| November 26, 2008 | Wednesday | Ziqa'ad 27, 1429 |
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The Prince of Kolkata
Pakistan’s standard on sugar quality
RAW and ‘RAAM’
Glaring discrimination
What is going on…?
Urgently wanted: federal ministers
Research in IT institutes
Osama recruitments
War on terror
For the first time
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 your editorial, ‘The great divide’ (Nov 22). You have rightly observed that the government has absolved itself of the responsibility of providing education and shifted it to the private sector and that the education system in Pakistan is in crisis. The education system, although not the only one in crisis, has split society into the privileged rich and the disadvantaged poor.
No doubt our education system is in disarray and needs improvement, but this is only possible by uniformly adopting the syllabi and medium of instruction in all the educational institutions. Command of the subject and good communication skills are essential for effective teaching. But the question remains how a teacher should communicate with his students, in regional languages, Urdu or English?
Many people think that English is the future language of the world and our medium of instruction right from grade one should be English. As a matter of fact, 92 per cent of the world population is not English — speaking. Therefore, English is not the world language, nor is it going to be so. English is, however, the world’s way of communicating inter — culturally just as the Christian calendar is the world’s way of tracking time, Arabic numbers are the world’s way of counting, and the metric system is for measuring. English, in this way, is a lingua franca. A lingua franca is a way of coping with linguistic and cultural differences, not a way of eliminating them.
In Pakistan English has remained the elite language and has created a chasm between them and the millions who do not speak English.
The only language that is understood by everybody from Chitral to Gwadar is Urdu. Thus, Urdu is the only lingua franca in Pakistan. The children will learn easily in the language they understand and when they are sufficiently grown up, they can learn English for their college and university education.
I suggest that the education system should be improved on the following lines:
(a) To set up schools at three different levels, each of five years’ duration. At the primary school level, children should be taught basic subjects like Urdu, arithmetic, Islamiat (basic), geography (district and province) and drawing. At the high school level, English, Urdu, history and geography, civics and Islamiat, mathematics and general science.
From high school, the students would go to colleges to complete their pre — professional and degree - level studies. Those desirous of pursuing Islamic studies would go from high school to recognised madressahs to undertake five — year courses leading to the degree level, to be awarded by a recognised university. Professional and postgraduate studies should only be conducted at universities.
(b) Urdu should be the medium of instruction in primary schools and English should be taught, as a subject, from the fifth class so that the student is ready to learn science and mathematics in English from class nine onwards.
(c) Uniform curricula should be adopted in all educational institutions.
(d) There should be a uniform system of examinations in all the educational institutions.
FAQIR AHMAD PARACHA
Peshawar
THE recent home series against Australia saw the two Indian cricketers Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly finally saying au revoir to their long cricketing careers. If on the one hand Anil Kumble was rightly regarded as a genuine leg spinner who could also bat when the need arose, Sourav Ganguly has had his critics on the other.
As always, the Indian press has gone an extra mile in eulogising the Prince of Kolkata highlighting his record of 21 wins in 49 tests as the best ever by an Indian captain. But the experts of the game never considered Ganguly as a captain who had had leadership qualities.
According to their viewpoint, as a captain he hardly ever rose to the occasion and would not set an example to the boys to look up to him when the chips were down. However, he was lucky enough to captain a side which had some outstandingly good players whose individual and joint contribution led to the success of Indian cricket team.
I think Saurav Ganguly as a captain owed his success much to the performances of stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble, Harbajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Nehra, Irfan Pathan, V.S.S. Laxman, Mongia, Yuvraj Singh and others who excelled in their respective fields and were match winners in their own right.
For their sheer excellence, they would have performed and won matches for the captain whomsoever they played under. In sharp contrast, Ganguly’s own performance both as a batsman or as a bowler, leave alone under trying circumstances, hardly made any difference.
Of course, there is a big difference between a good and an ordinary captain. A good captain is one who inspires an ordinary team to win crucial matches under difficult circumstances. Whereas, some time even an ordinary captain equipped with an exceptionally good team can also come off with flying colours. Saurav Ganguly is a prime example of the latter case.
RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI
Islamabad
This is with reference to the news item that appeared on the business pages, “Pakistan’s standard enforced on sugar quality” (November 24) wherein it has been reported that ‘The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA)’ a cartel of sugar manufacturers has rejected government’s decision requiring their members to implement Pakistan Standard PSS: 1822-2007, on the plea that it is applicable on ‘pharma grade sugar’.
Surprisingly few years back when the country faced the worst ever crisis on account of artificial sugar shortage, created by the mill-owners, the government decided to meet the demand by allowing imports from neighboring India, the same PSMA strongly resisted the imports, on the analogy that Indian sugar is not of standard quality. Now when they were asked to standardize sugar they reversed their earlier statement by defending their product.
The disclosure, that till today people of the country were using substandard sugar, one of the most extensively consumed food stuff, is itself highly disgusting and humiliating to say the least. What have the government functionaries been doing and what has been the cause which took them so long to reach the conclusion that sugar produced by our mills is substandard. Not only does this delay need to be explained, the ill affects on public health by utilizing substandard sugar so long should also be investigated.
The pretext given by PSMA for deferring the notification till Jan, 2010 can not be justified as a delay of even one day will adversely affect the health of the millions. The PSMA may be reminded that the wellbeing of even one individual is more precious than the amount of Rs20 millions to be spent on the import of required equipments. It may be recalled that two years back the same mill owners’ minted colossal windfall profits by raising the price of the same poor quality sugar overnight from Rs18 per kg to Rs35 per kg. Therefore if they have to spend a paltry sum (out of huge profits they had earned) on the installation of equipments in their factories required for refinement of their product to make it fit for human consumption, no exceptional favour is being done to the consumers.
The civil society and the authorities; especially Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is requested to ensure that under all circumstances, the decision of the government for raising the quality to make it fit for human consumption is implemented by the targeted date.
BADAR JATOI
Canada
EVERYBODY knows about RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) — the dreaded intelligence agency of India, but nobody knows about RAAM (Riyast-i-Amoor-o-Amanat-i-Milliyah) — the intelligence agency of Afghanistan.
Earlier in the Cold War era, KHAD happened to be the premier Afghan intelligence agency, which was dismantled when the mujahideen and then Taliban took over.
It is not surprising that the recently-formed Afghan intelligence agency, RAAM, has close similarity with the name ‘RAW’.
It has many reasons: RAAM has been established with the help of Indian RAW — a large number of RAW personnel and agents are working in RAAM, who are providing all kinds of assistance, coordination and collaboration. RAAM is in fact the extension and sub-wing of RAW.
The fact that Afghanistan — which is not part of South Asia — has been included in the SAARC, justifies the Indian designs to extend Akhand Bharat’s domain beyond Afghanistan.
It is now an established fact that RAW and RAAM are actively involved in fuelling unrest in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
This is evident from a report that appeared in a section of the press (Oct22), which says that the three arrested members of a militants’ gang especially deputed by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan — namely Khurram Ishtiaq, Ghulam Mustafa and Shamim — have disclosed that RAW has been funding suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan and that the Indian intelligence agency has funneled Rs680 million through its links with the Afghan secret agency, RAAM.
MARYA MUFTI
Lahore
WE are a strange society and have developed a rather freakish state. We hurry to implement ill considered plans, and even when their futility becomes obvious, we are slow, very slow to throw them out. Our ability to undertake dishonest discrimination is enormous. Let me mention here a proof, if one is needed.
In 1972, the government nationalised privately owned schools and colleges, including 10 which belonged to the Sadar Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Pakistan. Twenty four years later, when great damage had been done to education, the government was ‘pleased’ to offer denationalisation to the owners, conditionally.
The Anjuman Ahmadiyya met all those conditions of the government to get its own schools back. Since then the government of Punjab has returned numerous institutions to their owners, but for unstated reasons have not returned the schools of the Anjuman Ahmadiyya.
The authorities concerned have failed to respond to various reminders, or even to acknowledge their receipt during the last 11 years. Their discrimination and political and administrative grossness is mind-boggling.
Recently in the in camera extraordinary joint session of the Parliament, “It was recalled that in the past the dictatorial regimes pursued policies aimed at perpetuating their own power at the cost of national interest”. Well, it is more than six months now that the new democratic regime has prevailed in the provinces and the centre.
One expects them to return the Ahmadiyya schools in accordance with the government’s own policy, and not regress from doing that ‘to perpetuate their own power at the cost of national interest.”
SYED TAHIR AHMAD
Rabwah
I WAS shocked to see the interview of the former MD of Pakistan Television, Dr Shahid Masood, on a private television channel aired on Nov 23.
He admitted during the interview that while Benazir Bhutto was returning to Pakistan, he was accompanying her. He received a message on his cellphone from former ISI chief Hameed Gul that Benazir Bhutto might be attacked on her arrival in Karachi.
The piece of information given by Hameed Gul proved cent per cent correct. Dr Masood went on to say that Ms Bhutto was also expecting a call from the former ISI chief.
Dr Masood also admitted that Ms Bhutto was in touch with Hameed Gul through Hussain Haqqani, now serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.
Dr Masood also made public that ministers and bureaucrats were involved in financial mismanagements of PTV and how the establishment stopped his TV show after Jamshed Kayani’s interview went on air. Dr Masood also gave the reasons of his resignation as PTV chief.
The disclosures made by Dr Masood are no ordinary information. Our President Asif Ali Zardari wants United Nations to find the killers of Benazir Bhutto whereas sensitive information related to security and murder of Ms Bhutto is available with our own people.
I am very scared since I have watched that programme. What is going on in our country?
M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
THE federal cabinet, currently operating with a small team of 61 members, urgently requires experienced and dynamic new ministers to fill up a large number of challenging assignments lying vacant due to the non-availability of suitably qualified and experienced candidates.
The ministers required are:
• Minister for promotion of vani, karo kari and jirgas. The applicant must be able to show bona fide evidence of his participation in at least 10 jirgas. Knowledge and deep personal commitment to the traditions of vani, karo kari and other similar compensatory mechanisms is an essential pre-requisite.
• Minister for burials and graveyards: This is a sensitive assignment and would require improvement in burial procedures specially relating to those women who are pre-maturely killed for such heinous crimes as wanting to get married to persons of their own choice. Preference will be given to ex-senators and those already serving in provincial cabinets.
• Minister for pointing fingers: This highly complex assignment requires the minister to point fingers during press conferences, typically towards carefully selected journalists, to indicate who should speak next.
• Minister for elimination of wild boars, dogs and other such animals: This ministry is not as simple as it looks. The minister will be responsible to get the unwanted wild boars out of the President’s House and the Prime Minister’s House. He/she shall also be responsible for creating a strategy for elimination of dogs from Khairpur and such other districts, where they are currently being used to maul women whenever ordered by a local jirga. As either the Jirgas or the dogs must be eliminated to get rid of this menace, the government has decided to retain the jirgas and get rid of the dogs.
• Minister for non-religious affairs: We already have six ministers, one each for Usher, Zakat, Haj, Moonsighting, Muharram and other religious affairs. We now need a minister who can point out what is non-religious about all these religious ministries. Candidates who have been earlier allotted free agricultural lands or diesel licences need not apply.
• Minister for unofficial foreign visits: This minister will be full-time responsible for creating reasons, making arrangements, issuing statements and planning yet more official-looking unofficial visits for the president and the prime minister. His task is to keep these two gentlemen out of the country for at least 75 per cent of the time.
Applicants must possess verifiable evidence of skill and excellence in their area of expertise. While a formal degree is not required, a non-recognisable vague qualification such as diploma in ‘education’ from any unknown institution would be desirable. Those with experience of driving around without number plates, participating or presiding over jirgas, wanted by courts or having been in jail on corruption charges would be given preference.
As you are primarily interested only in serving the poor people of Pakistan, your basic salary shall be Rs80,000 a month. Your hard work shall, however, be partly compensated by perks and perquisites, some of which are mentioned below:
a. One Prado/land Cruiser for self and three for staff and family.
b. A monthly foreign trip to observe elections being held in a country of your choice. Additional trips can be arranged depending upon your areas of expertise. These could be leading a Pakistani delegation to an interfaith conference, Kashmir conference, cultural conference, sports conference, or a conference on how to identify where such conferences are being held.
c. Two free ‘Umras’ per year, that include a four nights’ stay in Saudi Arabia in a five-star hotel. All expenses paid.
d. One free bungalow in Islamabad in any sector of your choice
e. Unlimited free travel and stay throughout Pakistan.
f. You may recommend up to 8,000 friends, relatives and well-wishers to receive monthly grants from the Benazir Bhutto fund.
g. You may recommend up to 300 friends, relatives and well-wishers per month to get employment in government organisations. i. Free medical treatment and medicines for self, friends and family. This facility, however, does not include free compensation for any violence that you and your family members may commit against the medical staff of the hospital.
HASSAN PARVEZ
Montreal, Canada
The information technology industry in Pakistan began to nourish in late eighties, when some of the top universities offered some courses and diplomas in computer science. Since then, it made little progress in catering to some of the software related needs for business and strategic issues.
From 1998 to 2005-6, due to the personal interest of the then president Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Dr Ata-ur-Rehman, many IT related institutes were initiated and some new IT parks established. The prime goal of these IT universities was to provide trained IT recruits to the developing IT industry which depended on western technology resources (like data entry and business software) for its business gain and was a weak rival for giant Indian IT hubs.
Since then, the aim of both the government and IT institutes has been to produce a handsome amount of these IT recruits for the IT industry whose volume never increased because its main focus was to get business from the west which had already diverted to the rival Indian side mainly because of terrorism and lack of research.
Now, as a result, Pakistan is producing more and more educated jobless persons in the IT sector every year.
Research is the key factor, which was ignored by these so called IT institutes producing computer users rather than trained self dependent IT professionals.
Once we start developing research based softwares that could be used in the various fields like defense, jet planes, automated vehicles industry, medical science, computer networks etc; only then can Pakistan’s IT industry be made self reliant and more lucrative.
JAMAL AHMAD KHAN
Jhang
BIN Laden’s recruitment-in-chief has been Bush. One hopes that Obama appreciates the reality.
So long as the perception that America is anti-Muslim remains, recruitment by Bin Laden’s and the like will flourish.
A.M. HAIDERMOTA
Karachi
Mohtarma Benazir in her book entitled ‘ Reconciliation-Islam, Democracy and the West’ has dilated upon the present crisis of so called ‘war on terror’ and given her views as “I would assert that the true War on Terror is not between Islam and the West but rather between moderates and extremist forces within the Islamic world. The war on terror reflects intra-civilizational conflict, which confounds and contradicts the thesis of emerging inter-civilizational conflict as the central reality of the post-Cold War world.” She further consolidated her philosophy by writing therein the words like “Applied to Islam, it substantiates my position that the most significant clash of our modern era is not between Islam and the West but rather is an internal fight within Muslim states, between the forces of moderation and modernity and the competing forces of extremism and fanaticism.”
President Zardari has endorsed her philosophy and views in the epilogue section of her book. But the most important question is regarding his position on the subject as President of Pakistan. Does he still hold the same position?
Is he inclined to believe that the present war is an intra-civilization affair and the West is not involved in it? Does he think it is a conflict within the Islamic States between moderates and extremists or it has mechanics transcending the Muslim borders? Will President Zardari explain his position on this important issue facing the nation?
RAIS KHAN
California
PRIME Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said recently that “it was for the first time that the leader of the opposition had been made the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee”.
This does not subscribe to the truth. It may be pointed out that during the Ayub era in the mid-60s Nurul Amin, then the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, was too appointed the chairman of the aforementioned committee.
In the same issue of the paper Babar Awan, minister for parliamentary affairs, while defending in the National Assembly the holding of the party office by President Zardari said that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah continued as president of the Muslim League after becoming the Governor-General of Pakistan on independence in 1947.
It is absolutely incorrect. The Quaid relinquished the office of the president of the Muslim League immediately after presiding over the last session of the All India Muslim League held in Karachi soon after Partition and was succeeded by Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman. It need not be mentioned that in a parliamentary democracy the president is head of the state. He represents the unity of the state and is supposed to be above party politics.
R. R. ALVI
Karachi
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