| February 03, 2009 | Tuesday | Safar 07, 1430 |
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Civil service leaps
Careless driving
Benchmark for evaluating civic sense
Save the Himalayan glaciers
Power generation crisis
Wrong decision
Need to protect public land
Faulty roads
Unduly criticised
Pakistan’s war on terror
Roguish oversight
Preparing for summer loadshedding
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 Indians may be celebrating the fact that while President Barack Obama has named veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke as the new US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, he has not included India in the latter’s brief. What they have forgotten is that finding a solution to the long-festering Kashmir dispute sits high on the new US president’s agenda.
They also need to be reminded that Barack Obama has voiced a desire to nominate former president Bill Clinton to play a role in easing India-Pakistan relations and finding a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
The international community agrees that both India and Pakistan must not waste their precious resources anymore on continuing to adopt adversarial positions on Kashmir and other disputes and should work towards finding solutions so that they can attend to matters of nation-building with greater focus.
Past US administrations also tried to play a proactive role in egging the two South Asian neighbours to settle the Kashmir dispute but, for one reason or the other, the matter continued to be bogged down in a morass of distrust and indecision, bolstered by hawkish tendencies on both sides.
It may be recalled that an Anglo-American effort in 1962 activated eight rounds of talks between foreign ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Swaran Singh but it led to a knot. Similarly, in the recent past, US-backed peace initiatives between Gen Musharraf and Vajpayee and his successors also offered hope but fizzled out.
President Obama has said a resolution of Pakistan’s disputes with India — specifically Kashmir — would help to ensure that Pakistan committed itself more fully to the battle against the violent extremism and terrorism in the Afghan-Pakistan border area. Obviously, like the outgoing US president, the new occupant of the White House wants Pakistan to be singly focused in delivering on America’s objectives.
Therefore, if he really has a sincere desire to ease tensions in South Asia, he may just succeed in inducing India and Pakistan to sit across the table and crack Kashmir and other disputes.
SYED JAWAID IQBAL
Karachi
(II)
RICHARD Holbrooke, the special US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was entrusted with the task to bring stability to the region. At first the Kashmir dispute was included in his job description but later on Kashmir was taken from his portfolio as a diplomatic concession.
The deletion of the Kashmir dispute from his portfolio will hamper his efforts to bring stability to the region. The Kashmir dispute cannot be ignored for the reason that Kashmir has been a great source of tension in the region.
As it has been envisaged from Mr Obama’s speech during his election campaign and Mr Miliband’s statement on his visit to the region that “resolution of the Kashmir dispute” is not only a must for the stability of the region but also for the “war on terror”.
AMJAD ALI
Panjgur
ONE is not surprised to read about the ongoing cold war between the two powerful and influence-wielding arms of civil service in Pakistan.
These two institutions have always served their political and military masters to help them in developing their stranglehold on their poor subjects who happen to be their helpless compatriots.
The civil service in Pakistan has sadly not adjusted itself to the challenges of post-independence era. The civil service, comprising the erstwhile ICS and IPS during the British Raj, was meant to perpetuate colonial rule and collect taxes to fill the coffers of foreign rulers, and the job was done with utmost efficiency and they were adequately rewarded also.
However, after the departure of the British, we were at the mercy of the new elite that were a legacy of the colonial masters. The civil service very willingly obliged the rulers with all state power and, as a result, we have reached this situation of political governance.
The civil service is now completely politicised and it owes its loyalty to its political power centres with no regard for public service and rule of law or transparency.
With every change in the regime we see hundreds of senior civil servants being sidelined and replaced by loyalists without any regard to merit, seniority, integrity and professional competence.
The latest example of this cronyism can be seen in Sindh, Punjab and at the federal government level, where hundreds have been rehabilitated, rewarded, elevated, and reemployed, who were either members of the elite exiled club or deprived of lucrative positions during the 1999-2007 era.
Since stakes are high and time is probably limited, both powerful groups do not wish others to intrude into its territory. Had this country remained within the ambit of law, and followed the Constitution and its well-defined boundaries, one would have not seen such menials’ struggle for power.
Pakistan certainly would have been very high on the ladder of human development index. Reform the civil service and follow the rules and Pakistan will be on the right track to progress.
JAVED NIZAM
Lahore
IT is said that traffic discipline is the mirror image of a nation’s current political and economic condition. The impression while travelling on roads, especially in Karachi, is an extremely bad one.
The disorder, reckless driving, ignoring of traffic rules and putting everyone’s, including the driver’s, life, in danger has increased with the years. Undoubtedly the authorities concerned must have been striving to improve the situation, yet there seems to be a lack of commitment to make strict regulations to ensure obedience of law and rules.
Traffic discipline training should be made compulsory before the acceptance of an application for a driver’s licence. There should be four levels for offering a licence: beginner, light vehicle drive, light and heavy vehicle drive, all vehicles. The level should only be increased if the incumbent has not committed any traffic violation during the last two years.
Traffic management teams should be strengthened and increasing minimum qualification at entry level in the department as traffic inspector to a bachelor’s degree and six months’ mandatory departmental training and six months’ on-job should be made compulsory.
OMAIR ANWER
Karachi
ONE of the benchmarks for evaluating the civic sense in a society is their consideration for handicapped persons. Developed educated societies all over the world attach a lot of importance to the welfare of handicapped sections of population. Special seats are allocated in public transports, airlines and railways for handicapped individuals all over the world, with a few exceptions like Pakistan.
On my recent visit to a 150-year-old club located on Lahore’s Upper Mall, I was impressed to notice space reserved for handicapped person’s cars in the parking lot located adjacent to the main entrance.
This civic sense by a club or most other organisations located in Karachi has yet not been displayed.
My joy was short-lived when I saw a black Mercedes Benz coming to the vacant part of the parking lot reserved for handicapped persons and to my shock a dark man in his early 60s, immaculately dressed in a suit with matching tie and handkerchief, stepped out of his car.
The gentleman swiftly walked up the steps, totally oblivious of the stares of a few other members, including my host, without even the slightest indication of any handicap, though one could not gauge the mental handicap that was displayed by his behaviour.
In a country where educated people behave worse than illiterates, it is time to reflect that there is something seriously wrong with our value system. While the club management has shown civic sense and most members of this elitist club have shown restraint and abide by rules, such behaviour by a man of means and education is a cause for concern.
Of late privileged members of our society consider it a measure of their stature, by violating basic civic norms, like breaking a line to get preferential treatment, bending rules as a matter of routine, as if rules are to be followed only by citizens of a lesser economic or political clout.
This tendency needs to be curtailed by showing zero tolerance for those who violate them by design. These are basic values, which every religion preaches and are taught in every school, college or university.
RAHAT SIDDIQI
Karachi
THE Himalayan glaciers, including Siachen — which is now the globe’s highest battlefield — are considered the largest store of water outside the polar ice caps, and feed seven great Asian rivers and avert sea level rise. Sea level rise is cause of hurricanes, cyclones and trigger tsunamis.
Prominent, recognised and well-known organisations working in the area of politics, environment, and climate change observe that the Siachen glacier is melting at an unprecedented rate due to deployment of troops and establishment of permanent cantonments on its heights.
The Nobel Peace winning documentary, prepared by former representative of the United States Al Gore, cautions the world to save humanity from drifting towards such an ensuing disaster as would cost the earth millions of its inhabitants by polluting the environment and damaging the ozone layer through smoke of guns, bombs and discharge of chemicals. Siachen is melting due to India illegally occupying the glacier and Pakistan forced to defend its territories.
The world has to take notice of it and urge India and Pakistan to withdraw troops and save the world from otherwise imminent disaster.
F. Z. KHAN
Islamabad
I WOULD like to draw the attention of the federal minister of water and power and the relevant authorities towards the increasing theft and distribution losses in electricity.
These are increasing day by day, majority contributing to a great loss in power generation availability, hence, causing a heavy burden on the exchequer and ultimately on the pockets of the poor people of this country.
According to my information, the KESC has successfully installed/implemented a state of the art distribution system at Korangi, Karachi (pilot project), which was introduced in other developed countries, like Australia, the US and Canada some years back and proved to be very successful.
Known as ABC (aerial bundled cable for LT and HT network system), it has multifarious advantages, and minimises chances of theft, ensures safety of human beings and livestock/animals and carries an easy installation procedure in both rural and urban areas.
It is claimed to be 100 per cent safe in thickly populated areas, reduces conductor theft possibility, completely watertight and safe, (which is 100 per cent secure against electrocution), and very cost-effective compared to bare copper conductors, i.e. overhead/underground.
Surprisingly, such a successfully tested technology installed by the KESC at the aforesaid small area of Karachi is completely ignored by our departments/ministries concerned, though it is working uninterruptedly and satisfactorily for the last two years.
Our neighbouring country India, by the implementation of this system in New Delhi and Rajasthan, recorded a great reduction in maintenance, theft of electricity and conductors. It has also received the world’s renowned ‘Edison Award’. Surprisingly, the system has not received any attention in Pakistan which is not understandable.
A. BASIT ESSANI
Karachi
RECENTLY another four new ministers have been inducted into the federal cabinet. Regardless of the debate as to what’s the use of such a jumbo-sized cabinet in the current situation, it is very interesting to know that the government has made another funny decision of giving Maulana Attaur Rahman the portfolio of tourism ministry.
Will he be able to travel abroad to promote tourism? Will he be able to get visas of the western countries? Can he even visit the worse-affected area of Swat which was the best tourism site once and is now burning?
This reflects the government’s non-seriousness attitude towards good governance. The only credential this minister has is that he is the brother of the JUI leader, Maulana Fazalur Rahman.
DR ALFRED CHARLES
Karachi
THE citizens of Karachi should be deeply concerned about the news item, ‘KWSB loses land meant for key projects’ (Jan 2). Public land meant for development of public services (in this case proper treatment and disposal of sewerage and toxic wastewater from industries) is being privatised, diminishing further future prospects for Karachi’s ability to provide a decent, clean, and safe environment to its citizens.
Raw sewerage dumped by the city is the primary cause of pollution in our waters. In economic terms, this costs us billions of rupees every year: loss of revenue due to ban on seafood imports by EU/Japan; additional expenditure incurred by the Navy, coastguards and port authorities to safeguard their assets from corrosion; and loss of livelihoods and associated social dislocation of coastal communities, resulting from declining fish catch.
While pollution is not the only factor impacting the above-mentioned outcomes, it is a major source. We cannot continue to degrade our environment and destroy our natural capital (mangroves, sea life) and believe it can go on ‘business as usual’. The costs of inaction are high and will only increase with time.
The KWSB’s Sanitation III project, which was developed with the help of a well-known city NGO, is a critical part of the solution to clean up our coastal waters. Every effort must be made by citizens of Karachi to protect public land meant for immediate and future sewage treatment needs of Karachi, as envisioned under Sanitation III, and for related future municipal needs of the city.
A.N. PERVAIZ
Karachi
WHEN roads are repaired or renovated in the first world, the right method adopted is to scrap the old roads fully and then to repair so that the level of the roads remains the same.
Unfortunately, here, in most of the cases, the roads are either not scrapped fully or not scrapped at all. We put another layer on the old roads and repair them; the level of roads is, thus, increased.
In case of highways, the ditches on both sides of roads get deeper and deeper. Whenever any vehicle falls into them, there are more chances of fatal accidents. In case of cities, towns and villages, the raised level of roads creates many problems. The houses and shops on both sides are the real victims. During the rainy season, the water on roads enters into houses and shops.
In most cases, the level of sewerage lines is in accordance with the level of roads. When it rains, there are good chances that sewerage water enters into houses and shops. The monsoon rains always prove my point.
I request the National Highway Authority, Sindh Highway Authority, all district governments, taluka nazims and union council nazims to take necessary action in the national interest.
PROF. J. N. RAHI
Petaro
MIAN A. Ahmed and Tariq Rafique (Jan 25) have unduly criticised a Muslim family which was offloaded in Washington by Air Tran.
Kashif Irfan, an anesthesiologist, and Atif Irfan, a tax attorney, both American-born, in Detriot travelling to Oralando with their families were not taken off the flight because of their Muslim attire but of what they alleged to have said while boarding even though their conversation didn’t arouse any suspicion.
The two brothers were interviewed by the Home Land Security Agents and cleared within no time. But Air Tran still refused to accept the family on later flights on security grounds even though the family was cleared for travel by competent authority of the land.
The two brothers refusing to be treated as second class citizens got in touch with the media and this news of ill treatment was aired on major channels soon thereafter.
Resulting in adverse publicity forced the Air Tran to review their unfair attitude and tender an unconditional apology and offer other compensations.
And all this because the two brothers knew how to exercise their civil rights and refused to be treated in any other way despite their dress codes and beards.
ALI SALMAN
London
THE new US president’s assurances to the Arab and the Muslin world in a live TV interview are extremely satisfying when he declared that war on terror has ended.
He also spoke of his good intentions in dealing with them. One hopes that the words are quickly translated into actions.
As a Pakistani, however, I’m worried whether Pakistan is also being considered a part of the Muslim world. The other day Mr Obama’s secretary of defense announced that the drone attacks on Pakistan would continue. Does this mean that there is no end to the ‘war on terror’ as far as Pakistan is concerned?
MOHAMMAED ALI JAWAID
Karachi
JEFFERY Kuhner, in his article ‘Karzai is an incompetent thug’ in the Washington Times stated: “Moreover, for years, Jihadists had struck American targets with impunity — the 1979 kidnapping of US diplomats held as hostage in Iran, the mass murder of 241 US service personnel in Beirut, the 1993 attacks on World Trade Centre, the 2,000 suicide strikes on USS Cole.”
Kunher roguishly blamed Jihadists or Al Qaeda for the attacks which were not their doing. What he left out was the premeditated attack on USS Liberty, which Israeli armed forces carried out, killing many US service personnel. The US government hushed up the inquiry because its thuggish ally, Israel, was responsible for it.
Kuhner could have easily included the crime in the list of fictional crimes of Jihadists and Al Qaeda. Starkly, US diplomats held hostage for 444 days in Iran were spies that crawled in the country before the Shah fell.
They were neither Jihadists nor Al Qaeda. Any force which resists occupation and influence of the US and the West is either Jihadists or Al Qaeda in US parlance.
It is a going thing. If the US were to stay within its own boundaries and not overstretch itself, it need not have to fear any attacks from outside — something hard for US intellectuals and planners to understand.
MEHRAN LEGHARI
Lahore
EXPERIENCING loadshedding, power failures and listening to numerous statements from different people in power and governance, I have failed to see much said about conservation of power, except for use of energy-saver bulbs.
At present, in winter months, we see much loadshedding and can only imagine what it will be like in the coming summer months.
I feel it is time the people gave serious thought to conservation of power.
Some suggestions are as follows:
Let our shopkeepers change their working hours and start work at 9am rather than after midday; use sunlight more so that all can go home after Maghrib and reduce consumption of power in shops.
In daytime too, we do not need so many lights in shops. Surely, we can do with less if we have our vision and focus right.
The offices in multi-storey buildings are lit up for much of the night — is this necessary?
At home let us switch off lights/fans as we leave each room (empty).
If we can rely on efficiency (at the KESC) in streetlights, we should only use every alternate street light, so 50 per cent of power can be saved. Many a time we see strings of high-powered lights on, even during daytime. Why?
My fellow citizens, we need to take positive action for our own good; by our own efforts hopefully we will not have to bear worst conditions in power supply as we experienced last summer.
What we have heard from the government representatives regarding new supply of power is only empty rhetoric; if we want to have a little better supply situation, we will ourselves have to do something about it.
Hopefully we can convince our fellow citizens/neighbours also to avoid using ‘kunda’ connections.
Let us be responsible citizens, not just citizens who demand their rights; given the situation as we all know today, our rights are going to be ‘slow’ in coming.
Let us please do something positive regardless of inconveniences we may have to put up with. Realise that help from the powers that be will not be forthcoming soon.
Conserving electricity is perhaps the only area where our own efforts will control the cost of this service to each one of us, besides giving us some relief from the coming hot weather.
MOHAMMED HASAN
Karachi
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