Hypocrisy you prevail

SINCE last Dec 13 India has created a war hysteria by playing out the drama of terrorist attack on the Indian parliament. The world watched this drama with naked eyes: five ‘terrorists’ armed with five AK47 assault rifles, and a few ‘handgrenades’ go through tight security, open fire ‘outside’ parliament building, kill six guards or security personnel and a gardener and get killed.

They also planted a ‘bomb’ that was detonated by Indian ‘experts’. The explosion was so great that it did not even ‘shake’ a vehicle parked nearby. This drama staged by India itself lasted half an hour. When this ‘terrorist attack’ on the Indian parliament was carried out by so-called Islamic fundamentalists, the Indian Prime Minister and other important people had already left the parliament building. The ‘terrorists’ were no way near to any parliament office when they were killed.

The Indian security forces staged this drama when Pakistan was deeply involved in the war against terrorism and was making some economic progress. The ambitious Indian leadership disliked the role that Pakistan played in the war against terrorism. They themselves tried to become the front-line state in the war against terrorism but failed.

Therefore, this drama had to be staged. No one was allowed to see the dead bodies of ‘killed terrorists’. Immediately, the Indian government held Pakistan responsible for this so-called terrorist attack on the Indian parliament and demanded that Pakistan should hand over 20 ‘terrorists’. Pakistan denied any link but India went on with massive troop deployment on the international border, working boundary and the ceasefire line (line of control) and cut road, rail and air links with Pakistan.

On Jan 12, President Pervez Musharraf in his address to the nation announced a crackdown on Islamic fundamentalists, arrested thousands of their members and banned militant groups, throughout Pakistan. India was not satisfied. It demanded extradition of 20 people to India, without any treaty on the subject between the two countries. To our surprise, we saw America and Britain being extra sympathetic towards India. In almost six months the tension between Pakistan and India has not de-escalated, rather it has increased in recent days. We are getting messages from the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations to ‘do more’ to please India.

There is every possibility that India is responsible for the killing of Bahawalpur worshippers on Oct 28, 2001. We are sure that Daniel Pearl was sent by India and Indian agents killed him. Then there were Islamabad church bombing, the bus bombing at Karachi in which 12 French citizens were killed who were working for the Pakistan Navy, the recent attack on the Indian military headquarters in occupied Kashmir and the brutal murder of moderate Kashmiri leader, Abdul Ghani Loan. All these acts of terrorism were planned and executed by Indian agents working inside Pakistan and in India itself. Yet for all recent acts of ‘Indian terrorism’ Pakistan is being held responsible. No eye can see the biggest terrorist state India that has killed over 80,000 Kashmiris since 1992.

On May 25 and 26, Pakistan tested its missiles, the BBC reported that the United States had rebuked Pakistan. In Jan 2002, India tested its missiles but no one said a word. That is why I say, ‘Hypocrisy you prevail’.

RT REV DR MAJOR TIMOTHEOUS NASIR (R)

Gujranwala

Has the situation changed?

THIS refers to Mr Imtiaz Sheikh’s article, ‘Making NFC award fair’ (Dawn, May 31), which carries the box: “Sindh collects 70 per cent income tax and 62 per cent sales tax. Almost 70 per cent of the national revenues forming the divisible pool are collected from Sindh but its share in revenue transfers is 23.28 per cent”, and to Asaf Ali Shah’s letter, ‘Unfair impression’ (June 5).

All this reminds me of a lively debate in the constituent assembly when the late Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani, a federal minister, had claimed that Bengal contributed only 17 per cent to the national revenue but the expenditure on that province was much higher. In response, a Bengali member, A.H. Dildar Ahmad (he later became a member of the Shurawardy cabinet) hotly contested this.

He said: “Seventeen per cent income came from East Bengal. Many businessmen of East Bengal like Ispahani, Daud and Adamjee have their head offices in Karachi and the income tax department realizes the money from them in Karachi and it is shown as the income of West Pakistan... Similarly, we know that all imports are being brought in Karachi and then they are sent to East Pakistan for which import duty is realized here.”

May I know whether the situation has changed and the taxes are being collected and import and export duties are being realized on the spot in the provinces which export and import commodities?

The same is the case with collecting income, sales and other taxes. The NFC must clarify the position and all should get the share they deserve.

SHAFQAT

Lahore

APPNA’s role

THE violence against doctors in Pakistan has claimed many innocent lives and ruined many families. As we have seen continued violence against innocent people in Pakistan and the targeted killings of doctors, in particular, our grief and our concerns are clearly reflected in various things many of us are trying to do to fight targeted killings and violence against doctors in Pakistan.

APPNA, which represents the entire community of Pakistani physicians in North America, has played a dynamic role in protesting against this violence. Establishment of funds for the victims’ families, organizing meetings with government officials, letters to the government of Pakistan registering our strong condemnation of this violence are some of the steps taken by APPNA.

The question is not ‘where is APPNA?’, rather the question must be ‘where is the government of Pakistan?’. And even more importantly, ‘where was Dawn newspaper?’ It is indeed very regrettable and disappointing that it published a personal opinion of Dr Shekhani (June 2), which could be viewed as divisive, and failed to consider official letters sent to them many times from DOGANA (The Dow Graduate Association of North America) on this subject.

APPNA is our parent organization. In order to strengthen APPNA, DOGANA would always see APPNA in a bigger role. We must debate all issues without hesitation, improve on our mistakes but grow together within the bounds of APPNA. I am sure Dr Shekhani would concur that in APPNA’s strength we find DOGANA’s strength.

DR RIZWAN A. KARATELA

President of DOGANA, West Palm Beach, Florida,

USA

Nuclear madness

I AM an ethnic Kashmiri and have fond memories of that heavenly valley. I remember Kashmir with nostalgic affection and eternal admiration. However, in spite of all my inherent love for Kashmir, I would not be prepared to trade the lives of the millions living in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi to make Kashmir join Pakistan.

If India invades our country’s territory we must and we will fight them with the full force and fury of our conventional arms and we will beat them back. But anyone who talks of the ‘nuclear option’ is, in my opinion, totally mad and should be locked up in a lunatic asylum.

I am shocked to the core when I find people who seem otherwise fairly sane talk glibly about the possible use of nuclear weaponry by Pakistan if it finds it is losing in the war with India. Apart from the fact that such statements by our eminent personalities reflect a lack of confidence in our armed forces to defend the motherland, any country which initiates nuclear warfare in the present crisis would be deemed criminal by the entire comity of nations. At present, we Pakistanis are only dubbed as terrorists, then we will become international criminals and pariahs.

And it will be no satisfaction to anyone with any sense that Delhi and Bombay would also have been obliterated in exchange for Lahore and Karachi. I would go so far as to say that it would be better to lose the conventional battle and settle for peace even on adverse terms, than to destroy civilized society and to kill millions of innocents by a nuclear Armageddon.

ZAFARULLAH POSHNI

Karachi

Is it Q&A or Q&Q?

ONE does not see much follow-up on the question-answer sessions which go on round the clock on many TV channels. The interviewers pass on to the next question without pressing home their point (unlike on Hard Talk). The interview is thus left incomplete and inconclusive and the viewers are left high and dry, witness the pussy-footing by Riz Khan.

Question by the BBC interviewer to the Indian high commissioner — “why did India not accept international mediation? Answer — “mediation on what, the only problem is the cross-border terrorism and every one has the same opinion on that. So why mediation?”. This is not Q & A but Q & Q.

The interviewer let this stand and did not ask the obvious follow-up question — “mediation for going into the pros and cons of the situation; for probing the cause and effect of the terrorist activity; for understanding the grievances which made people put theirs and other’s lives on the line”. And most importantly, mediation for pushing both parties towards some common meeting ground (something which is not possible bilaterally).

Both the Indian and Israeli spokespersons cleverly evade these all-important questions. For the Israelis, there is no such thing as occupation. For the Indians, there is no such thing as the Kashmir problem. The interviewers very conveniently let these friends-of-America off the hook, wittingly or unwittingly.

K. ANWER

Lahore

The stakes in Kashmir

THIS is with reference to the article, ‘The stakes in Kashmir’, by Henry Kissinger (June 6). He says that for India the future of Kashmir is a test of its national cohesion.

It may be pointed out that it is not Kashmir that strains India’s cohesiveness. It is incidents like that of Babri Masjid (a 480-year-old mosque that was destroyed by Hindu extremists), and the state permitted, or even supported, killings of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat and Bombay.

And Muslims are not the only target. Thousands of Sikhs were killed in Delhi after Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, and the government just stood by to watch the carnage.

These are the happenings that strain the fabric of Indian society to a breaking point.

ZIA U. AHMED

Germantown, US

Retired army personnel

THIS is with reference to the column, ‘A novel approach’, by Mr Hafizur Rehman (June 5). The writer was a bit off the mark in the anecdote regarding Air Marshal Asghar Khan (retd) and Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan (Field Marshals never retire). The term was certainly not invented by Ayub for Asghar Khan, as stated.

Retired personnel of the armed forces were always addressed as such since independence because, like so many other rules and traditions, this has also been inherited from the British army.

Retired British army personnel have always been identified as such in both, the written and the spoken word. Pakistan is not unique in this respect.

However, one thing does need to be put right. Many in Pakistan do not write the (Retired) in the correct place. In the army, the correct place is not determined by whims of any one but by the rules. And according to the relevant instructions, it should be written: Major M.U. Khan (Retired).

I hope my serving and retired colleagues in arms will take note and so will our much loved arm-chair soldiers and strategicians who have no idea what frost-bite feels like at 20,000 feet in Siachin.

TARIQ-UZ-ZAFAR

Karachi

Drug addicts

MANY drug addicts are to be seen wandering in the streets, dargahs and other public places in various cities and towns. But where are they getting the drugs from and why are the police, anti-narcotics department and other concerned agencies not taking severe action against those responsible?

The official number of drug addicts in Pakistan is four million, including women and children. The most affected by this menace are the young people. I think a task force should be constituted to eradicate this menace from our society.

Usually, the drug addicts are people who have been abandoned by their families. I would, therefore, urge the government, and especially the police, not to be tough on them but take them to a rehabilitation centre where they might be able to get rid of this habit.

All of us must do something to help this unfortunate segment of our society.

HYDER ALI LISKANI

Hyderabad

Advice

THIS refers to Mr Naeem Memon’s letter, ‘Leave Ayaz Amir alone’ (June 4). It was a bit of entirely unnecessary advice because. I am already leaving Ayaz Amir alone because I have other, more pressing matters on my plate.

FAKHRA MATIN

Lahore

Unruly behaviour in the SC

IT was really disturbing to read about the unruly behaviour of the so-called champions of Islam in the Supreme Court of Pakistan during the hearing of the Riba case.

By adopting rude and unruly behaviour, what kind of message they are giving to the outside world with respect to Islam?

Our society can no more tolerate any kind of extremism and unruly behaviour, even adopted in the name of religion. In the past, free license was given to do any thing under the name of religion. As a result of this, we saw the formation of militias and death squads, and the gruesome murders of doctors, engineers, and other citizens.

They are now hurling death threats upon the advocates who are engaged in their professional duties. Next, might be the judges themselves.

May I request the government and the judiciary to adopt zero tolerance policy against such elements.

FARRUKH SAJJAD

Hull, UK

PTCL calling cards

WE appreciate PTCL’s decision to lower tariff on NWD/ domestic sector, but it is very difficult to get a line after 2130 hours, using PTCL Calling Cards.

If PTCL is really interested in promoting its Calling Card business, it should increase the number of lines allocated for Calling Cards, especially after 2130 hours so that people get a line on the first attempt and don’t have to keep on dialling long serial numbers followed by phone numbers, several times.

International calls tariffs need rationalization by the PTCL authorities as it is higher than those in other countries.

I think PTCL’s policy of ‘low tariffs — high business’ on NWD should also be applied on ISD/ international sector to provide relief to the callers and to raise the PTCL business and profit.

NAHEED ANJUM

Karachi

National game

YEARS ago, the Pakistan government decided to declare hockey as the national game of Pakistan. But it does not make much of a sense. National game is the sport played on every street of the country.

Is it hockey? No, it is cricket. We, Pakistanis, passionately love cricket and indeed, it is our national game.

Let us declare cricket to be our national game.

KAMAL KHAN

Karachi

Appointment of VC

THIS is with reference to Dr Tariq Rahman’s article titled ‘A voice in the wilderness’ (May 26). Dr Rehman has suggested some useful reforms for the public sector universities. However, I disagree with his proposal that “the VC should be elected by the full professors of the university”.

The learned writer has also suggested that only a full professor should be a candidate for this post. I wonder how an experienced academician like Dr Rehman has come up with such an unworkable proposal. It is a matter of common observation that our universities have become the hub of group politics. Hence, making any one section of the academia an ‘electoral college’ for the election of VC, who must also be from that same section, means further polarization and politicking.

It should be remembered that in the university hierarchy there are four cadres: lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and full professors. Additionally, there are other positions that are closely related to academics like research associates, librarians etc. Numerically, full professors are usually in minority and hold administrative-cum-academic positions (e.g. chairman, director, dean etc.). As such, they are also a part of the administration and have inherent interests in the status quo. I, therefore, disagree with the idea of making full professors an exclusive electoral college for VC on various grounds.

First, it should not be taken for granted that a ‘full professor’ is more competent than other academic cadres. In academia, professional competence and commitment is attached with individual devotion and potential and not with title or length of service. Hence, proposing full professors as an electoral college for VC means concentration of power in one section which would further damage the academic and democratic environment of the university.

Second, interests of various academic cadres, frequently and naturally, clash. Institutionally, full professors have enormous say in the university power structure. Consequently, junior academicians usually have complaints of their interests not being guarded adequately.

Third, most of the full professors, having a longer stay, may hold conservative views, resist change and plead for status quo. So there is a good reason to argue that a blend of young and old, liberal and conservative should be given a chance to decide the policy matters of the university.

Keeping in view the existing situation in the public sector universities, it is suggested that the electoral college of the VC should include all the cadres of university teachers as well as researchers and not the full professors only. We must not support and strengthen ‘academic caste system’ in our universities.

DR MUHAMMAD ZAKRIA ZAKAR

Lahore