People-to-people contacts for peace

A symposium was held the other day under the aegis of ASR Resource Centre, Lahore, which was also attended, among others, by Dr Uma Chakarvarti, Professor of History, Delhi University, and two girl students from some other Indian colleges. The respected professor said that “....continued people-to-people contact between the people of India and Pakistan is necessary to bring peace in the region”.

Nothing can be nearer the truth than this submission of the respected professor. People to people contact is an absolute pre-condition for removing suspicions and doubts between the two countries.

Availability of newspapers and periodicals of one country in the other and freedom to the people of the two countries to see the official as well non-official TV channels of each other’s country will enable the people of the two countries to assess and mould the public opinion of each other’s country. This will reduce, if not completely eradicate, the effect of false propaganda now being churned out in the two countries against each other. People will be able to see the truth through the plethora of propaganda stuff.

I have been visiting India quite often in the recent past and I can say on the basis of my personal experience that there is a lot of goodwill among the people of India towards Pakistan and its people and there are more people there who want good relations with Pakistan and have goodwill towards its people than those who hold contrary views and sentiments.

When suspicions and doubts are removed between the people of the two countries, or even if they are reduced, it will be easier to deal with the ticklish, thorny and what certainly is the core issue between the two countries, namely, the dispute of Kashmir. People and the leaders of the two countries will find it easier to appreciate each other’s view point and an atmosphere of give and take will be created.

I am pretty certain that no progress in the settlement of the Kashmir issue can be made in the present climate of distrust, suspicion and hatred. It is with this aim in view that I would very humbly request the two countries to restore the road, rail and air-links so unwisely broken by the Indian government in the aftermath of the attack on the Indian Parliament.

I am sure that no sensible person will say either in India or Pakistan that the disruption of road, rail and air links has improved, or tended to improve, the relations, or reduce the tension, between the two countries, or has in any way facilitated the desired goal of India to obtain the custody from Pakistan of those who it thinks responsible for the catastrophe of Dec 13, and thinks that they are taking shelter in Pakistan.

While the criminals, saboteurs, smugglers and other undesirable elements in the two countries may not have been adversely affected by the disruption of the means of transport between the two countries because they have their own clandestine channels to travel between the two countries. This disruption of means of transport has affected only the peaceful, law-abiding people of the two countries who want to visit the other country to meet their relations and friends and keep alive the family links.

The earlier this is done the better for the two countries. This disruption of the means of transport between the two countries is causing anguish, mental torture and extreme inconvenience to a substantial segment of population of the people of the two countries. No ideals, however noble and lofty, are worth being achieved, and no policy, howsoever noble and just, is worth being pursued if they, in the process, cause miseries to the people.

Justice (R) SALAHUDDIN MIRZA

Lahore

Proposal for more provinces

THIS refers to Engr S.M. Zakerya Kazmi’s letter (Feb 19). I fully support the proposal for new provinces. I also agree that the new provinces should be called “autonomous states” being federating units and / or not be formed on ethnic basis but be based on administrative divisions.

The whole of Pakistan should be divided into 12 provinces and not 26 provinces. Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta and Kalat, should be 12 provinces.

The administrative divisions administrated by commissioners during the regime of Amir Mohammed Khan of Kalabagh, Governor of West Pakistan, may be declared provinces. The requirement of Article 239(4) of the 1973 Constitution can be met by declaring these provinces “sub-provinces” or “federating states and / or units” and lieutenant governors may be appointed as their heads.

In 1983, the Constitutional Commission headed by (the late) Maulana Zafar Ahmed Ansari had suggested that more provinces be created.

It may be pointed out that with the creation of more provinces, the revenue target will be achieved and the law and order situation will improve. There will also be other positive results.

There are 70 countries, which have a large number of provinces. They include Afghanistan (26), Algeria (31), Iran (23), Malaysia (13), Indonesia (27), Nepal (14) and Turkey (67).

Nigeria has 19 provinces, while at the time of independence, it had only three provinces.

I would like to point out that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has not authorized the present regime to amend the basic features of the Constitution. The Supreme Court had given validation to “coup d’etat” dated October 12, 1999 on the principle of the “necessity of the State” and / or the principle of “salus populi supre malex”, but the basic features of the Constitution which are the “independence of judiciary”, “federalism”, “Fundamental rights”, “parliamentary form of government” blended with “the Islamic provisions” cannot be altered and / or amended.

In view of the above restrictions laid down by the Supreme Court in the Zafar Ali Shah case, it is suggested that a declaration may be taken from every candidate of the provincial / national assemblies and / or the Senate along with the nomination forms that they will not oppose the constitutional amendments in respect of the new provincial scheme creating the 12 new federating units and / or sub provinces keeping in view the restriction contained in the Article 239(4) of the Constitution, 1973.

SAALIM SALAM ANSARI

Karachi

World’s most corrupt countries

A list of the world’s most corrupt countries has been released recently by Transparency International. Topping the list are four Islamic countries namely Bangladesh, Nigeria, Indonesia and Azerbijan. Pakistan is a close seventh with many other Muslim countries following it.

The point to ponder here is that despite having been bestowed with a religion that puts so much emphasis on honesty, truth, righteousness and other attributes of personal behaviour, why is the Muslim Umma so weak in its moral fibre? One reason that comes to mind is probably that our religious preachers do not stress upon the importance of a sound personal character.

They, in fact, indirectly connote that acts like offering or accepting bribe, adulterating foodstuff and medicines, hoarding, black marketing, exploiting the helpless, indulging in nepotism, defeating merit and justice, are but small vices which can be condoned by saying extra prayers or by going for Haj. The result is that the Islamic Ummah is in a deep abyss of moral decadence.

The need of the hour is that the religious preachers should stress upon the fact that God does not forgive deliberate acts of sin just by saying extra prayers or by performing a religious rite.

Preachers must emphasize the need for ‘Jihad-e-Akbar’, that is, jihad against personal lust and greed. And that is the service Islam needs most, today.

Wg Cdr FARDAD ALI SHAH (R)

Chitral

Countering disinformation about Iraq

THE drums of war are beating ever louder in Washington. There is little doubt now that some are looking for an excuse to go to war with Baghdad. But they must be denied the pretext.

First they tried to pin the Sept 11 attacks on Iraqi complicity; that failed. Then they said anthrax; that failed. And now it is about Iraq’s refusal to allow the UN weapons inspections to resume. This excuse must also be laid to rest.

Indeed, the hyped-up war rhetoric seems to coincide with Iraq’s offer to break the impasse with the United Nations without any preconditions. Regrettably, the more conciliatory Iraq became the more bellicose was the war rhetoric from the other side.

It is absolutely incumbent upon the Arab community, in general, and Baghdad, in particular, to mount a massive public relations campaign to counter disinformation. The Arabs must stand by Iraq. Renewed violence will only further inflame Arab public opinion at a time when tensions are high. Long-term stability in the region should not be compromised for short-term political or economic gains.

But the initiative must come from Baghdad itself. Iraq must come forth with a very concrete proposal that would allow UN weapons inspectors back into the country but also include safeguards to ensure that the weapons inspection process is carried out professionally and is free from any outside political pressure or interference.

For example, Iraq can ask that the UN Secretary-General oversee the inspections regime to ensure its credibility. It can request that a delegation of international diplomats or reporters accompany the onsite inspections to make sure that they are carried out professionally.

Iraq may also ask for UN Security Council guarantees that the devastating economic sanctions will be lifted without delay once the commission has completed its work. A gradual easing of the sanctions in line with the level of Iraq’s cooperation may be worth considering.

Such an Iraqi initiative must be well publicized in the United States. Iraq’s representatives must engage the American media and the American public in the debate. There are still many Americans who oppose a military strike on Iraq and such a proposal can strengthen their position considerably.

JOHN ABSOOD

USA

Improving police working

THIS is with reference to the news item, “New police system divides resources” (Feb 20).

The newly introduced police reforms are a step in the right direction. However, there is still a long way to go. For example, the investigation wing will require allocation of major proportion of funds. Criminal investigation is a process of gathering, documenting and evaluating the evidence found at the crime scene. The investigator must be well versed in the science of forensics. He must have the basic knowledge about law and criminology.

The investigator should have leadership and team management qualities. He should be objective and good at decision making.

All this requires scientific approach to the task of criminal investigation. The necessary tools and techniques required are crime laboratory, lie-detector forensic laboratory etc. Their application will expedite the investigation process. We cannot produce better results until and unless we adopt scientific attitude towards investigation.

N.B. NAREJO

Hyderabad

BTech degree holders

ACCORDING to the suo motu review of petition 52 of 1993 (a Supreme Court decision), the holders of BTech (Hons) degree possess rights and privileges equal to those of the BSc (Engg)/BE degree-holders. Based on this decision, the ministry of education, water and power and the cabinet division have made changes in their perspective laws. But the Sindh government (agriculture department) has failed to appreciate the import of the decision.

This failure on the part of the Sindh agriculture department to implement the apex court judgment has deprived its employees, possessing BTech degrees, of the benefits that should have been theirs, on merit and by right.

The authorities concerned should review their decision and implement the court judgment in the name of justice and fair play.

FARMAN JEELANI

Hyderabad

Advice to motorists

WHILE driving alone, it often happens that the children who sell flowers or newspapers at signals ask the motorists to drop them at the next signal. Many people, motivated by sympathy, agree to give them the lift.

But as soon as they get into the car, they start telling the car owner about their financial problems. Very often they ask the motorist for help in starting small business.

All that could be tolerable if they would get down at their destination, the next signal. No, they often continue to press for monetary help until and unless they are asked to leave the car.

Such incidents are increasing day by day in our society. I would like to advise the motorists to be very careful in offering lifts to such boys.

SANA BATOOL

Karachi

In poor taste

I think I am voicing the views of thousands of readers when I say I was appalled by the poor taste shown in the cartoon on page 2 of Dawn (Feb 16). In “Funny side up”, the cartoonist shows a pregnant woman shouting “But where is my Dany (sic)?” at a policeman who has several hooded and chained suspects in tow.

Surely, Daniel Pearl’s predicament at the time and his wife’s anguish can hardly be the subjects for your cartoonist’s dubious humour.

IRFAN HUSSAIN

Karachi

Basant celebrations

THIS is with reference to a letter by Muhammad Azhar Khwaja, entitled “Basant celebrations” (Feb 20). He feels that these celebrations are a total waste of money and that these funds should be directed towards feeding the Afghan refugees. I differ from him.

Bassant celebrations attract tourists to Lahore from within the country and even from abroad. This occasion can further be developed on the lines of the Dubai Shopping Festival t