| February 16, 2009 | Monday | Safar 20, 1430 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
Impact of food crisis on women
Tarbela power extension project
Senate election
In defence of lawyers’ movements
Primary schools
Misplaced priorities
Expectations from Obama
Hostel given on rent
Weak govt
Fate of higher education
UN probe into Benazir’s assassination
Ghosts-free schools
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
HUMAN smuggling and trafficking has become a vast spreading phenomenon today in the world. Pakistan has become a transit source and also a destination for human smuggling. A large number of women and children are being smuggled and trafficked from or through Pakistan to different countries for different purposes.
According to a report, 100 to 150 women, aging from eight to 30 years, specifically for sexual abuse or for organ trade, are being smuggled daily either inside or to different countries through Pakistan.
A large number of children have also been smuggled from Pakistan to the Middle East and Gulf states for camel racing and beggary, most of them were from district Rahimyar Khan, brought back by the efforts of Unicef and Child Welfare and Protection Bureau, government of Punjab.
Today most of the countries are working to stop human trafficking in many ways. Pakistan is also one of them. According to the US State Department report on human trafficking 2008, Pakistan has set into tier two, improving from tier three, due to its recent efforts to stop human trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement.
The Pakistan government announced an ordinance in 2002 for the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking (PACHTO). According to the ordinance, seven to 14 years’ imprisonment is suggested for this crime and cases will be prosecuted under Criminal Procedure Code 1898 and the investigations will be done only by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
In Criminal Procedure Code 1898 (CPC) of Pakistan there are sections: 366-b, 370, 371,372,373 and 374: which are all about selling and purchasing of human being as slaves, forced labour or about use of someone for prostitution.
But there isn’t a single section in the CPC to be dealt with human smuggling and these existing laws are also not sufficient to handle the problem. For example, 366-b is about importation of girls from foreign country under the age of 21 years with intent that she may be, or knowing it to be likely that she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine.
What if the girl is not used for prostitution? We know that most of the Bengali women are brought to Pakistan and sold and most of them are purchased by people who marry them, which section of the CPC is applied here?
Unfortunately there is not a single one. All such women, if caught somewhere, are compelled to admit their marital relation as illicit one so that no police case can be made against the traffickers. Therefore, a serious revision of the laws is needed.
Secondly, new offices of the FIA should be established in the most affected areas like the district of Rahimyar Khan from where more than 450 children are trafficked to the Middle East for camel racing and a big market of Bengali women is placed here but the nearest FIA office is situated in Multan, nearly 300km from Rahimyar Khan.
Apartment from all these legal efforts, a large-scale media campaign should be initiated. The electronic media has become the most powerful source and can be used for such an awareness campaign. In this respect, here, the efforts made by Hollywood and the Indian film industry must be praised which are making films on this serious topic. Pakistan’s electronic media should also make efforts for creating such awareness among people.
ABDUL WAHAB
Rahimyar Khan
THIS is with the reference to the letter “Impact of food crisis on women” (Feb 4), by Humera Alwani. I would like to say something about children who are forced by circumstances to leave schools and earn some additional money to run their house.
Such children work in the houses of wealthy people where they are not only deprived of education etc but have to also work the entire day, beyond human endurance. For their services they are paid as little money as Rs400 a month.
It is agonizing to see a domestic child worker attending to the various needs of the child of the household, such as accompanig the latter to school carrying his/her school bags
This practice is common in the rural area of Sindh where I belong.
On asking women the reason for sending their children to others’ homes to work for such a pittance, they said the children also get other things such as three times’ meals every day, old clothes and medication which are worth more than the money the children get as their wages. They said if they sent their children to schools, they would have to bear all these expenses on their own.I, therefore, suggest to Farzana Raja, chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to formulate a mechanism to categorise mothers of such children to bring them under the umbrella of the BISP, which should bind them to send their children to school so that their future generation will start being a giver and stop being a taker. If parents don’t abide by this binding, then their grant should be revoked.
Moreover, a political distribution of the proposed funds is the need of the time, and the state should act like parents who are supposed to take care of all their children. Otherwise, unemployment and inflation together will result in a failed state.
ADEEL NAZEER YOUSFANI
Tando Allahyar
This is apropos of A.H. Nizamani’s letter, ‘Power plants (Feb 11), commenting on my article on Tarbela power extension project.
Normally, the cost of a hydropower project is in the range of $1mn to $1.5mn per MW installed capacity.
This, however, relates to a green field project, which requires development of infrastructure, voluminous civil works and steel structure, construction of auxiliary and ancillary services, besides installation of power plant machinery.
In case of the Tarbela extension project, the cost entails mainly procurement of turbo-generating sets, whereas civil works, including tunnel etc, already exists, as explained in the article.
American consultants Chas. T. Main International had prepared an inception report on the project in October 1992.
The cost comparison made therein with other hydropower projects highlighted Tarbela extension project cost as $0.338mn per MW, compared to $1.207mn for Ghazi Barotha and $1.333mn for Chashma hydropower projects.
The expression of interest document for consultancy services, issued by Wapda in December 2008, gives estimated cost of the project as Rs388.05mn, with local component of Rs171.33mn and foreign exchange component of $3.096mn.
I had quoted these figures, but agree with your reader that the indicated project cost is too low and unrealistic. It may be around $500mn, depending on international market for machinery and equipment at the time of project implementation.
The consultants being appointed by Wapda will also prepare the PC-1 for the project, determining the project cost.
ENGR HUSSAIN AHMAD SIDDIQUI
Islamabad
THE Senate elections are due on March 4 where 50 per cent new senators would form the upper house of our parliament.
We expected that the parties would select sane persons for the Senate elections to provide sanity to the ongoing crisis. What we find is that the parties are allegedly nominating their defeated candidates for the upper house and are building up their party funds with bidding for a ticket.
In one of the TV talk shows, one former federal minister revealed that the parties are expecting from Rs100mn to 150mn to award a ticket to the desirous candidate, depending upon the province. This money raking does not end here.
These ticket awardees will have to spend money to buy votes from the already elected parliamentarians of the lower houses.
This amount ranges anywhere between Rs20 to 30mn for each vote. The money spent will have to be made up after being elected to the Senate. This we leave to the imagination of the general public how they would make up: one way though may be by sucking the blood of the common man and getting kickbacks in various development projects.
I request the so-called independent election commission to look into these senate elections to make them free, fair and transparent by evolving some method.
The supreme parliament should make a clause in the Constitution where candidates defeated in the general election should be not eligible for election to the Senate.
We should have people of good repute and intellect in the upper house. At present any Tom, Dick and Harry who has money can run for the Senate election.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Via email
ACCORDING to a report (Feb 6), activists of the Sindh People’s Youth Organisation (SPYO) held rallies across the province. Alluding to the lawyers’ planned long march, its leaders said that ‘anti-democratic’ forces were threatening to organise a long march against the democratic government.
They appear to have forgotten so soon that until last year’s general election, even lawyers belonging to the PPP were a part of the lawyers’ and other Pakistanis’ struggle for the restoration of the deposed CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry and other senior judges. However, after the party came into power and no longer wanted that to happen, the same lawyers’ movement is being dubbed as ‘anti-democratic’.
The SPYO should also remember that even Benazir Bhutto had said that she still considered Mr Chaudhry to be the chief justice and would fly the Pakistan flag on his home after coming into power. Also, that opinion polls continue to show most Pakistanis want the judiciary restored to its Nov 2, 2007 position. Therefore, the SPYO leaders should not try to fudge the truth.
A. HAQ
Karachi
(II)
APROPOS of the article, PML(N)’s dangerous gamble (Feb 4). While I agree with most of what Sardar Ahmed Shah Jan says about Nawaz Sharif, I still feel that the dignity and stability of Pakistan’s judiciary must be restored, as soon as possible.
JALAL HUSSAIN
Canada
SHAHZAD Roy and his Zindagi Trust’s efforts for improving education are laudable. As a matter of fact, improvement and restructuring must be done from the beginning. It is a fact that our pre-primary and primary schools are in urgent need of attention.
In Karachi hundreds of schools are facing problems such as lack of proper buildings, playgrounds, labs, libraries and even classrooms and teaching apparatus.
It would be advisable for Shahzad Roy to focus his energies on solving these problems and seeking ways to update them and monitor their progress.
It won’t be wise to disturb the ongoing programmes of reputed colleges. Instead of being overambitious, he should be practical and realistic. As far as RLAK College of Home Economics is concerned, it is catering to the needs of its students for more than 50 years, and following its own course of studies and does not need any disturbance or patronage.
Mr Roy should concentrate on the problems of primary schools and play a role in their development in a phased programme.
AYESHA ARSHAD
Karachi
THE federal government has allocated seven acres of densely forested land at Shakarparian, Islamabad, worth billions of rupees for construction of a state-of-the-art national theatre and related buildings for drama, dance and music, costing billions more, including forex.
It will be a super-luxury project for entertainment of a select, rich class mostly living in posh sectors of Islamabad.
The federal government is also constructing a monument in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi worth billions instead of a public welfare project such as a hospital in the downtrodden area, to honour Benazir Bhutto.
Obviously, only a small percentage of locals will see it or derive any benefit. Will the PM be kind enough to examine whether these projects are justified under the present unprecedented economic hardships being faced by people except ministers, MPs and the rich who can afford to think, support or ignore such expenditure of poor taxpayers’ money?
ASIF ALI KHAN
Islamabad
IN his inaugural address, US President Barack Obama talked of ‘remaking America’ and said “to the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect”.
The hatred for Bush and the unpopularity of the US policy over the last eight years has been hugely damaging for the ‘freedom and democracy’ brand and many hope Mr Obama will be the saviour who will change America’s image as a warmonger in the world.
However, these people fail to realise that America is not one man.
America has institutions, which have compromised the very principles they claim to uphold. America has its capitalist system and its weaknesses lie exposed.
One man can never change those problems that are systemic in a state, no matter how eloquently he pledges to do so. America is a capitalist state with a capitalist foreign policy bent on colonising other states.
As such, it seeks to maintain its domination over the Muslim world and continue the capitalist agenda of exploitation.
Presidents come and go, policies may be amended, but there will be no real change.
Muslims should look beyond personality and evaluate declared policies.
Despite criticising George Bush’s foreign policy, Barack Obama has declared his willingness to attack Pakistan, intensify the war in Afghanistan and continue promoting capitalism.
He has also pledged unstinting support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Real change in the Muslim world cannot come from having faith in one man. It will never come from emulating a failed capitalist system.
It will only come when the Muslim world adopts an accountable and just system, not open to manipulation, which puts the poor and needy at the centre of its economic programme, and which will defend its lands from occupation and exploitation.
MOEZ MOBEEN
Islamabad
(II)
I HAVE been, and still continue to be, inspired by your election slogan: “Yes, we can”. Obama, yes, you can reduce poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, pollution, extremism and, more importantly, injustice against innocent people in Africa, Latin America, Gaza, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Iraq.
You can do many things by being bold, honest, just, by avoiding the civil and military bureaucracy’s tricks, as well as the dictates of the corporate world.
The poor, underprivileged and harassed humanity even in your own country are looking up to your motto: “Yes, we can”. Don’t be afraid of what lies ahead after your decisions.
A. BAKHSH
Karachi
AS if occupying school buildings on the plea of non-availability of accommodation was not enough that now the Rangers have begun doing business by even renting out these buildings to private parties as reported in Dawn, ‘Rangers rent out high school’s hostel in Hyderabad’ (6 March).
‘Noor Muhammad High School’ is one of the historic educational institutions of Sindh, which was established with the sole efforts of a great educationist, Noor Muhammad, who by profession was an advocate.
Noor Muhammad, who graduated from Aligarh, was inspired by the Anglo-Muhammadan Oriental College established by Sir Syed Ahmad, and envisioned a similar institution in Sindh. For fulfilling his dream he visited every nook and corner of the subcontinent and collected funds from philanthropists. By the early 1920s he was able to build in the heart of Hyderabad, then Sindh’s most beautiful city, not only a high class school with best education facilities but also built a grand hostel to provide board and lodging, at nominal cost, for students coming from rural areas.
This school has served the country, especially Sindh, by producing numerous eminent persons. Unfortunately the hostel of this school has been occupied by Rangers, while a part of it has been rented out to a builder, depriving thousands of poor students for the last many years.
The chief minister and the education minister should get the hostel vacated.
SHAFIQUE ANSARI
Dubai
UNTIL just the other day, various ministers were defending the release of Dr A.Q. Khan, and one of them even went to the extent of saying that this had come about as a result of an agreement between the government and the scientist.
However, no sooner had Washington made its displeasure known that they quickly reversed their stand, restored most of the restrictions on Dr Khan and talked of appealing against the court’s decision. This shows how weak our rulers are.
Why do Turkey’s rulers take a firm stand whenever their national interest so demands? Their economy was in ruins before AKP came to power but through honest and hard work they fixed it. Mr Erdogan didn’t hesitate to walk out of the Davos WEF meeting to express his anger at the Israeli PM’s speech. Did the PM of the world’s only nuclear power, who was present at the meeting, join him? No way.
When Mr Erdogan returned to Turkey, there was a crowd of thousands of cheering Turks to welcome him back and express support for his action. He told them that nobody would be allowed to insult the prime minister of Turkey (meaning the organisers of the forum who refused to allow him sufficient time to respond to Shimon Peres). That is the kind of self-respect our rulers must have for themselves and the nation.
T. AHMED
Karachi
Apropos of Amir Ikram’s letter (Feb 11), I fully endorse his views and would like to add my case amongst the sufferers’ list.
Mr Ikram is very right in saying that after conducting a test the National Testing Services (NTS) refers the candidates to the ministry of education in case of any query as regards the announcement of the final result or selection.
After making several unsuccessful attempts on (051) 9204225 (in which I was told to call later) I was lucky enough to know that the merit list pertaining to the Cultural Exchange Scholarship 2008 test has been finalised.
It was shocking to know that the education ministry had made the list on the basis of regional quota instead of the proposed field of study basis. After securing excellent marks in the test under the Medical Sciences category, I had checked the other entire Medical Sciences applicant marks as well who had appeared from Karachi venue but the topper of merit list (on a quota basis) made by the ministry was of Social Sciences discipline. How can the authorities compare the candidates who had attempted different test papers?
Shouldn’t separate merit lists been made on the basis of field of study rather than on provincial quota. Such is the sad state of affairs that nobody bothers to convey the candidates about their status after appearance in the test. Moreover, the scholarship awardees are never disclosed to the public via the media, leading to suspicion of favouritism and nepotism during compilation and finalisation of candidates for the scholarship purpose.
DR SHAZIA ABBASI
Hyderabad
IN Pakistan there is no dearth of the devil’s advocates. This category has launched a campaign against the UN investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s murder.
The arguments against the UN inquiry are that while her party (PPP) is in power, they should use internal sources for inquiry.
Don’t these people remember that in 1951 a prime minister was killed at the same venue in Rawalpindi and the nation is still waiting for an in-depth inquiry into that tragic incident.
Similarly, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was found dead in her bed and the inquiry said “she died of an heart attack.” What about the inquiry report into the murder of Nawab of Kalabagh? Are people satisfied with the argument that he was killed by his own son? A list of such inquiries conducted by the national agencies of Pakistan is very long.
By opposing an international inquiry into the murder of Benazir Bhutto, do these people want another addition to this useless long list?Don’t they know that times have changed?
AYSHA MUGHAL
Islamabad
ABOUT 8,000 ghost schools exist in the NWFP, according to a report in a section of the press (Jan 12).
While it is the immediate need of the hour to shunt out ‘ghosts’ from these schools, it is essential not to lose sight of most sorrowful environments in many of the ghost-free schools of the province too.
MOHAMMAD FAYYAZ
Charsadda
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.
