New police system

This is with reference to the comment "New police system brings no relief" (Dawn, Dec 17). The division of the police into operation and investigation branches is a good decision.

It was always felt that the police in cities like Karachi remained preoccupied and committed to maintaining law and order in the face of tensions during small and big demonstrations by political and religious parties, etc. They also have to provide security to VIPs, VVIPs, courts, mosques, colleges, funerals, beaches, bazaars and so on.

The comment also indicates the overwhelming commitment of police resources, time and energy to these areas. Therefore, the need for a dedicated branch for investigating cases is very strongly felt.

One of the reasons for the rise in crimes of the type mentioned in the write-up is that only less than one-third of the required police manpower and transport is available for crime prevention in a city of 14 million people, where the number of unemployed youths is rising rapidly.

The massive investment under the president's Karachi package is likely to provide jobs and also lead to economic development which will help address the problems of unemployed youths.

The fact that the Karachi police have maintained law and order and peaceful conditions is already helping the investment environment, as indicated by the KSE index. The police should be given a pat on the back for effectively fighting terrorism and arresting a number of terrorist groups involved in recent cases.

Car jacking has been a major crime in the city for over two decades. Most of the stolen cars find their way into the open market in the other provinces. Unless the open sale of stolen cars and their use by influential people in these provinces is checked, the problem cannot be addressed effectively in Karachi.

The superdari system is managed by the home department; therefore, the police cannot be blamed for it. The new police system requires administrative adjustments and thus more staff jobs.

However, a police force of 29,000 is too small for a city of 14 million people, 60 per cent of whose population live in slums and are divided on ethnic and sectarian lines. Almost non-existent civic amenities in many areas and the presence of unemployed youths in large numbers make the police shortage very prominent. But the fact remains that the people need relief. That will come through community participation. The Karachi police are fairly sensitized to this approach. Six Madadgar-15 centres are receiving hundreds of calls for police help.

The police-community participation has still a long way to go. However, it is already showing results and needs to be supported by the media and all other sections of society.

DR MUIZZUDDIN PEERZADA

Karachi

'Beyond dogmas & rites'

Mr Jafar Wafa in his article "Beyond dogmas & rites" (Dec 10) has questioned the timelessness and universality of the message of Islam. He writes: "A path based on ideas and traditions of the remote past is not likely to satisfy the global concerns of human rights. For instance, in respect of harsh punishments like the death penalty which are now being outlawed."

In his opinion the status of Shariah must be revitalized. Changes and improvement must be incorporated to make Islam as a belief worthy of respect among modern nations.

He says: "It is inconceivable that the world community will not feel outraged if corporal punishments like flogging, amputation of human limbs and stoning to death, according to Hudood laws, are awarded by the judiciary and implemented by the executive arm of the government."

Shariah is the path that Allah, through His Word and Messengers, has dictated and enjoined to be followed in every walk of life. "To each among you We have prescribed a law and a clear way" (the Holy Quran, 5:48).

It's a means through which the Will of God is carried out on this earth. It forms the relation that Allah wants to see between Him and men. We must bear in mind that Shariah is not simply rules and laws to administer life on this earth; it is, as well, the only means of achieving salvation in the hereafter.

Mr Wafa's suggestion of "re-interpretation on the basis of Qiyas, or analogy, so as to make the divinely-revealed injunctions applicable in the situation prevailing today on the planet as a whole" is, at best, faulty.

The learned writer must understand that Ijma and Qiyas are not fundamental rethinking and reconstruction of the transcendental truth found in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.

These two sources rather solve a new issue by going to the root of an existing one already expounded in the two basic sources of Shariah. They do not in any way oppose, offset or offend the established set of Islamic values.

One can draw an analogy between the Holy Quran, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas with the root, trunk and small branches of a tree. As the small branches grow on the trunk of a tree and draw their sustenance from its root, in the same manner Ijma and Qiyas have anchorage and base in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

In the matters such as laws of inheritance, marriage, divorce and corporal retribution that have been explicitly settled by Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), Ijma and Qiyas by scholars, however unimpeachable, have no role to play. Not even the consensus of the entire ummah can alter even an iota of the clear rulings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

ABDUL-MAJID JAFFRY

Lakewood, California, USA

Neo-cons' agenda

An influential US foreign policy neo-conservative with longstanding ties with top hawks in the Bush administration has laid out what he calls "a checklist of the work the world will demand of this president and his subordinates in the second term".

The list, which begins with the destruction of Fallujah in Iraq and ends with the development of "appropriate strategies" for dealing with threats posed by China, Russia and "the emergence of a number of aggressively anti-American regimes in Latin America", also calls for "regime change" in Iran and North Korea.

Also, President Bush is warned that he should resist any pressure arising from the demise of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to resume peace talks that could result in Israel's giving up "defensible boundaries".

Columnist Jim Lobe (Dawn, Dec 11) has observed that Syria, Venezuela, China, even Russia and the latest target, the UN, itself are still seen by the neo-cons as requiring policies of active containment, if not regime change.

The regime change in Iraq based on the false assumption of Iraq's possession of WMDs is an utter disaster and a totally unnecessary war that is now costing the US $5.8 billion a month.

The rise of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state to replace Mr Colin Powell consolidates the conservative control over US foreign policy. Eric S. Margolis has remarked that Ms Rice allowed the president to "humiliate himself over Iraq's non-existent weapons, including his comical claims about Saddam's imaginary uranium and drones of death".

After the European powers refused to join the Iraq war, she famously advised Mr Bush to "punish France, ignore Germany, and forgive Russia". This bad advice seriously damaged US-Europe relations and helped advance dictatorship in Russia.

The neo-cons' agenda is sure to be contested, not just by the Democrats who, with the election behind them, are poised to take a more anti-war position on Iraq, but also by many conservative Republicans in Congress.

They blame the neo-cons for failing to anticipate the quagmire in Iraq and worry that Bush's ambitions will bankrupt the treasury and break an already overextended military.

PROFESSOR (DR) P. NASIR

Gujrat

US aid to Pakistan

According to a news item (Dec 15), Egypt and Israel have signed a joined trade pact with the US under which they will have greater share of the US market. They will create a joint industrial zone and goods exported from that zone to the US will be exempt from any tariff or duties.

One may wonder why these two nations always get special favours from the US. Egypt and Israel are the largest recipients of US AID for development. In terms of numbers, 50 per cent of the billion-dollar aid is given to them. The US policy aims at strengthening the hands of those who safeguard the sole superpower's interests and abet in its imperialist designs.

During the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s, America beefed up the military strength of Iraq because the Iraqi regime was waging a war against Iran - a country which was deemed a threat to the US.

This was done despite president Saddam Hussein's suppression and human rights violations. Similarly, Pakistan's dictatorial rule was endorsed because it allowed the US to use its soil to dismantle the communist regime of the Soviet Union.

Egypt became America's closest ally after the late president Anwar Saadat signed a peace treaty with Israel, thereby emboldening the Jewish state. Since then successive American administrations have turned a blind eye to the domestic policies of the Egyptian leadership. President Hosni Mubarak has reportedly detained countless political dissidents.

The American administration has recently approved $600 million aid for Pakistan - the biggest amount given to any country by America after Israel and Egypt. This latest US generosity towards Pakistan should sound an alarm as Americans have always exploited their allies through aid and ditched them afterwards.

MISBAH NOMANI

Karachi

ME peace process

Mr Z.A. Kazmi (Dec 20) is right when he says the US ignores UN resolutions concerning the Palestinian issue. But the problem is that to Israelis, Palestinians are terrorists and they are treated so by having their homes blown away.

We are having similar problems in Wana where terrorists are hiding and causing problems. Our army too may be taking similar harsh measures there but there is no easy solution.

One hopes there will be peace in the Middle East soon. Gen Pervez Musharraf is listened to in Washington and London. Mr Bush regards him a close ally. One only hopes the situation is not further complicated by an attack on Iran and that we are not sucked into that scenario.

SYED MUNIM

Lahore Cantt

A case against Kalabagh

The government seems all set to announce the construction of a mega dam, most probably the Kalabagh Dam (KBD), on the Indus River, ignoring the opposition by the NWFP and Sindh.

If it does so, the dam would be one of the two most controversial water projects in the country - the other being the under construction Greater Thal Canal. Both projects could prove disastrous as they will further divide the people and become a constant source of internal strife.

I request the readers to please consider the following points and see how prudent it will be to undertake the KBD project or for that matter any mega dam project:

1. There is no extra water for any new dams or reservoirs in the Indus River system. During the past few years there has been a scarcity of water in the country and even the present dams have not been filled to capacity. Sindh has suffered immensely owing to the damming of the Indus. It can't afford any more losses.

2. The provincial assemblies of Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP have unanimously rejected the KBD.

3. The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) rejected the project on Oct 22, 1996, on the basis that (a) the dam will be silted rather quickly, (b) it will have a short life from 22 to 30 years, (c) its performance will be poor, and (d) it will have a lower electric generation capability.

4. The short life of the dam and a diminished power generation potential will result in huge losses to the exchequer. It is economically unfeasible.

5. The dam will displace a large number of people and inundate fertile lands in the NWFP and Punjab. Many more acreage will be lost because of water logging in Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Pabbi, Nowshera, Dhoda, Kharmatoo and other areas. It will also cause land degradation in the Peshawar valley and affect the sweet water aquifers in Karak and Lakki districts.

6. Additionally, the inhabitants of the low-lying areas on both sides of the rivers Indus, Sawan, Kabul and Tui will have to be shifted and given new houses and lands for settlement. These inhabitants number hundreds of thousands and shifting them will incur a heavy expenditure.

7. It will cause back pressure in the River Kabul, resulting in an increase in water logging.

8. Nowshera will be threatened with termination or severe water logging, as it will stand 24 feet below the height of the Kalabagh storage.

9. Several bridges and roads, including Attock Talagang Road on the River Sawan and Kohat-Rawalpindi Road and Peshawar-Rawalpindi Road on the Indus, besides some rail tracks and other infrastructure, will be submerged by the KBD.

10. The Sui gas lines between Peshawar and Rawalpindi and Rawalpindi and Kohat will also sink in the dam.

11. The Mardan and Swabi SCARP projects will be affected.

12. The dam will need about 19.5 MAF (for storage and the proposed irrigation canals) water. That will further strain the availability of water in the country, especially in Sindh and Balochistan. Some recent statements say that the design will be changed and no canals will be built. But nobody in Sindh believes it as Wapda and federal authorities have a long history of broken promises.

14. If the dam is built there will not be any water available for downstream Kotri in the future. As a result the Delta and the Katcha areas in Sindh will be destroyed and sea intrusion will cause annual losses of billions of rupees to the provincial economy.

15. As the dam will sit on a fault area, any earthquake can cause a disaster. Its proximity to the Khewra salt mines only magnifies the problem.

16. Other adverse effects include deleterious impact on the environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, habitat, wetlands and subsoil aquifers, intensification of drought and desertification, acceleration of poverty in the lower riparian province with an increased rural to urban migration, drinking water problems, progressive, illegal decreases in share of Sindh in Indus River system waters, as is already the case.

17. Sindh will continuously be blackmailed, as water taps will be controlled upstream.

Isn't this in order to call for dropping Kalabagh and other mega dams and to look for better alternatives?

AZIZ NAREJO

Via email

Ban on turbaned visitors

I had to go to Karachi's Malir Cantonment recently to meet a friend. I was wearing my usual dress - shalwar-kameez and an amama (turban). I was stopped at the entrance to the cantonment area.

One of the soldiers at duty informed me that I could not enter with my head covered in an amama. I refused to follow the instructions and entered into a debate with the duty staff. However, the guards refused to allow me entry, saying they had to follow orders.

I am a practising Muslim and have been following this dress code since my college life, as it is in accordance with the Sunnah. I have always been in this dress code, be it business meetings or travels abroad.

Even in the current international climate, nobody has objected to this dress code. I understand that the present situation is very volatile and vulnerable, but you cannot stop anybody from following the Islamic way of life.

Such orders can do nothing to stop whatever is happening. In fact, they create hatred and mistrust among the common people, which is unnecessary and can be avoided.

SHAH ASRAR-UL-HAQUE

Karachi

Performance in Perth

It was awful to see our cricket team losing by a gigantic margin of 491 runs. No doubt the Australians are one of the greatest teams of all time but such a pathetic performance buy our national team would put even the minnows of cricket to shame.

This defeat has highlighted many painful facts. There is no improvement in the performance of the team since the last World Cup debacle. The Pakistan Cricket Board was absolutely wrong in fast tracking the sacking of Javed Miandad as coach, Waqar Younis as captain, Saeed Anwer as opener and Aamer Sohail as chief selector.

The success of Glen Magrath at the ripe age of 34 years is proof that the selectors were wrong to discard Waqar Younis who is also in his 30s by saying he was past his prime.

The selection of players who are seasonal performers like Mohammad Sami, Imran Farhat, Yousuf Youhana has proved detrimental to the team and it is time the likes of Hasan Raza, Misbahul Haq, Aasim Kamal and Taufeeq Umar were given more time and chances in our Test side.

HYDERALI EBRAHIM

Wembley, Middx, UK

Rehabilitation of patients

Rehabilitation means readjustment to life and job after disease or disability. There are many conditions which give rise to temporary or permanent disability. Individuals can become disabled by trauma or disease, physical illness or mental illness.

Rehabilitation is required in the case of paraplegics and hemiplagics and by victims of stroke, multiple fractures, poliomylitis, amputation, spina bifida, encephalitis, TB, leprosy, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, psychosis and change of vocation.

There is an urgent need for social workers, philanthropists and government agencies to promote rehabilitation and psychotherapy to boost rehabilitation work. There is also need for holding national or international conferences to create urgency of rehabilitation work in the country.

DR RAFIQUE AHMED MIRZA

Karachi

Stolen mobile phones

While I was going home from work in a coach a week back, three men picked my pocket and stole my mobile phone near the Native Jetty bridge in Karachi. On the help line I told the relevant staff about my cell phone model number and the serial number and requested them to block the phone line so that the pickpockets or any buyer of the phone would not be able to use it, but they refused.

I request the relevant authorities to ask cell phone companies to be customer-friendly. The city police need to be more active to deal with the menace of pickpockets and cell phone snatchers.

MEHMOOD KHAN

Karachi