| September 15, 2008 | Monday | Ramazan 14, 1429 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Sindh police salary increase
And now for the difficult part
American aims
Advice to Zardari
A worldview and US polls
Giving no room to Taliban
Lack of security in Karachi
Income tax returns
Cross-border attacks
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
THIS is apropos of the report, ‘Committee set up to prepare economic strategy’ (Sept 4). The panel of economists includes the same retired and serving bureaucrats and research scholars who frequently contribute through the media.
Some of them like Dr Pasha, Dr Amjad Rashid, Dr Akhtar Hussain, Dr Akmal Hussain and Dr Kaisar Bengali have also been advising the past and the present government, but the common man could not get any economic relief from their research and planning work.
To begin with, scarcity of food items, coupled with their high prices, is the main cause of mismanagement, bad governance and frequent changes of governments, etc. Thus instead of forming such wasteful committees, the government should have adopted austerity to run ministries, departments and other organisations.
The nation needs a shortcut formula to resolve such economic crises as fortnightly increase in petrol, gas, power charges, as well as imposition of various taxes on telephone bills etc.
Moreover, the committee formed does not have any representation of economists, experts and educated people of other provinces. The first aid steps are:
— Since the SBP has decided to increase the bank rate or discount rate, rupee has devalued while the US dollar has shot up from Rs60 to Rs79 within four to five months. This seems a conspiracy against new government at the behest of international agencies. This action of the State Bank needs to be probed and the authorities concerned may be taken to task.
— All non-development expenditure be curtailed by reducing the number of ministers, advisers, consultants, security guards and other formalities. The money thus saved should serve as subsidies in the prices of petrol, gas, electricity, telephone bills, taxes, etc.
— Rural development schemes may be started as in the past no such thing worth mentioning was done. All budgetary funds may be diverted for rural development. A model on the China Rural Development basis may be introduced.
— No increase in any item of daily use be allowed till benefit of the long-term policies is received by people.
— The proposed committee may suggest long-term solutions to the problems being faced by people.
— All friendly countries may be approached for financial help, particularly petrol-producing countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, besides America etc.
— All international borders must be strictly guarded to stop smuggling of commodities.
— The agriculture ministry and its allied departments, research institutes, universities for planning and estimating the total requirement of commodities and imports of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, etc should be streamlined. Agriculture research councils should operate at provincial level to check availability of inputs in the provinces.
— New migration may not be allowed to such cities as are already overcrowded.
— Barren land may be given to landless local people with necessary facilities of credit, electrification, infrastructural facilities, etc.
— Forest land encroached upon by landlords be retaken and the forest department be rejuvenated to grow trees of seasonal fruits like olive, dates, mangoes, apples, etc
— Cooperative movement be restarted.
— Agriculture mechanisation workshops should be opened at all tehsils, and farmers may be trained and provided agricultural machinery on a hire-purchase basis.
— Agricultural credit facilities through banks should be introduced to help all needy farmers.
— Agriculture warehouses and stores be established at each tehsil or union council where farmers can store their grains for good price and marketability.
— At each UC, marketing committees be set up and commodities produced there be sold to bring good prices for the farmers.
— Lead bank scheme may be introduced.
— Rural industrisation is must for the benefit of rural population.
— At the market commitiee all exports and imports of agricultural commodities be arranged and organised.
— Rural electrification programmes may be launched through integrated rural development programme.
— Village aid programme may be reorganised through the USAIDS, UNDP and other international agencies.
— Subsidy may be given on all the items whose price is increasing day by day.
— Water may be provided by artificial way through helicopters etc for cultivation of barren lands.
— Price control should be enforced through auction system at vegetable/ fruit market, as done previously.
DR ALI AKBAR DHAKAN
Chairman
Sindh Development Foundation
Karachi
ALMOST a week ago the Sindh government issued a notification of an increase of Rs400 as special allowance in the salaries of the Sindh police officials. Prior to this, in his last days, the Arabab-led government had increased Rs1,000 in the salary of the Sindh police officials.
The increase was made in a bid to bring the Sindh police officials’ salary at par with that of the Punjab police officials.
Interestingly, on both the occasions, officials from the rank of assistant sub-inspector to the provincial police officer were deliberately neglected and such an increase was made in the salary of constables and head constables only.
This is quite illogical and prejudicial because officers from rank of an ASI to that of the PPO are also employees of the Sindh police and they also work hard for the department.
Admitted that a police constable’s job is difficult and a tough one, but not to take into account the work and responsibilities of other officials is sheer injustice.
Police officers from the rank of an ASI to the inspector are not entitled to TA and DA. They have to reach duty places on their own. They have to attend court, meetings, inquires and similar other government duties at least for three days in a week at their own expense. In these times when commodities of daily use are getting dearer and dearer, one has to face difficulties in meeting one’s needs. Hence, police officials, especially those who solely rely on and believe in honest livelihood, have to face difficulties when they are posted to far-off areas to perform their duties.
Therefore, it is absolutely illogical not to deem their right for the same increase. In my humble and honest view, I state that they have not been considered fit for increase in salary on the grounds that they enjoy perks and kickbacks. In this connection, I would say that as all police constables and head constables who have been found eligible for the said benefit are not honest; similarly, all officials from an ASI to the PPO are not dishonest either. Many of them live hand to mouth.
Similarly, according to the same notification of increase in the salary of the Sindh police officials, a 20 per cent increase in the salaries of officials from peon to the PPO who are posted in central police office, Karachi, has been given. This is also illogical. In my opinion, salary of officials of DIGPs, RPOs, DPOs, SPs (investigation) and other officials should have been done. Do the officials in these offices not work in the government interests?
I, therefore, request the authorities concerned to look into the matter and if my view is found correct, then revise the notification so that no Sindh police officials are neglected and every one of them is given their due and equal right. As discussed above, prejudicial and biased policies give birth to unrest and despondency among other officials.
ZULFIQAR ALI LANGAH
Khanwahan, Naushahro Feroze
THIS is apropos of Zafar Abbas’s comment , ‘And now for the difficult part’ (Sept 10), in which he writes that President Asif Ali Zardari has been exonerated from various charges, like murder, corruption and misuse of authority, and has eventually become the president of Pakistan.
He has been elected head of the state. Now he is held responsible for the present state of the country. The masses have been betrayed by previous governments, but now the whole scenario has been changed. People are aware and understand the psyche of the leaders.
President Zardari has to decide matters prudently. He needs the acumen to handle the prevailing problems of people like loadshedding, unemployment, skyrocketing inflation, poverty, illiteracy and so on. The election manifesto of the slain Benazir Bhutto comprised five e’s, they are: “employment, electricity, economy, environment and education”.
This is a crucial time for the government of Pakistan People’s Party to provide the public with these five e’s.
In an unprecedented manner, the PPP holds all key positions, such as the presidency, the speakership of the National Assembly and the prime ministership. It has to alleviate poverty, it has to decrease the rate of inflation and unemployment, it has to overcome the water and energy shortage, it has to cut the military expenditure, it has to improve relations with India and it has to persuade the Americans not to attack Paksitani citizens.
Above all, it has to seriously address the issue of restoration of the judiciary. Albeit, Justice Itikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has been virtually isolated, but he still enjoys the support of the bulk of the lawyers, intellectuals, civil society members, and is blessed by the families of the recovered persons who were kidnapped by intelligence agencies.
In order to maintain its popularity with the four provinces of the federation, the PPP leadership, especially the party co-chairman and president of the country, Asif Ali Zardari, has to give serious consideration to these problems.
UZMA SHAH SHIRAZI
University of Sindh,
Jamshoro
IN his book, Oil, Islam and conflict, Rob Johnson has observed: “There has been considerable speculation that America’s policy of democratising southwest Asia through expeditionary warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan is not just about neutralising the foundations of extremism, but is really an attempt to restructure the region for two ends. One is to ensure the dominance of American investment in the oil industry, and the second is to create ‘energy security’ for the US (Books and Authors, Sept 7).
“Many responsible Americans, including Alan Greenspan, who retired as the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank last year, have been saying the same thing. The reviewer, Sabih Mohsin, then comments: “Such is the thirst for oil: thousands killed and two countries completely destroyed”.
To this may be added the fact that America wants to remain in the Central Asian Republics and South Asia, in order to encircle China, given Washington’s paranoia about the emerging superpower. For this reason, the US wants the Muslims to keep fighting among themselves, get weaker and the resulting anti-Americanism and strife provides it an excuse to remain in the region permanently.
There are two other factors that have led to the recent intensification of attacks by American drones inside Pakistan and also the first-ever raid by their commandos, all of which are killing dozens of Pakistanis, mainly innocent men, women and children almost every day. One reason for that is the installation of the new government in Islamabad, seen as even more amenable to American pressure, and the other is to prop up the Republican Party’s tough-talking presidential aspirant John McCain, who is expected to largely follow Bush’s policies in the war on terror.
Our political leadership, especially, as well as the military one, must keep these facts in mind when deciding on Pakistan’s role in America’s war and what is really in our national interest. Surely, allowing the American forces to kill innocent Pakistanis or uprooting hundreds of thousands of them by expanding operations in the north, instead of resolving the issue through talks, as desired by the majority, will only lead to rebellion and possible breakup of the country.
ARIF M
Karachi
A REPORT says that President Bush has advised his new Pakistani counterpart to ignore public opinion and do what is good for his country (Sept 10).
It is ironic that the leader of the country which keeps lecturing the world about the importance of democracy is now effectively telling an ally to act in an absolutely undemocratic manner. What the US president is implicitly saying is for Mr Zardari to act on Washington’s dictates, just as Mr Musharraf used to do. By this, George Bush has only exposed his hypocrisy yet again. What is democracy, if not the prevailing of the will of the people?
It is entirely possible that a leader of a country could be wrong in his assessment of what is best for the country. For example, Pervez Musharraf apparently thought that: 1) Imposing an emergency last November was good for the country, whereas even several American officials, including Condoleezza Rice, are on record as saying that was a bad thing to do. 2) The CJP, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, ought to be removed, as also nearly 60 other senior judges. 3) That his continuation in office was in national interest.
Yet another thing was his idea of keeping Shaukat Aziz as the premier, who gave loadshedding and the wheat crisis (by his folly of exporting it) to the nation, among other things. We all know that 85 per cent Pakistanis wanted Musharraf to go and nearly as many want the former CJP and the judges to be restored. The NRO, too, is something most Pakistanis detest. It was by his defiance of the will of the people, fully supported by that enemy of the Pakistanis’ will, George Bush, which has given us some intractable problems.
Therefore, it is in Mr Zardari’s own interest that he respects the aspirations of his compatriots, rather than that of America’s leaders, if he does not wish to meet the same fate as his predecessor.
ABU HAFEEZ
Karachi
AT this time the attention of the whole world is riveted upon the United States due to the forthcoming presidential elections because their outcome will have a significant bearing on the six billion souls who inhabit the planet.
The results of a poll conducted by the BBC World Service (Sept 10) show that most people in the 22 countries surveyed would like to see Barack Obama in the White House and believe that would help improve America’s relationship with the rest of the world.
This illustrates how the world has become like one country and how interdependent the people. The commonality of humanity is becoming more evident, despite the global war on terror and the Georgian and other conflicts.
Looking at it from another perspective, on Aug 30 there was a photograph in this newspaper showing Mama Sarah Obama, the paternal grandmother of Barack Obama, ‘burst into peals of laughter’. This happened when she received congratulatory messages at her home in Kenya after the senator’s acceptance speech for nomination.
A few days later, we heard of another Sarah – Sarah Palin – who was selected as his running mate by Republican candidate John McCain. “How interesting!” I said to myself, as I realised that the Biblical name Sarah is to be found in all the continents. There must be tens of thousands of them in Pakistan, including among my relatives and, countless more amongst the Muslims worldwide. This name is to be found in the Christians, Jews and Muslims, who constitute more than half the global population.
Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to meet a person having the same name, regardless of their religion, race or nationality! There could be few bonds stronger than that. Similarly, Maria is another name that exists everywhere. Among men, Adam comes readily to mind.
Another heartwarming experience that I have had is to see how people from various races can resemble each other physically. During my first trip to the US in the ’80s, there was a German airhostess aboard my plane who looked very much like a Pakistani young woman I knew. In the US, I met a Jewish lady who seemed to be a sister of a distant relative! There also have been a few other men and women like that.
Still more surprises came my way when Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Arabs, Iranians, Indians and Bangladeshis took me for one of their own, with some starting to speak to me in their own language. When I befriended many of these and others, I found that people from everywhere, including the Americans, had hopes and fears, dreams and wishes that were very similar.
In his interview by Time magazine (Sept 1), Barack Obama has expressed comparable views. He said: “The world is really smaller than we sometimes think and the aspirations of the people around the world … really aren’t that different. (Regarding foreign policy) I work from the basis that there are some universal hopes and dreams and fears that people carry with them….”
Given all that, it becomes painful to see the occasionally hostile rhetoric coming from some Americans. Recently, Mr Obama had unwelcome words to say about Pakistan, which are at variance with what his choice for the VP, Senator Joe Biden, has been saying.
As a Pakistani Muslim, I know that the great majority of my compatriots don’t want wars or other strife anywhere. Nobody wants to occupy any country or (barring a few extremists) enforce Islam upon the West. However, they would be happy if their religion could be spread by intellectual means. Likewise, they would resist very strongly if any country violated Pakistan’s sovereignty or independence.
In an interview shortly before getting posted out, the then US ambassador to Islamabad, Thomas Simmons Jr. had observed: “(The ordinary Pakistani) is the salt of the earth – hardworking, honest, not greedy, not wanting power, nor wanting to kill everybody or throw everybody out of government. He wants peace, an honourable and dignified life and a future for himself and his family. He doesn’t have adequate structures, social security, political say” (Dawn, July 19, 1998).
Mr Bush had claimed God wanted him invade Afghanistan and Iraq. In my heart I feel sure God wishes me to love all humanity and promote peace everywhere. When the love of fellow humans regardless of race or religions climbs to my head, I feel very intoxicated!
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
BURNING of schools, hair saloons, video shops, refusing polio drops for babies, saying no to food aid, banning lady health workers all this (and more of the kind) sum up in one world Talibanisation! Who are these people, what is their origin? And, more importantly: what is their agenda?
Is it to keep women clad in shuttlecock burqas, barring them from getting education and jobs? While men roam around holding guns and wearing menacing masks (hiding their true identities)? Or is it something more?
And who is running the show? This whole process cannot be self-sustaining, with all this sophisticated weaponry and hi-tech training. It has to be something more than Talibanisation.
Assuming they take over, are they going to build roads, hospital, libraries, schools, bridges, restaurants, parks: all things needed for a healthy society? Looking at their history it seems not. Instead they are going to throw humanity into darkness with no progress, no education, no contribution to society by women. It’s time we said no to Talibanisation. Our government is doing what it deems right, but we the citizens should campaign against this creeping menace as well. Islamisation yes: where all is well, justice is free and there is a proper infrastructure, but Talibanisation no!
People need to beware of and wake up to this menace, and not let it take over our lives, and make conscious efforts to realise the difference between an all-embracing, progressive phenomenon that is Islam, as opposed to this totally ignorance-based and retrogressive one.
A PATRIOT
Lahore
KARACHI has never been a safe city. However, since the election has been held, the incidence of crime has exacerbated. Random acts of violence are reported on a daily basis and organised robberies have become increasingly common.
An acquaintance of mine was shot over a month ago during an armed robbery and unfortunately succumbed to his wounds. He leaves behind a family which is still struggling to accept the violence that has devastated their lives.
This is a request to the newly-elected government to take the security situation in Karachi seriously and to make a concerted effort to protect our lives and property.
FARAH SHAIKH ALI
Karachi
IN the past, the CBR (now FBR) used to issue guidelines / instructions to the taxpayers through print media. This year neither the income tax forms are available nor have any instructions been issued as yet by the FBR. The last date as usual is Sept 30 for the submission of tax returns.
There is a general tendency among the taxpayers that they usually submit their returns on the closing dates. In view of the holy month of Ramazan in current month and Eidul Fitr in the beginning of the next month, it is suggested that the last date for the submission of tax returns be extended to Oct 15.
In this connection necessary notification should be issued through the electronic and print media at an early date so that Muslims may be able to celebrate Ramazan and Eidul Fitr without any botheration.
S.S.H. ZAIDI
Karachi
APROPOS of the latest US attacks/incursions across the border in Waziristan and their stated policy, two very important factors as to why the nation cannot afford this situation appear to be missing in our internal debates/discussions over the last few days.
First, it could set a precedent for India to conduct such raids/incursions across the LoC in Kashmir whenever it was advantageous for them to do so. Second, disrespecting the Durrand Line would be advantageous to Afghanistan and disadvantageous to Pakistan.
RAFI AHMED
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.
