| November 02, 2008 | Sunday | Ziqa'ad 3, 1429 |
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Society and social scientists
People are the real ‘Friends of Pakistan’
National savings schemes
Wasteful expenditure
Travel health insurance
A distressed society
Misusing public money
Kurd’s victory
Intikhab Alam: a soft coach!
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
PAKISTAN officials in Washington told the Post that Pakistan planned to arm Fata tribesmen to fight Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. So far, three lashkars, numbering 14,000 men, have been formed in Bajaur. In Orakzai Agency, tribal leaders have amassed an estimated 4,000 indigenous fighters; an additional 7,000 are said to be enlisted in Dir.
These lashkars will receive Chinese-made AK-47 assault rifles and other small arms. Purchases of these weapons have been arranged by President Asif Ali Zardari during his visit to Beijing early this month (Oct 24).
The insurgency-hit Fata, frontier regions and several settled districts in the NWFP have lately witnessed a new development: formation of tribal lashkars and peace committees to confront militants and expel them from these areas. This development is being projected as a big success of the multi-pronged strategy — referred to as 3-D: Dialogue, Development and Deterrence — adopted by the government to tackle terrorism.
It is being said that tribal lashkars are needed because the people of violence-hit areas want to save themselves from the ongoing military operations and US drone strikes. While the instinct for survival may be one of the factors behind the decision to form lashkars, many other factors are also involved.
Soon after the Oct 10 suicide blast at a jirga in Orakzai Agency, which killed at least 136 tribesmen, all the 18 tribes had unanimously announced to fight militants and expel them from their soil. But as time passed, differences began cropping up, especially among sub-clans who feared attacks by militants.
The earlier decision to form a lashkar had now been delayed indefinitely as some of the tribal elders had been told by Taliban that they were not involved in the suicide attack at the jirga and it was a conspiracy to create differences among them ( Oct 23).
The militants know fully well that their local rivals are in the knowledge of their hideouts and passages. They, in turn, want to spread so much terror that people should think twice before joining tribal lashkars. Some analysts also fear that tribal lashkars may not work for a long time, and there is a possibility of tribal lashkars becoming yet another nuisance in times to come.
Moreover, the NWPF police are also sceptical of these lashkars. Officials of different police stations in the rural circle have expressed reservations over the formation of ‘Awami Lashkars’ and feared that if the law and order situation was not controlled, these volunteer groups in the long run could become a headache for the police (Oct 25).
Lord Curzon, during his tenure as viceroy of British India from 1899 to 1905, had realised that it was quite difficult to control tribesmen of the Frontier. His policies of bringing the NWFP under direct rule of the centre and raising of levies and militia from among these tribes to control them was quite successful, and is still being followed.
Efforts to subdue these tribesmen cost the British a million pounds more than did the war against Afghanistan. In 1919-20, of the 80,000 men taking part in the struggle to restore order to the Frontier, the British-led forces suffered 5,000 dead, 2,000 injured and 5,000 sick. The British eventually withdrew. The Mehsuds never surrendered and never paid a fine.
The Pakhtoons living on the two sides of the Durand line have never considered themselves as two separate nations and no amount of force can inculcate that feeling into them. The anti-Pakistan foreign elements have also taken advantage of this situation and infiltrated the ranks of Taliban, brainwashing local tribesmen.
Once these lashkars are established and their tribal chiefs gain full control, there will be no guarantee that these tribesmen will remain cooperative and loyal to the Pakistan government. But if they start dictating their own terms, these lashkars will then become too dangerous to deal with.
SQN LDR (r) S. AUSAF HUSAIN
Karachi
AYESHA Siddiqa’s views (Oct 31) have endorsed my letter (Oct 24). She rightly expressed that the “social sciences provide direction for the future”.
While living in the 21st century in a global society dominated by technological demands, the need for future planning has become one of the most demanding aspects of any country’s social structure.
The faculty of social sciences has been left entirely on its own, as even the self-finance programme could not be initiated properly due to the stance of the Higher Education Commission that these sciences have very little or no ‘job market’.
Sadly enough, the military regime of Pakistan’s past government supported our Higher Education Commission’s policies at the cost of neglecting the social sciences faculties in all of the public-sector universities.
However, criticism aside, let’s support the authorities for rebuilding a social structure of this directionless society. After Attaur Rahman’s departure, the HEC’s present policymakers are not different. They have been trained to look at educational reforms the way Dr Rahman did.
Therefore, the HEC’s structure itself needs reforms prior to the educational reforms. Otherwise, the practice of wasting valuable resources on foreign faculty, contractual appointments, tenure track systems, insignificant research projects and so on would continue in the same ambitious and experimental direction without making any difference to the country’s social stability.
Thus, the present government’s people-oriented ideology has to be directed towards a better future of this country. This has to be initiated by a comprehensive, longstanding and ideologically sound struggle for proper education, especially higher education.
Ayesha Siddiqa’s emphasis on focusing on public-sector universities is a key towards realisation of this purpose. Private universities cannot produce good social scientists who are interested in the future of this country because they hire career-oriented individuals reluctant to sacrifice their time and salaries.
The existing social scientists working in private universities have not been highlighting social issues of our society. On the other hand, and quite unfortunately, the social scientists in public-sector universities have been greatly discouraged by the HEC’s reformist policies.
In the global situation, Pakistan stands at a crossroads now. Either its autonomy would be buried under the debris of IMF loans, other foreign, and mostly American aid, or it will stand on the strength of its own people and resources to build a nation that its founder Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah fought for against the British rule.
We can’t let the course of events follow their pre-ordained direction. We should intervene and redirect it towards more autonomy of our institutions and the country.
DR ZAHOOR H. BABER
Karachi
OF late the phrase ‘Friends of Pakistan’ has taken on a new colour and hue. The concept was floated to shore up the country’s financial difficulties in the short term.
A group of Pakistan’s ‘best’ friends like the United States, Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, China, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey were put together for this purpose. The group has met only once so far — on the sidelines of the General Assembly session in New York — and nothing has come off that meeting, or in subsequent interactions, in terms of any substantial financial commitments.
The money that Pakistan needs so urgently is nowhere in sight.
Time has come for Pakistan to stand up on its own feet and show that it has enough inner strength to ward off any crisis.
It is both for the leadership as well as for the people to prove that they are the true friends of their country and they don’t need to look outwards.
First and foremost, it falls upon those at the helm of affairs — the president and the prime minister — to display true leadership and infuse in the people a spirit of national ownership. It must be driven home to all citizens that they must demonstrate friendship towards the country by making sacrifices to save its honour and by putting aside political wrangling and other disputes to emerge as a united nation.
An action plan must be immediately drawn up that utilises all internal resources that the country can draw upon without further loss of time. To start with, there should be a small and competent team of ministers and advisers at the top, people who are respected for their patriotism and expertise rather than selected on the basis of political exigency.
The core team must help the head of state and the government in drawing up a plan that calls for stringent economic measures.The political elite and the business and industrialist class should be drawn into the national effort and encouraged to repatriate their foreign accounts to Pakistan, and no accountability should be carried out on the source of such funds. A sincere appeal must be made to the Pakistani diaspora to help the motherland by parking their funds in the country’s banks to help the foreign exchange situation.
Unnecessary and dispensable administrative expenses must be stopped forthwith while people at the mass level should be encouraged to cut down on extravagant spending, pay their dues and practise self-restraint.
If every Pakistani shows true friendship towards the country, there would be no need for the country to hang on to any outside ‘Friends of Pakistan’ grouping for help.
SYED JAWAID IQBAL
Karachi
IN the last budget, the parliament approved two per cent increase in all National savings schemes in order to alleviate the financial constraints of lower, lower middle and middle class of civil society.
However, surprisingly this has been made for only those who purchase the new certificates or those who encash their existing certificates by paying one to one quarter per cent penalty depending on the age of the certificate.
The allowable maximum period for no penalty is four years. If it is less than one year, the holder has to pay one per cent of the total amount of the certificate, and ¾ per cent if less than two years, ½ per cent for less than three years, and ¼ per cent for less than four years, which means a big sum the poor certificate holder has to pay before he gets the new certificate with two per cent increase in the profit. This is most unjust and is only meant to attract newcomers, ignoring the rights of benefit of old certificate holders.
The exercise of encashment of old certificate, paying penalty, issuance of new certificate calls for many, many hours for staff to work overnight to meet the rush of the people. If the skilled man hours lost in this hazardous and time-consuming exercise were worked out in funds to be paid to the employees doing overtime up to the midnight, it would be a big burden on the scheme.
We wonder who is the ‘genius’ behind this ‘novel idea’ to deceive the people saying that the government was very considerate about helping the lower tier of civil society.
In this connection, I have written to the prime minister, with a copy each to the president, the finance minister, the finance secretary, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and the chairman of the standing committee of the National Assembly of the ministry of finance, and waiting for justice that should come promptly if the government sincerely wants to help the lower, lower middle and middle classes who make up more than 95 per cent of the country’s population.
S.M. ZAKERYA KAZMI
Karachi
IT is shocking to know that the DHA, Karachi, is planning to build a multi-billion-rupee ( with foreign exchange component) 15-storeyed luxury building in place of the present Beach View Club, Phase VI, though the present building is in excellent condition.
This is just because there are ample funds lying in the DHA kitty and there is no one to ask any questions for the wasteful expenditure that is going to be incurred when the country is passing through a severe economic crisis and balance-of-payments default.
Even the work on the new GHQ in Islamabad has been suspended indefinitely because of the monetary conditions facing the country and we are unable to repay our loans from the World Bank and the IMF.
This club was forced/created in the middle of a residential area during a military regime without any justification and has created a nuisance for the peace-loving residents of the area.
The club should be relocated to the sports facility, which is in good condition, nearby and the original park restored where it is now. I hope the Corps Commander 5 and the administrator will read this and take affirmative action.
SYED SAJJAD HUSSAIN HASHMI
Karachi
TO obtain visas for Schengen countries one needs to submit travel health insurance. Being a regular visitor to Schengen countries, every time I applied for a visa I had to buy and submit travel health insurance, costing me in the thousands of rupees, depending on the duration of my stay.
However, recently I was pleasantly surprised when my travel agent offered me the same insurance for Rs600. I didn’t believe this, however when checked with the consulate concerned, it was confirmed that they accept this policy from a company by the name of Takaful Pakistan.
What worries me is the fact that in the past the other insurance companies were ripping the travelling public but no one paid any heed to it. If Takaful can provide at this nominal cost, were not other insurance companies able to sell at this price, or is it simply a case of ‘loot’?
HAMZA ALI
Karachi
Kuldip Nayar (Oct 24) speaks of goonda raj in Mumbai by Raj Thakare who has started agitation against North Indian migrants (whose number runs into millions in the city).
I would like to ask him, who will end decades of goonda raj in Bihar which is the main source of trouble?
The politicians and bureaucrats running the government there refuse to provide infrastructure and security for industries to come to Bihar and to provide job opportunities to its youths. For decades it has been taken for granted that, in Bihar, lawlessness, extortion and caste killings will continue while Bihari millions will take refuge in the Maharashtra state for jobs.
With time and with numbers, UPians/Biharis in Maharashtra have become more aggressive and possessive of Maharashtra. When their vested interest in Mumbai seems threatened, Hindi-dominated Indian TV channels have adopted methods that would have put Gobbels to shame and are demonising Raj for token violence against Bihari students appearing for railway examinations.
Their incessant hate campaign has resulted in violent reactions in Bihar by students there in the name of ‘Bihari asmita’ (Bihari pride) asking for death for Raj Thakare and Bal Thakare for stopping their job opportunities in Maharashtra. ‘Asmita’ should be about making one’s own home beautiful, not infiltrating into someone else’s home.
Cities such as Dubai and Sharjah have sprung up in the mist of desert in a matter of three decades giving opportunities to millions of Indians. There is no reason why UP/Bihar cannot develop modern cities and opportunities like IT, BPO, TV industries.
They have land, water, and other resources besides they have talent, skills and hard-working labour.
They refuse to change because they want to keep mediaeval, agrarian and feudal order in tact.
The feudal lords have purposely kept law and order and infrastructure poor in their states. Their rulers and bureaucrats swindle developmental funds and launder their loot in states like Maharashtra while jobless millions migrate. In Mumbai they occupy open lands, roadsides, countrysides and hills to set up slums. This is nothing else but thieving.
The Indian Constitution gives right to settle anywhere but not right to rob, I suppose. Millions live and multiply in filth and squalor, and the state government gives them free houses, many of them in the name of slum redevelopment. This acts as an incentive for more Biharis to come to Mumbai but demoralises local police who cannot aspire for a house in their lifetime.
There is an evil plot by UPians/Biharis-dominated centre to exploit Maharashtra’s land, infrastructure and resources for the benefit of north Indians. The north Indian-dominated centre is now floating satanic schemes such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs), for speedy exploitation of Maharashtra, keeping their own states unchanged.
The IHRC should consider such organised migration as silent terrorism against Maharasthra and intervene. I wish Raj had adopted a non-violent method like stopping all trains going to UP/Bihar, until locals were given proper representation in the railway and other central government jobs and until UP/Bihari politicians understood the true meaning of democracy. He can still do so for the benefit of both, Maharashtrians and Biharis, and for the benefit of intellectuals like Kuldip Nayar who can then sleep undisturbed in their ivory towers.
A MAHARASHTRIAN
India
AFTER his election as president, Asif Ali Zardari had told his party officials serving in various government departments and ministries not to publish advertisements to congratulate him, following the appearance of a large number of these.
The idea obviously was to avoid the waste of public money. However, it is still being seen that some such persons are continuing to publish ads in which the pictures of Benazir Bhutto or the present leaders take up a small or large part of the material, thereby adding to its cost.
It is unethical and also against the directives of the PPP chief for these people to misuse the taxpayers’ money to publicise their accomplishments. Mr Zardari must see to it that this practice is stopped henceforth.
AHSANUL HAQ
Karachi
TEARS of joy filled my eyes on seeing the picture in Dawn of the outgoing president of the SCBA, Aitzaz Ahsan, riding the shoulders of some lawyers, congratulating the newly - elected head, Ali Ahmed Kurd, also being carried aloft (Oct 29)
Both of them, apart from being closely associated with the movement for the restoration of the deposed judges as its fearless leaders, are shown smiling broadly. But what touched me most was that one is from Punjab and the other from Balochistan. If such eminent folks from the provinces alleged to be at loggerheads by some nationalists could have extremely cordial relations, why can’t the other residents of these provinces have similar ties?
If the present government is truly willing to put Pakistan first, it should use the services of these gentlemen to help bring our estranged Baloch brothers into the mainstream. But, a pre-requisite for that is the restoration of the deposed CJP Justice Chaudhry – another resident of Balochistan – and his brother judges, who have still not compromised on their stand. Without that, nobody will be convinced of the establishment’s sincerity.
SHAFI MUHAMMAD
Karachi
AFTER the unceremonious ouster of Jeff Lawson, the Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed Intikhab Alam as the national coach of the Pakistan cricket team.
Immediately after his appointment, Intikhab Alam has lost no time in making it clear that his first priority would be to maintain discipline in the team.
Intikhab Alam had been a manager-cum-coach of the Pakistan cricket team more than once in the past too.
However, he mainly served as manager or coach when Imran Khan was the captain of the cricket team.
In fact, at that time the presence of Imran Khan as a captain made the task of Intikhab Alam quite easier and he prospered under his shadow.
Once Imran Khan bowed out after winning the World Cup for Pakistan in 1992, the abilities of Intikhab Alam as manager-cum-coach were fully exposed and he was found glaringly wanting in maintaining discipline in the team.
It was in his tenure as manager-cum-coach in 1994 when the then captain, Saleem Malik, was accused by Australian players that they were offered bribe by the Pakistani captain if they under-performed in the one-day internationals.
Later on, a judicial inquiry found Saleem Malik guilty and it imposed life ban on his cricketing career.
So, with the benefit of hindsight, one can say that being a weak administrator, Intikhab Alam is not going to deliver or bring about a noticeable change in the overall performance of the Pakistan cricket team.
Rather one is afraid that things might go from bad to worse.
Yes, give him a captain as strong and effective as Imran Khan and he will catch the windfall with both hands.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
(II)
I WAS dismayed over the way the Pakistan cricket team’s head couch Jeff Lawson was sacked.
Why did he have to hear this news on TV? After all, how hard is it to pick up the phone and deliver the news first-hand in a professional manner?
Unlike, Mr Butt, Mr Lawson showed a lot of character when he termed his experience in Pakistan as ‘wonderful’ with no sign of bitterness.
When will we ditch the subcontinent mentality and start doing things as they do in the civilised world?
ABDUL HADI KHAN
United States
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