| October 23, 2008 | Thursday | Shawwal 23, 1429 |
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Credibility of TV channels
In-camera session
Seeking IMF help
KESC tariff
No payment, please
Naming a road
Benazir Bhutto chair
Making a defence pact with China
Hand or grenade?
Govt must come to people’s rescue
Appeal to president
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
THE die is about to be cast or so we are led to believe. As the run-up to the American presidential elections enters its final phase, the world waits with bated breath to witness its outcome.
Faulty ballot papers, incomplete voter lists and tampered results are familiar experiences in the case of Pakistan. They are not in the case of the United States. After all, the US is the flag-bearer of democracy and freedom in the entire world — of course, the fact that it is a self-proclaimed leader is another story altogether.
We have for long vented our ire on feudalism and on politics being a family affair in Pakistan. Ironically enough, what went on during the US presidential elections in the year 2000 would put the feeble attempts of our politicians at keeping power within the family to shame.
Independent observers have always monitored our elections. However, when it comes to Pakistan, the stakes are neither as high nor the price too great, so we have been drugged into complacency and have let our rights compromised. The US elections, on the other hand, will not only play a decisive role in the lives of the American nation but will shape the destiny of each of the six billion plus people who inhabit this planet. Right now is thus a pertinent moment to question and ensure the transparency of the entire electoral process.
The election of Bush Junior to the office of the president for the first time was riddled with controversies. Allegations of fraud in the state of Florida were conveniently hushed up in order to pave the way for George W. Bush’s victory. Voters of African American descent were declared ineligible to vote on flimsy grounds by courtesy of the backing of the then governor of Florida, Jeb Bush.
Readers will recall the investigative segments run by the BBC during that time to reveal how thousands of voters, largely black, who turned up on their respective polling stations were asked to go back. The Times Magazine also ran a story on how overseas ballots were tampered with to give Bush an edge.
Recounts were marred by allegations of biasness of those presiding over the hearing — so much for an independent judiciary. More interesting, although seemingly unbelievable, was the flaw in the design of the ballot papers which, according to some reports, made it impossible for voters to distinctly mark their chosen candidate.
The above only serves to illustrate the fact that the results of the American elections should not be taken at face value but should be viewed with scepticism. It also serves as a reminder that in America, it is not the people but giant oil-guzzling and dollar-minting corporations which shape the political future of their country and also that of the rest of the world.
Giant companies fund outrageously expensive election campaigns in return for self-serving goals. Most politicians have vested interests in these corporations. The American nation has been lulled into a false sense of insecurity in order to camouflage the activities of these giant conglomerates which seek to multiply their economic wealth by cementing a political foothold. The American nation has already been fooled. It is imperative that the rest of the world undertakes proactive measures to avoid a similar fate.
In order to protect our freedom and to safeguard our lives, we and not the American nation need to demand independent, free and fair elections in the citadel of democracy, the United States of America, because we stand to lose much more from the outcome than they do.
AYESHA ARIF BAWANY
Karachi
AS an average Pakistani with no means of entertainment I watch TV regularly, thinking I will not be robbed staying home, I was wrong.
Most Pakistani TV channales are just churning what is not truth. I have numerous examples to quote from Pervez Musharraf’s going to Turkey and change of Punjab governor to the non-sighting of Shawwal moon and to the safety of Benazir Bhutto.
All these were telecast by some of the channels, they all proved wrong.
The most agonising one was that of Benazir Bhutto being safe and alive even though sadly by that time she had died in the lap of Naheed Khan.
Indeed Pervez Musharraf still demands credit for allowing mushroom growth of so many channels, it boomeranged on him and played its part in his resignation.
Hence anti-Musharraf campaign could find some justification but what about the false breaking-news stories regarding Benazir Bhutto and sighting of Eid moon, both were wrong.
In my view the irony is top print media journalists have become TV anchors, including some journalist leaders, they demand freedom for print and electronic media day and night but they utter no word when TV channels issue baseless breaking items and wrong news.
Is there any justification for them to test viewers’ patience and make their lives miserable?
Recently one channel broke the news of bomb scare in a city school and demanded credit for it. My own niece is a student of that school.
I can’t describe how my sister went crazy for her eight-year-old daughter on learning through that channel, she almost fainted and was rushed to a hospital. Later she came to know it was a hoax.
Are there any rules of the game for these channels or it is free for all. This is no press freedom, sir.
I demand owners of newspapers, since they mostly own TV channels as well, to bring sanity and decency in their news system.
I watch various regional and international channels but I never find any such waywardness as I witness on Pakistani electronic media.
What is wrong with them? What is their agenda, what do they want to achieve by projecting this poor rudderless country in such a way?
Is this mad race for breaking news truly justified? Aren’t they wittingly or unwittingly promoting extremism by describing simple terrorists as illegal immigrants or ‘shidat pasand’ or ‘askariat pasand?
Is there any codes of ethics for them, will any judiciary ever take notice?
Indeed there are a few notable exceptions and I mention Dawn News as among the few that avoid churning out false breaking news.
Lastly, is it a breaking news at all if Asif Ali Zardari is going to his house or Nawaz Sharif is inspecting his farm? Or some minister is on his way to some briefing? Come on, show some maturity.
YUSUF KHAN
Karachi
THIS is apropos of your editorial, ‘In-camera session’ (Oct 19). I wish that the editorial had roughly treated those who by remaining absent continue to flout their oath and commitment.
The decision to hold an in-camera session of parliament, to brief the MPs about the ongoing operations in the north and its connection with suicide bombing, is commendable.
We expected that everyone would rise to the occasion and come up with an agreed policy.
It was, however, disgusting to note the lack of interest demonstrated in the proceedings by most of the MPs who chose to remain away from the important meetings of parliament.
I would not blame them for their lack of conscience as the blame fairly and squarely lies on our shoulders who have been found to be a poor judge of men.
We cannot and must not allow our MPs (not all) to persist in their indifferent, callous and highly irresponsible attitude, towards issues of high priority and importance.
We have not reposed our confidence and faith in them to flourish without contributing, enjoy perks and allowances and be paid on holidays at the expense of the taxpayers. Under the circumstances, they are an avoidable burden on the exchequer.
In order to ensure that the MPs regularly attend the full meetings, the following measures are suggested:
1. Speaker, at the end of periodic sessions, should arrange to have names of those MPs published in the print media who had failed without sufficient cause to attend at least 80 per cent of full meetings.
2. Perks and allowances, etc., for that period be denied to them.
3. Those who fail to attend 80 per cent of all meetings during this year, without sufficient cause, be disqualified and not allowed re-election.
I am confident that the members would be regular in attending the meetings and whips would also ensure, for fear of losing numbers, that their members do not abstain and shirk their responsibility.
BRIG (r) KHAN A. SHAMSHAD
Karachi
THIS is apropos of a news item which asks whether Pakistan has requested the IMF to bail us out. To me, if true, this news comes as an immense relief.
I have been advocating for the past six months that Pakistan should ask the IMF for help before it is too late and the economic situation gets out of hand. In advocating this course of action, I was aware that it would not gain me many friends. IMF conditions are tough. They are perceived to be anti-growth and anti-poor.
The debate whether these perceptions have any basis in fact can go on endlessly and it is not my intention to enter into it here.
The simple fact is that a country in economic trouble, which is unable to finance its deficits, must reduce them.
In other words, the country must adjust. In doing so, economic growth often suffers.
That is the price one has to pay for conducting economic policies in a cavalier and irresponsible manner.
A second reason for being relieved about an IMF programme is that it puts to rest this dangerously naive notion that our ‘friends’ are going to give us a lot of money for nothing.
No donor, bilateral or multilateral, will lend money to Pakistan unless it is assured it will be spent well and in the context of some sort of coherent economic adjustment programme. The IMF typically ‘catalyses’ external resources. Once an IMF programme is in place, official aid donors will step in to finance it, assured that there is a good programme. The private sector also contributes to financing in the form of reverse capital flight, portfolio inflows and foreign direct investment.
It is a matter of great regret that we have wasted precious time, hoping that the standard route of adjustment and financing can be turned on its head and replaced with our innovation of financing and no adjustment.
In the meantime, the economy has continued to deteriorate so that the adjustment needed will have to be more drastic than if we had acted earlier when our deficits were smaller. Growth will suffer more as adjustment bites harder. But then there is always the IMF to blame it on.
DR MEEKAL AZIZ AHMED
Virginia USA
THE unfair tariff increase by the KESC after the reduction in oil prices by around 50 per cent has been roundly criticised by the central executive committee (CEC) of the Defence Society Residents’ Association (DSRA), the only elected body representing all the residents of DHA, Karachi.
The following is the resolution unanimously passed by all the members of the CEC:
We, the residents of the DHA, Karachi, demand:
1. Nepra’s recommendation to the government and the subsequent notification by the government and/or the KESC to allow the increase in tariff is declared null and void.
2. Due to abject negligence in the welfare of the citizens of Karachi shown by the private owners of the KESC, evidenced by absence of any investment as well as very poor performance by the KESC since its privatisation, the KESC must be taken back by the government, till such time that an experienced utility company with deep pockets shows interest in running the company.
3. There should be total transparency in any future privatisation process, and all past and present agreements made by the government must be made public.
4. Residents must not be billed on an ‘average’ basis, unless they specifically request to be billed as such, as incidents of fleecing by the KESC have come to our notice.
5. A special court should be established at the divisional level where customers could file cases against the KESC for claiming compensation for electrical items which have been damaged due to high or low voltage.
ASAD H. KIZILBASH
Honorary General Secretary, DSRA
Karachi
This is apropos of the letter by Shahid Salim on Oct 17. I personally appreciate the idea that he has presented regarding the non-payment of dues when there is no work in the assembly.
He was specifically referring to the proceedings of Oct 13 that were held to condole the death of Nasrullah Khan Bijrani. According to Mr Salim, it will save a total of Rs2 million to the exchequer. I will like to go a little bit further to this.
I suggest the members to work for free in view of the financial crises that we are facing in Pakistan today. Saving Rs2 million a day will benefit the economy greatly. Wake up, legislators!
Help the nation. It needs your services and help. Don’t make the poor people of this country even poorer.
MRS S. KHAN
Doha, Qatar
I HAVE had the pleasure of visiting Islamabad recently. I was surprised to observe that the link road between Sharea-i-Kashmir and Sir Syed Road has been named after ‘Faqir of Ipi’.
This man created a lot of turmoil in the Fata area during the years 1948-1949. I see no justification for naming an important road after his name.
In the Frontier Province if there is any name to be honoured, that is of Khan Abdul Wali Khan. May I state that I am not a Pakhtun and I have nothing to do with the ANP. Will somebody at CDA headquarters please clarify as to what was their criterion for naming this road after a person who at that time was addressed as an enemy.
PROF KHALID HASSAN MAHMOOD
Karachi
APROPOS of Akhtar Mirza’s letter (Oct 13), it is further added in this regard that in 2003 I had suggested to Benazir Bhutto through email that a chair on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto may be established in SZABIST where regular studies on various aspects of his personality, such as Bhutto as a man, as a leader, as a politician, as a writer, as a teacher, as an educationist, as a philosopher, as a phychologist and as a socialogist may be conducted.
Consequently, Ms Bhutto asked the director of SZABIST to comply with this proposal and suggested to him to engage me for this assignment.
The director, instead of establishing the proposed chair, wrote me a letter to conduct the same on Z. A. Bhutto as an independent study for their MS and PhD programmes.
I first of all suggested them for a permanent seat at the SZABIST Research Centre with necessary office accommodation as the study on the various aspects of Z. A. Bhutto needed many lives to work and work on it.
Secondly, I also suggested them that the methodology of such study would be based on information to be collected from various publications, personal interviews of the high-calibre personalities and his close friends and relatives, eminent writers, authors, professors, politicians, etc, of national and international repute, but the authorities in SZABIST did not agree and they wanted to compile the study based on only the published material and literature on his life and personality. I completed and presented the same in their conference after six months. The study comprised his life as a part I, and I suggested the SZABIST to continue the same on various aspects of his personality as part II.
The SZABIST authorities did not want to let it continue as part II. Now, I fully endorse the views of Altamash Qureshi, Dr Kazi Khadim Hussain and Mirza Akhtar vide their letters published on Oct 4, Oct 11, and Oct 13, respectively, with fresh suggestions to the SZABIST authorities to make their hectic efforts to get the joint chair on both great leaders, i.e. Z. A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, established in every Pakistani university, as well as in international universities, with the provision of necessary initial funds to them and conduct regular studies on the various above proposed aspects of their personalities.
DR ALI AKBAR DHAKAN
Chairman,
Sindh Development Foundation
Karachi
PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari’s official visit to China at its end ran short of a most strategic need of the time, a defence pact with China and desirably immediately followed by joint military manoeuvrings.
All economic measures considered and documented during the visit though are significant, yet they are meaningless if they cannot be delivered in all the areas of Pakistan.
For example, any economic plan cannot be taken up in Northern Areas under effect of engagement of Pakistani forces with tribal militants who in retaliation are bent upon devastating the development plans.
The basic reason for tribal insurgence is American intrusion into Pakistani territory, each time killing 20 to 30 inhabitants of the area for which Americans have now stopped even saying ‘sorry’.
This cannot be condoned. It is time Pakistan asked US and Nato forces to keep off the area and instead share intelligence information with Pakistani forces which may effectively carry out a search and arrest operation at that spot selectively to avoid killing of innocent civilians.
Let the Pakistan government tell the US that its cooperation can work only on these lines and let Americans and Nato forces confine themselves to the Afghan territory.
When Pakistan calls China its true friend and benefactor, there should be no problem for Pakistan in proposing to China a defence pact which may guarantee Pakistan’s internal and border securities so that the economic plans may be conveniently carried out.
M. M. KHAN
Karachi
A PHOTOGRAPH on page 3 of the Oct 15 issue of Dawn shows Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Maj-Gen (r) Mehmud Ali Durrani good naturedly extending his hand for a shake by his Indian counterpart, M. K. Narayanan, during a visit to New Delhi.
However, Mr Narayanan, instead of responding spontaneously, has kept his own hand down and appears to be looking at Mr Durrani’s, hesitantly.
One wonders if his suspicion made the gentleman contemplate whether it was a hand or a grenade that the guest from Pakistan — who is also supposed to be an old friend of Mr Narayanan — was offering?
NASEER AHMED
Karachi
ON Oct 16 a woman, Ms Hajran Shar of Aadho Shar village, Mahota area, Larkana, drank pesticides and committed suicide because she had no flour to prepare meal for her hungry children.
When her husband, a donkey-cart driver, was not able to procure flour, she could not bear the thought of her already hungry children going hungry for another night. She paid a high cost for living a life of poverty and despair.
This is only one example of such a dismal situation that almost every member of this unlucky society has to face. There are hundreds of families that live worrying about two square meals a day.
The victim did not kill herself because she did not possess luxurious things or she was deprived of cars bungalows or jewellery. She committed suicide because she yearned for some food to feed her children but did not get it. Food is the right of every human being, but it still remains a dream for millions of people living in this country.
There is not a single day when we do not read news about suicide in newspapers. The hopeless people find no respite from their problems and end up committing suicide. The majority of such oppressed people lives in rural areas that are very much neglected in every sense of the word.
It is time we seriously dealt with such human rights, especially in our rural areas. The government must come to the rescue of the people by initiating programmes to eradicate poverty and despair and gloom from the midst of the people.
KAMRAN AHMED
Sukkur
THIS has reference to a news item (Oct 16) regarding the resignation of the renowned scholar and poet Iftikhar Arif from the post of chairman, Pakistan Academy of Letters. Also, a few days ago Dr Atta ur Rehman resigned from the post of chairman, Higher Education Commission.
It is a matter of deep concern for the public at large because the two during their tenure had made laudable contribution to their respective departments. Dr Atta ur Rehman brought revolution in the IT sector and education, while the performance of the Academy of Letters was at its peak that every Pakistani is aware of.
At a time when Pakistan is in the grip of an economic crisis, while internal and external threats have encircled us, a move to sidetrack such prominent personalities is like letting the country down.
I request the authorities concerned to leave undisturbed those who have been working for improving the image of Pakistan.
I would request President Asif Ali Zardari not to accept the resignations of the two chairmen mentioned above and allow them to work smoothly.
SHAKIR ALI SHAH
Karachi
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