| April 16, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1427 |
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Nishtar Park tragedy
Evaluating performance
Theft of water in DHA
PCB supreme
International community
Richard Boucher’s visit
Sialkot passport office
Non-stop flights
Evidence of involvement
Correction
Sale of Roosevelt Hotel
Teaching maths
Electric tram
KARACHI is the only major city in the world which shuts down completely after a bombing incident. London was back on track the day after the bomb blast and even Mumbai went back to work the day after the stock exchange there was bombed some years back.
One mourns the loss of life that the bomb caused but does this really justify closing down everything and making other people suffer, especially those who rely on daily wages? Did people stay indoors the day after the bombing out of respect for the dead or because they have no faith in the local police and the army to control the situation?
If the latter, then the message going out to the president is: we might have come a long way since you took over in 1999, but till the day the people of Pakistan can say that they consider themselves safe and are free to go about their lives as they please, Pakistan will not have made any real progress.
USMAN AHMED
Karachi
EVERY petrol station in Karachi was closed. The few that did have the courage to remain open had long queues. What a shame that the owners of petrol stations are scared of their own people. Burning petrol stations, buses and shops is no way to show frustration at the tragedy that occurred in Nishtar Park.
ADIL SHAFI AFZAL
Karachi
RECENT events in Karachi show the mindset of our ruling elite, the politicians and the bureaucracy who ignore no opportunity to harass the very masses that elected them to positions of power.
The closure of gas and petrol stations by the police for three continuous days is a case in point. The unfortunate citizens of Karachi were deprived of this basic commodity and made to suffer in the name of security. All essential and basic services such as ambulances, delivery of life saving drugs, and the movement of water tankers came to a grinding halt.
Having lived in this city for over 35 years, one cannot recollect such a drastic action being taken even in the worst of times. We should hang our heads in shame that our civil administration, even when fully backed by the army, the Rangers and other paramilitary forces, was so fearful of things getting out of control that they opted to punish its own citizens.
FAROOQ ASHFAQ
Karachi
TIME and again the people of Pakistan have experienced terrorist activities. In the recent atrocious bomb blast at Karachi’s Nishtar Park at least 57 people were killed while they were celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Lack of nationalism has been the prime cause of clashes among the people of different backgrounds in Pakistan. In a country where more than 95 per cent of the population are Muslims, the people are divided in the name of sect, caste, language, ethnical identity and provincialism. Even on the issue of distribution of water among the provinces or the building of a new dam in any province the so-called political leaders are found cashing in on the issue for their own vested interest.
On the other hand, the religious leaders have also failed to make us a nation and aggravated sectarian differences. Some of these leaders don’t even pray behind the leader of another sect. The manifesto of these political mullahs is to promote and preach their own sect rather than Islam.
Social and political stability in any society depends on justice and supremacy of law and order. These are inter-related and inter-dependent factors and can only be achieved if the nation has a leader of vision who can provide the people with basic civil rights, justice and social security.
The prime agenda of the group or party controlling the capital is to remain in power as long as it can and enjoy the luxuries of office. Ministers and bureaucrats appear on the media after every terrorist incident or a disturbance to offer condolences to the people and promise inquiries and punishment to the culprits. Yet no improvement is seen in the situation.
Responding to the Karachi atrocity, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that investigators were looking into all aspects. He assured the government would unearth the culprits. But such statements cannot bring back the lives of those innocent people who simply wanted to demonstrate their love for their Prophet and commemorate the day of his birth.
SYED ATIQ UL HASSAN
Sydney, Australia
EVERY time President Musharraf talks about his uniform, he talks about how good his performance has been as the country’s leader. He talks about the country’s economy, its image and forex reserves. But any dispassionate evaluation of his performance has to focus also on his role as a military commander.
As commander-in-chief of the army President Musharraf has initiated many military campaigns. There was the Kargil campaign, there’s the campaign in Wana and the campaign in Balochistan. The Kargil campaign was based on wrong premises and bought the country very close to war. The Wana campaign was launched two years ago.
At the time we were told that this it would be a short campaign but two years on there seems to be no end. Many lives have been lost. In fact, Fata seems lost to the country. A Taliban-style movement has sprung up in the area and most pro-Pakistan notables there have been killed.
Then there is the Balochistan campaign. Soldiers and gunships have been deployed in the province but the conflict there doesn’t seem to be ending. Piplelines are still being blown up regularly, train tracks have been destroyed and the writ of the state doesn’t exist there.
TAHIR JAFFER
Lahore
OFTEN while passing by Karachi’s Do Talwar roundabout, I watch horse and donkey drawn carriages stealing water from the main pipeline passing through the service lane, very close to the Plaza shopping centre. They then sell this stolen water to offices, establishments, restaurants and buildings located in Zamzama. Initially a few carts seemed to be involved. Once they had gained confidence that there was no check on their criminal activity, many such carriages mounted with motor-pumps have appeared and all seem to be doing roaring business round the clock.
Readers should know that this theft goes on very close to the residences of senior police officers. The residents of Defence and Clifton pay water and other taxes but receive very little piped water. On the other hand, there are people stealing thousands of gallons every day. Also, while the water is stolen, horse and donkey dung finds its way into the main pipeline. Not only is this downright theft and needs to be stopped, it is also a massive health hazard.
Our society has reached such a point of insensitivity that hardly anybody minds such things happening. At times police in mobiles or on bikes are seen openly collecting ‘bhatta’ from the water stealers. And are horse and donkey-driven carriages allowed to operate in Defence or Clifton? Will the CCB or the DHA care to reply?
ISMAT SHAH KHAN
Karachi
THIS is in response to Rehan Siddiqui’s article “Shaharyar most travelled PCB supremo” (April 14). I agree with Mr. Siddiqui that since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is government run, all travels, dealings and appointments must be public and transparent. The PCB chairman must declare his visits, their purposes and their achievements. I have no clue why the chairman went to England for six weeks, but if he travelled first class on our tax money then he owes us an explanation.
However, we must also realise that perhaps it is necessary for the PCB chairman to undertake these trips in order to promote the game and Pakistan’s interests in world cricket. Based on his past performance, I would give the chairman the benefit of the doubt and allow him to keep batting for the PCB.
OMAR HAQ
New Jersey, USA
WITH reference to the news item about Shaharyar Khan being the most travelled cricket board chairman in the world, I would say the news is hardly a surprise.
I think the PCB chairman is only following in the footsteps of his boss, PCB’s chief patron President Musharraf whose favourite pastime appears to be making foreign visits. As with the president, Mr. Shaharyar Khan’s passionate free rides haven’t brought any substantial benefits to the country.
WASIF ALI SHAH
Toronto, Canada
THE US will push for various sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme along with the international community, says John Bolton, the US envoy to the UN (April 7).
The envoy’s move to include the international community in implementing the sanctions does not appear to be appropriate, particularly after the United State’s failure to respect important world organisations like the UN human rights organisation, the Geneva conventions, the Koyoto accord and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
If the US ignores these key international covenants and organisations as a matter of policy, it should also spare us, the international community, from the burden of endorsing its actions.
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
US Secretary of State Richard Boucher (“US wants civilian rule” April 6) shows a characteristic lack of understanding of Pakistani society. His advocacy of a return to civilian rule at this stage of our history is most regrettable. He should be aware of certain basic facts.
Both Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto were utterly intolerant of criticism. Both father and daughter started off well. They gave some freedom to the press but once the journalists began to criticise them, they retaliated. The only ruler who has given untrammelled freedom to the press is General Pervez Musharraf. I have not seen a Pakistani head of the state being criticized so openly since 1958.
Both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the so-called democratic rulers, plundered Pakistan to the hilt. Both failed to pay off the country’s debts. Instead, they succeeded in emptying the state treasury.
Mr. Boucher has vast resources. The US State Department has a very adequate library and research section. I would like him to commission an honest and impartial study on the state of Pakistani politics under the auspices of the State Department for his own benefit and for the benefit of the US Senate and House of Representatives.
The study should include a report on the state of the economy during the regimes of both Mr. Sharif and Ms. Bhutto, with special attention paid to institutions such as Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines and Port Qasim. They will find that party politics and unrest, which was invariably manipulated by the state machinery, didn’t allow these institutions to flourish.
Let me assure Mr. Boucher that the return of the so-called democratic leaders to power will be the biggest injustice to the innocent people of Pakistan. It will amount to a stab in the back when their country has just begun to do well.
MOHAMMAD ASIF
Karachi
NO country in the world permits dabbling into the affairs of the state by an outsider. Unfortunately politicians in the opposition tend to wash their dirty linen before outsiders. The opposition must learn to resolve all differences amongst themselves in parliament. Does the US allow our bureaucrats to meet the Democrats in Congress and discuss issues like Iran, Iraq, Syria and Palestine?
The US continues to probe into inter-state matters with which it has no direct links. If there is an election in Ukraine, Iraq or Afghanistan, the Americans must find fault in the outcome. The US has taken upon itself the task of establishing “freedom and democracy globally”, as in Iraq and Afghanistan. Has it succeeded? Only the Americans can answer this question.
One fears that the US will implement a plan to replace the existing political structure which will be against the interest of Pakistan. Our leadership should monitor events with caution.
MUHAMMAD AFZAL SADIQ
Attock
THE purpose of this letter is to draw attention towards the irregularities and corruption at the passport office in Sialkot. Some days ago I went to submit my application for a passport. After waiting for a long time in a queue when my turn came, the personnel on duty demanded many irrelevant documents and refused to issue me a token for further processing unless I presented all those documents.
The next day after again waiting in a long queue I presented the documents required. This time I was asked to bring a reference letter from any officer in the passport office. When I asked the people around me about this, they said that they too had been facing difficulties for many days and were being treated in the same way.
When I checked with one of the self-appointed ‘agents’, he suggested I could avoid trouble by paying him Rs.600. He informed me that he would keep only Rs.100 for himself and rest would be paid to the passport office staff. When I tried to see a responsible officer I was insulted badly and not allowed entry by the guards deputed at the office.
The staff at the passport office in Sialkot is clearly leaving no stone unturned in creating difficulties for the general public. I hope the relevant authorities will take necessary action against the culprits.
RANA ADNAN
Sialkot
PIA’s much publicised direct flights to New York and Toronto were apparently announced without doing the spadework which includes clearance from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Homeland Security in America.
In the first instance, the stopover at Manchester facilitated the security concerns of TSA because all passengers were screened once again and any person on board not cleared to proceed to the USA could easily be offloaded.
The major concern of American Homeland Security were the Pakistani green cards holders whose cards were issued prior to 1998 and they were required to obtain a transit visa from the UK consulate for all American bound destinations.
Both these agencies had already objected to PIA’s practice of operating a few flights to New York via Frankfurt.
T. G. HASSAN
New Jersey, USA
PAKISTAN’S federal defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, stated on January 11 that he would provide evidence of India’s involvement in the Balochistan law and order situation.
More than three months have passed and the evidence has yet to be revealed. Could it be possible that the Pakistani government has no evidence, and was just engaging in a cynical exercise to gain domestic support for its military operation?
R. SAHGAL Rhodes,
Australia
Yesterday’s letters to the editor included a letter entitled “Richmond Crawford hospital” by Mr Wajahat Rizvi of New Jersey, USA. The name of the writer’s father was Dr Syed Wazir Hussain Rizvi and not Syed Wisaq-ul-Hassan Rizvi as printed. The error is regretted.
REGARDING Rashid Ashraf’s letter (April 14) on the sale of the Roosevelt Hotel, the correspondent has noted that the annual revenues of the hotel are over $12 million, and that is why it should not be sold. But he makes no mention of how much of that profit remains after costs are accounted for.
If PIA manages to sell the hotel for $225 million after buying the Saudi prince’s share for $74 million as mentioned in the letter, PIA will have $150 million cash which can fetch at least $7 million per annum. This is assuming that it is invested in the safest possible way (at 4.75% per annum in US treasury bills).
His other reasons for keeping the hotel are that it employs a large number of people in New York and that it offers a safe place for Pakistani leaders to stay on their frequent visits to that city. I would like to point out that the employment rate in New York City should not be a concern of our national flag carrier and our leaders can certainly find other safe places to stay, as the leaders of the rest of the world do when they are in New York.
MONA TOWFIK
Philadelphia, USA
MATHEMATICS is an important academic subject but the quality of teaching is very poor in government schools in the northern areas comprising districts of Gilgit, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanche and Skardu. The pass percentage in mathematics gets lower every year. No efforts are being made to improve the situation.
Mathematics teachers are unable to cope. Most of them have not studied maths as a major subject at the intermediate or graduation level. These under qualified teachers are not proficient at either the content or methodology of the subject.
The quality of teaching depends on the quality of teachers. Until teachers who have studied mathematics as a major subject at the intermediate or graduation level are appointed, the quality of teaching maths in government schools will not improve.
SALEEM JAN
Hunza
A PROJECT funded by the World Bank for the conservation of the walled city of Lahore has been initiated by the Punjab Planning and Development Board. Traffic management on the Circular Road would be the core issue.
It is suggested that an electric tram be run around the walled city to overcome traffic congestion and pollution. All other forms of passenger transport should be banned after the completion of the electric tramway. This project could revolutionise the quality of life in the old city.
QASIM IQBAL KHAN
Lahore
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