Jamali’s promise to the youth

PRIME Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali, in his address to the nation on March 11 called the youth as “my force,” saying that task forces would be set up at district and tehsil levels to provide ‘positive and constructive’ activities to the youth.

We appreciate the prime minister’s statement and hope his promise would be fulfilled soon. However, we hold the view that it has become a cliche to refer to the youth as the “future”, the “backbone”, the harawal dasta, etc., for the nation. Every government, with the possible exception of the Musharraf regime (assuming that the current one is not his), has established such task forces with varying nomenclature and different compositions.

The draft national youth policy, currently on the table of the federal and provincial cabinets, also sanctions establishment of such a force. The prime minister should be aware of this fact though the drafts discuss a ‘volunteer task force’ and not youth in specific.

We believe that the government should restrict and control its temptation to control youth forces. It should only provide a conducive environment at educational institutions for the youth to undertake volunteer and constructive activities themselves.

The interventionist regime would mean that such task forces would be used for political purposes, no higher than those followed by student wings of political and religious parties on the scene. Already we have seen, in the case of the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, that the students’ unions have begun to mar the peaceful environment of the campus.

The prime minister also spoke about unemployment, perhaps the greatest source of frustration among the youth. He said the government would launch a scheme for skilled Pakistanis and ensure that loans were provided to them on easy conditions. We already know such schemes were not successful in the past. Banks are overflowing with money but the demand of capital has been insignificant. We believe this is the right area for the government intervention, and a challenging one, too.

The direct way to increase employment is to start infrastructure projects: dams, roads, bridges, factories, etc. These projects cannot be undertaken by small investors or entrepreneurs but they can all collectively play an important role. Building of a dam, for example, attracts both skilled and unskilled workers and give them work and money.

Let us put aside rhetoric and cliches about youth. We urge the government to take big, direct and simple initiatives now after the previous government has rightfully established a sound financial infrastructure. The youth do not need task forces; they need peace, freedom and, of course, work. You give them these and certainly they would become your real asset, and force.

JAWAN PAKISTAN

Think Tank on Youth,

Lahore

Violence on varsity campus

SOME students of Karachi University met me the other day and retailed their story of how they were beaten up on two successive days and prevented from taking their classes. These students belonged to a certain Progressive Youth Front and they identified the assailants to be 35 to 40 students belonging to the student wing of a political party.

The “crime” of the PYF was that they were distributing a pamphlet against American aggression on Iraq. They also claimed that this violence against them took place on Thursday March 6 as well as on Friday March 7. They appealed on both occasions to both the University administration and the Rangers. Neither took any notice nor intervened to save the “six” against the 35 to 40 IJT boys.

This is not the first complaint of its kind. Violence on the University campus, to the shame of all Pakistanis, is said to have a long history. It includes University administration’s partisanship on a cue from on high. This diminishes all sane citizens. Time was in one’s youth when police or any paramilitary force never entered the premises of any university, college or even school unless “permitted” by the institution’s head in grave emergencies.

We now have the humiliating spectacle of a permanent force of Rangers policing the campuses. What has gone wrong? Why are students so intolerant and violent today? Universities are supposed to train tomorrow’s leaders and teach them to argue their cases and not brawl.

Colleges and varsities used to have student bodies (unions) which were a virtual parliament to teach students highest standards of civilized argumentation and behaviour amidst heated arguments. Why cannot we go back to that sort of open-mindedness. But then government and ‘varsity or college administrations will have to remain neutral and tolerant. Have such traits totally disappeared?

At any rate this incident calls for an independent inquiry both by so-called authorities and civilized citizens.

M.B. NAQVI

Karachi

Pipeline blast, MNAs and PTV

LISTENING to the PTV Khabarnama on March 12, I noticed a very interesting dichotomy. The newscaster in her typical congratulatory tone announced triumphantly that matters concerning the Sui gas fields in Dera Bugti had been settled amicably with the Nawab after exhaustive negotiations.

We do not need to jog our memories too much to recall that the same Nawab chose to blow up a couple of gas pipelines a few weeks ago, which caused millions of his countrymen to go without domestic fuel for about 48 hours in an exceptionally cold winter season. As things are run around, here it was indeed an effective way of calling the government’s attention to one’s long-standing grievances and getting them addressed to one’s satisfaction.

However, the opposition parties in parliament were not considered worthy of a similar understanding on the part of the government, or the PTV news. In fact, they were reprimanded quite severely by the same newscaster in almost the same breath for un-parliamentary tactics they had employed to get themselves heard in parliament, which interestingly enough consisted of a few slogans, placards and not allowing the PM to make his Churchillian speech unhindered.

The message was clear: if you want to make yourselves heard, parliament is not the place for it. Funnily enough, raising your voice of dissent in parliament is deemed un-parliamentary by our state-controlled media. If, however you destroy public property to vent your anger and use fire-arms to voice your grievances, it is alright with the government. You have at least not undermined the sanctity and supremacy of parliament.

NUSRAT BOKHARI

Rawalpindi

Cricket: make way for new blood

EVERYONE witnessed the sad and awful performance of the Pakistan team (although our players never behave like one) in the Cricket World Cup. The team was sent with much hype and tall claims were made without any solid planning.

The planning was so poor that in every match a different set of openers was used and the batting order was shuffled. What can you expect from a team which is accompanied by nearly a dozen officials, including three highly-paid coaches?

Can someone ask the PCB chairman why he spent so much public money on these officials and what his team of coaches was doing when no one was performing? I thought Richard Pybus and Daryl Foster were hired on huge salaries to improve the team’s performance.

The individual performances by some players were pathetic. Shoaib Akhter, on whose treatment the PCB spent millions, was tried in every match and he never quite performed, and a promising fast bowler, Mohammad Sami, was kept on the bench. Afridi was another disappointment.

It is time for the PCB chairman and the captain of the team to resign. They should have the moral courage (like Nasser Hussein) to accept their failure and make way for better qualified individuals. It is also time we got rid of the non-performing horses like Inzamam, Saeed, Rashid Elahi, Afridi and Shoaib, and brought in new blood.

JAMSHED ZIA

London, UK

Thal canal and Sindh

THE statement by the Punjab secretary, Javed Majid, that work on the Thal canal will continue and the waters of the Ravi and Sutlej rivers will be diverted to cultivate southern Punjab has increased apprehensions about the project in the people of Sindh. Last month, the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution demanding that work on the Thal canal be stopped forthwith.

Earlier, the Punjab government had announced plans to construct more dams on the Jhelum, Chenab and Indus rivers. These and the Thal canal will obviously reduce the flow of water in the Indus river reaching Sindh, where most of the province’s land is already uncultivated owing to a shortage of water.

The Indus river is a lifeline for the people of Sindh, and for many, the only source of livelihood. Any decrease in the already depleted levels of water reaching Sindh will render the rest of the cultivable land uncultivable in the province. Thus, cultivating the Thal desert at the cost of de-culvating Sindh is not a wise choice, nor is it in the national interest.

The Punjab government and Wapda authorities say that the Thal and other canals are only flood canals, but history tells that many other canals which were built to channel flood waters are flowing perennially. Building of the Thal canal will only create a greater sense of deprivation in the people of Sindh and fan provincial disharmony.

PEER M. KHUHAWAR

Larkana

Exploiting children

THIS refers to M. B. Khan’s letter titled ‘Exploiting children’ (March 10).

I see nothing wrong with children taking part in protests as long as the demonstrations are peaceful. But having said that, the demonstrations or “agitational activities”, as put by Mr Khan, where there is a clear danger to life or property, should be avoided by children and grown-ups alike.

My nine-year-old daughter accompanied me during the anti-war demonstrations at Hyde Park, where there were several thousand other children with their parents. She was interviewed by a BBC crew and she clearly had some thoughts of her own about war against Iraq (not fed by me or her mother).

The point is that taking part in protests and making your point is in no way harmful to children, it is rather constructive that they learn and feel the importance of issues concerning the environment in which they are growing up and which affects their future in a significant way.

Also, is Mr Khan sure that he wants a law for his children to be barred from making their point until they are 18? Is it democracy he is talking about?

USMAN ASLAM

Manchester, UK

Bringing a bad name to Pakistan

RECENTLY I was in Karachi for business and stayed at a five-star hotel. On Jan 30 at 10:45pm I witnessed Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Muzzaffar Hussain Shah leaving the hotel, and after he sat in his car, he wound down his window and dropped litter on the road.

As speaker of the Sindh Assembly, a lawyer, a Syed, and, above all, a Muslim, he should know better than this, and know how important cleanliness is in Islam. I found it disheartening and discouraging to see a man of his calibre throwing litter. But what upset me the most was when the foreigners accompanying me found out who he was, and they made some rather derogatory comments.

I am a dual nationality holder British-Pakistani, a councillor, school governor, vice chairman of a community relations council and a welfare officer for the council of British Pakistanis. Because of the position I hold, I am aware that when I am in the public eye, all my actions are noticed. I believe Mr Shah also should be setting such an example.

The people of Karachi should be proud to have a clean and spotless hotel in a clean part of city, which is a great advertisement for Karachi. It is a shame that somebody I hold in such high esteem should deface it.

I do not send him this letter to offend him. I just wish to make him and his parliamentary colleagues aware that when they are in the public domain, all their actions are noticed, not just by Pakistanis, but foreign nationals as well.

M. FAYYAZ

Buckinghamshire, UK

Amending LFO

THE other night I watched a programme attended by Senator S. M. Zafar, an eminent lawyer whom I hold in high esteem. However, his views in support of the LFO have no basis in the Constitution and it does not become a person of his calibre to plead such a weak case.

The LFO was introduced without reaching a consensus among the people, parliament or the senate. How could it now be amended by a two-third majority in parliament when it was not included in the Constitution by a similar majority vote?

People like me expect a great deal from an honourable lawyer like Mr Zafar. He is not among those who can be bought or sold. The LFO has deeply divided the National Assembly.

I wish Mr Zafar would convince the ruling party leaders that the changes made to the Constitution are highly unnecessary.

DR KALIMULLAH THAHIM

Baltistan

‘Objectivity’

THE United Nations becomes ineffective if it does not side with the US but an important forum if it does. How objective!

AZAM JAMIL

Islamabad

‘French fries’

WITH reference to the letter, ‘French fries’ (March 14), by Azam Jamil, I would like to highlight the one-sided and intensive campaign in the Zionist-financed US media against France, Germany and all those countries and its people who are directly or indirectly opposing the war against Iraq.

Most US newspapers, periodicals, magazines, weeklies and journals are also following the same policy. In almost all talk shows on TV and radio channels over here, the hosts are drumming up the beats of war against Iraq, supporting the viewpoint of the Bush administration with full force and intensity.

Anybody saying anything against war is directly or indirectly termed a non-patriotic person. This, in essence, is not only dangerous and non-American, it is also against the US Constitution, American dream and the fundamental values and doctrine spearheaded by George Washington and other forefathers and foremothers 226 years ago, on the basis of which the foundations of this great country were laid.

For sure, future historians would term this era as one of the darkest and shameful times of US history. We can only pray to Allah to grant wisdom, fortitude and understanding to Bush Jr. and his junta to refrain from killing innocent Muslims first in Afghanistan and now in Iraq on the pretext of peace, freedom and liberty.

AAMIR A. SALARIA

St. Louis, MO, USA

Signing CTBT

MISBAH Saadat said in his letter (March 11) that Pakistan should sign the CTBT. It would put us on a moral high ground but I disagree.

After our signing the CTBT, India will conduct more tests in order to disturb the balance of power in the subcontinent. If, according to Misbah Saadat, we then went ahead and tested, the whole world would side with India nd the US in condemning us.

One need only see what the US is doing to Iraq, to whom the US itself had provided weapons of mass destruction. Similarly, Osama was sent to Afghanistan by the US and now they want him killed. We should take a lesson from these things and never sign the CTBT unless India does so.

SONIA BHATTI

Multan

Internet cafes

IT is just to remind everyone that a few years ago it was a dream to be a resident of the global village, but now obviously we are the global villagers having the world at our fingertips. Cybernet is just a way to easily access email, chat, and visit the wwws.

But is it really only just that? Ask parents and teenagers why we are forced to prefer going to the net cafes when we can have other positive alternatives for passing time, i.e. visiting libraries. I feel sorry when I see a 12-year-old boy clicking away and accessing all the material he should not be at his age. Who is responsible for this?

It is time to think about our society’s values and to control this situation to save the younger generation from harmful material on the internet. We must monitor our computers, the net cafe in the street next door and keep our children out of harm’s way.

FARIDA ANJUM

Khuzdar

American-British war on Iraq

WITH the majority of the UN, NAM, OIC and Arab League members equivocally opposing the planned US-British attack on Iraq, there is no justification whatsoever for these two great “democracies” to go to war to deweaponize Iraq. It is therefore no surprise that the US administration feels the way it does about the UN.

The hint from the US government about creating another organization to undermine an “inactive” UN (in reality, because it is working overtime to prevent the US from turning into a wild bull) should leave no one in doubt any longer that Bush Jr is living in a paradise of his own.

He is hinting at doing what the powerful governments of the time did to the League of Nations. The pity is that no one of any political significance in the US seems willing to stand up to him and his erstwhile cohorts, and the US public, too, is passively supporting the demented policies of their administration.

The scenario in the US is no different from that prevailing in Saddam Hussein’s undemocratic Iraq. Going by the current state of affairs of the US polity, installation of the American brand of democracy in Iraq (the latest ploy for justifying a US-British attack on Iraq) will change nothing except replace Saddam and his cronies with Tommy Frank and his lieutenants.

War as a justification for installing democracy will convince many in the Muslim world that it is more of a western ploy for occupying their countries and acquiring control of their resources, much less a just system of government.

It is time the supporters of democracy everywhere condemned the US-British obduracy on Iraq even more vocally. Let it be asserted in clear terms that the present British and US leadership would be held responsible in courts for their blatant defiance of international law. They will have no defence because they were warned by everyone to desist from committing the crime they are about to commit.

A. B. SHAHID

Karachi