Grappling with Balochistan crisis

Balochistan has mostly been a problem province. Thrice since independence it invited army intervention. Rocket and bomb attacks on government installations are routine and government responds with the use of force. But no attempt is ever made to tackle the real problem that ails the province.

This time, however, the crisis is more serious. In early January, unknown people rained rockets on the Sui Gas plant. The damage was so serious that the plant had to be shut down for several days affecting gas supplies all over the country, for domestic use as well as for CNG for motor vehicles.

President Pervez Musharraf's immediate reaction was to threaten stern action against the "so-called nationalists and sub-nationalist elements". He told a private television channel: "Don't push us. This is not the 70s. [This time] they will not even know what has hit them."

However, though a strong paramilitary force has been deployed to guard the installations, a military crackdown has been ruled out, at least for the present. The nationalist Baloch leaders have reacted to the governments' threats with defiant statements.

At an all parties' conference they demanded immediate withdrawal of troops and dialogue. There is a universal consensus against the use of force. The MQM has said it would walk out of the government in case a military operation is launched in Balochistan.

The ANP and the PPP have likewise warned the government against the repercussions such action would trigger. The Baloch people have an endless list of grievances, some of which are real and genuine.

For example, gas was discovered at Sui in 1952 but Quetta received gas connections in the 1980s. Even today, 94 per cent of Balochistan's population has no gas supply. Besides, the province, which produces the commodity, receives the lowest rate of royalty than the other provinces.

Balochistan also receives just the crumbs from the federal divisible pool because the NFC formula is based on a population basis and the province has only six million people.

When East Pakistan was with us, West Pakistan received 50 per cent of the federal funds despite having 48 per cent of the total population. Yet no weightage is allowed to Balochistan on the same principle.

When Gen Musharraf threatens nationalists, he does not mean the people but the sardars who are the "root problem". But it is frequent army actions and economic and political backwardness due to callous neglect on the part of Pakistan's policymakers that have perpetuated the sardars' stranglehold on the people.

The time seems to have come finally for a just solution to the Balochistan problem. And time is running out. Gen Musharraf always speaks of ground realities.

So, he should take the initiative and face the realities in the case of Balochistan. The looming calamity can be averted only through dialogue. Confrontation will be counterproductive.

SYED JAWAID IQBAL

Karachi

Cricketers' contracts

Just before their departure to Australia, our cricketers were offered central contracts with three levels of monthly payments of Rs200,000, Rs125,000 and Rs75,000.

Those in the top group, picked on reputation and seniority - players like Inzamam, Youhana, Akhtar, Razzak - qualified for Rs200,000 and the bottom group of juniors like Kaneria and Salman Butt were considered worthy of Rs75,000.

From an examination of the players' performance in the three recent Tests against Australia, it looks unfair that the shining Kaneria, top performer of the series with 15 wickets, should be paid Rs75,000 whereas the rusting Razzak by claiming only three wickets and reaching a paltry batting average of 15 should collect Rs200,000.

The Pakistan Cricket Board should ensure that future contracts are based purely on performance and are offered after a major series. Criteria, certainly open to refinement, such as a batting average above 40 and bowlers getting a minimum of five wickets per Test for bowlers could qualify them for the highest payment.

Those who achieve batting average between 30 to 40 or get a minimum of three wickets per Test could qualify for intermediate-level payment, with the rest getting entry-level payment.

If these criteria are applied now to evaluate the worth of a player for future contracts, the top-level payment goes only to Aasim Kamal (average 48), Younis Khan (average 43) and Danish Kaneria (15 wickets).

Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Youhana and Shoaib Akhtar would qualify for the intermediate-level payment and the rest for the bottom-level payment. The ODI results on completion should also be incorporated for final evaluation.

Payment on performance would push talented youngsters to reach their potential rapidly and compel underachieving seniors to play fully to their capabilities and help us escape from recurring national humiliation. It would certainly be a win-win situation for all.

ILYAS ANWAR

Islamabad

Getting out of Iraq

Since the beginning of this month, 305 people have died in Iraq apart from 12 Americans troops, a Briton and a Swede. The majority of the victims comprises Iraqi security forces and the methods used vary from car bombs to ambushes by insurgents wearing uniforms of the security forces or the police.

The death toll is probably heavier than it has been any time since the insurgency gained momentum in late 2003. Last Sunday, insurgents dynamited a voting centre, a government building and a police station around the country.

The prospects appear to be that the insurgency and attacks on all election sites and election officials will intensify before the election on Jan 30. The security situation in large parts of the Iraq is now so dire that it is the police who often choose to wear masks so that they cannot be recognized, and insurgents make no attempt to disguise themselves even in the capital city in broad daylight.

I agree with you when you say (editorial, Jan 10) that "while Americans forces should have left Iraq a long time ago, it is still not too late to consider an early departure of US troops from Iraq.

The fierce resistance experienced by coalition forces, the ever-rising death toll of Iraqi civilians and US soldiers, and the almost daily bombings and suicide attacks in many parts of Iraq should have made the Americans see the writing on the wall: that the occupation was not going to be a cake-walk, and hence better to cut losses and leave as soon as possible".

PROFESSOR (DR) P. NASIR

Gujrat

Mass transit for Karachi

News regarding the Karachi mass transit and circular railway revival plan appears regularly. The Sindh governor has indicated that after the implementation of the upcoming textile city project at Port Qasim 80,000 new jobs will be created (Dawn report, Jan 12).

Thousands of people already travel daily to Pakistan Steel, Port Qasim and Landhi industrial zone. The addition of about 80,000 new commuters will add to the congestion.

We need to take a futuristic view of this new development. A flyover at Quaidabad will relieve some congestion there but what about the already cramped Sharea Faisal?

How about running a couple of efficient local trains starting from City station and Liaquatabad station to Pipri during peak office hours? This will reduce road traffic and pollution. People in the West use public transport more than their own.

In parallel, an overhead road can run over the existing rail track which is quite straight from Port Qasim till the City station. It can start from the base of the existing flyover near Indus Motors at Port Qasim.

It will have to scale the five existing flyovers located at Shah Faisal Colony, near the CSD, and three near Cantonment station and one at the PIDC bridge location. Pakistan Railways can erect a toll plaza at either end and can earn substantial money to cover the construction cost.

S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA

Karachi

Textile sector's working

As we have entered the post-quota era, our textile sector seems to be both optimistic and pessimistic at the same time to meet the new challenges. Primarily, the textile sector is in need of unilateral platforms that can be in the form of associations representing different sectors.

Currently we do have associations but they lack structure and value. As far as structure is concerned, they should be bifurcated into a technical body comprising technical representatives from every member organization and with that there should be a businessmen's body comprising entrepreneurs of member-organizations.

Such bifurcation would help in proper interpretation of problems, whether they are technical or business-related, to the higher authorities and business counterparts. Secondly, such representation of technical people in associations would give a value to their profession.

The associations in turn should encourage discussions, seminars and other programmes regarding emerging issues and challenges. There should be mutually decided annual objectives for the relevant sectors, and membership of organizations in the association should be subject to the degree of achievement with regard to that particular objective.

The objectives should include social compliance issues, human resource development, environmental issues and timely delivery of goods to the buyer.

S. SAAD ALI

Karachi

Two-nation theory

I refer to Mr Kunwar Khalid Yunus's letter on the above subject (Jan 11). His questions were answered earlier and can be answered once again by an analogy of afflicted people escaping in boats from an island.

1. If you try to accept more than what a boat can take, the boat will sink.

2. The enemy knows it and tries to evict as many people as possible.

3. You take as many as you can without sinking the boat.

4. Later on two boats (East and West Pakistan) take separate routes to safety.

As far as the question of Indian Muslims getting visas for Pakistan is concerned, it is merely an administrative matter. Any Pakistani visitor overstaying in Saudi Arabia or Iran will not be exonerated just because he is a Muslim.

Afghan refugees were kept in camps. This is normal practice for neighbouring countries as in the case of refugees from Sudan and Rwanda, etc. I doubt if any Muslims from India will be willing to come to Pakistan to live in camps - and how many can we take?

On the question of Pakistanis from Bangladesh, I agree entirely that there is no justification to refuse entry. But should we blame Mr Liaquat Ali Khan for that? Any verdict by historians has to take into account the circumstances of that era.

The word 'partition' is a misnomer in the case of the subcontinent. The subcontinent was a melting pot in 1947. It was not a federation/confederation. It had no constitution.

It was merely an administrative unit in the British empire. It included numerous provinces and hundreds of princely states. Independence from the empire meant the birth of two states and not partition.

One was called Pakistan and the other was called the 'Indian Union' because it was not a federation yet and the fate of hundreds of princely states was undecided.

New borders on independence from empire were quite common all over the world. For example, a whole province of British Cameroon was given to Nigeria in the 1960s because people in Sardauna province had ethnic/religious affiliations with the Nigerians. The demise of the Ottoman empire had led to similar situations.

The Muslim generation of the 1940s was a jewel in Muslim history. When the question was put to them as to why they supported Pakistan knowing they would not be part of the Pakistani nation, the inspiring reply was that they were doing it for the sake of their Muslim brethren.

The dark clouds of greed and selfishness had not yet descended upon the nation. Our great leaders and their equally great followers achieved goals which were almost unachievable. Let the young generation become worthy of their sublime inheritance.

KHALID AHMAD

London, UK

Islam and the West

References are often made to "Islam and West" and each time it makes me more disappointed. One wonders how and why we have come to define and understand the world in such a simpler form, i.e., 'Islam and the West', when clearly the world is much more complicated than that.

What does it really mean? Why not 'Islam and the East'? Does it mean Islam has nothing to do with the West? Does it mean the East is more compatible with Islam than the West? Does it mean Islam does not belong to the West? Does it mean Islam is exclusively for us? Does it mean we are better than the West? The answer is no.

It is appalling to see that such territorially reductive polarizations continue to dominate our society whereas critical studies of cultures have shown time and time again that no culture or civilization exists by itself and that nothing that goes on in our world has ever been isolated and pure of any outside influence.

Could it be because we do want to live in a simpler world? 'Islam and the West', simple and easy. So let's not make the world too complicated to understand.

KHURRAM HANEEF

New Jersey, USA

Uncovered manholes

This refers to the news item "Three schoolboys drown in drain in Khairpur" (Dawn, Jan 10). How sad it is - all due to the negligence of officials who are supposed to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

I fear similar incidents in Karachi. There is an open manhole near the National Stadium in KDA-1A at the junction of the old Jail Road and Karsaz (Rahimtoola) Road. Another dangerous open manhole is just near the gas station adjacent to West Ave. and Korangi service road in DHA Phase-1.

I urge the city district government and the DHA administrator to take preventive measures in order to avoid any sad incident and also make a request to the city fathers to take notice of open manholes in the city.

I also recommend that the relevant heads of department should form a manhole safety team whose assigned duty should be to survey roads and lanes, report the existence of open manholes and ensure that these are covered.

AIR CDRE (retd) IQTEDAR A. KHAN

Karachi

Police terror

According to the Dawn report (Jan 20) on a shootout in Karachi's Gizri, policemen first refused to pay for the services of a mechanic, then illegally raided his workshop, shot and killed him and his brother and wounded his father. Not being content with this, they raided his house, abused women and looted a large sum of money and valuables.

An entire family of innocent people has hence been devastated simply because the police are so accustomed to free-bies that they would rather kill than pay for services rendered by honest, hard-working civilians. Gen Pervez Musharraf is constantly talking about fighting against terrorism. If he were at all serious, he would start with the local police force.

ZAIN MANKANI

Karachi

Killings in Iraq

Fourteen Iraqis were killed in a US air strike when a house, just after a wedding party was over, was destroyed (Jan 9). In Afghanistan also, scores of Afghans were killed in similar incidents.

The Pentagon needs to impart some training to its soldiers so that they can distinguish between marriage functions and an assembly of terrorists.

Z. A. KAZMI

Karachi

Carter as mediator

Although I am personally a Republican, I have long liked former president Jimmy Carter as a highly idealistic and moral man. Maybe now is the time for the US to offer up Jimmy Carter to help with the Kashmir negotiations, which I am more and more convinced are mainly water rights and water control issues more than ethic or religious issues.

One wonders if President Musharraf might be interested in formally or informally asking President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice if they might be willing to send former president Jimmy Carter to help in these sensitive and drawn out negotiations?

GEORGE SINGLETON

Hoover, Alabama, USA

Black marketing of cars

This refers to various letters published in your newspaper regarding black marketing of cars. If the government is serious about effectively tackling this issue, it should adopt the following measures:

(i) Black marketing of cars should be made a punishable offence under the law and strict fines and imprisonment of up to one year should be awarded to individuals involved in this practice. At present, middlemen and investors are minting huge, tax-free profits through this illegal business instead of being penalized for it.

(ii) It should be mandatory for all new cars on sale to be registered only in the name of the original buyer, and that the registration be non-transferable for one year.

The manufacturers should accept the booking only after verifying that the details of the buyer are correct. Black marketeers are currently free to sell cars immediately after obtaining their delivery.

(iii) Another factor promoting black-marketing is that banks and leasing companies are also financing cars at black market prices. Financial institutions should be strictly prohibited from financing any amount over and above the listed factory prices of the cars. Disciplinary action should be taken by the State Bank against institutions violating these guidelines.

AAMIR MALIK

Karachi

US policy of intervention

Press reports suggest that US President George W. Bush's policies in his second term will be more dangerous and harmful to world peace than those he followed in his first term. After Iraq, he may invade Iran, which may prove to be the last nail in the coffin of US democracy.

Mr Bush should refrain from interfering in other countries' internal affairs or else he will end up causing more terror and destruction in the world, adding to anti-America feelings across the globe.

SYED A. MATEEN

Karachi

Pain prolonged

Roman playwright Lucius Annaeus Seneca said centuries ago: "Remember that pain has this most excellent quality. If prolonged it cannot be severe, and if severe it cannot be prolonged."

This also applies to the pain suffered by our nation during the non-democratic periods since independence. Our dilemma is that we have neither enjoyed a real democracy nor suffered a real dictatorship.

MIR TABASSUM MAIRAJ

Islamabad