PRIME Minister Shaukat Aziz is basically a good man (though hamstrung in his present assignment) and the greatest of his saving graces is that he is not corrupt. Now, that makes a welcome change, and one we hope will be sustained.
Shaukat’s hopes for his country are that it will not only survive, but in the bargain prosper and sometime soon be counted among the ‘great’ countries of this turbulent world. An admirable ambition, an enviable objective.
He seems not to be aware of how many inhabit this country, or that they multiply like rabbits. His figures are based on the wrong premises. At the rate the population is growing, with its inordinately high birthrate, the present number should stand at 160 million-plus. But his ministry of population welfare (that great misnomer) has it that we stand stock still at the figure calculated a couple of years ago. The prime minister is primed to pronounce that we are a nation of 150 million.
Shaukat’s aim is to project the ‘soft image’ of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to dispel the present image of a hard, uncompromising, obscurantist, bigoted and unreasonable nation in which a surfeit of laws prevail none of which are put to practice and in which order has fled. He at least is honest; he admits that Pakistan has a problem and its ‘image’ needs to be radically changed. How he intends to do this, he has not made clear. By inserting a ‘religion column’ in our new computerized passports, by declaring on their covers that Pakistan is an Islamic Republic?
He has a difficult task at hand. Take the Metropolitan section of yesterday’s Dawn which mainly deals with Karachi. Front page headlines told us that ‘MQM leader’s servant killed’(in the house of the father of a federal minister), ‘Restaurant owner shot dead’, ‘Internet link remains suspended for four hours’, and ‘DCET principal gunned down’ and thus ‘college closed’.
Dr Mohammad Saleem Chaudhry, principal of the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, had said his Friday prayers and was on his way home when on a highly crowded road near Karachi Central Prison three men on motorcycles intercepted his car and pumped into him four bullets which killed him. He had taught at the college for some 30 years and according to press photographers at the hospital to which his body was taken, his bereaved family said “negative press reports were the cause” of his killing. Reportedly, members of the family “lost their temper and smashed the cameras of at least two photographers.”
A police officer reportedly stated that the professor had “strained relations” with certain employees of the college some of whom had been sent on forced leave, and that he had taken action against a students’ union. Are these reasons enough for murder? Of course, as is customary, the Sindh home minister, Rau Bhai, has “vowed that the culprits would not be pardoned.” He is presuming that the law enforcement agencies and the courts are functioning. The CCPO has been “directed to take stringent measures to arrest the killers.” The Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba terms it the work of “anti-education elements.”
Now, to use General Pervez Musharraf-terminology, we move to the ‘core issue’. A woman rang me at 0220 on the morning of March 22. She told me she was a widow in distress and she was at my gate on her mobile phone. Could I please hear her. So down I went and asked the guard to let her in. There were about 15 others with her and we were slightly worried as to whether they may be gun-toting raiders. The woman was let in. I asked her who her companions were. They were her neighbours, living in a building known as ‘Mehran Excellency’, next to ‘Datari Villas’, situated on the left hand side lane of the Clifton Bridge (when travelling towards the Metropole).
Right then, in the middle of the night, a gang was installing a huge hoarding next to their building. The board straddles the width of the road and once fully up would deprive them all of air, light and of a view. They had called the police, they came, took some money from the Datari Villas man and extracted from him a document giving him permission to do what he was doing. She handed me a copy. It emanated from the Office of the District Officer (Local Taxes), Revenue Group of Offices, City District Government, Karachi, No.DO/L.T/3491/2005, dated 11/3/05, addressed to M/s K B Advertising, off No.3 Fatima Square, Block 7/8, Shaheed-i-Millat Commercial Area, Karachi. It read:
“Subject: Permission for installation of private site measuring 20x60 sq ft. Rooftop at Datari Villa No.30 Adjacent Clifton Bridge Karachi. “In consideration of your request referred to above, permission is hereby granted for installation of private site measuring 20x60 sq ft Roof Top at Datari Villa No.30 Clifton Bridge, Karachi, on the following terms and conditions:
“1) That you will follow the Advertisement Bye-Laws 2003 of the Local Taxes Dept.
2) That at the time of change of skin the approval is required from the office of undersigned in advance.
3) That the distance between the Hoarding and the parapet wall roof should also be such that if the Hoarding falls, it may not fall on the road. 4) That the Pay Order No.14000205 dated 3/3/05 Rs.30,00,000 (three lacs only) is adjusted towards advertisement fee for the year 2004-2005.
5) That you should intimate the concern DDO & ADO Local Taxes before the installation of hoarding/private site at above site.
6) That you will submit an undertaking on stamp paper of Rs.100 to DDO concern regarding loss and damage of any kind.
7) That you will instal Hoarding /private site within 15 days from issue of this permission letter failing which this permission stands cancelled.
8) That you will provide a certificate after completion of work to concern DDO from a certified engineer that the work was carried out as per drawing and is safe in all respects.
9) This licence is valid up to 30/6/2005.” It was signed by the District Officer, Local Taxes Revenue Group of Offices, CDGK.
The billboard was being put up contrary to the permission given. Fortunately, I managed to contact a friendly police officer who stopped the work. What was installed still stands for all to see.
The next morning, PPP Nazims Farooq Fariya and Najmi Alam cancelled the ‘no objection certificate’ they had given to the MQM which together with the Jamaat rules this city.
E-mail: arfc@cyber.net.pk