Govt schools in bad shape

PUBLIC sector schools are not an attraction for the so-called prosperous classes but these institutions have their own merits which cannot be matched by greedy private investors. Most public sector schools have spacious buildings with playgrounds. Above all they have trained teachers.

Unfortunately, government school teachers lack of ambition and have no urge to outdo their private sector counterparts. Government teachers have job security and feel no compulsion to go the extra mile to prove their mettle. However, when the government, too, neglects its valuable schools, wittingly or unwittingly, the results can be disastrous.

Today, even star schools of their time in the public sector are in a shambles. Buildings are unkept and students denied the basic facility of potable water and urinals. Classes are overcrowded and desks broken. Walls have not been white washed and doors not painted for years. Over a hundred students sit in a classroom meant for 50 and that too without proper electric fans. Students sweat in the hot spell. Attending classes seems to be a punishment.

It appears as if those at the helm of affairs want everyone to go to private schools and pay inflated fees. At the government City Model School for Boys, G.T. Road, 90 students sit in a classroom with one slow-moving electric fan installed at a height close to the ceiling. It brings no respite from the scorching heat. Students keep perspiring and can hardly concentrate on their studies. Teachers, too, are helpless and thank Allah that they at least have a roof over their heads and do not have to sit in the open under the sun.

The school cycle stand presents another picture of neglect. It has no shed and tyres fall flat under the high temperature of mid-day sun. Each student is charged Rs25 extra for using the stand space. Students of government schools generally come from lower middle class backgrounds and cycle stand charges are a burden on them.

Education bosses are silent over the deterioration of this one-time jewel of an institution. Lack of funds is one excuse but people attribute it to a criminal neglect and maladministration.

Students, parents and social circles have stressed the need for the school’s proper maintenance and restoration. It is for the district government to see that its valuable assets are protected and its pledge to educate the young is fulfilled.

RUMOUR about war has given rise to hoarding of essential commodities by unscrupulous traders. Several of them have hoarded wheat and ghee to make a fortune in the blackmarket in case of war. People need to be assured of bare subsistence to enable them to fight aggression.

THE Civil Defence organization, the bomb disposal squad and the fire brigade are in bad shape. They can hardly stand the test of any crisis. The Civil Defence organization has 4,000 volunteers on its rolls.

These volunteers have no adequate transportation, fire-extinguishing equipment, first aid kits and allied facilities.

The fire brigade has a fleet of 7 water-carrying vehicles. The only bomb squad has three personnel.

They, too, are poorly equipped with bomb indicators alone. How can this squad deliver if the country is faced with war?

We have no choice except to be prepared. It is time that the Civil Defence organization is activated and provided with all necessary equipment. Training should be a continuous process and more bomb disposal squads and fire stations should be set up.

Good governance in Islam

IN Islam, a government is not supposed to strive for the advancement of a certain race or nation or a section of humanity to the detriment of others but stands for the good of all. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and the First Four Caliphs later have shown this ideal to be attainable.

The constitution of a state is important, but more important is the moral standard of its people. The Quran repeatedly warns us against the consequences of corruption and injustice and gives examples of how the downfall of mighty empires and prosperous communities was brought about by their misdeeds. We are told in Surah 8:53 and 13:11 that “God does not change the state of a people unless they change what is in their souls.” This is an important law.

A constitution, no matter how faultless on paper, cannot help a people whose soul is not sound. The word soul is used here as an inadequate translation of the word ‘Nafs’ in the text of the verse quoted above. Nafs also means, according to Rev. Hava’s Arabic-English dictionary, ‘Soul’: “vital principles; intentions and desires.” It is the merit of these that enables a people to gain welfare and honour in this world and the hereafter.

The care of the ‘Soul’ is the first thing in Islam. To enjoin what is right for every Muslim has been repeatedly stressed. It is described as their special merit: “Ye were the best of peoples brought forth unto man. Ye did what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (3:110).

At the same time we are told that “Of the People of the Book there are people upright; reciting God’s revelations throughout the night, as they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in God and in the Last Day and bid what is right and forbid what is wrong and vie in charity and they are the righteous.” (3:114).

It would appear from these verses that virtue should be of dynamic quality. Virtue as a negative quality is not of great value.

A state, which is administered in the name of God, as every state which claims to be Islamic should be, is bound to safeguard the interests of all, of the poor as of the rich and of minorities as of the majority community. This can be made possible only by promoting right conduct and suppressing injustice and corruption. This was the guiding principle of administration at the time of the Prophet and the first four Caliphs, their success was due to the staunch faith of the mass of the believers which infused into them the true spirit of freedom and raised their moral standards, so that within a few decades they were transformed from a people sunk in the depth of superstition and vices into a law-abiding community of noble virtue and robust outlook, who, in course of time, led the people of the world in arts and sciences, in trades and industry.

Even the biased western historians admit this. Holmyard has stated in his scientific Journal, ‘Endeavour’, that “a thousand years ago the flame of science burned bright in Islam and in Islam alone.”

In the early days of Islam, there were none of the ostentatious formalities associated with rulership. The main source of revenue was Zakat which was a voluntary contribution made by all who had surplus income. Support of the needy and securing freedom of slaves from slavery and of debtors from debt were amongst the principal charges on Zakat (9:60).

The institutions of the conquered country were disturbed as little as possible. The sentiments and sensitivities of all sections were guarded. When the Caliph in Damascus at the time of prayers was offered by the priests a place in the church where he could say his prayers, he declined the offer. He said he apprehended that after him Muslims might convert the church into a mosque.

The Prophet had issued instructions to the heads of government at distant places that they should seek guidance from the Quran while dealing with affairs of state; and failing to find any direction on a particular point they should look for pronouncements of the Prophet and still failing to find the answer they should use their own discretion (Ijtihad).

The downfall of the Muslim states began when rulers became remiss in the observance of this golden rule of paramount importance. It is necessary to add here that the discretion of a ruler is subject to the condition of consultation. It is one of the attributes of Muslims that “their affairs are settled by mutual consultation.” (42:38). In Surah (3:159), the Prophet is particularly asked to seek counsel in all affairs, but on coming to a decision to rely on God.

The fundamental principles of Islamic polity may be summed up as follows:

Sovereignty: The concept of human sovereignty is completely absent in Islamic polity. ‘Authority belongs to Allah alone’ (12:40). And, “Do you not know that to Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth” (2:107). As a vicegerent of Allah, man has to conduct the affairs of the state as under:-

1) That all are equal before law. 2) That the exercise of power is a trust.

3) That power has to be exercised in accordance with the commandments of Allah and in His name.

4) That everyone vested with power is accountable for his actions.

Liberty: In Islam there is no room for kingship or dictatorship. There is close relation between the ruler and the ruled. Every one is free within the limits of Divine Law. Freedom of expression and liberty of conscience are the cornerstones of an Islamic polity and an ordinary citizen may differ from the opinion of those who are at the helm of affairs.

Justice: Islam stands for a just society and the glorious Quran has laid the greatest emphasis on justice, equity and fair dealing. In Surah Nissa (1:35) it is clearly stated: “stand out firmly for Justice.”

Fraternity: In Surah Hujurat Quran lays great stress on the fact that “the believers are surely brothers; so restore friendship among you brothers” (49:10). The principle of egalitarianism is the foundation of Islamic body-politic and its greatest strength. It is on this principle that the Mohajir and Ansar were united in a bond at Madinah which was even stronger than blood relationship and enabled the Muslims to become a powerful nation.

Accountability: In the Islamic concept the authority or power to rule is vested as trust (“amanat”) of the community and not the birth right of anybody. The Quran says: “Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the poor due and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity.” The concept of trust brings in automatically the accountability because a trustee appointed by the people has to render account to those by whom he is appointed.

No wonder we drive one another crazy

MANY Karachiites cannot honestly comprehend the reason for the all-pervasive anarchy on their streets. After all we are the same people that abide by all rules, regulations and traffic laws overseas!

Partly the answer may lie in a relentless increase in traffic over the years, a non-resident lot that operates our public and commercial vehicles, a constantly deteriorating poor condition of road infrastructure that seems to be littered with potholes, lacks any lane marking, traffic signs or street lights and little or no education and a diminishing respect for law in the eyes of the people are other reasons. If someone takes a closer look at the training and education we offer to our driving public at large, the feeble enforcement of almost non-existing traffic laws, a genuine lack of vehicle fitness and insurance or just the shrinking driving space, whatever little sanity still prevails one may end up taking the hat off for the Karachiites.

Everywhere people are required to follow at least some basic laws. But in Karachi it appears that all laws have become extremely elastic. No one in Lahore, Rawalpindi or Peshawar could even imagine the leeway that Karachi offers to its residents resulting in rampant lawlessness. Implementation of any law requires at least some degree of awareness, which can only come through books, media or other training aids but in Karachi such facilities have simply vanished.

Most Karachiites believe that the city could even survive the tribal imports that seem to land directly behind the driving wheels of the city’s public transport and forever pollute the city’s traffic scene provided the authorities had ever bothered to educate them a little about the universal road ethics.

But that may be difficult to understand for the city of over twelve million people that even today has just one traffic police branch office responsible to fulfil all its needs of issuance as well as renewal of driving licences. Housed in an encroached building that used to be originally a ‘municipal meat market’ and located in a narrow, severely encroached and obscure lane of Clifton that offers a major challenge for the people even to enter the building.

A person interested in getting a driver’s licence is first issued with a six-week learners permit. He or she may then like to study or prepare for the oral exam and a road test using “Roads and Motorway Code” published by the Pakistan Motorway Police occasionally available for forty rupees at some nearby post office. The licensing branch however does not offer any such material or aids. Once ready for the real thing you may want to come in for that sleek picture licence.

If you have been able to read or understand these lines you obviously belong to a meritorious class and shall be treated accordingly. But even the ones who may not be able to read a word of our national language but show some ability to conjure some Sifarish may be entitled to a lot of courtesies from the small team of supervising staff at what used to be a meat market but now looks like fish market.

This does not in anyway mean or is being implied that the testing officers or the supervising staff is any worse or inefficient than any other government or police establishment. On the contrary less than a dozen highly under-paid employees appear to be doing a commendable job of handling, and oral and road testing on an average of over 300 driving licence seekers each day of the week.

However the slim number, meagre pay and considerable discretion together may constitute ripe grounds for substantial corruption in the system. It is widely alleged that the requirement for the road test may be waived for as low as five hundred rupees or incomplete documents may be overlooked for gratification of less than one hundred rupees. But the members of the eight-test driver team (that also includes a woman) may look for excuses to skip some of the thirty to forty candidates per examiner during an eight-hour shift. Or better why would a person be not willing to pay a hundred bucks after having forgotten a copy of some document home at North Karachi?

Until the 1960s a death in a road accident was still considered a murder. But then Ayub Khan probably considered it to be a national duty to lower the charge to some ineffective section and today one can get away with little or no punishment at all. Under severe pressure from transport mafia the City Government that a couple of months ago insisted on registering an FIR under section 302 against the driver and the owner of the bus that crushed to death girls at a Karimabad bus stop and made all those tall claims about punishing future culprits now appears to be quietly going back on that announced position.

An overzealous Pakistani that had valiantly decided to shift back from Los Angeles swiftly returned after his Honda Civic stopped at red light on Sunset Boulevard was smashed by a bus in broad daylight and was offered only seven thousand rupees as compensation for a repair job that cost him over a hundred thousand. His wish to punish the frivolous driver was later thwarted by some court that allowed bail and release, for driver and his vehicle in less than forty-eight hours.

At least some ability to read, write and understand some basic rules and regulation as well as one’s own rights should be mandatory before issuing a drivers licence and allowing someone to commandeer a vehicle on our streets. Karachi generates enough resources in fact more 60 or 70 million rupees each year by drivers licence fees alone. That amount may not be worth much in the overall Sindh revenues yet exclusively spent over facilities concerning with road safety could ultimately change our street environment. We urgently need setting up of licensing branches at least at every town level in Karachi. Most of the cities employ simulators for road that may not cost more than two to three million rupees. At least a part of the road test fee may be allowed to the examiner to help him resist an urge to play foul.