Time to stand up for change

THIS is with reference to the article, ‘Time to stand up for change’ by Dr Parvaiz Naim (Oct 6). The author has tried to build up a case for accepting the recommendations of the Steering Committee for Higher Education (SCHE). The only merit that his arguments have been able to assign to these recommendations is ‘change’. Like the proponents of the SCHE case, the ‘change’ is equal to ‘reform’ by rejecting the existing structure as the only premise.

One is not surprised by these arguments as they are coming from quarters who had almost no understanding of the manner in which higher education is managed and run in this country. Most of these self-styled experts on education have been either serving donor-funded programmes with dubious relevance and credibility or in the commercially-geared corporate sector which has lately found higher education as a lucrative enterprise.

To remind such learned experts, higher education in Pakistan is in need of many improvements but certainly not a ‘change’ as has been professed. Essential dictums that prevail as ground realities will help comprehend the situation.

Education, including higher learning, is a social good and not a commercial commodity in this country. The weak state structure is, unfortunately, buckling to the donor’s pressure to deprive the citizens of the nation from this fundamental right.

The only way to steer the impoverished lot towards social mobility is education only. No doles in the name of poverty reduction facility or the likes can replace the primacy and relevance of education as a means of social upliftment. The drummers of market economy doctrines must take lessons from the histories of the Western countries where publicly-provided education led to an overall economic and social wellbeing.

Teachers in the public sector universities may be blamed for lack of new initiatives. But in majority of the cases, it has come after the failure of the state to respond to some of their most genuine demands such as adequate scholarships for higher learning, research grants, basic facilities for classroom and laboratory teaching and empirical personal benefits like medical cover for themselves and their families.

While those who have failed in delivering the good should be questioned, there are many who need to be saluted for standing up to their duties. There are countless examples when these so-called ‘dead wood’ breed of teachers courageously ran classes amidst rioting, firing and hooliganism of the worst kind.

There are also examples when, in the total absence of any state protections, these teachers where able to conduct their classes after convincing fire-brand type student leaders.

Most of these public sector university teachers have been working on meagre salaries not commensurate with their qualifications and experience. They teach only for the sake of their commitment to the nation’s forthcoming generations.

It will, therefore, amount to shortsightedness if the entire system of higher education is dismantled because of the illusions of market economy.

The only scientific way is to address the issue in consultation with all categories of citizens and institutions related to higher education to reach an agenda for improvement — the only rational choice available.

NOMAN AHMED

Karachi

Defamation Ordinance

THE promulgation of the Defamation Ordinance contradicts the government’s own assurance to the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) that a law in this regard will not be enforced before a parliamentary debate on its draft.

The government went ahead with an additional law, the likes of which are already on the statutes. The purpose seems to be to pre-empt the new parliament asserting itself.

The new law shifts the burden, onus, and responsibility of any defamatory news item from the editors/publishers/printers to the reporter.

Reporters in this country are not so well-off to bear litigation expense. This will automatically create the finest contrived anti-press freedom law anywhere in the world.

This is a masterstroke indeed that apparently is a very minor and innocent piece of legislation but one that strikes at the root of freedom of speech in a developing country.

A reporter in Pakistan will now feel that he/she is all alone to face the consequences of any report/news item filed. This means that there will now be no independent and fearless reporting and, therefore, a free hand to all those who want freedom of action without fear of any popular checks and balances.

What has been considered a ‘redeeming feature’ of the new ordinance is an apology or retraction by the reporter and the publishers/editors. This will only ensure that reporters will rest at peace and will not oppose the law vehemently as they will see a way out for themselves. However, the news/truth will be killed as one will retract or apologize whenever anyone invokes defamation.

The public will therefore feel that the piece of news was untrue/false in the very first instant and, therefore, not worthy of merit. Where can one find true reporting in such an instance?

We request all the lovers of freedom of expression — individuals, organizations and governments — to raise their voice against the new ordinance which, it is feared, will continue to exist as its very promulgation tells us that a hung parliament is ‘planned’ or ‘expected’.

The urgency shown by the government is all too evident. The Pakistan Penal Code sufficiently provides for laws against defamation under section-499 which fully covers all aspects of defamation.

The new law is therefore purposeful, intentional and very suspect.

WALID ANSARI

Coordinator, PPP Human Rights Cell,

Karachi, Sindh

General election

MANY people were sceptical about the government’s resolve to hold the general election as per schedule.

But they were missing an important point. The present military regime will be the prime beneficiary of the election exercise as it would shift responsibility — which is a burden inviting public wrath — to the elected representatives and still exercise power and authority. So it is certainly holding the promised general election on Oct 10.

ASIM ARIF

Karachi

IN Pakistan, governments change frequently. Since 1970 the speed has increased. In the last three decades we have experienced the same ‘run-out’ exercise:

Elections are held; a new government is formed by the elected representatives; within a year or two it is found out that the country’s resources are being robbed by the ruling party with both hands; a military general overthrows the elected government; an interim or coalition government is formed or the general continues to rule for a couple of years; again, elections take place and a new government is formed.

Every time an election takes place, does some one have an idea how much money is spent on the whole exercise? This is beyond billions of rupees which thousands of candidates spend individually and collectively on all the federal and provincial seats.

The worst part is that every national programme is left incomplete. Every elected and the military ruler picks up from the swamp and leaves in the middle.

SHAFIQ KHAN

Mississauga, Canada

Disposing of hospital waste

SAFE handling of medical waste continues to be a matter of serious concern in Pakistan. Thousands of tons of biomedical waste originating from hospitals, nursing homes and clinics in the form of cotton swabs and bandages infected with blood, IV fluid bags, needles, catheters, human tissues and body parts, etc., continue to be dumped in open garbage bins on the roads in most parts of the country.

According to the Basic Urban Rural Services and Training (BURST), about 25 tons of medical waste is generated daily in Karachi alone. Barring a few large private hospitals, none has any efficient system to dispose of their wastes safely. The attitude of the government and city government hospitals is no better than the private hospitals and clinics. Such irresponsible dumping of these dangerous wastes in open bins, which are picked by scavengers, has also been promoting unauthorized re-use of medical waste.

In a situation like this, NGOs and other voluntary bodies should come forward and compel the hospitals and nursing homes to observe the relevant rules and regulations.

SYED HAIDER ABBAS ZAIDI

Karachi

Kashmir struggle and 9/11

THIS refers to Mr M. J. Akbar’s ‘Notes from Delhi’ headlined, ‘Is 9/11 a turning point in history?’ (Oct 6). The writer is of the opinion that 9/11 has paved the way for a trend of peaceful settlement of the global disputes.

Though this calamity has its own causes in the human miseries the world over, Kashmir’s political movement cannot be delinked from its after-effects at least. In fact, 9/11 is blessing in disguise for the Kashmiri people.

Today the world is compelled to view this tragedy from Bush’s eye. But the history has its own course. The writer himself admits the reality that a Kashmiri who was a child a decade ago is now a mature human being. The world knows this maturity has dawn upon him too earlier. If a child of 10 years is mature enough to understand the root-causes of the tragedies like 9/11, he is fully capable of judging the myth of the ‘war against terrorism’.

Dialogue was never ever a blunt ‘No’ for Kashmiri youth. It is still a dominant factor of their freedom struggle in the shape of the APHC. But to name their freedom struggle ‘terrorism’ cannot be accepted by any freedom-loving nation on this planet.

It becomes more important when we see that the world community has still not agreed on the definition of terrorism. It is a fact that Kashmiri freedom struggle has its roots within its geographical, social and political scenario.

Ironically, one view is much more clear now than before 9/11 that one has liberty to define and redefine any matter according to his own wishes and needs. If the learned writer is convinced that the American tragedy will bring changes in the history of Pakistan-India relations by bringing them on dialogue and rejecting the legitimate struggle of a nation for freedom and liberty, then Kashmiri youth will never ever accept this version of historical changes.

For, the Kashmiris are convinced now that major changes in world history have their own indigenous factors, and they are not bound to be linked with any external motive.

The world community has a broader knowledge of the causes of unrest the world over. In this perspective, whatever the global changes are taking place on this planet, they have positive impact on the Kashmir issue also.

MAZHAR IQBAL MAZHAR

Karachi

Hyderabad airport

THIS is with reference to the letter, ‘Hyderabad airport’ by Mr Khairuddin (Oct 4).

At present there are 42 airports in the country, out of which 17, including the one at Hyderabad, had to be scaled down. This had to be done because of the discontinuation of flights by the national carrier, the PIA, as they considered it to be among the “loss making routes”.

It may not be out of place to mention that the Civil Aviation Authority had been incurring more losses than the PIA in keeping those airports operational. After spending millions on establishing the airports, the CAA would not like to close them down. However, if flights are not operating to any airport, there is no option left but to close it.

KHAWAJA AMER

Sr. PR Manager, CAA

Karachi

Women’s behaviour

THE interior minister’s decision to appoint ‘woman-only’ FIA staff at airport immigration is not a wise move. At best it will serve as a cosmetic change only. It will lead to a further deterioration in the performance of the immigration department.

People expected some serious and solid steps by the ministry in addressing the complaints against the corrupt and uneducated immigration staff at the airports.

I feel that in our country, a woman working in an office, particularly on a public dealing post, generally adopts rude and insolent attitude towards men. The more powerful post a woman gets here, the more rudeness she shows to men. This is evident from the examples of civil service, police, lady doctors, etc. Even a low-level dispatch clerk in a government office is nasty, what to speak of an officer.

I request the minister to rethink on this aspect and save the poor gents travellers from the subhuman treatment.

NAWEED AHMED

Lahore

Medical university convocation

THIS is with reference to the news item regarding the convocation of Ziauddin Medical University (Oct 6).

As a student of 3rd year MBBS of that university, I would like to bring the fact to the knowledge of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and the governor of Sindh, that if a batch is graduating from a university, it doesn’t mean that all is well in that particular campus.

We, the 3rd year students, will be having our 2nd Professional examinations from Oct 18 while our semester exam ends on Oct 9. That means we shall be getting nine days only for preparing a course which is spread over one whole year and includes subjects like Pharmacology and Pathology.

How can this be expected when in government medical colleges like DMC and SMC, at least a month is given off for preparation.

Secondly, the examination fee of Rs7,000 is unjustified because this year professors are not being invited from abroad to conduct the examination.

The saving thus effected should be passed on to the students in the form of a reduction in the examination fee.

A CONCERNED STUDENT

Karachi

Anti-war rallies

THERE have been demonstrations against the US intention of attacking Iraq in several countries of the world. But none in any Muslim country.

Such demonstrations were held in Greece, UK, Italy, France and Germany, even in Indian held Kashmir. Is it not a matter of shame that no Muslim country has made any such show of anger?

We should not forget that the targets after Iraq might include Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan.

DR KHALID BUTT

Karachi

Age limit under CSS rules

THE lowering of the upper age limit of CSS from 30 to 28 years has sent a wave of shock among the country’s youth. In a country where unemployment is rising, such decisions act like fuel to fire.

The system of education in Pakistan is such that one becomes a graduate at the age of 24 years. It takes another two to three years to prepare for the CSS and, therefore, it becomes impossible for a candidate to utilize all his three attempts.

Further, a relaxation in age is given to government employees but the same is not granted in the case of employees of autonomous organizations and semi-private organizations. It is felt that all those who are with jobs, should be given the same facility.

Finally, the rural/urban quota in Sindh was created to give relief to the people hailing from the rural areas. But now the situation has changed. The number of merit positions attained by the rural candidates go much higher than those of the urban. It is strange that this rule still exists despite the fact that the purpose for which it was designed has gone in the smoke.

I request the concerned authorities to please consider the above mentioned points and take the necessary action to ameliorate the conditions for the CSS candidates.

KASHIF RASHEED YOUSFANI

Hyderabad

Muslims and the modern world

IT is a well-known fact that Muslim societies had a glorious legacy of pluralism, cultural, art and scientific and educational advancement during times when Europe was immersed in the dark ages. After the defeat of the Muslim empires one by one, the clergy called for the closure of door on Ijtehad.

Despite exponential advances in science and technology all over the developed world, the current Islamic world seems unable to respond both culturally and educationally to the popular western development. There are a few reasons for this isolationist approach. The encroachment of the western powers in Muslim indigenous cultures and their insistence on creating systems of governments, where religion had only secondary importance in daily life, was a first blow to the Muslim identity and the very nature of existence.

Second was the resolve of European colonialists to impose their version of education on the masses and create such conditions that without obtaining European version of secular education one had little chance of social mobility within the system. Religious education found means to exist but only on the fringes.

By the turn of the 20th century, most Muslim countries encouraged only those belonging to an upper class to obtain Western education since they had a vital interest in preserving the newly encountered Western culture. After the fall of imperialism, only those Muslim leaders came to power that had gained riches during the colonial time and thus were committed to sustaining the western models of development. The time had reversed and the Muslim masses, searching for religious identity, started living in dark ages.

The blame, however, does not exclusively lie on the Westerners. The isolation is the creation of a reactionary, rather than precautionary stance. Closing the doors to wider aspects of learning, which were the hallmark of advanced Muslim civilization, has backfired significantly. When faced with utter defeat and disgust, Muslim leaders have often called for aggressive means of making their point.

Instead of finding ways and means where Islam and secularization would go hand-in-hand for an advanced society, such as experienced by earlier Muslim empires, the new cadre of ulema insist on nothing less than total adherence to their version of Islam which, to a vast majority of moderate Muslims, is unacceptable. The classic example of this unfettered exclusivist attitude is the modus operandi of the Taliban government in Afghanistan during 1996-2001.

If the ulema really wanted to show the world a good model of what an Islamic state should really look like, they should have guided the Taliban in creating a just society based on true principles of Islam. Instead, what the world and local Afghans witnessed was utterly brutal regime for which personal freedom of any kind was an anathema.

Overall reforms in the Muslim countries are also necessary for sustainable changes to take place in Islamic societies.

DR UZMA ANZAR

Arlington, USA