| May 15, 2008 | Thursday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429 |
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Fading coalition
Bank recovery from customers
Housing of PCCC
Civilian dictatorship
Postal delay
Kahuta-Kotli link road in ruins
Unscrupulous teachers
Two Indian soldiers in US
Water, an issue of life and death
Legacy of dictators
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
THE legal committee constituted under the chairmanship of Law Minister Farooq H. Naik for reinstatement of the deposed judges has deliberated long enough and, as reported, has reached some kind of conclusion (not made known yet), which is not with consensus.
One of its members, Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, a constitutional expert, has preferred to sequester himself. In a telephonic talk with him, piercing questions were put forth as to his withdrawal, to which he prudently brushed aside and was very circumspect.
However, he opined that more than 20 retired judges, including a former chief justice of Pakistan, Ajmal Mian, have conceded to his postulations that a simple executive order nullifying the president’s order of Nov 3, when he (the president) himself has admitted to be extra-constitutional and illegal, deposing the judges would be tantamount to reinstating the judges to the pre-Nov 3 status.
The president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Rashid A. Razvi, when contacted almost concurred with it.
Asif Ali Zardari’s observation that chief justice (deposed) Iftikhar Chaudhry and the judiciary did not consider his bail application when he was in prison reflects vindictiveness.
To carry the resolution in this regard to parliament is not necessary. It is claimed that parliament has no authority either to depose a judge or reinstate him. The so-called constitutional package, it is felt in many quarters, is purported to manipulate, for it may seek to reduce the tenure of the judges, targeting possibly the deposed chief justice of Pakistan, and is seen as malice.
Therefore, this package, negating the wishes of the people who have given their mandate to their representatives in parliament, is uncalled-for. Although it is within the purview of parliament, it would be expedient if a referendum is held instead to allay fears of civil commotion.
There was a strong speculation prevailing that Abdul Hafiz Pirzada, one of the members of the committee, was holding brief for the president which he emphatically denied on a TV channel.
Mr Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim has desisted from giving his view on this count.
Now the fact that the PML (N) has parted ways and has decided that its ministers in the federal cabinet will resign is viewed with scepticism as to the macadamised running of the government with splinter groups as the PML(N) is the second largest party in the National Assembly. Therefore, in any case, the restoration of judges to its pre-Nov 3 position is a far-fetched mirth.
In Punjab the PML(N) is the largest group with the PPP being the second in run. It cannot be ruled out that the chief minister there may advise the governor to dissolve the assemblies to which he is constitutionally bound to do so.
In this case re-election would be held and it is apprehended that the PML(N) would sweep the election, and the PPP may not be able to muster a single seat. There could be a violent collision between the federal and the Punjab government, which would be unfortunate for the stability of the region.
SAIFUDDIN E. CONTRACTOR
Karachi
THE infant coalition of the PPP and the PML (N) faces life threat as the former could not agree to reinstate the illegally deposed judges.
Although it is sad news for the nation, especially for the lawyers who are on the streets since March 9 last year, I also see a window of opportunity in this whole mess.
The difference between vested interests and public demands is diminishing.
People understand who is honouring their verdict of the Feb 18 election, and this is actually educating the people of Pakistan the value of their vote.
It was actually the first test for the PPP minus Benazir Bhutto to prove that they are following the path of the great Bhutto and his daughter, i.e. to serve the masses, and in my opinion they have so far failed miserably.
Be it the judges’ issue or day-to-day governance, the PPP-led coalition has so far disappointed the masses at large and unless they revise their commitment, I don’t see the PPP as the single largest party in coming years.
The PML (N) deserves a big hand as they have taken a principled stand in the line of national aspirations.
They will have to be very careful in the coming days as ‘some vested interests’ want them to be out of power. They should stay in the coalition and should voice the public concerns at their best.
If, by any chance, all this system comes to square one, as it looks now, I think the stance of Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Mahmood Achakzai and Imran Khan will be proved correct.
The lawyers should be rest assured that people of Pakistan are with them and see their contribution as a major factor in the post-March 9 struggle.
The struggle should not be hampered now onwards and I am sure we all shall see a day when all the wrongdoings of Nov 3 shall be trashed to dustbin.
Ham daikhein gein, laazim ha k ham bhi daikhein gein …… Insha Allah…..
ABDUL RAUF
Fateh Jang
THIS is apropos of an atrocious incident that happened recently in a locality of Karachi when a man hanged himself after an uncouth and foul - mouthed exchange between the bank collection personnel and the customer’s family members.
This is nothing new in our metropolis. This has been happening for the last four years since private banks of both local and foreign origin have started outsourcing their recovery and collection departments to third - party collection agencies.
The staff of these agencies consists of contemptible persons who misbehave with not only customers, but their parents, wives and children, threatening and misbehaving. Reportedly, the collection personnel are offered hefty commissions upon recovery of any amount.
Consequently the poor customer not only faces threats, embarrassment and disgrace in front of his family and neighbourhood but is also charged with heavy late payment fee. And the banks have a very valid reason to defend by saying “this customer has duly agreed on all the terms and conditions of our bank at the time of taking loans.”
Being a student of a business school and taught business ethics, I request the State Bank of Pakistan and the state authorities concerned to urgently pay attention to this issue and formulate a ‘code of conduct’ for all the banks to deal with customers themselves. Besides, simple methods should be offered for recovery from customers.
NASIR R. ZAIDI
Karachi
AFTER having no option, the ejected Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) left its legally leased location from the M.T. Khan Road, Karachi. It housed itself in a makeshift manner in a rented plaza on Sharea Faisal, Karachi. Thus, a period of about two years long ‘honeymooning’ passed without any official concern for its relocation in a building of its own to save the huge sum of monthly rental.
According to a recent advertisement, the PCCC is now once again on the lookout for a better accommodation (April 17). This shows that the PCCC even after working under the aegis of the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock is still marauding for rented accommodation of its building. What an apathy!
The sooner the PCCC could get relocated in its own building is good, not only for its smooth research work, but also to play its vital role as assigned to it. The committee has already suffered a serious blow after its first dislocation from M.T. Khan Road, Karachi, and its relocation/rehabilitation is inevitable to regain its image.
It is sad to see that our agricultural research, whether in fruit, food, oilseed or vegetable crops, is mediocre. Like all other research organisations, the PCCC also needs full staffing, training abroad to its young scientists, and well-equipped laboratories to spur the stagnant research.
The ongoing research is neither goal-oriented nor the results achieved are spectacular. We need to invest more in research to touch new heights and keep our heads aloft and march with modern times.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
JAFAR Wafa’s letter (May 8) is biased. During what he calls ‘barren eight years’, Pakistan instead emerged as one of the ‘Asian Tigers’ with reference to economic growth.
During the Musharraf-Shaukat government, we spent Rs1,332 billion to reduce poverty and, as a result, poverty in Pakistan was reduced from 39.26 to 28.10 per cent in rural areas and from 22.69 per cent to 14.9 per cent in urban.
Pakistan’s growth performance over the last four years is enviable in many respects. The real GDP has grown at an average of 7.5 per cent per annum. As a result, unemployment that stood at 8.3 per cent in 2001 declined to 6.5 per cent in 2005.
The Musharraf-Shaukat government inherited merely $500 million in foreign exchange reserves, and when Shaukat left, the foreign exchange reserves stood at over $13 billion. These figures are not produced out of a hat. These figures are from a World Bank report.
The people have given their mandate and not against Mr Musharraf who took no part in this election. His election was separate. Our mandate is that we no longer want to be governed by any one single party whose leader is not democratically elected by even its own membership and has been forced upon us as if the leadership of the party is his ‘jagir’.
We want a coalition government, a government of unity. We are tired of being sidelined if we belong to the opposition. We want to live and build Pakistan together, in peace, in harmony and with everyone heading in the same direction.
We don’t want to be governed by 36 per cent of those who voted, based on 70 per cent turnout.
We are all delighted that Mr Gilani is our new prime minister. He appears to be an honest and sincere politician and has respect of the whole house of parliament but how long will it be before he is sidelined and so to Mr Khuro?
We are still under dictatorship, only this time it is civilian.
ABID SHAH
United Kingdom
OUR children are living abroad in the UK and the US. The letters sent to them by ordinary or registered mails now take anything between 20 and 25 days, while previously it took only 10 days. Postal authorities have lately increased the charges on overseas mail without any advantage to the clients.
Such a situation may be faced by parents whose children are abroad.
The department concerned should look into the matter with a view to minimising the delivery time of the overseas airmail.
M. A. KHAN
Karachi
HOPING to be heard in the dawn of democratic era, this is to inform the prime minister about the dilapidated condition of Kahuta-Kotli, Azad Kashmir, link road, which has had no repair over the last two decades.
Travelling on the said road is equivalent to travel in the depths of hell. The said part of the road is approximately 60km through which about 4,000 vehicles pass daily. While the people of Azad Kashmir and Rawalpindi district travel on the road that has edges on both sides and is dusty and stony, four to five inches deep at certain points, one can feel the jolts at the centre of the road which shakes the spine, while they subside on the edges.
No driver wants to get his vehicle down on the deep stony and dusty edge of the road, which has led to collision many a time, minimum being a narrow escape.
Besides Kotli, Azad Kashmir and Kahuta, the people from other districts of AJK also travel via the shaky road and suffer. To add fuel to fire, transporters have raised fares by almost 30 per cent in the last four to six months.
Food and fuel being highly expensive, at least the safety of the travel should be ensured.
There would have been no urgency to write about the miserable state of Kahuta-Kotli link road, had the government of Pakistan or AJ&K considered this matter seriously and acted accordingly to relieve the torture of travel on the said road. Hence, the common citizens of Kotli, Azad Kashmir, urge the relevant authorities and the prime minister to look into the matter at the earliest.
The said road is important from both strategic and defence points of view. While passing Kahuta, it also links the capital city with Kotli and Nakiyal sectors in Azad Kashmir. On May 4, this writer passed the said road and witnessed women, schoolchildren protesting at certain points about the miserable condition of the road and appealing to the government of Pakistan for its reconstruction.
The media covered the demonstration and it was reported in Dawn, Islamabad, on May 5. People demand the repair as well as widening of the Kahuta-Kotli link road. Their hopes in a ‘government of people’ must not be allowed to wane.
It is reverently requested to the prime minister of Pakistan to send a team to examine the road and promptly release funds for its reconstruction.
POOR RESIDENTS
Kotli, Azad Kashmir
THIS is with reference to Marzia Raza’s letter, ‘Serialised, systematic cheating’ (May 8).
I fully agree with the fact which she has written about the practice of cheating during the Secondary School Certificate examinations.
My son also witnessed such scenes at his centre during his matriculation examinations. The government school situated in Razzakabad, Bin Qasim, had special rooms under the patronage of the in charge of the school, a Mr SS.
He reportedly went announcing in every class that whoever would pay him money would be allowed to cheat.
Cellphones were openly allowed and some of the boys even made video clips of the event.
The in charge went to such an extent that in spite of being a centre for boys, he allowed a mother to solve the papers for her son (who was a slow learner) after receiving a hefty amount.
She was made to sit in the special room where she solved the paper and for the Sindhi paper she had brought a man to help her son.
I repeatedly phoned the board monitoring cell to apprise them of what was going on and each time the gentleman said: “Give a written complaint”.
I had to explain to him that the written complaint would reach the authorities when it would be too late but the poor gentleman could not understand my point.
I even told him to send the board vigilance team to witness what was going on at the examination centre but still he gave no reply.
What I gathered was that the in charge was given full protection to carry on his activity. I would request the controller of the Board of Secondary Education to look into the matter.
Students who have studied so hard have really been disheartened by these events because those who cheated would get through their examinations without even learning for their examinations.
I wonder what will happen to the future of this nation if such things are going to happen under the patronage of people who are called teachers and are supposed to mould the characters of the next generation.
ZARA SYED
Karachi
THE 1st Gorkha Regiment of the Indian army conducted a 10 - day company level counter - terrorism exercise with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the US Army at Camp Pendleton, California, last month.
At the end of the exercise, two Indian soldiers went missing, absent without leave, and got their way into some hiding place in California, for the purpose of enjoying a better life and earning.
The Indian embassy has also confirmed the incident but this, however, exposes the myth of ‘shining India’ where the level of poverty, disappointment, despondency, usurpation, unemployment, exploitation, is higher than ever.
The suicide rate amongst the Indian army is said to be 24 per cent, according to the statistics released by India’s Human Rights chapter.
The incidents of desertion, absent without leave, soldiers opening guns at the officers refusing them leave and psychological disorders, are the order of the day.
The longest - ever stay of around 700,000 troops in Kashmir has given birth to hundreds of such incidents which continue to take place, as the India - Country Report on Human Rights 2007 released on March 11 this year by the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, has observed serious violations in the occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in several states in the north and east.
ALI HASSAN
Muzaffarabad
THE prime minister has rightly pointed out in his public address at Multan that the previous rulers have just been talking about building water reservoirs but have done nothing for development of any water resource, even the small ones. Had they done it, Pakistan would not have suffered this acute water shortage problem.
The prime minister must also address the problem of unlawful dams built by India upstream in Kashmir. It is exceedingly essential that the government and people of Pakistan are fully motivated to solve and settle this issue with India at any cost, otherwise the world’s biggest canal system in Pakistan will become a desert system. The provinces then will have nothing to fight over.
Keeping an indifferent attitude to this issue will just be another suicidal blunder committed by us after Indus Basin Water (Sindh Tass) Treaty of 1960.
IKRAM UL HAQ
Islamabad
THE letter, ‘Carrying the legacy of dictators’ (May 11), on your editorial, ‘Harking back to Zia days’ (April 26), is a sad commentary on the current politics of Pakistan.
On the top of it, Mr Junejo, in his above-mentioned letter, aptly commented on the religious and dictatorial streaks running throughout Pakistani politics for the last more than five decades.
Except for the great leader, M. A. Jinnah and his able prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan had the misfortune of having half-baked politicians and military adventurers. And, of course, the confusion about the source of ultimate power added to the mess and confusion.
We must learn the hard way that people are the real source of power.
JALAL HUSSAIN
Canada
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