| December 15, 2008 | Monday | Zilhaj 16, 1429 |
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Reckoning time for HEC
A ‘unique race’
Big pharma and physicians
Deteriorating services
Mobile phones
Open letter to Barak Obama
Pakistan khapay
Removal of illegal barriers
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
ON reaching Islamabad right after her visit to New Delhi, Dr Condoleeza Rice has said that enough information was available (to Pakistan from India) for acting against the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks (Dec 5).
From what has been forthcoming from various quarters in India, the ‘information’ is scanty and conflicting. First, the name of the arrested terrorist is sometimes stated as Ajmal Amir Kamal, sometimes as Azam Amir Kasab. If the Indians aren’t even aware of his correct name, how can they or anybody else expect to investigate his place of origin and other details?
Second, the name of his native village is reported to be Faridkot in south of Pakistani Punjab. However, no official or journalist over here has been able to confirm that. Third, the BBC had cited a chef working in Mumbai’s Leopold Café as saying that six or seven terrorists had consumed alcohol over there just before launching the attack. This totally rules out the Lashkar-i-Tayba or other such extremist Muslims because they would never drink (letter, Dec 1).
Fourth, another story quotes the Indian Express as saying that the militants may have been using drugs because there was no trace of food in the stomach of one whose autopsy was conducted recently. If true, this would again rule out fundamentalist Muslims.
In addition, on the one hand the terrorists are said to have arrived in Mumbai in a boat just before the raid began, on the other various reports speak of their having rented apartments in the city after posing as Malaysian students and using Malaysian addresses (Dec 4). A more recent report in the electronic media talks of the men being from a Bangladeshi jihadi group (Dec 5).
From all of the foregoing, it is evident that the information is neither sufficient nor reliable. It was dished out rapidly possibly to cover up the failure of the one dozen or so Indian intelligence agencies to prevent the attacks and to seize the opportunity to make Pakistan the scapegoat, thereby killing two birds with one stone.
Therefore, Dr Rice’s statement seems rather ill-founded and was perhaps meant to pressure Pakistan.
This is how people treat their subordinates or servants, not friends or allies, and is regrettable. Instead of asking Pakistan to work on crumbs of flawed information, she should have asked India to provide better inputs, if it has them. Ironically the very latest news is (BBC, Dec 5) that the new Indian interior minister has acknowledged that the Mumbai fiasco resulted from a lack of security and failure of intelligence agencies.
AHSANUL HAQ
Karachi
(II)
WHO exactly carried out the dastardly carnage in Mumbai has yet to be determined and proved, but India is pointing fingers towards Pakistan. India’s allegations notwithstanding, our government is perceived to be hedging around and is not coming out with solid befitting response to satisfy the people.
Whether Pakistan (read GoP) was doing enough to combat terrorism, but assuming it was, is not being voiced strongly and transparently. Pakistan appears to be on the defensive and this is not giving confidence to the common man.
The recent national security meeting of all parties appeared more a cosmetic treatment as neither the prime minister nor the president spoke to the people directly to allay their fears and concerns.
We all know that our society contains people who love to kill people to attain the licence to trek the path to paradise. The number of suicide attacks within Pakistan prove the point. What measures the government is taking against these people who have been brainwashed to kill in the name of religion is also vague. In such a situation can Pakistan ever think of achieving the goals of poverty alleviation or universal education or the progress and prosperity of its teaming millions?
This is our side of the picture; however, there is much that the government of India and its people can do to avoid extreme steps on the basis of unverified evidence. We, the people of Pakistan, appeal to the people and the government of India to ensure that the extreme religious sentiment in their country are restrained and finger-pointing at Pakistan is avoided. War has never been a solution to any conflict, let alone a war between two countries equipped with WMDs.
The people of both sides and their governments should work hard to narrow the divide which is disadvantaging both the countries.
SYED ABU KHALID
Karacchi
Apropos of Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy’s critique on the Higher Education Commission (HEC) “Reckoning Time for HEC” and Dr Sohail Naqvi’s rebuttal as “Finding Faults with HEC”, I believe that with a neutral point of view one cannot help assessing the magnitude of contentiousness in both articles. Whilst, the pertinent question that looms high over the Pakistani nation is how best to utilize resources to optimally achieve the seemingly utopian Millennium Development Goals-one of which is education-with obvious linkage to the question of legitimacy of the presence of HEC in a country with exceptionally low literacy ratio, a certain worried proportion of the nation (the ones privileged enough to attain a certain minimal level of education and the ones obviously living above the poverty line) is instead juggernauted to indulge itself in sophisms, examples of which I purport to accentuate in the succeeding paragraphs.
Regarding the effectiveness of the Tenure Track System (TTS), Dr Hoodbhoy believes that TTS has done more harm than good, Dr Naqvi draws a defensive rebuttal by accusing Dr Hoodbhoy to have initially supported the system. If he is trying to challenge Dr Hoodbhoy’s rationality by relying on the transitive preferences as an axiom of rationality, then he should take up the cause on a more personal level with Dr Hoodbhoy rather than on national level.
A better argument would have been founded on analyses of the TTS in terms of long-term gain versus short-term loss or vice-versa. Common sense dictates that offering good salaries in the public sector universities can lure dedicated and qualified teachers. However a flip-side evaluative technique, can deem the TTS as counterproductive if a proper monitoring regime is not employed to see whether the seemingly competent teachers/professors employed are not shirking and achieving the goals and targets set out for them, ideally by the HEC. Therefore what is needed was perhaps a scientific, empirical approach to apprise the TTS which could have elements of validity and reliability in deducing whether introducing competitive wages in the education public sector in Pakistan positively affected student outcomes.
One gasps in disbelief and earnestly pleads for Ad Veracandiam when Dr Naqvi writes ‘Dr Hoodbhoy…alongwith seven of the top 10 physics researchers…though not in the ranking’ (Finding Faults with HEC). This is a classic example of a statement deliberately formed with a negative connotation to cause malice to another’s éclat.
Trivial arguments as an attempt to digress from the hard-core real issues are now failing to impress the nation which is increasingly letting loose from naivety with the liberation of media and the realization of the concept of a global village. The need of the hour for the members of the HEC is to establish best practices for the HEC and to practice pre-policy-implementation practice vis-a-vis analyzing the possible implications of curtailing the budget of the HEC as a random measure.
SYEDA ZAINAB SABZWARI
Lahore
WITHIN a fortnight after the Mumbai mayhem, the relations between Pakistan and India at the diplomatic level have become fairly tense, to say the least.
However, a ‘very unique verbal race’, amid all this development between the two nuclear-armed countries, has also emerged.
The Indian government’s top officials, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Interior Minister P. Chidambaram, have been blaming Pakistan for the Mumbai incident, without sharing any concrete evidence with the Pakistani authorities (a point also underlined by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi lately).
On the other hand, some of Pakistan’s official authorities have been issuing ‘excessive’ statements of friendship, with very few signs of due care towards national dignity.
Please wait, there are some other ‘contenders’ too in this ‘race’.
According to a recent news report (Dec 13), India’s Sports Minister M.S. Gill, while completely disregarding the international norms, has strongly opposed Indian cricket squad’s forthcoming tour to Pakistan.
It is pertinent to mention here the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt was in Chennai when this news story surfaced.
The minister has said that it is not the right time to play cricket with Pakistan when “people from their soil were indulging in mass murder in India.”
He, according to the report, further says: “Is it possible for one team to arrive in Mumbai and indulge in mass murder, and have another team go and play cricket in the winter afternoon sun at Lahore, immediately after?”
Again, look at the highly contrasting stance of Aftab Jilani, Gill’s Pakistani counterpart (according to the same report):
“Cricket has a huge popularity in both countries and it will help ease out the tension if the Indian cricket team tours Pakistan. I can only say that there’s still a ray of hope that Indian cricketers would tour Pakistan.”
Seems eagerly requesting, in this ‘race’, the Indians to come to Pakistan and ‘honour’ them.
Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar (Dec 12 report) has termed the impending series between the archrivals ‘impossible’, citing the Mumbai fallout. However, again a few ex — Pakistani cricketers, very surprisingly, appear to be more than zealous to play against India while ignoring the vital aspect of national pride.
If words like ‘mass murder’ fail to shake the ‘ultra enthusiastic’ Pakistanis to withdraw from this ‘matchless race’, then where it will end. Think.
S.M. IBRAHIM FAROOQI
Karachi
A SERIES of letters have appeared in this column on the above subject; the last one from our very worthy Prof. Azhar Farooqui who apart from enlisting the previous correspondences, has very succinctly analyzed the overall world status regarding this important debate (Nov 30).
The debate, so far, has revolved around ‘big’ pharma companies giving away gifts and ‘bribes’ of foreign trips to practicing physicians. Through one letter a worthy professor of medical ethics morals may have unwittingly made things worse by providing information that ‘Umrahs’ are part of this ‘bribery’ (if I may dare use this term). It is possible that from now on some physicians may demand ‘Umras’ in return for their ‘services’.
Some writers have been rather harsh in their comments; one even gave away the name of a pharma company, which was in utter distaste for at least some readers. A judgmental verdict of putting the blame solely on pharma companies is not correct because no one talks about the other side of the story. I hate to add that one may encounter a very sordid state of affairs in the field of medical ethics and morals.
To the good luck of most physicians, the majority of the public at large still view them as ‘angels’ with haloes around their heads who, after taking the Hippocratic oath, can do no wrong. Others consider them as ‘merchants’ who exist only to make money, while even a fewer accept them as ‘average’ citizens of a society where ethics and morals are getting highly challenged.
The ground reality is that like all other professions, the doctor community would also fit into the same Gaussian Curve; with the best at one end, the worst at the other, with a ‘swayable’ majority of 80 percent which lies in the middle; some ‘feeble-minded’ in this group being more amenable to bribes, foreign trips and ‘Umras’ etc. It is not very difficult to fathom why we are in the present situation. Everyone knows that an industry is set up only with one target i.e. to make profit, so why consider the pharma industry to be any different?
However, it is hoped that since it deals with health diseases, it has built-in safety mechanisms with an additional optional ‘humanitarian’ component, which fortunately some of them indeed do. It is an established fact that the world over, nearly all medical conferences are heavily funded by the pharma industry.
In fact without their support very few conferences would ever be held. The onus of how the physicians utilize this opportunity lies totally on the recipient.
From the forum of our association I wish to acknowledge the immense support provided for the cause of epilepsy in Pakistan. A number of pharma companies provided funds out of their ‘non-promotional’ budget reserved only for research and public health.
A number of research projects have been conducted in the last two decades which have been published in the most prestigious international journals, putting the name of Pakistan on the world map. Presently, regular grants are helping in imparting public health education throughout Pakistan and to the amazement of many have created a paradigm shift in attitudes and treatment seeking behaviour of patients.
Our association would like to express a note of gratitude and very strongly contest the allegation of some of the writers who portray pharma industry as business houses trying to make money ruthlessly. So far the debate has limited itself to the ‘big’ pharmas, while no one talks about the ‘small’ pharmas which are causing havoc in a big way. Pakistan contributes its fair share in the world’s ‘spurious’ drug market.
Rumour has it that there is one town famous for its wholesale market where medicine tablets are not counted but sold in kilograms. Perhaps it would always remain a wishful thinking that there is at least one unbiased drug-quality-control laboratory in the country where doubtful drugs can be sent for analysis.
PROF. HASAN AZIZ
Presidenet, Epilepsy
Association of Paksitan
THIS is apropos of a big colourful advertisement of the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) in newspapers praising their work. What they actually deliver is deteriorated services. Eight years have elapsed since the new century, and the CDNS has failed to utilise the IT system properly.
In every branch of all other banks here the computerised token system is in practice. After a token is issued, a customer sits and waits on a comfortable sofa till his number is announced. It saves congestion on counters.
In the main CDNS office and its other centres too airconditioning does not work properly.
The third grouse with the CDNS is that a better system of crediting profit to BS certificate holders has been discontinued on the plea that senior citizens do not keep enough deposits and withdraw the entire profit. What about the other systems?
Although the staff at Pakistan Savings House Centre is hardworking and courteous, the higher management delivers only breaking news of another profit rise. They do not believe in providing better services. Some suggestions for Shaukat Tareen: a) improving service by utilising IT system, b) utilising services of banks as was done previously, c) in view of time, increasing the rate of profit (for the benefit of depositors).
My last point is, please waive one per cent recovery of service charges at least on reinvestment of certificates on which such charges have already been made in July.
SHAIKH NAZIR AHMED WADIWALA
Karachi
Mobile phone has become a necessity for the masses nowadays but as the number of its users is increasing, the government is increasing taxes on the mobile users day by day.
I am a postpaid subscriber of one of the pioneer telecom companies and have been using my cell phone according to my budget plan.
This time I checked my increased bill payment and was shocked to see that the bill payment includes heavy amount of taxes i.e., Sales tax at the rate of 21 per cent and advance tax at the rate of 10 per cent. The bill amount for a common user who is not a businessman is quite high.
I believe the additional taxes on the mobile phone bill are not justified in charging mobile phone users. It’s nothing but a tactic to put further burden on a common citizen. The slap rates for taxation s unjustified which should be less for students and working class.
FARRUKH NAZ SHERAZI
Lahore
CARMEN Gonzalez’s message, ‘Open letter to President-elect Obama’ (Dec 4), was very touching and reflected the sentiments of most Pakistanis about the historic change in America’s presidential tradition.
If any of Mr Obama’s foreign policy advisers had been staying abreast of the Pakistanis’ thinking, as manifested in this newspaper and other sections of the local media, he or she would certainly have notice how eager the people had been to see Barack Obama win the elections. One wonders if Mr Obama is aware of all that.
Some correspondents writing in Dawn had, it must be pointed out, defended the Democratic candidate against the onslaught of his rivals even more powerfully than many of Mr Obama’s American supporters would have done.
However, the president-elect’s hawkish posture vis-à-vis Pakistan, coupled with the choice of some of his transition team members reputed for their tough, or even anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan attitude, has got the Pakistanis very concerned.
Ms Gonzalez, too, had observed: “You represented hope, change.
Therefore, I find myself unable to understand your remarks about India’s right to ‘protect itself’ through ‘hot pursuit’”, in the context of attacking the terrorists’ alleged bases in Pakistan.
One must admit that such an approach by Mr Obama and his aides — Bruce Reidel, for instance, held Pakistan guilty of trying to linger the Kashmir dispute, which is diametrically opposed to the facts (Dawn, Nov 10) — is creating a sense of betrayal and despondency amongst the Pakistanis, who had so altruistically and enthusiastically awaited his victory.
This reminds me of the saying, “Hope is a pleasant acquaintance but an unsafe friend…” Barack Obama, by virtue of his popularity all over the world, has a golden opportunity of effectively becoming the president not just of the US but of the entire planet.
In particular, his Islamic ancestry and maintaining of cordial relations with his Muslim relatives in Africa and Asia place him in a unique position to win over the global Islamic community, thereby overcoming what is a severe headache for his country.
If he acts fast to make amends for the negative vibes being sent to the Muslims in general and the Pakistanis in particular, he may still be able to salvage the situation.
If, however, he plays into the hands of forces and lobbies hostile to the former, it would kill all hopes of restoring peace and harmony to the world, which will be everybody’s loss.
A. HAFEEZ
Karachi
If we consider Waziristan, Bannu, Fata belt and Bajaur a part of Pakistan, then let it be known that Pakistan is being fired missiles at. Don’t wait for the missiles to reach Islamabad, Lahore or Larkana.
People who say ‘Pakistan Khapay’, I ask them do they consider the aforementioned areas as “Pakistan”?
DR ALI KHAN
United Kingdom
THIS is apropos of the decision taken by the Sindh government for the removal of illegal barriers. We at Shehri would like to say that in most places these so-called illegal barriers have been placed by the citizens at great cost to them with the permission of the local nazim.
Our survey conducted 10 days prior to the Sindh government meeting has shown that most of these barriers have been placed on those streets where the main roads have been commercialised by the city government under their roads commercialisation policy 2004. These barriers have been placed because the Sindh government, the city district governmentn Karachi (CDGK), the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), town nazims, the UC nazims and the police have abrogated their regulatory duty.
The city government has commercialised 20 roads in Karachi. These are: Khayaban-i-Jami, Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman Road, Khayaban-i-Roomi, Khayaban-i-Saadi, Beach Avenue Road (Darakshan police station to Casino intersection), Khayaban-i-Iqbal (Clifton Bridge to Do Talwar), Tariq Road (Allahwala Chowrangi to Bahadurabad Commercial Area and from Sindhi Muslim Society to Sharea Faisal), Alamgir Road, Sir Syed Road (from Tariq Road to Khalid bin Waleed intersection), Allama Iqbal Road, Shaheed-i-Millat Road (Haider Ali Road to Jail Chowrangi), Jamaluddin Afghani Road (from Shaheed-i-Millat to TV station), Shahrah-i-Faisal (Metropole Hotel to Malir Bridge), Rashid Minhas Road (Schemes 16, 24 and 36, Drive-in-Cinema to Shafique Road), University Road (Civic Centre to Safoora roundabout), Nazimabad ‘A’ Road (Lasbella Bridge to Circular Railway line on the left side), Nishtar Road, Shahrah-i-Jehangir (North Nazimabad), Shahrah-i-Pakistan (Teen Hatti Bridge to Sohrab Goth), Sher Shah Suri Road.
This policy was objected to by the citizens but it went ahead. It has resulted in the entire city being converted into a bazaar except the DHA. The illegal commercial enterprises spill over into the lanes causing a nuisance and security threat to the citizens, and residential roads are by default also being misused.
Shehri receives regular requests from citizens to assist them in having the parking and encroachments by the car showrooms, workshops, schools, restaurants removed, but to no avail. Therefore, the citizens have no choice but to barricade themselves. Shehri has been raising this issue of the conversion of peaceful residential areas into ghettos but no one is listening.
It is a cruel joke being played by the Sindh government and the CDGK. First they destroy residential areas by densification and violation of the master plan. The citizens file cases, the mafias win, citizens have no choice but to create small islands of peace and security at their own cost and now the authorities want them to remove these barriers instead of examining the corrupt policies which caused this issue in the first place.
SHEHRI-CBE
Karachi
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