Lessons of the Congress victory

The recent Indian elections have demonstrated once again the inherent strength and self-confidence of the parliamentary system of that country. Imagine - 700 million voters spread out over a vast land, voting in four phases area-wise, the balloting spread out over a month, the balloting machines kept in the custody of the election commission for all this period, and the compilation and announcement of all results within two days.

The ruling party rejected by the voters calmly accepts its unexpected defeat. There are no allegations of poll rigging by anyone, because the Indian election commission's credibility remains intact. It was a superb performance and deserves unstinted appreciation.

India is a poor country, just like ours. It has the same problems bedevilling its polity as we have in Pakistan. There is widespread corruption and nepotism in India, too. Inefficiency in government departments is likewise endemic. But India has three things which differentiate it from our institutions. First, the Indian Army does not poke its nose into political problems. Second, the Supreme Court gives its decisions without fear or favour and is, therefore, highly respected. Third, India's election commission ensures a level playing field for all parties and holds periodic elections in the fairest possible manner.

The conduct of the recent general elections in India and the subsequent calm change of government have raised the country's stature and respect in the comity of nations. Maybe there is a lesson in it for the people of our country from all facets of life, especially feuding politicians, conniving bureaucrats and power-hungry brass hats ruling the roost.

ZAFARULLAH POSHNI

Karachi

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The electoral process in India has resulted in a change of government. The democratic system in our neighbourhood also teaches us a lesson. Mr Vajpayee, who belongs to the BJP (known for its extremist views in South Asia), accepted his defeat with good grace without taking shelter behind the excuse of rigging. In this way he proved the stability of democracy in India. It indicates not only the democratic spirit prevailing in that country, but also establishes an example of tolerance vital for the strength and sustainability of the democratic system.

The reverse is the attitude of the political leadership in our country. The by-election held recently on some National and Provincial Assembly seats in Sindh reverberated with allegations of rigging. It is an established principle of democracy that the victory of one party is the defeat of the other. In order to sustain the democratic spirit, the losing party should accept its defeat unreservedly. Political tolerance is the only way to obviate Martial Law.

A healthy opposition is necessary for the political, economic and social development of a country but opposition for the sake of opposition can be fatal to democracy and the development process of a nation.

SAIMA BASHIR BARYAR

Lahore

Powers of tax ombudsman

The institution of the federal tax ombudsman (FTO) was created in 2000 to check the "maladministration" of the tax authorities. Since then it has disposed of some 4,000 complaints.

However, on November 20, 2003, President Musharraf, acting on a representation of the Central Board of Revenue, held in the case of Chenab Fibers Ltd, Faisalabad, that the FT0 had no jurisdiction to investigate matters relating to assessment of income or wealth, determination of tax or duty liability, etc., when legal remedy of appeal and review or revision was available under the relevant legislation. Thus, the jurisdiction of the FTO was effectively curtailed.

What the president did not say in his order and what he should have considered was that after his order, there is little left of the powers that now remain vested with the FTO. The president, while making this order, should also have wound up the institution of the FTO.

I request the CBR to put up another representation before the president in the interest of the taxpayers. And this should be as follows: 'That the FTO, at least, must have the jurisdiction to adjudicate questions of law only, where the order passed by an income-tax functionary is void, unjust and without jurisdiction and exceeds the powers conferred on him by the statute, notwithstanding the availability of a remedy of appeal against such an order.' This will ensure quick and economical justice to the taxpayers, especially the smaller ones, who, because of their meagre resources, cannot fight against the injustice of the department in the superior courts.

The assessee, as well as the department, may file an appeal against the order of the FTO only with the Supreme Court, otherwise the decision of the FTO should be considered final and binding on the assessee, as well as the department. The decisions of the FTO should not involve the president, at all.

Lastly, I would like to see the CBR as an institution which also pursues the just rights of the taxpayers and fights for these rights. This change of mind is not difficult to achieve. Only the sahib bahadur needs to become a qaum ka khidmatgar.

TAXPAYER

Karachi

Govt's misplaced priorities

The recent massacre of several citizens in Karachi's Hyderi Mosque has exposed the hollowness of the government's claim of good governance. This was followed by two consecutive days of killing, in the by-elections to various National Assembly and Provincial Assembly seats.

There are more state-owned four-wheelers and other luxurious limousines available for the scores of ministers, advisers and their henchman than ambulances for Karachi's poor citizens. The situation in Sindh's interior is even worse and similar is the state of affairs in all other provinces. Had it not been for the Edhi Trust, many people would bleed to death, without even a semblance of medical aid provided to them.

The government lacks the political will to shoulder its responsibility for providing law and order and basic health and education to the masses because those in government are there for their political wheeling and dealing and not because they have a mandate to rule. The state has, in its wisdom, thought it fit to give the private sector the task to run educational institutions and medical units. Those who wield political influence in this apolitical system are minting billions of rupees. The federal government has the resources and funds to allocate billions of rupees to PIA for purchase of expensive new state-of-the-art aircraft, which it cannot even maintain.

It also has the resources to provide fully loaded housing societies, built and developed from state funds, only to be allotted to its elite in the establishment, who already have scores of such residential/commercial plots and agricultural land allotted to them. These are then sold at sky-high prices to middle class white-collared professionals and expatriates. The cost of residential plots has been taken to such out-of-proportion prices by the plot mafia, dominated by the establishment, that it is now impossible for a professional middle class man to own a house without resort to unfair means of earning.

All this is happening, while 90 per cent of the population do not even have access to clean drinking water. The government must reassess its agenda to avoid political turmoil because of its misplaced priorities.

SHAHZAD KHALIL

Sialkot

Iraqi prisoner abuse

The inhuman treatment meted out to Iraqi prisoners by male and female US soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison is shocking, humiliating and unforgivable.

The same brute treatment is meted out all detainees at Guantanamo detention camp in Cuba and Bagram camp in Afghanistan. Innocent and peace-loving citizens in their own countries are subjected to maltreatment and aggravated assaults. They are murdered, beaten, raped, deprived of sleep, made naked to degrade and depict in sexual, immoral positions. They are made to listen deafening noise, shown dazzling lights and made to stand motionless for over six hours tied with live electric wires.

Military dogs were used to frighten and intimidate detainees, and authorities intentionally dogged such abuses. A few individuals are being made scapegoats but, in fact, orders for the torture were passed on from their higher military commanders with active connivance of the US defence secretary. Mere apology by Bush and Rumsfeld amounts to fooling the world to cover up atrocities committed on Iraqi and Afghan detainees. It is a pity that the entire Muslim world is keeping silent over these incidents, which are taking place for over a year.

All occupying forces in Iraq and Afghanistan should be withdrawn so that the Iraqis and the Afghans can decide their own fate.

SUNAWAR CHAUDHARY

Rawalpindi

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President Bush has said that the abuse of the prisoners by American soldiers is not widespread and that the behaviour of some does not reflect the sound professionalism of the rest of the American and British forces. Would Mr Bush and his neo-con team accept the same argument vis-a-vis Al Qaeda and the rest of the Muslim world?

NADEEM ZAFAR

Memphis, USA

Southern Punjab phones

We, the people of southern Punjab, were grateful to the federal government when a representative from our area was allotted the portfolio of minister for telecommunications. Indeed, it is the backward areas that need maximum attention as regards development infrastructure. However, this appointment has not really benefited us due to the non-cooperation, inefficiency and mismanagement of the local PTCL staff. They are said to have entered into an unholy alliance with new mobile phone companies and are making sure that it should be as difficult as possible for any citizen to get a fixed-phone connection.

For example, Farid Colony in Muzaffargarh, inhabited by educated people and situated about five kilometres from the district courts, has been facing a severe shortage of telephone connection and lines since long. As a result, a person building a new house here cannot get his old number shifted, let alone get a new connection. Public protest forced the authorities to draw up an extension plan but again the local officials are dragging their feet in this regard for the benefit of the cell companies.

The minister, Mr Owais Leghari, is requested to pull up staff at Muzaffargarh and issue orders for providing new telephone connections immediately.

MUHAMMAD YUSUF

Muzaffargarh

Indo-Pakistan talks on nuclear CBMs

With the resumption of the scheduled Indo-Pakistan talks on nuclear confidence-building measures (CBMs) on May 25-26, the affirmation made by Congress President Sonia Gandhi "to continue the peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad" is both timely and welcome.

In a post-nuclearized South Asia where the possibility of use of nuclear weapons - whether by design, miscalculation or accident - is so real, there is a vital need for establishing, to whatever extent possible, nuclear risk-reduction measures (NRRMs), duly accompanying nuclear CBMs.

During Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to Lahore in February 1999, the two nations signed MOUs on the issues of nuclear missile restraint regimes, including advance notification of anti-ballistic missile testing.

The two governments have already taken some nuclear CBMs. Both have agreed not to attack each other's nuclear installations, and to continue to exchange lists of their nuclear installations. Nuclear doctrines have been enunciated. Nuclear command authorities have been established on both sides. Nuclear force commanders have been nominated. A Nuclear Export Regulating Authority has been put in place by Pakistan. But unfortunately India has been relentlessly pursuing its ambitious nuclear doctrine of developing a triad of 400 land, sea and airborne nuclear weapons, including ICBMs, cruise missiles and ABMs. Its huge conventional weapons are also alarming. India's annual military expenditure is about $15 billion against Pakistan's $3 billion.

Paradoxically, some of the countries that give Pakistan sermons on arms restraint do not mind supplying all sorts of state-of-the-art weapons to India in total indifference to the regional security dynamics. Pakistan, being a responsible country, took the initiative for the current talks as it has proposed several nuclear and conventional CBMs to ensure a comprehensive strategic restraint regime. It has also declared a moratorium on further testing, and expressed its opposition to a nuclear arms race.

The grave issue that Pakistan will take up is the Indian acquisition of Israeli Phalcons airborne early warning control systems and the arrow anti-ballistic missile systems. The Indian side would perhaps try to limit the talks to Pakistan-specific missiles capabilities. The miniaturization of nuclear weapons and measures to adopt nuclear safety can be a significant subject of discussion between them. Both the countries could also adopt a synergetic approach in international fora on nuclear disarmament and on issues of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and even the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) in that both could argue that before criticizing the new nuclear powers, they must first set a precedence for nuclear disarmament.

S. Q. AFZAL RIZVI

Karachi

Cotton exports

Mr Shahid Javed Burki ("Intricacies of cotton policies", May 6) has presented an excellent picture of how governments of developed nations do injustice to poor farmers in developing countries by providing large subsidies to their farmers. But he seems to be unaware of the fact that Pakistan is no more a net exporter of cotton unlike the US and Uzbekistan which are still large exporters of cotton.

On the contrary, for the last few years Pakistan has become a net importer of cotton. Pakistan's cotton production has been stagnant at around 10 million bales for the past few years while its consumption is steadily rising and has touched the high mark of 11.5/12 million bales. As a result, for the last couple of years, Pakistan has been importing cotton in excess of one million bales.

In the same period, our cotton exports have been limited to two to three per cent of the crop size. In the current year (2003-04) Pakistan is on course to produce about 10 million bales, forcing the textile industry to import about 1.5 million bales. Thus, a glance at the pertinent statistics reveals that rather than having a large surplus of cotton, Pakistan's textile industry has to depend on expensive imports to meet its local requirements.

JUNAID HABIB VAID

Karachi

Prize bond draws

The government of Pakistan holds draws fortnight of prize bonds of different denominations. Each time a thousand prize-winning numbers, and even more, are announced, with prize money running into millions of rupees.

However, it is never disclosed how many of the winning prizes are actually claimed and the total amount disbursed by the government against a particular draw. It is only natural that many of the bonds winning the prizes remain unsold and their prize money thus remains in the government kitty.

In the interest of transparency, the authorities should as early as possible after close of a draw declare how many prizes were finally claimed and the total amount paid against them.

If it is not feasible to give this information through newspapers, the government can post it regularly on its website.

ABDULLAH

Lahore

Parking fee

I want to suggest to the city district government, Lahore, to collect a parking fee from vehicle owners on an annual basis. It is tiring to pay the parking fee at every place.

It is moreover an extra burden if one has to visit four or five different places (shopping centre, office, hospital, park) in a day. Parking areas should be organized and managed by the government with the parking tax paid by motorists for their convenience.

N.S. QURESHI

Lahore

Risking life and limb

This is with reference to a report published on May 18 on the above subject. I fully agree with it as our family has a bitter experience in this regard. My younger brother, who is a student in matric, and his two friends had the same habit of racing on Gulberg's main boulevard and Canal Road in Lahore. All the family members tried to stop him from this and gave him lots of advice but he did not listen. Rather, he argued that this was the best way to enjoy after six days of school.

Three weeks ago, my brother and his friends were racing and while they were doing that, a boy crossing the road was hit and he died on the spot.

My brother's friend suffered major injuries on the head, skull and face. He has been operated upon twice for head injuries, and underwent reconstructive facial surgery because most of his teeth have broken. His family suffered greatly because of his fondness for driving fast.

Now my brother has realized the gravity of the situation and stopped driving this way. I request all teenaged boys to do the same, if not alone for their personal safety, then for the sake of their near and dear ones.

MISS NAWAZ

Lahore

Killings in Macedonia

The recent disclosure by Macedonian authorities of the killing of six Pakistanis in a fake encounter is really disturbing. What is more shocking is that all this was merely to gain favour in the eyes of the US administration.

The painful fact is that whereas Al Qaeda is made to represent Islam, and there is no end to litanies against its inhumanity, hardly any eyebrow has been raised over the fate of the hapless Pakistanis. And, of course, when such a thing happens in the West, it is viewed merely as an aberration and not as a natural manifestation of its racist ethos. Surely, some comment is in order.

AYAZ SHAIKHZADEH

Paris, France

CAA's daily wage earners

Reference is made to the letter "CAA daily wage earners' grievances" (April 20) regarding regularization. Although the Civil Aviation Authority made appointments, candidates who had applied for and fulfilled the requirements were mostly not asked to appear for a test/interview. I had applied in response to their advertisement more than four times but all in vain.

It is also learnt that the deputy defence secretary has asked for a report from the CAA about the irregularities that were committed while making the appointments but no action has so far been taken.

The CAA is requested to refund the draft amounts submitted along with the applications as processing charges.

M. JAVED AKHTAR

Karachi