| May 14, 2008 | Wednesday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 8, 1429 |
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Panda diplomacy
Rupee vs dollar
Changing lifestyle
Sost dry port controversy
A plea to Sindh CM
Developing plants for fuel
Cabbie’s honesty
Camel jockeys
PPP on judges’ restoration
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
IN an address to corporate leaders, Anne Patterson, ambassador of the United States of America, is reported as having said: “. . . . . those opposed to American engagement in Pakistan have a limited understanding of how our partnerships — economic assistance and financial interactions — changed the lives of everyday Pakistanis in real and positive ways”. Perhaps this should read the “everyday lives of Pakistanis”.
Whatever the exact wordings, given that the everyday lives of most Pakistanis are miserable, the statement shows the ambassador’s limited understanding of latent anti-Americanism in Pakistan. Perhaps the ambassador is referring to the Pakistanis who have found a home in the US and hence bettered their standard of living.
However, what is clear to the average Pakistani living in Pakistan is that whatever assistance the Americans have given and continue to give to Pakistan has added to the fortunes and lifestyles of Pakistan’s military brass and consequent suppression of the people of Pakistan.
Whether they were the intended recipients of the largesse or they misappropriated the largesse is for the Americans to determine as they are the donors. I do not believe that the average Pakistani is in anyway ignorant of the might of the Americans or their largesse, only they do not see how it has benefited them and it would be of interest if the ambassador could give some examples.
The ambassador goes on to state that “people who come up with the most fanciful conspiracy theories do so in an attempt to distract the public from the true causes of extremism and poverty”. The fact that the Americans are interfering in the translation of the anti-Musharraf verdict of the people of Pakistan is to my mind not a conspiracy theory but a hard fact.
Pakistanis, even the ‘uneducated’ Pakistanis are fully cognizant of the threat of extremism, and the result of the Feb 18 election is a witness and response to that. As for poverty, we are also fully cognizant of the reasons for poverty as also of the fact that those whom the Americans support have in fact instead of alleviating poverty added to it manifold by their irresponsible mismanagement, lack of management and loot and plunder.
Facts and figures released by the finance minister on the floor of the parliament would have put anybody to shame but, according to the ambassador, instead of despising these looters and plunderers, we should accept the American verdict that they are good for us. Also I may remind the ambassador that a survey of the ‘public’ will show the degree to which anti-Americanism has pervaded the Pakistani people. Nobody needs to distract the ‘public’. If the Ambassador were to, even for a moment, step out of her security cordon and meet the ‘public’, she may be surprised to find how enlightened (not of the ‘enlightened moderation’ kind though) the ‘public’ are and how reasoned their anti-Americanism is.
The ambassador also expressed the desire “to dispel rumours that the United States only works with your military … this is not true.” Historical facts would belie the Ambassador’s statement. There are no rumours here. The US fully backed and supported the military dictator and hangman Ziaul Haq who is now generally accepted as the root cause for the rise of ‘terrorism’ in Pakistan.
During Zia’s tyrannical rule of over a decade the US turned a blind eye to human rights violations of the worst kind. It has shown and continues to show blind loyalty to Mr Musharraf who has exhibited a total disregard for the sanctity of the Constitution, has used the exchequer for his personal aggrandisement (imagine that a head of state and that too an unconstitutional and illegal one should put up at the Dorchester on a personal visit and spend 17,000 pounds a night!) and has given nothing to the country.
In the face of all this, what is the Pakistani public expected to believe? I think the US ambassador needs to revisit her understanding of our people and to credit them with some little awareness and, yes, intelligence.
AMNA PIRACHA
Islamabad
RELATIONS between Pakistan’s close friends China and Japan had become very strained in recent years, which has been a source of considerable concern for us and some other Asian countries.
Therefore, it is a matter of great relief that their ties have received a boost by Chinese President Hu Jintao’s recent five-day reconciliation visit to Japan. This is the second-ever trip to their eastern neighbour by a Chinese head of state and the first since 1998.
Just three years after relations between them hit rock bottom, President Hu said his trip would herald a ‘warm spring’ with Japan (May 7) and that “we both believe that relations between China and Japan are at a new starting point.” The two leaders also agreed that cooperation was their ‘only option’ (May 8).
As a sign of their newfound closeness, Mr Hu offered to lend a pair of giant pandas to Japan after Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda had asked China if his country could borrow some of these because the panda Ling Ling, one of the best loved animals at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, died of old age the week before.
This gives one an idea. The Japanese government could reciprocate the Chinese gesture by tasking one of its leading robot manufacturers to urgently make two life-size pandas to be gifted to a Beijing zoo or science museum — whichever gets more visitors — in return.
This robotic pair of friends, representing a Chinese and Japanese person, can be named ‘Japanda’ and ‘chinpanda’ or, simply, ‘Janda’ and ‘Chanda’. Or, given the neighbours’ top-notch status in table tennis, they could even be called ‘Ping’ and ‘Pong’, to add more fun.
The robots should be able to speak elementary Chinese and Japanese, including the singing of some songs popular in both places.
In addition, toy versions of the pair can also be created for marketing in the two countries by the millions, which would bring these symbols of friendship into numerous homes leading to affection between their children. Sales could be greatly boosted if the toys come along with a joint statement by Mr Hu and Mr Fukuda, endorsing them as a tool for promoting friendship.
K. CHAUDHRY
Karachi
PARITY of US dollar to Pakistan rupee was 3.50 per dollar in the 1950s. Successive governments in Pakistan have followed American, World Bank, etc, agendas of opening up local markets pursuing economic policies which have consistently destroyed local industry, employment opportunities and other positive consequences of industrialisation and economic uplift of the common masses.
Consequently, the common man continues to become increasingly destitute. The successive ruling coterie of Pakistan has amassed mind-boggling personal wealth through plunder of this poverty-ridden country and has never been punished. It is such anti-Pakistan economic policies that has made one US dollar at the moment equal to Rs65, and continues to climb.
This rate is soon expected to gallop to reach Rs100 to Rs200 and beyond to one dollar.
Two unrepresentative prime ministers were imported from the World Bank and the West and thrust upon the people of Pakistan to follow World Bank bidding. For 60 years the local economy has continued to be destroyed.
At the same time local population is bombarded with false saturated propaganda of great economic strides. May God save and help this country and its people.
ABDUL MATEEN
Karachi
BANGLADESH has ordered officially to strictly enforce shop opening times to minimise electricity consumption as the country reels from soaring summer temperatures and constant blackouts. The military-backed emergency government slapped the ban on shops opening after 8pm in February in an attempt to divert power for irrigation of farmer’s crops.
The World Bank has put Bangladesh’s power shortfall at 700 to 800 megawatt when aging plants are shut for maintenance. If we compare the power situation of the country with Bangladesh, we are facing severer power deficits. Our shortfall has reached 3,000 MW. Most of the power is consumed during the peak hours from 7pm to 11pm in markets, shops and wedding parties.
Our regular day in big cities starts after 11am and ends at 2am. If we changed our lifestyle and opened our shop from 8am to 8pm daily, we can get maximum benefit from the natural daylight.
If our prime minister will order a change of lifestyle within our country to reduce loadshedding and power crisis, it would be a turning-point of our declining economy because the available electricity can be diverted toward industries and tube-well. Our industries will be again productive and our farmers will get enough electricity for their yields. I suggest that, for a strong and prosperous Pakistan, we should now change our lifestyles according to the changed scenario of today’s world, because changeability is a sign of life and stagnation means we are dead.
BASHIR HUSSAIN AZAD
Chitral
SOST is an important border town of Gilgit and Baltistan. It has emerged as a centre of commerce and trade between Pakistan and China. A couple of years back President Musharraf inaugurated a dry port in the town to facilitate Sino-Pakistan trade. It was envisaged to be a symbol of Pakistan-China friendship.
Unfortunately, the port which was supposed to bring prosperity and harmony to our region has triggered a series of conflicts that continue even today. The chief executive of Northern Areas Legislative Assembly, Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan, the elected representative of the region’s people, is leader of one of the groups (consisting mainly of his family members) fighting over the dry port.
The other group is led by Ali Afsar, a shareholder, representing the landowners and other small shareholders. Ali Afsar has been appointed the chairman of the Dry Port Trust by a majority of the trustees in a heated election that took place in Hunza against mismanagement of the port affairs.
Not a single general body meeting of the port has been arranged by the previous management of the port, since its inception. There are also allegations of misappropriation of funds, corruption and nepotism against the previous cabinet.
No dividend has been paid to the shareholders of the port, so far. Similarly, the landowners, who contributed their land for construction of the port, have yet to receive the price of their land, and the dividends on their investments in the joint venture company.
All these reasons have led to a revolt against the port trust management and, now, the public has taken over the port building.
The KANA division has convened a meeting between the previous and new cabinets in Islamabad and I hope that a concrete solution is offered to this ownership dispute, once and for all. It is the right of the shareholders and landowners to get whatever the port trust owes to them.
I also request the President of Pakistan to look into this matter personally and ensure that justice prevails. The peaceful people of the Hunza valley have been forced to protest and agitate against the injustice by the corrupt rulers of the land. I also propose a high-level team to investigate and make public all cases of corruption in the port.
ALI SARWAR
Karachi
THE Sindh Public Service Commission had conducted the examinations of law officers in the prosecution department during the caretaker government. The entire procedure of conducting the examinations and interviews went well and more than 140 candidates had cleared the written and viva voce, but all of them are still waiting for their posts and appointment letters.
However, it has been learnt from various quarters that the Sindh chief minister has made it null and void.
All the examinations of the prosecution department were held under the Sindh Public Service Commission, which is considered to be a reliable institution for conducting examinations.
Everyone from Sindh realises the kind of hardship our young lawyers face today. Keeping in view the current job scenario, I would request the chief minister to accept the merit of the candidates and issue orders for their appointments.
FAZAL QADIR MEMON
Chairman, Executive
Committee, Sindh Bar Council
Hyderabad
THIS is apropos of Dawoodi Morkas’s letter, ‘Developing plants for fuel’(May 4), in which he wishes that those countries supplying fossil fuel (Middle Eastern countries) and those requiring the fuel (western countries) to join hands in research for developing plants which grow in degraded and derelict land in a desert-like situation of Arabian peninsula.
I am left wondering whether the countries supplying the fossil fuel would like to collaborate in a research programme for growing the oilseed plants (jatropha) and thus putting in jeopardy the economic boom they are enjoying from fossil fuel lying underneath their feet which is expected to last till the end of the 21st century (+ and – 20 years).
According to M.K. Hussain, jatropha plants are now a source of cheap energy in India (April 13) and its cultivation is being expanded there as an alternative source of energy. It starts yielding oil after five to six years.
We should start a pilot experiment for cultivating jatropha plants in Balochistan, Cholistan and Tharparkar which have a similar conducive habitat required for the growth of jatropha plants and to study the feasibility of such an enterprise on commercial scale.
Jatropha plants would start yielding non-edible oil in five to six years which have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and can be used as bio-fuel to run farm machinery and for generating electricity in far-flung rural areas of Pakistan. Self-help is the best help and for sure nobody will come forward to help us for nothing.
DR M. JALALUDDIN
University of Karachi
A report says that the Grammy-nominated violinist Phillippe Quint, while returning from an airport in New York, left behind his 285-year-old violin worth $4 million in a taxi (May 7).
However, cabbie Mohammed Khalil proved himself to be very honest by returning it to Mr Quint. The owner was so impressed that he decided to repay Mr Khalil and his fellow taxi drivers by holding a 30-minute recital on May 6 in New York. After that, the violinist will perform on Sept 23 at a famous recital hall for which Mr Khalil and his family will be provided free tickets.
At a time when the Muslims are being defamed by some vested interests and ill-informed people, this taxi driver, who could be from any Muslim country but most probably Pakistan — like many New York cabbies — has done us proud.
K. NAQSHBANDI
Karachi
I AM grieved to read that no leader, present or past, has done anything to stop the cruel trade of child abduction for sport. Just the abduction of small children from their parents is torture with psychological trauma for life, but to use these children for sport, as camel jokeys, is incomprehensible.
Where are the human rights groups, the people of Pakistan and the United Nations? I urge the present government to take immediate action and demand the Arab nations to stop this act of buying children for sport.
M. AFZAL
USA
ANWAR Syed has made a sweeping conclusion that Mr Zardari is messing up the reinstatement process because the PPP really does not want the sacked judges to be reinstated. (‘Mr Zardari’s politics’, May 11). This is not correct. The PPP believes that not only the sacked judges must be restored but also the constitutional amendments, decisions and orders made after Nov 3 have to be reversed unless indemnified by parliament. There is no question of messing up the reinstatement process.
The PPP is also bound by the Murree Declaration of March 30 that called for the restoration of judges through a resolution of parliament. It has also been agreed that while all deposed judges will be reinstated, none of the sitting judges would be disturbed. The proposed resolution has since been finalised and its wording agreed upon.
The PPP also believes that it is important that legally correct procedure is adopted for implementing the resolution.
As per procedure after the National Assembly passes the Resolution calling for the restoration of Nov 2 judges, it will be formally sent to the government by the National Assembly secretariat for implementation.
By restoring the Nov 2 judges and also keeping the present judges intact the number of the judges in the Supreme Court would increase to more than 25. However, under the Judges Act 1997 the number of SC judges can be no more than 17. The implementation of the resolution would thus require an amendment to the Judges Act 1997 to provide for more than 17 judges as allowed under the Act at present.
The prime minister cannot lawfully increase the number of SC judges from 17 to more than 25, merely by an executive order. It has to be done through an Act of parliament in accordance with the mechanism provided for in the Constitution.
A committee of eminent jurists was set up to advise on adopting correct mechanism for the implementation of the restoration. There may be different opinions on how best to implement the resolution but there are no differences on the issue of restoration of the sacked judges through parliament.
A lot of ground has been covered in deciding the correct mechanism and we hope that the judges will soon be restored; indeed they have to be.
The writer further says: “Mr Zardari does not want the general to be diminished further” and wants “Musharraf to remain president in good standing”. This is incorrect. Only recently Mr Zardari reiterated that the PPP regarded Mr Musharraf as unconstitutional president.
Mr Musharraf was diminished when he was forced to shed his uniform that he likened to his second skin, thanks largely to the struggle in which the PPP and Benazir Bhutto played a great role. He was diminished when popular leaders of the people whom he had denounced as corrupt and banished in exile returned to the country. He was diminished yet again when the people overwhelmingly rejected him on Feb 18.
No democrat and no democratic party abhor his diminution. No one wants him to remain president in good standing. No democrat detests his long walk to oblivion.
FARHATULLAH BABAR
Former senator
Islamabad
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