Rifaat Jafari’s letter, ‘Leave him alone’ (Aug 28). I am surprised to read words of praise about former president Pervez Musharraf.
The writer perhaps does not remember the many disappointing, rather painful, actions Mr Musharraf took, causing not only serious problems for the people but also damaging the image of the country.
Some of the illegal actions include the deposing of the Supreme Court judges and breaking the Constitution. Why shouldn’t he be tried for his illegal actions?
This will give ministers, senators and others the message that they can be taken to task if found guilty or do not perform duty as the nation’s servants according to the Constitution.
NAUMAN KHURRAM
Karachi
THIS letter is about deteriorating classroom manners students display these days. I study at a prestigious medical college in the country but the behaviour of our students here with their teachers shows how insolent students have become.
Clapping, whistling and making noises behind teachers’ back have become a routine affair. Students even bang desks and shout slogans during lectures.
During Islamic Studies classes, they play songs on mobiles and clap while the teacher delivers lectures, which also consists of several verses from the Holy Quran.
Moreover, it is disappointing to see that students who themselves do not take part in such naughtiness, enjoy and laugh on such occasions and are amused to see teachers getting irritated.
Needless to say, many teachers are exasperated by this behaviour and have countless times asked students to abstain from such activities.
If for once all students imagine themselves to be in the teacher’s place, they will realise how it really feels to be made fun of during a class.
Teachers are responsible for imparting education to us and thus deserve a lot of respect.
The job of a teacher is indeed very tough, a point that we haven’t realised, as Donald Quinn rightly said: “If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher’s job.”
It is disturbing to see that parents today spend so much to make their children get the best tuitions and admission in the top universities and yet it’s paradoxical that they are so negligent towards developing their children’s morals and character.
HAMMA HANIF
Karachi
WHEN I saw the list of presidential candidates, particularly those who belong to influential political parties, I was rather disappointed.
In a country like Pakistan where the president is the most important figure as regards control and command of its atomic assets, we should have someone with a mature and composed personality.
Someone who reliably has had political experience as a strategist should have been nominated for president.
Out of these three candidates representing the PPP, the PML-N and the PML-Q, the major parties, I can safely say none of them is fit for the post.
N. KHAN
Islamabad
PIA’s decision to close down the over 30-year-old established flight dispatch centres at Lahore and Peshawar, following the closure of the same offices in London and New York, will end up with more flight delays, with subsequent cost hike following long delays when coordination and on-the-spot decision could save the airline millions of rupees.
Stringent rules set forth by the European Union and the US Transportation Commission officials require airlines to provide accommodation to passengers for long delays, in addition to compensation for passengers when delays occur.
This cost for just one load of a Boeing 777 with 340 passengers on board will be over $200,000 for one day in the UK, since PIA will have to pay for lodging, food, transportation, telephone, subsistence and other related charges.
Flight dispatch is a specialised field where the individual gets a licence after passing a series of written and oral examinations that are much more in detail than the examination that a CPL holder has to clear.
The plan is the brainchild of the present managing director to close all flight dispatch centres, including the remaining two at Islamabad and Jeddah, and to establish a centralised flight despatch centre at Karachi, which will control all matters relating to flight plans, diversions, last-minute delays due to technical, immigration, inevitable unannounced VVIP movements, runway closure, lack of parking space and a host of other factors.
On paper all this can be very reassuring, but the ground realities are very different.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s VVIP flight which was monitored, scrutinised and rehearsed by a host of agencies, including PIA’s top brass, was embarrassingly stranded at the Heathrow for lack of coordination, because there was no trained and experienced FOO Licensed officer present on the scene in London, after the PIA had closed its Heathrow flight dispatch centre that monitored all its European and trans-atlantic operations.
This happened on a day when there was no weather or technical defects and no other factor to blame the blunder for.
Problems that lead to flight delays are varied, but the most common is weather.
A torrential rainfall at Karachi results in breakdown of telecommunications, power outages and the whole system collapses like a house of cards.
For anyone to contemplate establishing a centralised flight dispatch control in a country, which lacks reliable telecommunications and power generation system is plain stupidity and suicidal, if not immaturity and lack of comprehension.
For those who argue otherwise, just note down the glitches in PIA’s computerised reservations and booking system or the inevitable system failures encountered at PIA’s computerised traffic check-in counters.
Political bias seems to be more of a factor, just like the decision of another biased man when they intentionally built a commercial building on the land allotted to PIA in Islamabad, which had been allotted for specific purpose of housing the airlines key offices in Islamabad.
This airline has been hostage to mediocrity that is more involved in conspiracy theories than running a viable commercial airline on sound business logic. Just imagine the chaos that would follow in winter when fog sets in at PIA’s northern main hubs, which account for 80 per cent of revenue and cargo traffic.
Monsoon rains have yet not been over. Delays have become so common that it is no more news, given the tense political atmosphere and rising levels of violence that has marred our lives.
JAMIL A KHAN
Islamabad
THE people of Karachi these days are facing serve tortures as loadshedding has affected their lives badly in every way. As the KESC isn’t able to generate enough electricity as Karachi receives 500 megawatts instead of 980 megawatts from Bin Qasim and 80 megawatts from Korangi power plant instead of 180 megawatt.
Similarly 80 megawatts from the DHA desalination plant haven’t been generated since its coming into operation. The KESC faces 100 to 150mw if the power plants generated in their full capacity but currently it is 600 to 800 megawatts, the KESC engineer reported.
I ask the management of the KESC as to why do always people of Karachi suffer in terms of electricity. The government needs to put their foot down regarding this matter and show results. The situation is getting worse as the days are passing.
Ramazan is near and if the weather will be hot with no electricity, many people may faint while fasting. I would like to ask Minister for Power and Water Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as to why has loadshedding, initially announced for four hours from August, to be reduced to two hours, been planned for the people of Karachi?
Instead of six hours, the loadshedding is now for almost 12 to14 hours.
AHMER MALICK
Karachi
THIS is a letter about helping the disabled people of the world. Has any person asked himself the question: If 10 per cent of Pakistan is disabled, where are those people?
Can anyone see those disabled people just walking around happily on the roads? Well, if we could, it would be much easier to analyse their lives and understand what circumstances they have to live with.
I am sure that if we understood their lives, we would be able to accept these people happily and make them a permanent part of our habitat. This letter is just to remind society that there are disabled people and they should be treated just like we treat each other.
SAMEER RAI CHHABRIA
Karachi
RECENT clashes at Karachi University that resulted in the death of four persons and injuries to 14 others were most unfortunate. These clashes have not only ruined the image of the university but have also given a poor impression of the kind of education students are receiving.
Subsequently, the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, and other institutions were also shut temporarily in the wake of the clashes at Karachi University.
Thousands of parents send their sons and daughters to study at this university, believing that they are getting the best of education but are sometimes greatly disappointed when their wards are killed or injured in bloody student clashes.
We, as a nation, are already far behind in education and such occurrences compel the parents to send their children to private universities or many of the students are forced to drop out.
The university administration should take strict action against such incidents and whosoever is responsible should be brought to justice. This is the only way we can save the future.
M. ZAMEER AHMED
Karachi
I FULLY support the views of Rooha Tariq (O and A level grades and injustice, Aug 28).
Really, this is injustice with good students who are the future of this country. Government authorities should encourage those students who score high grades. There is a need to look into this system and there is a need to revise it.
Here I would also like to mention that the authorities concerned charge huge amounts for issuing provisional equivalence certificates and they say that they will issue proper certificates once they complete the verification process from the relevant institutions from where these students have passed their examinations and this way they take months and sometimes years.
This attitude further frustrates students and their parents. I hope the authorities concerned will look into the matter and do the needful.
BEG
Northern Areas
THE extension until Oct 31 of one-hour time adjustment is not at all advisable because we relax after Maghrib prayers which is 8.30pm and then, after taking dinner, we have Isha prayers which end by 10.30pm. Taravee will be over by 11.30pm, which will be too late.
In such a situation we would not get enough time to spend together with our families as we would have to get up early in the morning. Therefore, we should not extend the time adjustments after Aug 31.
H.R.JAMALI
Karachi
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