Ayesha Siddiqa’s column “The PPP and the State” (January 2008) is a thought provoking comment on the approach of the movers and shakers of the state. It compelled one to wonder what purposes are served by booting out Pakistan’s most popular party. When our defenders surrendered quite unceremoniously in Dhaka, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto stepped in as a saviour and ensured the return of the prisoners of war. He was rewarded by being executed.

After Bhutto the PPP braved storm after storm but the assassination of Benazir Bhutto appears to be fatal blow not only for the party but for the federation of Pakistan. Even her worst critics have started saying that she was a binding force and symbolised hope for millions of Pakistanis. Alas, hope is lost. Farewell Benazir, the nonpareil! Farewell!

Waheed Tunio
Via email
 

The right record

In the sports section of the Images (January 2008), you stated that the Egyptian squash player Amr Shabana has equalled Jansher Khan’s record by winning the World Open for the third time. However, this is not true: Jansher Khan has 10 world squash titles to his credit. Jehangir Khan won six world squash titles and 10 British Open titles.

A. Ahmed
Via email
 

Hate infinite?

In the 360 degrees section of Images (January 2008), the Herald lists a few political assassinations including that of Mahatma Gandhi’s at the hands of Nathuram Godse in 1948. It is a historical fact that before the killer was identified, all fingers were being pointed towards the entire Muslim population of India.

Godse’s hate and anger over Gandhi’s gesture of goodwill towards Pakistan – the Mahatma forced the Indian government to transfer to Pakistan the money specified in the Partition agreement – was so great that even the act of killing the man did not abate it. After the judge gave the judicial verdict of death by hanging, Godse shouted: “Ek dhakka do aur Pakistan torr do”. And when we lost East Pakistan, Indira Gandhi in a way fulfilled his dying wish by saying that she had cut Pakistan down to size.

S. Faiyazuddin Ahmad
UK
 

Missing

I have been a subscriber of the Herald since 2003. I don’t know if you are aware but the subscribers wait the entire year for the magazine’s January bumper issue. However, this year the Herald deprived us of it. Why?

Second, the Herald used to allocate three pages for letters but at present we are allotted only two. In my opinion, approximately 40 per cent of the Herald consists of advertisements. I think no one should criticise that ratio because it benefits both the readers as well as the magazine. But can the magazine not spare two full pages for letters without any advertisements, which take up space of at least two more letters?

Third, the Science and Technology segment was missing in the January issue. This again is unfortunate as the segment is missed by its regular readers.

Mushtaq Khan Mooliani
Shahpur, Layyah

Due to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the election schedule, the Herald Annual has been delayed.
 

Incomplete picture

Your editorial “The ‘right’ approach” of the December 2007 issue argues that the freedom of press is a basic right and there is absolutely no reason good enough to revoke it. However, freedom of speech is an even more basic human right but the most ardent advocates of it agree that it does not grant anyone the permission to shout “fire” in a crowded theatre. I equate the behaviour of the media in Pakistan to exactly this: shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre.

The media should present both sides of important issues. Instead, what we get is unmitigated and uninterrupted vitriol usually hurled at the government of the day. This is especially true as far as the present regime is concerned which, departing from norms established by our democrats, granted the media unprecedented freedom.

Let me illustrate with a couple of examples. First, surely there must be some creditable steps that General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and his regime have taken. For example, some attribute reasonable economic growth to the government. However, the press has overwhelmingly sought to minimise (‘growth could have been higher’), mitigate (‘it’s all a result of 9/11’) and malign (‘the gap between rich and poor has increased’) the regime’s economic success.

Similarly, on the confrontation with the judiciary, the media have been unanimous in the opinion that a hero who was fighting for the people was felled by a megalomaniac. This is a simple, one-sided argument that fails to analyse the chief justice’s actions that led to the confrontation. Many hold the opinion that the Pakistan Steel Mills’ privatisation, which the Supreme Court reversed, was fair and transparent. In addition, the chief justice of a country should be interpreting the Constitution, not interfering in the privatisation process. Others have also argued that if the bastions of liberty such as the US and the UK have resorted to extra-legal detentions in these extraordinary times, then the hysteria over a couple of hundred people incarcerated in Pakistan is probably unwarranted. Agree or disagree, objective reporting would require presenting both sides.

Before fulminating about a government that has (to its own detriment) redefined press freedom in Pakistan, the media, including a respected publication such as the Herald should re-examine their own inadequate role in informing constructive debate in the country.

Salman Ahmad
Via email
 

The right facts

This is in reference to “Protesting engineers to face action” (December 2007). At the very outset the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) categorically denies that its members went on strike on November 2, 2007 or that there was any decision by the SAEP to this effect. It is on record at PIA that on November 2, 2007 the schedule of flights for the said date was adhered to by the available engineers within their certification limitations. It is also on record that in order to clear the negative propaganda of the vested quarters in the media regarding sick leave availed by some members of the SAEP on November 2, the society decided to hold a press conference in the early hours of November 3.

Accordingly, a press conference was held at which the SAEP made it clear that it neither had any intention to go on strike for the resolution of pending issues nor did it persuade its members to do so. It was made clear that unresolved issues would be addressed through the support of the media and then other options may be considered. After the conclusion of the press conference at approximately 5:30 p.m. on November 3, the news of the proclamation of emergency rule was aired by PTV. Thereafter, the SAEP, like previous practice, continued an in-house negotiation process with the management without disturbing flight schedules, including the Hajj flights. As such, hence, there never was a deadlock between the society and the management of the PIA.

Muhammad Siddiq Mirza
Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan (on behalf of the SAEP)
 

Our email address:
letters.herald@dawn.com

Only letters concerning articles in the Herald will be considered for publication. Readers are requested to restrict their comments to 500 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space.

DISCLAIMER

Readers are recommended to make appropriate enquiries and take appropriate advice before sending money, incurring any expense or entering into a binding commitment in relation to an advertisement. Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Limited shall not be liable to any person for loss or damage incurred or suffered as a result of his/her accepting or offering to accept an invitation contained in any advertisement published in its publications.