Lost opportunity at Almaty

ANOTHER opportunity for a resumption of talks between India and Pakistan was lost at Almaty during the just concluded 16-nation Asian summit on security and confidence-building. Both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf, whose armies are locked in a dangerous confrontation that could easily escalate into a full-blown war, were present at the summit but did not meet. A meeting at this tense moment could have paved the way for further talks and led to a military de-escalation and perhaps an end to the current stand-off. However, hopes that such a meeting would take place were dashed by India’s stubborn refusal to hold any dialogue with Pakistan until it put an end to what India calls “cross-border terrorism” in Kashmir. Russian President Vladimir Putin had taken the initiative of inviting both leaders to talk on the sidelines of the summit, but it failed to materialize because of the Indian prime minister’s refusal to budge from the rigid and unreasonable position he has adopted. In fact, both men spent their time in Almaty studiously trying to avoid each other. Mr Vajpayee’s refusal to engage in dialogue was disappointing, particularly given the number of concrete steps Pakistan has taken to curb religious extremism.

Following the attack on the Indian parliament in New Delhi in December last year, President Musharraf announced a series of measures aimed at rooting out militancy, including the banning of five extremist groups, large-scale arrests and a freezing of their bank accounts. He categorically stated that he would not allow the use of Pakistani territory to launch terrorist attacks on any other country. However, India refused to respond positively to these steps and continued to demand more action and simultaneously massed hundreds of thousands of its troops along its border with Pakistan and the Line of Control. In recent days, Musharraf has issued instructions to ensure that no infiltration by militants takes place, but the Indians have again dismissed the move as ‘cosmetic’. The only positive note was struck after the summit when Mr Vajpayee suggested joint India-Pakistan patrolling along the Line of Control to monitor any infiltration. This is similar to Pakistan’s suggestions in the past for stationing UN monitors on both sides of the LOC, a proposal India rejected each time. Yet since the joint patrolling proposal is on the same line, Pakistan should seriously consider it.

The summit approved a strongly-worded declaration on Tuesday denouncing all forms of terrorism and resolved not to support any ‘separatist’ movements. While no one in his right mind can fault this ringing denunciation of terrorism, especially a country like Pakistan which is a victim of such attacks, its wording leaves little room for an understanding of the causes of terrorism or for distinguishing between terrorism and legitimate freedom movements. One unfortunate legacy of September 11 is a tendency to lump all acts of violence together, regardless of the motivations. Trying to understand the roots of terrorism in specific cases is not the same as condoning such acts. By denouncing terrorist acts “whenever, wherever and whoever may commit them” and stating that no considerations whatsoever may be used to justify such acts, the Almaty declaration leaves little room for a proper understanding the struggles in Kashmir and Palestine, where the people are fighting against injustice and for their rights and reacting to the most brutal forms of state terrorism.

Admission on merit

THE Karachi city government has done well to abolish all quotas pertaining to admissions to the city colleges after matriculation. This means that this year all students who qualify on merit will get admission at the intermediate level. Announcing the city government’s education policy, the Nazim said that henceforth the only criterion for admission to a city college would be merit. This fulfils a long-standing demand of the citizens and puts an end to bitter controversies and complaints surrounding college admissions every year. Under the new admission policy, the city-district government will establish six new colleges and expedite the setting up of nine more, eventually raising the total number of colleges in the city to 106. It will also establish an information technology university in Korangi, and substantially increase the number of seats at the university level by starting a second shift in all existing colleges.

While the new policy of offering admissions to all students who pass their matriculation should be welcomed, there is a need to reorient the intermediate education policy according to the longer-term needs and imperatives of the country. There is nothing wrong with making higher secondary education more widely available to all students, provided the idea is to prepare a certain percentage of students for joining the technical workforce, or continuing higher studies in polytechnics and professional institutes after intermediate. Taking them to a university level for yet more of general education will serve little purpose, as thousands of unemployed graduates already find themselves barred from fields requiring professional skills and competence. This realization must inform the new education policy if it seeks to achieve the results that can truly serve the changing needs of the country.

Essentials of patient care

THE lack of an infection-free environment in many of the country’s hospitals poses a serious threat to the health of patients. A case in point is that of patients suffering from renal failure who must undergo dialysis. In many cases, the water utilized in this life-saving procedure is not properly treated and could itself cause serious infections and even death. Large amounts of water are required during dialysis. According to doctors, this water must be absolutely pure and treated through the process of reverse osmosis to ensure it is free of all contamination and is suitable for use in dialysis. Unfortunately, many hospitals neglect this essential step and use any water that is available, including tap water. Given the dubious quality of such water, patients are sometimes seriously exposed to all kinds of infections. The side-effects of using unsafe water during dialysis range from headaches and nausea to far more serious ones, including hepatitis and even brain haemorrhage in extreme cases.

In many cases, patients can never be sure if the surgical instruments and even towels and bandages being used during treatment have been properly sterilized and are infection-free. The most alarming and dangerous of all such practices is the reusing of syringes, which can spread serious infections, including hepatitis and HIV. It is sad to realize that patients who are admitted to hospitals to be cured of ailments risk contracting other more serious diseases there because the staff does not follow the proper procedures or is simply negligent. It is time the government, with the help of NGOs, doctors’ associations and welfare organizations, mount a campaign to make sure that hospital staff adhere to all basic norms and principles of health care and make them aware of the grave risks involved in neglecting any of these.