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LETTERS:

Post letters to Letters to the Editor, The Daily Times, 41-N, Industrial Area, Gulberg II, Lahore, Pakistan Phone: 92-42-5878614-19; Fax: 92-42-5878620 E-mail: letters@dailytimes.com.pk
Letters may be edited for length and clarity

Secure practices

Sir: In order to secure the receipt of personal property of individuals in envelopes, courier service employees use staples to fasten them. This practice has become the norm. However, courier services do not realise that this often damages the property/documents stored inside the envelopes. I suggest that they abandon this practice of stapling and instead use proper glue or invest in automation for receipt acknowledgement. Though we appreciate their speedy services, some of their hasty actions still damage our property at times.
SYED ALI JAFRI
Lahore

A man with vision

Sir: As far as the future of Pakistan is concerned, President Pervez Musharraf’s January 17 speech washed away all of my concerns regarding the issue of building water reservoirs, the problem in Balochistan, the NFC Award and many other things.

Musharraf’s speech was indicative of his strong desire to raise Pakistan to glory. We need such a man with vision. We were initially against his U-turn on Afghanistan, but today we understand that his decision was right. The most important thing is his great contribution towards strengthening the economy of Pakistan, which has led him to announce the construction of five big reservoirs. It is my humble appeal to all Pakistanis, including the intelligentsia, journalists and individuals at private TV channels to join hands with the president.
MARYA MUFTI
Lahore

Sweeping statements

Sir: I am writing this in reference to Moez Mobeen’s letter ‘Secularism’ (Daily Times, January 19). The writer makes a false statement that needs correction. The democratically elected government of France has banned the overt display of all religious symbols only in state-run schools. This law applies to all religions, not just Islam. It is incorrect to say that France has “banned” the hijab. Mr Mobeen should get his facts straight before making sweeping statements that have no factual basis.
NAUSHERWAN LAHORI
Germany

Hockey

Sir: Pakistan hockey team coach, Asif Bajwa, vowed to resign at the end of 2006 if he failed to improve the team’s plight and admitted that performance is the sole responsibility of the management and that federation officials have nothing to do with it.

He was giving his views during the senate standing committee on sports and culture meeting that was convened to look into the reasons for the hockey team’s poor performance in the champion trophy.

All the treasury bench officials were of the view that the reasons for the poor performance of the team should be identified so that it can be helped.

Some members were of the view that some sports, such as cricket, have become commercial and that the country should make an effort to make them more lucrative for players. In their opinion, hockey needs to be financially lucrative.

Many other such views were presented. However, these committee members were focusing on material interests. Once again, the game has been sidelined.
SAMIULLAH
Peshawar

Mush-isms

Sir: I regularly read Mr Kamran Shafi’s articles and his Bush quotes are titillating. Why he doesn’t quote President Pervez Musharraf as often is a mystery. Like Bush, Musharraf is a constant source of humour for us, and the rest of the world.

I can recollect a few gems:
“(After October 12, 1999) Pakistan is a democracy.”
“Elections will be held and I will be the president.”
“My uniform brought real democracy in the country.”
“I will take my uniform off by December 31, 2004.”
“I will keep the uniform and the presidency till 2007. Opposition stand is undemocratic.”
“(About uniform) We will see in 2007.”
“I am changing the clause... of the Constitution…”
“The army has to be kept in to keep it out.”
“Some (women) are said to have made it a business to get raped and get a visa for US or Canada…” followed by “I never said that.”
“(In our conversation) President Bush has not mentioned my uniform even once.”
“Those who oppose my policies are enemies of Pakistan.”
ASLAM MINHAS
Karachi

Police state?

Sir: Responding to allegations that the state is spying on people inside the US, President George Bush said: “open debate about the law would say to the enemy, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do’…The fact that we’re discussing this programme is helping the enemy.” Understandably Bush’s decision to authorise wiretapping without warrants has caused a huge controversy in the US, since the Fourth Amendment is supposed to protect people against the government encroaching on their private lives. Furthermore, the manner in which Bush linked the discussion of this policy to ‘help’ for the enemy, highlights the ongoing struggle between security and civil liberties.

Since 9/11 western governments have been creating a climate of fear among their people in order to justify draconian anti-terrorist legislation that erodes people’s civil liberties. This struggle between security and civil liberties highlights the wider debate over how far the government should go to enforce the law on a supposedly ‘free’ people. As David Chandler, a senior lecturer in international relations at University of Westminster, says: “In the context of the ‘war on terror’, any liberties can be construed as security risks.”

Clearly there is a contradiction between giving people liberty, and then forcing them to give it up by obeying the law of the land.
ABDUR REHMAN
Karachi

Polio again?

Sir: According to a news item, the minister of health admitted that 24 cases of polio have been detected in the country since December 2005. Is this the same minister who has been promising to eliminate this menace before the passing of each year for the past four years?
GHAYYUR AYUB
Via email

Objectivity

Sir: Following Osama Bin Laden’s recent tape and the response from western media, specifically the Americans and the British, I noticed that whenever a tape is released by Bin Laden the BBC always tries to analyse the contents of the tape and tries to cater to questions such as how Laden is to be dealt with, whether his demands should be met or not and what measures can be taken to stop the war between the Bush and Bin Laden camps.

In such a situation, the media can play an important role, positively and negatively – positively, by helping bridge the gap between the two conflicting groups, or negatively, by fuelling the hatred. However, an analysis of western satellite televisions in general and American channels in particular shows how the western media can be biased as well. When analysing the Bin Laden tape, not a single Muslim or non-American was present.
SAIRA BANO BUTT
Islamabad

Friendly fire

Sir: I wonder why so many Pakistanis are protesting the US missile attack on Bajaur Agency in Pakistan? Don’t these people understand that it was just a friendly fire?
I QABACHA
Lahore

PIA is doing fine

Sir: This is in reference to the letter titled ‘Fuel prices and airlines’ (Daily Times, January 16) by Mr Hanif Khan. It is sad that the Malaysian Airline System (MAS) had to move its headquarters from the heart of Kuala Lumpur to cheaper premises, and the decision of the airline to keep from compromising on passenger services is also commendable.

However, this decision does not have to do entirely with rising fuel prices, but also the emergence of low fare domestic airlines with which MAS has been unable to compete.

But just because the aviation business in Malaysia is in a crisis does not mean that it is in trouble in Pakistan too. On the contrary, PIA is doing well. Last year it surpassed many significant milestones. Its seat factor showed improved from 69 percent in 2004 to 74 percent in 2005 and it received the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Certification which will pave the way for the airline to enter into code sharing and join airline alliances. Also during last year, customer feedback increased from an average of 160 comment cards per week to 1,700 cards per week and the proportion of complaints went down from 42 percent to 20 percent. There was a Rs 7.9 billion increase in revenue (13.7 percent) over the last year.

The impression that the management is not interested in the domestic traveller is also false. In fact, PIA subsidises operation of some domestic routes.
CAPT HASSAN JAFFERY
GM, PA&C, PIA
Karachi

Where are those dam sites?

Sir: At a recent function, I spoke to President General Pervez Musharraf who had returned from his stormy Sindh tour that very day. I asked him whether it had ever occurred to him, while addressing public meetings or gatherings of intellectuals, that these people may not be aware of the various sites of the dams that he is continuously talking about.

On January 16 Dawn carried a line map but did not show the sites of the Munda, Akhori and Kurram Tangi dams. I am sure that most people talking about Kalabagh and other dams don’t have the faintest idea of their locations. I expect our newspapers to make it a point to carrymaps along with their reports.
DR ABDULLAH JAN PATHAN
Islamabad

Thought provoking

Sir: This is in reference to Ahmed Faruqui’s thought provoking article on Jinnah (Daily Times, January 15). Mr Faruqui has touched a very sensitive yet extremely important issue which needs serious deliberation. I firmly believe that the nations which forget their past are condemned to repeating their mistakes over again. We should look into the issues highlighted by the writer. In fact, I suggest that these issues be taken up by various TV channels; they should invite scholars working for think tanks and President Pervez Musharraf to speak on the different subjects.
CHOUDHARY ANWER AHMAD
Virginia

Jinnah’s vision

Sir: In response to Abdul Mannan’s letter ‘Jinnah’s vision’ (Daily Times, January 20), I doubt that there is much difference between my understanding of Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan and Ahmed Faruqui’s (Daily Times, January 15). Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan was one of a constitutional state where the rule of law reigned and the equality of citizens was ensured. The difference between Faruqui’s view and mine is that I believe that this can actually take place.

Jinnah’s vision for a constitutional state with equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion, caste, creed or gender is something that finds popular support. Pakistan People’s Party, the largest and the most popular political party, holds this view. Pakistan Muslim League also maintains this as its stated mission. I recently heard Haji Bilour of ANP wax eloquent about how this country was founded through a political resolution and that it should be a constitutional democratic state. I believe he echoes the views of his leaders Wali Khan and Asfandyar Wali Khan, who were never Jinnah supporters. The nationalists of Balochistan and Sindh are also ultimately committed to a constitutional state with equal rights for all citizens. MQM has adopted the idea of a constitutional state with a rule of law as its central aim.

So with the possible exception of the religious parties and the Pakistan army, there is a broad consensus in the country on Jinnah’s vision, even amongst those who were his political opponents. Pakistan must respect its Constitution. This is the way forward.
YASSER LATIF HAMDANI
Lahore

Street crime

Sir: New Delhi has become a haven for anti-social elements. Most of the bus stops and parks are infested with rogues who systematically torture people, particularly Muslims, on some pretext or other.

A few days ago, I was waiting for a bus at the South Motibagh bus stop in front of a Hindu temple. A woman wearing western clothes was standing there alone. A man was also standing there. Suddenly for no reason, the woman started shouting at me. The man came over and started thrashing me. After a while, both of them left together on a bike.

I reported the incident to the police. The police proved uncooperative. A country that preaches peaceful means of resolving problems should not allow this kind of criminal activity. If Delhi cannot contain the Hindu onslaught on hapless Muslims, I wonder what the situation is like in other places.
DR ABDULRUFF COLACHAL
New Delhi

Where is the efficiency?

Sir: By building a completely superfluous, and irrelevant water fountain, in the middle of the sea, at a cost of Rs 225 million, the Karachi port Trust has demonstrated an absence of conscience as well as common sense. One could understand this behaviour if we lived in mediaeval times, when megalomaniac kings used to indulge in such ostentatious outbursts.

However for a state sector organisation, riddled with inefficiency, outdated equipment, poor cargo handling systems and archaic procedures, such artificial self glorification is simply criminal, especially when it entails spending the tax payers’ money.

What is wrong with our state institutions? Are there no rules on how the state money must be spent? Why can it not be spent to improve an organisation’s efficiency and productivity? The handling of cargo at Karachi Port is reported to be 1.5 times more expensive than Bombay, 4.5 times more than Colombo and 19 times more than Dubai. The extra cost is ultimately passed on to users, making Karachi Port one of the least desirable options in the region.

One must understand that the Karachi Port cannot become a modern, efficient and cost effective port by building the tallest fountains.
NAEEM SADIQ
Karachi

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