| September 19, 2008 | Friday | Ramazan 18, 1429 |
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Living on divine intervention
Misconceptions about ‘LHC’
Some suggestions for govt
Regularising PIA contract staff
PPP on Kashmir issue
ATM working
Concerns about Aafia’s health
No room for VIP status
Sorrow & grief
PTCL service
Winning war on terror
Display of barbarism
Subservient
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
I WRITE in response to Dr Ayesha Siddiqa’s article, ‘The idea of Pakistan’. She has rightly said that religion has not proved to be a cohesive force in our case. The fall of Dhaka was a tragic incident when it was said that the religion-based two-nation theory has been drowned. But there are more than one factor why religion has failed to deliver.
From the beginning of our history we did not invest in religion. It was left to be hijacked. The state did nothing more than include some holy verses in secondary school books and forgot that to build it as a cohesive force they should do much more than that.
The religion that exists today is only a small part of the original which deals with modes of worship where people find more differences than similarities. It was left to be hijacked by the illiterate lot of mullahs who have done every crime in pursuit of their vested interests.
From misuse of blasphemy laws against the minorities to political benefits, we have seen every wrongdoing by them on behalf of religion, latest being the suicide attacks where not even a single voice of condemnation has been raised by religious think tanks.
Most of us do not understand what part of the religion will deliver, only the modes of worship or the potent economic and justice system. If capitalism would have been only a set of prayers, it would certainly not have this much strength. It is the economic part of a system that delivers the most. Regarding equal and just distribution of natural resources and human rights, regarding education which is obligatory for every Muslim male and female, regarding system of justice, regarding system of governance which is undoubtedly close to democracy, we have not done anything.
Religion has been itself left in chaos, so it is useless to hope that it will prove to be some kind of a binding force. I see little reason if we apply democracy in its true form with proper checks and balances, free from feudalism and American influence, we will remain in need of a label of religion.
We will be able to stand in the comity of nations as proudly as anyone. Moreover we, the people of Pakistan, have different religions. Democracy, as it is by all of us and for all of us, does not need to stress on differences more than similarities.
An equal and just distribution of natural resources as well as a true system of justice and democracy will be more than a perk to us. We will undoubtedly offer our prayers and keep fast in Ramazan regularly.
RAI KHALID FAROOQ
Universié Rrançois Rabelais
France
SHAFQAT Ali Shah Jamote, in his article, ‘Living on divine intervention’ (Sept 13), has very wisely discussed the causes of Pakistan’s precarious situation today and pointed out mounting international hatred towards us for various ills, including violation of human rights, exports of drugs, nuclear technology and international terrorism, allowing or abetting extremism, functioning of sanctuaries and terrorism, training camps on our soil.
He further warned of what he calls ‘bizarre scenarios’ from Balkanisation to a turncated state to the complete disintegration of the country.
Although Mr Jamote himself had served in ministerial positions under military rule in the past, we do not, however, know even today his limitations then, nor we know if he had ever put forward any plan, suggestions both economic and political in an attempt to have possibly averted today’s scenario.
Nor does he speak in his article even today of any change in policy plan or socio-economic and political steps to sidestep the likely tragic developments, so ably explained by him.
Praying for the fourth divine intervention to save this country may not help. It is necessary to speak the truth. It is necessary to eliminate extremism and terrorism before it destroys us. Talk of sovereignty will be senseless then.
Terrorism within the country or its extension abroad is suicidal. We should be realistic and see ground realities in the backdrop of today’s international scenario.
In today’ s unipolar world, it is absolutely important to eliminate this evil, if necessary with global or regional cooperation.
After all, many nations have sought aid and cooperation from other nations, as well as from the UN, during their difficult times.
We should ensure complete cessation of cross-border incursions , east or west , if we are sincere in our peace efforts. There should be no hesitation in seeking global or regional aid in this effort.
Once peaceful conditions are restored, all efforts should be diverted towards regional trade and economic cooperation .
That is the only option left today for raising the good image of the country, maintaining its sovereignty and marching towards a social welfare state as envisioned by the founders of this country.
Else, we face the danger as pointed out by Shafqat Ali Shah Jamote and then wait for divine aid, which possibly may have run out this time .
NASSER BROHI
Thatta
THE recently-initiated experiments, using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN, Switzerland, are touted as the biggest physics experiment ever designed and conducted.
These experiments have generated excitement and apprehension around the globe in equal measures.
In my view, the anxiety about the LHC experiment has generated misapprehension borne out of misinformation or misunderstanding. An example of this was provided in the letter, ‘The big bang experiment’ (Sept 14).
As far as it could be gathered, there is a vast amount of knowledge and risk assessment, which preceded these experiments. The LHC website, quoting the LHC Safety Assessment Group (LSAG, a group made of independent scientists), says:
“At full power, trillions of protons will race around the LHC accelerator ring 11,245 times a second, travelling at 99.99 per cent the speed of light. Two beams of protons will each travel at a maximum energy of 7 TeV (tera-electronvolt), corresponding to head-to-head collisions of 14 TeV. Altogether some 600 million collisions will take place every second”.
But the traveling or collision velocity of the particles, in itself, does not make it a ‘dangerous’ experiment (as suggested in the letter) because as LSAG scientists explain:
“The LHC can achieve an energy that no other particle accelerators have reached before, but Nature routinely produces higher energies in cosmic-ray collisions.
“Concerns about the safety of whatever may be created in such high-energy particle collisions have been addressed for many years. LSAG reaffirms and extends the conclusions of the 2003 report that LHC collisions present no danger and that there are no reasons for concern.
“Whatever the LHC will do, Nature has already done many times over during the lifetime of the Earth and other astronomical bodies”.
Indeed, various other physicists agree with the LSAG assessment.
Of course, it is entirely human to be anxious of the unknown, however, as human beings we also possess the capability to seek information, understand and verify it and come to a conclusion of our own.
I would urge your readers to celebrate this unique characteristic of our species: the inherent curiosity that has led us out of primitive existence of our ancient ancestors into the world of today.
None of this would have been possible without the process of scientific inquiry and discovery. The LHC experiment will prove to be another step in uncovering further knowledge about our universe.
A. AHMED
London, UK
OUR country is passing through the worst economic crisis. What the government plans to do to improve the financial condition, we don’t know. However, here are a few suggestions which, if implemented, can help.
— The money funnelled out by our leaders should be brought back and reinvested in the country.
— The size of the cabinet should be kept small. I was shocked to read (Sept 11) that two dozen ministers would soon be inducted into the cabinet. Why? Can the suppressed and battered Pakistanis afford the ministers’ huge salaries with perks? The only reason more and more ministers, advisers are inducted is to indirectly buy their loyalties. This has to stop.
— If our elected leaders want to serve the people — as they never tire of proclaiming — then all the members of parliament and Senate should offer 50 per cent voluntary reduction in their salaries. The prime minister and the president should be the first ones to do so and others must follow suit.
— Now that the government is in place, foreign tours, including the indispensable Haj, will start at the expense of taxpayers. Only the minimum required number of personnel should go on these tours, but no freeloaders, please.
— The VVIP culture must be controlled. When traffic is stranded for hours, because public servants are passing, it results in wastage of time, human energy and the much needed fuel.
— President Asif Ali Zardari has started off well by cancelling the holiday announced by his ‘more-loyal-than-the-king government officials.
— I hope he will give due consideration to the above-mentioned suggestions to save the country from the looming disaster.
PARVEEN SHAH
Karachi
THIS is apropos of Aneela Chandio’s letter, ‘Regularising PIA contract staff’ (Sept 17) . I can under the pain and grief which all unemployed people in Pakistan are facing in spite of their dedicated and hard work and studies.
However, I would like to enlighten her and all those people having the same feeling and understanding that this is not a piece of cake for contractual employees who recently got their job confirmation by just a little movement of pen by the chairman and the managing director of PIA but there is a great and dedicated effort of all PIA contractual employees for this achievement.
You will be surprised to know that hundreds of master degree holders had been working for the last seven to eight years and many others for last the nine to 10 years.
Ninety-five per cent were hired through proper test and interviews whereas a small ratio through political influence.
Nobody can believe that they were getting Rs3,200 a month till 2004 and without any travel and medical benefits.
After 2004, PIA hired them on direct PIA contract and their salary were raised from Rs3,200 a month to Rs7,100 a month with one free ticket per year and still no medical or any other benefits.
I can say with full confidence that these employees are the backbone of PIA and played a pivotal role in this organisation.
HADI MURAD
Rawalpindi
IN his letter, ‘PPP on Kashmir issue’ (Sept 12), Khan A. Shamshad has pointed out the contradiction between Mr Zardari’s recent statement about his party having a clear stand on the Kashmir issue and his comment some months back that it should be put on the back-burner.
Here, I would like to point out that just about every leader and every party claims to follow the teachings of the Quaid-i-Azam.
However, how far this is true can be judged by visiting the roundabout on the far corner of the Quaid’s mausoleum on Sharah-i-Qaideen.
There is hardly 25 per cent of a signboard now remaining that had a saying of Mr Jinnah pertaining to Kashmir on it. The major portion has simply decayed away or been broken by someone.
This didn’t happen overnight but took perhaps an year or more and was pointed out by me through a letter in February.
But neither the previous rulers nor the present ones did anything to restore the Quaid’s saying.
How our politicians will resolve the Kashmir issue, given this glaring neglect, remains to be seen.
K. PERWAIZ
Karachi
I WANT to draw the attention of the National Bank highups towards unsatisfactory functioning of the ATM installed at the National Bank branch in Latifabad No. 8.
A large number of government servants and others who have accounts in this branch have to suffer as this ATM stops working frequently.
It has also been noticed that the machine does not work in the evening or at night. Despite clear directives of the State Bank of Pakistan the ATM does not facilitate the account holders when they need it.
The authorities concerned should take notice of the situation and make sure it should work 24 hours a day for seven days a week.
MOINUDDIN
Hyderabad
IT was very disturbing to read the news that Dr Aafia Siddiqui is now said to be suffering from ‘chronic depressive-type psychosis’ (Sept 13).
Her symptoms are reported to not only include those one would normally expect in a depressed and anxious person but also a hallucination about ‘seeing her daughter in her (prison) cell’.
After her initial examination and the resultant diagnosis of psychosis on Sept 2, she ‘politely’ declined to take any psychiatric medicines. Then she was re-examined on Sept 9 and again given that diagnosis but this time it was termed chronic.
She reportedly spoke through a blanket she held over her head, and speaking ‘politely’ said: “I do not want to kill myself.” Meanwhile her lawyer of many years, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, described the diagnosis as something ‘to be expected’ since she was ‘heart-broken’, a mother separated from her children and then held in prison.
However, according to an earlier report in Dawn (Aug 10), the acting consul-general of Pakistan in New York, Saqib Rauf, and another official from our embassy met Dr Siddiqui presumably on Aug 9 for over two hours.
He told Dawn that he was amazed to see how articulate and clear-headed she was under the circumstances, having inquired after the health of her mother and the political conditions in Pakistan. Mr Rauf said that on the advice of her defence attorney Oliver Gideon, she did not give details about the whereabouts of her children nor describe her travails while in US custody in Afghanistan.
“But she said that she was surprised at the charges against her [about attacking US personnel] and denied them and expected to be exonerated when she has her day in court,” he revealed.
Thus, it appears that she had no signs of mental illness about four to five weeks back and it may also be recalled that her lawyer had said in early August that Dr Siddiqui was in very bad health (physically).
She also thought that a part of her intestines had been removed from which there now was bleeding — signs of injury and an operation were visible on her abdomen, which apparently resulted when the US personnel fired on her torso after her arrest in July.
The lawyer demanded a complete medical check-up and the judge ordered on Aug 11 that the same must be conducted within 24 hours. But, according to a BBC correspondent reporting on Aug 27, it had still not been done.
While the present report quotes the prison warden as claiming that Dr Siddiqui has undergone routine mental health check ups 10 times in August and six times so far in September, there is still no news about her intestinal and other check-up.
Besides, the fact that she reportedly said she didn’t want to kill herself seems to suggest she is having suicidal thoughts, although she has so far resisted acting on them. In those circumstances, it is highly unlikely she could have become psychotic in just three weeks.
So, it is possible the authorities may be giving her some drugs through her food or other means to make her mentally very sick (toxic psychosis) so that she either commits suicide or, during her trial/after her release, is unable to tell what happened to her during the five years she and her children were in American custody.
The Americans must realise that if they go on killing or abusing Pakistani men, women and children, against which anger is mounting by the day, they will soon be faced with a situation where they won’t get any cooperation in their so-called war on terror and will be asked to go home.
Therefore, it is in their own interest to release Dr Siddiqui and her kids immediately and to stop bombing the innocent civilians in Fata and Afghanistan.
A CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
TIME is now ripe for all the Mahmoods and Ayazes to stand in the same row. There is no such thing as VIP status, or a privileged class, in Islam and the much-trumpeted democracy.
It is for the administration from top downwards to join the people and share the sufferings of loadshedding in this hostile weather.
Homes of the people our leaders claim to serve continue to be plunged into darkness but the leaders’ abodes are so well lit that night cricket could be arranged there.
A leader who does not share the sufferings of the people he professes to lead is not worth a penny. Are our leaders worth this tag?
KHAN A. SHAMSHAD
Karachi
IT is highly disturbing to see that in today’s environment of sorrow and grief people are busy as usual in purchases of stuff for the upcoming Eid. I just wanted to share the idea whether the upcoming Eid should be mourned or celebrated normally.
To me, as a gesture of solidarity and signal of unity with all those who are the victims of the ongoing bloodbath in the Pashtun region, directly or indirectly, it’s time we should all cry on the said day.
No one of us may wear new clothes. No one may convey Eid greetings to each other, neither through cards, letters or verbally. No sweets may be offered to each other. This may be widely circulated through the media, personal contacts, mosques and other events and gatherings. Our media friends can help to widely circulate the idea.
Hope friends will respond how this suggestion can be materialised, as we still have enough time to work on it.
F. M. ZAHID
Via email
FOR the past several days I have been trying to activate the ‘direct divert call service’ on my resident number 0244-363572, but have not succeeded as yet.
As the normal time for activation of this service is three hours, I will request the PTCL to immediately activate the ‘direct divert call service’ on my given number so that I may use this service.
WORRIED CUSTOMER
Nawabshah
THIS is apropos of Irfan Husain’s article, ‘Children of 9/11’ (Sept 10). He has truly reflected the state of affairs. In this world of more than 200 nations, our beloved nation is targeted by our own people time and again.
Behind every terrorist plot, the strings can be traced back to Pakistan. In an era where economic progress is the order of the day, we are static, or even moving in reverse.
If the government is sincere and has conviction, it is not impossible to root out the elements that are all out to malign this country.
When intelligence agencies are aware of the names of the would-be suicide bombers, when they leave their abode, how come they are never able to catch them before they commit the heinous crime?
The fact is that we have a substantial number of pro-Taliban or anti-Americans in the ranks and file of our intelligence agencies.
Until and unless these elements are rooted out, we shall never be able to gain the upper hand in this fight against terror.
The case of Rashid Rauf is one proof of our inefficiency and lack of commitment.
Now with the civilian government in power, having all important positions to themselves, concentrated efforts should be made to root out terrorism once and for all.
When allied forces can gain the upper hand in Iraq against the insurgency, why can’t we fight this war, when there is no alternative except winning it, in our own country?
JAFFAR V. NAQVI
Lahore
IT is so common to hear that girls between the ages of three and 10 are getting married.
It all started due to a tit-for-tat tribal war, when long running blood feud was reported by Pakistan human rights activists in western Balochistan, which was resolved by an ancient tribal practice called ‘vanni’, in which feuding clans settled their differences and disputes by exchanging women for marriage, that is clearly illegal in Pakistan.
Even though the Sindh high court outlawed all such ‘parallel justice’ systems, as the government is weak in rural areas so their orders were ignored.
Some action has to be taken against these people who sell their own daughters and should be sent to prison.
Instead of being just rhetoric, the government needs to see that these brutal traditions are done away with once for all.
HAYA FATIMA NAQVI
Karachi
Regarding the headline, ‘President will be subservient to parliament’ (Sept 10) but parliament will be subservient to their party leader.
What a really grandiose arrangement indeed.
RAFI AHMED
Karachi
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