| January 16, 2007 | Tuesday | Zilhaj 25, 1427 |
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Decision-making in Pakistan
CSIBL affairs: plea to SECP
Excess lighting
Curbing crime in Karachi
Real estate chamber of commerce & industry
New dam technology
Parking fee
Wrong sheep
Accountable to our people
Indian Muslims
Done enough
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
WHEN 2006 was drawing to a close and 2007 as the election year dawned, there was a sudden and enthusiastic reiteration of Mr Mohammad Ali Jinnnah’s ideals, principles and vision.
Instead of the usual lip-service, we heard clear public tribute, and Mr Jinnah’s ideals, principles and vision were reiterated as the only way ahead for a successful Pakistan.
While the PML-Q claims it is the legitimate successor to the All-India Muslim League headed by Mr Jinnah, the PML-N claims otherwise. Fragmentation of the founding party started after the death of Mr Jinnah when it split into the Mamdot and Daultana groups. Thereafter we have had PML described for identity by addition of words and letters: ‘Convention’, ‘Functional’, N, J, F, C, Z, etc.
Names and titles come to an end when the mortals who wanted to identify the party faction with themselves pass away but institutions live forever. Identification of a political party with an individual is fundamentally wrong. It is the party which is important.
There were ample quotes from Mr Jinnah both in the speeches made by Gen Pervez Musharraf when he visited the Mazar on Dec 24 when he delivered an emotional speech, and on Dec 30 to mark the PML’s 100 years.
The message from all the speakers was that the PML-Q is the only legitimate successor to Pakistan’s founding party and that it would continue Mr Jinnah’s legacy.
Battle lines were drawn between a party believing in a moderate and enlightened Pakistan and extremists and obscurantists. This may prove to be a dangerous line to draw. Hope was expressed that the people would elect PML-Q.
It appears the PML-Q has launched its election campaign while other parties, including coalition partners, may have been taken by surprise.
As for those who are being called extremists, are they part of the coalition government who supported the PML-Q in constitutional amendments and the vote of confidence in General Musharraf as president, coupled with retention of the uniform?
Will these extremist religious parties now be shed as they do not subscribe to enlightened moderation? Will other moderate parties join the coalition as we saw in the passing of the Women’s Protection Bill?
The mantle of legitimate successor to the original ‘All-India Muslim League’ can fall on a united Muslim League comprising the breakaway factions and such a ‘united PML’ will result in providing a much-needed balance in our political process.
All the leaders should be elected democratically in a transparent manner and a party manifesto published before elections are contested from its platform.
The united PML must lead the way for other political parties and usher in a truly democratic process in Pakistan.
It is time we learnt a lesson from the political chaos and instability of the past 59 years which resulted in military interventions and constitutional deviations.
Now political leaders have the opportunity of putting aside personal differences and promote leadership in the role model of Mr Jinnah by conforming to his principles, ideals and vision for there is no other leader around whom the nation can rally as the Quaid and there is no other state that we can call our own.
Looking at the post-9/11 world, our leaders must realise the necessity of uniting to put our house in order so that we may jointly safeguard and preserve Pakistan.
This can to a large extent be done by conforming to the Constitution and ensuring a free and fair democratic process in which the people can elect their representatives.
Claiming Mr Jinnah’s legacy and promising to implement his principles, ideals and vision is a comfortable position to be in and an easy bridge to get on but difficult to hold fast and emulate unless the party produces a leader with a sincerity of purpose and a character animated with a brave conception of duty and an austere and lovely code of private honour and public integrity.
Leadership emerges from an elected parliament in a truly democratic dispensation and is consolidated by the power of the pen, power of speech and power of vote while honour and integrity are inborn but these qualities shine out for all to see and recognise making that leader distinct from the rest.
LIAQUAT MERCHANT
Karachi
THE people of Pakistan have forever remained perplexed over the decision-making in the country. They consider it an exclusive domain of a few powerful people that make major decisions sidestepping parliament and even the hand-picked federal or provincial cabinets.
Traditions of holding town hall meetings, debating issues, conducting studies on various aspects and seeking public opinion have never taken root in the country.
The present dispensation is no different. It has continued with the familiar practice to ignore the popular concerns and impose its decisions on the people.
Be it the military operations in the Pakhtoon areas and Balochistan, the decisions on the mega projects like the Gwadar port, dams, canals and drainage projects, devolution, sale of national assets, major foreign policy shifts and empowerment of a few chosen ones at the cost of others, the powers-that-be have never ascertained public opinion or shown any respect to the known positions of the large majorities of the population.
The recent decision to sell two Sindh islands to a foreign company to build a new city is a classic example of the same policy.
Also it is ironical that while the central government is talking of more autonomy to the provinces, the chief minister of Sindh, the provincial assembly or the provincial departments concerned were never consulted before making a major decision that will have far-reaching consequences for the province.
The central government continues to ignore the Sindh government position that it owned the islands and that no one else could sell what didn’t belong to them.
The decision also affects the rights and the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. They have been vehemently protesting the central government decision and have received popular support from all over the province.
Nothing doing, says the central government. News reports say that despite the Sindh government claims and popular protest in the province, work has started on the islands and fishermen families have been evicted from their homes and banned from fishing in the area.
It is also reported that the new city project will be officially inaugurated later this month. So much for the provincial autonomy, respect for the views and wishes of the people and the rights of the weaker communities in the country.
One implores the civil society leadership to speak against this highhandedness. The perpetuation of unjust and oppressive policies would only bring harm to the country and the people. Such practices and policies need to be stopped.
AZIZ NAREJO
Texas, USA
THE Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) removed the entire board of directors comprising the Crescent group, and took over the CSIBL in August 2006, inducting its own administrator. This was done on the plea that the SECP wanted to protect the interest of stakeholders.
The SECP and its administrator both have been informing depositors and creditors since August that the SECP has found foreign buyers ready to take over the CSIBL, but the CSIBL has not been handed over by the SECP so far, creating doubts in the minds of depositors and creditors about SECP intentions.
Besides this, the SECP and its administrator are not giving any details of the deals which they are making with the buyers.
Moreover, no deadline has been communicated by the SECP as to when the CSIBL will be passed on to the new buyers.
It may be mentioned here that all assets and resources of the CSIBL are not the SECP’s property, rather belong to the creditors and depositors.
The SECP should call a meeting of creditors and depositors immediately and update the status of deals which it has made/is making with new buyers.
However, if the SECP makes any deal on its own, this may invite unwanted problems for the SECP, because, by default, it is at present not just a regulator but is the owner of CSIBL. Therefore, all repayments of all liabilities of depositors and creditors of CSIBL have to be made by the SECP.
The SECP has clear choices to let the public know through the media what it has negotiated with new buyers and disclose the timeframe as to when the CSIBL will be given to the new buyers.
DANIAL DAUD,
Austin, Texas, USA
IN a greenery- bereft city like Karachi, the nearly finished Bagh Ibn Qasim looks a sight for sore eyes even from afar. The terraced terrain, beautiful landscaping visible from the other side of the fence seem nothing like we have seen in our country before.
The governor and the city government are rightly proud of this much-needed recreation facility. However, nearly 80 per cent of the park seems to be done but the opening date is nowhere to be heard.
No matter how proud the city government is, in loadshedding-ridden country, it is ridiculous to have the entire multitude of lights on throughout the night, every single night.
Karachiites passing the park late at night, whether at 2am, 3am or even 4.30am, have witnessed that all the lights have been on – not just small lights but also all of the eight to 10 of the huge 50-foot-high stadium lights.
The taxpayers’ money is going in to paying for the electricity bill at park which is not yet open to public. Really, must this letter be written before the city government gets the good sense to turn off the lights at a reasonable time.
MALIHA ANWER KHAN
Karachi
ACCORDING to Dawn (Dec 25), the year 2006 witnessed an unprecedented 60 per cent rise in the incidents of cellphone snatching/theft compared with the preceding year as per official statistics.
Similarly, car thefts were reported to increase by 17-6 pc during 2006 compared to 2005 (Dec 28). A staffer of the newspaper was also robbed of his new Cuore (ALS-650) not long ago.
According to CPLC data, on an average, 124 mobile phones are snatched/stolen every day; and 33 vehicles a day looted on average.
Some time we talk of making SHOs of the area of crime responsible and punishable. But we do not think of holding the public representatives of the areas accountable for rising crime in their vote banks.
MOHAMMAD ALEEM SHAIKH
Karachi
THERE is a need to establish a ‘Real Estate Chamber of Commerce and Industry’ (RECCI) in Pakistan. Each RECCI should be registered within the territorial limits of a city.
The aims and objects of the RECCI should be: (1) to promote balanced and sustainable growth of the industry, (2) to protect legal rights of its members, (3)represent the industry to communicate with government agencies, (4) identify and address, industry-wise, commonly concerned issues, (5) integrating valuable resources, (6) provide market and technology information, (7) seek opportunities for international cooperation, (8) enhance members’ business performance and competency, (9) promote industry-wise self-discipline and (10) raise members’ awareness of social responsibilities.
The responsibilities of RECCI should be to promote (a) brand names for sustainable communities, (b) promotion and development of environment-friendly communities, (c) develop brand names for residential and commercial properties, (d) quality for housing industry,(e) efficiency for industrialised housing.
The goal for housing industry and industrialised housing should be to improve the overall housing quality and the efficiency of housing construction.
The programme should be geared in a way that it should promote advanced and industrialised housing technologies and products in accordance with the process of identifying the suitable products and technologies, resolving product integration, addressing code issues and identifying pilot projects and production facilities for new technologies.
The RECCI should correspond with ‘hi-tech initiative’ through ‘e-housing construction integration’ and promote industry-wide application of information technologies in business management, information exchange and development of ‘intelligent housing’.
The functions and services of the RECCI should be: (i) to establish research on development strategy that should facilitate research programme, panel meetings for analysing current status and forecast for the development trend of housing industry, (ii) to seek investment and financing arrangement for projects of strategic significance, (iii) to organise international exchange activities to promote advanced housing technologies and products in Pakistan, (iv) should assist members in development and marketing of their quality products and services, (v) organise conferences and symposiums and (vi) should establish a competitive, yet fair-play market to guide the industry to a healthy growth.
The RECCI should take a proactive position in stipulating industry regulations and standards, promoting self-disciplinary actions among the members, establish a creditable evaluation system for the real estate developers and brokers and making legislation.
Members of the RECCI should represent the leading enterprises in Pakistan’s real estate industry, such as real estate developers, manufacturing, construction, technology research, urban planning, architectural and landscaping design, property management, engineering supervision and consulting, financing and investment, network engineering, information and media services, neighbouring industries and organisations and real estate brokers.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
WITH reference to the news story ‘Sindh, NWFP oppose land plan for Kalabagh, Akhori dams’ (Jan 15), I have had some experience working with resettled communities of the Ghazi Boratha project and no one was happy with the compensation.
There was widespread allegation of corruption, but nothing could be proved after the construction and authorities had to resort to intimidation.
As technology has improved immensely, for the new dams a baseline satellite imagery on a particular date should be obtained and recorded.
Any compensation should only be given on that base line image. This will record what is actual and not reported land condition and will leave a historical audit trail (so to speak) that can be rechecked at the time of dispute.
An image now and at the base line date would also show if someone is tampering with the land condition to get higher compensation, e.g., planting trees to make it an orchard or building flimsy structures to be declared ancestral dwellings.
SYED QAISER KAKAKHEL
Kabul, Afghanistan
RECENTLY I had to attend a hearing at the Supreme Court (opposite the Shaheen Complex). There is a parking lot just next to the court on M.R. Kiayni Road. I had to pay a parking fee of Rs30 and was issued a regular chit for it.
In my opinion this amount for parking a car for a few hours borders on extortion. This is specially aggravating since the parking fee is determined by the ‘Awam Dost’ party in control of the CDGK.
The relevant authority should review this rate so that one does not feel that the fee includes an amount of penalty also.
HASHMAT LODHI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news item by Farman Ali Baltistani captioned ‘Caught in search of water’ (Jan 9).
The animal caught in Skardu was a Urial sheep and not Marco Polo sheep. In Pakistan, Marco Polo sheep are found only in Khunjarab National Park which borders China and is located in the Gojal area of Gilgit district.
The picture printed alongside the news item is also incorrect as it is that of a Marco Polo sheep.
RAJA AATTAULLAH KHAN
Islamabad
IN what is beginning to appear as a sustained and personalised controversy with letters from locations as diverse as Maryland and Virginia, the United States, and finally Karachi, I am amused at the quality and the level of criticism, as it is typically reflective of the extra-constitutional mindset in which an ‘educated’ segment of our population gests mired because of repeated military intervention that have played Pakistan.
Hardened in the trenches of political battlefield, my spouse and I are proud of the voices on the side of democracy, the rule of law, the rural poor and the urban oppressed, and consider ourselves accountable to the people of the localities we represent and the institutional offices which we have held for any misuse of public office for personal gain.
Fakhr Imam’s removal from office of the speaker for challenging Zia’s martial law is a badge of honour. Does Waheeduzaman of Karachi respect surviving speakers such as Amir Hussain Chaudhry?
ABIDA HUSSAIN
Jhang
WITH reference to the letter titled ‘Plight of Indian Muslims’ (Jan 13), Indian Muslims have equal rights in every section of society. The Indian president, Azim Premji, the CEO of Wirpo (leading IT firm), many Bollywood stars and leading sports icons are my Muslim brothers.
India represents Muslims in all sections like politics and business. Since I work in the IT industry there is no such discrimination shown towards Muslims by any companies.
I have many good Muslim friends across all leading IT companies, they are doing well and become managers without such excuses. The representation is less in the public sector due to the fact of their socio-economic conditions like poor family planning and girls’ education.
Mostly northern states have this kind of problems. If you look at the southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, all Indian Muslims are well-educated and better represented.
VIJAYAVEL PALANIAPPAN
Los Angeles, USA
I think Pakistan has done enough already for the US and now the US should do something for Pakistan, for instance, ease visa procedures, relocate its consulate to the outskirts of Karachi, for those willing to travel to the States a visa officer should come to Karachi once or twice a month.
The US should trust Pakistanis as much as we trust the US.
JEREMY ROBINSON
Karachi
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