METRO VOICE: Ground-breaking ceremonies under siege?
ALL of us have seen the usual ground breaking and foundation stone laying ceremonies. Generally it is done on location, but this government is extremely security conscious, it prefers to indulge in this national past time behind high walls where it feels safe. When Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz performed this ritual thrice at the Governor’s House in Karachi on Wednesday, it was not the first time.
No doubt it saved commuters the hassle of traffic jams caused by the VIP movement and also saved the media from the trouble of dealing with over zealous security personnel. But if it was to be done in this manner, why spend so much on VIP movement and its allied logistics. This raises a few questions, why wait for the VIPs to do the ground breaking ceremony? Why is it not done in routine? Why can’t we be rid of this VIP culture?”
Every thing must be well in the state of Pakistan that the prime minister has nothing better to do than perform three ground breaking ceremonies in a single day -- Textile City, Sofitel Hotel and JPMC Towers – and say that they represent an economic boom.
Whether or not it represents an economic boom, it certainly reflects the siege mentality of the government. This administration has come under intense criticism for not ensuring security to the common man, curtailing fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and not transferring the benefits of growing reserves and the so-called “boom” to the people at large.
Although Mr Shaukat Aziz talked about the health of the country’s economy, the matter concerning the people’s health was eclipsed by rhetoric. Had the PM visited the location, the issue might have got due attention. He would have seen for himself the problems people face in reaching one of the country’s biggest hospitals. It might have opened his eyes if he had seen actual patients in a conducted tour.
Yes, the facilities at JPMC need to be upgraded and modernised. But there is also an urgent need to improve the access roads and the facilities at the OPD. The PM also needs to look into the issue of provision of medicines etc.
If he ever bothers to travel incognito to the hospital, he will realise the urgent need to widen the road on which the country’s major health and military facilities are located. Sick people find it difficult to reach the hospital on normal working days while many have died when the roads are closed for VIP movement.The government has to act in public interest and pull down structures, that come in the way.
Is the prime minister aware ambulances have to negotiate traffic bottlenecks. From Gora Qabristan side, a service road should be built for ambulances after Aisha Bawany School to the hospital. For this the service road cordoned off and closed by the NOR (naval officers residence) has to be opened. Portions of land for this access road will have to be carved out from adjacent to Regent Plaza Hotel, the CAA and establishments controlled by the defence ministry. The city government should embark on this project for the people’s sake.
This government’s misplaced priorities were also evident in Gwadar where President General Musharraf inaugurated the port amid tight security. There the prime minister un-veiled the desalination plant plaque in the five star hotel.
The government indulged in the luxury of flying almost the entire cabinet and ensuring the availability of a large fleet of luxury vehicles which were brought from the provincial capital for the visitors from Islamabad who were said to number around 250. This cost was in addition to those incurred on fuel and other security measures taken just for this one occasion. Then there were the helicopters’ sorties to provide safety.
The nation would like to know the wisdom of spending so much of the tax payers’ money on a cabinet meeting in Gwadar when only a day earlier, the prime minister and president had met in the capital and discussed important issues.
This scribe was amazed and greatly saddened at seeing the fleet of double cabin and luxury vehicles. For a country like Pakistan where the vast majority live below the poverty line such luxury is a crime and those responsible for this must be brought under scrutiny. One wonders who, and if at all this cat will be belled?