Promoting inter-faith friendship

WITH reference to the article “Building bridges of inter-faith friendship” (Jan 20) by George Carey and Zaki Badawi, I would like to compliment the authors for contributing to the discourse on such an important subject.

This will, hopefully, add to the efforts already being made by many eminent leaders of different faiths, including Muslims, in the West.

Some such dialogues had been held some years back, for example one in London (around nine world faith representatives participating) and another last year, in Amman (around 15 faith representatives participating). This is, in my understanding, a constructive and highly desirable course to adopt in today’s world.

Muslims should be actively participating, if not actually initiating inter-faith dialogues around the globe, and more specifically in Pakistan. The universalistic postulates and postures of Islam, in fact, enable us to integrate the humanity more widely. If anybody has doubts about this pluralistic approach of the Quran, he or she must refer to the following (and many similar) verse(s) of the Quran.

The verse says, “... if God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His Plan is) to test you in what He hath given you; so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He who will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute”. (The Quran, translated by A. Yousuf Ali; Sura A-Maa’idah: 51). The verse seems to give us a very deep message, if we are to reflect over it.

One of the key messages of the authors is “if we are to live together with a well-informed and sympathetic understanding of each other there is clearly a crucial educational role for those who know our tradition well and can interpret them in today’s world”. The key is to interpret our history in a way that rings forth that part of the divine message, which has more universal appeal.

I strongly believe that as Muslims if we expect others to understand tradition better, then the need is make an effort to understand other faiths and cultures in a way that we would like others to study our faith.

Our teachers, preachers, writers, and intellectuals need to understand other faiths and cultures from a broader perspective than a narrower angle, to be able to appreciate the diversity of what I call the human experience of the transcendence and mundane, sacred and secular. We cannot understand self without the proper recognition and understanding of the “other”.

Similarly, the government, as well as the private institutions, should make sincere and sustained efforts to encourage pluralism among their employees, by bringing diversified groups into a harmonious whole by highlighting what binds, rather than what divides, whether in terms of faiths or cultures, without necessarily forsaking identities, sectarian or communal.

JAN-E-ALAM KHAKI

Karachi

Musharraf’s visit to the US

EVERYBODY will be looking forward to the outcome of President Musharraf’s visit to the US. Pakistan became the front line state in the war against terrorism and had provided all the support, not only to the US but to its allies as well. Time has come for Washington to reciprocate Pakistan’s response to their call.

India has put its forces along the borders. But, in spite of the gravity of the situation, the US wants Pakistan to resume talks with India on the core issue of Kashmir. This issue has been discussed by Pakistan with India many times at various levels but without any result. The US must now act as a mediator between Pakistan and India, as without this the Kashmir issue would remain unresolved. If the US wants peace in South Asia, mediation is a must.

During his forthcoming visit to Washington, the President is also requested to discuss the policies of the US Customs Service as Pakistani exporters are facing great difficulties in getting the goods cleared within the specified period of time. This has let down Pakistani exporters who are suffering heavy losses.

The time has come for the American entrepreneurs to make investments in Pakistan. After a ban on the extremist organizations, the climate here has become more favourable for foreign investment. US economic aid and investments would bring the two countries much closer to each other.

President Musharraf should also take up again the matter of Pakistanis detained in various US jails after the September 11 attacks. As a gesture of goodwill, these detained persons should be released at the earliest by the US law enforcement agencies.

SYED A. MATEEN

Karachi

Increase in power rates

THE recent decision by Wapda to increase the power bills of domestic consumers by 50 per cent from August, 2001, onward in case of those using over 1,000 units per month has come as a bolt from the blue.

It would be seen that even if one airconditioner was used for eight hours during summer, the units consumed would easily go up to 1,000 units plus other normal appliances in a house. To place a burden of 50 per cent on already paid bills is like the last straw on the camel’s back.

Decision makers do not realize that the fixed income group comprising civil and military employees as also retired personnel would be put to great hardship to pay the inflated power bills beyond their capacity. Naturally they would have to curtail their expenses on the food, education and health of their children which would add to their poverty.

The increased power rates would add to the cost of manufactured goods and would dampen the economic revival programme of the government.

It is hoped that the authorities would take note of the fallout of inflated power bills in time before they shake the economic foundations of the country.

DR M. YAQOOB BHATTI

Lahore

Utility tariff hike

AILEEN Qaiser’s Dateline Islamabad (Feb 5) rightly criticizes Wapda and Nepra for the woes of electricity consumers. She also aptly takes apart the government’s commitment to poverty alleviation and to building a welfare state.

However, she remains way off the mark in her statement that utility tariff increases are a pre-condition for IMF loans. Actually, the IMF and other donor agencies desire nothing but to cut losses suffered by the utilities. Unfortunately, these losses are mainly due to mis-management, inefficiency and corruption which cannot be easily eradicated. To offset these losses, we have to face price hikes.

The respective managements, indeed, cry hoarse and propagate other mundane reasons for their losses, while the IMF is blamed for the hardship faced by the people.

It’s high time both the government and the people understood the true reasons for the recurrent utility price hikes.

QAZI HABIBUR REHMAN

Lahore

Belgium’s example

REFERENCE the editorial in Dawn (Feb 7) that the Belgian foreign minister tendered his apology to the people of Congo and Patrice Lumumba’s family for the pain inflicted on them by the assassination of the 35-year-old freedom-fighter who led his country’s anti-colonial struggle against Belgian rule. If I recall correctly, he was brutally killed and his body dragged in the street of Kinshasa (then, Leopoldville) by his rivals supported by the Belgian Intelligence agency and the American CIA.

Concluding, the editorial states that “Belgium’s recent apology has earned it worldwide respect rather than causing it any loss of face”. I would agree provided the apologists would at the same time promise not to repeat such brutalities to serve their interests. Unfortunately, the tussle between the exploiters continues and thousands of innocent civilians in Congo have been killed since then.

Another recent example is the apology by the US government to its citizens of Japanese origin who were mistreated after Pearl Harbour. However, the same mistreatment is being meted out currently to many US citizens of Islamic origin.

What is the use of an apology if even after 45 to 50 years, the intention is to keep on repeating the injustices and assassinations?

Being an idealist I do not wish to accept that in the real world “might is right” and it is ‘supreme national and international interests’ that supersede the interest of the Third World. But, why blame the First World! The fault lies in us, not in our stars!

NAZIM F. HAJI

Karachi

Larkana garden

AFTER more than 50 years of independence, Larkana still has only two public parks which have existed since before the days of independence and have been re-named as Jinnah Bagh and Bagh-i-Zulfiqar.

Under the relevant rules, no part of a public park can be allotted to anybody. But somehow, major portions of these two parks have been given to private parties.

During the previous Nawaz government, a substantial grant amounting to millions of rupees, was provided to the Larkana Municipal Committee for the development of Larkana city.

This budget was utilized to erect a beautiful structure with electronic fountains, and colourful flower beds in one portion of the Jinnah Bagh. Unfortunately, this portion of the park always remains closed for the public. Perhaps the Larkana Municipality feels that if it is opened for the general public, it might get spoiled.

I request the Nazim of Larkana district and the Coordinating Officer to look into the matter. Also, this part of the Jinnah Bagh should be opened forthwith for the general public.

M. ANWAR CHANNA

Larkana

Grievances of pensioners

I REFER to the letter by Mr Q. Raza (Jan 5) and endorse the views contained therein. In all fairness, the increase in pension should have been made in the same ratio as has been done in the case of increase in pay, that is, 50 to 70 per cent and not 5 to 15 per cent. Obviously everyone, pensioner or employed, has been affected equally by the increase in the cost of living.

Further, in the past the increase in pension whenever made, was calculated on the basis of gross pension, but this time it has been worked out by the AGPR, Karachi, on the basis of net pension which is half of the gross pension. This has further reduced the amount of benefit to pensioners.

I, therefore, request the authorities to consider these aspects and allow a benefit of a reasonable amount to the pensioners.

M. A. JAMALI

Karachi

Dental colleges in Karachi

THIS is with reference to the ongoing debate as to the justification or otherwise of “suspending” recognition of many dental and medical colleges by the PMDC, mostly based in Karachi.

In recent years, dental colleges mushroomed in Karachi which now churn out hundreds of young dentists who are finding it extremely hard to find respectable jobs or set up private practice in an already saturated Karachi market.

Paradoxically, we have a glut of new dentists in Karachi but no dentist in far-flung areas of Pakistan.

The question is, why in the first place, did PMDC allow so many dental colleges to mushroom and mint money in Karachi only?

The answer is obvious — the former Secretary of the PMDC has a NAB case against him for having made crores of rupees in ill-gotten wealth as Secretary of the PMDC.

Even now, the PMDC is following a policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hound, as many senior professors who form the sacred PMDC Council have a vested interest in these private dental / medical colleges in terms of lucrative jobs as well as lobbying for these colleges at the PMDC forum.

At present the PMDC is following an absurd policy of allowing anyone who can come up with enough resources to open a dental / medical college anywhere without realizing the repercussions.

It must be realized that subject specialist professors of anatomy, medicine, surgery etc. are least qualified for health and education planning, which is regarded as a major specialty in itself and recognized as such the world over.

What is really needed in the PMDC is a core group of specialists, well qualified by international standards in the science of health and education planning, who can survey, formulate and devise a national health education plan.

And the number, curriculum and locations of dental and medical colleges should be kept exactly in accordance with this national health education plan.

In the absence of such health planning, stop-gap and ad-hoc measures by the PMDC will only aggravate a messy situation as is clearly evident in Karachi.

DR MAHMOOD SHAH

President, Pakistan Dental Association

Karachi

Alternative energy sources

I AM writing this letter in reference to Shahid Anwar’s letter on producing electricity from cow dung in Britain. I would like to highlight the fact that research has been done on subjects like the use of alternative energy sources in Pakistan as well, but unfortunately, not much has come out of it.

In 1982, a group of students from NED University were assigned a final year project for a “Clean Energy Model Village”.

The object was to select a real village and to design different systems from power generation to irrigation water pumping, to rice drying, in order to make the village self-sufficient in the use of alternate energy sources.

The selection criteria had to include factors like critical population size and enough days of sunshine and wind to ensure adequate supply of alternate energy resources.

The students short-listed possible villages that might be suitable as sites for the model village.

Finally, with the assistance of the then chairman of District Council Thatta, village Bohara was selected as the model village.

The students were divided into groups of two to four each and different projects were assigned to each one of these groups. Some of the projects assigned are listed below:

Wind-energy water pumping; Bio-gas heating; Solar energy power generation; Solar energy rice drying.

The designs were completed along with complete bills of quantity and costing, based on actual market data. The cost of each system was between Rs 50,000 and Rs 500,000.

The students who designed these systems have graduated and gone on with their lives, with most of them settled overseas. The designs are gathering dust on the shelves of the project library of the NED University.

Mr Chandio is no longer with us and the people of Bohara are living their lives in the same condition as twenty years ago.

SHAHZAD KAZI

Miami, Florida

Gas bills

THERE are at present three utility corporations working in Pakistan — Wapda, Telecommunications and Sui Gas. It appears as if they are running a neck and neck race in fleecing the poor people of Pakistan.

We are already suffering greatly from two of them — Wapda and Telecommunication and now Sui Gas too has not only joined but has also surpassed them. My gas bill hardly ever exceeded Rs 200 per month for the past so many years. But in January, my bill suddenly jumped to more than three times, or Rs 620.

MUHAMMAD ISHAQUE SOOFI

Rabwah

Backtracking again?

THE inevitable has happened or is it another backtracking performance? The graduation restriction for candidates for the legislature is being withdrawn. Here is a suggestion:

Anybody who has gone beyond class sixth and can correctly spell the word legislature will not qualify as a candidate.

DISGUSTED

Karachi

Admissions to Peshawar colleges

PESHAWAR colleges failed to provide admission to thousands of candidates for the first and third year classes in both arts and science groups in the academic session 2001-2002 on account of limited number of seats. According to statistics, a total of 13,637 admission forms were submitted in the seven colleges for both boys and girls in Peshawar, but only 3,845 could get admission while the rest were left to look for other options.

A senior official of the education department reportedly said that they were trying to solve the admission problem and that is why the department had started second shift in the colleges on self-finance scheme basis. However, he is said to have admitted that the scheme is for the middle and high classes as boys belonging to poor families cannot afford the fee. He said there was need for at least three more colleges for boys and two colleges for girls in the city but the government did not have the required funds to take up the projects.

Students should not be deprived of education due to shortage of classroom space. The federal and the provincial governments as well as the Peshawar city government are urged to provide special grants for overcoming the space problems so that the affected students are provided admission in proper colleges for the academic session 2001-02. The following proposals may also be considered in this context.

The federal government may consider initiating a human resources development programme by providing funds for financing in Peshawar at least two colleges, one each for boys and girls, for academic session 2001-02. Similar facilities may also be in the next stage considered for other provincial headquarters.

The federal education ministry may consider special grants for improving the colleges in the NWFP and other provinces facing acute shortage of classrooms and other allied facilities.

The NWFP government may consider starting degree classes in the Government Girls College, Gulshan Rehman, and also introduce the second shift in government colleges. The NWFP government may also introduce and finance double shifts in the colleges where at present the private sector is not already running the double shift.

The government policy of offering buildings of government colleges to the private sector for running the second shifts might be reconsidered. The government preferably may also run the second shifts. The government may consider providing land free of cost to the private sector for construction thereon of proper colleges.

There might be a need for rationalizing the admission process in government colleges as well as for the tuition fee structure adopted by the private sector. The authorities are urged to take steps so that the meritorious and deserving students are not deprived of admission.

MUHAMMAD BASHIR CHAUDHRY

Karachi