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Wednesday, 22 May 2013 4:20 am
High 14 oC - Low 7 oC
Editor's Mail
Pensioners’ plight
It has been reported recently in the national press that the salaries of government employees are going to be enhanced in the next budget by five thousand rupees per employee irrespective of their grades. But there is no mention of the poor pensioners in these reports. It would be a most cruel act of the government if it does not increase the pensioners’ allowance as well by the same amount. The caretaker government is requested to take immediate steps for this measure in favour of the retirees or be prepared to be remembered as the most unjust government in the history of our country. MUHAMMAD ALI Muzaffargarh
Scrutiny and political ethics
We need to incorporate Quaid’s priorities laid down in his address to Constituent Assembly on 11 August, 1947, that “first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State. The second thing that occurs to me is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put that down with an iron hand – and take adequate measures as soon as it is possible for this Assembly to do so”. In established democracies, public office holders, tasked with legislation and decision making are judged on a higher moral pedestal than that applicable to ordinary citizens. The economic nightmare Pakistan faces has been aggravated by greed based corruption within our paid civil or uniformed bureaucracy, the political elite and traders who have benefited the most, yet are not willing to pay all their dues and taxes, nor submit to transparent auditing for state funds allocated to them. It is because of low GDP-to-tax ratio, that Pakistan’s human resource development is rock bottom, with a crippling energy crisis and domestic cum foreign debt making the state insolvent and dependent on foreign aid. As if this was not enough, recent indictment by House of Commons Committee led by Sir Malcolm Bruce demanding that unless the Pakistani rich elite start paying taxes, the British tax payers cannot be burdened. Those leading a life of luxury holding vast assets, in Pakistan and abroad, cannot seek legislative immunity from taxes on technicalities. Bankruptcy laws in USA allow a citizen to own single self-occupied house within or outside USA. As for issues of public morality or religious ethics being followed by public office holders, this varies from nation to nation and on public opinion. In France Mitterrand was elected because he paid for the child fathered from a mistress, while in USA Gary Hart, frontrunner in 1987 elections had to resign for holidaying with a mistress. In Pakistan, starting from Ayub Khan’s rendezvous with Christine Keeler, in Profumo’s swimming pool, to Musharraf’s late night parties and circus acts dancing with whiskey glass balanced on his head, at state owned residences, these transgressions have been done with impunity, more by those holding power through bullet, than the ballot. MALIK TARIQ ALI Lahore
Pot calling kettle black
For past three years, the Leader of Opposition in National Assembly has been crying hoarse about pilferage of state and private lands by land mafia, with known links to those in power. The role of CDA Islamabad was the subject of much controversy and painted to be the cauldron, where scams are cooked. The unfortunate reality is that not only is the cancer of greed motivated corruption rampant within our civil or uniformed bureaucracy, but all the major political parties including PPP, MQM, PML-N, PTI, JUI-F and PML-Q all have their share of land mafia giants or pygmies funding their expensive campaigns. The only difference is the intensity and concentration of this mafia within these parties, which means more or lesser evil. It came as a shock to many like me, that amongst those recruited on contract post retirement by former CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, include the very top retired executives, such as former Chairman CDA, whom Leader of Opposition would have us believe were the very epitome of corruption, with direct links to notorious land mafia tycoons, that literally run this unfortunate nation. What are we now to assume, that these former very controversial and established corrupt officers, holding dual nationality with assets of billions, have been bathed and purified by Aab-e-Zam Zam, once they re-establish links with Sharif family or earn their goodwill, or are we to say this was like the proverbial “pot calling the kettle black”. SHAHZAD KHALIL Sialkot
Human resource development in Balochistan
Human resource development, in short, means investment in human capital. Human capital means people can act as capital assets which yield a stream of economic benefits over their working life. An improvement in the mental capability, skill, and physical capacity of the people constitutes an increase in the human capital because this enables the human factor to produce more. Human resources development is essential for both individual success and also overall national prosperity and development. Balochistan, though being rich in natural resources with a reasonable population, still has not relived itself of its poverty shackles. This is because it suffers from a serious lack of skilled human resources. The survey says Balochistan has only 10,381 educational institutions against a total of 2,164,901 in the country, out of which 106,435 are in Punjab, 46,862 in Sindh and 36,029 in Khyber Pakthunkhwa. About six per cent of schools in Balochistan do not have buildings, nine per cent do not have electricity, 12 per cent are without potable water, and 11 per cent are without proper toilets. As mentioned in the Economic Survey, Balochistan’s literacy rate is 34 per cent as compared to the national literacy rate of 56 per cent. On the contrary, Punjab has a literacy rate of 57 per cent, Sindh 50 per cent and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 49 per cent. Similarly, the survey says the literacy rate in Balochistan among male and female is merely 39 and 27 per cent, respectively, much below the national average literacy rate. The statistics show that inequality in education in Balochistan is a fact. Unfortunately, the province is being deprived of education and same is the case with unemployment and development. for quite a long time and no concerted efforts have been made to end this sense of deprivation in the province. I appeal to present caretaker government and coming government to concentrate on education and health sector for development of human resource sector. A productive Balochistan means a prosperous Pakistan. Sarfaraz Samad University of Karachi, Karachi
Dealing with the Taliban
I do not agree with the opinion that by electing good leaders, we can drive out the few thousand terrorists who have held the country hostage for last four decades. The real question is whether we are united on a common resolve against terrorism. When it comes to religion, we are a confused nation. Anyone can fool us in the name of religion. Most of the religious-political parties are ideologically aligned with the Taliban, which is why military is unable to carry out any decisive action against them. The issue is no longer confined to the tribal areas and KPK. The country’s commercial capital, Karachi, is now under siege by Taliban. Pakistan can never win the war on terror until we are united against the enemy. Decisive action against extremists is essential. Masood Khan Saudi Arabia
A pillion rider’s woe
The Sindh government`s latest effort to ostensibly curb rising street crime abd killings in Karachi comes in the form of a ban on pillion riding. This ban has been imposed times and again in order to improve the law and order situation but the state of affairs in Karachi has gone from bad to worse. While it is true that most street crimes are committed by men on motorcycles, banning pillion riding is no solution. A large number of Karachites use motorcycles to go to work and to visit their dear ones. There are over 1.2 million registered motorcycles in the city, which carry over 2 million commuters daily. The ban does not take into account the inconvenience caused to a sizeable chunk of Karachi`s commuting and working population. Why do authorities punish ordinary people for a problem which should be resolved by better policing and law enforcement? MUHAMMED ZAFIR ZIA Karachi
Turkish plays in Pakistan
I would like to draw the attention of authorities concerned to the increasing Turkish plays in Pakistani channels. Turkish plays are increasingly being telecast in Pakistan. For example, the dramas “Noor” and “Manahil aur Khalil.” However, the culture portrayed by these dramas does against Islamic culture. These dramas promise western culture. They advertise the use of drugs, drinking alcohol and wearing inappropriate clothing. I hope the government and related departments will take serious action against the telecast of these dramas. MEHWISH NOOR Jinnah University for Women Karachi
Torturing Ahmdi family
The incident of torturing Ahmadi family at Kasur is shocking, terrible and tragic. Even worse was the local police authorities who played a helping hand with the mob and were directly involved in the incident. To date there has been no police case registered or any arrests made. I fail to understand how such an incident can take place in the first place. I firmly believe that every Pakistani citizen has a right to live peacefully and it is the duty of the police to protect them. Punjab remains a land of problems and troubles for the Ahmadi people and the concerned authorities have always turned a deaf ear to it. No alarm bells are ringing and no one listens. T A GHALIB New Jersey, USA
The caretakers
It is surprising to note that Punjab’s caretakers are more concerned with rejuvenating the dormant Basant festivities, instead of focusing on elections in the coming six weeks or so. The mere provision of restrictive rules in kite flying would not ensure their being followed in letter and spirit and the danger of life and limb to citizens would remain. The police would be chasing kite fliers of all hues and colours instead of providing security to a peaceful election process. What is the guarantee that the coming government in May would not reverse the permissive ways of kite flying as per previous policy? The caretakers ought not to fritter away their energies in chasing kites but focus on myriads of problems to be faced in ensuring security and level playing fields for political parties that are arrayed against each other with the added threat of terrorists that are an ever present danger to peaceful elections. In short, the over enthusiastic caretakers of Punjab are expected to remain in the mainstream of Pakistan and not carve a way apart from other provinces in their short tenure. DR M YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore
Pakistan’s new missile
A new short range ballistic missile Hatf-IX (Nasr) has recently been added to the Pakistan’s nuke club. Nasr, with a range of 60km and a quick response system, can carry four warheads, has high accuracy and ensures deterrence in evolving scenario. It was part of short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SRBMs) and its medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is expected to be completed in three cycles by July of this year. A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of about 1,000km or less. It should be noted that Nasr is a modern missile, developed considering the evolving threats to ballistic missiles. Shaheen-IA is developed keeping the same threat in mind, and so will be the future ballistic missiles of Pakistan. Nasr is a significant addition as it is designed to defeat all eminent anti-tactical missile defence systems. Small range nuclear warheads are not meant to wipe out cities. Instead their role is to wipe out enemy bases or a strategic point which is too hard to be conquered. This 60km range battlefield missile is meant to be used with tactical nukes – not strategic – to stop advancing armour division’s entering into the country. Many strategic planners in New Delhi have long been of the opinion that there exist loopholes in the Pakistani deterrence at shorter ranges which can be exploited in the Indian Cold Start Doctrine to capture Pakistani territory. Therefore, this missile is considered to be more deadly then longer range missiles because as it lowers the nuclear threshold (for tactical nukes). The Americans had at one point deployed similar short range battlefield nukes in East-Europe against the Soviets – to underscore the will to go all out nuclear against a larger invading force. It is called an effective deterrence. The Nasr is more likely to be utilised as a means of targeting static Indian military infrastructure close to the border with conventional warheads – a more accurate substitute to an MBRL. F Z KHAN Islamabad
A threat to democracy
Can anyone deny that democracy in Pakistan has always been dysfunctional? One only wishes one could. It is true down the core that unfortunately democracy in this country, for whatever period and in whatever shape it existed, has been a non-performing democracy. Who should be held responsible for this - the politicians, the bureaucracy or the people? If this vital issue is put to vote, the spontaneous response would naturally be the politicians. Undoubtedly, the politicians must be held ultimately responsible for the failure of democracy to deliver. Can we, however, acknowledge the fact that there are other players too who are equally responsible for the failure of democracy deliver. The bureaucracy of Pakistan is equally responsible for the poor or non-performance of democracy in this country. Like the politicians the bureaucracy of this country by not performing well has always invited the undemocratic forces to dislodge successive elected governments. People themselves are also partly responsible for the deep mess this country is in today. In a democratic dispensation it is the people who elect and place their representatives at the helm to govern the country. M FAZAL ELAHI Islamabad
The coming elections
We should be grateful to the outside world who is wishing an undisrupted elections coming May. However, this is not what’s going to happen. Pakistani Taliban (TTP) have clearly advised the general public which parties they shall not vote for or attend their rallies. They have threatened to attack rallies of liberal parties —-Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party and Muttahida Quami Movement, while have put their weight in favor of right-wing religious political parties. In the recent past, North KP province has witnessed repeated attacks on ANP related political rallies. One would fear an exponential increase in such acts of violence against liberal parties. Same time, right-wing religious political parties are able to hold huge rallies in Peshawar, Swat, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi wherein Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Fazal Rahman and Munawar Hassan have addressed their supporters. As Pakistan moves towards elections in May, it is unfortunate that right-wing religious/sectarian political parties will get undue benefit from the covet support from Taliban. This may not give level playing field to liberal parties; resulting in an outcome which may leave bitter memories for the years to come. MASOOD KHAN Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Condemning persecution
The incident of persecuting Ahmadi family at Kasur is shocking, dreadful and tragic. Even worse that the local police authorities were playing a helping hand with the mob and directly involved in the incident. To date, there has been no police case registered or any arrests made. I fail to understand how such an incident can take place in the first place. I firmly believe that every Pakistani citizen has a right to live peacefully and it is the duty of the police to protect them. Punjab remains to be a land of curse of the Ahmadiyyas and the concerned authorities are having a deaf ear to it. No alarm bells are ringing and no one is to listen. A hope of anguish triumph like always. AHMAD FARAZ
Whom to vote, whom not to vote for?
As the 2013 elections get heated up, we see candidates hurling barrages of accusations and charges against their opponents. This is something that we should all expect, during an election year as it happens every time. This is not surprising; in fact, humans have always fought for their differences. Now, in the civilized world, physical fights between the rivals have been replaced with verbal controversy. Now the rivals use different forums and mediums to mould public opinion in their favour in order to defeat their opponents. Media, both print and electronic, is the most important instrument being used by the political parties to beat their opponents. It is nothing short of a tragedy for this nation that media is being used by the politicians for negative propaganda against others. An ideal approach could have been to have debates on important national issues and to invite the existing and emerging leadership to participate in these debates with their solutions to the problems faced by the common man. It would have been a great help for the layman to decide which party has the best planning and vision. Presently, the stakeholders are confused about whom to vote and whom not to vote and media further adds to their confusions instead of guiding them to choose their future leadership through purposeful debate and discourse. Muhammed Zaheer Abbas IIU Islamabad
Pakistani cricketers should look to Ponting
Recently I read in a newspaper that former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has stated that he wanted to play another season with Tasmania after they won the Sheffield Shield competition. Ponting, who retired from international cricket in December 2012, scored 875 runs at an average of 87.50 in the season which was the highest in the season by any batsmen. He was also named Sheffield Shield player of the year. “I’ve told Tasmanian cricket this week that I’m really keen to play on again next year,” Ponting said. “But in the same breath, I’ve also told them not to offer me a contract. I don’t want to take a contracted spot and pull out at the last minute,” he added. This shows the level of professionalism of Australian cricketers. Ponting, still a top performer, has declared he is not sure that whether he will be fully fit to play in a club-level competition. Contrast that with Pakistan, where many a star cricketer who was unable to perform had to be forced out. Some senior players in the current Pakistani team must look towards Ponting and should reconsider their futures. MUBASHIR MAHMOOD Karachi
Editor's Mail
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Arif Nizami (Editor)
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