What to wear in parks?

A FEW years ago when I was leaving a park in Clifton after jogging, a few Afghans stopped me and asked me not to wear long shorts and T-shirt again, as it was an un-Islamic dress. It was the time when the Taliban were ruling Afghanistan and the heads of the members of the Pakistan football team had been shaved off for wearing T-shirts and shorts in a friendly match in Afghanistan. As I was afraid, I refrained from going to that park again.

Recently (July 19), at 5:30 pm my wife (British) and I (Pakistani) decided to go out for jogging in a nearby park known as Nisar Shaheed Park in DHA Phase IV area. We parked our car in the specified parking area and went in. While jogging, we were stopped by a caretaker of the park who objected to my wife’s dress.

Upon asking, the man referred to ‘Instruction No.2’ on the notice board that said ‘Appropriate and respectable attire/dress is to be worn in the park, by order, Administrator, Defence Housing Authority’. My wife was wearing a long loose shirt with long sleeves and a knee-length lady’s sports shorts bought from an ordinary sports shop in Clifton. She has worn the same dress to jog in various other local parks (with running tracks) without any complaint. If this particular park had a problem with my wife’s dress then they should have had the decency to tell us before accepting our entrance fee.

When we Pakistanis visit Britain or any other western country we are not made to feel awkward or discriminated against due to our dress or customs etc. It happens only in our own country. We happily watch their TV channels, eat food from their food chains, wear their dress in offices (tie and suit), but won’t let a western woman jog in peace with her husband wearing a dress, which she had bought from a Pakistani shop.

Harassment of its own kind!

A CONCERNED CITIZEN

Karachi

Economic potential

MR Sultan Ahmed, in his article ‘Realizing the potential’ (Dawn, July 11), ends by saying “... the government should look into the reasons which have stood in the way of Pakistan realizing its economic potential...”

This mystery can be cleared in a jiffy if we understand why unruly, disorganized Pakistanis go abroad and do very well with the odds stacked against them. It will also explain why we are generating a large mutt glut in the country which is the result of the brain drain.

I am sure the well-meaning are conscious of the reasons but our bureaucrats who should implement government policies in the expected spirit have consigned us into the black hole of baboodom. Top priority should be given to make our existing assets more productive, that is what development is all about, and not to concentrate solely on growth if only for the reason our existing assets are far in excess of any new investments made in any year.

MASOOD HASAN

Lahore

Where do we go from here?

THE ceasefire line in Kashmir was renamed as ‘Line of Control’ in Simla by mutual consent. On what date was it converted into an atoot ang by India? Is the establishment of the ceasefire line and the line of control, the atoot ang?

The people of Jammu and Kahsmir were never consulted. Why should they respect it if they want go from one area to another? What is the moral and legal justification for the Indian occupation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir? On what date did the UN resolutions on Kashmir become obsolete and under which provision of the UN Charter?

Is there any difference between terrorism and a freedom struggle? Did not the Quit India Movement have an element of terrorism in it? Do we condemn it? Where do we go from here?

AHMAD BASHIR

Lahore

Changes proposed

AT last the military government has decided to make changes in the 1973 Constitution at the time when its three years’ tenure allowed by the Supreme Court is going to expire on Oct 11, 2002.

For this government these three years were not enough to put the country on track, so they have proposed two constitutional packages, perhaps to prolong their stay for an indefinite period. In my opinion, there is a need to make the following changes in the preamble of the constitution:

Civil law is supreme. All citizens shall be ruled under civil laws approved and enacted by the parliament duly elected by the people through free and fair elections.

All government servants, irrespective of their rank or status, shall carry out their duties for the welfare of the people.

The National Security Council (NSC) shall have eight members. The COAS will sit in the NSC as a member. He will help protect the constitution and assist in the maintenance of law and order, if and when the need arises.

The NSC will maintain checks and balances between the president and the prime minister and will see to it that all procedures and policies are followed for the welfare of the people and the country.

TAJ MUHAMMAD

Karachi

Repeal Hudood Ordinance

I agree with S.S.’s letter (July 7) on the above subject. I would like to add that President Musharraf need not bring upon himself the ire of the so-called religious parties (every single one of them silent on the Meerwala incident) by repealing the Zina Ordinance No. VII of 1979.

All he has to do is to add that the accuser will also be arrested along with the accused until the disposal of the case. That should sound the death knell of the Hudood laws.

NAELA HASAN

Oakville, Canada

USA’s self-assumed role

AMERICAN partners in the coalition against terror that ‘conquered’ Afghanistan — Britain, France and Germany — are already taking exception to US designs and actions. Russia and China are also criticizing America’s self-assumed role of the world’s only policeman.

Cornered into disillusionment, the Palestinians have turned themselves into suicide bombers. Fires are still simmering in Eastern Europe. Iraq’s coming generation which has seen and suffered devastation from American bombers would be no peace lovers. Dislike of America in Iran has not yet died down.

Afghanistan has not seen peace beyond Kabul after the overthrow of the Taliban in December, 2001. Even Kabul has seen the murder of vice-president Haji Qadeer. American ‘peace-keeping’ soldiers have been attacked and killed.

The only conclusion is that if America continues its policy and role of super-policeman of the world it is doomed to turn its victims into suicide bombers.

LATIF QURESHI

Lahore

British hypocrisy and politics

JACK Straw’s two visits to Pakistan should be an eye-opener. The West can’t be relied upon. The Kashmir dispute is a British legacy. Labour, the present ruling party in the UK, was in power in 1947 too and failed to do justice in dividing India.

All hypocrisy and no truth makes Jack Straw a dishonest broker. His leader Tony Blair is a small man who pretends to be an international statesman. We have no time for the second rate Britishers like the Tonys and Straws.

CHAGHTAI MIRZA EIJAZUDDIN

Karachi

KU affairs

DAWN of July 19 reported about a committee carrying out screening of the eligibility of scholars being considered for appointment in the University of Karachi.

I am afraid this is a case of shouting when the ‘horses have already bolted’; the institution is saturated with appointees who got appointments and promotions with the help of circumvention of prescribed qualifications, politicking and trade unionism.

Out of about 550 teachers, there are at least 250 full professors, and I regret to point out that in dozens of cases they have gone up the ladder without a single publication in any journal of international repute, or any research. This can be verified by a scrutiny of their biodata.

There are many cases where the requirement of PhD or 18 research publications has been relaxed for promotion to full professorship. This is, no doubt, an affront to those few who have merit and proper qualifications. And it also leads to a lowering of academic standards.

DISGUSTED

Karachi

It is not blasphemy

IT was reported in Dawn of July 19 that a Christian, Anwer Kenneth, has been sentenced to death by a learned additional sessions judge.

As far as I know, those who do not claim to be Muslims and, therefore, do not acknowledge a few things that Muslims hold to be true as a part of their faith, do not commit blasphemy. They are simply kafirs and it is for Allah to decide their fate.

RASHID GHAZNAVI

Karachi

GT Road and potholes

RECENTLY, I happened to use the GT Road from Lahore to Rawalpindi while driving my 800 cc car in the early hours of morning.

Like all other drivers, I experienced the blinding effect of the headlights of vehicles coming from the opposite direction obscuring the road and forcing me each time to lower the speed of my car to the minimum to avoid any hazardous situation.

However, travel was still greatly hampered by the potholes right in the middle of the road and also a number of uneven sections that gave such terrible jolts to my car that at times I felt the car would break down and I would not be able to go any further.

Maybe the avoiding of headlights of the vehicles coming from the opposite direction entails a lot of expenditure and work but the filling of potholes does not appear to be a big job.

Therefore, I request the National Highway Authority to take note of the situation and fill such pothole and also level the uneven sections of the road ensuring safe journey for the commuters.

SAQIB BUTT

Lahore

Errors in ID cards

I APPLIED for four ID cards for myself and my family members, on Aug 26, 2001. Out of these, three were received in April this year while the fourth has still not been delivered.

Out of the three received, two are with incomplete addresses. When pointed out to Nadra, it gave the simple reply: “Computer error”.

Such reasoning does not work in 2002. Even a child knows that if the dumb sitting behind the machine does not input the data correctly, the computer will not give a correct output.

We now have to submit the cards for correction and that would take months. The old ID offices used to correct such cards instantly. I believe that it is much easier to make corrections on computers, so what is Nadra up to?

SYED Q. ARFEEN

Karachi

Learning from history

MS Farah Gul’s letter (July 15) has defended the publication of Gen (so-called) Rani’s death by Dawn.

I fully agree with her when she says that “to avoid the mention of Gen Rani’s name is to forget the blunders of our past.” Rather, it would be in the national interest if the role of Gen Rani in our political and social circles were highlighted with its consequent fallout so that our future generations can avoid the blunders which had disastrous effects on our national life. Great nations always learn from history.

PROF ATAUL HAQ SUBHANI

Faisalabad

Demolitions along Lyari bed

I ALWAYS read A.B.S. Jaffery’s columns with great interest. His recent article ‘Be kind to thy city fathers’ was very good, but it appeared that his understanding of the expressway destruction is not complete.

The Lyari Expressway site does not only have shanties. It has many areas with leased properties as also many notified katchi abadis. Homes of concrete with many stories are also there built block by block with hard earned savings over 30 to 100 years.

There are legal power and gas connections, schools which the government built, concrete lanes and gutter lines. The impression that shanties are the ones that are being pulled down is completely wrong. Anyone who thinks so should come and take a good look. For instance, almost the whole of 150-years old Hasan Aulia village is going down and only its historic graveyard will remain. This is very symbolic, I think.

MUHAMMAD YOUNUS

Karachi

Winding up Nepra

Nepra was established to safeguard the interests of the public by restraining Wapda from raising electricity tariffs of its own free will. However, the ground realities tell us that Nepra has never been public friendly.

The recent decision of the government that the expenditure of Nepra is to be borne directly by the consumers raised the hopes that from then onwards the interests of the public would be safeguarded by it. But that hope, too, has been extinguished by Nepra’s latest decision to allow Wapda to raise electricity tariffs at quite a high rate.

The public is, therefore, now justified in either demanding that Nepra be wound up or, at least, the decision to make the public bear the cost of its operation should be withdrawn.

The government should act before the public acts.

ENGR ZAHID HUSSAIN AWAN

Karachi

The day generals came

BELIEVE it or not, every take-over by a military general, willingly or un-willingly, was on a Tuesday.

Field Marshal M. Ayub Khan — Tuesday, Oct 7, 1958.

General Agha M. Yahya Khan — Tuesday, Mar 25, 1969.

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq — Tuesday, July 5, 1977.

General Pervez Musharraf — Tuesday, Oct 12, 1999.

MIR TABASSUM MARIAH

Islamabad

Pakistanis’ image abroad

WHILE on my way back from UAE, I found it difficult to locate the PIA counter at the Dubai airport. I asked a lady staff member if she could tell me where it was. Pointing in one direction, this is exactly what she said: “There, you can see from the crowd.”

I felt ashamed. At every airline counter, people were standing peacefully in a queue. But at the PIA counter, Pakistanis were heaped up like sheep.

I ask my countrymen: can’t we have a little patience? Can’t we give our brother ahead in the queue his due right?

ENGR NASAR USMANI

Sharjah, UAE

Lack of toilets

THOSE who go to Murree for short visits, and there are many who do so, have to face a problem which mars their enjoyment completely: absence of clean public toilets.

For those who stay in hotels, there is no problem because they can use the toilet in the hotel. But most of those who go to Murree for a day only, do not rent rooms in hotels. And for them it is very difficult to find a toilet because they hardly exist and those few which are there happen to be in such a bad condition that no civilized person can use it.

I request the town administration to pay attention to this problem.

SHAKEEL AHMED QURESHI

Lahore

An appeal to doctors

SOME time back a young lady had a miscarriage after two months of pregnancy. She went to three lady doctors in the city for consultation. They presented a very horrifying picture to her. Each one of them advised her to undergo surgery at their clinic.

None of them prescribed any medicine. The desperate patient contacted a fourth lady doctor, her relative who lived in another city, on telephone. This doctor advised her to take a certain medicine first.

The treatment was successful and a satisfactory ultrasound report brought the patient out of mental stress.

All the three doctors had misguided the patient in that they did not mention to her that a medicine could also solve the problem.

Perhaps they were guided in this by their monetary gains, in case the patient decided for surgery at their clinic.

Millions of poor people in this country do not have doctors in the family. And, therefore, they are exposed to this loot.

This is to request the doctors of this unfortunate society to be loyal to humanity and their noble profession, not with money alone.

ARSHAD AHSAN

Karachi

Police extortion

MS Faiza Bashir (July 18) has referred to the Punjab governor’s recent surprise visit to a police station in Sheikhupura where 11 persons were found detained illegally in a lock-up.

The writer has acknowledged such visits by the governor in the past to other police stations where similar illegal practices were noticed.

The lady is unable to understand why the governor has to do this time and again because the responsibility in normal routine falls on the shoulders of the senior police officers.

This laxity on the part of the seniors is understandable.

The practice of putting innocent people behind the bars in police stations is a frequently used device for extorting money from the relatives and/or friends of the victims.

The collection is distributed proportionately at all tiers of the police set-up. One odd surprise visit by the governor does not deter the police from staying away from such money-making.

WAHID BUTT

Lahore