| December 19, 2008 | Friday | Zilhaj 20, 1429 |
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Cooperation is the key
Lessons from history
US designs
Reality check
Use of cell phones during driving
Dozing off in NA
‘Cricket: another casualty’
An appeal to government
Flinging shoes
Advani’s advice
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
Gilgit Baltistan, situated on the northern hemisphere of Pakistan, shares its borders with Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics, China and Occupied Kashmir.
In November 1947, the locals sought freedom from the Dogras and after forming and running their own government, "Jamhoria-e-Gilgit" for 21 days, offered un-conditional annexation with Pakistan.
Sardar Alam Khan, a naib-Tehsildar from NWFP after formulating the annexation, soon declared Gilgit, Baltistan, a political agency and imposed the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), becoming the first political agent. However, late Z.A. Bhutto abolished the FCR in 1974.
Later, under the Karachi agreement in April 1949, Gilgit Baltistan was forcibly joined with the Kashmir issue and were "handed" over to the Pakistani Ministry of Kashmir Affairs without our consent.
This was done to support and add votes if and when the United Nations proposed plebiscite took place.
The plebiscite proposed on 21st April 1948 is yet to take place. We reject annexation with Kashmir or the Kashmir issue.
Hence, we are not represented in the constitution or the parliament of Pakistan, neither are we a province or part of a province, and without access to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. We therefore, continue to be termed as "disputed".
In October 2004, General Pervaiz Musharraf, then Pakistan President, categorically defined Gilgit Baltistan as disputed amongst the seven regions in Jammu Kashmir.
An alarming situation is now arising where the presence of Pakistani security forces in Gilgit Baltistan and government's writ is being questioned.
In 1996, we finally registered our case with UNCHR proposing a "fourth option" under which alternate strategic/possibilities and immediate implementation of state-subject rule thus prohibiting land-ownership to non locals was demanded.
In a recent bid to illegally strengthen claims over the Diamer-Bhasha dam and subsequent dam-royalty, the NWFP, violating the LOC, first not only confiscated Shandur but later relocated the NWFP-Gilgit Baltistan check-post almost 3 kilo metres into Gilgit Baltistan.
According to a news report in the press on September 19, a Planning Commission official admitted in a Central Development Working session chaired by Salman Faruqi that 99 per cent land of the mega dam is located in Gilgit Baltistan and only 1 per cent in the NWFP.
Federal Minister Raja Perwaiz Ashraf, while announcing the ECNEC approval, declared that dam-royalty would be given to NWFP.
We demand an immediate halt to the Diamer-Bhasha dam project till the constitutional status and territorial peripheral of Gilgit Baltistan is formalised/defined.
Our very existence is under threat and we therefore demand that we should immediately be provided constitutional status within the state of Pakistan.
MALIKA BALTISTANI
Chairperson,
Gilgit Baltistan National Conference
THIS is apropos of the editorial, ‘Cooperation is the key’ (Dec 4).
Pakistan and India are twin states of South Asia aged six decades. But there lies a difference in the level of political stability and economic progress of the two.
Pakistan’s political system has been shuffling. It has undergone four nasty martial laws with the interval of a decade in each. While this practice is unknown to its eastern neighbour.
Economically, Pakistan is looking towards the IMF and ‘friendly states’ for their assistance to overcome the sinking economy. On the other hand, India is competing with the global super economies. One thing that is common between them is the acquisition of nuclear weapons. However, this weapon makes them more insecure.
Because of its heavy involvement in ‘war on terror’ for the last seven years, Pakistan is not showing any progress in any field.
Paradoxically, its alliance with the West over the ‘war on terror’ has made it more vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Hundreds of its citizens have been massacred; infrastructures have turned into debris; Rs678bn (2008) have been spent on these operations. The Bajaur displacement has been recorded as one of the biggest displacements in human history.
The trust deficit prevails between the citizens and the government. Who is responsible for the state of affairs? Are we fighting for America against
Talibanised Afghanistan or are we victim of the war?
The recent carnage in Mumbai has worsened the situation for us.
This incident also reflects the strength of the extremist groups which may be signalling that if Al Qaeda is be weaken by 2025, it would be succeeded by many offshoots.
Pakistan’s acceptance of ‘obey more orders’ does not bring it in the good books of the international community. It must now act decisively.
It should resume composite dialogues with India. Inviting Afghanistan to peace talks will assure security from the western border to the twin states. Warmth in relationships with Iran and China will help us in the fields of economy and technology. Austerity and stability at home and dialogue with the neighbours will unshackle us from dependence and will help combat the insurgency in Pakistan.
KIRAN SHIRAZI
Jamshoro
The American establishment, particularly the outgoing one, has been interfering in the affairs of various countries and peoples, sometimes to democratise them, at other times to restore world order, when in reality they are being aligned with US interests.
The most glaring case is the war being waged against Muslims who resist Washington’s plans, thereby pushing them towards militancy and terrorism. They are then branded as terrorists, which justifies the use of military force and helps the US to recruit allies.
However, by looking at events in Somalia in the last two years, a powerful lesson can be learned. A couple of years back, an Islamist group called the Islamic Courts Alliance (ICA) had managed to gain control of most of the country and brought peace to the residents after nearly 16 years of war and violence.
But the ICA ascendancy upset Washington and it lost no time in undermining it by abetting Ethiopia to side with the ineffective transitional government in routing the Islamists.
In this period, the militant wing of the movement allegedly aligned itself with Al Qaeda and now controls 90 per cent of southern Somalia.
The lesson is: if the US hadn’t intervened in 2006, there wouldn’t have been an increase in Al Qaeda influence or radicalism.
The same phenomenon can be observed in Afghanistan where, according to a report, Taliban are now dominating 72 per cent of the area.
In Afghanistan, the US-led coalition now seems anxious to negotiate peace with the Taliban to cut its losses and disentangle from the Afghan imbroglio.
Therefore, Islamabad must take strong notice of lessons emanating from Mogadishu and Kabul, review its policy towards Pakistani Taliban and resolve the conflict through parleys rather than force.
Similarly, India must realise that leaving the Kashmir issue etc unresolved has brought endless militancy. The problems in its northeastern states are also festering, while the Naxalite threat is officially acknowledged to pose the biggest danger.
British journalist Andrew Whitehead has revealed in his book, ‘A Mission in Kashmir’, a critical fact about the instrument of accession to India – through which New Delhi justifies its intervention in and occupation of the disputed state.
He says it wasn’t signed by Kashmir’s Maharaja Hari Singh until, at best, the Indian troops started landing in Srinagar on the day after that cabinet meeting (Dawn, Books & Authors, Dec 7).
In view of these facts, it is hoped that all concerned will learn the right lessons and change their behaviour so as to strive for peace in the various flashpoints of the Islamic lands and elsewhere. The new American president, Barack Obama, can make an enormous contribution by helping everyone to make amends.
M.P. CHISHTI
Karachi
CONDOLEEZA Rice is on a dangerous mission course to India and Pakistan. She is adding fuel to fire and not cooling tempers by supporting wild accusations of India blaming Pakistan for Mumbai’s sad events.
The Pakistan government has denied and extended cooperation to punish perpetrators if given proof of their country origin. While it rightly wants criminals be brought to justice, it is equally important to bring Bush, Condoleeza Rice and all war hawks of the US, the UK and Europe, who launched a war of lies (WMDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan, killing millions of innocent civilians, ruining the US, the UK and global economy, for their crimes against humanity to be brought to justice in the ICCJ.
By all practical standards, the Mumbai act is home-grown of militant Hindu organisations to axe electoral edges in the forthcoming/ongoing elections and exploit the Pakistan bogey by blaming Pakistan. Congress is also caught in this vicious trap to endorse it.
The world should beware of Bush and his team who, in order to prove their strange doctrine of false wars by triggering global terrorism, may incite a nuclear war between two nuclear nations of Pakistan and India, and Afghanistan and in the region. Unfortunately, Obama has bought Bush’s false doctrines and will likely follow in his footsteps. Is this the change he clamoured to win.
J.P. MOSES
New York
IN the wake of accusations of exporting terrorism, the people of Pakistan need to take a reality check as a matter of urgency.
We first complained about aggressive moves by India after the Mumbai attacks, believing that criticism levelled against us was baseless. That may be the case, but what about the UN and its resolution? This demonstrates very clearly that the whole world sees Pakistan with suspicion. I believe the solution is in our own hands. Let us look at reality. Our land is being used by people who have no loyalty to Pakistan or its people; whose only agenda is to spread terrorism amongst the people of Pakistan and spew it outside as well.
This is plainly evident since the writ of Pakistan is challenged in our border areas where Taliban, LeT and others have taken hold and are openly defying our government. The government of Pakistan has to take decisive action to root out this cancer so that the Pakistani people and our neighbours can live in peace and harmony.
Those who support the self-styled ‘jihadis’ should try to learn themselves what they stand for. Their philosophy and actions are in contradiction with the teachings of Islam and therefore are against the interests of the Pakistani people, the Pakistani state and humanity in general.
NASRULLAH KHAN MOGHAL
Manchester
This is with reference to Dr Fatema Jawad’s letter (Dec 13) expressing her concerns about the damage that ever increasing use of cell phones during driving is bringing to road users and the whole community in a broader sense.
Dr Soorma’s incident is one that has come to light, but there are many that go unnoticed and nobody ever knows how many precious lives are lost every day on our roads and highways.
Punjab Government in the recent past has revived and revamped the traffic police with new inductions, better equipment, new uniforms and much more.
What is still missing is enforcement. Violations by the road user right under the nose of standing police personnel are a common sight on the roads.
This is the basic reason why this particular traffic violation (use of cell phones during driving) and many others, are on the rise exponentially.
In addition to a demand for formulating stringent rules by the lawmakers, there is a dire need of strict enforcement and ruthless actions against the violators.
Traffic police departments and NGOs should run an aggressive media campaign to educate the road users about the traffic rules and and create awareness on the consequences of violations to prevent homicides as that of Dr Soorma.
NOOR US SABAH
Lahore
(II)
I REQUEST all drama writers and producers not to promote the culture of using cellphone while driving as it is a severe traffic violation.
MOHAMMAD ARIF
Karachi
RECENTLY, while the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s address to the Parliament was being shown on TV, it was embarrassing to note Mr Naveed Qamar, Pakistan’s Minister for Finance, apparently struggling to concentrate with sleepy eyes in the background.
While one cannot blame the Finance Minister for feeling drowsy during the mundane proceedings of the Parliament, it would be worthwhile for him to have considered changing his seat possibly with Ms Sherry Rehman, the most starry eyed member of the government. This would have gone someway towards improving the image of the parliament.
TARIQ RAZA
Kuwait
With reference to the editorial that appeared on December 15, ‘Cricket, another casualty’, I would like to comment that this is yet another attempt to isolate Pakistan on more than one fronts.
Our diplomatic isolation is very evident. Pakistan is left with a very few friends on the international scene and recent developments in international politics have shown that China, believed to be our closest ally in the region as well as globally, seems to have reservations when it came to speak for Pakistan.
Not to blame China, the fault lies within us, who have not been able to present their case as they should have and consequently failing to muster support from virtually anywhere; but what is getting less attention and being hugely misinterpreted is our organised and systematic isolation at creativity and health-related frontiers.
I do not want to sound like a conspiracy theorist but a process (started in Musharraf era) of systematic demoralisation (particularly of the youth) and representation of Pakistanis indulging in apparently destructive activities is underway.
Things have gone to an extent that people are least familiar with their sports heroes.
A simple litmus test would be to ask anyone in the street and see if he or she knows the names of all eleven cricketers who represent their country.
This state of affairs is unlike what it used to be in the 1980s, 1990s and early years of this decade.
In the recent past there have been a few, if any, sports events (especially international) organised by Pakistan.
Even the ones scheduled had been cancelled by the international participants on one pretext or another.
The sports scene in Pakistan looks as dismal as everything else at the moment.
This has not only deprived the people of an emotional outlet but has also taken away the opportunity from the youth to look up to their athletes and aspire to them.
The price which India would supposedly pay of cancelling its scheduled cricket tour to Pakistan next year, as mentioned in the editorial, would indirectly serve Indian purposes as it would take away the opportunity from Pakistanis being presented and indulging in any healthy and constructive activity.
The responsibility lies both with the Pakistani establishment as well as with the insensitivity of the international community.
The prevailing situation where every Pakistani is being suspected as a potential/’pre-emptive’ terrorist calls for a greater understanding of events by the world and at the same time calls for administering greater strength and a sense of character from Pakistanis.
We may not be living in the ‘worst of times’ but these are certainly not ‘the best of times.’
This is no ordinary situation and we Pakistanis have to stand up to the challenge proving to the world that we also cherish the dream of living in a a better and a more peaceful world for all, where patriotism can find healthy expression; where no country is singled out as a scapegoat by a self-righteous coterie of nations which are unabashedly trying to jump to conclusions before setting their own house in order
ZULFIQAR HYDER
Aberdeen
ABOUT 640 lecturers who passed their examinations conducted by the SPSC are still waiting to be posted in colleges. In 2005 the SPSC had advertised for 741 posts of lecturers in the education and the literacy department. The written test for the post was held in January 2006.
The results of the test was announced for some subjects within a few months and candidates were interviewed after the intervention of the government, specially the chief minister of that time as results of the remaining subjects were withheld and candidates who were interviewed and recommended by the SPSC were given posting orders after the High Court’s decision. The results of the written test of the remaining subjects were announced in January 2008.
They were interviewed in March 2008. The successful candidates were recommended by the SPSC to the government. They were offered jobs in May.
After fulfilment of the requirements of the offer letters, the candidates were called to the Secretariat for the purpose of posting orders in this regard.
The schedule of the postings were published in various newspapers from June 7 to 12 but after waiting about three hours they were told that posting orders will be given after the provincial budget of 2007-2008.
At that time 11 candidates who were considered favourites of the government were posted in colleges and they are now getting their pays since June 2008. But we the unfortunate 640 commissioned lecturers are still waiting to be posted.
We, therefore, request the government to issue us posting orders and save us from such mental stress.
COMMISSION-PASSED LECTURERS
Via email
IRAQI journalist Muntazer Al Zaidi, who has made headlines by flinging shoes on US President Bush, has been detained. He is said to be on trial and an apology is also sought from the TV channel he belongs to.
Newspapers in the West publish blasphemous caricatures of the Holy figures and governments there not only refuse to take action against such elements but also refuse to apologise and justify these actions on the grounds of freedom of speech and expression.
If an Iraqi has expressed what he felt about the head of the world’s largest democracy, what is wrong with that? He has just exercised his ‘very basic human right’ of freedom of expression in a ‘democratic’ Iraq where democracy was imported from none other than USA itself.
He must be pardoned on the same grounds as the western media is which has hurt the feelings of Muslims several times. Let freedom of expression be granted to Muntazer Al Zaidi.
YAWAR NAWAZ
Gujranwala Cantt
INDIA’s veteran politician Lal Karishna Advani had advised the Manmohan government not to go to the UNSC and instead resolve the matter through peaceful diplomatic means. Pandora’s box would open he said, and India would have to concede to the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.
But New Delhi was in haste and the UK and US governments were in a hurry to jump to the conclusion that the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) was involved in the Mumbai mayhem. Even India was surprised over what its UK, US friends were doing.
Mukherjee was right when he said the investigations were still underway and Pakistan would be handed over the information after the inquiry was complete.
When the information was incomplete, why did India approach the UNSC?
That it did approach the UN shows that the Nov 26 incident was part of an international conspiracy.
It seems that Pentagon and CIA have developed very serious prejudices against Islamabad and the ISI.
The Indian government is perhaps not privy to most of the things which are part of the nefarious plan. Only RAW is collaborating with the CIA, MI6, Mossad and Afghanistan’s RAAM.
We should demand from India the handing over of Col Prohit and Indian elements involved in the Balochistan unrest and the killings of Pakistanis.
We should approach the UNSC with solid proofs of Indian involvement in acts of terror inside Pakistan.
India itself has provided us the opportunity, we should not lose it.
ALYA ALVI
Rawalpindi
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