Wapda’s efficiency & tariff rise

THIS refers to the president’s recent visit to the Lahore chamber of commerce and industry and his remarks about Wapda’s efficiency in increasing its revenue from the meagre Rs85 billion earlier to the stupendous Rs185 billion now.

According to the president, it was only because of this huge and unprecedented increase in the revenue that the IPPs could be paid upwards of Rs100 billion. He was further hopeful that the present electricity rates would come down in the next few years as Wapda was laying greater emphasis on the production of hydro-energy and switchover of thermal plants to gas and coal. He was also happy about some turnaround in Wapda taking place during the last three-and-a-half years after the army got its charge.

It seems that the president has been fed on wrong information as nothing of the above has been seen during the last four years. According to Wapda’s own balance sheets provided to Nepra during its many applications for tariff increases and available for all to see, the revenue generated during the fiscal year 1997-98 was Rs93 billion, while the same for the financial year 2001-02 was Rs155.5 billion — which incidentally does not even cover the increase on account of normal yearly load growth and tariff increase. Considering these imperatives, we see that Wapda’s revenue has, in fact, dropped by about 9.7 per cent.

Similarly, according to the above-mentioned official accounts, Wapda’s yearly unit loss for the financial year 2001-02, in comparison to the year 1997-98, has increased by 9.7 per cent. Similarly, IPP purchases expanded to as much as Rs113 billion during 2001-02 against Rs43 billion during 1998-99. This was because Wapda purchased nearly 25 billion units against 15 billion units during 1997-98. As to why the IPP purchases increased when the extra requirement due to drought conditions could have been met from Wapda’s own cheap thermal power producing units is another story.

Recent articles by experts carried in the “Economic and Business Review” section of Dawn further confirm the deteriorating efficiency of this utility and the continuous figure fudging. It is even sadder when we see that any improvement in the thermal-hydro mix, about which the president seems to be again incorrectly apprised, is far away and will not come to our rescue soon enough. Similar is the situation with the so-called switchover of Wapda thermal plants to gas and coal. The fact remains that even the first of the tenders for conversion of one of the oil-fired plants to gas opened by Wapda in May 2002 is still under process and would not offer any consolation in the near future.

Switchover to coal, on the other hand, is a mirage when the utility’s own flagship venture at Lakhra in Sindh is not even working at 20 per cent of its rated capacity.

From the above it is more than clear that the present high electricity rates would further increase and that too in the near future. It is, however, very sad when we see the highest authority of the country being fed on false information. It is time the actual situation was understood so that Wapda could be made efficient through the induction of professional management.

TAUFIQUE ALI KHAN

Lahore

Visit visa for Pakistan

I AM a Pakistan-born US citizen who visits Pakistan every year. Besides all the good and bad experiences I suffered every year from the moment I boarded the plane, I have been visiting Pakistan for the last 15 years. This may now change.

My five-year visit visa that expired this year needs renewal. I received the application via fax from the Los Angeles consulate, with details about the requirement for the application. To my surprise the fee for five-year visa is being raised to $120 per person (while the last time I paid a very nominal fee). Anyway, I have applied for the visa for myself and for the family — a total of five applications. I had the option to apply for the visa for my three children on parents’ passport but I thought in case they might have to travel separately, it was better to have their visas.

On return of the passports I found out that each passport had a different visa expiry date. Nowhere in the form it was mentioned that the issued visa would be based on the expiry of the passport, although the visa I got last time had five years’ validity regardless of the expiry of the passport.

I end up in getting one visa that is good for just six months, another is valid for one-and-a-half years and two are good for four years. My question to the respectable policymakers is, do they have some better ways of making money from ex-Pakistanis?

Ninety-nine per cent of the travelling between the US and Pakistan is being done by Pakistanis. Now, besides the money that I have to pay, it is the paperwork and other efforts I have to go through almost every year in applying for the visa before travelling to Pakistan because there is no way I may have all our five passports that may have a same expiry date. A US citizen of age 16 or older gets a 10-year passport for a fee of $60, and the Pakistan government is charging $120 for a visa that may only be good for six months!

I may stop travelling to Pakistan in protest. And I do not know how many others have just postponed their travels because of the extra difficulties they might have faced in travelling to Pakistan.

It is the duty of the embassies all over the world to make travelling hassle-free, while our policymakers try to mint some small money and, in return, lose huge foreign exchange they may get if more travellers visit Pakistan and if our embassies go easy on them.

SYED ABDI

Texas, USA

Exploitation of UN by big powers

Western nations have a novel interpretation of the old proverb — add insult to injury — which has been reflected in the aftermath of recent strikes on Iraq, Afghanistan and some other countries on the plea that they had to liberate the people living there from dictatorial regimes.

In such ventures the worst sufferers are innocent children. Hundreds of thousands of them perish in the enemy attacks and an equal number of others either become disabled, sick or orphans, which is again a curse for poor societies. After the battle is over the field is handed over to a number of UN agencies to carry out the so-called relief and humanitarian assistance operations.

These agencies which are mostly harbouring an army of international civil servants, largely from the rich nations, start their activities with much fanfare and are given prominent coverage in the media which is again monopolised by them. In this fashion they receive substantial amount of funds for the procedure which is part of the booty collected from the defeated nations’ resources .

It is suggested that such international organizations apart from their rehabilitation and post-war relief operations should also think that there should be no unnecessary sanctions on any country because the corrupt politicians and rulers disappear from the scene without any prosecution. This leads to a high ratio of infant and maternal mortality owing to the non-availability of proper medicine, food and shelter.

Dr Hasan Faisal

Rawalpindi

Diminishing returns on investments

IN a short time there has been a drastic drop in the rate of returns on all types of investments. Normally, such reductions on investments should reflect in almost equal terms on the overall cost of living. If this does not happen, then those who live on such fixed investments would be facing serious problems of livelihood.

The economic managers may proclaim as much as they wish that inflation has been curbed and brought to the low level of 3 per cent. This is a downright, deliberate distortion of facts. The cost of living in the last three years has increased and I would be willing to compare the prices to confirm that all items of food, shelter, transportation, utilities have become dearer. What then remains to determine the cost of living?

The people in Islamabad and those in authority should have the eyes and ears to know that to make a decent living, one needs much more today than they needed three years ago. The government, therefore, needs to either increase the rate of returns and/or take drastic steps for reduction in the cost of living. Unless something soon is done to change this situation, I am afraid those living on fixed income will soon have to take the poverty route.

MAHER H. ALAVI

Karachi

Rejection of candidacy by FPSC

THIS is to bring to your notice the plight of the candidates whose candidature for the CSS examinations 2002 has been cancelled on the grounds of age-limit, under the new rules made by the present set of policymakers in the year 2000.

In the laid down principles and procedures of the FPSC, every candidate for CSS examinations is allowed three attempts within the age limit, as previously it was 30 years for all and 35 years for candidates having government jobs.

When we had our first attempt, it was in due course of time to have all three attempts. But when the FPSC reduced the age limit, it implemented the decision with immediate effect, adversely affecting the candidates. This was a violation of the civil rights.

The present rejection of candidature is by no means an acceptable decision for the poor candidates, given the fact that some of them have been given relief over the age limit by the apex court on humanitarian grounds.

We submitted the application forms for the CSS examinations for the year 2002, on the ground that since some of the candidates have been allowed to make attempts, we should be treated at par with them. Our applications were accepted by the FPSC and we appeared in the written test. Now when the result is about to be announced, we have received letters from the FPSC informing us about the cancellation of our candidature for being over-age!

The FPSC, which had earlier accepted our applications, should now equally treat us and provide us with one more attempt, as has been laid down in the Supreme Court verdict. We have, however, filed a petition in the high court for providing us with relief, for we are in the same category as are those who have been given one more attempt despite their being over-age.

We request the authorities concerned, including the chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission, to announce our results, at least provisionally, until we get a judgment in the case from the high court.

AFFECTED CANDIDATES

Lahore

India’s WMDs

LATELY, some newspapers carried an important headline, “India developing WMD: US”. It is big news. Since the visit of President Clinton to India, the US has seldom pointed a finger of blame of “overdoing” pursuits of dangerous consequences in the region of South Asia. Blaming Pakistan for all troubles and untoward happenings within India has become common, and the US every time appeared to have encouraged India to carry on its policy with impunity.

It is probably for the first time that the US has felt the dangerously ambitious “superpower” designs of India, posing a serious challenge with the insidious collaboration of Russia.

The growing incidence of Indo-Russia naval exercises needs attention. Pakistan has always been an aggrieved party when pitched against India’s genuine or made-up interests. The neutral diagnosis for blame of the chronic instability in South Asia falls squarely on the shoulders of the biggest country of the region, i.e. India.

The speed and audacity with which India is building its nuclear warheads and ICBMs will overtake the arsenal held by the US in near future, even before the US finishes its agenda in the Mideast. The US is wasting precious time in not recognizing its future enemy.

A. Q. ANJUM

Rawalpindi

Religion and Iraq

THE Iraqis may have rid themselves of Saddam Hussein, but they still have to face the Americans. And these Americans are all set to begin their divine task of “evangelizing” Muslims, the poor Iraqi Muslims being their primary target.

Ever since Franklin Graham, a notorious anti-Islam vocalist, announced, in early May, that his charity organization, Samaritan’s Purse, would help out in the nation-building process of post-war Iraq, a lot of evangelical Christian groups have been instigated to spread the Gospel and ‘help’ the Muslims.

These organizations, including the International Bible Society and the World Relief, to name a few, have begun preaching the Iraqi refugees on the borders of Jordan the ‘truth about the Son of God’! These poor helpless Iraqis are being made to believe that their Islamic faith has brought them down to these insufferable conditions; that now the Christians have come as their saviours!

These are fundamentalist Christian groups that are definitely being supported and promoted by the US administration. The US government has also recently launched a satellite television news station in Arabic, in Iraq, which is being produced by the Grace Digital Media, controlled by the fundamentalist Christian, Cheryl Reagan, who is a pro-Israel radical.

US officials may tell everyone that they don’t “do propaganda” but the Grace News Network has no qualms about describing itself as a “unique tool in the Lord’s ministry plan for the world”. Could we ask, which Lord, specially after the Bush administration endorsed Franklin Graham’s anti-Islam views by allowing him to conduct the service of Good Friday at the Pentagon, and to say: “The true God is the God of the Bible, not the Koran?”

I think it is time the Muslims around the globe woke up and began a new Jihad. If these Christians think they can convert Muslims by providing them with relief, preaching the Bible and telling them about God, why can’t we Muslims do just the same? We have to realize that we are not going to gain anything out of war and stubbornness.

MAHAM KHAN

Fort Worth, USA

New bus routes

Recently new bus route permits have been issued by the government to some obsolete buses.

Would anyone from the provincial government explain that when new airconditioned buses and some other buses are being introduced on different routes by the city government, why old, unfit and environmentally hazardous buses are being given certificates of road worthiness?

It is the responsibility of the transport ministry to cater to the genuine needs of a large section of society rather than please the transport mafia which is bent on destroying the environment of this city.

Nafis Rahman

Karachi

Cleanliness

Almost at all public areas dust-bins are not available.

If it is made compulsory for each union councillor of Karachi to ensure availability of dust-bins in his/her jurisdiction, tons of garbage can be taken off the streets, preventing choking of drains.

SHAHID H. QADRI

Karachi

LFO: at what cost?

DURING the last few months we have heard a lot about the LFO, power sharing, dress codes, religious and political in-fighting, but not much about nation-building or socio-economic development from our elected or appointed leaders.

In any nation, democracy can survive only if basic institutional infrastructure is there. Macro financial, administrative and social reforms end up being like a cosmetic surgery if changes in basic institutions and processes at the local level are not implemented.

Since Election 2002, the attention of the leadership has been diverted to cosmetic macro issues at the expense of nation-building matters. This is unfortunate and in the same ugly tradition which we have sustained during the last 55 years.

HAMEED NAZ

Potomac, Maryland, USA

Is wearing the veil Islamic?

THIS refers to a comment by Qazi Faez Isa (May 19) on the above subject. I am delighted that the gentleman is so concerned about the way in which women are being unscrupulously exploited in the name of Islam that he is researching the true source of the injunction which is the word of God.

But Qazi Sahib has fallen into the same trap as other learned scholars who use the scriptures to prove a point. His references and explanations of the relevant ayat present a powerful argument in favour of his standpoint, but his own commentary undermines the impact and seriousness of God’s word. By trivializing and giving frivolous examples, he makes himself vulnerable to criticism.

Thus by giving the example of the dress code for women during Haj, we would have to conclude that the same applies to men, and that the acceptable dress code for men is the ahraam, which is simply not true. The pilgrimage is indeed an exception to the rule and the baring of the face is most likely to reduce the incidence of mistaken identity in such a huge crowd, rather than a proof that the face should not be covered.

Moreover, his reference to the physical discomfort of a veil is neither serious nor valid. The veil is an outer garment which is to be used only in a mixed company and not in segregated areas. The question of problems with seeing and hearing and eating does not arise, in that context. It is only when a veil-clad woman chooses to drive around town that the garment becomes a hazard, making it dangerous for other drivers and thus being inadvisable.

And his reference to finger-printing and blood grouping is unfortunate. Women were advised to make themselves known as Muslim identities, not as individuals. At all times in history, religions have needed to show their strength by the identification of their numbers. A dress code makes that possible.

As for men needing to lower their gaze, this refers to cases in which some stubborn women choose to be immodest. The question of the veil being Islamic is not debatable, unless you can say that it is un-Islamic, which you cannot. The fact is that it does serve the purpose of making women “apparent” as being Muslims. Most women of the subcontinent, including Hindu women, practised, and still do, some form of purdah or the other. And in that context it was a cultural thing, not a religious practice. And there has always been a common definition of chaste and modest apparel, for men as well as for women.

An identifiable form of hijab, made it an Islamic identity symbol. But the place for its implementation is in the household, not in the assemblies. Laws are enforced by punishment. And for the veil to have true Islamic significance, it needs to be adopted as a personal choice, not imposed as an Islamic injunction which is questionable, as amply proved by Qazi Sahib. Government schools already have a scarf for girls as part of a uniform. So, where is the need for further stress?

I wish Qazi Sahib the best of luck in his endeavours to arrive at a correct understanding of his religion.

RUKHSANA KHAN

Karachi