Acts of terrorism

In the fist week of May a car bomb killed three Chinese engineers in Gwadar. About three months later the corps commander said Gwadar "is safe now" after army action against terrorists hiding in the mountains. Come September and an explosion occurred on the rooftop of a hotel in Gwadar. Luckily no one was injured.

Towards the end of May religious scholar Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai was assassinated in Karachi. Just before Shamzai's killing, some 25 people were killed in a suicide bomb blast at a mosque in Karachi. A day after his murder, an equal number of people were killed in a blast in another mosque.

Early in the month of October in Sheikhupura, students attacked Gurdawara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib. In the very same month there was a bomb attack on a mosque in Sialkot, killing 35 people. Within a week of the Sialkot attack, a congregation commemorating the first death anniversary of Maulana Azam Tariq was attacked, killing at least 39 people. The two incidents were followed by murders in Karachi of Mufti Mohammad Jameel and Maulana Nazir Taunsvi and another bomb attack on a mosque in Lahore, killing four people.

Then a Mehsud tribal leader kidnapped two Chinese engineers working as part of a batch of over 100 Chinese workers working on the Gomal Zam dam in South Waziristan. In a commando action, the five abductors and one of the Chinese hostages died.

Over 200 people have been killed this year in major acts of terrorism. In Karachi alone 1,110 persons have been killed in about 140 blasts since 1990 (Dawn, June 9).

In the tribal areas, Al Qaeda militants - foreign and local - continue to target military vehicles and checkposts as a result of the ongoing military operations by the army. Even though General Pervez Musharraf has claimed that the army and the government have the upper hand, especially with the arrest of over 600 Al Qaeda militants, the insurgents' spirits do not seem to have dampened.

The confidence in the law-enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system runs so low that the relatives of Mufti Jameel and leaders of the Aalami Majlis-i-Tahaffuz-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (AMTKN) have decided not to lodge an FIR for the murder of their two leaders because of "zero confidence" in the administration. "We have decided not to file an FIR because the government has failed to arrest the murderers of our scholars in the past."

After every tragic incident the administration says that security has been tightened. After the Multan tragedy the provincial government decided to ban religious gatherings. The city district government of Lahore will now install safety gates at all important mosques and imambargahs in the provincial metropolis for screening of entrants. Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed says: "There is complete sectarian harmony in the country and the fresh wave of violence is the work of terrorists who are on the run and are trying to shatter peace."

It is worth paying heed to the Dawn editorial which says: "The truth is that sectarian hatred of a ferocious kind is very much present in our midst notwithstanding religious leaders who are likely to hide behind hypocritical grandstanding, attributing the latest atrocity to the enemies of Islam - the rationale being that no Muslim can kill fellow Muslims. It is this kind of wilful denial of reality on the part of all concerned, besides failure of the intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, that has left sectarian violence and acts of terrorism unchecked."

PROF (DR) P. NASIR

Gujrat

Journalists in Kashmir

Uncensored footage of events at the Srinagar University carried by the media over the last couple of days is an eye-opener for everyone in India, Pakistan and rest of the world. One thing that stands out loud and clear is that no one can now take the people of Kashmir for granted. There is a wide awakening among them and they are determined to pay any price to achieve their rights. The following points emerge clearly:

1. A division of Kashmir is not acceptable.

2. The status quo along the Line of Control is no solution.

3. Autonomy within the existing set-up is not worth consideration.

4. Kashmir is not an 'atoot ang' of India.

5. No solution is acceptable without the participation of the people of Kashmir.

6. Prior to 1947 Kashmir had its own prime minister which indicates its status as an independent state.

7. The most preferable solution to the dispute is independence.

8. Elections are only a sham and the results remain the same whether people cast their votes or they do not.

9. With the split in the Hurriyat, there is no authentic body to represent the genuine sentiment of the people.

10. There is a deep-rooted hatred for the Indian occupation army.

11. Fondness for a plebiscite has also faded.

The horrendous tales of atrocities let loose on people as narrated by them are heart-rending. There appears to be a firm resolve among them not to let their sacrifices go waste. The polarization on the campus was significant and could not be concealed by administrative controls. The charged atmosphere outside the conference room that drew out the media from the controlled discussion inside the room depicted the popular mood of the people.

The timetable set out for a composite dialogue mentions only one point on Kashmir and that is, the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service. This is only cosmetic and does not substantively address thebigger issue. It will, however, help reunite the divided families on both sides and in some way ameliorate their misery.

The single most powerful message that comes out of the Pakistani journalists' visit is that Kashmir belongs to the people of Kashmir and that no other party has a right to unilaterally impose a solution on them against their wishes.

S.M.H.BOKHARI

Rawalpindi

Maintaining graveyards

A couple of months ago a letter was published in Dawn under the headline "Where do we take our dead?" If there is a fact of life about which there exists no two opinions, it is death. We all like to discuss things and matters on and above the earth but nobody likes to discuss matters beneath the earth and beyond.

Many Karachi graveyards have officially been declared closed for the last two or so decades but the business goes on. I was a regular visitor to the Sakhi Hasan graveyard and still go there whenever I am in Karachi. Things have changed overnight. By 95-96, there was enough place in and around the graveyard for a mayyat gari to move around but now it is difficult to walk between the graves.

When one enters the area, boys approach and ask the question: Koi order hai sahib? An order to dig a grave. Smaller boys and girls, with oil tins in hand, ask: "Pani Sahib?" (if there is no order). They know every nook and comer of the graveyard and can manage a grave for a charge only a little higher than the official rate. They all belong to the same clan and enjoy their leisure time with their partridges. Once I noticed a man digging and removing the remains from an old grave. I asked him why he was doing that. His reply was: "Sahib, Maulvi Sahib kahte hain ke qiyamat ke roz ek qabar se 70-70 murde niklenge to wo isi tarah hoga" and he continued.

How this problem can be solved or what the situation will be after a couple of years is an issue to be pondered over by the city fathers. I have visited many Muslim countries in the Gulf and around. There, the problem is no problem. There is a graveyard right in the heart of Dubai, half of which is used for two years and the other half for the next two years. What happens to the other half during the time? Well, it is prepared for the next term. The town I am living in has two graveyards and I pass by both almost every day. There is not one single cement grave and I have never seen anybody in or around there, even on Eid or Shab-i-Barat.

Do they forget their dead? Not quite. But their concept of life and death is practical. We should seek guidance and wisdom from God.

HAJI ASHFAQ

Muscat

Salam Teacher Day

Oct 5, World Teachers' Day, was observed as "Salam Teacher Day" in Pakistan. We saw the photographs of our president, prime minister and other ministers calling their respected teachers on the telephone to pay their tribute. Various programmes were organized at educational institutes to mark the day (Dawn, Oct 6).

A number of students of Karachi University must have sent their blessings and prayers for distinguished teachers such Professor A.B.A. Haleem, Dr Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi, Dr Saleemuzzaman Siddiqui and Baba-i-Urdu Dr Maulvi Abdul Haq, Maj (retd) Bakhtiari (after whose name there's a Bakhtiari Youth Centre in Karachi).

Maj Bakhtiari must have been remembered by his former students in Pakistan, as well as abroad. He was principal of the Government Secondary School, Somerset Street, Saddar, Karachi, which was formerly called the Haji Abdullah Haroon School, and in the same premises the R.P. Rabadiwala School existed. Alas, the entire building was demolished a few years back and converted into a hotel.

To educate children of lesser fortunes, it requires the courage shown by former teachers of Karachi University such as Dr Ahsan Rashid, who did not sit in cosy offices and make paper statement but came out under the open sky to spread education without any distinction of caste or creed.

But our leaders care little about educating children of the downtrodden. These children are seen loitering in the streets or are sent to work in automobile garages or sell some petty items while standing in the blazing sun. Their future has been sealed by those who wield power.

GHEEWALA A.G.M.

Karachi

Closed schools & absentee teachers

Apropos of the report "Protest against closure of 350 schools" (Dawn, Oct 13), I should like to say that I had offered two proposals to the Sindh education minister for making these schools functional once again:

a. To ask the district officials to send the names of teachers (absentees) of schools (perhaps some are still receiving salaries) that are closed. This information should be obtained from all districts. The composite list (of names) should be placed as "notice" to join by a certain date, or face termination of service. After that, the government may appoint new teachers for the school from among those who are residing in the jurisdiction of the union council concerned. The advantage will be close monitoring by the community which would know the person, thereby ensuring that women are secure in their own communities, and that they do not have to travel long distances.

b. Credible NGOs and communities working in the area be offered the task of running the schools under an MoU or lease.

The Sindh Education Foundation could provide technical support for training and management.

PROF ANITA GHULAM ALI

Karachi

Invitation to Advani

In his letter "Invitation to Advani" (Oct 21), Mr Mukhtar Ali Naqvi asks for "a justification" from Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri for the latter's invitation to Indian politician L.K. Advani to visit Pakistan.

The writer says that "as a member and high official of an anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan political party, he (Mr Advani) is a sworn enemy of Pakistan and it is certainly wrong to invite him officially," and that Mr Advani was involved in a criminal conspiracy to kill the Quaid-i-Azam in 1947.

No one will deny that Mr Advani as a politician lacks charisma and compensates himself by invoking religion. This technique of desperate politicians sometimes works in every society (even in America) as no society is immune to a certain tendency to be exploited in the name of religion.

It is to the credit of secular countries such as the US and India that their constitutions - which are never held in abeyance - ensure that such cheap shots do not alter the country's basic character of equality of all citizens. Take a look at the religious affiliations of the president and the prime minister of India.

Pakistan's administrative system on the other hand is prone to being abused by Advani-like politicians who cannot resist the temptation to exploit religion. Pakistani laws actually sanction discrimination on the basis of religion.

Despite his shortcomings, Mr Advani is an active politician and thus a potential Indian prime minister. What if he actually gains this office (democracy works in mysterious ways) and wants to come to Pakistan to talk about Kashmir as prime minister of India? What would Mr Naqvi's advice be in such a situation?

Bilateral relations between any two countries must function in the interest of their peoples. The nature of the conduct of politicians while politicking in their own country cannot and must not enter this arena.

During his college days, the legendary Canadian politician, the late Pierre Trudeau, was a staunch opponent of certain American policies. As a matter of fact, during his youth, his name was on an American list of undesirable aliens who were not permitted to enter America.

Later in his life, Trudeau entered politics, became one of Canada's longest serving prime ministers and performed official duties, including many visits to America. No one ever raised an issue over his past political views.

The time has come to give open-mindedness and flexibility a chance so that the India-Pakistan relations can start to thaw. I fully second Mr Kasuri's invitation to Mr Advani and wish that the latter will have a great time while visiting the land of his birth.

SIDDIQUE MALIK

Louisville, KY., USA

Unattended park

Sylvan Park in Islamabad's Sector I-8/3 was renovated and improved recently by the Capital Development Authority. The park was fenced, turnstile entry gates were installed at all sides and a play area for children was also made. But due to lack of maintenance, there are several shortcomings which need to be taken note of immediately. Inferior quality material was evidently used for making the walking track which has become very uneven now. There are depressions here and there where water stagnates after rains. Some parts of the track are already eroded while other parts are muddy and difficult to walk on. On dry days, some of its parts become so dusty that many who walk on it fall sick with dust allergy.

Moreover, termites have eaten up the roots of all old trees and are advancing towards trunks and branches. The trees are drying up. New trees are planted every year without any termite or pest control treatment apparently being given to the existing trees and new plants.

A drinking water supply line which passes through this park has an uncovered manhole and women from a nearby katchi abadi often wash clothes there. CDA water tankers are often filled from this manhole with a pressure pump. These activities are contaminating the water supply which is meant for human consumption. Moreover, a tubewell located in the park is also ill-maintained and water leaks from it.

RAJA SHAFAAT ULLAH

Islamabad

American Muslims

This is regarding Mr Shahid Sheikh's article "American Muslims & Nov 2 polls" (Oct 23).

It is true that they are caught between a rock and a hard place as Americans are wont to say. Neither of the candidates has any sympathy for them. However, the only hope is that John Kerry might restore the US constitution which has been severely dented by Bush and Co. That, at least, may offer them some measure of security.

JAMAL H. KHAN

Charleston, WV., USA

Rocca's visits

MS Christina Rocca's visit to Pakistan always makes headlines here. From 'generous' America, she brings lots of love, sweet words of praise for our role in fighting terrorism and plenty of peanuts in various forms while for India it is Patriot missiles.

The US acknowledges India's concerns by issuing a denial the moment F-16s for Pakistan are mentioned while our 'mild' concern is usually taken so mildly by the US that a denial is not required.

H.A. KHWAJA

Islamabad

Computerizing passports

Press reports and advertisements in the national press by the director-general of immigration and passport say that a machine readable passport (MRP) is being issued with effect from Oct 25 in five major cities, namely, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. To obtain a machine readable passport, the documents required are your CNIC (original and a photocopy), a child registration certificate in case the passport is for a child and a deposit receipt of the passport fee from an authorized bank.

I would like to know whether it is mandatory to bring along the previous passport or its photocopies because the press reports and the advertisements do not say anything about it. The above clarification will spare applicants unnecessary hardship and save precious time.

M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA

Karachi

'Enlightened moderation'

In the span of a few days the government led by President Musharraf has proven that it both wants to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

To please bigoted, self-proclaimed defenders of religion, Senior Minister Ijazul Haq has said that nothing in the blasphemy laws will be changed. To please the educated liberals of society and yet not to offend the mullahs of the military-mullah alliance, the government has introduced a bill on 'honour' killing (or 'honour-crime') which is good for propaganda but useless in essence. The general tirelessly proclaims the virtues of his two-pronged approach to 'enlightened moderation'. Who can say for sure where he and his administration really stand?

MUBASHIR KHAN

Indianapolis, IN., USA

Lahore a 'model city'

Lahore is a most beautiful city. It has well-laid-out roads with green parks and spacious footpaths with green patches. There is good traffic discipline. Buses pick and drop passengers only from and at bus-stops. The canal at the university campus has been metalled and sparkling lights glitter around the plants and trees.

Beautiful fountains sprinkle water all around. These fountains are found at road junctions and crossings. Lahore's Defence which has less resources than Karachi's DHA has developed magnificently. Plazas and roads are well constructed with good traffic discipline.

There is a need for representatives of the Karachi city government, KBCA and DHA to pay a visit to Lahore, which can be called a model city of today's Pakistan.

LT-COL (retd) IRFAN HAIDER

Karachi